~ Berta Amalie Martha Kröbel was the daughter of Friedrich August Kröbel and Wilhelmina "Minna" Held. Martha was born in Merseberg, City of Halle, (Salle) Saxony-Anhalt Germany. Martha married Hermann Bãtz on 17 February 1891 at St Moritz Evangelical Church in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt Germany. Also known as St Maurice Church after the patron saint, Saint Maurice. This same church today is of the Catholic faith. Hermann and Martha were the parents of ten children known; Anna (Frank H. Deckert), Martha (Frederick W. Eicke), Hermann (never married), a twin sister of Hermann (her name unk), Hedwig (1. John Graf 2. August 'Gus' Galske), Paul William (1. Emma Herta Polter 2. Lillian Kline) , Karl (Grete NN), Frieda (Erich Schrader), Bertha Louise (Mileta Nikodijevic) and Elsa Clara (1. Hermann E. Schwartz 2. Harold Ziel), Elsa Clara was born four months after her father Hermann died. Hermann was a quarry master and was killed Feb 1905 in an explosion at the quarry in the Village of Uftragen, Harz Mountains, Saxony-Anhalt Germany. Martha Kröbel Baetz emigrated from Germany to America from the Port of Bremen, aboard the ship Lutzow, arriving at Port of New York, on 2 December 1925. Sadly, less than two months after her arrival in America, Martha passed away from complications of diabetes on 8 February 1926. All of Martha's children except for Karl and Frieda came to America, some of them settling in Chicago, at the turn of the 20th Century. Martha's youngest child, Elsa Clara arrived 19 April 1926, 2 months after her mother Martha had died ~ Martha and Herman are my paternal great-grandparents, through their daughter, Elsa Clara ~

Thank you Aunt Martha for sharing the family photo!

Note: Click on the family photo for names

Parents:
Friedrich August Kröbel
Wilhelmina "Minna" Held