DOSTER FAMILY of GRAFENBERG, GERMANY and BARRY COUNTY, MICHIGAN
First Generation
Wendel Doster was born c1635 Neuhausen, Germany; died in 1607 in Grafenberg, Wurttemberg, Germany. He married (1) Elisabetha c1560; mar. (2) Apollonia Knecht, widow of Veit Knecht, March 4, 1604. On 1607 Grafenberg Tax List, Wendel Doster paid the highest tax thus he was a man of some wealth. Wendel Doster was son of Ludwig Doster, who owned a vineyard in Kohlberg in 1551. Wendel Doster appeared on the 1560 Grafenberg Muster Rolls. He had seven children, his second eldest: Ludwig Doster.
Second Genereration
Ludwig Doster b, c1575 Grafenberg; killed in Sept. 1634 in war with Croatians. He mar. Agnes Lauinger, d/o Philip & Agnes Vischab Lauinger, in Grafenberg on 28th April 1600. She was born c1577 in Grafenberg; d. 1st May 1637. Agnes Vischab was d/o Johannes Vischab, pastor of the Lutheran Church in Grobettlingen. He had five children. Two were direct ancestors of the Dosters of Michigan: Philipp & Michael Doster.
Photo - Vineyards of Wurttemberg, Germany.
Third Generation
Philipp Doster b. 5th Dec 1600 Grafenberg, Germany; d. 23 March 1675 in Grafenbert. He mar. (1) Maria Fishcer c1721. She was born c1599, d. April 28, 1639, daughter of Jacob Fischer. Philipp Doster mar. (2) Agnes Gneer, widow of Michael Gneer, on Nov. 11, 1639; mar. (3) Barbara Wust, widow of Jerg Wust, on May 28, 1648. Philipp Dostere was a cooper by trade in Grafenberg. By his first wife, Maria Fishcer, he had son Philipp Doster II who had 12 brothers and sisters. (Doster, J.M., op. cit. p. 82)
Fourth Generation
Philipp Doster II b. April 13, 1624, Grafenberg; d. May 27, 1711. He mar. (1) Margarethe Pfingsttag, d/o Johannes Pfingsttag, farmer of Kohlberg, on Jan. 13, 1646. She was b. c1626, d. Dec. 15, 1676. Philipp mar. (2) Anna Hay (Hoy) on June 12, 1677. She was born March 23, 1651 Kohlberg, d/o Jerg Hay. Philipp Doster was an innkeeper in Grafenberg. Philipp Doster had twenty children by three wives. Michael Doster was the on of his first wife, Margarethe Pfingsttag.
Fifth Generation
Michael Doster was
b. Aug. 19,
1657, Grafenberg, Germany; he d. Sept. 28, 1704. He mar. Ursula Fackler on May
11, 1678 in Grafenberg. She was born in Memmengen; she d. Jan. 11, 1733 in Grafenberg. She was d/o Johann Fackler. Michael Doster was a butcher. He had
four children, the youngest was Johannes Doster .
Sixth Generation
Johannes Doster was b. Feb. 2, 1689; d. bet. 1747-1764. He mar. (1) Justine bef. 1720; mar. (2) Anna Maria Duerr on Aug. 12, 1732 in Grafenberg. She died March 20, 1764. She was the d/o Johann Martin Duerr of Bempflinger. He had six children, the fifth child by his first wife was Stefanus Doster.
Seventh Generation
Stefanus (Stephen) Doster was b. Dec. 26, 1739 Grafenberg, Germany; died between Nov. 28-30, 1781. He mar. Christina Rosina Fischer April 23, 1765. She was b. Dec. 15, 1739, d. Dec. 31, 1776 or Jan. 1, 1777. Stefanus had six children, the eldest: Johannes Doster, named for his grandfather.
Eighth Generation
Johannes Doster Sr. was b. Jan. 19, 1766, Grafenberg, Germany; d. Feb. 8, 1826. He mar. Maria Rosina Euchner on June 9, 1789. She was his 3rd cousin b. Oct. 24, 1766 Grafenberg; d. May 15, 1839. She was the d/o Jacob Euchner and Maria Agnes Doster. Johannes Doster was a weaver in Grafenberg. He had nine children, the oldest was Johannes Doster Jr.
Ninth Generation
Johannes (John) Doster Jr. was b. Nov.
13, 1789, Grafenberg, Germany; d. aft. 1860 Buffalo, NY. He mar. Christiana Doster, his 6th cousin, on August 17, 1814 in Grafenberg. She was b. July 17,
1794, in Grafenberg; d. late 1860-61 in Sheldon NY. She was the d/o Johannes Doster & Maria Agnes Doster who were 4th cousins. The two fathers were 5th
cousins. Johannes and his wife Christiana and seven children migrated to
Sheldon, Wyoming Co, NY, in 1836. An eighth child was born in NY. When Johannes
Doster,
a cattle dealer and teamster, first came to America, he planned to settle in
Illinois with a Hildenbrand family. Mr. Hildebrand was delayed by customs in
NYC. While waiting in Buffalo, NY, Johannes Doster became interested in a farm
in Sheldon about 25 miles from Buffalo. The Doster family settled in Sheldon NY
instead of Illinois. After Christiana Doster died, John Doster married a second
wife named Margaret ? in Buffalo NY. In 1860, John Doster, age 72, and his
wife Christiana, age 65, were residing in Sheldon Twp. None of their children
were living with them. By 1870, there were no Dosters in Sheldon. John Doster
died intestate. John Doster had nine, pos. ten children. His youngest son was
Christopher Doster (photo left: mature years)
Tenth Generation
Christopher Doster was b. April 16, 1836 in
Sheldon Twp, Wyoming Co, NY; he d. Nov. 17, 1900 in Cleveland, Ohio. He mar.
Augusta Enzian on Dec. 4, 1854, in Buffalo, NY. She was b. Nov. 25, 1835;
in Saxony, Germany; she d. June 19, 1906 in Doster, Barry Co., Michigan. The couple resided
in Prairieville Twp. Section 16, land purchased Oct.
4, 1864. (see RR map of Barry County, Michigan, below) Both Christopher and his wife Augusta were buried in
Prairieville
Cemetery. The couple had 12 children: Victor Allen b. 1857, Jennie
b. 1858,
Cornelia b. 1861, Albert b. 1863, Emma b. March 26, 1865, Hattie b. Sept 1,
1866, William (d. young), Augusta "Gustie" b. Dec 1, 1868, Christopher Jr. b.
May 27, 1870, Eli Edwin Doster b. June 13, 1872; Clara b. Feb 21,
1874, Minnie b. March 9, 1876, d. young. Photo right shows Christopher &
Augusta Enzian Doster with daughter Cornelia (b. 1861) which means the old
daguerreotype was taken in early years of Civil War, possibly early 1862.
Eleventh Generation
Eli Edwin Doster b. June 13, 1872
Doster, Barry Co, Michigan. He mar. Margaret Elizabeth Curtis Walther, daughter
of Ira and Anna Borger Curtis, on June 5, 1928. Margaret Curtis was born June 5, 1900, Cleveland, Ohio. Eli Edwin Doster d. Nov.
28, 1951, Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga Co, Ohio. His widow, Margaret
Doster mar. (3) Lloyd Shirey. Margaret Doster Shirey d. Dec 1987, Aurora,
Portage Co, Ohio.
Notes for Eli Edwin Doster:
Eli Edwin Doster, father of Robert Curtis Doster, resided at 1655 Cumberland Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.After graduating from high school in Doster, Michigan, Eli attended Doane Academy, Granville, Ohio, graduating in June 1898. He attended Dennison University, Granville, Ohio, graduating in 1903. He received the degree of LLB at Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, in June 1904. After admission to the bar, Eli Edwin practiced law in Cleveland. During his college years, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Alpha Eta chpater. He was a member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, the City Club, Cleveland Yacht Club & the Cleveland Real Estate Board. Eli & his wife Margaret frequently attended the annual Doster Reunion in Michigan; and Eli helped Raymond Alexander Doster edit the "Doster Genealogy" Branch No. 18 by Wadsworth Doster of Connecticut.
Obituary for Eli Edwin Doster printed in "The Cleveland Press" on Thursday, Nov 29, 1951, as follows:
"Services will be held Saturday afternoon [Nov 31, 1951] at the Bennett-Sharer Funeral Home, 11212 Euclid Ave, burial will be in Lake View Cemetery, for Eli Edwin Doster, a Cleveland attorney for nearly a half century & a well-known figure in community civic life. Mr. Doster, a resident of Cleveland since 1895, died yesterday [Wed, Nov 28, 1951 after a short illness. Doster, Michigan, named for his family, was his birthplace; he received his pre-law training at Denison Univ. and graduated from Western Reserve Law School in 1904. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1904. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Doster was engaged in the real estate business with an uncle Silas S. Stone.Mr. Doster was a member of Beta Theta Pi, Beta Eta Chapter; the Cleveland & Ohio Bar Assn.; the City Club & the Citizens League. For several years, he was chairman of the Rivers & Harbors Committee of the Cleveland Real Estate Board. Survivors are his wife, Margaret, and a son, Robert. The family home is at 1655 Cumberland Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio."
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Photo left: Doster Homestead, Barry Co, Michigan, in winter.
Photo right: Christopher & Augusta Doster's Sons & Daughters top L-R: Hattie, Jennie, Gustie, Victor, Chris, Emma; seated L-R; Eli Edwin, Cornelia, Albert, and Clara Doster.
Photo below right: Doster Reunion 2000 Dave Doster top 4th from R holding Evelyn Grace, his daughter, his wife Jane Doster knelling right with red-haired Andrew above his mother.
The youngest child of Christopher & Augusta Doster was Minnie Doster b. March 9, 1876, d. Sept. 26, 1892 of typhoid fever. She was buried in the Prairieville Cemetery. A stone statue of her dog, Ben, guards her grave, the faithful animal never left his mistress. http://www.delton-mi.com/minnie&ben.php
Note: Data on this page from "Pioneer Families of Barry County, Michigan," by Joanne M. Doster, Decorah, Iowa: Anundson Publishing Co, 1995.
