Christian Andreas Heusinger was born August 30, 1794, at Coberg, Germany. His father was a teacher at Neustadt, near Sonneburg, North-East of Coburg. Christian was a soldier during the Liberty War of 1812, where the French were defeated October 1813 at Leipzig. After the war, Corporal Heusinger was detailed as an NCO of the guard to to Castle Reinhardsbrunn of Duke Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at Friedrichroda. After several years in the guards at Castle Reinhardsbrunn and Ehrenburg Palace, Christian was appointed by the Duke in 1824 as the personal guard, servant, and attendant of the Duke's two children, Prince Ernest and Prince Albert, following the Duke's separation and eventual divorce from his wife, Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Christian Heusinger married Katherina Barbara Krauss, daughter of a Brodricksroda family, at Ehrenburg Chapel on June 12, 1823. The following year he assumed his new duties at Ehrenburg Palace. Duke Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld subsequently became Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, following a rearrangement of the Ernestine duchies in 1826. As Christian's charges came of age, Christian was appointed Councilor and personal servant to Duke Ernest I. Upon the Duke's death in 1844, the eldest son, Prince Ernest II, succeeded him and retained Christian in his service. The younger son, Prince Albert, married Queen Victoria of England. Christian was in the two Duke's service for more than 50 years. On the occasion of Christian and Katherina's golden wedding anniversary in 1873, Duke Ernst II presented them with a beautiful autographed Bible, which has been kept by Christian's descendants to this day. Christian was a Painter by trade, doing interior decorating, sketching, and portraits. A few of these works survive. Christian and Katherina had seven daughters, the first five of which immigrated to America.....
Friederike [Heusinger] Prass (1825-1880)
Johanna [Heusinger] Weidener (1826-1879)
Bertha [Heusinger] Blint (1829-1868)
Katherina [Heusinger] Prass (1831-1883)
Franzeska [Heusinger] Prass (1834-1901)
Sophea [Heusinger] Huth (1837-1900)
Dorothea [Heusinger] Franz (1842-1892)
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Having no sons, Christian adopted his grandson, Phillip Weidener, to succeeded him in the Duke's service. Phillip became an Business Manager, overseer, and advisor to Ernst II and his successors until the dissolution of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1918. Christian died at the city of his birth, Coburg, on December 12, 1876.
{--Some Excerpts are from "Family & Forefathers" by Paul George Stomberger--}