Who Is Cousin C. A. Kraut?

      I wrote recently, (see post on February 25), about the news that Anna and Clara Keen visited their cousin, C. A. Kraut, in Madison, Indiana.  This discovery sent me on the quest to find C. A. Kraut and any surrounding family.  I’m hoping this research will lead me to the ancestry of Anna and Clara’s mother,  Elizabeth Kraut Keen.  Maybe we can now begin developing some details of the Kraut family.
     Taking this small lead for C. A. Kraut in Madison, Indiana, in the Madison Herald,  I was able to gather some hints that might connect to Elizabeth.  First, I narrowed my search by the probable age of Mr. C. A. Kraut. I am assuming C. A. is a male for now. Since the information I have is that he is a cousin of Clara and Anna Keen, I am estimating his birth to be between 1845 and 1870.  Using this estimation as a starting point, I searched censuses and other resources for variations of his name from 1850 through 1900.  Narrowing the results to possibilities for this cousin, I came up with two census records: 
1870 Census: Christian Kraut, born 1852 in Wurtemberg, living in Louisville, Kentucky.  This 18 year-old appears as a part of the family of Frederick and Serina Kraut, with their ten children.
1880 Census: Chris Kraut, born 1849 in Prussia, living in Madison, Indiana.  This 31-year-old is married to Louisa and operates a restaurant.  He also could be the cousin we are seeking. 
1900 Census:  No C. A., Christian or Chris Kraut/Krout turns up in the census search.
     These two records above are the closest to a match for the information I have to date on C. A. Kraut.  The date of birth and residence are close enough to earn consideration.  Hopefully these are pieces of the puzzle that will fit at some point.
     I did come across other Christian and Chris Krauts in Madison, Indiana.  However, the age for these men would make them possibly the father of our cousin, C. A. Kraut.  I hope that’s the case.  Meaning, I’ve found Elizabeth’s brother!  But for now, I’m accumulating all this information so that I can hope to squeeze out some proof of the Kraut family.
     I also researched burials, city directories and a few other resources. The only piece of interesting or relative information I was able to locate was the burial of a child, Christian Kraut in 1880 in Madison, Indiana. 
     To summarize this section of the Kraut family research, I developed a Research Log with the information I was able to put together.  It includes information that may eventually connect to this cousin, C. A. Kraut.  The Results in red are those that appear at this time to have a connection to C. A. Kraut and his family.  My goal is to carry forward with these efforts to bring the Kraut family history into focus.  Below is the C. A. Kraut research to date.




     There’s no conclusion to be drawn yet on who exactly C. A. Kraut is or where he is.  As I’m able to uncover more connections I’ll have answers that paint him into our family history, enhancing Elizabeth Kraut Keen's story.  For the time being, I’m glad to know this cousin to some small extent.

     Thanks for visiting Indiana Ties,
     Nancy

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