Herman Maurer (1858-1927).  Anna Klee (1864-1918)

You probably saw at least one blog post about Herman, Anna or their children. Each post captured a single life event and discussed  genealogical research methods and/or findings.  I am still searching for records related to Herman and Anna’s childhoods, specifically 1870 and 1880 census records. However, I can share information about the life of Herman and Anna as a couple.

Take a trip down memory lane:

30 April 2017: Birth certificate of daughter, Amalie Charlotte Maurer

15 May 2017:  Charlotte Maurer Tucker in Reflections on Mother’s Day, 2017

21 December 2017: Anna’s autograph book

12 April 2018:  Viola Maurer, Herman and Anna’s youngest child

6 June 2018:  Herman and Anna’s ‘missing children’

1 August 2018:  Herman and Anna in 1920 census

Herman Maurer and Anna Klee were first-generation Americans.  Their parents immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. Herman’s father, Valentin Maurer, was from Baden, Germany.  [1]  His mother, Anna Katharina Korzelious (approximate spelling), was also from Germany. [2] Baden lies in the southwest part of Germany, close to an area called Alsace-Lorraine. Alsace-Lorraine alternated between German and French rule throughout its history.  (Note: Mom always said that her Maurer ancestors were from Alsace-Lorraine.)

Anna’s parents, Ludwig Klee and Anna Wolf, came from Germany, possibly Prussia [3] or Holland[4] .  I haven’t found consistent records to verify either claim.

Herman Maurer, the oldest child of Valentin Maurer and Katharina Korzelious, was born 16 October 1858 in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic county, New Jersey.[5]  Valentin apparently moved his family to Brooklyn, New York, by 1866, where Herman’s sister, Katharine, was born.[6]

Anna Klee was born 25 July 1864 in Brooklyn, Borough of Kings, New York to Ludwig (or Louis) Klee and Anna Wolf.[7]  According to aunt Viola’s history, Anna was one of five children. [8]

Herman, age 25, and Anna, age 19, married on December 31, 1883 in Brooklyn, New York. [9] I have no  family story about how they met.  They may have lived in the same neighborhood or attended the same church. Discovery of 1870 and 1880 census records for the two families may yield that information.

Herman and Anna lived at 169 Hopkins Street in Brooklyn according to various records.  This multi-family dwelling no longer exists.

Children came quickly and often to the couple.  In 1910, Anna reported being the mother of 8 children with 5 still living.[10] Records support or confirm the births of 7 of those children:

• Edward (born 1885; died 1892)[11]
• Arthur, born 1887[12]
• William Charles, born 30 June 1890[13]
• Amalie Charlotte (born 26 May 1892; my grandmother)[14]
• Herman Charles (born 22 Aug 1893)[15]
• Emma Lizzie (born and died 1898)[16] (Note: Found after I posted “Missing Children”).
• Viola Blanche (born 16 Mar 1907)[17]

I am waiting on a copy of birth certificate for Lillian, born about 1901, and died young.  Anna probably had all of these children at home.  UPDATE  22 Oct 2018:  Received from another Maurer researcher, copy of birth certificate for Lilian Maurer, born 7 Jan 1901; source NY Birth Index.   Parents listed as Henry Maurer and Catherine Schell. Back to the records! 

Herman worked as a mechanic.  About 1903, Herman and Anna moved to Huntington, Suffolk county, New York, on Long Island.  Charlotte and her husband, Esbon Tucker, lived with Herman after their marriage. [18]

Anna died in 1918 and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Brooklyn.  [19] Herman continued to live with Charlotte and her family until his death in 1927. [20]

Of Herman and Anna’s five surviving children, only two gave birth to grandchildren.  Charlotte and Esbon had four children. Herman Charles and his 2^nd wife, Elizabeth,  had two children.  Mom talked often about having only two cousins on her mother’s side.  The death of her cousin, Herman, in World War II,[21] left her with only one Maurer first cousin.  As I remember, mom knew about her distant cousins but had lost contact with most of them.

Reflection:

I wish I knew more about Anna’s parents.  Their file holds little information and much of that is contradictory.  I haven’t found 1870 or 1880 census records for either set of parents.  I debated about posting because of this. The search continues.

What I learned:  What little I really know about the Klee family beyond names and a few dates.  I wish that I listened better when Mom was alive and telling the stories!

What helped:  Documents and records already in file. Thanks to cousins,  I now have pictures of Herman and Anna as well as pictures of their young children.

What didn’t help:  Lack of information about Anna’s parents.  As I reviewed documents in my files, I realized that much of the information was contradictory.   I spent several hours searching with minimal results. Today’s BSO is  tomorrow’s  focused search.  I created research logs for Ludwig and Anna but the logs are not complete.

TO-DO:  Renew search for Ludwig Klee and Anna Wolf. Start over with only Viola’s history. Critically analyze each document.  Record each step!!!  Request birth certificates for Arthur, William, Herman and Viola. Request death certificates for Edward, Emma Lizzie, Lillian and their mother, Anna Klee Maurer. This could be very expensive! Explore options to contact other Maurer cousins.

[1] Valentine Maurer, death certificate no. 16339 (1898), New York City Archives, New York City, New York City, New York.

[2] 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Atlantic county, New Jersey, population schedule, Galloway, p. 291 (penned), dwelling 2238, family 2205, Catherine Maurer, age 31, birthplace Germany; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded, printed 31 January 2018); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication M653_682.

[3] 1910 U.S. Census, Suffolk County, New York, pop. sch., Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 1367, p. 2B (penned), Family #26, Herman Maurer (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed, viewed, downloaded 31 January 2017); National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication T624, roll 1083.

[4] Viola Blanche Maurer Tucker, “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” page 1; MS, 1800s to 1980s, Huntington, Suffolk County, New York; privately held by great-niece, Susan Mercedes Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use], Yukon, Oklahoma, 2017.  Carbon copy of original document created ca. 1975-1980 sent to Ms. Ellerbee by her great-aunt.

[5] Hermann Maurer, death certificate no. 10424 (1927), Department of Health of the City of New York, New York City, New York; copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, June 2015

[6]New York, Bureau of Records, Department of Health, Borough of Brooklyn, Certificate of Death no. 23456 (4 December 1941), Katherine A. Scheffel; Muncipal Archives, New York City, New York; copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, July 2016.

[7] Tucker, “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” page  2.

[8] Tucker, “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” pages 2 & 3.

[9] Brooklyn, New York, Certificate of Marriage Brooklyn, no. 3739, Hermann Maurer & Anna Klee, 31 December 1883; New York City Department of Records & Information Services, New York City; copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, June 2014.

[10] 1910 U.S. Census, Suffolk County, New York, pop. sch., Huntington, ED 1367, p. 2B (penned), Family #26, Herman Maurer (head).

[11] Prepared by Italian Genealogical Group and German Genealogy Group, “New York, New York, Death Index, 1862-1948,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & printed 17 July 2016), entry for Edward Maurer, b abt 1885, died June 1892; citing “New York City deaths, 1862-1948,” New York City Department of Records/ Municipal Archives; Certificate #10178.

[12] “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded 4 February 2018), entry for Arthur Maurer; citing , United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, Roll: 1818992; Draft Board: 1.

[13] Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : viewed & downloaded 1 February 2018), memorial page for William Charles Maurer, Find A Grave Memorial # 2749358, citing Long Island National Cemetery (East Farmingdale, Suffolk, New York), memorial created by Chuck, photograph by Chuck.

[14] New York, New York City Department of Records and Information Services, birth certificate 5947 (28 May 1892), Amalie Charlotte Maurer; Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street, New York, N.Y. 10007. Copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, March 2017.

[15]  “New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909,” database, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W74-MXN: 20 March 2015) : accessed & printed 17 March 2017), entry for Herman Maurer; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference certificate no. 11175, New York Municipal Archives, New York.

[16] “New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2WFS-Q5K : 10 February 2018), Emma Lizzie Maurer, 04 Sep 1898; citing Death, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,324,009.

[17] “New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:61903/1:1:2WCT-7YW: 20 March 2015), Anna Klee Maurer in entry for Blanche V. Maurer, 16 Mar 1907; citing Manhanttan, New York, New York, United States, reference cn 10873 New York Municipal Achives, New York. Event place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York.

[18] 1920 U.S. Census, Suffolk county, New York, population schedule, Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 113, p. 7A (penned), dwelling 136, family 139, Herman Maurer, head, age 60, widower; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed, downloaded, printed 14 March 2017); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. Microfilm publication T625, Roll 1269.

[19]  “New York State Death Index, 1880-1956,” database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com :  accessed & downloaded 23 July 2018); entry for Anna Maurer, 1918, 26 Jul, Huntington, pg. 1003; citing “NY State Death Index,” New York Department of Health, Albany, N.Y.’ Certificate number: 45345.

[20] New York City death certificate no 10424 (1927), Hermann Maurer.

[21] For more information about Herman Maurer (1923 – 1944), read my 2017 Memorial Day post. 

© Susan Posten Ellerbee and “Posting Family Roots” blog, 2018.