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Dorothea Louisa SCHMIDT (b 1823)

I know little about Louisa that is not described in the profile of her husband Michael. I do think there is a good chance that the Guentersberg marriage record described below is a record of Louisa's marriage. If it is, her maiden name was Dorothea Louisa Schmidt and her father's name was Michael Schmidt. All of the uncertainty surrounding that proposal is hidden in the question marks around Louisa's father's name.

The 1900 US Census reported that Louisa was born in May 1823 in Germany and that she came to the United States in 1883. The census also reported that she was the wife of Michael Krueger and that the couple had been married for 56 years. That would suggest the year of her marriage was about 1844.

In the 1900 US Census, Louisa reported 9 children ever born with only 3 living in 1900. A 1940 obituary for Augustina Krueger Fritsch, one of Louisa's children living in 1900, noted that she had a brother Frank living in Germany. That would account for the second of the three children living in 1900. Then there was Frieda Krüger Schroeder, the wife of Emil G Schroeder, who emigrated before her parents and married in 1881. These three, Friedricke, Augustina, and Frank, were alive in 1900. This means that Louisa had lost six children. Charlotte, the daughter whom I presume emigrated with them, must have been one of the six, though I find no Wisconsin record of her maarriage or death. That still leaves five children who had died before 1900. Presumably, all had died in Germany.

I have found no official Wisconsin record of Louisa's death. It is likely that she died at the couple's home in Jefferson Township in Green County, Wisconsin. As for the date 1902, all that I have to go on is the date provided on the stone marking the couple's graves in East Clarno Cemetery in Clarno, Green County, Wisconsin. Louisa was definitely not alive in June 1905 when her husband Michael was identified as a widower and found living in the household of his daughter Friedricke.

Sources:

1940 Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Augusta Krueger Fritsch (b 1859): Citation: Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2019. Wisconsin State Journal; Publication Date: 27 Nov 1940; Publication Place: Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Content: MONROE Funeral services for Mrs. John D. Fritsch, 81, who died here Monday night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Roy Chesebro, following a short illness, will be held at 2 p. m. Thursday at the Shriner-Neushwander funeral home, with the Rev. A. C. Rabehl officiating, and burial in Greenwood cemetery. She was born in Germany April 8, 1859, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Krueger. She came to America with her parents in April 1883. They settled in Jefferson township. She married John Fritsch in Jordan township. Green county, on Dec. 6, 1883. She belonged to the Immanuel Evangelical church here and to the Woman's Missionary society of the church. Surviving are six sons, John, Edward and Albert, of Jefferson township, Emil, Clarno township, Frank, ot Monroe, and William, Winslow, IL.; four daughters, Mrs. Roy Chesebro, Mrs. William Miller and Mrs. Ralph H. Wenger, of Monroe, and Mrs. Milton Stelzer, of Bloomer, Wis.; a brother, Frank Krueger, living in Germany.

Passenger Manifest, Ship Werra, 26 May 1883, Michael (b c1820) and Louise Krueger (b c1821): Citation: Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Year: 1883; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Line: 33; List Number: 642. Content: A 26 May 1883 passenger manifest for the ship Werra, departed Bremen, Germany, arrived New York, US, lists (1) Michael Krueger, age 63, male, [occupation illegible but not farmer or laborer or merchant], Prussia, (2) Louise Krueger, age 62, female, Prussia, and (3) Charlotte Krueger, age 18, Prussia, all destined for Chicago, IL. Steerage class.

1900 US Census, Household of Michael Krueger (b c1822): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Year: 1900; Census Place: Je erson, Green, Wisconsin; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0122; FHL microfilm: 1241789. Content: The 1900 US Census of Jefferson Township, Green County, Wisconsin on 06 Jun 1900 shows dwelling 42, a farm owned mortgage free, with a household composed of (1) Michael Krueger, head, white, male, born Aug 1822, age 77, married 56 years, born Germany, parents born Germany, immigration 1883, in US 17 years, has filed papers for naturalization, farmer, can read/write but not speak English, (2) Louise Krueger, wife, white, female, born May 1823, age 76, married 56 years, 9 children, 3 living, born Germany, parents born Germany, immigration 1883, in US 17 years, can read/write but not speak English.

1844 Marriage record for Michael Krueger (b c1822) and Dorothea Louise Schmidt (b c1823): Citation: Ancestry.com. Pomerania, Germany, Parish Register Transcripts, 1544-1883 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Content: A Guentersberg (Moderow) Germany [evangelical Lutheran] parish record shows that Michael Friedrich Anton Krüger, age 22, was married to Dorothea Louise Schmidt, age 21, on 15 Apr 1844. Dorothea Louise's father's name is given as Michael Schmidt . [The record may also give Michaels' father's name as Michael Krueger. It is not entirely clear to me that the transciption of Louise's first given name is correct, but the script is difficult.]

Find a Grave Memorial 98778846 for wife of Michael Krueger (b 1822). Note: I remain skeptical of the name the author of this memorial has assigned to Louisa. I think it much more likely that her name was Dorothea Louise Schmidt Krueger. See the paragraph in Michael's profile discussing the above referenced 1844 marriage record.