Research Results Based on Hints in an Obituary

When I found an obituary for Sophia Meinzen Kropp, the supposed sister of my great-grandfather Henry Meinzen, I listed every possible hint in that obituary, which was published in The Steubenville Herald on September 9, 1920, page 15, column 6.  And then I researched based on the hints.  This post is a compilation of the results of that research.

Below are the results of following those hints.  

Hint 1)  died on September 6, 1920

• Ohio death certificate confirmed her death date of September 6, 1920

Hint 2)  celebrated her 78th birthday on Saturday, September 4, 1920

• Ohio death certificate gives birth date of September 4, 1842, which can be used to calculate her age (of 78)

Hint 3)  born in Germany 

• Ohio death certificate confirms
• the 1900 U.S. Census confirms
• the 1910 U.S. Census confirms
• the 1920 U.S. Census confirms

Hint 4)  married Carl Kropp in Germany in 1861  

• church record for Carl's death gives marriage date of September 14, 1863
• Carl's obituary recorded that he married "Sophie Minsinger" in Germany but does not give a date

Hint 5)  immigrated from Germany to the U.S. in 1887 

• 1900 U.S. Census gives 1887
• 1910 U.S. Census gives 1889
• 1920 U.S. Census gives 1889
• Castle Garden transcription gives arrival date of September 23, 1887, and image at FamilySearch (at same link) shows Sophia, Carl, and daughter Sophia arriving together.
• Carl's obituary gives immigration date of 1887.

Hint 6)  settled in Steubenville/Jefferson County upon arrival

• Carl's obituary states that after arriving in 1887 they settled in "this city" (Steubenville).
• Several of the children's obituaries (links below) suggest that they came directly to Steubenville but don't specifically state it.
• I've no other information to substantiate this but it's possible that city directories may list Sophie and Carl.

Hint 7)  husband Carl Kropp died about 15 years ago (therefore about 1905) 

• Carl appeared in the 1900 U.S. Census living with his wife, daughter Sophie, and son-in-law John Spahn
• He is absent from the 1910 U.S. Census 
• The name "Carl Kropt" appears in Jefferson County Probate Court death records with date of death as May 30, 1905.
• His obituary appeared in The Steubenville Daily Gazette on Wednesday, May 31, 1905, giving a death date of May 30, 1905.
• church record gives date of death as May 30, 1905

Hint 7)  Sophie was a member of Zion Lutheran Church

• Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, now Zion United Christ Church, did not produce a membership record for Sophie nor have a record pertaining to her death. 

Hint 8)  She was survived by daughters Mrs. John Spahn and Mrs. Minnie Schuette, and son William Kropp, all of Steubenville

• the 1900 U.S. Census notes that she was the mother of 6 children, 4 living
• Carl's 1905 obituary lists four living children (Minnie, wife of Henry Shutti; William, Henry and Sophie, wife of John Spahn)
• in the 1900 U. S. Census she was living with daughter Sophia and son-in-law John Spahn (She was listed as mother.)
• in the 1910 U.S. Census she was listed as mother-in-law, living with Sophie and John Spahn
• in the 1920 U.S. Census she was listed as grandmother, living with Sophie and John Spahn
• informant on Ohio death certificate was Mrs. John Spahn but no relationship was noted.
  
• Known Child #1  Minnie Kropp Schuette.  Minnie's obituary notes that she was born in Hanover, Germany, and is the daughter of Carl and Sophia "Meingen" Kropp who were also born in Germany.
• Known Child #2  William Henry Kropp.  William's Ohio death certificate notes that he was born in Germany and that his mother was Sophia Meinsen Kropp, also born in Germany.
• Known Child #3  Henry Kropp.  Henry's Ohio death certificate notes that he was born in Germany and was the son of Carl Kropp and Sophie "Don't Know."
• Known Child #4  Sophia Kropp (Mrs. John) Spahn. 

Hint 9  Survived by brother Henry Meinzen

• Henry Meinzen's daughter Isabelle Meinzen's wedding announcement lists as attendees Mr. and Mrs. Carl Cropp, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schuette, Mr. and Mrs. John Spahn, and Messrs. Henry and Will Kropp, but does not note a relationship.
• I've yet to find any information that confirms this sibling relationship.

Comments
I think it's worthwhile to research hints in an obituary.  One may find a wealth of genealogical information.  None of my research on Sophia Meinzen Kropp makes a direct connection between her and my great-grandfather Henry Meinzen but if I had been searching to find more about Sophia without trying to make a connection to a sibling these searches produced great results.  In fact, Sophia's death certificate lists her father's name, and her husband's church record notes his parents' names and the location of his birth.  You never know what you'll find.

—Nancy.

Copyright ©2017-2023 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Child #4: Sophia Kropp Spahn

Sophia is the fourth known child of Carl and Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp.  Sophia Meinzen Kropp may be my great-grandfather Henry Carl Meinzen's sister.

Sophia is the daughter who immigrated on the same ship as her parents when they came to American in September, 1887.

Sophia married John Spahn, Jr., on December 6, 1899, in Steubenville, Ohio.

Extracted information:
Date:  December 5, 1899
Groom:  John Spahn, Jr., 25 years old, resident of Steubenville, Ohio, born Schleghtem, Germany; is a dairyman; parents' names are John Spahn and Anna Zirgel.
Bride:  Sophia Kropp, 23 years old, resident of Steubenville, born Germany; father's name is Karl Kropp, mother's maiden name is Sophia Meinsen.

Transcription:

Record of Marriage Certificate No. 24505
The State of Ohio, Jefferson County, SS
     I hereby certify that on the 6" day of u A. D. 1899, Mr. John Spahn and Miss Sophia Kropp were legally joined in marriage by me, a minister at Steubenville County of Jefferson, and State of Ohio.  Given under my hand this 8" day of Dec. A. D. 1899.  A. Lange [signature].
The foregoing Certificate was returned and recorded December 8' 1899.  WMcSMiller [signature] Probate Judge.

Sophia and John's wedding was announced in The Steubenville Daily Gazette on November 23, 1905.  The announcement was on page 5, split into two columns, the bottom of column 4 and the top of column 5.  Sophia's maiden name is misspelled as Krupp.

                 KRUPP-SPAHN.
A quiet but happy wedding was sol-
emnized at the parsonage of the Zion's
Lutheran Church at 4 o'clock Wednes-
day afternoon when Henry Krupp and
Miss Katie Spahn were joined for
life in the holy bonds of matrimony.
Rev. Schaer performed the ceremony.
Mrs. Minnie Shuette, sister of the
groom, and John Spahn, brother ofthe bride, attended the couple.  Imme-
diately following the wedding cere-
mony the bridal party were driven to
the home of John Spahn, in the coun-
try, where an elegant wedding supper
was served.  Only a few relatives and
intimate friends of the couple were
present.  The bride for the past ten
years has resided with her brother,
having come to this country about
ten years ago from Germany.  She has
become quite well known throughout
the country, and has a host of friends
that will wish her much happiness
and prosperity during her married
life.  Mr. Krupp is an enterprising
young farmer, and for several years
has operated a farm a short distance
west of the city.  He is well known in
this city and is highly respected.  The
young couple went to housekeeping at
once on the groom's farm, where they
are now at home to friends.

Sophia is the daughter with whom her parents lived until the time of their deaths.  They appear with her in the 1900 U.S. Census, and her mother appears with her in the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Census.

I have been unable to find a death certificate for Sophia Spahn but Find-A-Grave gives her death year as 1955.  She is buried in Union Cemetery, Steubenville, Ohio.

Observations and Comments

It's great to find a marriage record but I was disappointed not to find Sophia's exact birth date and place of birth.  Her mother's maiden name is spelled "Meinsen," a common variation.

The information in the marriage record and newspaper article do not agree.  The minister who signed the marriage record was A. Lange.  The newspaper notes that Rev. Schaer performed the marriage ceremony.

The newspaper article also talks about Mr. Krupp as "an enterprising young farmer... well known in the city and is highly respected."  I don't know if this is really about Mr. Spahn, Sophie's husband, or Mr. Henry Kropp, her brother.  John Spahn and Henry Kropp were both farmers.

This is an interesting case of siblings marrying siblings.  Sophie Kropp's brother, Henry Kropp, married Katie Spahn who is John Spahn's sister.

I have not researched Sophie and John Spahn's children.  Census records through the years list them; I have just not compiled a list nor performed any searches to find birth, marriage, or death information for them.  It's possible that one of their records could tell me Sophie Meinzen Kropp's birthplace which could lead to further records.  I'm undecided whether to pursue that information.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Child #3: Henry Kropp

Henry Kropp is the third known child of Carl and Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp.  Sophia may be the sister of my great-grandfather, Henry Carl Meinzen.

When one finds a death certificate with a death date as recent as 1915 one would think finding an obituary in a city with several contemporary newspapers would be easy.  Had it been death from an illness or old age, it might have been easy.  But this was an accidental death by fire.  Still, one would think there would be an obituary that would recount dates of birth, marriage, death; give the names of wife, children, parents; and, hopefully, name the best qualities of the deceased.  But not so for Henry Kropp.   But to be honest, by the time I found the last article, the one at the end of this post, I had no desire to search further.  Below is Henry's death certificate and four news articles.

Henry's death certificate gives the following information.  (As always, you can click on any image to enlarge it.)

Sex:  Male
Race:  White
Marital status:  Married
Date of Birth:  December 24, 1869
Occupation:  Gardener
Birthplace:  Germany
Father:  Carl Kropp, born Germany
Mother:  Sophia "Don't Know", born Germany
Informant:  Mrs. H. Kropp, Steubenville, Ohio
Date of Death:  December 20, 1915
Cause of Death:  "He came to his death from burns.  Accidental."
Signed:  William G. Herb, [Jefferson County] Cor[oner]

With microfilm roll numbers in hand I headed to the Ohio State Archives at the Ohio History Center to search for an obituary in several contemporary Steubenville, Ohio, newspapers.  Below are the articles I found in the order I found them -- which is not chronological to the events.

First I searched The Steubenville Weekly Herald beginning December 20, 1915.  It wasn't until I reached page 8 of the January 27, 1916, issue that I found Henry's name in a tiny article, "Coroner's Inquests."

Coroner's Inquests.
     Coroner Herb has rendered the following verdicts of recent deaths:  Henry Kropp met death Dec. 20, 1915 from burns sustained in a fire....

On page 10 of the same issue I found another article about Henry.

BONES FOUND
----------
IN RUINS OF FIRE CLAIMED
AT LAST.
----------
Mrs. Henry Kropp, Believing Them
to be Her Husband's Remains,
Gives them Interment.
----------
   Mrs. Henry Kropp, of West Mar-
ket street, has at last come to the
decision that the box full of charred
bones which were found in the ruins
of the fire that destroyed the Wig-
gington storage house are the remains
of her husband, who has been miss-
ing for the past two months, and to-
day claimed them as such.  The
bones, which have been held at Met-
tenberger's morgue by Coroner Herb,
were turned over to the widow and
she had them buried in the family lot
in the Union cemetery this afternoon.
   Mrs. Kropp's action in finally ac-
cepting the remains as those of her
husband clears up as far as the au-
thorities are concerned one of the
most perplexing mysteries in the
history of the city.  The authorities
have been convinced for some time
that Kropp was the man who per-
ished in the big fire on the Wigging-
ton place and produced conclusive
evidence to his widow who however
was loath to believe that her husband
was dead and wished to wait for
further developments before claim-
ing the remains.  Her failure to hear
anything from the missing man cou-
pled with the evidence gathered by
the Coroner, finally convinced her.

I searched that newspaper further but did not find an obituary.  I next moved to the Steubenville Weekly Gazette.  Speeding through the microfilm roll, by happenstance I stopped on Thursday, December 16, 1915, and found the following article on page 3.

HOUSE IS BADLY
DAMAGED BY FIRE
----------
   Fire of unknown origin Friday
night damaged the home of Henry
Kropp, located on the West Market
street road, just beyond the city lim-
its, to the extent of $2,000.  The
members of the family had no diffi-
culty in getting to safety, but the
greater part of the household goods
were destroyed.
   Investigation by the Steubenville
fire department, which was called to
the scene, indicates that the blaze
started from the outside and may
have been of incendiary origin.  The
house is constructed partly of brick
and partly of frame.  The blaze start-
ed in the rear, which was built of
wood.  The fire spread rapidly and
the house was a mass of flames when
the fire department arrived on the
scene.  That the house was not com-
pletely destroyed was due to the good
work of the department.

The last article I found was on page 5 of the Thursday, December 30, 1915, issue of Steubenville Weekly Gazette.

CHARRED BODY OF MAN FOUND
IN FIRE RUINS; IS NOT KNOWN
------------
   The badly charred body of a man
supposed to be that of Henry Kropp,
the well known West Market street
gardner [sic], was found in the debris of
the fire-gutted ice house and slaught-
er house on the Wigginton farm
shortly after noon Monday by Edward
Wigginton, who was engaged in
cleaning up the place after the recent
fire.  The authorities were led to be-
lieve that the body is that of Kropp
by the finding of cuff buttons and a
watch identified as those belonging
to Kropp.
   The mystery of the burning of the
Kropp home two weeks ago, and one
week later the Wigginton slaughter
house has been puzzling the authori-
ties.  The Kropp home is said to
have been set on fire from the out-
side.  It was destroyed.  Kropp, who
had been abusing his family, was
thought to have committed the crime.
He disappeared after the fire, but was
seen later several times in the vicin-
ity.  The Wigginton family, it is said,
cared for his family after the home
was destroyed, and it is also said that
Kropp had words with the Wiggin-
tons over the matter, and Kropp
again disappeared.  On Dec. 17, the
Wigginton slaughter house and ice
house was almost totally destroyed by
fire.  A man was seen running from
the fire that night, but the authorities
have been unable to make any head-
way in that direction.
   Wigginton, upon finding the body,
at once notified the county authori-
ties, who notified Coroner Herb, and
an investigation was started at once.
While no statement was made offi-
cially, it is said that the body is that
of Kropp.  Kropp, it is said, worked
for the Wiggintons.
   Mrs. Kropp, when called in an at-
tempt to identify the watch, ring
and cuff buttons, stated that while
Kropp had the above articles, she
could not identify them because of
ttheir [sic] badly burned condition.  The
authorities in investigating the af-
fair could find only a few bones scat-
tered about.  It is said that the bones
scattered when the loft in which the
man is thought to have been hiding
caved in.
   A man who knows Kropp, said
Monday afternoon that he saw Kropp
Monday morning in this city.

Thoughts, Comments, Observations
I love family history research but a little less so when I find a gruesome story like this.

Finding news articles out of sequence and with somewhat conflicting information make it challenging to put the story together coherently, especially when each article presents only small parts of the whole story.  Whenever I find a newspaper article I always wonder how much of it is true and how much is hearsay, opinion, rumor, and/or gossip.

Brief chronology of events based on information in news articles

• Friday, December 10:  The Kropp home was damaged by fire.  The house was not completely destroyed but there was $2000.00's worth of damage.  The fire may have been set with the intention of damage.
• Friday, December 17:  Wigginton slaughter house and ice house were burned. 
• Monday, December 27:  Wigginton found body of man while cleaning up after fire in slaughter house and ice house.
• Thursday, January 27:   Coroner ruled Henry Kropp died Monday, December 20, from burns.  (Date of ruling not noted.)
• Thursday, January 27:  Mrs. Kropp had bones of her husband buried at Union Cemetery.

There are more details in the articles and possibly more articles to be found but I don't feel the need to spend more time discovering and organizing those details.  Henry Kropp is a possible collateral relative and I doubt that further research will produce the information I originally hoped to find in his obituary:  his mother's maiden surname.

A house fire is one of those catastrophes one hopes never to experience.  It's sad the fire happened at all but worse that it occurred just before Christmas, leaving Katherine/Katie (Spahn) Kropp a widow so suddenly (and with uncertainty during the first days and weeks) and in such a horrific way.  Even sadder is the possibility that her husband set the fire.  I do not know if there were children in the family. 

This is the end of my research on Henry W. Kropp (unless I feel a strong tug to find more about his wife and children).

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.

Child #2: William Henry Kropp

William Henry Kropp is the second known child of Carl and Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp.  Sophia may be my great-grandfather Henry Carl Meinzen's sister. 

I've found two sources for William Henry's death.  The first is his Ohio Death Certificate and the second his obituary. 

Extracted information from Henry's Ohio Death Certificate:

Name:  William Henry Kropp
Location of death:  Island Creek, R.D. #4, Steubenville Township, Jefferson County, Ohio
Time in area:  65 years
Male, white, single
Birth date:  October 9, 1866
Age:  78 years, 11 months, 16 days
Birth location:  Germany
Occupation:  Retired farmer
Father's Name:  Carl Kropp, born Germany
Mother's Name:  Sophia Meinsen, born Germany
Informant:  John C. Kropp, R.D. #4, Steubenville, Ohio
Burial:  September 28, 1945, Union Cemetery
Date of death:  September 25, 1945
Cause of Death:  Cerebral hemorrhage, 12 days' duration, due to arteriosclerosis
Physician:  J. E. Gamble, M.D.

William's obituary was published in The [Steubenville] Herald-Star on Wednesday, September 26, 1945.

William H. Kropp
   Summoned by Death
   William Henry Kropp, 78, died
at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the home
of John Kropp, Steubenville R.
D. 1.
   He was born October 9, 1866 in
Germany and had resided in the
Steubenville vicinity 65 years.  He
had been active in farming until
the last two years.  He was a
member of Zion Evangelical
Lutheran church and was well
known in the district where his
death will be a matter of regret
to friends and relatives.
   Surviving are two sisters, Mrs.
Minnie Schuette and Mrs. John
Spahn, both of Steubenville.
   Friends may call at the Mc-
Clave funeral home.

Observations
If William Henry had been in Steubenville for 65 years (as both of these sources state) and died at the age of 78, he would have immigrated to the U.S. in about 1879 at about the age of 13.  William's name was not on the passenger list with his parents and younger sister, Sophie, when they arrived in the U.S. in 1887.  I have not yet searched immigration records nor census records to provide more detail about his life.

While I generally like to fully research ancestors, I hesitate to spend too much time on Sophia's children since they are collateral ancestors.  My only hope in researching further is that I might find where in Germany he and his siblings were born which might, in turn, lead me to some record that connects Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp to my grandfather Henry Carl Meinzen.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved. .

Henry Kropp & Katherine Spahn - Wedding Wednesday

Henry W. Kropp is the son of Carl and Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp.  Sophia may be my great-grandfather Henry Meinzen's sister.

Henry and Katie's marriage was recorded in Jefferson County, Ohio, Probate Court, Marriage Records Volume 19, 1905-1906, page 207.  The image is available on FamilySearch.

MARRIAGE RECORD.
The State of Ohio,     }
Jefferson County, SS. } In Probate Court.
     Personally appeared Henry W. Kropp and made application
for a marriage license, and being duly sworn, says that he
is 36 years of age, a resident of Steubenville, County of Jefferson,
and State of Ohio; his place of birth is Germany;
his occupation is Gardener[;]
his father's name is Carl Kropp; his mother's maiden name was
Sophia Meinsen; that he was--not--previously married    ----  
That Miss Katie Spahn is 25 years of age, a resident of
Steubenville, in this county, her place of birth is Germany;
her father's name is John Spahn;
her mother's maiden name was Anna Zirkel; that she was--not--previously
married.  That they are not nearer of
kin than second cousins, and that there is no legal impediment to their marriage.
     That Rev. Shear is expected to solemnize the marriage ceremony.
Henry W. Kropp [signature]
     Sworn to and subscribed in my presence, this 22 day of November 1905
Frank H. Kerr  Judge.

CERTIFICATE.
No. 29615
The State of Ohio, Jefferson County, SS:
     I Hereby Certify, That on the 22nd day of November 1905
Mr. Henry W. Kropp and Miss Katie Spahn
were legally joined in Marriage by me, a Clergyman at Steubenville County of Jefferson,
and State of Ohio.
Cristel Shaer [signature]

A marriage announcement appeared in The Steubenville Herald-Star on Thursday, November 23, 1905.

                 Kropp-Spahn.
   At the parsonage of the Zion’s Luth-
eran church Wednesday afternoon at
4 o’clock occurred the marriage of
Miss Katherine Spahn to Mr. Henry
Kropp.  The ceremony was performed
by the Rev. Schaer in the presence of
only the attendants who were John
Spahn, brother of the bride, as best
man and Mrs. Minnie Schutte as ma-
tron of honor.  Mr. Kropp is a well-
known and prosperous young farmer
and dairyman on the Market street
road.  The bride is a popular young
lady who has been making her home
with her brother John Spahn, the well
known dairyman.  After a short wed-
ding trip Mr. And Mrs. Kropp will
make their home on the farm.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved.
.

Child #1: Minnie Kropp Schuette

Minnie Schuette was named as daughter in the obituaries of both Carl and Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp, her parents.  Her husband was identified as Henry.  I have no way to know that Minnie is truly the oldest child in the family:  the 1910 U.S. Census tells me that Sophia was the mother of six children and only four were living at the time.  I've identified the four living but have yet to search or find the other two children.

Obituary
This obituary for Minnie was found in the Monday, May 20, 1946, edition of The [Steubenville, Ohio] Herald-Star, on page 2, column 5.

Mrs. Minnie Schuette
  Summoned Suddenly
   Mrs. Mannie Kropp Schuette, 80,
who made her home with her
nephew, John C. Kropp, on a farm
near Maple Lake Park, died at
6:25 p. m. Saturday following two
day's heart ailment.
   She was born, October 15, 1865
in Hanover, Germany, a daughter
of the late Carl and Sophia Mein-
gen Kropp and had come to the
United States when a child.  She
was a devout member of the Zion
Evangelical and Reformed church.
She was an industrious woman of
good Christian character and
traits.  Her death will be a matter
of regret to friends.
   Her husband, Henry Schuette,
died several years ago.  Surviving
are a sister, Mrs. John Spahn,
Sunset boulevard and several
nieces and nephews.
   Friends may call at the McClave
Funeral home.

Notes and Comments
Minnie is often a nickname for Wilhelmina, possibly Minnie's real given name.  Minnie had a niece named Wilhelmina.  An interesting side-note is that Sophia's assumed brother, Henry Meinzen, named a daughter Wilhelmina Elizabeth (or depending on which record one views, Elizabeth Wilhelmina), born in January 26, 1885.  Could it be that Wilhelmina was a family name? 

Minnie's mother's maiden name is given as "Meingen."  If the typesetter had been looking at  handwritten copy it's easy to imagine that the letters g and z might look similar depending on the handwriting.

The obituary states that Minnie came to the U.S. when she was a child.  I have not yet found an immigration record for her.  She was not on the same ship as her parents and younger sister, Sophia, when they arrived in September, 1887.  There are plenty of possibilities in this circumstance.


Certificate of Death
Minnie's Ohio Department of Health Certificate of Death of May 22, 1946, gives additional information not in the obituary.  Below is extracted information from the certificate.  

• Place of Death:  R.D. #4 Sunset Lake, Cross Creek Township
• Length of time in the community:  60 years
• Widow
• Husband:  Henry Schuette
• Date of Birth:  October 15, 1865
• Age:  80 years, 7 months, 3 days
• Father:  Carl Kropp, born Germany
• Mother:  Sophia Meinzen, born Germany
• Informant:   John C. Kropp, R.D. #4, Steubenville, O.
• Burial:  Union Cemetery
• Date of death:  May 18, 1946
• Cause of death:  Coronary thrombosis

Notes and Comments
Again, Minnie is noted as her given name; her husband is identified as Henry Schuette; and she was born October 15, 1865.

New information is that she had been in the Steubenville area for 60 years, which suggests an approximate arrival year of 1886.

The informant was probably her nephew.  The obituary states she lived with her nephew, John C. Kropp, and the address where she lived and where the informant lived are the same.

While Minnie's mother's surname is noted as Meinzen, neither of these documents confirms or leads to a conclusion that Minnie's mother, Sophia Meinzen, and Henry Meinzen are siblings.

The search continues.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
.

Transcription and Translation of a Church Record Written in German

Sometimes church records are an entry in a ledger without a formal document.  That is the case with this death record for Carl Kropp from the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (which became the Zion United Christan Church) in Steubenville, Ohio.

It is written in German but not in one of the more-difficult-to-translate old German scripts such as Suetterlin or Kurrent.  Yet because the handwriting and German words are unfamiliar to me it has not been a quick transcription nor translation.  Google Translate has been helpful, especially because I could try out possible spellings.

Below is a transcription of the handwritten German words and beneath that is a translation from German to English.

Kropp Carl geb. [geboran] am 2c ^ten Januar 1835
Kropp Carl born                 on  2nd  January 1835

in Heiddersdorf, Hannover, verherheiratet c. Sophie
in Heiddersdorf, Hannover,      married    with Sophie

Meintzen am 14 ^ten September 1863.  Gestorben
Meintzen on  14th   September 1863.   Died

am 30 ^ten Mai 1905 an, ["]general debility" Abends
on  30th  May 1905 of,  ["]general debility" in the evening

6 [???], beirdigt am 2 ten Juni auf dem
6 [???],  buried  on   2nd  June on  the

Union Friedhofe.  Die Hinterbluebene:  Seine
Union Cemetery.  The     survivors:         his

Wittwe und 5 lebende Kinder:  Wilhelmine
widow  and 5  living  children:  Wilhelmina

Schuette, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Karl Kropp,
Schuette,  William,   Henry,   Karl Kropp,

und Sophie Spahn.   (Geweindeglied)
and Sophie Spahn.      (Member)

Notes and Comments
On the German words and translation:  Google Translate sometimes gives different translations for the same word.  I am unclear whether "am" is "on" or "of" in English.  I used whichever made sense.   And there is that word at the beginning of the fifth line that I was unable to decipher or translate.  The "6" after it may indicate the time at which Carl died.

The location of Carl's birth looks like it could be Huddersdorf but I was unable to locate a town by that name.  However there is a town named Heiddersdorf.  The minister's dots over his "i's" are barely discernible or are higher than usual, making the handwriting uncertain enough that I went with Heidersdorf.   I'm aware that villages and towns can disappear over time and that in 1835 there may have been a town called Huddersdorf which now no longer exists.

This document gives Carl's date and location of birth; his wife's name and their marriage date; his death date and burial location; and the names of living children at the time of Carl's death.  This record is a page from a journal and has no date on it.  I have no other information about it than the church from which it came.  The citation will be minimal.

While Carl is not the collateral ancestor in question -- his wife, Sophie Meinzen Kropp is -- the location named on this record may be helpful in finding where they were married which could, in turn, be helpful in finding Sophia's city of birth (and by extension, possibly her brother Henry Carl Meinzen's city of birth, too).  (That's me:  ever the optimist.)

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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No Record for Sophia - Church Record Sunday

I wrote to Zion United Christian Church in Steubenville, Ohio, a few weeks ago.  I wrote with the specific request to learn if the home towns of Henry Meinzen and Carl and Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp had been recorded when they began attendance at the church, at the times of their deaths, or at any other time.  I gave specific beginning and end dates for searches.  I received a response within two weeks.  Quick work by the church historian there.  In total I received five photocopied pages.

Two undated pages were handwritten lists compiled, the historian said, to invite individuals to church reunions.  They include the following two individuals:  Mr. Henry Meinzen, 933 Sherman Ave. City (Calif.) and Henry Kropp, 1216 Plum St. City (Conf.).

I believe Henry Meinzen is the son of Henry Carl Meinzen, though as far as I know he never lived in California.  Henry Kropp is probably Carl and Sophia's son.  I have not looked at Steubenville city directories to know where Henry and his wife, Katie, lived.

Another undated page had a numbered list of marriages.  In the margin of the one of interest was written "1905" and, in German, "Kropp Henry W und Katie Spahn ??????? [looks like getraut] am 22 November 1905.  Zeugen:  John Spahn und Fau Minnie Schuette."  I understand it to mean that Henry W. Kropp married Katie Spahn on November 22, 1905, and that the witnesses were John Spahn (Katie's brother) and Minnie Shuette (Henry's sister).

On another handwritten dated list under "1890" I found "Sophia Kropp    Mrs. John Spahn."  There's no information about the purpose of the list.  I know that Sophia Kropp and John Spahn married in 1899 but this doesn't seem to correspond to that.  The previous dates on the page were 1889 and 1888.

There was no record of Sophia's death; however, there was a death record for Carl Kropp which tells the location of his birth.  I'll share and translate it in another post.  It was handwritten in German but (thankfully) not in old German script.  I may still struggle to get an accurate translation but it will be less difficult than if it were in old German.

One of the challenges with these church records is that I can't accurately cite volume and page for the photocopies I received.  The closest I can come is to state that they came from the archives of the church and they date they were provided to me.

I am disappointed that there was no church record for Sophia, neither of her arrival  nor of her death.  Steubenville had a German newspaper (available on microfilm at the Ohio State Archives Library) but it ceased publication in 1916 and Sophie died in 1920, so no help there (not that I'd be able to translate enough pages to determine whether there was an obituary, anyway).  I must keep looking for her location of birth and confirmation of her relationship to my great-grandfather Henry Carl Meinzen.  An obituary stating him as her brother and her death certificate with her father's first name different than the first name Henry gives for his father are not enough.  The search continues.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp in the 1900 U.S. Census - Census Sunday

Because Sophia's obituary stated that immigrated to the U.S. in 1887, I knew I might be able to find her and her family in the 1900 U.S. Census, especially after finding her in 1920 and 1910 where both years she was living with her daughter and son-in-law.

Her 1920 obituary also indicated that her husband, Carl, had died fifteen years earlier.  I was interested to see if he would be on the 1900 census.

I know that the 1900 U.S. Census asks married women how many children they've had and how many are living.  From Sophia's obituary in 1920 I learned that three were living.  I was interested to learn if she'd had more children. 

In 1900 Sophia and Karl Kropp were enumerated in Steubenville Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, S.D. 15, E.D. 75, Sheet #7, Page #221A, Dwelling #119, Family #119, lines 9-14.  Image is from FamilySearch.  (Click image to enlarge.)

Below is a partial transcription of this census record.

• Spahn, John, head, white, male, born Oct. 1874, 25 years, married 0 years, born Germany, immigrated 1889, in the U.S. 11 years, naturalized, Daryman [sic], 0 months unemployed, can read, write, speak English, rents farm, #69 on farm schedule
• -------, Sophia, wife, white, female, born Jul 1876, 23 years, married 0 years, mother of 0 children, born Germany, immigrated 1887, in U.S. 13 years, can read and write, speaks English
• Kropp, Sophia, mother, white, female, born Sep 1842, 57 years, married 38 years, mother of 6 children, 4 living, born Germany, immigrated 1887, in U.S. 13 years, can read and write, does not speak English
• -------, Carl, father, white, male, born Jan 1835, 65 years, married 38 years, born Germany, immigrated 1887, in U.S. 13 years, 0 months unemployed, can read and write, does not speak English
• -------,  William, brother, white, male, born Oct 1866, 33 years, single, born Germany, immigrated 1885, in U.S. 15 years, naturalized, dary [sic] laborer, 0 months unemployed, can read and write, does not speak English
• -------, Henry, boarder, white, male, born Dec 1868, 31 years, single, born Germany, immigrated 1885, in U.S. 15 years, naturalized, green grocer, 0 months unemployed, can read and write, does not speak English

Observations and Comments

Sophia's birth information (September 1842) is the same as on her death certificate.

Her immigration year (1887) is the same as in her obituary.  Previous census records give different immigration years.

Sophia's and Carl's "married 38 years" suggests a marriage year between 1871 and 1873, but her obituary states she and Carl were married in 1861.  Perhaps the person responding to the census taker's questions counted backward (like I occasionally do) and miscounted. 

The birth years of the children in this census are 1866, 1868, and 1876.  Children could have been born between 1862 and 1865 and between 1869 and 1875.  Did the others immigrate to the U.S. or stay in Germany?  Did they die here or in Germany and if in Germany, did they die as infants, children, or adults?

It's interesting that William's relationship is recorded as "brother" and Henry's as "boarder."  I believe both are brothers.  It seems that they immigrated two years before their parents.

Finding Carl Kropp, Sophia's husband, on this census and not on the 1910 census suggests that he probably died between 1900 and 1910, and that the "fifteen years ago" of Sophie's 1920 obituary may be accurate.

The search continues.  I wish I knew now whether this Sophia and my Henry Meinzen are siblings.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Collecting Sophia's Immigration Information

Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp is my current person of interest.  She is my great-grandfather Henry Meinzen's (assumed) sister.  I'm slowly going through sources suggested by her obituary to see if I can find a source that connects the two individuals as siblings.  Immigration documents aren't high on my list for satisfying the relationship but I decided it's worth finding whatever information I can about her immigration to the U.S.  I've come to think of this experience as "collecting" Sophia's immigration information because not every source had the same information. 

I began my search based on the statement in Sophia's obituary that she and her husband, Carl, "came to America in 1887 and settled here [in Steubenville/Jefferson County, Ohio]."  I knew this date could be wrong or just as easily be right.  It was a starting point.

I haven't searched immigration records for a while and didn't realize FamilySearch had images and transcriptions, so it was not my first choice for searching.  Instead, I headed over to the National Archives website where I searched their passenger lists at Access to Archival Databases.  There I found this information for three different individuals named Sophia Kropp.  I noticed that two of them travelled on the same ship.  (Click images to enlarge.)

I clicked through to see information for the 44-year-old Sophie Kropp and found this:

I looked at the images for Sophia, age 44, and Sophia, age 11, then found a record for Carl Kropp, age 52.  These individuals seem likely to be the correct family, but the transcribed information is limited to generally personal information.  Additional, non-personal information:  Sophie travelled from Germany to the USA and planned to stay here and she travelled in steerage.  I did not learn the date of arrival nor the name of the ship.

I next searched the Castle Garden.org where I found this information about the older Sophia.

This confirms the information from The National Archives but adds the arrival date of September 23, 1887; the town of departure, Bremen; and the name of the ship, Saale.   I found Carl Kropp, age 52, farmer, and Sophie Kropp, age 11, on the same ship with the same arrival date.

"Germans Immigration to the United States" at MyHeritage had a similar transcription with the same information and added the port of arrival as New York.

At Ancestry I learned that the Saale's port of arrival was, more specifically, Southampton, New York, and found an image of the ship, details about the ship, the name of the shipping line, and an image of the passenger list.  The passenger list was not very clear.

Last, I went to FamilySearch to see if perhaps they had passenger lists.  I found a clear image and a transcription.  The ship's name was given as something other than Saale but I could imagine how a transcriber could have made the error.  FamilySearch gave the arrival date as only 1887.

I looked at previous pages on FamilySearch, hoping to find detailed information on the first page of the passenger list but did not.  Does one sometimes have to accept the transcription as accurate when the handwritten source can't be found, or should we always question a transcription?

Considering the variety of information and the number of sources, when it comes time to add Sophia and her family to my RootsMagic database citing these sources for this one fact will be a bear.

Looking at search results for the same information from five different websites was an interesting exercise and reinforces to me the usefulness of searching several websites when the first doesn't provide the details you seek. 

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2009-2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Sophie (Meinzen) Kropp in the 1910 U. S. Census

I'm working my way back in time searching for Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp, hoping to find information to support her relationship as sister to Henry Meinzen, my great-grandfather.  I moved from the 1920 U.S. Census to the 1910 U.S. Census.

Sophie (or "Siphie," as the census taker wrote) is at the tail end of the list of family and hired men who lived with Sophie's daughter and son-in-law.  She was already a widow at that time.

In 1910, Sophia and her family were enumerated in Wintersville Precinct, Cross Creek Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, on April 23, 1910, recorded in S.D. #18, E.D., #95, Sheet 4B, lines 56-67, Family #73.  This image is from FamilySearch.  (Click to enlarge images.)

A partial transcription for Sophia's family is as follows:

• Spahn, John, head, male, white, 35 years, married 10 years, born Germany, immigrated 1889, naturalized, speaks English, dairy farmer, can read and write, owns farm with mortgage, #21 on farm enumeration
• -------, Siphie M, wife, female, white, 33 years, married 10 years, mother of 4 children, 4 living, born Germany, immigrated 1887, naturalized, speaks Englihs, can read and write
• -------, Wilhelmine S A, daughter, female, white, 9 years, single, born Ohio, attended school
• -------, Carl J, son, male, white, 7 years, single, born Ohio, attended school
• -------, John [?], son, male, white, 4 years, single, born Ohio
• -------, William T, son, male, white, 1 3/12 years, single, born Ohio
• Clendenning, LeRoy M, hired man, male, white, 33 years, single, born Ohio, speaks English, laborer on dairy farm, can read and write
• Hoffstetter, John, hired man, male, white, 31 years, born Switz, parents born Switz, immigrated 1887, naturalized, laborer on dairy farm, can read and write
• Nicelworth, Michael, hired man, male, white, 25 years, single, born Germany, immigrated 1904, Al[ien], speaks English, laborer on dairy farm, can read and write
• Schuchter, Ignecz, hired man, male, white, 21 years, single, born Germany, immigrated 1907, Al[ien], speaks English, laborer on diary farm, can read and write
• Wittstrom, John, hired man, male, white, 21 years, single, born Germany, immigrated 1904, Al[ien], speaks English, laborer on diary farm, can read and write
• Kropp, Siphie, mother-in-law, female, white, 65 years, widow, mother of 6 children, 4 living, born Germany, immigrated 1889, speaks German, can read and write

Comments and Observations
I don't know if there was a prescribed order of recording individuals living in a dwelling but I've never before seen a mother-in-law listed after hired men.  The order I usually see is family, grandchildren, in-laws, hired/non-family members.  Might the order in this census suggest something about the mother-in-law/son-in-law relationship in the Kropp/Spahn family?

Because I'm working backward it makes sense that if Sophia didn't speak English in 1920 she wouldn't have spoken English in 1910 but one can never tell from census records.  It's possible the 1900 census may record something different.

Sophia's immigration year was noted as 1889 in this census, as 1899 in the 1920 census.  Her obituary gives her immigration year as 1887.   If Sophia immigrated between 1887 and 1889 she would have been between 42 and 44 years old.

From this census I learn that I should search for six children, four living and two dead (in 1910).  Did two die in the U.S. and/or in Germany?  Because Sophie's listed as a mother-in-law, the wife in this census, Sophie/"Siphie" Spahn, was likely born Sophia Kropp and is the older Sophia's daughter.  First child of six found.

The search continues.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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The Best Place to Find a German Immigrant's Hometown

Again I face the daunting challenge of searching for the hometown of my great-grandfather Henry Meinzen's (assumed) sister, Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp.  I haven't yet been able to find Henry's hometown so I'm not sure how much hope for success I can muster for finding Sophia's.  My pattern has been to search, search, search, then give it a rest for a year or two, then search some more.

Yesterday I read a FamilySearch Blog post, Tracing German American Immigrants by Nathan Murphy, in which he reviewed research by Roger P. Minert concerning the likeliest places to find the hometowns of Germans who immigrated to the U.S. before 1900.

Dr. Minert's research indicates that the most likely place to discover an immigrant's hometown is through local church vital records in the U.S.  This means that if you can discover your ancestor's congregation, and if records were kept in that congregation and included the hometown of origin of your German ancestor, and if the records were not destroyed, and if the church has a historian or is kind enough to let you search their records (and you can read and translate old handwritten German script), you may be able to discover your ancestor's city of origin in Germany. 

Zion Lutheran Church and Parsonage, Steubenville, Ohio

I may be in luck.  (I'm mustering some hope.)   Sophia's obituary stated that she attended Zion Lutheran Church in Steubenville, Ohio, the same church her brother attended.

A few years ago I began a search for church records for Henry.  Since the church was a Lutheran church I contacted several Lutheran Church organizations, including ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America).  I finally learned that Zion Lutheran Church had no affiliation with other Lutheran churches and in the early 1900s it became Zion United Church of Christ.

At the time of that discovery Zion UCC had a historian who was able to decipher old German handwriting and was willing to search the old journals.  I can only imagine what a challenging search it must have been to scour page after page -- 50 years' worth of records -- searching for Henry and his children.  She stopped at 1870, the year of Henry's marriage, which did not yet name his home town.  He immigrated in 1866 so it's possible that had I asked her to search those four more years his city of origin maybe have been found.  (At the time I didn't have the heart to ask her to look through four more years after having searched so many already.)

I hesitate to ask her to search further back in the records for Henry and also search for Sophia and Carl Kropp.  I hesitate but now that I know church records are the one best source, I know I'll decide to contact the church again and ask for this help.

Possible places to learn of an ancestor's church affiliation are obituaries, cemetery records, and marriage records.  Newspaper articles about church activities and events sometimes also name participants in the activities.

For more information about searching for your German immigrant ancestors and Dr. Minert's work, go read the post.

I may be hoping against hope, but hope I will!

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2009-2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp in the 1920 U.S. Census

Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp's death came a few months after she was enumerated in the 1920 U.S. Census.  She was living with her daughter and son-in-law, Sophie and John Spahn, and their family.













Sophia and her family were enumerated in Wintersville Precinct, Jefferson County, Ohio, on January 16 & 17, 1920, recorded in S.D. #17, E.D., #182, Sheets 7A and 7B, lines 49-59, Family Visit #144.  (Click to enlarge images.)

Partial transcription for Sophia's family is as follows:

• Spahn, John, head, owns home with mortgage, male, white, 45 years, married, can read and write, born Germany, speaks English, Farmer, General Farming, own
• -------, Sophia, wife, female, white, 43 years, married, can read and write, born Germany, speaks English
• -------, Wilmena, daughter, female, white, single, 19 years, single, not attending school, can read and write, born Ohio, speaks English
• -------, Carl J., son, male, white, 16 years, single, not attending school, can read and write, born Ohio, speaks English
• -------, John W., son, male, white, 13 years, single, attending school, can read and write, born Ohio, speaks English
• -------, William T., son, male, white, 11 years, single, attending school, can read and write, born Ohio, speaks English
• -------, Anna, daughter, female, white, 8 years, single, attending school
• -------, Mary, daughter, female, white, 5 years, single, not attending school
• -------, George, son, male, white, 2 years, single
• Kropp, Sophia, grandmother, female, white, 76 years, widow, immigrated in 1899, can read and write, born Germany, cannot speak English
• McClain, Elmer, hired man, male, white, 19, single, not attending school, can read and write, born Minnesota, speaks English, laborer on farm, earns wage

Comments about this record
I did not transcribe the immigration years for the individuals.  Immigration years vary from 1889, 1884, and 1899 even though all of the children were noted as having been born in Ohio.  Further research suggests that Sophia Kropp, her husband, Carl, and their daughter, Sophie (Kropp) Spahn, immigrated in 1887.  (More about that in another post.)

It's noted in this record that Sophia Kropp cannot speak English.  I'll be interested to see if the 1910 and 1900 censuses record the same information.

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Research Hints from Sophia Meinzen Kropp's Obituary

My first acquaintance with Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp was in her obituary of Thursday, September 9, 1920, in the Steubenville Herald, which stated that her brother was Henry Meinzen (who is also my great-grandfather).

In addition to her death date (September 6, 1920), Sophia's obituary offered the following clues for further research.

• born in 1842 (celebrated her 78th birthday on Saturday, September 4)
• born in Germany
• married Carl Kropp in 1861 in Germany
• immigrated in 1887
• settled in Steubenville/Jefferson County upon arrival
• Carl Kropp died ~1905 (passed away about 15 years ago)
• member of Zion Lutheran Church
• survived by two daughters and son:  Mrs. John Spahn, Mrs. Minnie Schuette, and William Kropp, all of Steubenville

It is unfortunate that Sophia and Carl arrived in the U.S. in 1887 instead of seven or eight years earlier, when they could have been included in the 1880 census.  As it is, the first census in which they appear is the 1900, living with their daughter, Sophia, and her husband John Spahn.  I've been able to discover more about four of Sophia's children and her husband using FamilySearch's collection of Ohio sources, which I'll post over the next days and weeks.

My hope in searching for Sophia is that she will lead me to hers and my great-grandfather Henry Meinzen's parents and siblings in Germany (assuming that she and Henry really are siblings).

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2009-2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp's 1920 Ohio Death Certificate

Sophia (Meinzen) Kropp was a surprise when I found her obituary at MyHeritage, naming my great-grandfather, Henry Meinzen, as her brother.  I'll continue to research her and her family to confirm the relationship.  My first step was to find and transcribe her death certificate.  At the end of this transcription are comments and thoughts about what I found.
Below is the information I extracted from Sophia's 1920 Ohio Certificate of Death.

  1  Place of Death:     Cross Creek Township, Jefferson County
  2  Full name:     Sophia Kropp
      Residence:     West Market Rd.
  3  Sex:     Female
  4  Color or race:     White
  5  Marital status:     Widowed
      Husband:     Carl Kropp
  6  Date of birth:     Sept. 4, 1842
  7  Age     78 Years  2 Days
  8  Occupation:      Housekeeper
  9  Birthplace     Germany
10  Name of father:     Deidrick Meinzen
11  Birthplace of father:     Germany
12  Maiden name of mother:     Don't Know
13  Birthplace of mother:     [blank]
14  Informant     Mrs. John Spahn, Steubenville, O.
15  Filed     9/7, 1920      Registrar  Chas T. Beans
16  Date of death:     Sept 6, 1920
17  Cause of death:     apoplexy
18  Signed:  Thos. M. Kirk, Coroner, M.D. on Sept. 27, 1920, Steubenville, O.
19  Burial:     Union [Cemetery],  September 8, 1920
20  Undertaker:     D. F. Coe, Steubenville, O.


Comments, Thoughts, Observations

Sophia's father's surname was transcribed as Munzen at FamilySearch.  When I looked closely at the image this is what I saw:

I believe I clearly see a dotted "i" and "Meinzen."

As for Sophia's father's given name:  Henry Carl Meinzen's father's name was recorded as "Carl" (probably spelled Karl in German) in various records, including family records.  I know that in the German naming system it was not uncommon to give male children in the family the same first name and a different middle name and use the middle name as a call name.   Is it possible that Sophia and Henry are siblings and their father's given names were Carl Deidrick or Deidrick Carl?  If I depend on their fathers' names declared in various records in the U.S. I may never find enough information to solve this mystery.

I think it's interesting that the coroner signed the death certificate.  I have heard that when he does it often suggests that an autopsy was performed.  Some later death certificates have autopsy as a box to check but that was not a question in 1920.

Henry Carl Meinzen was born in 1837, Sophia in 1842.  Those dates align for them to be siblings, with another one or two between them.

I am very hopeful that Sophia is Henry's sister and that this information leads me to their parents and siblings.  My next searches will include:

• Census records for Sophia and her family to see what information I can find.  Perhaps they lived near Henry and Elizabeth.
• Naturalization records for Carl Kropp.  They may show Henry Meinzen as a witness to Carl's having living in the U.S. the required number of years.
• Immigration information, including passenger lists
• Newspaper articles.  They may show Carl and Sophia Kropp as guests at weddings and other family events.  Online searches may also reveal news articles about the Kropps.
• Other resources?

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.

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Henry Meinzen's Sister? In Steubenville?

In a previous post I mentioned that I'd found a newspaper article in which Henry Meinzen, my great-grandfather, was listed as a brother.  (Henry is the one great-grandfather for whom I've been unable to find his parents or any siblings.)  The article was published in the September 9, 1920, issue of the Steubenville Herald.  Until reading this obituary I had no indication that Henry had a sibling living in Steubenville, or in the United States, for that matter. 

This is the obituary.

                  Mrs. Sophia Kropp
         Mrs. Sophia Kropp, widow of Carl
     Kropp entered into rest at the home
     of her daughter Mrs. John Spahn on
     West Market street, at 7:30 o’clock
     Monday morning, September 6.  She
     had celebrated her seventy-eighth
     birthday on Saturday.  Although a
     sufferer from heart trouble for some
     time past and in failing health for
     the past two years, her death came
     suddenly, she being fatally stricken
     on Sunday.  She failed to rally from
     this heart attack and slept peaceful-
     ly away at the hour above mention-
     ed.  The deceased was born in Ger-
     many and was married in that coun-
     try in 1861 to Carl Kropp.  They
     came to America in 1887 and settled
     here.  Her husband passed away about
     fifteen years ago since which
     time Mrs. Kropp has been making
     her home with her daughter.  She
     was a member of Zion Lutheran
     Church, was well known and held in
     high esteem in Steubenville and
     throughout the county.  She is sur-
     vived by two daughters, Mrs. John
     Spahn and Mrs. Minnie Schuetto and
     one son William Kropp, all of this
     city and one brother Henry Meinzen
     also of this city.


Notes, Thoughts, Comments

Granted, little family history information came along from my grandfather Meinzen's side of the family.  His older sister, Mina, was the one to whom he referred when anyone asked about his family.  But my mom visited Aunt Mina on a regular basis and you'd think some mentioned would have been made of Mina's father Henry having a sister living in the same city.  Even in Henry's obituary the only sibling mentioned is a brother, Carl, living in Germany.

Were Henry and Sophia close?  Maybe not.  Just three months before this obituary was published Henry lost his wife, Elizabeth (Armitage) Meinzen.

Zion Lutheran Church was the church Henry attended.  It had been a German language church until sometime in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

In a newspaper article about Isabella Meinzen's marriage I noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Carl Cropp attended as well as Messrs. Henry and Will Kropp.  Were members of the Kropp/Cropp family at weddings of Isabella's siblings?  I'll check any marriage announcements to see.

I found Sophia's death certificate.  I'll post that soon.

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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