From stomach disease, which had confined her to the sickroom for eighteen long weeks, on Monday night about ll o'clock Ottilie Maria Tröger, a born Garman and wife of Mr Johann E. Tröger in Highland Township, was released through an easy death. She was born on the lst of April 1826 in Center County, Pennsylvania, and is thus 80 years, 9 months and 2l days old. With the surviving husband she was married by Pastor Adam Detzer Sr. on the l4th of February 1856, and for more than half a century have Johann E. Tröger and wife remained faithful to this holy bond, which, as has just happened, only death can separate. With the widower mourn the following five children for the elder gone to her eternal rest: A. J. Tröger near Lincoln in Kansas; Georg Tröger, Heinrich Tröger and Miss Anna Tröger on the South Ridge; Adam Tröger in Buffalo, N.Y. Additionaly there remain 14 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, as well as the brothers George P. Garman near Oakwood and Jakob F. Garman in Defiance Township. With these immediate family members also mourn a wide circle of more distant relatives and friends for the elderly lady well known through the whole South Ridge.
The burial service will take place Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock under the direction of Pastor H. Diemer in the St. Stephan's Lutheran Church in Highland Township.
[death: 27 Jan 1907 Highland TWp., Defiance, Ohio]
Maria Holers
From inflammatory rheumatism, on Wednesday afternoon about l0 minutes before 2 o'clock, Maria Holers, a born Rathge and wife of William Holers, died in her residence in Adams Township. She was born on the l0th of October 184l in Frankenfelde, Hannover, and came to this country in the year 1866. On the 4th of August of the following year she made the marriage bond with Wilhelm Holers of Adams Township, which the merciless death has now broken. Only two daughters resulted from the marriage, namely Mrs Hermann Fricke of here and Mrs August Kolbe from Okolona. Besides the widower and the two children, the deceased leaves behind a brother, Cord Rathge, who resides near Woodburn, Ind.
Mrs Holers became ill on Holy Saturday, after she had attended church services the day before. Already by Easter Sunday it was so bad with her, that her daughter Maria Fricke was summoned to the sickroom, where she stayed, until the very end. The burial took place Sunday morning at l0 o'clock from the former residence and from the Lutheran Church near Jewell under the direction of Pastor H. Rottmann.
We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the grieving widower and the other family members.
Johanh Elias Tröger
Johanh Elias Tröger, [both] from his age and the years of his residence in this countryside (landscape) the oldest pioneer of the South Ridge, died a quiet death Friday morning about 3:30 in his residence in Highland Township. He was born on the 29th of November in Neudorf, Naila ?county, Upper Franconia, Bavaria. There also he received in the Lutheran church holy baptism and confirmation and grew to manhood. As a 23-year-old youth he immigrated with his father to this country -- his mother had died shortly before -- and settled at once on the South Ridge, where he lived almost seventy years and practiced agriculture well into his old age. In the year 1850 he married Miss Katharine Schall, who died four years later, after she had given him the son Heinrich and the daughter Barbara. The son died as a small boy, the daughter -- now the widow Barbara Baumann -- lived mainly here in the city. Two years after the death of his first wife Johann Elias Tröger married Miss Ottilie Garman, who preceded him in death in the year 1907. From this second marriage resulted four sons and one daughter -- Johann in the state of California, George E. and Henry in Highland Township, Adam C. in Toledo and the daughter Miss Anna in the paterna home. To the descendancy belong also l3 grandchildren and, as far as we know, ten great-grandchildren. The deceased was a goodhearted, faithful, upright fellow, showing goodwill and respect to all (in general).
Up until a few years ago he was, except for his pains of rheumatism, healthy, then his sight and hearing started to fail, but his mental capacity remained undiminished until the end. He was bedridden only about two weeks; along with the infirmities of age, pleurisy set in, and in his weakened condition he could not withstand it. And so another of the gnarled German oaks, who contributed so much to the settling of the South Ridge, has fallen to Time. Johann Elias Tröger had brought the time of his earthly pilgrimage to 91 years, 7 months and 28 days.
His mortal remains were brought Sunday afternoon about 2 o'clock with especially great attendance from the St. Stephan's Evangelical Lutheran Church on the South Ridge to the grave. Pastor C. Schröder led the funeral service. Pallbearers were the six grandsons Ferdinand and Reinhold Tröger, Richard Schatz, Virgil and Russell Fritsche and Harold Schlosser, and Peter Max and Andr. March acted as flower—bearers.