The Descendants of
WILLIAM HENNING
and related families

IN PUTNAM, MARSHALL & LA SALLE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS

Researched and Compiled
By
Sharleen Scott Geraths
1530 Westlake Ave N #100
Seattle WA 98109-3011
1980 - 2002

INTRODUCTION

Some of our memories fade as we grow older so we depend on other family members, pictures, civil records, etc. to make a record of our past. Some of these items are glorious to have and to read such as old letters and newspaper articles. Many records such as census, tombstones and even civil records and our memories have mistakes in them. So you will see in this book maybe two or three dates or places for the same occasion, these are due to these errors in recording. I am proof of that. My birth certificate was recorded one day different than it occurred; my marriage certificate was dated the day that it was taken to the church, not the day we were married. Many, especially women, lied about their age or told stories about where they were born such as my great grandmother, Eliza [Henning] Wolfe. She said her age was a certain date, which made her born after her christening and she also said that she was born "half way between Scotland and Ireland" which would mean she was born at sea, which could be possible but we haven't been able to prove her birth place yet. One census said that Eliza Henning was born in Pennsylvania; one in Ireland and one in Illinois. We know that two of these places are wrong because she had a baptismal record in Ballymoney, Ireland and it is also the most likely as they didn't arrive in America until 1848 and she was born in 1842. We can come to some conclusions after we have gathered many facts.

I am combining these four families because they are all closely related to me, living in the same area at the same time in the 1850's. I presume that many of them knew each other. Some of you, after reading this information will find that you are still living around some of your cousins and didn't realize that you were related. I have compiled these records and stories after corresponding with many living relatives. Many were most helpful when I began my search and have passed away before it was completed. I hope their children enjoy it.

I am very thankful to John Graham and his wonderful memory of the Henning family plus all his records. Jean Burger in Hennepin, who is not even related has kept me up to date with obituaries, found articles of the family in old newspapers and some court records. Many of you have furnished me with your own family information. This family history couldn't have been completed without all your efforts. I have searched the Census records to get some details and many family census records have not been found yet but are there. The 1860 Census film for La Salle County is almost completely unreadable. Cousin, Caroline [Winter] Parry of Chenoa started me on the gathering of Winter and Lechner family history after giving me considerable material she gathered many years ago.

I will be using some abbreviations in these records to save space which are standard in genealogy. Most everyone knows the state abbreviations. The following are some used in genealogy to save space:

The Family of William Henning

2. William & Margaret [McLaughlin] Henning II Family

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