THE IMMIGRATE ANCESTORS OF THE U.S. ISMERTS
If your Father’s last name is or was Ismert and you would like to know a little more about your heritage, then the following should help you to better understand who you are and where you came from.
Theodore J. Ismert 1915-2001 written in December 1984 based on his research and his father’s research done in France as a student
The first Ismerts to arrive in this Country were George, Peter and John Peter. They were brothers and the sons of Heinrich (Henry) Ismert. They were born in France and arrived here in1841. They were looking for a new life and an opportunity to better their lifestyles in a new country.
George Ismert settled in the Buffalo, New York area and started the Eastern branch of the Ismert Family. Peter Ismert settled in the Grass Valley, California while John Peter settled near Pistol River, Oregon, thereby establishing the western branch of the Ismert family.
The early life of George Ismert was beset with personal tragedy. After coming to the United States and becoming established he returned to France to obtain his wife and two daughters in order to bring them back to this country. He was devastated to learn that they had all died while he was away. He then returned to this country and after a suitable interval, remarried and raised a family of 11 children – seven boys and four girls.
There are only a few of George Ismert’s descendants left today. They live in the eastern and southeastern United States.
The eldest living descendant of George Ismert today is Marjorie Strivings of Tavernier, Florida. She was born July 1921.
Peter Ismert operated a small flour mill in Grass Valley, California, for awhile and also owned a cattle ranch. Peter’s life was also beset with tragedy. While in the prime of his life, he was murdered, shot in the back, in a dispute over the water rights to his ranch. He was the father of nine children before being shot down – three boys and six girls. As far as your writer knows, his branch of the family is gone as the last remaining male descendants was killed in World War II.
John Peter Ismert, after leaving Buffalo, New York, with his wife and children, settled in Lone Pine Creek, Colorado. They were not content in Colorado and move to Pistol River, Oregon, in 1887.
Their move to Oregon was rather remarkable inasmuch as John’s wife, Katherine Hafner Ismert, drove ahead with two covered wagons, five horses and her six youngest children. It must have been an exciting and fearful trip as all they had to follow through the wilderness was a wagon trail from Colorado to Oregon. They were followed several weeks later by John Peter and his eldest son, George Albert. John and George had remained behind to dispose of the Colorado ranch and livestock.
In Oregon, they enjoyed a full and contented life on their homestead. Today John and Katherine are resting side by side in the Pistol River Cemetery.
Several descendants of John Peter Ismert’s Family are living today in Pistol River, Oregon. His descendants also settled in California, Texas and Arizona. They are cousins of the midwest and eastern ismerts.
The eldest living descendant is Mable Laveta Miller of Pistol River, Oregon. She was born March 25, 1910.
The immigrating ancestors of ancestors of the Midwest Ismerts was John (See picture below). His Father and mother were Jean and Marie Vilm Ismert. He was born in 1841 and came to this country in 1859 with his younger brother, Peter. They came from a family of nine children – four girls and five boys. They were all born in France.
John and Peter went to Buffalo, New York after arriving I this country and learned the flour milling trade under the guidance of their uncle, George Ismert.
Shortly after they arrived in this country, the United States Civil War started. Since the war was none of John’s business or concern, he went to California until it ended. To avoid a long and dangerous sea voyage, John took a sailing ship to Panama, There he bought a saddle and horse and rode across the Isthmus. He then sold the horse and boarded another sailing ship to California. He joined his Uncle Peter, at Grass Valley and worked for his uncle in his flour mill.
After working in his Uncle’s flour mill for a while, John obtained a job as a miner in a gold mine. That did not work out as John was too tall to work in a gold mine. He was six feet, two inches tall and the ceiling in the mines were about six feet high. Since John was very handy with his hands and could do about anything a blacksmith could do, he made and saved money repairing the tools of gold miners. After obtaining a “grubstake”, he found a partner and they went seeking gold. Good fortune smiled upon them as they found a considerable amount. He found enough gold to be able to get married and buy into a flour mill later in Illinois.
When the war was over, John returned to Buffalo and married a girl he came to this country on the sailing ship – Amelia Berrard. He knew the Berrard family back in France, however Amelia stayed with her parents in Buffalo during the war.
After a successful career of milling flour in Kansas, Illinois and Missouri, John, with a partner, formed the Ismert-Hincke Milling Company of Kansas City, Kansas. They owned a large mill in Kansas City, Kansas and had large interests in mills in Murphysboro and Pinckneyville Illinois.
John and Amelia are interred in the Ismert mausoleum at Highland Park Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas.
All the Ismerts living in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Grandview and Camdenton, Missouri as well as those living in Kansas City, Kansas; Topeka, Kansas; Denver, Colorado; and Detroit, Michigan, are descendants of John Ismert. At present, there are well over 100. Quite impressive for an immigrant boy of 18 who came from a small town in eastern France with only a few hundred francs in his pocket but with a burning ambition to succeed,
The eldest living descendant of John Ismert is John Henry Ismert of Kansas City, Kansas. He was born in 1894.
The western branch of the Ismert family had still another immigrating Ismert to help establish and add to the branch. His name was Joseph Ismert. Joseph was the youngest son of Heinrick Ismert and the youngest brother of John Ismert. Joseph was born in 1853 and was too young to come to this country with his older brother, John.
Joseph came to this country after the United States Civil War and learned the flour milling business from his brother, John. Later on, he owned a part interest in a flour mill in Murphysboro, Illinois and was instrumental in its operation for several years. Joseph married Margaret Barba Vogel and had six children – five boys and one girl. Joseph died in 1920 and is buried in St Louis, Missouri.
Today there are descendants of Joseph and Margaret living in the Los Angeles, California area. The eldest is Milton E. Ismert of Pasadena, California. Milton was born December 17, 1894.
All the Ismerts, descendants, living in this country and those in Paris, France are cousins. Heinrick Ismert is our common ancestor and was the grandfather of John Ismert. Heinrick was born in 1784 and died in 1869. His great, great grandfather was George Ismert who was born in1627. George Ismert’s father was Wolfgang Ismert. Wolfgang’s birthday is unknown. He lived in France and died there in 1679.
Theodore J Ismert
KCMO December 1984
