FROM MJELA TO MOEHLE (MÖHLE)

One thing is certain, a person need not be engaged in researching his Wendish ancestors very long before he finds out that surnames were frequently spelled more than one way. In the early Serbin records the maiden name of Magdalene Biar, wife of Johann Biar, Sr., is spelled MEHLE. However, in old Krischa and Kotitz (Upper Lusatia) church records the name is usually spelled MÖHLE. Since Möhle (Moehle) appears much more frequently
than Mehle or any other spelling, I have chosen to use Möhle (Moehle) in this history. The name Möhle is listed in many German telephone directories. Moehle is also found in many American telephone directories, including Denver. However, our ancestors were Wends or Sorbs and since the name in the records is also rendered MEHLE, MEHLA, MJELA and MILA, indications are that the origin is not German. Dr. Helmut Fasske of the Sorbian
Ethnological Institute in Bautzen wrote that Möhle is Mjela in Sorbian and that the name is a short form of the Sorbian personal names BOGUMIL, MILOSLAW and MILIDUCH. This has reference to mil, milo and mili which stem from milu, an old Slavic word meaning “love.” It is interesting to note that my late Slovakian friend, Godfrey Cadra, Midland, Texas, was baptized Bogumil Cadra. Members of his immediate family called him “Milo”  (pronounced Mee-lo).

Our Möhle ancestors came from Krischa, which the Nazis re-named “Buchholz” in 1936.  This is one of the few place names that did not revert back to its former name after World War II. It is interesting to note, that back in 1767 this village was called Buchholz and this could be a reason why it was not changed back to Krischa. It is located 9 miles east of Bautzen. The Sorbian name for Krischa is Krisow. Onomastics point to two sources for this place name: either a person named Křiš, shortened form of cross, or place of one Křiswoš, whose name was shortened to Křiš.

OUR MJELA TO MOEHLE LINEAGE

                                                                            [1]

Johann Möhle, married Dorothea

[2]

Andreas Möhle married 24 Apr 1814: Kotitz, Saxony to Anna Wuchatsch

B. 27 Jan 1792: Krischa, Silesia                        B. 25 Jul 1793: Särka, Saxony

D. 8 Jan 1870: Särka, Saxony                          D. 14 Nov 1858: Särka, Saxony

[3]

Magdalene Möhle married 17 Aug 1845: Kotitz, Saxony to Johann Biar

B. 19 Nov 1824: Särka, Saxony                         B. 16 Feb 1823: Gröditz, Saxony

D. 18 Sep 1867: Serbin, Texas                          D. 10 Jun 1885: Serbin, Texas

                                                                            [4]

Andreas Biar married 8 Feb 1876: Serbin, Texas to Maria Therese Hattas [+]

B. 28 Oct 1853: Gröditz,Saxony                        B. 1 Mar 1856: Brenham, Texas

D. 8 Feb 1916: Serbin, Texas                            D. 30 Aug 1894: Serbin, Texas

Andreas Biar married 16 Feb 1896: Serbin, Texas to Magdalena Groeschel

B. 28 Nov 1851: Weicha, Saxony

D. 29 Nov 1937: Serbin, Texas

[5]

Johann Otto Biar married 17 Jan 1905: Fedor, Texas to Lydia Lina Moerbe

B. 1 Oct 1879: Serbin, Texas                           B. 8 Feb 1885: Fedor, Texas

D. 14 Nov 1956: Taylor, Texas                        D. 24 Jan 1957: Taylor, Texas

NOTES

Names of persons born in what is now Germany are spelled the way they appear in the church records where the baptisms are recorded. If more than one spelling is rendered then the standardized German spelling is used.

States, countries, etc., are in English. The spelling of places was taken from a modern German map.

B. indicates date of birth. D. indicates date of death. [+] indicates our ancestor when there was more than one marriage.

A little over 50 percent of the Wends who migrated to Texas in 1854 came from the Province or State of Silesia (Schlesien) in the Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preussen). They came from the counties (Kreis – Kreise) of Rothenburg and Hoyerswerda. The rest came from the Kingdom of Saxony (Königreich Sachsen), from the counties of Bautzen and Löbau (Loebau). After the unification of West and East Germany in 1990 the area covered by the above counties is now included in the newly-formed Province or State of Saxony in modern Germany.

[1]

JOHANN MÖHLE AND HIS WIFE, DOROTHEA

We have little information on Johann Möhle, our earliest identifiable Möhle ancestor. All we know is that he and his wife, Dorothea, lived in Krischa (now Buchholz). Their son Andreas was our ancestor.

[2]

ANDREAS MÖHLE AND ANNA WUCHATSCH

Andreas Möhle was born at Krischa on 27 January 1792. On 24 April 1814 he married Anna Wuchatsch at Kotitz. She was also known as Hanka. After their marriage they made their home in Särka, where Andreas was a farmer (Gärtner).

Anna Wuchatsch was born at Särka on 25 July 1793. She had a twin brother named Jank. Her father was George Wuchatsch, who was born in 1764, probably at Särka, where he was a farmer (Gärtner). Her mother was Anna, née Kloss, from Unwuerde, near Kittlitz, Saxony. They were married at Kittlitz in 1787. Anna’s mother died in 1813 and her father in 1814. Max Gottschald in his DEUTSCHE NAMENKUNDE (German Onomastics) lists Wuchatsch: wend. wuchač “grossohrig” (Wuchatsch: Wendish “big-eared”).

Andreas and Anna Möhle had four sons and six daughters. Two sons and two daughters died as infants. Their daughter, Magdalene, was our ancestress. Anna died at Särka on 14 November 1858 and Andreas also died at Särka on 8 January 1870.

[3]

MAGDALENE MÖHLE AND JOHANN BIAR

Magdalene Möhle was born at Särka on 19 November 1824. Her parents were Andreas Möhle and Anna, née Wuchatsch.

On 17 August 1845 she married Johann Biar, who was born at Gröditz, Saxony, on 16 February 1823, the older son of Michael Biar and Anna, née Schneider. They were married at Kotitz on 17 August 1845. It is likely that Pastor Johann Kilian performed the ceremony since he was the pastor there at that time. They made their home at Gröditz where he was the village blacksmith.

In 1854, Magdalene and Johann and two small sons, immigrated to Texas. Magdalene left behind two brothers and four sisters, while Johann left behind one half-sister, Anna Malke, née Biar. His only brother, Andreas, immigrated to Australia in 1854, the same year they went to Texas.

Magdalene and Johann had seven children, five sons and two daughters. The first three children, all sons, were born at Gröditz. The first son died at birth. The other two, Johann, born in 1850, and Andreas, our ancestor, born in 1853, accompanied their parents to Texas in 1854.  At that time Johann was 4 years old and Andreas, 1. The other four children were born at Serbin. One daughter, Maria Theresia, born in 1859, died at the age of five. Those reaching maturity were as follows:

NAME                  BORN             DIED                   MARRIED

Johann (Jr.)         30 Aug 1850   20 Jun 1923          Agnes Handrick

Andreas              28 Oct 1853    8 Feb 1916           Maria Therese Hattas

Maria                  29 Aug 1856    5 Aug 1924         August Schulz

Ernst August       17 Jun 1862    10 Oct 1888         Anna Helene Zschech

Johann Hermann 27 Oct 1864    29 Nov 1950        Anna Lydia Miertschin

Magdalene died from typhoid fever (Nervenfieber) at Serbin on 18 September 1867 at the age of 42 years. Johann died at Serbin on 10 June 1885 at the age of 62. Both are buried in the Serbin cemetery.

Our Moehle line continues with ANDREAS BIAR AND MARIA HATTAS in the Biar family history entitled FROM BÄHR (BAEHR) TO BIAR.

OBITUARY OF MAGDALENE BIAR, NÉE MOEHLE

With respect and love we remember Magdalene, the wife of Johann Bjar, a farmer at Serbin, whom the Lord God called from this world at 11 P.M. on Wednesday of last week, and whose mortal body, after the dismissal at her home, was buried with Christian benedictions on Thursday of last week and in whose honor a funeral sermon was held a week ago.

She was born on 25 November 1825*. Her father was Andreas Mehla, a farmer (Gärtner) at Särka; her mother was Hanna, née Wuchatsch, from Särka. When she received holy baptism, she was given the Christian name Magdalene. In the years of her childhood she was given a good upbringing and sent to school, where she received the necessary instruction in Christian doctrine and other knowledge. After she renewed her baptismal vow, she was a maid here and there, until, at the age of 20, she was united in holy matrimony with Johann Bjar, a farmer (Gärtner) at Gröditz, with whom she lived happily in wedlock for 22 years. By God’s blessing she bore 7 children, of whom one son and one daughter preceded her into eternity. Four sons and one daughter are still living. In regard to her last illness and death, she became ill with typhoid fever (Nervenfieber) Tuesday, two weeks ago. On Monday of last week she received Holy Communion at home, and strengthened by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, she departed on Wednesday of last week at 11 P.M. at the age of 41 years, 10 months and 2 days+.

May the Lord comfort the bereaved widower; 4 bereaved sons, Johann, Andreas, Ernst and Hermann; and one bereaved daughter, Maria; in Europe, her father, Andreas Mehla of Särka; and one brother, Andreas Mehla of Särka; and 3 sisters in Europe, Maria, the wife of Johann Jentsch of Särka, Agnes, the wife of August Israel of Rosenhain, and Christiane, at home with her brother; and other relatives and acquaintances.