Hi Erika -
All that I have to go on is the spelling in the Illinois statewide marriage
index. I have not obtained a copy of the actual marriage license. It gives
the name of the groom as Jobst Behning and the bride as Dorothea Smeckpepen.
The year of the marriage was 1858 in Kankakee County. I have no idea of when
or where he was born. The next record is the 1880 U.S. census. Nelly
Behning born ca. 1864 in Illinois. She was living in Chicago with her aunt and
uncle, Henry and Elisabeth (Schmeckpeper) Lindemann. Also in the 1880 U.S.
census I found John Schram, age 46 born in Prussia - his wife, Doris, age 48
born in Hannover, daughter Elisabet Behning, born ca. 1867 in Illinois and the
eldest Schram child, William born ca. 1870 in Illinois. They were living in
the Rich, Cook Co., Illinois. I am thinking that possibly Dorothea
Schmeckpeper Behning might be the same person as Doris Schram. Possibly Jobst Behning
died sometime between 1867 and 1870 and Dorothea remarried. I have not
found a record of that marriage. I found a reference to one Jobst Boehning being
buried in 1860 in Kankakee County, Illinois. Possibly the year of burial is
in error of Jobst and Dorothea had a child named Jobst who died as a small
child. I would guess that the name was actually spelled Böehning.
Thanks for your interest and for listening to my story.
Don