Karl (Carl/Charles) Kaspar Dickhaut was born in Germany as he states in the 1870 US Census in Winslow, Camden County, New Jersey. That was the first place I found him with his wife "Oteliee" and son (my grandfather) William. I did find a death certificate for his first-born son, Paul, who had died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1869.
Later I found his name listed in Philadelphia City directories in 1871, 1872 and 1873. Also listed was a George Dickhaut, and Michael Dickhart. I do have a DNA match with a Dickhart, and this is where the mystery begins. Was there a name change? Were these men related? More on this subject in a future post.
My grandfather, William Carl Jacob Dickhaut Lieberknecht (he tells his daughter in a letter that "this is our name"), began using his step-father's name Lieberknecht after his mother, Ottilie, married a second time and had moved to Omaha, Nebraska with William's two siblings, Herman and Agnes. Herman kept his father's Dickhaut name, but William and Agnes used Lieberknecht. Both William and Agnes said their father's name was Dickhaut on various documents, one being marriage records. Brother Herman used Dickhaut most of his life and his descendants somehow changed it to Dickhart.
Dickhaut means Thick Skin. Lieberknecht means Dear Servant.
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| Agnes Dickhaut marriage record |
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| William C Lieberknecht Dickhaut marriage record |
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