Eberwein, Henry Family
By Ann Chrissos
The Eberwein name has been known in the Chesterfield area for the past 188 years. Henry Zacharias Eberwein, Jr. was born in Germany in 1805 and educated at the University of Goetlingen. By his 30th birthday, Henry had a wife, Dorothee Charlotte Elisabeth Hopfner (1812-1839) and three children: Matilda, Eliza (1833-)1909) and Henry Zacharias III (1835-1910). He also had a dream of becoming a prosperous landowner. To achieve this dream, it was necessary to leave Germany and to settle in Missouri where fertile land was available for a small investment. In 1835, Henry and his family boarded the Theodor Kerner, a 300-ton vessel, bound for the Port of New Orleans. When he arrived in Bonhomme Township (Chesterfield), Missouri, he purchased 450 acres of land in the area of Baxter and Old Baxter Roads. He also acquired three slaves to help clear the land, plant and tend crops, build an imposing plantation house and other out buildings. Four years later, Charlotte died, leaving Henry to struggle as a single father until November 18, 1841, when he married Christina Schien. Also in 1841, the new stone Bonhomme Church was completed and Henry served as the organist. Henry and Christina had five children: Roselle (Brazilia), Frederick, Thomas, Ernest and Edward. Henry, Jr.’s oldest child, Matilda, never married. Her sister Eliza married Charles Kopp and her brother H.Z.E. III married Wilhelminia Schwenck (1842-1928) after he served a brief stint in the Union Army during the Civil War. They had six children: Henrietta, Julia, Catherine (Carrie), Julius Henry, Henry Zacharias IV, and William. The Eberwein name is best known today for the Eberwein Dog Park. Among the many amenities included in the park is an Eberwein barn dating from the early twentieth century. For more information about the Eberwein family go to http://www.chesterfield.mo.us/historical-commission.html.
Henry Zacharias Eberwein, Jr.
Henry Zacharias Eberwein, Jr. (b. 22 Oct 1804, d. Apr 1888). Photo was taken in 1864.
Sources
All photos are courtesy of Nolene Eberwein.
Armstrong, Francine M. Endicott and Elaine S. Endicott Heine, Eberwein descendants, researched Census Records.
Erin Compton researched Ancentry.com.
Eberwein, Nolene was interviewed on January 25, 20001 by Marcella Mertz.