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Burkhardt

Thanks to the research done by Eagle Scout candidate Jimmy Sullivan, we can now say with assurance that the picture below is of the Charles A Burkhardt family and that Charles was the second mayor of Orland Park. Jimmy is renovating the cemetery where Charles and his family are buried, a project we support whole-heartedly. His website is GermanMethodist.org

  • Charles A Burkhardt (1838-1916) Charles emigrated from Alsace in the 1850's and because of the Grand Army of the Republic medal he proudly wears on his chest he is presumed to have been a veteran of the Civil War. However, searches for such a record have been fruitless. Buried beside him in the Old German Methodist Cemetery in Orland is his wife, Louisa Kimmel (1843-1817). This pair produced 7 Children: Elizabeth (1861-1933), wife of Frederick Mohr (1853-1923), Charles F. Burkhardt (1865-1940), who married Johanna Beck, Mary Burkhardt (1867-1923), Emma (1869-1945), Lena (1871-1946), Katherine (1873-1916), and John (1880-1956). Elizabeth and Frederick had a daughter, named Emma, who married George van Patten Becker on July 4, 1899. Mary married Henry C Uthe (1864-1939) in 1885.

  • Johann Lorenz Burkhardt (1815-1880) The father of Charles, along with his wife Anna Maria Sofia Schimmel (1817-1889), are also buried in the Old German Methodist cemetery, so it is presumed they immigrated with at least one or two children along. We hope to have more details later.

  • Elizabeth J Burkhardt (1840-1924) Johann and Sofia also had a daughter who married Frederick J. Winkler in Lockport in 1859.

  • Charles Frederick Burkhardt (1865-1946) The union of Charles and Johanna produced a son, Charles Ernst Burkhardt (1894-1970), who married Anna C Habenicht (1899-1994). His siblings include Johanna Burkhardt (1895-1958) and Carl Philipp burkhardt (1909-1994).

This picture comes to us along with the Becker Family Bible, but is not physically attached to it. We estimate that it was taken sometime about 1872 with Charles A. and Louisa seated and their children at that time, Elizabeth, Charles F., Mary and Emma.


Helen Wrobel once identified the young woman second from left in the back row as her grandmother, Emma Mohr, but we now know that it was Emma's mother Elizabeth.

By the way, the 1910 Census shows the Mohr family in Palos Township, Illinois, as follows: Fred, age 60, Lizzie, 50, Emma, 29, John, 27, Phillip, 25, Lena, 24, Albert, 22, Lizzie, 21, August, 18, Minnie, 14, Harry 13, Walter 9. We once considered this family to be in the picture, but the new information about Charles A Burkhardt has settled this question another way.

This page was last updated on September 18, 2024

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