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Francis “Frank” Reinert

Born: about 1847 Germany (Prussia)

Parents: unknown

Siblings: unknown

Immigration to US: unknown

Marriage: to Delina E. Forbes, date and location unknown, probably circa 1869 in Oshkosh, WI.

Death: 6/15/1882 Oshkosh, WI.  Burial 17 Jun 1882 at Omro Union Cemetery, just outside Oshkosh.

Children: Hattie “Bridgit”, Irving, Annie “Pearl”, Ina, Metta/Nettie, Francis Marian

Obituaries:

Frank’s obituary from the Oshkosh Dailey Northwestern Newspaper 6/15/1882:

Death of Frank Reinert
Frank Reinert, who had his back broken several weeks ago by a fall of the elevator in Schmitt Bros trunk factory, died this morning about 9 o’clock, after lingering helpless and suffering ever since the accident. That he lived so long with his back broken was something unusual in accidents of this kind. He became afflicted with bed sores of the most distressing nature, and it is said that those on his back upon which he had lain so long were so aggrevated that the flesh dropped off, permitting part of the vertebrae where it was broken to protrude bare. Blood poisoning set in and he gradually failed until death ensued this morning. A subscription paper was circulated shortly after the accident and enough money raised to purchase for him a little home on Bowen street, north of Polk, to which the family removed, he being carefully conveyed to it on his bed.
The funeral will probably be held on Saturday and will be in charge of the Oddfellows. The remains will probably be buried at Omro Junction, where two of his children are buried. He leaves a wife and four children, and his wife expected shortly to be confined.

(note: the “subscription papers” referred to in this article means that his co-workers, neighbors and friends took up a collection of money to help buy the house. $200 in those days was quite a sum- a good indication of how people felt about the couple. The reference about his wife “shortly  to be confined” was a term used to denote that she was about to give birth, which she did 12 days later)

From the Oshkosh Times, Saturday, June 17th:
                             Reinart Dead
On Thursday morning, at 9 o’clock, Frank Reinart, whose back was broken seven weeks ago last Monday by a falling elevator in Schmit Bro’s trunk factory, passed quietly away, to all appearances not suffering from any pain. Reinart was one of the most industrious and trustworthy employes in the factory. He made friends with all his fellow laborers, who, in witness of their kind feelings towards him, subscribed something over $200 and made him a present of it. Reinart was about 36 years of age at the time of his death. He leaves a wife and three small children.
 

Oshkosh City Directories

1868: Frank Reinert, mason, bds (boards) 8 Alley

1869: Frank Reinert, bds 128 Main

1872: Frank Reinert, lab, res 18 Ford

1876: Frank Reinert, lab, 31 Ford

1879: Frank Reinert, sawyer, res 6 Forrest

Census:

1880 US Census, Wi, Winnebago Co, city of Oshkosh:
Taken June 5, 1880, north part of fourth ward:
Frank Reinert, white male, age 33, works in shingle mill, born Germany, both parents born Germany
Lina, wife, age 30, keeping house, born NY, both parents born NY
Hattie, daughter, age 9, born WI, at school
Pearl age 6, born WI, at school
Ina, age 4

No Frank/Francis Reinert living with other Reinerts in WI 1860 or 1870

Research:

It has been very difficult to try to find Frank’s family for a number of reasons. The last name Reinert has many, many spelling variations, although I most consistently found it spelled Reinert, but on occassion Reinart. I have been unable to locate a Frank Reinert in the 1860 or 1870 census using a few spelling variations. It is unclear when he emigrated to the US, but I suspect he may not have just arrived at the time of his marriage around 1870. He married a “good old Yankee girl”, and this would have been unlikely if he was “just off the boat”. None of his children have German sounding names, and he was always referred to as Frank, not the German equivalent, Franz. There are several confusing issues as well. There are several Reinert families in the Oshkosh area in the 1860-80’s, but none of them ever had a Frank or Franz listed with them in their household. I have been in contact with descendants of these families and all of the family members seem to be accounted for, and no Frank in any of the lines. There was no requirement to file birth, marriage or death records in those days, so information from marriage or death certificates was often not available. Obituaries in those days were usually very brief and usually did not contain information about next-of-kin unless they were a prominent family. One of the biggest mysteries is at the gravesite. His obituary states he will be buried at Omro Junction cemetery, but there is no Frank Reinert indexed there, unless the gravestone has decayed (there are 3 cemeteries in Omro: Omro cemetery, Omro Union and Omro Junction). I then looked up the Omro Union cemetery and found Frank Reinhardt in the same row as “Irving Reinert, son of F and DE” (Frank and Delina), and amongst all of Delina’s Forbes relatives. Frank Reinhardt’s tombstone had a GAR marker on it (metal 5-star marker used to denote Civil War veteran grave), with no dates.  This turned out to be the wrong Frank Reinhardt because he was listed on the living veterans schedule for 1890. (He actually had 2 listings -one in Company K, 51st infantry, and another in the 53rd Infantry, Co C., but the 53rd regiment transferred to the 51st, so it is the same person). Upon further investigation, this Frank is listed in the 1900 Oshkosh census as age 70 (old enough to have been Frank’s father) but his wife is listed as having 1 child born and 1 child alive, thus eliminating him as Frank’s father. Apparently a coincidence that he is buried in the same row as the Forbes’ and Irving Reinert.

 

 

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