Tritch Family Biography

a new home for his family.Economic depression and high unemployment drove many to look for ways to povide for basic necessities. No matter how hard they worked, their progress could be thwarted by recurring famine, pestilence and political strife. Families caught between the forces of history and the quest for basic needs fought to improve their life, even to the point of beginning life anew in other lands.

Frederick P. Trich was born about 1825 in Frankisch-Crumbach, which takes its forename from the possessions of the Gomingen-Hornberg family, lies in the Odenwald, southeast of Darmstadt, Germany. Among the ancient buildings there, remains the church (which has stood some 650 years and in which the Tritsch family worshiped as members of the Lutheran congregation). The parish registers exist only in parts, but they contain the outlines of the Tritsch family during the half-century before the American branch was founded. Frederich was married in Germany to Margaret Troutman, who was born about 1826, in Germany also. Frederick left from Bremen, Germany to the United States when Margaret, his little girl was 5 years old, and his son, George was only 2. He was separated from his family for 2 years by a vast ocean and thousands of miles. The ocean voyage was rarely a smooth crossing, jammed into the steerage section of a ship, no privacy, disease, and uncertainty of his destiny during the long weeks on board ship. Despite the odds and perseverance in his hope, Frederick arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 13 Nov. 1854 on the Barque Orion; passenger 67. Mr. Tritch worked for 2 years in New York for the fare to get his family to America. On 2 July 1856 Margaret and the 2 children arrived at the Port of New Youk from London, England on th Southampton. The ships passenger list spells the name TRITSCH.

The Tritch family settled in Wayne county, Ohio, later in Madina county. The 1860 census from Wayne county, OH, shows the family to live in Union Township. The name is spelled Drich, but the names and ages correspond with the Frederick Tritch family. Fredericks occupation at that time was a Shoemaker. His personal property was valued at 120.00 . Adam was born 7 Apr. 1857, Maria was born 11 Dec 1858, John was born 17 Oct 1858, and Frederick my great-grandfather was born 4 Jan 1862. Then the family moved further east to allen county, Indiana, in 1861. They settled east of Fort Wayne at the Bass Farm, the present site of St. Francis College. While they lived there, William was born 27 Nov 1863. In August 1864 they moved to the Salem Center area in Steuben county, locationg south of Lime Kiln Lake on forty acres. They cleared this land and bought 80 more. On 19 Dec 1865, Benjamin was born. Frederick and Margaret slso had another child, Jacob, born 30 Apr 1861. They also had a daughter, Lydia, who died in infancy. There are records stating that 3 Tritch children died within one week. They are burried at the Zion German Lutheran cemetery in Dekalb county, IN. On one grave stone it says Jacob died on 4 Feb 1866 at the age of 4, Benjamin died 7 Feb 1866 at 2 months old, and Maria died 11 Feb 1866, all in one week of sorrow. There is as article in a Dekalb. co. History book that states they died from a fever. At the bottom of the stone it says :children of F. and M. Tritch. FrederikP. Tritch, died 20 Sep 1881; Margaret died 7 May 1888. Both are burried at Zion also.

Margaret, a child born in Germany, was born 31 Dec 1849. She married John Hanes in Steuben co. on 14 May 1869. They had 4 children that I can find records of, Maude, who married Grover Kessler, Agnes B., married Harold Merkling, Kate married Lloyd Eckhart, and Herman E. married Catherine Emerick. John and Margaret Hanes are burried at Lakeview cemetery in Kendallville.

George Tritch, born 14 Jan 1852, married Catharine Siedel on 23 Nov 1873 in Steuben co. I'm pretty sure they had 2 children, Perl,burried at Wright cemetery, 1890-1918, and Rilly who married Evert Hosford. Do not know any more on these, other than they owned a millinery store in Helmer next to the Grocery that George owned, probably from 1900-1915. George and Catharine are burried at the Wright cemetery.

Edna, 13 Aug 1887- 25 Apr 1906; Orville Ray, 23 Aug 1889-30 Apr 1965, married Esther viola Weber on 12 Apr 1913; Daisy 13 Jan 1891-16 May 1968, married Marl Shumaker; Grover Carl, 3 Mar 1893-22 Feb 1978, married Blanche Zema Wood; and Esthu A. 10 Mar 1894- 19 Sep 1969 married Georgia Mumma on 2 Dec 1916 and Ethel M Mains later. Adam and Mary are burried at the Circle Cemetery.

John Tritch , 17 Oct 1858- 5 Sep 1936, married Dora May Wright, 2 Nov 1863-28 Dec 1916, on 21 Sep 1882 in Steuben co. They had 5 children; Cyrus Elmer 28 Aug 1883-19 Dec 1949, married Ruth B. Weaver ; Cinnie 16 Feb 1886-29 Oct 1970, married Logan E. Parker; David (Dan) Mar 1888-1955, married Verna Strawser; James 10 Sep 1900- Nov 1973; and Weir E. 28 Jan 1905-25 Oct 1988. John and Dora are burried at the Wright cemetery.

They had 7 children: Herman 1 Mar 1890- Feb 1967, married Esther Lehman; Alma 1 Dec 1891- 2 Feb 1979 , married C. E. Wagner; Ernst 29 Nov 1900-13 Jan 1914; Clara 6 Nov 1905-?, married David B. Gibson; Arthur 23 Nov 1894-15 Oct 1950, married Louis Rauh on 27 Feb 1924; and Royal 28 Dec 1908-23 Sep 1998, married Virginia Albright on 16 Jun 1935.

Fred Tritch 4 Jan 1862-1 Apr 1910, married Anna Baechler on 14 Oct 1886 at Zion Lutheran Church in Dekalb co. , the record is recorded in Noble co. Fred and his wife Anna along with her sister Kate, and her husband, Jacob Beck, moved to Lafe, Arkansas shortly after their marriage. They had 13 children: Ada, 1887-1887; Cecilla 25 Nov 1887-19 Nov 1945, married Charles Bogner; Altha Mary Katherine 14 Feb 1889- 1889 ; Arthur 31 Jul 1890-4 Jul 1963, married Emma Gerdes on 23 Dec 1915;

Carl (Charles) 10 Apr 1892-1941, married Marie L Scheer; Esther 3 Aug 1894-?, married Alfred John Henry Scheer; Oswald 21 Apr 1896-21 Mar 1972, married Martha W. Fricke; Alvin 6 Jan 1901- Jun 1978, married Sylvia Mifflin; Elmer Fred Lewis 9 May 1898-1898; Walter Herbert 7 Sep 1907-24 Jun 1908; Hilda 6 Jul 1903-? , married Jack Wahl and later, Henry Kinon; Martha Eleanora 21 May 1905-? married Otto Fricke. The last child died shortly after birth and is burried at St. Peters at Upper Lafe,no name except Tritch, along with Walter and Elmer. Ada is burried at the Toelken cemetery at Upper Lafe. Fred and Anna Tritch are burried at St. Johns Lutheran church cem. in Lafe, Ar.

So as the Tritch family grows, there are many in the south that originally came from Steuben co. IN. It has been an honor to research my family and discover many very sweet family members in Northeast Indiana. This family history is a treasure to the family in Arkansas, as we had no idea where Fred and Anna came from, when they were married, or that they had family they left in Indiana. Since the beginning of my search, I have talked with many in the Hudson and Fairfield areas and continue to correspond to some. I am very thankful for the perseverence of the Tritch family, little did I know that 100 years after Frederick P. Trich came to America I would begin my life in a very special family called TRITCH.