Joann Heinrich Kohuse

(Henry Kohus)

 1838-1913

Joann Heinrich Kohues was born in Ostbevern, Westfalen, Prussia on 2 May 1838. Here is his record of birth from St. Ambrosius Church book 1838, Ostbevern, Germany (#133).  Heinrich was the son of Johann Henricus Kohues 1799-1846 and Anna Maria Gertrud Piegelbrock 1797-1873. Ostbevern is a farming area and they lived just a short distance outside of town on a small plot of land at Dorfbauerschaft 62. Next to the Kohues farm and sharing a common property line was that of the Piegelbrock Family where his mother grew up and where his grandparents Georg Heinrich Piegelbrock and Anna Maria Ovelgonne lived. Henry learned the tailoring trade in Ostbevern before he immigrated to America in 1865. He was the last of 3 brothers to relocate to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.  His brothers Johann Hermann Kohues (John Kohus) 1828-1875 had left home for America in 1849, and  Hermann Heinrich Kohues (Herman Kohus) 1826-1900 in immigrated 1852. In America, Joann Heinrich Kohues Americanized his name and became known as Henry Kohus.

On 14 Nov 1865 there was a child born in Ostbevern named Bernard Heinrich to the mother Anna Gertrud Fromme. On the child's birth record from St. Ambrosius Church in Ostbevern it states that Bernard  Kohues was the godfather, probably Henry's oldest brother Bernard, no father's name was given. I believe this child was the son of  Joann Heinrich Kohuse aka (Henry Kohus). The reason I believe this is because Anna Gertrude Fromme 1844-1909 and son Bernard Heinrich 1865-1921 aka Henry B. Kohus  immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1867. She married Henry Kohus the same year. The wedding was performed at St. Paul Church, in Cincinnati. The original marriage records were destroyed in the Cincinnati riots which occurring from March 28 through March 30, 1884, at which time the courthouse was burned. Local Citizens were later asked to come forward before the court voluntarily and reestablish their marriages and wills records, etc. This record is from an index of restored Cincinnati marriages (#403). The child was born in Ostbevern as Bernard Heinrich but is known on all American records as Henry B. Kohus.

 Henry Kohus Sr. ran a merchant tailoring business in Cincinnati. He was in partnership with a man named George Drees for several years. Here is the 1887 Cincinnati Williams Directory for Kohus families (#2157). About 1890 Henry Kohus Sr. went into partnership with his son, Henry B. Kohus. Their business was named Kohus & Son and they were in business as Kohus & Son until 1906 when Henry B. apparently took over the business, because at that time the name was changed to H. B. Kohus and Company.

His father Henry was still working at the business location at 431 Main Street when Henry B. took over but he was now listed in the city directory as an office worker. Henry and his son worked in those capacities until 5 Apr 1913 when Henry Kohus Sr. died. His son Henry B. Kohus left the business some time before 1916 when he became manager of the Price Hill Branch of the Provident Savings Bank and Trust Company. He worked for that company until his death on 11 Apr 1921.  Death certificate (#353). The Last Will and Testament of Henry Kohus Sr. (#135)  Henry Kohus aka  (Joan Heinrich Kohues) is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. There is a large family section containing other family members .(#174). 1900 Census (#1142) -1910 Census (#1020)

This is a brass button from clothing sold by Kohus & Son 1890-1906

Henry Kohus obituary from the Cincinnati Freie Press. With such a large German

population, this was one of several German language newspapers published in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Family plot in Calvary Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio

Joann Heinrich Kohuse - (Henry Kohus)