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John Herbert Jann and daughter Helen are spoken of in the following letter: 11-18-1932 Irene

Click on image to enlarge. Once enlarged, to zoom, move cursor to right of image, back onto image, and click again.

Henry Pfleger's wedding 1905--there are some faces in this shot that look like Janns. Can anyone i.d. anybody?	Lou Pfleger's wedding. 1st bridesmaid from left seated, Irene Pfleger, stood up with "Helen Jann's father" who died in CA 1932. John Herbert?	Same group, different pose.
4/1929 50th anniversary gathering for Catherine Merten Bornhofen. Link to labeled version of this photo underneath photo gallery	another shot of Bornhofen's 50th, this one just the men	Helen Jann is one of these girls. The girl on the far left in the back row is Irene "Sis" Wachdorf (Heagberg).

To go to the labeled version of the last photo, click here: Bornhofen's 50th. There are many Jann family members in the shot.

Draft registration 1917: John Herbert Jann of 5649 Laflin, Chicago, born Feb. 17, 1889 in Chicago. Occupation: clerk for Chicago Surface Lines (the street cars, I think) of 1165 N. Clark. Previous Service: Private, USA first infantry for 3 months. Reason to be exempted: support of wife and two children. Slender, of medium height, with blue eyes and brown hair.

1920 census on 5649 Laflin, Chicago:

J. Herbert Jann, 30, inspector for Chicago Surface track (last word not quite legible)

Wife Pearl, age 32, born IL, parents French speaking Canadians

Daughter Helen, 7

son Herbert, 4 years 10 months, both born in IL.

From the Merchants Telegram (Daily Southtown) 8-2-1923: Hubert Jann conducts a radio concert every Saturday night. The loud speaker planted on his rear porch provides many hours of music for the neighbors. (John Herbert, or his father?)

From the Merchants Telegram (Daily Southtown) 10-11-1923: Mr. Jann is again traveling a la automobile, after making the trip to and from his place of business via Blair's express for the past month. (John Herbert or his father or another Mr. Jann?)

10-18-1923 article by Peter Kramer in the Merchants Telegram (Daily Southtown)

Northwest Englewood

(about the West Englewood Improvement Club)..."bringing the dangerous condition of the abandoned building at 57th and Wood sts. to the attention of the larger organizations in the city"  refers to a letter sent to the Illinois Society of Architects that said, in part, "we enclose herewith a report covering the inspection of the abandoned building.....Our vice -president, J.H. Jann, who made this inspection, is an engineer. According to his opinion the building is in a very dangerous condition and would require but very little shaking to displace some of the massive stone or iron girders with the possibility of most disastrous results...Children climb around on the structure and have fallen down, and in more than one instance there have been broken bones. Hold-up men and morons have used this building from which to attack their victims, and we understand that it is used for all sorts of immoral purposes..." (I don't know which J.H. Jann this refers to.)

1930 census puts him on 6331 S. Marshfield in Chicago:

Herbert J. Jann,age 41, married at age 22, born in IL, father born in Germany, mother in Wisconsin, occupation: clerk for street railway

Wife Pearl E. Jann, age 43, married at 25, born in IL of French Canadian parents

Daughter Helen K. age 18, occupation: stenographer for a clerk.

Son Herbert A., age 15.

From a letter written 11-18-1932 by Irene Pfleger Wachdorf to her daughter, Irene "Sis" Wachdorf (Heagberg), which implies Sis and Helen are friends: "Aunt Gertie called me up this morning and told me Helen Jann's father died in California and will be buried here in Chicago Monday. Daddy and I will probably go to see him as he stood up with me when Uncle Louis was married." In March 2007 Marion Melsheimer Czachor (granddaughter of Anna Utschig Jann) said in a letter, "Helen Jann's father was Herb Jann. He was in Lou and Gert's wedding standing in back of Lou."

From the Southtown Economist, 2-18-1930: Formal initiation of Gamma chapter of the Eta Pi Kappa sorority was held the afternoon of February 9 at the Plaisance hotel. The new officers are Catherine Klingenbeck, president; Grace Winkelman, vice-president; Emeline Frederick, secretary-treasurer, and Dorothy McGovern, publicity chairman. Other members are Marie DiMuro, Eva Hommelsen, Bernice Hooley, Helen Jann, Marie Kashins, Emily Lackner, Sophie Pcikley, and Margaret Zerkel. Following the introductions, Miss Klingenbeck was presented with the charter and constitution of the new chapter and each girl received her pin. Sweet peas were used as decorations at the dinner table and at the dinner an address was given by Miss Mary Welderle, grand president. (NOTE: there are some letters by Marie DiMuro and some references in letters to Catherine Klingenbeck's mother, as well as a refernce to Helen Jann, among the Letters written in 1932 to Irene "Sis" Wachdorf.)

California death index has Herbert A. Jann (presumably his son, Herbert Aloysius) born 2-18-1915 in Illinois, died 7-4-1973 in Los Angeles County.

connection: John's maternal aunt was Catherine Merten Bornhofen whose daughter, Gert, married Lou Pfleger, brother of Irene Pfleger Wachdorf. The connection was the sister of his aunt's son-in-law.

Source: Much of the information on this page is from a chart sent via email by the very helpful and generous  Mary Utschig Read. She labeled it, "Information gathered from several people who are related to these families: Alice Erdmann, Raymond and DeAnn Meysing, David Jann, CA, David M. Jann, Marion Melsheimer Czachor, John H. Traut, and personal research. I hope I have not left anyone out--everyone has been very helpful and happy to share with one another. This chart has been put together by Mary Utschig Read. It is not complete, but the best that could be done with the information had by January 2007. Any corrections and/or additions are welcomed and hoped for so that the family's histories can become more complete and accurate. THANK YOU again for everyone's help in gathering the information so far collected."