William & Josephine
Vital Documents

Birth, marriage, and death records of William Benitz and Josephine Kolmer, and the only record, a list, with the names and dates of birth of their children that reached adulthood.

Wilhelm Böniz (William Benitz) born: 8 February, 1815

Wilhelm Böniz - 8 February, 1815
Church baptism (15^th for 1815)
(source: Peter Benitz, obtained from:
Sankt Petri-sankt Martin-katholisch
Endingen, Baden, Germany)

15 On 8 February in the morning at four o’clock a boy was born at this location. He was baptized the same day at twelve o’clock in the afternoon in the St. Martin’s church. He was named Wilhelm Böniz. Father: Anton Böniz master-cooper Mother: Maria Ana Wagner. Sponsors: Joseph Peintner master-saddler and M. Ana Müller Bürgersfrau (middle-class woman). Witness: Anton Halbling master-butcher. Endingen, 8 February 1815
Anton Wild chaplain performed the baptism
Alexander Umber, pastor

Wilhelm Böniz
Born 8 February, 1815
(source: Peter Benitz, obtained from:
State Archives (from church) baptism records, 1815
Staatsarchiv, Freiburg, Baden, Germany)

Josefa Kolmerer (Josephine Kolmer) born: 6 January, 1830

Josefa Kolmerer
Church baptism record, 1830
(source: Peter Benitz, obtained from:
Sankt Petri-sankt Martin-katholisch
Endingen, Baden, Germany)

William & Josephine, marriage: 23 February, 1847

William & Josephine had paired-up a year earlier, during early 1846. Official acts of marriage (and resulting baptisms) were delayed during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Their formal marriage (below) is the third entry in the Sonoma County “Record of Marriages”. William signed as a witness to the first entry, the marriage of Hügal, one of his Rancho Herman partners. Witnesses James Black and Edward McIntosh were neighbors of Josephine’s father, Michael Kolmer, in Occidental, California. Per historian Lynn Rudy, the marriage ceremony most likely took place in Santa Rosa for John Nash was somewhat rotund and would not have travelled to Occidental, and certainly not remote Fort Ross.

Willaim & Josephine
Marriage record, 23 February, 1847
(restored by Peter Benitz, from original at:
Sonoma County Recorder's Office,
Santa Rosa, California, USA.)

On the 23rd. day of Feb AD 1847 in the District of Sonoma Upper California William Bennet and Josephine Coleman both of the said District were married by me John Nash Chief Justice of the said District and Edward E McIntosh and Augustuna Black were present as witnesses of said marriage John H. Nash J.P.
Witnesses
James Black
Manuel E. McIntosh
Augusten Black

William & Josephine’s children

William and Josephine had ten children, all born at Fort Ross, California. Their children’s births (and deaths) were not entered in any official record (county, state, or otherwise) and the only record we have of their names and birth dates is this list made by William. The list is incomplete, for William did not include the unlucky first three who died as infants.

William Benitz death: 27 June, 1876

William Benitz
Died June 27, 1876 - 6:30 p.m.
Ea. “La California”, Cañada de Gómez, Santa Fé, Arg.
His last words: I am getting dizzy
As recorded in son Alfred’s 1873 diary
(source: Peter Benitz)