Baptism Record: Henry Adam Weber, 1859, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Indianapolis, Indiana

    Oh, how a brief record can say so much!  Since Indiana birth records were not recorded officially before 1880, this church baptismal record for Henry Adam Weber is an important link in this family’s historical chain.  Henry’s parents, Adam and Amelia, chose to have him baptized at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, six days after he was born in 1859.  The record kept by the priest presents us with a picture of that day.
     Henry and his parents, along with the baptismal sponsors, Christina Micol (Amelia Weber’s sister) and Henry Nobbe, are gathered inside St. Mary’s church at 117 East Maryland Street in Indianapolis on September 18, 1859.  They only had a four block walk to the church from the Weber home at 180 South Delaware.  The parish priest, Father Simon Siegrist performs the baptism.  And then the priest makes the record in Latin of the child’s full name, birth and baptismal dates, etc.    (See a copy of the record and the transcription below.) 

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Transcription from the Baptisms, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, September 1859:

Heinricus Adam Joannes Weber, (Translated from Latin): Henry Adam John Weber

Baptized the 18th, Henry Adam John born 12 September.

Parents - Adam and Maria Amalia Weber.

Sponsors:  Henry Nobbe and Christina Micol.

S. Siegrist, Officiant

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     I’m happy that the microfilms of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church records are available at the Indiana State Library.  These details of Henry's birth are the earliest record of this Weber family in Indianapolis.
     Within those microfilms we can find volumes of family history just waiting for us to dig in.  To followup directly with this baptismal record, two months after Henry’s baptism we can find his sponsors, Christina Micol and Henry Nobbe’s marriage in this same church by the same priest. Followed 27 years later by Henry’s marriage as well. (Page down for a related story below.) St. Mary’s church was built in 1858 and captured many family members intertwined in it’s events over the next 100 years or so.  (See more information about St. Mary’s HERE.)
     Thanks for visiting Indiana Ties,
     Nancy

Copyright © 2016, Nancy Niehaus Hurley