The Jahanen surname is German, and the earliest ancestor in my branch of the family hails from near Grabow and Hohenkranig, Brandenberg, Prussia, towns near the Oder River on the modern-day border between Germany and Poland. It seems to be a rare surname as I've rarely seen this surname mentioned anywhere.

I started research on the Jahanen family in 1997 after corresponding through e-mail with a distant cousin, Kathy Zelus, who supplied all the information on the early generations of this family back in Prussia which comes from Lutheran Church records in Prussia . These were filmed by the LDS Church and are available on microfilm. Kathy sent me information on the LDS film numbers and the names and dates for the ancestors of Caroline (Kastner) Gensmer, generation #3, who is also her ancestor. Many thanks to Kathy for this valuable information.

Here is my JAHANEN lineage as far as it has been proven:

1. Maria Christine JAHANEN, b. ca. 1760 Prussia, d. 25 June 1813 in Hohenkranig, Brandenberg, Prussia; md. 30 Oct. 1780 in Grabow, Brandenberg, Prussia to Michael STANTZ, b. 1 Oct. 1757 in Reichenfelde, Brandenberg, Prussia
2. Christina STANTZ, b. 21 Oct. 1781 Reichenfelde, Brandenberg, Prussia; md. 1805 Brandenberg Province, Prussia to Friedrich KASTNER, b. 22 Jan. 1781 Grabow, Brandenberg, Prussia
3. Caroline KASTNER, b. 8 March 1810 Hohenkranig, Brandenberg, Prussia, d. 1907 Winona Co., MN; md. ca. 1830 Alt Ruednitz, Brandenberg, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica) to Martin Friedrich GENSMER, Jr., b. 10 May 1809 Alt Ruednitz (now Stara Rudnica), Brandenberg, Prussia, d. 26 Jan. 1902 Winona Co., MN (both buried at Norton Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Norton Township, Winona Co., MN)
4. Maria Louisa Dorothea GENSMER, b. 27 Aug. 1831 Grenneberg, Germany, d. 22 Dec. 1922 Elysian, MN; md. 24 Oct. 1852 Mayville, WI to Traugott ROEMHILDT, b. 26 Aug. 1824 Lohlen, Schwarzburch, Rudolfstaht, Germany, d. 1 May 1898 Elysian, Le Sueur Co., MN (both buried in St. Peter's "Bell" Lutheran Cemetery at Elysian, Minnesota)
5. Holda Augusta ROEMHILDT, b. 1 Jan. 1855 Mayville, Dodge Co., WI, d. 15 Aug. 1926 Monte Vista, CO; md. 19 Dec. 1878 Elysian, Le Sueur Co., MN to Christoph August QUIRAM, b. 25 Dec. 1853 Schonlanke, Germany, d. 29 Nov. 1937 Porterville, Tulare Co., CA (both buried in the Monte Vista Cemetery)
6. Frieda Helma QUIRAM, b. 24 May1890 Elysian, Le Sueur Co., MN, d. 18 July 1987 Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co., CO; md. 25 Nov. 1917 Monte Vista, CO to Alexander Friedrich EMIL GOHR, b. 31 Jan. 1887 Kossuth Co., IA, d. 18 June 1968 Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co., CO (both buried in the Monte Vista Cemetery) *These are my grandparents.

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Last updated June 1, 2003.