1 Frank, 2 Frank, 3 Frank, More?

This is the second in a series detailing my research of Annie Katy Hotz (Shimitz) Holmes and her family.

Yesterday I wrote about finding Franklin and Barbra Simitz on the 1885 Iowa State census index at FamilySearch. I then went looking for the 1880 census record and found three Frank Simitz in Highland, Washington, Iowa and two of them had wives named Barbara. Read on, I found more.

Frank #1. I have listed him as #1 simply because he is found first on the 1880 census, page 87B.

United States Census, 1880 Index at FamilySearch
Highland, Washington, Iowa
Page 87B
Frank Simitz, age 33 b. Czechoslovakia
Barbary Simitz, age 28 b. Czechoslovakia
Joseph Simitz, age 7 b. Iowa
Wm Simitz, age 4 b. Iowa
Mary Simitz, age 2 b. Iowa
Emma Smitz, age 4M b. Iowa

Frank #2, listed several entries after Frank #1 on page 88A

United States Census, 1880 Index at FamilySearch
Highland, Washington, Iowa
Page 88A
Frank K. Simitz, age 57 b. Czechoslovakia
Mary Simitz, age 50 b. Czechoslovakia
Josephine Simitz, age 20, b. Czechoslovakia
Katherine Simitz, age 17 b. Iowa
Annie Simitz, age 15 b. Iowa
Michaal Simitz, age 13 b. Iowa
Joseph Simitz, age 9 b. Iowa

Frank #3 was listed just after the Joseph Simitz above, based on the entry numbers.

United States Census, 1880 Index at FamilySearch
Highland, Washington, Iowa
Page 88A
Frank Simitz, age 29 b. Czechoslovakia
Barbary Simitz, age 28 b. Czechoslovakia

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Frank #1

1870. I have been unable to locate Frank Shimitz on the census. Barbara Urbin is found in Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, Ward 3, page 8, line 31. Urbin, Barbara, age 18 born Bohemia, housekeeper in the home of Rufus Lumbard.

1872. Frank Schimits married Barbara Urbin, 1 Apr 1872, Washington, Iowa. (Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992 @FamilySearch, index only, no parents names given.)

1880. Frank, Barbara and 4 children, Highland, Washington, Iowa. (See record above.)

1885. Kansas State Census, Elk Creek, Republic County, KS, Clyde P.O.
Shimitz, Frank, 34, farmer, b. Bohemia
Barbry, 39, b. Bohemia
Joseph, 12, b. IA
Emma, 5, b. IA
AnRosy, 3, b. IA
(I do not have access to this record. I found it transcribed on the Iowa Genealogy Forum here.

1900. Lone Pine & Wrights Precincts, Banner, Nebraska, ED#3, sheet 2B.
Frank Shimitz, head, born Aug 1846 Bohemia, married 27 years (marriage abt 1873)
Barbia Shimitz, wife, born Dec 1851 Bohemia, married 27 years
Anton Shimitz, son, born Jan 1872 Iowa
Della Shimitz, daughter, born May 1885 Kansas
Silvester Shimitz, son, born Dec 1890 Nebraska
Emma Everts, daughter, born Dec 1880 Iowa
Dan H Everts, son-in-law, born Aug 1870 Pennsylvania
Ervin Everts
Eunice L Everts
Anton Urban, father-in-law, born July 1819 Bohemia
Mary Urban, mother-in-law, born Dec 1825 Bohemia

This is where I stopped researching Frank #1. I suspect but have no proof that he is the nephew of Frank #2. I do not believe that the AnRosy Shimitz shown on the 1885 census was the wife of Emory Holmes.

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Frank #2

1870. Highland, Washington, Iowa, page 15, family 103.
Frank Shimmitz, age 43 born Bohemia
Mary Shimmitz, age 42 born Bohemia
Frank Shimmitz, age 19 born Bohemia [Frank #3]
Mary Shimmitz, age 14 born Bohemia
Josephine Shimmitz, age 11 born Bohemia
Kate Shimmitz, age 8 born Bohemia
Annie Shimmitz, age 5 born Iowa
Mike Shimmitz, age 3 born Iowa

1880. Highland, Washington, Iowa, page 88A
Frank K. Simitz, age 57 b. Czechoslovakia
Mary Simitz, age 50 b. Czechoslovakia
Josephine Simitz, age 20, b. Czechoslovakia
Katherine Simitz, age 17 b. Iowa
Annie Simitz, age 15 b. Iowa
Michaal Simitz, age 13 b. Iowa
Joseph Simitz, age 9 b. Iowa

Frank Simitz, age 29 b. Czechoslovakia [Frank #3]
Barbary Simitz, age 28 b. Czechoslovakia

1885. Highland, Washington, Iowa, page 13, family 70
Franklin Simitz, age 56
Josefine Simitz age 24
Mike Simitz, age 17
Joseph Simitz, age 14
(Iowa State Census, 1885 @FamilySearch, index only)

I did not find Frank #2 in any other census records nor did I find a death or cemetery record but truthfully I did not search very hard.

I did find several entries in Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992 @FamilySearch (index only) for a son of Frank Simitz and Mary Koura. He is recorded as both Mates F Simitz and W.F. Simitz, born about 1868 and married to Frances Tellin in 1893. This would match up with Michaal and Mike in the above census records. Catherine Shimets marriage to Frank Hosick in 1882 lists parents Frank Shimets and Mary Horak. Joseph's marriage to Agnes Boher or Balaor in 1891 lists only father, Frank Shimitz.

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Frank #3

1870. Highland, Washington, Iowa, page 15, family 103.
Frank Shimmitz, age 43 born Bohemia
Mary Shimmitz, age 42 born Bohemia
Frank Shimmitz, age 19 born Bohemia [Frank #3]
(see above for siblings)

1880. Highland, Washington, Iowa, page 88A
Frank Simitz, age 29 b. Czechoslovakia
Barbary Simitz, age 28 b. Czechoslovakia

NO children listed in the household. (Listed just after his parents, see above.)

1884. Frank Shimets marries Barbara Choe, 15 Jan 1884. (Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992 @FamilySearch, index only)
This record has me very perplexed! Is it for our Frank Simitz or someone else? Was Barbara's last name really Choe or was it mis-indexed or perhaps misspelled on the original record? This record does not go along with anything else I have found but I feel it is better to include it here rather than just ignore it.

1885. Highland, Washington, Iowa, page 15, family 79.
Franklin Simitz, age 35
Barbra Simitz, age 38
Mary Simitz, age 4
Mary Hotz, age 9
Anna Hotz, age 6
Rosa Hotz, age 4
(Iowa State Census, 1885 @FamilySearch, index only)

His father, Frank #2, was listed on page 13. There is no indication in this index record as to the relationship of the children in the home to the adults.

1895. Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, Ward 3
Barbra Shimitz, age 49 born Bohemia
Annia Shimitz, age 16 born Iowa City, Iowa
Rosa Shimitz, age 14 born Iowa City, Iowa
Frank Shimitz, age 7 born Iowa City, Iowa [Frank #4]
So it appears that Frank #3 may have died between 1885 and 1895. There are no daughters in the home named Mary and son, Frank, was born after the 1885 census. Annie and Rosa were recorded with the same last name Shimitz but it is unclear when they started using that surname or if they commonly used the Shimitz surname.
(I do not have access to the 1895 Iowa State Census, I found this transcription on the Iowa Genealogy Forum here.)

1900. Mary Shimitz, age 19, married Frank Haisman, age 25, 10 Jun 1900 Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa. I believe this is the Mary Simitz listed with Frank and Barbara on the 1885 census, however the Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992 index at FamilySearch does not list her parents names.

1900-onward. Since Frank disappears from the record I will wait and include records from 1900 onward a future post. For now I will share just one more record that does list Frank #3.

1920. Frank J Shimitz [Frank #4], age 33 b. Washington County, Iowa, son of Frank Shimitz [Frank #3] and Barbara Vrchoticky married 7 Sep 1920, Riverside, Washington, Iowa to Pauline Shebanek, age 30 b. Washington County, Iowa, daughter of Paul Shebanek and Rose Soukup. (Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992 @FamilySearch, Index only.)

My theory is that Frank #3 had two different wives, both named Barbara. Based on census records, especially the 1885 census, my theory is that Frank married Barbara (surname unknown) about 1879. They were the parents of Mary Shimitz who was born about 1881 and later married Frank Haisman. Barbara (surname unknown) then died between Mary's birth and the 1885 census. At some point between 1881 and 1885 Frank married Barbara Vrchoticky Hotz, a widow with three daughters. And this blending of two families is what is found on the 1885 census. Frank J Shimitz [Frank #4] was born about 1887 so Frank #3 died sometime after that.

I'm still stuck on the 1884 marriage to Barbara Choe. Was this a very corrupted version of Barbara Vrchoticky Hotz or does this record belong to a different Frank?

Obviously more research is needed here. I hope to clear things up just a little more tomorrow when I focus on my search for Annie's parents.