There are a good number a farming family members in the Fosters Meadow vicinity with one of these three names and this is an attempt to sort them out.

Paul Wich 1827-1914 from Bavaria arrived first in the Town of North Hempstead and then in Fosters Meadow before 1860. His farm was on Court House Road in Franklin Square. He married Catherine 1828-1873 around 1850 and they had three children. Paul married Katherine Raas   25 Oct 1874 at St Paul German Presbyterian Church and they had 6 children.

John Wicks 1834-1896 was also from Bavaria and arrived in the Town of North Hempstead before 1870 and soon moved to Hinsdale (Floral Park). He had extensive holdings in Floral Park and New Hyde Park and farmed much of it. He married Mary Bauer c. 1855 and they had four sons.

Paul Wich and his off spring started using the surname Wicks in the 1880s. Neither Paul Wich nor John Wicks   used the name Wick in official government matters nor in church matters. Wick does appear in some commercial documents and census data. Therefore I conclude that there are two distinct families using the Wicks name in Fosters Meadow. Even though Paul and John farmed concurrently in neighboring hamlets and both were members of St Paul German Presbyterian Church, there is nothing to support a familial relationship between the two.

Children of Paul Wicks and first wife Catherine

Anna Catherina 1852-1913 married around 1873 Leopold Pflug 1847-1930, a tailor from Franklin Square.  They had five children: Maria Margaretha, b. 1874; Philipp, b.1876; Caroline, b. 1878 married Gustave Kreischer of Brooklyn; Emilie Margaretha, b.1880; Leopold Daniel, b. 1885.  

John M.H. 1861-1924  was a farmer in Lynbrook who married Katherina Rassweiler 1864-1955 at St Paul in 1884. They had two sons: John Alfred 1891-1961, a carpenter in Malverne who married Augusta Rassweiler 1888-1954 at St Paul in 1915; and William Heinrich 1892-1954, who worked his father’s farm.   

Margaretha 1873-1929 married Andrew Burkhardt b. 1866 at St Paul in 1895. He was a farmer in Mineola. They had five children: Catherine B. b. 1897; Andrew E. b. 1898; August b. 1899; Margaret E. b. 1901;     Frederick C. b. 1903.     

Children of Paul Wicks and Katerina Raas

Paulina K. 1875-1950 married Otto Botsch 1873-1944 at St Paul in 1895. He was a farmer in Hempstead. They had nine children: Henry b. 1896; Otto John Richard b. 1898; Elizabeth Adrians b. 1899; Johann Paul b. 1899; Paul William b. 1901; Emilia Augusta b. 1902; Katherina Augusta b. 1903; Carl William b. 1905;                     George William b. 1907. 

Jacob Carl was b. 1879 and baptized at St Paul. He was a farmer in Wantagh and married Katharina Makofske around 1900. They had four children: Charles b. 1908; Jacob b. 1911; Paul b. 1912; Edward b. 1914. 

George Henry was b. 1881 and baptized at St Paul. He was a farmer in Wantagh and married Anna Mary Erb at St Paul in 1908. They had seven children: Paul b. 1909; Elizabeth b. 1913; Frederick b. 1915; George b. 1919; Arthur b. 1922;  Christopher b. 1925; Anna b. 1928.

Helena b. 1883 married Carl W. Botsch in 1901. He was born 1878 and baptized at St Paul. He was a farmer on Dogwood Ave. in Franklin Square. They had two children: Edward Carl b. 1903; Carl Emil b. 1906.

Katherine 1885-1958 married Henry Alsheimer 1887-1960 who was a retired farmer and then a moving company chauffeur. They lived in Mineola and then Hempstead village. They had one child, William b. 1912. 

William b.1887 worked on his father’s farm in Franklin Square.   

Children Of John Wicks and Mary Bauer      

John Augustus 1856-1931 was born in (New) Hyde Park and farmed primarily in Mineola and East Williston. He married Anne E. Schroth 1856-1937 circa 1877. She was born in Maryland. They had ten children: Jacob b. 1878 was baptized at St Paul; Charles b. 1880 was baptized at St Paul; Mary b. 1884 married Collins; William b. 1885 lived in Huntington; Augusta 1887 lived in Hicksville; Barbara b.1890 lived in Queens Village; Annette b. 1891; Arthur b. 1892 worked his father’s farm in Mineola; Lillian b.1895 was baptized at St Paul and married Smith; Rose (Ruth) b. 1899 married Pfalzer.        

Charles 1859-1896 married Mary Ann McCarty circa 1880 and they had one child, John 1881-1889 who was baptized at St Paul. Charles married Emma Erber circa 1888. Charles married Kate Kern in 1889 at St Paul. They had two children, both baptized at St Paul: Christine Maria b. 1889; Christine Anna 1890.

Jacob 1862-1941 was a farmer on Little Neck Road which is on the current Queens/Nassau border. He married Christine Buck in 1885 at St Paul. They had nine children, all of whom were baptized at St Paul: Mary Auguste 1886-1955; Jacob Karl b.1888 who worked on the family farm; Charles b.1890; Louis Archer b. 1893; Herbert August b. 1894; Clarence George b. 1897 who worked the family farm; Henry Werner b. 1899 who worked the family farm; Florence May b. 1901 who worked the family farm; Minnie b. 1903. 

William 1864-1935 was a farmer on Rocky Hill Rd in Queens County. He married Theresa Buck in 1885 at St Paul. They had eight children: Katherine Auguste b.1886; Daisy b. 1890; Frank b.1890, baptized at St Paul and who worked the family farm; William b. 1893 who worked the family farm; George b. 1893, baptized at St Paul and worked the family farm; Remi Justin Dewey, baptized at St Paul; Henry b. 1902 who worked the family farm; May Margaret b. 1904, baptized at St Paul.   

Please point out any errors or omissions so I can correct them. These families are quite complex. Certain names like Jacob and William appear in most family groups and are repeated over generations. The propensity of males in these families to marry Katherines also causes confusion. If I have the wrong Jacob married to the wrong Katherine, I apologize, but let me know so I can fix it.

Submitted by:Paul Hoffman  February 2021

Email: pwh115@optonline.net  

 February 2021