All information obtained from Catherine Merz's (# 70770400) personal letter to a cousin Susan Smitley (#126960601), Phoenix, AZ, dated, January 1, 1982. Catherine performed extensive family research, and she is at rest beside her grandmother Susanna.
Pre-marriage full name: Susanna (Susan) Josephine Catherine (née Brost). She was named Susanna for her mother's sister, and Josephine and Catherine for her parents.
Born: July 1867 in Chicago. An exact date isn't available since the Chicago fire destroyed these documents. She was the first child of Joseph John Brost and Catharina Barbara Theresia Gerhardy, both born in Germany.
-First Husband William Newton drowned in the Chicago River on Sept. 2, 1888.
--One daughter from this marriage: Anna (née Newton) Merz born May 12, 1886.
Quote from Catherine Merz's letter: "William Newtown's occupation was ship's carpenter and Cabinet Maker and my mother said she thought he was employed by Marshall Field & Co. in Chicago. Like most Englishmen he had a love for the sea and owned a small boat which he kept in the Chicago River. On September 1, 1888, William and some of hie friends rode in the boat to a place on the river called "Sharpshooters Point." Susan was at home with her baby (my mother) (1) and waking up in the middle of the night noticed William's absence from the house. Disturbed, she took the family dog with her and started to walk toward the river. On the way she met the policeman for that neighborhood and told him of her concern for her husband. The policeman said that a small boat on the river was rammed by a large freighter and rescuers were searching the river. When Susan got there William's friends were on the bank but he had not been recovered. The dog plunged into the river and came up with William's hat and when the rescuers went to that part of the river they found him. So, at 21 years Susan was a widow with a two-year-old child."
(1) Anna Newton Merz.
-Second Husband: Jacob Cox, Columbia City, IN: April 20, 1897 at St. Teresa’s Church, Chicago, IL.
--Children from this marriage.
----Elmer Jacob Peter Cox, born in Chicago
----Herbert Joseph Cox, born in Chicago
----Margaret (Mae) Anna Schaper (née Cox), born in Mt. Vernon, IL
----Isadore Alfred Cox, born in Mt. Vernon, IL
Death: She died in Mt. Vernon, IL approximately three months after giving birth to Isadore.
Pre-marriage full name: Susanna (Susan) Josephine Catherine (née Brost). She was named Susanna for her mother's sister, and Josephine and Catherine for her parents.
Born: July 1867 in Chicago. An exact date isn't available since the Chicago fire destroyed these documents. She was the first child of Joseph John Brost and Catharina Barbara Theresia Gerhardy, both born in Germany.
-First Husband William Newton drowned in the Chicago River on Sept. 2, 1888.
--One daughter from this marriage: Anna (née Newton) Merz born May 12, 1886.
Quote from Catherine Merz's letter: "William Newtown's occupation was ship's carpenter and Cabinet Maker and my mother said she thought he was employed by Marshall Field & Co. in Chicago. Like most Englishmen he had a love for the sea and owned a small boat which he kept in the Chicago River. On September 1, 1888, William and some of hie friends rode in the boat to a place on the river called "Sharpshooters Point." Susan was at home with her baby (my mother) (1) and waking up in the middle of the night noticed William's absence from the house. Disturbed, she took the family dog with her and started to walk toward the river. On the way she met the policeman for that neighborhood and told him of her concern for her husband. The policeman said that a small boat on the river was rammed by a large freighter and rescuers were searching the river. When Susan got there William's friends were on the bank but he had not been recovered. The dog plunged into the river and came up with William's hat and when the rescuers went to that part of the river they found him. So, at 21 years Susan was a widow with a two-year-old child."
(1) Anna Newton Merz.
-Second Husband: Jacob Cox, Columbia City, IN: April 20, 1897 at St. Teresa’s Church, Chicago, IL.
--Children from this marriage.
----Elmer Jacob Peter Cox, born in Chicago
----Herbert Joseph Cox, born in Chicago
----Margaret (Mae) Anna Schaper (née Cox), born in Mt. Vernon, IL
----Isadore Alfred Cox, born in Mt. Vernon, IL
Death: She died in Mt. Vernon, IL approximately three months after giving birth to Isadore.
All information obtained from Catherine Merz's (# 70770400) personal letter to a cousin Susan Smitley (#126960601), Phoenix, AZ, dated, January 1, 1982. Catherine performed extensive family research, and she is at rest beside her grandmother Susanna.
Pre-marriage full name: Susanna (Susan) Josephine Catherine (née Brost). She was named Susanna for her mother's sister, and Josephine and Catherine for her parents.
Born: July 1867 in Chicago. An exact date isn't available since the Chicago fire destroyed these documents. She was the first child of Joseph John Brost and Catharina Barbara Theresia Gerhardy, both born in Germany.
-First Husband William Newton drowned in the Chicago River on Sept. 2, 1888.
--One daughter from this marriage: Anna (née Newton) Merz born May 12, 1886.
Quote from Catherine Merz's letter: "William Newtown's occupation was ship's carpenter and Cabinet Maker and my mother said she thought he was employed by Marshall Field & Co. in Chicago. Like most Englishmen he had a love for the sea and owned a small boat which he kept in the Chicago River. On September 1, 1888, William and some of hie friends rode in the boat to a place on the river called "Sharpshooters Point." Susan was at home with her baby (my mother) (1) and waking up in the middle of the night noticed William's absence from the house. Disturbed, she took the family dog with her and started to walk toward the river. On the way she met the policeman for that neighborhood and told him of her concern for her husband. The policeman said that a small boat on the river was rammed by a large freighter and rescuers were searching the river. When Susan got there William's friends were on the bank but he had not been recovered. The dog plunged into the river and came up with William's hat and when the rescuers went to that part of the river they found him. So, at 21 years Susan was a widow with a two-year-old child."
(1) Anna Newton Merz.
-Second Husband: Jacob Cox, Columbia City, IN: April 20, 1897 at St. Teresa’s Church, Chicago, IL.
--Children from this marriage.
----Elmer Jacob Peter Cox, born in Chicago
----Herbert Joseph Cox, born in Chicago
----Margaret (Mae) Anna Schaper (née Cox), born in Mt. Vernon, IL
----Isadore Alfred Cox, born in Mt. Vernon, IL
Death: She died in Mt. Vernon, IL approximately three months after giving birth to Isadore.
Pre-marriage full name: Susanna (Susan) Josephine Catherine (née Brost). She was named Susanna for her mother's sister, and Josephine and Catherine for her parents.
Born: July 1867 in Chicago. An exact date isn't available since the Chicago fire destroyed these documents. She was the first child of Joseph John Brost and Catharina Barbara Theresia Gerhardy, both born in Germany.
-First Husband William Newton drowned in the Chicago River on Sept. 2, 1888.
--One daughter from this marriage: Anna (née Newton) Merz born May 12, 1886.
Quote from Catherine Merz's letter: "William Newtown's occupation was ship's carpenter and Cabinet Maker and my mother said she thought he was employed by Marshall Field & Co. in Chicago. Like most Englishmen he had a love for the sea and owned a small boat which he kept in the Chicago River. On September 1, 1888, William and some of hie friends rode in the boat to a place on the river called "Sharpshooters Point." Susan was at home with her baby (my mother) (1) and waking up in the middle of the night noticed William's absence from the house. Disturbed, she took the family dog with her and started to walk toward the river. On the way she met the policeman for that neighborhood and told him of her concern for her husband. The policeman said that a small boat on the river was rammed by a large freighter and rescuers were searching the river. When Susan got there William's friends were on the bank but he had not been recovered. The dog plunged into the river and came up with William's hat and when the rescuers went to that part of the river they found him. So, at 21 years Susan was a widow with a two-year-old child."
(1) Anna Newton Merz.
-Second Husband: Jacob Cox, Columbia City, IN: April 20, 1897 at St. Teresa’s Church, Chicago, IL.
--Children from this marriage.
----Elmer Jacob Peter Cox, born in Chicago
----Herbert Joseph Cox, born in Chicago
----Margaret (Mae) Anna Schaper (née Cox), born in Mt. Vernon, IL
----Isadore Alfred Cox, born in Mt. Vernon, IL
Death: She died in Mt. Vernon, IL approximately three months after giving birth to Isadore.
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