Phase I: European Origins
The ancestral starting point is rooted in Düdelsheim, Hesse (Germany). Located near Büdingen, this region was a primary source of Palatine German emigration. The family's departure in 1723 marked the beginning of their presence in the New World.
Ephraim Knauss (A225)
Amos Knauss (A227)
Michel Knauss
Generation 1. The Origin Patriarch. Born at the dawn of the 16th century, Michel represents the earliest verified ancestor in the Knauss Registry.
Elizabeth Franck
Peter Benedict Knauss
Generation 1. The foundational patriarch of the Knauss lineage in this archive. Born in the mid-16th century, his life represents the earliest era of recorded family history.
Margretha Haill
Johann Thomas Knauss
Generation 1. The earliest documented patriarch in this archive. His life spanned the late Renaissance and the onset of the 17th-century European shifts.
Anna B. S. Diel
Peter Joseph Knauss
7th Great-grandfather. A witness to the 17th-century European wars. He represents the earliest recorded patriarch of the Düdelsheim Knauss line in this archive.
Katrina Kunckleman
Hanss Lukas Knauss
6th Great-grandfather. The deepest paternal root in the Knauss lineage. He lived his entire life in Düdelsheim during a period of significant European restructuring.
Anna Maria Klink
Johann Ludwig Knauss Sr
9th Great-grandfather. The Origin Patriarch who migrated to America in 1723. He settled in Whitemarsh, PA, establishing the Knauss name in the American Colonies.
Anna Margaret Gerlach
Johann Daniel Knauss Sr
5th Great-grandfather. A colonial-era patriarch whose life spanned the transition from British colonial rule to the birth of the United States.
Salome Miller
Johan Daniel Knauss Jr
4th Great-grandfather. Born in the colonial era of Pennsylvania. His lifespan covered the American Revolution and the early formation of the United States.
John Ludwig Knauss (A27)
Susannah Meier
Solomon Knauss
3rd Great-grandfather. Born in Pennsylvania during the post-Revolutionary era; he later migrated to Ohio, helping establish the family in the Midwest.
Sebastian Ludwig Knauss
Henry Knaus (A80)
Sarah Mohr
John Kanouse (VIII-496)
Samuel Knaus (A62)
Johann Samuel Knauss (A111)
Edward Knauss (A119)
William Thomas Knauss (A106)
Aquila Knauss (A107)
Aquila Knauss (A107)
William Knaus (A157)
William Knauss (A125)
Abraham M. Knauss (A120)
Charles Knauss (A126)
Solomon Knauss (A127)
Henry David Knauss
James Owen Knauss (A199)
Simon Peter Knous
Samuel Knauss (A129)
William Henry Knauss (A200)
Catharine Smith
James Knauss
2nd Great-grandfather. Born in Pennsylvania, he was part of the generation that established the family roots in Branch County, Michigan.
Monroe Knauss (A226)
Henry Solomon Knauss (A238)
Thomas W. Knauss (A201)
Amos Charles Knauss (A239)
Benjamin F. Knauss (A240)
Clark B. Knauss
James Monroe Knaus (A291)
James Miller Knauss (A241)
Daniel Henry Knauss (A242)
Elizabeth S. Knauss
Ida Louisa Knauss
Della Louisa Knauss
Harry Solomon Knauss
William Andrew Knauss (A243)
Jeremiah Knauss
Jennie L. Knauss
Franklin Elonzo Knouse
Nora Bell Knauss
Nettie Elizabeth Knauss (1870)
Benjamin Moore Knauss (A244)
Nellie Elizabeth Knauss
Elias Solomon Knauss
Franklin Knauss (A245)
Luella Knauss
Jacob Knauss (A246)
Elmer James Knauss
Great-grandfather. Born in Michigan and later settled in Indiana.
Harry Joseph Knauss
Blanch L. Bussing
Matriarch of the 11th Generation. Wife of Elmer James Knauss and mother of Owen Elmer.
Claude Darrell Knauss
Niles Amandus Knauss (A400)
Paul Stanley Knauss (A401)
Althea Heller
Matriarch of the 12th Generation. Mother of James Owen and his four siblings.
Owen Elmer Knauss
Paternal Grandfather. Born in Kinderhook during a transformative era for Branch County.
Donald Neitz Knauss (G85)
James Stuart Knauss (G87)
Dalton Leverne Knauss
David Victor Knauss (G138)
Janice McNaughton
Jane L Knauss
James Owen Knauss
Senior Patriarch of the Knauss lineage. A life dedicated to family and stewardship.
Darlene J Knauss
William Elmer Knauss
Margory Jane Troxell
Generation 13. Mother of Benjamin Knauss and wife of James Owen Knauss. Her addition anchors the maternal lineage in the Knauss Family Office.
Eric Jon Knauss
Chad Mondel Knauss
Generation 14. Son of James and Margory. Brother of Benjamin Knauss.
Benjamin Knauss
Current Trustee of the Knauss Family Office.
Skyler Knauss
Member of the next generation of Knauss stewards.
Phase II: The American Heartland
In the mid-19th century, the family transitioned from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania toward the tri-state area of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
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01
Kinderhook, MI: A primary settling point for family members moving into Branch County during the pre-Civil War era.
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02
California, MI: Located nearby, this is where later generations established farms and stewardship over the local land.
The Michigan Settlement Hub