(bio updated on 12/31/2023)
Carolina Maria Dorothea Leesch was born in 1826 in the village of Pastin near Sternberg in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of the province of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany). She was the 8th of 11 children in her family (although 4 siblings died in infancy). Her father Ernst Georg Christian Leesch died in 1834 when she was only 8 years old, and her mother Sophia Friederica Johanna Schindler died in 1851 when she was 25.
In 1854, Carolina emigrated to the United States with her aunt Sophia Dorothea Caroline Schindler Engel and family. They arrived in New York City on August 16 aboard the SS Henschel from Hamburg.
After settling in Detroit along with the Engels, Carolina married Johann "John" Carl Friederich Christian Harning in 1856. Their Wayne County marriage record erroneously recorded her name as "Catherine" Marie Dorothea Leesch. The Harning family had emigrated from Mecklenburg at around the same time, and they became acquainted with the Engels and Carolina Leesch at some point during their long journey to the US. Two of the Engel brothers (Heinrich & Christoph) also married Harning sisters (Louise and Friederika)!
Carolina and John Harning made their home in the city of Detroit, and they had 3 surviving children (out of 7 total births). Caroline died in 1904 at the age of 78, due to "senile debility", outliving husband John by almost 6 years, as well as son William, daughter-in-law Katherine, and granddaughter Ora Harning - all of whom died quite young.
Interesting footnote: Carolina's niece (coincidentally named Caroline Leesch) emigrated to the US in 1883 at the age of 16, following her aunt Carolina and her Engel cousins, whom she had never met - because they left for the US in 1854 before she was born! In 1897 she married her 2nd cousin Herman Engel.
Carolina Maria Dorothea Leesch was born in 1826 in the village of Pastin near Sternberg in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of the province of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany). She was the 8th of 11 children in her family (although 4 siblings died in infancy). Her father Ernst Georg Christian Leesch died in 1834 when she was only 8 years old, and her mother Sophia Friederica Johanna Schindler died in 1851 when she was 25.
In 1854, Carolina emigrated to the United States with her aunt Sophia Dorothea Caroline Schindler Engel and family. They arrived in New York City on August 16 aboard the SS Henschel from Hamburg.
After settling in Detroit along with the Engels, Carolina married Johann "John" Carl Friederich Christian Harning in 1856. Their Wayne County marriage record erroneously recorded her name as "Catherine" Marie Dorothea Leesch. The Harning family had emigrated from Mecklenburg at around the same time, and they became acquainted with the Engels and Carolina Leesch at some point during their long journey to the US. Two of the Engel brothers (Heinrich & Christoph) also married Harning sisters (Louise and Friederika)!
Carolina and John Harning made their home in the city of Detroit, and they had 3 surviving children (out of 7 total births). Caroline died in 1904 at the age of 78, due to "senile debility", outliving husband John by almost 6 years, as well as son William, daughter-in-law Katherine, and granddaughter Ora Harning - all of whom died quite young.
Interesting footnote: Carolina's niece (coincidentally named Caroline Leesch) emigrated to the US in 1883 at the age of 16, following her aunt Carolina and her Engel cousins, whom she had never met - because they left for the US in 1854 before she was born! In 1897 she married her 2nd cousin Herman Engel.
(bio updated on 12/31/2023)
Carolina Maria Dorothea Leesch was born in 1826 in the village of Pastin near Sternberg in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of the province of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany). She was the 8th of 11 children in her family (although 4 siblings died in infancy). Her father Ernst Georg Christian Leesch died in 1834 when she was only 8 years old, and her mother Sophia Friederica Johanna Schindler died in 1851 when she was 25.
In 1854, Carolina emigrated to the United States with her aunt Sophia Dorothea Caroline Schindler Engel and family. They arrived in New York City on August 16 aboard the SS Henschel from Hamburg.
After settling in Detroit along with the Engels, Carolina married Johann "John" Carl Friederich Christian Harning in 1856. Their Wayne County marriage record erroneously recorded her name as "Catherine" Marie Dorothea Leesch. The Harning family had emigrated from Mecklenburg at around the same time, and they became acquainted with the Engels and Carolina Leesch at some point during their long journey to the US. Two of the Engel brothers (Heinrich & Christoph) also married Harning sisters (Louise and Friederika)!
Carolina and John Harning made their home in the city of Detroit, and they had 3 surviving children (out of 7 total births). Caroline died in 1904 at the age of 78, due to "senile debility", outliving husband John by almost 6 years, as well as son William, daughter-in-law Katherine, and granddaughter Ora Harning - all of whom died quite young.
Interesting footnote: Carolina's niece (coincidentally named Caroline Leesch) emigrated to the US in 1883 at the age of 16, following her aunt Carolina and her Engel cousins, whom she had never met - because they left for the US in 1854 before she was born! In 1897 she married her 2nd cousin Herman Engel.
Carolina Maria Dorothea Leesch was born in 1826 in the village of Pastin near Sternberg in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now part of the province of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany). She was the 8th of 11 children in her family (although 4 siblings died in infancy). Her father Ernst Georg Christian Leesch died in 1834 when she was only 8 years old, and her mother Sophia Friederica Johanna Schindler died in 1851 when she was 25.
In 1854, Carolina emigrated to the United States with her aunt Sophia Dorothea Caroline Schindler Engel and family. They arrived in New York City on August 16 aboard the SS Henschel from Hamburg.
After settling in Detroit along with the Engels, Carolina married Johann "John" Carl Friederich Christian Harning in 1856. Their Wayne County marriage record erroneously recorded her name as "Catherine" Marie Dorothea Leesch. The Harning family had emigrated from Mecklenburg at around the same time, and they became acquainted with the Engels and Carolina Leesch at some point during their long journey to the US. Two of the Engel brothers (Heinrich & Christoph) also married Harning sisters (Louise and Friederika)!
Carolina and John Harning made their home in the city of Detroit, and they had 3 surviving children (out of 7 total births). Caroline died in 1904 at the age of 78, due to "senile debility", outliving husband John by almost 6 years, as well as son William, daughter-in-law Katherine, and granddaughter Ora Harning - all of whom died quite young.
Interesting footnote: Carolina's niece (coincidentally named Caroline Leesch) emigrated to the US in 1883 at the age of 16, following her aunt Carolina and her Engel cousins, whom she had never met - because they left for the US in 1854 before she was born! In 1897 she married her 2nd cousin Herman Engel.
Gravesite Details
There is no individual marker for Carolina Harning - the monument stone was never inscribed.
