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Louis Kohus

1858-1907

 

 

Louis Kohus, was the son of Prussian immigrants Johann Hermann Kohues (John Kohus) 1828-1875 and Maria Veronica Determann 1833-1913. He was born on November 30, 1858 in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the time of his birth his parents were living at 84 Broadway just a few blocks north of Front Street and the Ohio River public boat landing. Front Street in those days was a bustling center of riverboat commerce. Louis’ father, John Herman 1828-1875, a tailor by trade, immigrated to America from the tiny town of Ostbevern, Prussia just eight years before his son Louis was born. When Louis was born, his uncle Herman Heinrich Kohues 1826-1900 who immigrated from Ostbevern six years earlier was working in his shoe business at 84 Broadway in Cincinnati, the same location Louis's father John was working as a tailor. Herman was a shoemaker by trade and learned his craft back in Ostbevern.

 

Around 1867 at age nine, Louis and his parents moved to 74 Spring Street. That was the year John’s youngest brother Joan Heinrich Kohues 1838-1913, (known in America as Henry Kohus), immigrated from Ostbevern to Cincinnati. Henry and his wife Gertrud Fromme 1844-1909, with son Bernard Heinrich 1865-1921 (known in America as Henry B. Kohus ). In that year all three brothers, brothers John, Herman, and Henry along with their families are living at 74 Spring Street. At that time, Louis’ father John was working in his tailoring business location at 56 E 5th, and his uncle Herman was working with Rudolph Imwald, “Kohus and Imwald boots and shoes,” while uncle Henry was employed at a saddler tree works.

 

Around age twelve Louis’ parents again relocated. This time to the north west corner of Western Avenue and Poplar Street. The Spring Street and Western Avenue residences both bordered the Over The Rhine area of Cincinnati. The Over the Rhine neighborhood was so named for it’s inhabitants, consisting predominately of persons of German decent. By the latter part of the 19th century, approximately 40 % of the population in Cincinnati was of German heritage. At age sixteen Louis was employed as a clerk. It is unclear where he worked though I suspect at his father’s or one of his uncle’s businesses. The following year on 24 October 1875, Louis’ father John died from a kidney disorder called Brights Disease. This hardly left Louis with ample time to learn his father’s business though it seems he may have given it a try because two years later in 1877 Louis and his mother were lived at 391 W Liberty Street and Louis was employed as a tailor.

 

Two years after that, on May 4, 1879 Louis Kohus age 20, married Julia E. Elbrey 1860-1945, age 18. Julia was the daughter of John and Mary Elbrey. Julia’s father was a Prussian immigrants and her mother was born in Ohio. In September 1880 Louis and Julia' first child John William Kohus 1880-1917 was born. At the time Louis was working as a wall paper hanger. A year later in October 1881, Julia gave birth to their second child, Veronica 1881-1883 who lived a short life. Veronica was probably named after Louis’s mother Maria Veronica Detremann 1833-1913. At that time Louis was employed in a wall papering business known as “Kohus and Moeller.” This is an advertisement from "Leading manufacturers and merchants of Cincinnati and environs: By International Publishing Company, New York, N.Y. 1886 (#2226)
The Kohus and Moeller family’s must have been close since two of Louis’s aunts married Moeller’s. From 1881 until their third child was born, Louis worked as a traveling salesman, clerk and saloon worker. In January 1883 the family was living at 391 W Liberty St. when their daughter Veronica died. She was buried in St. Joseph’s Old Cemetery in Cincinnati. Their third child was my grandfather, Herbert Bernard Kohus Sr. 1886-1969, born on 27 Dec 1886.

 

Louis Kohus and Julia (Elbrey) Kohus had their fourth and last child , Alma Catharine 1890-1981, on 20 Aug 1890. That was the last year I could find Louis Kohus listed in the Cincinnati City directories. He was working as a wall paper hanger. That may have been about the time he moved his family to Addyston, Hamilton County, Ohio. Addyston is a small village only a few miles west of Cincinnati located along the Ohio River. Family stories tell of Louis and Julia running a boarding house in Addyston. My grandfather, Herbert Kohus Sr. often told me stories about growing up in Addyston. He talked fondly about jumping on his horse and racing around the countryside with his brother Johnnie, as Herbert referred to him. In the 1900 US Census, Louis is shown living in Addyston, Ohio, along with his wife, three children and indeed, they had four boarders living with them. Not exactly the large boarding house imagined from my grandpa’s stories told many years ago but a boarding house none the less.

 

Louis Kohus, my great grandfather, died from pneumonia on December, 9 1907. He lived just 49 years and 9 days. He was buried in St. John Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. A single Kohus Family monument inscribed with very weathered names marks his final resting place along with his father John Kohus and others. Louis was survived by his wife Julia T. Elbrey Kohus (age 47), son John William Kohus (age 27), son Herbert Bernard Kohus (age 20) and daughter Alma Kohus (age 17).  Julia (Elbrey) Kohus never remarried. Some time after Louis died she moved in with her daughter Alma and husband Peter Buckley 1884-1920. After Pete died in 1920 Alma remarried Clearance Henry Dreyfus 1885-1929. The Dreyfus family moved to Atlanta Georgia between 1920 and 1930. Julia (Elbrey) Kohus moved with them. Julia died in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia on August 16, 1945. She is buried in Westside Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia Section 25, Lot 296.

 

Louis Kohus 1858-1907

 

(seated center by burro's head) Louis Kohus, (sitting on burro front center)  Julia (Elbrey) Kohus

 Balanced Rock, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado. (circa 1890-1900)

 

This is me, author of this family tree, Michael Lee Kohus 1947- , great-grandson of Louis and Julia (Elbrey) Kohus

at Balanced Rock, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado  (circa 2007)

 

Louis Kohus lived 49 years, 9 days. He is buried in St. John Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.

He shares a common headstone with his father and several of his siblings.