(bio updated on 12/31/2023)
Johann Carl Friederich Christian Harning (known by his 1st given name "Johann") was born in Kussow, in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) on August 22, 1827 to Johann Joachim Wilhelm Harning and Friederica Magdalena Dorothea (aka Luise) Schroeder. He was their first born out of 6 children. Sadly his mother Luise died in 1847 when Johann's younger siblings were still of a tender age.
In 1854, at the age of 27, Johann together with his father and 5 siblings emigrated to the United States - arriving in New York City on August 4, 1854 aboard the SS Marchioness of Queensbury from Hamburg. They continued west to Detroit, Michigan to make their new home there. In the US, Johann became known as "John".
Unfortunately, life in Detroit was not kind to the Harning family. John's brother Christian and his father Johann succumbed to Asiatic Cholera very shortly after arriving in Detroit. The responsibility of taking care of his 4 younger sisters fell to Johann, as the only adult male remaining in the family. A year later, in 1855, youngest sister Christine also died of Asiatic Cholera - she was only 8 years old.
Johann's sisters Louise and Dorothea got married in short order - in late 1854, Louise married Heinrich Engel, and in 1856 Dorothea married Helmuth Miller - leaving just Friederike who was still underage. For his part, John married on February 28, 1856 to Caroline Leesch. Caroline was a 1st cousin to Heinrich Engel (who married John's sister Louise). The Harnings had become acquainted with the Engel family at some point on their long journey from Mecklenburg to the United States, and had become close. In fact, youngest sister Friederika Harning eventually went on to marry the youngest Engel brother Christoph in 1862.
Because John had been trained as a tailor (similar to his father), John and Caroline made their home in the city of Detroit - where he could put his trade to good use. They started their family right away - having 3 children in the first 6 years of their marriage. According to their death certificates, John and Caroline had a total of 7 children, of which only 3 survived into adulthood. Details about only 3 of these other children are known:
1858 - William
1859 - Augusta
1862 - John
1868 - Gustave (died age 8 days)
1869 - baby girl (died age 0, possibly stillborn)
1869 - baby (died age 0, likely premature)
John died in 1898 at the age of 71, due to chronic heart disease. Wife Carolina died about 6 years later - in 1904.
John and Carolina are buried in Woodmere Cemetery, Section M, Lot 64 north 1/2. Interestingly, the monument stone on this plot - which is quite large - was never inscribed with the names and dates of either John or Carolina - it is mysteriously blank. The lot was originally purchased by son William when his daughter Ora Harning passed away in 1896. Ora, as well as her parents William (died 1900) and Katherine (died 1899) all have individual markers. The last space in this lot was used by John and Carolina's other son John Harning - who died in 1924 (he also has an individual marker).
Johann Carl Friederich Christian Harning (known by his 1st given name "Johann") was born in Kussow, in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) on August 22, 1827 to Johann Joachim Wilhelm Harning and Friederica Magdalena Dorothea (aka Luise) Schroeder. He was their first born out of 6 children. Sadly his mother Luise died in 1847 when Johann's younger siblings were still of a tender age.
In 1854, at the age of 27, Johann together with his father and 5 siblings emigrated to the United States - arriving in New York City on August 4, 1854 aboard the SS Marchioness of Queensbury from Hamburg. They continued west to Detroit, Michigan to make their new home there. In the US, Johann became known as "John".
Unfortunately, life in Detroit was not kind to the Harning family. John's brother Christian and his father Johann succumbed to Asiatic Cholera very shortly after arriving in Detroit. The responsibility of taking care of his 4 younger sisters fell to Johann, as the only adult male remaining in the family. A year later, in 1855, youngest sister Christine also died of Asiatic Cholera - she was only 8 years old.
Johann's sisters Louise and Dorothea got married in short order - in late 1854, Louise married Heinrich Engel, and in 1856 Dorothea married Helmuth Miller - leaving just Friederike who was still underage. For his part, John married on February 28, 1856 to Caroline Leesch. Caroline was a 1st cousin to Heinrich Engel (who married John's sister Louise). The Harnings had become acquainted with the Engel family at some point on their long journey from Mecklenburg to the United States, and had become close. In fact, youngest sister Friederika Harning eventually went on to marry the youngest Engel brother Christoph in 1862.
Because John had been trained as a tailor (similar to his father), John and Caroline made their home in the city of Detroit - where he could put his trade to good use. They started their family right away - having 3 children in the first 6 years of their marriage. According to their death certificates, John and Caroline had a total of 7 children, of which only 3 survived into adulthood. Details about only 3 of these other children are known:
1858 - William
1859 - Augusta
1862 - John
1868 - Gustave (died age 8 days)
1869 - baby girl (died age 0, possibly stillborn)
1869 - baby (died age 0, likely premature)
John died in 1898 at the age of 71, due to chronic heart disease. Wife Carolina died about 6 years later - in 1904.
John and Carolina are buried in Woodmere Cemetery, Section M, Lot 64 north 1/2. Interestingly, the monument stone on this plot - which is quite large - was never inscribed with the names and dates of either John or Carolina - it is mysteriously blank. The lot was originally purchased by son William when his daughter Ora Harning passed away in 1896. Ora, as well as her parents William (died 1900) and Katherine (died 1899) all have individual markers. The last space in this lot was used by John and Carolina's other son John Harning - who died in 1924 (he also has an individual marker).
(bio updated on 12/31/2023)
Johann Carl Friederich Christian Harning (known by his 1st given name "Johann") was born in Kussow, in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) on August 22, 1827 to Johann Joachim Wilhelm Harning and Friederica Magdalena Dorothea (aka Luise) Schroeder. He was their first born out of 6 children. Sadly his mother Luise died in 1847 when Johann's younger siblings were still of a tender age.
In 1854, at the age of 27, Johann together with his father and 5 siblings emigrated to the United States - arriving in New York City on August 4, 1854 aboard the SS Marchioness of Queensbury from Hamburg. They continued west to Detroit, Michigan to make their new home there. In the US, Johann became known as "John".
Unfortunately, life in Detroit was not kind to the Harning family. John's brother Christian and his father Johann succumbed to Asiatic Cholera very shortly after arriving in Detroit. The responsibility of taking care of his 4 younger sisters fell to Johann, as the only adult male remaining in the family. A year later, in 1855, youngest sister Christine also died of Asiatic Cholera - she was only 8 years old.
Johann's sisters Louise and Dorothea got married in short order - in late 1854, Louise married Heinrich Engel, and in 1856 Dorothea married Helmuth Miller - leaving just Friederike who was still underage. For his part, John married on February 28, 1856 to Caroline Leesch. Caroline was a 1st cousin to Heinrich Engel (who married John's sister Louise). The Harnings had become acquainted with the Engel family at some point on their long journey from Mecklenburg to the United States, and had become close. In fact, youngest sister Friederika Harning eventually went on to marry the youngest Engel brother Christoph in 1862.
Because John had been trained as a tailor (similar to his father), John and Caroline made their home in the city of Detroit - where he could put his trade to good use. They started their family right away - having 3 children in the first 6 years of their marriage. According to their death certificates, John and Caroline had a total of 7 children, of which only 3 survived into adulthood. Details about only 3 of these other children are known:
1858 - William
1859 - Augusta
1862 - John
1868 - Gustave (died age 8 days)
1869 - baby girl (died age 0, possibly stillborn)
1869 - baby (died age 0, likely premature)
John died in 1898 at the age of 71, due to chronic heart disease. Wife Carolina died about 6 years later - in 1904.
John and Carolina are buried in Woodmere Cemetery, Section M, Lot 64 north 1/2. Interestingly, the monument stone on this plot - which is quite large - was never inscribed with the names and dates of either John or Carolina - it is mysteriously blank. The lot was originally purchased by son William when his daughter Ora Harning passed away in 1896. Ora, as well as her parents William (died 1900) and Katherine (died 1899) all have individual markers. The last space in this lot was used by John and Carolina's other son John Harning - who died in 1924 (he also has an individual marker).
Johann Carl Friederich Christian Harning (known by his 1st given name "Johann") was born in Kussow, in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) on August 22, 1827 to Johann Joachim Wilhelm Harning and Friederica Magdalena Dorothea (aka Luise) Schroeder. He was their first born out of 6 children. Sadly his mother Luise died in 1847 when Johann's younger siblings were still of a tender age.
In 1854, at the age of 27, Johann together with his father and 5 siblings emigrated to the United States - arriving in New York City on August 4, 1854 aboard the SS Marchioness of Queensbury from Hamburg. They continued west to Detroit, Michigan to make their new home there. In the US, Johann became known as "John".
Unfortunately, life in Detroit was not kind to the Harning family. John's brother Christian and his father Johann succumbed to Asiatic Cholera very shortly after arriving in Detroit. The responsibility of taking care of his 4 younger sisters fell to Johann, as the only adult male remaining in the family. A year later, in 1855, youngest sister Christine also died of Asiatic Cholera - she was only 8 years old.
Johann's sisters Louise and Dorothea got married in short order - in late 1854, Louise married Heinrich Engel, and in 1856 Dorothea married Helmuth Miller - leaving just Friederike who was still underage. For his part, John married on February 28, 1856 to Caroline Leesch. Caroline was a 1st cousin to Heinrich Engel (who married John's sister Louise). The Harnings had become acquainted with the Engel family at some point on their long journey from Mecklenburg to the United States, and had become close. In fact, youngest sister Friederika Harning eventually went on to marry the youngest Engel brother Christoph in 1862.
Because John had been trained as a tailor (similar to his father), John and Caroline made their home in the city of Detroit - where he could put his trade to good use. They started their family right away - having 3 children in the first 6 years of their marriage. According to their death certificates, John and Caroline had a total of 7 children, of which only 3 survived into adulthood. Details about only 3 of these other children are known:
1858 - William
1859 - Augusta
1862 - John
1868 - Gustave (died age 8 days)
1869 - baby girl (died age 0, possibly stillborn)
1869 - baby (died age 0, likely premature)
John died in 1898 at the age of 71, due to chronic heart disease. Wife Carolina died about 6 years later - in 1904.
John and Carolina are buried in Woodmere Cemetery, Section M, Lot 64 north 1/2. Interestingly, the monument stone on this plot - which is quite large - was never inscribed with the names and dates of either John or Carolina - it is mysteriously blank. The lot was originally purchased by son William when his daughter Ora Harning passed away in 1896. Ora, as well as her parents William (died 1900) and Katherine (died 1899) all have individual markers. The last space in this lot was used by John and Carolina's other son John Harning - who died in 1924 (he also has an individual marker).
Gravesite Details
There is no individual marker for John Harning - the monument stone was never inscribed.
Family Members
Siblings
