I started researching my family in 1998, and has been my passion ever since. I hope you can find some information to connect my family to yours. It's always nice to meet new cousins!
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A Geneology Collection by Debbie Mills
Barbara Gietzen
Born: Circa 1842, Prussia
Parents: John Gietzen and Ann unknown
Siblings: Appleonia (Plunny), Joseph, Susanna
Marriage: to Peter Mares, in Wisconsin, date unknown. (note that Barbara and her sister Appleonia married brothers Peter and John Mares)
Children: John (1861), Joseph (1863), Peter (1868), Henry (1873-1881), Christian (1875-1845), Nicholas (1877-1880), Mary (1866-1877), Barbara (1869-1877), Andrew (1881, died 7 days old), Frank (1879-1881)
Notice that 6 of their children died between 1877 and 1881; Mary and Barbara 12 days apart in 1877; 3 children between March and May of 1881. There were no specific epidemics noted in Wisconsin during that time, but common diseases were typhoid, rubella, measles, mumps, smallpox, cholera and whooping cough. Diseases came in waves as infected immigrants entered the country and sanitation was poor.
Death: circa 1894
Misc/research:
NY Passenger List Dec 1857, ship “Catherine and Cumbria”, port of departure Antwerp, Belgium: Johan Joseph Getzen, age 44, farmer, family from Germany, Anna, cannot decipher age ?2
Joseph 22
Susanna 12
Appolonia 7
Barbara 13 (born circa 1844)
Census:
1895 Wisconsin State census: P. Mares, 3 males, 3 females, 5 born US, 1 born Germany
1880 Census, Bear Creek, Waupaca Co WI:
Peter Meres, age 43, born Prussia, farmer, mother and father born Prussia
Barbery Meres, wife, age 38 born Prussia
John Meres, son age 17 born WI
Joseph, son age 16 born WI
Peter age 12, born WI
Henry age 8, born WI
1870 WI, Bear Creek, Waupaca Co:
Peter Marez, age 30, farmer, born Holland
Barbara age 30, keeping house, born Prussia
John 9 born WI (all children born WI)
Joseph 7
Peter 3
Mary 4
Sarah 1
1860 US Census, WI, Waupaca Co, Town of Lebanon: John Gidson, age 45, farmer, value of real estate $100, value of personal estate $50, born Germany; Ann age 55 born Germany; Barbery age 18, born Germany; Susanna age 15, born Germany; Paulina age 19 born Germany; Joseph Bell, age 23, born Germany. Note Peter “Murst” is working a few farms over, believed to be Peter Mares.
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