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The Degener Family

The Degeners were earlier settlers in the Proviso area.  Two of the earliest Degeners (sometimes spelled Degner) were founding fathers of the Immanuel Lutheran School district and took part in the construction of the first school house.  The family's contributions, as members of the German "Franzosenbusch" settlement and the communities which followed, are a "rich" part of Proviso Township's history.

Read "fact sheets" for Heinrich Friedrich Degener  and  Heinrich Wilhelm Degener.

Also see the Degener Images, an album of Degener Family photographs.

Degener, Eleanore (Nellie)

See Eleanore Mandel

Degener, Heinrich (Henry) Wilhelm (Sometimes spelled Degner)

An early education was highly regarded by the German Lutheran settlers. Without this one could not read and therefore, could not learn from the Bible how to grow in God's Holy Spirit. But in 1850, children were not often sent to school from Franzosenbusch and this gave them ample excuse to fall behind in their much-needed studies. Entries in early church records regarding Heinrich Degener give the distinct impression that here was an outspoken man who early on became one of the leaders of the Franzosenbusch community. The fact that Franzosenbusch had no proper Lutheran school and no teacher must have disturbed him greatly.

Heinrich Degener was bom in Rodewald, Germany on May 30, 1819, in what was then the Kingdom of Hannover, Germany. He was reared on a farm by his parents, Christian Degener and Anne Catherine nee Duensing. Christian Degener, who was born in 1782, also came to America. He died in 1870 and is buried in "Immanuel" Proviso Cemetery. His wife, Anne, may have died in Germany. Heinrich's own arrival in the U.S. probably took place between 1843 and 1845, along with his wife Mete. Later, they had seven children, all bom in Illinois (see next page). It is believed Degener might have resided for a short time in DuPage County in the Dunklee's Grove area. Then, by evidence of a contract for deed, in 1849, he acquired 80 acres in section 30. By 1860 he owned this and over 300 acres in section 19 and 20 acres in section 29. (The latter was contiguous with and east of the original 40 acres of the Immanuel Lutheran Church property). It was he who offered the use of his home for a temporary school which was started in 1850.  Here, his own and neighboring Franzosenbusch children attended basic classes three times a week.

Finally in 1852, Mr, Degener in the company of 8 other local heads of family, seven of whom belonged to the mother church, Zion Lutheran in Bensenville, approached church elders asking permission for a separate school district in Franzosenbusch.  Their concerns were obvious. They lived too far from official classes held in Churchville (an early name for the spot where Zion Lutheran was located, now part of Bensenville). The walking distance was over nine miles one way, and almost impassable in the winter months when snow drifts were so high that little ones fell right through up to their necks. Frequently children had inadequate clothing to make the long trip and were reported to have gone barefoot. And of course, they desperately wanted their own teacher. Later, it was Heinrich Degener who stood in front of the Zion Lutheran elders in 1857 - this time to request the assembly to assist the district in building a new and larger school for the growing community. This second schoolhouse was built in 1858 on the SE corner of Wolf and Cermak. Finally, in May of 1858 he stood with 11 other families to seek permission from Zion to form their own parish, Immanuel Lutheran, which was organized in Proviso Township on November 27, 1858.

Upon his death in Hinsdale, Illinois on September 6, 1869, Heinrich Degener was 50 years old. He was laid to rest in "Immanuel" Proviso Cemetery* after a funeral service in the church. He was survived by his widow, Margaretha Mette Degener, nee Ehrich and seven children. Margaretha was bom July 11,1816m Hanover and died in February of 1903. At the time of her death, she lived on Halsted Street. She is buried in Waldheim Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois.

Children of Heinrich and Mete Degener:

*This burial place is located on Immanuel Lutheran Church property. Due to vandalism and the ravages of time, it fell out of use after 1880 when a new cemetery was dedicated southeast of the church.  This is the present-day, Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery.

One of his grandchildren was Eleanore (Nellie) Degener Mandel.  See also Degener Images.

Degener, Heinrich Friedrich Wilheim (Fred) (sometimes spelled Degner)

While remaining faithful to Zion Evangelical in Bensenville, church members in Franzosenbusch began to see the need for their own school by 1852. Fred Degener, older brother ofHeinrich Degener, was one of these men.

Eldest son of Christian and Anne Catherine Degener, Friedrich was born in Rodewald, Germany in the Kingdom of Hanover, on January 28, 1813. Here, along with his younger brother Heinrich, he grew up on the family farm where the they lived in close proximity to other families who were destined to continue their relationship in Franzosenbusch. In 1842, Friedrich married Anna Marie nee Volberding, bom September 16,1820 in Rodewald). The wedding ceremony took place that year, on November 20th at St. Aegidien Lutheran Church, in Rodewald, Germany On the 26th of December 1843, they had their first child, Marie. In 1845, Friedrich, accompanied by his wife and child, immigrated to the United States.  According to family records, they sailed from Hamburg, Germany to New Orleans, on the "Lousianna", then traveled north up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers to the settlement ofDunklee's Grove. Fred Degener purchased farmland in the Franzosenbusch area of Cook County, Illinois. He owned 139 acres in Section 19, along the western border of Cook County. His farm is reported to have been located on the east Side of 111. Tollway 294. It was bordered on the north by Roosevelt Rd. (where brother Henry's farm was just across the road to the north) and on the south by 31st Street.

In 1894, F. Degener, including his son-in-law, Heinrich Mueller, in addition to his family, wife and children, one son and five daughters, would be allowed to leave Immanuel Lutheran Church to become part of a Hinsdale Lutheran Church congregation. His wife, Anna Degener died on March 10,1882. Fred Degener passed away at 84 years of age on April 7,1897. The couple is buried in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois along with all of their children except for Mathilda. All of the children were bom in Proviso Township with the exception of their first child, Marie, bom in Hanover.

Children of Friedrich and Anna Marie Degener:

-Marie Shophie Magdalene (Ahrens); born December 26, 1843
-Caroline Margarethe M.; 1846-1916
-Sophie Dorothea Louise (Winklemann); 1849-1881
-Sophie Maria Christine (Graue); 1851-1931; (married Louis H. Graue at Zion Lutheran Church in 1854)
-Emilie Dorothea Marie (Graue) 1853-1934; Married Dietrich F. L. Ernst A. Graue at Immanuel Lutheran in 1870
-Mathilda Wilheima (Mueller); 1855-1857
-Emma Sophie Louise; 1857-1857
-Anna Sophie Olwind; 1858
-Bertha Marie Elsie; 1862

Also read "fact sheets" for Heinrich Friedrich Degener and Heinrich Wilhelm Degener.

Other entries can be found at:

Last Modified:  02/06/2006