I would like to correspond with any family member who may have any further information on Cornelius and Julius (Kaack) Axelson/Axelsen. I am a historian for the Hall County NEGenWeb Project. I am working on an Annotated Biography of all the first settlers of Grand Island. Cornelius Axelsen was one of the twenty-five Germans, five being women and a four-year-old girl made the trek to the Nebraska wilderness to the place called Grand Island or Le Grande Ile by the French trappers.
I have found that Cornelius only stayed in Grand Island until the next group heading back to Davenport in the spring or early summer of 1858. Uncertain why he didn't stay but would like to figure it out. Then I found him married to Julia Kaack, daughter of Hans Friedrich Juergen and Catherine (Catrina) Margarete (Hinrichs) Kaack on November 4, 1858 in Davenport, Iowa. Some after their marriage, they headed to Minnesota and had a daughter, Minna (abt Dec 1859). In which, Cornelius remained until after the Civil War. It seems to me that he worked with the War Department because by 1866 he was paid $1500 to work in the effort of the reconstruction of the South and moved his family to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where the family remained since late 1860. Although, he was enumerated in Brown County Minnesota 20 Jun 1860.
There Cornelius and Julia had moved to Mississippi while still pregnant with Henry P. for he was born Aug 19, 1860 in Warren County, MS. Then the following children came: Agnes, Ida R., Albert C., Udo O. Eva Catherine, and Emma, all born in Warren County, MS.
Cornelius seems to be somewhat of a politician for he served as a superintendent in Vicksburg and a J.P. during the reconstruction period. He was defending his rights upon one election when he found out that his ballots were thrown out by the opponent party. He was a Republican. Later found his missing ballots by the river by a "negro" who supposedly voted in that election, even though he sworn he didn't sign his ballot note. Well, it got interesting from there especially when the governor had to step down to end the riot over the missing black vote ballots. It seems to me that even Cornelius was accuse of being black too.
So time later in 1878, an outbreak of Yellow Fever occurred in the South. It reach Vicksburg and killed 1000s upon 1000s citizen there. Among them were Cornelius himself and two of his children, Miss Agnes and Henry P. First it was Miss Agnes on October 20, 1878, two weeks later her father, Cornelius on November 5, 1878, and then two weeks after that was Henry P. on November 21, 1878.
In 1884, Miss Minna married Frank J. Cuneo in Warren County, MS, then they moved to Hamilton County TN. I believed Frank died in 1901, but has a hard time tracking down Minna and her other children, except for one in 1910 who lived with her Grandmother Julia and Uncle Albert in MS.
As for the rest of Cornelius and Julia's children. I found them buried in the Cedar Hill City Cemetery, except for Emma. She is the youngest of the family but not been able to find her yet.
Well this is about what I have on this family. If you have more about them or even a family photograph. I would love to hear from you.
Thanks, Matt Friend