1818-1908: Littig, Zitter, and Staubach of Rock Island, Illinois

by Laura Stolk July 18, 2022, Revision January 22, 2023

John R. Staubach was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany in October of 1818. During his childhood, there was much unrest. The Napoleonic Wars caused the governorship of the region to change and upon his defeat there was much argument among the rulers and the people, who threatened revolt. It was during this time, in 1838 to be exact, that John migrated to the United States. He was twenty years old. 

John first went to Philadelphia where he worked as a newspaper printer. At that time, just before the telegraph was invented, papers were delivered via Pony Express and Philadelphia had one of the fastest delivery systems in the nation. 

He didn’t stay in Philadelphia for long and by 1845 he had settled in Rock Island, Illinois. This is where he met Marguerite H. Littig who would become his wife.

Marguerite had migrated from France and settled in Rock Island, Illinois with her father, mother, siblings and her maternal grandfather. Her father and maternal grandfather both had the first name “Jean.”

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JEAN ZITTER 

ABT.1762-1861

Jean Zitter was born in Germany between 1762-1772. He was a soldier in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army and it’s believed that he was at Waterloo. His wife died in Germany and then John migrated to the United States in 1846 with his children. He arrived in the port of New Orleans and made his way to Rock Island, Illinois where he lived out his life. He died in Rock Island on August 20, 1861. There was an extensive obituary written about him, which described him as having a “short, quick step and a pleasant face.” His faith was Catholic and he was a regular church-goer.  The obituary also stated that he lived to be 95 years, which would have made him eighty years old at the time that he migrated with his children. In the 1860 Census he was listed as being 98 and his occupation was “servant under Napoleon.” Three of his daughters were living in 1861 and some of his children were already deceased and buried in the same “old graveyard” in Rock Island, with intentions by the children to move all buried relatives to a Catholic cemetery at a later date. His final resting place is not known. More research is needed on the surname Zitter (Ziter, Sitter, Siter, Sitte) to find his other children and his wife’s name. His three known daughters were: Mrs. Mitzer (birth name unknown) born abt. 1802, Marie Zitter 1804-1881, and Katherine Zitter 1817-1879. Marie married Jean Littig and had eight children. Katherine married Francis Joseph Stroele and had five children. 

JEAN LITTIG AND MARIE ZITTER 

ABT. 1805-1883

Jean Zitter’s daughter, Marie, was married to Jean Littig. Jean Littig was born in Lorraine, France in 1805. They migrated in 1846 from Havre to New Orleans and settled in Rock Island, Illinois where they were farmers. Jean and Marie Littig traveled with their children, Margueritte, Marie, Nicholas, Josephine, Caroline, and John. Marie’s father, Jean Zitter, also traveled with them. Men and women were listed separately in the passenger record – women and daughters were listed first. Marie’s father did not live with his daughter upon arrival, perhaps he lived with another one of his children. He did live with Marie and her family just before he died. Jean and Marie Littig had two more children after migrating – Marie A. and Andrew. 

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Marguerite Littig was the oldest of Jean and Marie Littig’s eight children. She was seventeen years old when she migrated from France to Rock Island, Illinois. Her parents were farmers. 

She married John Reinhardt Staubach on January 9, 1847. They were Catholic and there was not a Catholic church in Rock Island at the time, so they traveled to Sioux City, Iowa and were married there. . 

John started the first cooper business in Rock Island. His partner was a man named William Durmann,  was also in business with August Littig. August’s relationship to Marguerite is not yet known, surely a brother or uncle. Together they started the first brewery in Rock Island. Of course the only cooper and brewer in town would have a close working relationship. Perhaps this is how John and Marguerite met. 

John and Marguerite lived in Rock Island, Illinois for the remainder of their lives. They were prominent citizens and lived productive lives. They had ten children, whose short biographies are below.

Marguerite died on June 27, 1899 at the age of seventy years. John lived until the age of ninety. They are both buried at the Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island County, Illinois, USA.

The children of John R. Staubach and Marguerite Littig: 

JOHN B. STAUBACH 

1848-1876

John B. Staubach was the oldest child of John and Marguerite. John was born in Rock Island, Illinois. He was elected as the assistant engineer at the fire department in 1876 and there were rumors that the election was not fair. When that was reported in the newspaper, John became angry and left with his wife to Omaha, Nebraska. Not long after that, he was killed by Dave Van Meter, author of the article, in a fight, which he started. Dave Van Meter was charged with murder, but later acquitted. John might have lived, except after the stabbing, his friends took him to a barn and hid him from the authorities, thinking that his wound was not fatal. Had they instead sought medical attention, he may have lived. The fight had begun after John saw Dave walking down the street and invited him for a drink. Dave had a pen knife out, cleaning his nails when John started arguing about the news article. John struck Dave who struck back with the pen knife still open. He stabbed John in the temple. 

John Staubach had served as a Private in the Iowa infantry during the Civil War. He was honored for bravery while in service. He had been married to Mary Corbitt since 1870. John and Mary had a daughter named Maggie, who filed for death pension benefits in 1891 from Nebraska. *John also had a sister named Maggie who was born in 1867, according to all census reports.* Is it possible that that was always listed as the child of John and Marguerite Staubach was actually their granddaughter? A birth record or records would be needed to clarify. 

JOSEPHINE STAUBACH

1849-1943

Josephine Staubach was the second child of John and Marguerite Staubach. She married Joseph Martin Miller. They moved to Chimacum, Washington and had a daughter named Esther Marie Miller. Esther married Augustus Henry Packard and they had six children. 

BRUNO J. STAUBACH

1851-1905

Bruno Staubach was the third child of John and Marguerite Staubach. Bruno was a truck man. He lived in Cincinnati for a time with his sister, Emma and her husband Fred, at 2014 Eastern Avenue. Fred was a lumberman. Bruno married Matilda Godskesen in 1898, in Iowa where she was from, and they had a daughter named Syndey. Bruno was killed in Cincinnati, where he lived with his sister, by carbolic poisoning in 1905. His remains were transported by his nephew to Rock Island. His obituary was published in Iowa. His wife and daughter were not mentioned in his obituary. 

Matilda and Sydney lived with Matilda’s sister in Iowa. Sydney was of medium build and had grey eyes and brown hair. He was drafted for both WWI and, later, WWII. Sydney married Florence Martin McDevitt. He was a jeweler and they lived out their lives in Dewitt, Clinton County, Iowa. They did not have children. 

CLARA K. STAUBACH

1854-1914

Clara K. Staubach was the fourth child of John and Marguerite Staubach. She married Michale John McNevin, who was a stationary engineer. They moved to Beaumont, California and had four children. Clara’s brother Edward lived with them and he worked as a cooper. Clara died in 1914

CAROLINE STAUBACH

1856-1942

Caroline Staubach was the fifth child of John and Marguerite Staubach. She married Unknown Nicholson and died in Las Angeles, California in 1942. 

EDUARDO J. STAUBACH

1858-1945

Eduardo J. Staubach was the sixth child of John and Marguerite. He moved to Los Angeles and lived with his sister, Clara, and her family. His occupation was the same as his father, Cooper. He died in 1945. 

EMMA GEORGIANNA STAUBACH

1861-1959

Emma Staubach was the seventh child of John and Marguerite. She married Fred Stratton who was a foreman at a saw mill and they moved various places over the years, along riverways and forests. Places they lived included Cincinnati, Ohio, Jefferson, Texas, and Monroe, Arkansas. They had seven children. After Fred died, Emma moved to San Antonio, Texas and lived out her life there with her daughter, Maud and her family. She died in 1959. 

ARTHUR STAUBACH

1865-1951

Arthur Staubach was the eighth child of John and Marguerite. He was born in Rock Island, Illinois. When he was younger,  they called him “Otto”. So for the 1870 and 1880 census his name appears as “Otto”, but afterwards he was listed as “Arthur.” He married Laura Bohme and they had three children. Arthur was a band sawer at the lumber company. Arthur died in 1951. 

MAGGIE STAUBACH

1867-

Maggie Staubach was the ninth child of John and Marguerite. Further

research is needed. She was listed on 1870 and 1880 Census files, but has not been absolutely located after. There are a few marriage records around the right time with the same name and no parent listed. A comparison with her niece who had the same name and similar birth year needs to be made. The niece, who was the child of the eldest son who was killed in 1876, filed for survivors benefits from Nebraska in 1891. 

MARGUERITE HORTENSE STAUBACH

1872-1940

Marguerite Staubach was the tenth child of John and Marguerite. She was born when her mother was forty-three. She married Victor Hugo Smith in 1890. He was a real estate broker and they lived in Seattle Washington. They had a daughter named Hortense who married someone by the surname Rowen. Marguerite died in 1940 in Orange County California. All three are buried in the Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park in Seattle, King County, Washington, USA. 

Following are a small collection of photos, articles and documents for this family: