Fortmann Johannes, a.k.a. John Henry II b. Nov 1850 4143 N Robie St (now Seeley Ave), Ridgeville, Illinois d. 23 Nov 1941 Skokie, Illinois

1850 - 1941

Home Search Search Print Print Login - User: anonymous Login Add Bookmark

Birth	Nov 1850	4143 N Robie St (now Seeley Ave), Ridgeville, Illinois [1]
Gender	Male
Early Schooling	9 Sep 1889	4143 N Robie St now 6730 Seeley Ave Chicago
	Johannes Heinrich, aka John Henry II, eldest Son of John Henry I, and in German tradition, has just inherited the Fortmann 100+ acre Farm as a result of his father's death on this date. Again, in tradition, John Henry II, eldest Son, will be responsible for the well-being of all who are under his roof and his father's deceased brother, Clemen's widow and her children. The land was in his Father's name after he purchased it from John "Waggoner" [Wagner] husband of Barbara Lauermann.
Early Schooling	1910	6730 Seeley Ave. Chicago, IL The Fortmann Farm
	Johannes [John Henry II] has been approached by a group of officers from the Edgewater Country Club. They are outgrowing their current facilities and wish to build a new Club House with a 9 Hole Golf Course on the Fortmann lands. A purchase of the land, on the north, bordered by Pratt Ave., the West, Western Ave., the East, Seeley Ave. excluding the two Fortmann homes on it, and south to the Britte farm are the lands of interest. It is 1910, Henry's Father died 11 years earlier; his Mother Katherine Lauermann, in the Family House, and her Sister Maria Katherine, in the adjacent house, have two families of children. John Henry II is 60 years old and contemplates a move to Niles Center, now called Skokie and the purchase of a truck-farm. In his wake he will leave his widowed aunt Maria Katherine Lauermann Fortmann and her 7 unmarried adult children. Ironic as this may seem it is exactly what happened in Sudlohne, Germany to some of the lands of the Fortmann Farms. They too were sold for a Golf Course. The Children of Clemens and Maria Katherine held the Family home until the last of them, at age 90 was moved to Techney Nursing Home in 1952. Today an old peoples home exists on the site across from Dominic's food market.
Early Schooling	1920	John Henry II sells Skokie Farm
	John Henry II has tired of farming at age 70, sells the Skokie Farm and moves with his two single daughter's, Gertrude and Margaret, to a home on Morse Ave and then on to Washtenau near Peterson Ave. John Henry shall die at 91 in 1941. John Henry had invested in the Phillips Bank at Lunt and Clark but in the 1928 Crash lost this investment. He was a man however who could always be counted on to have a wad of bills in his pocket.
Died	23 Nov 1941	Skokie, Illinois [2]
Buried	25 Nov 1941	St Peter Catholic Cemetery, Skokie, Illinois
	Some have said that John Henry II and his family were "a pecular bunch.......it seemed like they grew up mad at each other and went their seperate ways and forgot about each other. The only one that wasn't a true Fortmann was Uncle Phil, he seemed to care about his brothers and sisters and their families and visited them regularly. German's are hard-headed and seldom admit they are wrong. A famous saying of that generaton was "the door swings both ways and don't let it hit you on the way out" Excerpts from Carol Kelsey of Ohio, 2/24/2010
Person ID	I5	Fortmann, ......(Vorde1510.......Vortmann).........Fortman
Last Modified	21 Feb 2011

Father	Fortmann [Kleine] Johannes Heinrich (a.k.a Henry Ist ) Joseph, b. 30 Sep 1815, Kleinefortman Farm, Sudlohne, Vecta (District), Oldenburg Duchy, Germany , d. 9 Sep 1889, 4143 N Robie St now 6730 Seeley Ave Chicago, IL
Relationship	birth
Mother	Lauermann Katherine ( a.k.a. Catharine) (wife of J. Heinrich, a.k.a., Henry (1st), b. 12 Sep 1826, Buschfeld, Kr. Merzig-Wadern, Saarland, Germany , d. 18 Jul 1919, 4143 N Robie St now 6730 Seeley Ave Chicago, IL
Relationship	birth
Married	29 Jan 1846	St Joseph Catholic Church, New Trier, Illinois
Family ID	F7	Group Sheet

Family Hauer Apolonia (wife of John Henry II), b. May 1854, Twp of Niles, Cook Co., Illinois , d. 4 Dec 1910, Skokie, Illinois

Married 11 Feb 1876 St Henry's Catholic Church, Chicago, IL

Notes

John Henry III is contemplating marriage to Mary Spoden born in Luxembourg. His Father, John Henry II is "very upset" at this contemplated marriage to a "foreigner". John Henry II, of the Kleine Fortmann, Landwehr, Krogmann lineage is very proud of his Lohne,Odenburg family line and he shall effectively disown his Son John Henry III over this marriage. Carol Kelsey, 28 April 2008.
Marriage Certificate:
Recorded: 22 Feb 1876 Cook County, Illinois Batch #M730711 dated 1876 Source call 1030096 Film

Children

	1. Fortmann Apolonia, b. Sep 1877, Chicago, Illinois , d. unknown
>	2. Fortmann John Henry Jr., III, b. 3 Nov 1878, Twp of Niles , Cook Co, Illinois , d. 18 Sep 1950
	3. Fortmann Barbara
	4. Fortmann Peter, b. 23 Feb 1882, 4409 N Robie St, Evanston now 6750 Robie St Seeley Ave Chicago, IL , d. 1959, Chicago, Illinois
	5. Fortmann Frank H., b. 23 Dec 1884, 4409 N Robie St, now 6750 Robie St Seeley Ave Chicago, IL
	6. Fortmann Gertrude, b. 30 Oct 1885, Illinois , d. 07 Sep 1969, Cook Co, Illinois
	7. Fortmann Maria, b. Oct 1886, 4409 N Robie St, now 6750 Robie St Seeley Ave Chicago, IL
	8. Fortmann Phillip, b. 06 Aug 1888, 4409 N Robie St, now 6750 Robie St Seeley Ave Chicago, IL , d. 14 Dec 1968, Chicago, Illinois
	9. Fortmann Margaret, b. 04 Oct 1890, 4409 N Robie St, Evanston now 6750 Robie St Seeley Ave Chicago, IL , d. Feb 1983
	10. Fortmann Nicholas, b. 14 Jun 1894, 4409 N Robie St, Evanston now 6750 Robie St Seeley Ave Chicago, IL

Last Modified 6 May 2009

Family ID F8 Group Sheet

Photos		Apolonia Hauer, Wife of John Henry II Fotmann
		On the left is Phil Fortmann and on the right, Nick Fortmann; brothers and Sons of [center] John Henry II [b. Nov 1850]. Son of Heinrick I born in Lohne, Germany. This man, Henry II, father of Henry III disowned this Son for marrying Marie Spoden of Luxemburg. The Oldenburger's were very proud of their heritage and considered Luxembourgers to be "their lessers". Much the same as today's French look down their noses at the "Belgiques" of Belgium and the Vietnamese consider the "Montagnaurdes" of central Vietnam inferior. Most coutries of the world today have the same prejudices as our ancestors.
		John Henry Fortman II

Notes
Occupation: Farmer

Sources

[S2] Census, Twelfth US, 7 Jun 1900, Town of Lake View, City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States Government, (United States Government) (Reliability: 3).
[S8] St Peter Cemetery, St Peter's Catholic Church, (St Peter's Catholic Church), Block 58, Lot S 1/2 3 (Reliability: 3), Oct 2007.