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Louisa BECK (b c1824)

It is difficult to determine the full name or date and place of birth for Louisa Beck, the wife of John D Fritsch. The Wisconsin record of her death gives her name as Rosa Louise Fritsch, but she almost always went simply by the name of Louise or Louisa Fritsch. She signed her last will and testament as Louise Fritsch.

Louisa was almost certainly a few years older than her husband John, but both the 1870 and 1880 census records suggest they were the same age. In August 1870, they were both age 42; in June 1880, they were both age 53. Her husband John's date of birth was (reliably) 05 September 1827, so his age in 1870 was correct, but in 1880 it should have been only 52. If we were to presume the dates Louisa gave census enumerators in Jun 1855 (age 31) and 1860 (age 35, and, more importantly, three years older than her husband's age, 32) were correct, we would give Louisa's date of birth as about 1824. It is a fact that the stone marking her grave states a birth year of 1823, which is entirely possible, but the date of her death is incorrect on the stone, making the whole presentation (1823-1900) seem somewhat less than reliable. As for the location of Louisa's birth, there is little reason to question the response given the census enumerator in 1870 and 1880. She was most likely born in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, a region including Stuttgart and bordering France and Switzerland, west of her husband John's birthplace in Bayern or Bavaria.

Louisa most likely emigrated from Wuerttemberg to the United States in 1854. She appeared in the 1855 NY State Census in the city of Schenectady, NY. In that record she gave her age as 31 years, her place of birth as Germany, and reported that she had been in Schenectady for one year. I have not been able to find any record of her passage or arrival in the United States.

Louisa married John D Fritsch (b 1827), a shoemaker born in Germany, in Schenectady, NY on 28 Oct 1855. The couple moved to Wisconsin sometime before the birth of their child John D Fritsch, born in Wisconsin on 22 May 1859, probably in 1858. The three of them appeared in Jordan Township in the 1860 US Census in June of that year. John reported his occupation as shoemaker and farmer.

In August 1870, the family was still in Jordan Township. John no longer mentioned shoemaking; he was simply a farmer. The couple now had three children, John (age 11), Elizabeth (age 9), and Mary (age 5). A year later, in June 1880, the US Census found the couple still in Jordan Township. The composition of the household was barely changed. Only Elizabeth was missing. At age 19, she was already married and living with her husband William Blaseng in nearby Cadiz. The 1870 census reported that Louisa could not read or write; the 1880 census did not report the same.

The brief biography of Louisa's husband John in the History of Green County published in 1884 says that the couple had five children. Louisa, Jacob and Mary were said to be no longer living. Neither Louisa nor Jacob were surviving at the time of either the 1870 or 1880 census. The dates I have given to their births in the list of children above is nothing more than a guess. I also guess that Louisa and Jacob died in infancy or early childhood. Mary died in 1883 at age 17. I am, of course, merely presuming that the published biographical paragraph is accurate in reporting the names of the couple's children.

Louisa's husband John died on 31 Dec 1889 in Monroe, Wisconsin. Louisa lived on until 1899, probably with her daughter Elizabeth Blaseng. She prepared a will in 1897 and gave specific bequests to Elizabeth and Elizabeth's daughter Louisa. The balance of her estate was to be divided equally between her only two surviving children, John and Elizabeth. The terms of her will also suggest she was an active and devout evangelical Lutheran. Louisa died on 21 Oct 1899 most likely in Monroe but certainly in Green County. She was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in the city of Monroe.

Sources:

1855 NY State Census, Record of Louisa Beck (b c1824): Citation: Ancestry.com. New York, U S, State Census, 1855 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA; Ancestry.com Operaations, Inc., 2013. Content: The 1855 NY State Census of City of Schenectady (First Ward), Schenectady County, New York on 19 Jun 1855 shows dwelling 207 and the household of William Barringer, age 48, merchant born in Columbia. The household includes two helpers, one of them Louisa Beck, age 31, female, born Germany, in Schenectady one year, alien.

1855 NY State Census, Record of John Fritsch (b 1829): Citation: Ancestry.com. New York, U S, State Census, 1855 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA; Ancestry.com Operaations, Inc., 2013. Content: The 1855 NY State Census of City of Schenectady (Second Ward), Schenectady County, New York on 11 Jun 1855 shows dwelling 112, a boarding house owned by Susan Davis, age 61, born in Green County, NY. Resident in the house is John Fritch [sic], age 23 [sic], male, born Germany, in Schenectady one year, alien. (John should have been age 28.)

1860 US Census, Household of John D Fritsch (b 1827): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Year: 1860; Census Place: Jordan, Green, Wisconsin; Page: 260; Family History Library Film: 805411. Content: The 1860 US Census of Jordan Township, Green County, Wisconsin on 25 Jun 1860 shows dwelling 701 with a household composed of [1] John D Fitch, age 32, male, farmer and shoemaker, (real estate: $1000, personal: $300), born Germany, [2] Louisa, age 35, female, born Germany, [3] John, age 1, male, born Wisconsin.

1870 US Census, Household of John D Fritsch (b 1827): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Census Place: Jordan, Green, Wisconsin; Roll M593_1715; Page: 160A; Image: 329; Family History Library Film: 553214. Content: The 1870 US Census of the town of Jordan, Green County, Wisconsin on 03 Aug 1870 shows dwelling 157 with a household composed of [1] John Fritz, age 42, male, farmer, (real estate: $4700, personal: $1120), born Baden, parents foreign born, eligible to vote, [2] Louisa Fritz, age 42, female, keeping house, born Wurtemburg, parents foreign born, unable to read or write, [3] John Fritz, age 11, male, born Wisconsin, parents foreign born, attending school, able to read but unable to write, [4] Elizabeth Fritz, age 9, female, born Wisconsin, parents foreign born, attending school, can read and write, [5] Mary Fritz, age 5, female, born Wisconsin, parents foreign born, attending school, can read and write.

1880 US Census, Household of John D Fritsch (b 1827): Citation: Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Year: 1880; Census Place: Jordan, Green, Wisconsin; Roll: 1428; Page: 114A; Enumeration District: 139. Content: The 1880 US Census of Jordan Township, Green County, Wisconsin on 09 Jun 1880 shows dwelling 36 with a household composed of [1] John D Frich [sic], male, age 53, married, born Bieran [sic], both parents born Bieren, [2] Louise Frich, female, age 53, wife, married, born Wuertenburg, both parents born Wuertenburg, [3] John Frich, male, age 21, son, single, works on farming, born Wisconsin, [4] Mary Frich, female, age 15, daughter, single, in school, born Wisconsin.

Find a Grave Memorial 189164339 for Mary Fritsch (b 1876).

Find a Grave Memorial 133088571 for John D Fritsch (b 1827).

1897 Will of Louisa Fritsch (b c1824): Citation: Ancestry.com. Wisconsin, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1987 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2015. Author: Wisconsin. County Court (Green County); Probate Place: Green, Wisconsin. Content: Louisa Fritsch signed a will dated 11 Oct 1897 in which she gave specific bequests to (1) the Missionary Society of the Wisconsin Conference of the Evangelical Association ($50), (2) the General Missionary Society of the Evangelical Association ($50), (3) $200 for services rendered and her spare bed to her grandchild Louisa Blaesing, (4) all her clothing and the clock to her daughter Elisabeth Blaesing. The balance of the estate was to be evenly divided between "my son John Fritsch and my daughter Mrs Elisabeth Blaesing."

1899 Wisconsin death index entry for Rosa Louise Fritsch (b c1825): Citation: Ancestry.com. Wisconsin Deaths, 1820-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Volume:01, Page: 0387; Reel: 033; Image 0489: ImageNum: 101573; Sequence#: 114291. Content: The record states that Rosa Louise Fritsch died on 21 Oct 1899 in Green County, Wisconsin.

Find a Grave Memorial 133088595 for Louisa Fritsch (b 1823).