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Wilhelm Edward Fiegenbaum
and
Maude Mary Montgomery
50th Wedding Anniversary, 1951
Mr. And Mrs. W. E. Fiegenbaum
Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Fiegenbaum of Geneva celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Sunday afternoon, October 7, 1951, by holding open house from 2 to 5 at their home. Many relatives and friends from Geneva and from a distance came to honor Mr. and Mrs. Fiegenbaum, who have lived in this community all of their married life. Mr. Fiegenbaum had been in business here two years before his marriage.
Maude Montgomery and Ed Fiegenbaum were married October 8, 1901, in the Presbyterian Church at Oregon, Mo. A reception was held after the ceremony. Following a short wedding trip, the couple went to housekeeping in Geneva in a cottage on the lot where they now live. The present home was built in 1913.
Mr. and Mrs. Fiegenbaum have two children, Frances, now Mrs. L. F. Klein of Lincoln, and Capt. W. E. Fiegenbaum, now in the regular army and stationed in Munich, Germany. They have four grandchildren, Mrs. Gretchen Turner of Enid, Okla., Nancy Klein of Lincoln, Susan and W. E. Fiegenbaum III of Munich, Germany. They also have a great-granddaughter, Karen Turner of Enid, Okla. 1
In addition to those who called during the afternoon of the golden wedding observance, many sent cards, letters, telegrams, flowers and gifts in honor of the occasion. Of particular interest was a beautiful Dresden figurine which their son, Capt. Fiegenbaum, and family sent from Germany. Guests also were interested in viewing Mrs. Fiegenbaum's wedding dress, newspaper clippings, pictures and other mementos of 50 years of married life. Included in the collection was a silver loving cup that was presented to the parents of Mr. Fiegenbaum on their golden wedding anniversary in 1902. It is engraved with the date and the names of their nine children, of whom Edward is the youngest. 2 The cup will belong to William E. Fiegenbaum II and then will pass on to the fourth generation, William Edward III being the only male descendant.
Assisting in the dining room at the observance were Mrs. Charles Warner, Mrs. F. M. Holtz, Mrs. John Brice, Mrs. Maude Stringfield, Mrs. Tyler Edgecombe, Mrs. Porter Sloan and Mrs. Robert Waring. Miss Delia Fisher and Mrs. Guy Case assisted Mrs. L. F. Klein in receiving guests. Miss Nancy Klein had charge of the guest book.
Refreshments were French pastries, mints and coffee. The table service was gold and white china. A beautiful lavender orchid corsage was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Klein.
Among the out-of-town guests present to honor Mr. and Mrs. Fiegenbaum were the following:
Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Klein and Nancy of Lincoln; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fiegenbaum of Springfield, Neb.; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ewing of Chicago; Misses Louise and Wilma Miller of Wathena, Kas.; Mrs. Gould Larzelere of Troy, Kas.; Mrs. Rolland Beery of Kansas City, Mo.; Bruce Claussen of North Platte; Mr. and Mrs. M. P. Martin of Lincoln; Mrs. F. K. Klein and Miss Dorothy Klein of Kearney. 3
Source: The Nebraska Signal, of Geneva, Nebraska; 18 October 1951. Transcription and digital image of article courtesy of Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts and Jane Michel.
Notes
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Three children were born to Wilhelm Edward and Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum. Their first child, Frederick Wilhelm Fiegenbaum (also identified in some documents as Frederick Robert Fiegenbaum), was born on 15 December 1902 and died unexpectedly on 8 May 1903 following a very short illness. He was buried at Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska.
Ed and Maude's second child was Frances Montgomery Fiegenbaum, born on 18 January 1905 at Geneva, Nebraska. She married Lloyd Frederick Klein on 3 August 1926 at Geneva, Nebraska. They were the parents of two children: Frances Gretchen Klein (her first husband was Melvin Clayton Turner) and Nancy Louise Klein.
Ed and Maude's third child was William Edward Fiegenbaum, II, born 3 July 1918 at Geneva, Nebraska. He served in the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War. He married Alice Louise Steffgen on 15 November 1943 at Medford, Jackson County, Oregon. By the time of this wedding anniversary, they were the parents of two children: Susan Louise Fiegenbaum and William Edward Fiegenbaum, III. In the newspaper account, the third William Edward Fiegenbaum was identified as the "only male descendant" in the fourth generation. His four younger brothers, born between 1953 andn 1962, changed that status.
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Wilhelm Edward Fiegenbaum was the youngest of 10 children born to Rev. Friedrich Wilhelm and Louisa (Otto) Fiegenbaum. The couple's third child, Louis, died at the age of 6 days, on 12 September 1856. He was buried in the cemetery of the Methodist Church at what was then known as Sherrill Mount, Dubuque County, Iowa (section A, row 5, stone 6). It is now known simply as Sherrill, Iowa.
For additional information about burial records, visit the Sherrill Methodist Cemetery web site. A transcription of cemetery records was compiled in October 2001 by Vicki and Tom Schlarman.
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Of the out-of-town guests who were present at Geneva, Nebraska to celebrate the golden wedding anniversary, I am able to provide a few more details than are present in the newspaper account.
Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Klein and Nancy of Lincoln [Nebraska]. These individuals were mentioned in note 1. Wilhelm Edward and Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum's second child was Frances Montgomery Fiegenbaum. She married Lloyd Frederick Klein. Nancy Louise Klein was the second of their two children.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fiegenbaum of Springfield, Neb.. Nearly every second male with the Fiegenbaum surname had "Henry" as at least one of his given names. Given that the wedding anniversary was celebrated in 1951 and that this couple resided in Springfield, Nebraska, I feel rather confident in identifying this couple as Heinrich F. Fiegenbaum (1868-1954), son of Rev. Friedrich Wilhelm and Louisa (Otto) Fiegenbaum, and Nellie Blanche Montgomery (1876-1968), daughter of David and Hannah (Davis) Montgomery, and the older sister of Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum, who was celebrating her golden wedding anniversary.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ewing of Chicago. I believe this is Arthur Ernest Ewing (1890-1969), son of Albert and Antoinette (Howe) Ewing, and Inez Maude Fiegenbaum (1889-1961), daughter of Louis Theodore Stephan and Luella May (Shumway) Fiegenbaum. Louis Theodore Stephan Fiegenbaum was another son of Rev. Friedrich Wilhelm and Louisa (Otto) Fiegenbaum. This made him a brother to Heinrich F. Fiegenbaum who was married to Nellie Blanche Montgomery who was a sister to Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum.
Misses Louise and Wilma Miller of Wathena, Kas.; Mrs. Gould Larzelere of Troy, Kas.; Mrs. Rolland Beery of Kansas City, Mo. I believe these four individuals were all sisters. Louise Dorothea Miller (1888-1969), Fredricka Frances Miller (she married Robert Gould Larzelere in 1918), Wilma Pauline Miller (1894-1982), and Kathryn Hortense Miller (she married Roland Smith Beery in 1926) were the daughters of Jacob and Emma Maria (Fiegenbaum) Miller. Emma Maria Fiegenbaum was a daughter of Rev. Friedrich Wilhelm and Louisa (Otto) Fiegenbaum. This made her a sister to Louis Theodore Stephan Fiegenbaum and also to Heinrich F. Fiegenbaum who was married to Nellie Blanche Montgomery who was a sister to Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum.
Bruce Claussen of North Platte [Nebraska]. I believe this was Bruce F. Claussen (1925-1997), eldest son of Rueben J. and Frances Louise (Fiegenbaum) Claussen. Frances Louise Fiegenbaum was the eldest daughter of Heinrich F. and Nellie Blanche (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum. Nellie Blanche Montgomery was a sister to Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum.
Mr. and Mrs. M. P. Martin of Lincoln. My research to date has not encountered a Mr. M. P. Martin. I think a useful field of inquiry might follow the trail of Roberta Grace Fiegenbaum (1906-2004), the youngest of the two children born to Heinrich F. and Nellie Blanche (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum. In 1923, she married Clyde William Martin. They had two children: Mary Louise Martin and Robert Clyde Martin.
Mrs. F. K. Klein and Miss Dorothy Klein of Kearney [Nebraska]. Here again, I am on shaky ground. Lloyd Frederick Klein, who married Wilhelm Edward and Maude Mary (Montgomery) Fiegenbaum's second child, Frances Montgomery Fiegenbaum, was the son of Frederick Karl Klein and Lulu May Walrod. I know very little about this family, but it may be possible that Mrs. F. K. Klein was Lloyd Frederick Klein's mother. I do not know where Dorothy Klein fits into the picture.