Well, I really hit pay-dirt while trying to figure out what had happened to John Sebastian TRARES!
Knowing what staunch Catholics the TRARES family was/is, I searched to find the cemetery records for the Diocese of St. Louis. I am happy to report that the Church has made it quite easy to search online for anyone buried within the diocese. It took about ten minutes to locate all of the TRARES clan buried there.
What a treasure trove! You can click on the thumbnail image shown below to see a larger version of what I found.
So now I know that John Sebastian Trares died in September 1922 and he was buried at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, along with several children and his second wife.
I found him, some of his children and – surprise! – his second wife living in St. Louis on the U.S. Federal Census. He married second wife, Frances Cordelia Winchester 17 Feb 1887 after first wife, Josephine Gerber, died in Edwardsville.
JOHN S. TRARES was for many years one of the most successful merchants of Edwardsville, but retiring from business in 1892, has since devoted his attention to his extensive real estate interests in Madison County.
A native of Kirschhausen, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, he was born December 27, 1834.
His parents, Matthias and Elizabeth (Helmling) Trares, were also natives of that village, the former born in 1790, and the latter in 1792.
The father, who was a farmer by occupation, served in the army of Napoleon, having been conscripted into service by that general after his return from Moscow. Emigrating to the United States in 1839, Matthias Trares settled in Suffield, Portage County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming. The property which he purchased on going to the Buckeye State he continued to cultivate until his death, in 1882.
In politics, he supported the platform of the Democratic party, and in religious belief he was a Catholic. His wife, who was also a member of the Catholic Church, died at the home place in 1854.
They were the parents of eight children, of whom Peter died in Ohio at the age of twelve years; Agnes, the wife of John Knapp; Barbara, who was married to John A. Cline; and Margaret, the wife of Henry Long, reside in Ohio.
Brought to the United States by his parents, our subject was reared upon the Ohio farm, and in boyhood attended the district schools.
At the age of fourteen he left home to make his own way in the world.
Going to Akron, he was there employed in a grocery store for two years, and in a drug store one year.
At the expiration of three years he went to Cleveland and was engaged in the drug business. From there he went to Maumee City and embarked in the same business, remaining two years.
Leaving Maumee City, he went to St. Louis, where he clerked in a drug store one year, and then opened a store of his own. After one year he sold out and removed to Edwardsville, where he bought out two drug stores and a book and toy store, starting the business on a more extensive scale.
In 1863 Mr. Trares moved the store up town, having purchased a lot and built a store on the corner of Purcell and Main Streets. He remained there for ten years and then erected a large store on Main Street, where for seven years he conducted a profitable trade.
At the expiration of that time, on account of ill-health, he disposed of the store to Harnist & Cook, binding himself not to resume business for five years. He fulfilled his part of the contract, and after remaining out of business for eight years, bought out Henry Bickelhaupt and again entered business, occupying one of the stores that he owned.
Two years later he sold to Mr. Bickelhaupt and immediately bought out Mr. Harnist, then in business alone.
Taking into partnership John Judd, he conducted business for two years, and then sold to Burroughs & Judd in 1892, since which time he has been retired from active business.
The management of his extensive real-estate interests now occupies a considerable portion of Mr. Trares’ time. He owns three farms in Edwardsville Township, containing about three hundred acres, and also owns two hundred acres in Ft. Russell Township, all of which he rents.
He has property in St. Louis and Springfield, Mo., and owns the business block adjoining the opera house, as well as other property in Edwardsville. His residence on St. Louis Street was erected in 1892, and contains all the modern appliances.
September 24, 1863, at Edwardsville, John S. Trares and Miss Josephine Gerber were united in marriage. Mrs. Trares was the daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Gerber, the former a native of Alsace, and at one time a merchant of Edwardsville; he died in March, 1893, at the age of eighty-two; his wife passed away in 1875.
Mr. and Mrs. Trares became the parents of six children: Bertha, Annie, Josephine, August, Frank and Mark, all of whom reside at home except August, who is engaged in business in St. Louis. The wife and mother died November 27, 1884.
The second marriage of Mr. Trares united him, February 17, 1887, with Frances Cordelia, daughter of E. C. and Ann C. (Dorsey) Winchester. Her father was a native of Louisiana, while her mother’s people were originally from Kentucky; they now reside in Bunker Hill, Ill.
In religious belief both Mr. and Mrs. Trares are members of the Catholic Church. Politically, he is a Democrat. For several years he has served as a member of the School Board, and is also identified with St. Boniface Benevolent Society.
Knapp Notes 