Frieda Degelau Obituary

DEGELAU DETTMERING DREWIS

Posted By: Jessica Drewis (email)
Date: 6/21/2005 at 16:56:57

I have a problem. I just went to Iowa in April of this year to research some of my family history at the Waverly Library.

I obtained a copy in German for an obituary of Frieda Degelau. The only problem is that it does not appear to be complete.

The last word that I got of the article, which was in German was "ous".

I am hoping that the obituary continued onto the next page, which I didn't seem to get a copy of.

If anyone goes to the Waverly library and would be so kind as to lok in the big black obituary books that they keep right next to the library's front desk by a card/book catalog, I would be so appreciative!

It is a very interesting obituary for the family. I will post below what we, the family managed to get translated out of it thus far.....

March 9, 1898

Mrs. F. Degelau Dies as a Result of an Operation

Today it is our duty to report an exceptionally sad death, that of the young

Mrs. F. Degelau, born Frieda Dettmering. It is sad when a young Mother is torn from her spouse and her child of approximately six months of age; but it is doubly sad when, as it appears to be the case here, the inattentiveness or lack of skill of a doctor bears the direct cause of death. Mrs. Degelau was ill since giving birth. First she was cared for by Dr. Jungblut in Tripoli. Shortly thereafter she went from her home on Otto Kasemeier‚s farm in Fremont Township to the home of her parents in Chicasaw County, several miles from Williamstown. There Dr. Wight and Dr. Landon from New Hampton cared for her. It was their opinion that an operation was necessary, since afterbirth remained. The doctors undertook the operation last Wednesday morning and approximately ten hours later the young women gave up her spirit. The burial was to have taken place on Saturday at Pastor Melcher‚s church in Warren Township. The body had already been lowered into the grave when a message came that an autopsy was required by order of the coroner. The body had to be taken out of the grave and placed in the schoolhouse, where Drs. Robinson from Frederika, Jungblut from Tripoli, and McKineen from Waverly, together with the sworn witnesses Mrs. Dücker, Mrs. Krüger, and C. Trätow in the presence of Justice of the Peace

J. J. Müller from Tripoli (Coroner Patterson was ill) undertook a thorough examination. The witnesses gave their judgment, that the woman died as a result of the operation done by Drs. Wight and Landon.

The burial finally took place on Sunday after the service under the administration of Pastor Melcher.

To the deeply troubled husband as well as the parents of the deceased we speak our heartfelt sharing from . . . . [photocopy ends here]