Jacob Stephani and his brother John Johann Baptist Stephani were both born in "Prussia." Their unknown father was "believed to have married twice." Helen Anna Catharina Stephani Neff (at Rose Hill Cemetery) was his "half" sister.

In the 1854-1855 Hall & Company's Chicago City Directory, I found Jacob Stephani, clerk residing at 40 Franklin; Johann Stephani of S. & Bro, at 40 Franklin and Stephani & Bro. Vinegar Manufacturere at 40 Franklin. So it appears that Johann is his brother.

In the 1855-1856 Hall & Company's Chicago City Directory, I found only Stephani & Bro. Wines & Liquors at 154 W. Randolph Street.

On the 3 Jul 1860 Ward 5, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois Census, I found Liquor Dealers John Stephani, 34 and Jacob Stephani, 30; Emma Stephani, 4; Bertha Stephani, 2 and Mary Preble, 18. John has $1,000 in real estate and $10,000 in personal property and Jacob has $3,000. in real estate and $10,000 in personal property. The children were born in "Chicago" and the rest were born in Prussia.

The 1862-1863 Chicago Directory is online (10-09) at http://genealogytrails.com/ill/cook/1862directory.html, listed on page 361: Jacob Stephani (Stephani Brothers) h 15 S. DesPlaines and beside him is John Stephani, of (Stephani Brothers) h 15 S. DesPlaines.

In the 1866-1867 Chicago Directory, I found Jacob of Stephani Brothers at 21 Desplaines; John Stephani of Stephani Brothers and John & Jacob Stephani, Importers of Wines & Liquors at 128 W. Randolph St.

I did not locate Jacob on the 1870 IL census. Did he marry and have children?

1874-1875 Lakeside Directory of Chicago:
JACOB CAPITALIST 2, 124 W RANDOLPH LIVED AT 861 W MONROE

1876-1877 Lakeside Directory of Chicago: John J. Stephani, house at 885 W. Monroe and Jacob Stephani, capitalist at 124 W. Randolph, house at 885 W. Monroe and also probably boarding there is Alfred Stephani, at 885 W. Monroe.
John Stephani (Sr.) is a capitalist at 124 W. Randolph, house at 797 W. Harrison

1877-1878 Lakeside Directory of Chicago: does not list John J. Stephani, only John and Jacob at Stephani Brothers at 124 W. Randolph, Jacob lived at 885 W. Monroe and John (Sr.) lived at 797 W. Harrison.

1878-1879 Lakeside Directory of Chicago: Jacob has passed away and only John Stephani is listed, real estate at 124 W. Randolph, house at 797 W. Harrison.

Joseph died 9 Jun 1878.

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Vol. 24 dated Tuesday, October 15, 1878, #270, (2nd unnumbered page) says Appellate Court, Judges Murphy, Pleasants and Bailey. #194 Stephani v Bishop. Death of Jacob Stephani sugstd and Chas F. Bieling exctr etc. made party deft.

Plus in Reports of Cases at Law and in Chancery, argued and determined in the Supreme Court of Illinois, by Norman L. Freeman, Couselor at Law,Sept 1867 term - Jan 1868 term, Volume 62, page 396, by Iowa Supreme Court, William Penn Clarke, Thomas Foster Withrow, Edward Holcomb Stiles, Ezra Christian Ebersole, John S. Runnells, B. W. Hight, "The material facts of this case are briefly as follows: About May 1, 1878, the plaintiff and Geo. M. Furman, her husband, who then resided in Chicago, broke up housekeeping,......... Intending to remove to Atchison, Kansas, on the 8th day of May, 1878, they had the goods taken from the warehouse to the defendant's depot in Chicago........... The evidence tends to show that the plaintiff's husband attended to the delivery of the goods to the defendant for shipment to Atchison....... After the goods were delivered at the depot, and on the same day, they were seized and taken from the defendant's custody by a constable, on a write of attachment issued by a justice of the peace of Chicago, in an attachement issued by a justice of the peace of Chicago, in an attachment suit for $52. rent, in favor of Jacob Stephani and against the plaintiff's husband, and were afterwards, on the 18th of June, sold by the constable for $70, under and order of sale..... (page 397) To this end he sent money to his attorney at Chicago, W. C. Minard, to pay the Stephani claim."

Then I found in Reports of cases at law and in chancery argued...., Volume 16, Volume 46, page 54-55, by Illinois. Supreme Court on Google Books, Frederick Voltz et al. v John Stephani etal. This is an appeal from the Superior Court of Chicago, This was an action of assumpsit, brought in the Superior Court of Chicago, by the appellees, John Stephani and Jacob Stephani, against Frederick Voltz and Philip Schaffner, appellants, to recover for a bill of goods alleged to have been sold by them to appellants. The case was tried before a jury, who found a verdict for the plaintiffs. A motion for a new trial was made, which the court overruled, and rendered judgment on the verdict; whereupon the defendants appealed to this court. The facts in the case are stated in the opinion. We are asked to reverse the judgment of the court below, because that court refused to grant a new trial. The first ground relied upon is, that the evidence fails to sustain the verdict. The question at issue was, whether the appellants were the purchasers of the goods in question, or whether the goods were sold and the credit given to Frederick, the brother-in-law of Voltz. It appears that appellees were liquor dealers, and that appellants were commission merchants in the city of Chicago, engaged in buying and selling produce. Litchenberger testified, that about the 9th day of October, 1865, he saw Voltz in appellees' store, talking about purchasing a bill of liquors for parties in Michigan. That afterwards, he, at the request of appellees, presented the bills upon which this suit was brought, to Schaffner, at appellants' office; that he then said it was all right, and would be paid in a few days, but they were then short of money.

Another witness testified that in October or November, 1865, he was present when Stephani presented the bill, and Voltz said it was all right and that he would pay it in three months; that Stephani said that was satisfactory. If the evidence of these witnesses is to be credited, there is but little doubt of the liability of appellants for the payment of this account. From it, there could be no doubt that Shaffner expressly recognized the liability for its payment; and that Voltz was present when the liquors were purchased; and the first witness further states, that Voltz stated to Stephani, that he purchased a bill of goods for parties in Michigan; and when this statement is considered with the evidence of the second witness, that Voltz said the bill was correct and he would pay it in three months, it may e reasonably inferred that Voltz also recognized the liability of himself, if not his firm, for its payment. Uncoutradicted or unimpeached, the jury could arrive at 110 other conclusion, from this evidence, than that appellants were to pay for the liquors.....

Cook County, IL Death Index, certificate # 1096, aged 48 years (so he was born in ABOUT 1830).

Nancy Lederer Stephani (in lot 104), Francis Stephani, Bertha Stephani and Jacob Stephani, plus Sam Lee and Thomas Clark are in Rosehill's SW quarter, Section G, in or near lot 104, per the cemetery office (8-2020). Bertha and Francis were the young children of Delbert Stephani (Stephanes/Stephane) and his wife Francis Stella Walthers. Delbert's death certificate says he was the son of Jacob Stephani. Their graves are ALL unmarked, (confirmed in the 30 Apr 2021 photo). Volunteer kindly shared: Section G is a very old section. Many, many tombstones are missing, if there were ever any there at all. In the bottom of the photo you should see portions of 3 headstones that are not legible - neither are the 2 large monuments in the background.

His brother John died on 22 Jan 1883 and was also buried at Rosehill Cemetery, in Chicago.

Bio written by LSP