The Beginning...

Although little can be found (online) concerning the head of our family line (pre-USA), Conrad Martin Klein Sr. emigrated from Luxembourg, Germany sometime before 1863.  It was that year that he took his bride, Christina Susannah Kauth of Belgium, Wisconsin.  At this time I can only speculate on their marriage, but they were likely married at the Holy Cross Catholic Church, in Belgium, WI as it was the oldest Catholic (relatively young at the time) Church available in the area at that time.

Christina Kauth was born to her parents (also from Luxembourg), Peter and Anna Kauth, on March 22, 1845 in Holy Cross, Wisconsin.  

The 1850 Census (click HERE) lists Christina, age 4, living with her family in Germantown, Washington County, Wisconsin.

By the time of the 1855 Census (click HERE) her family had moved to Belgium, Wisconsin.  Christina and her family were still living in Belgium in 1860 (click HERE) before her marriage to Conrad Martin Klein Sr. in 1863.  

Christina Kauth
(Click to Enlarge)

Port Washington (Lake Michigan), WI resides between Germantown and Belgium, WI.  It is likely here that Senior arrived from Luxembourg.  I have not been able to locate him on any census prior to his marriage in 1863.

Senior and Christina were married and shortly after left for Wenona, Illinois.  At this time, I have no certainty as to why they moved to Wenona, IL.  During that period a coal mine and railroad construction attracted those seeking employment.  It is possible that they moved to Wenona to farm as well.  There are also a couple of Klein families that were living in the area at the time.  Those families are still being investigated.

Shortly after their marriage they gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Christina (1864-1869) and their second, a son, Conrad Martin Jr. was born December 7, 1866 in Wenona, La Salle County, Illinois.

Conrad Martin Klein Sr. died in Wenona, Illinois according to family accounts which claim that he died in some type of accident.  Christina's obituary also claims that he died shortly after their marriage.  You can read her obituary by clicking HERE.

Senior must have died some time after March of 1866 (conception of Martin Jr.) and before October 9, 1867 when Christina remarried Dominic Moes.  According to a phone conversation with the Walgenbachs, Dominic went to Illinois to see his friend (Conrad Martin Sr.) after the Civil War had ended.  Eventually, a trip to Wenona may help as I plan to search through archived records and newspapers.  A fire is noted in Wenona (1870) which destroyed many records.

(Click to Enlarge)

As mentioned above, Dominic Moes and Christina (Kauth) Klein were married, according to their marriage certificate, in Illinois, on October 9, 1867.  They continued to live there where they farmed for eight years in Osage Township, IL (just east of Wenona).

Christina Klein (older sister of Conrad Jr.) died at a very young age as she is not listed on the 1870 census as living with her mother and Dominick.  Conrad Jr. (listed as Martin) is listed on the census (age 4).