FREDERICK HAGER was born in approximately 1800 at Hager's Ferry along the banks of the Catawba River in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Frederick Hager was the son of Simon Hager and Elizabeth Lawing Hager. His father, Simon, was born in approximately 1763, the son of German immigrants. His mother, Elizabeth, was born approximately 1756, the daughter of William Lawing and Jean Killian Lawing. Frederick's grandfather, George Hager, and his uncle, Willam Hager, were two of the original pioneers, arriving in the area prior to the Revolutionary War in about 1750.​

The Hagers of North Carolina were a very prolific family and names were repeated frequently, both across generations and in subsequent generations. Frederick was a very common name, as were William and Simon. Online sources are often found to be misleading and inaccurate. Careful cross-checking of dates and locations was necessary to determine which Frederick was our direct ancestor. Fortunately, Frederick's father, Simon, left a Will that documented his wife and children. Other documentation, in the form of his father's military pension documents, also exists. See "Simon Hager Biography."

Frederick Hager's siblings (including himself) consisted of the following:

Frederick's siblings consisted of four sisters and two brothers. There is some evidence that there may have been another male child, born about 1829, who did not survive to the 1840 census.

Frederick's sister, Katherine, married David Smith on January 13, 1831, in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Whether Katharine and David stayed in Lincoln County is unknown.

Sarah Hager, called Sally, was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina. She married James Frost on May 15, 1806 in Lincoln County. Sarah's death date, as well as whether or not she and her husband had children, is currently unknown.

Mary Elizabeth Hager, born in Lincoln County, North Carolina about 1787, married John Rudesil on December 20, 1815 in Lincoln County. It appears that Mary Elizabeth was John's second wife. He married his first wife, Susana Saine, on August 5, 1812. Mary Elizabeth and her husband, John, are likely buried in the abandoned Rudisill Graveyard in Gaston County, North Carolina.

William J. Hager's birth and death information is currently unknown. We know through his efforts to secure his money from his father's Revolutionary War pension that he was living still living in Lincoln County, North Carolina in December of 1845. 

John Hager's birth and death information is also currently unknown. Online sources often confuse him with John Jackson Hager, the son of "Big" Simon Hager. 

Barbara Hager married John Elders, probably in Lincoln County, North Carolina. We do not have a record of their marriage, but it was likely before 1820. Barbara is listed in the 1828 will of her father, Simon Hager.​

There is not a great deal of information currently known about Margaret Hinkle. She was born approximately 1797, probably in Lincoln (formerly Tryon) County, North Carolina. There are several online genealogical claims that her parents are possibly Jacob Hinkle and Susanna Sides. There is documentation to validate that Jacob and Susanna married in Lincoln County, North Carolina, on February 1, 1788. A marriage date of 1788 would mean that Margaret, whose birth year we can estimate from both the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Federal Census records from Perry County, Missouri, was born approximately nine years after they were married. 

At this time, no documentation has yet to be uncovered to definitely link the to the birth of Margaret to Jacob Hinkle and Susannah (Sides) Hinkle. At this time we also do not have an accounting of any siblings that Margaret may have had. If, however, she is their child, then it is most likely that she had some, if not several, siblings that pre-dated her birth.

On Friday, November 27, 1818, Frederick Hager married Margaret Hinkle in Lincoln County, North Carolina. At the time of his marriage, Frederick was approximately 18 years of age. The parents of Margaret Hinkle are currently unknown, but census data shows that she was from Lincoln (formerly Tryon) County as well. ​

According to census data, Margaret was born about 1797, making her three years older than her husband. At the time of their marriage she was approximately 21 years old. Online family trees state that Margaret died on October 17, 1863. However, this date has not yet been verified by any primary source documentation.

Frederick and Margaret remained in Lincoln County for the beginning of their marriage. We do not know precisely when the family decided to move to Perry County, Missouri. In the early census of North Carolina, only Frederick would have been listed as the head of the household. Although there is a "Fred Hager," east of the South Fork of the Catawba River, listed in the 1820 census for Lincoln County, the number and age of individuals in the household does not lead one to believe that this is the same Frederick Hager as our ancestor. 

An obituary for Frederick and Margaret's son, John Franklin Hager, states that John came to Perry County in 1827 and stayed there for the rest of his life. If accepted as fact, then the Hager family must have left Lincoln County, North Carolina, shortly after the birth of their son, Frederick, Jr., in 1827, because later census documents record him as being born in North Carolina in approximately 1827.

The 1830 Federal Census for Perry County, Missouri, lists a Frederick Hager as the head of the household. In addition to his wife, Margaret, the census records the following individuals as living in the house:​

   • Two males aged Under 5

• We may assume that one these was Frederick, Jr. (3 years old)

• Unknown

      • Two males aged 5 thru 9

• We may assume that one these was James, (5 years old)

• We may assume that one these was Aaron, (9 years old)

      • One male aged 10 thru 14

• We may assume that this was John Franklin, (11 years old)

     • One male aged 30 thru 39

• We may assume that this was Frederick, Sr.  (30 years old)

    • One female aged 5 thru 9

• We may assume that this was Elizabeth (7 years old)

    • One female aged 30-39

• We may assume that this was Margaret (33 years old)

It is possible that this "extra" child (under 5) was not the child of Frederick and Margaret, but simply someone living in their house at the time, the child of a relative or a friend. However, at the time, it was very common for families to have a child approximately every 2 years. If one sees a significant gap in the ages of children, then one should suspect either 1) the death of a child or, 2) remarriage.

In looking at the ages of all the known children of Frederick and Margaret - as evidenced by the named children in his will in 1846 - we do see a significant gap between the birth of Frederick, in 1827, and the birth of their next known child, Alexander, in 1832. This gap could conceivably be filled by the unnamed male child listed above if he were born in approximately 1829.

All of the named children from Frederick's will are accounted for in the census of 1840 except John Franklin, who had left the home by this time. The unknown male, who would have been 10 - 14 years old, is no longer listed in the household.

From the 1850 Census, the first year in which each member of the family is enumerated, we were able to glean more detailed information about the Hager household. At the time, Frederick (59) and Margaret (61) were living in the Cape Cinque Hommes Township of Perry County. Living with them were: son, Alexander (18), daughter, Eliza (16), son Milton (13), and daughter Martha (11). Also sharing the household were two young boys, Louis Hinkle (8) and John Hinkle (6).​​​​​​​​​ Given that Margaret's maiden name was Hinkle, it stands to reason that these children were sons of a relative, possibly a brother (as a sister would have used her married name). The Hinkle children were born in Missouri.

On November 15, 1854, there is documentation in the General Land Office Records for Perry County, Missouri, that Frederick Hager purchased approximately 38 acres of land. This land was located in Township 34N, Range 11E, Section 5 of Perry County, Missouri. This land is located southeast of Perryville and west of Longtown, Missouri.

The eldest Hager child, John Franklin, was born in 1819 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. On October 31, 1839, John married Mary Elizabeth Sadler in Perry County, Missouri. Mary Elizabeth was the daughter of Zachariah Saddler and Elizabeth Mayberry. Mary Elizabeth's brother, Jesse, married John Franklin's sister, Elizabeth.

John Franklin served as a Private during the Civil War and died on July 5, 1874. He is buried in the cemetery of the York Chapel in Perry County, Missouri. John Franklin Hager was our 4X Great Grandfather. 

Aaron Hager was born in 1821 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. On September 26, 1840, Aaron married Nancy (Ann) Penny in Perry County, Missouri. Together, the couple had nine children (Richmond, Martha, Minerva, Frederick, Archibald, William, Elizabeth, Mary, and Aaron). After his wife's death, Aaron remarried to Celestie Funcheon on June 26, 1869. Celestie had been married previously. Together, the couple had three more children (Minnie, Martina, and Edgar). Aaron died March 18, 1878 at the age of 56 years old.

Elizabeth Hager was born about 1823 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. On December 18, 1841, when she was years old, she married Jesse Sadler in Perry County, Missouri. Jesse was the brother of John Franklin Hager's wife, Mary Elizabeth Sadler. 

​The couple made their home in Cape Cinque Hommes Township. Together, they had the following children: George, Frederick (also called Jesse), Margaret H., and Mary Elizabeth. Public family trees mention another son named James M. However, his name is not mentioned in his father's will After her husband's death, Elizabeth remarried to Andrew Cotner.

There is very little information to be found about James Hager. Born about 1825 in Lincoln County, North Carolina, it appears that he lived a short life. Unlike his brothers John, Aaron, Frederick and Milton, his name is not found among those who registered for the draft in 1863. Online sources claim that he died on October 19, 1849 in Perry County, Missouri at 24 years of age. This has not yet been verified by documentation.

Frederick Hager, Jr., born in 1827, was the last of the Hager children to be born in North Carolina. On the 22nd of September, 1846, Frederick married Minerva Clifton in Perry County, Missouri. By 1850, the family had made their home in Brazeau, Perry County, Missouri. When Frederick was 36 years old, he registered for the Civil War draft from the 3rd Missouri Congressional District. Frederick served as a Private in Company C of the 45th Missouri Infantry, as well as in the 50th Missouri Infantry.​ 

Frederick and Minerva had one son, Isadore. In 1870, the family was found living together in the Cinque Hommes Township with Isadore, his wife Melinda, and twin children, John and Mary. In 1880, Frederick and Minerva were still found in the home of their son, Isadore. Frederick was listed as suffering from paralysis and he died the next year, on March 6, 1881.  

Alexander Hager appeared in the 1850 census living with his family in the Cape Cinque Hommes township. At the time of the census, he was 18 years old. That is the last record found for Alexander. His name is not found alongside of his brothers as having registered for the draft. Some public family trees place his death at 23 years of age on August 2, 1853, but that has not yet been verified by documentation. 

Eliza Hager was born in 1834 in Perry County, Missouri. She married Richard Burtelow, originally from Virginia, on July 25, 1854 at 20 years of age. By 1860, the couple were living in Cinque Hommes Township and had one child, Margaret, who was born in 1856. Their second child, Frederick, was born in 1861. Both children were named after Eliza's parents.

During the Civil War, Richard was a Corporal in Company B, 30th Regiment of the Missouri Volunteers under Capt. William F. Wilkinson. Unfortunately, Richard Burtelow was one of those soldiers who did not survive. On September 8, 1863, he succumbed to chronic dysentary and is buried in a military grave at the Keokuk National Cemetery. Eliza, had already died on July 8, 1862, leaving their two young children, Margaret and Fredrick Burtelow, as orphans. Eliza's brother, John, assumed legal guardianship for the his nephew and niece.

Milton Hager was born in 1837 in Perry County, Missouri. On August 26, 1854, when he was only about 17 years old. Milton married Drucilla Penny in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In 1860, the couple were living in Cinque Hommes township next to his sister Eliza and his brother, Aaron. They had one daugher, Frances, who was 5 months old. Milton's wife's name was listed as "Holy." It is possible that Drucilla was the sister of Nancy Penny, Aaron's wife, as they were both from North Carolina.

Milton served as a private in Company E in the Missouri State Militia Infantry from October, 1862 until August, (1863). His name appears in the Special 1890 Census Schedule of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Widows (Bois Brule Township).  

The final census year in which we find both Frederick and Margaret is in 1860. Still living in Cape Cinque Hommes Township, Frederick was listed as a farmer. Although none of their own children remained at home, John Hinkle still resided at the house. At the age of 16, he was listed as a "laborer." There was also a small child named Mary E. (possibly Elizabeth) Hager, four years old, living with them.

There were several other Hager families living in close proximity in the Cape Cinque Hommes township at this time. Sarah Hager (possibly Frederick's sister) lived on the adjacent property. Their daughter, Eliza, and her husband, Richart Bertlow, also lived next door. Next to them resided Milton Hager and his wife and daughter. Aaron, their son, also lived nearby with his wife, Nancy, and their family.

Frederick Hager died on October 29, 1862 at 62 years of age. His wife, Margaret Hinkle Hager followed him in death three years later on October 17, 1865. At this time, their burial locations are unknown.