Oberwortmann, Alfredia S.

Other Events:

• Census: Jun 1900, Berger, Franklin County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Apr 1910, Boeuf Township, Franklin County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:

     This woman's name has been spelled a variety of ways in sources, Alfreda and Elfreda being the two most common. Until this matter can be decided more authoritatively, I will use the first version in my references to her, unless I am quoting a source which employs a different spelling.

Census:

     According to the 1900 U.S. enumeration, Alfredia S. Oberwortman, age 12, attended school and lived in a farming household headed by her parents, Louis Oberwortman, age 42, a farmer who owned his own farm; and, Annie S. Oberwortman, age 37. In the 19 years of marriage, they had given birth to 7 children; 5 were still living. Besides Alfredia there was: Lydia L. Oberwortman, age 18, no longer attending school; Albert J. Oberwortman, age 16, working on the farm when not attending school; Annie D. C. Oberwortman, age 4; and, Esther C. M. Oberwortman, age 2. Also living in the household was Fritz Oether, a 51 year old widow working as a farm laborer. Born in Germany in 1849, he immigrated to the USA in 1881 and was a naturalized citizen.

Census:

     According to the 1910 U.S. enumeration, Elfrida [sic] Oberwortmann, age 21, lived on the family-owned farm headed by her parents, John Oberwortmann, age 50, and Annie Oberwortmann, age 46. They had been married for 29 years and had given birth to nine children, seven of whom were still alive (and six were living in the home). The other five siblings with whom Elfrida lived were: Albert Oberwortmann, age 26, working full-time on the farm; Deola Oberwortmann, age 14, attending school; Ester [sic] Oberwortmann, age 12, attending school; Arthur Oberwortmann, age 8, attending school; and, Olga Oberwortmann, age 6. Also living in the home were two hired hands: Hugo Laboube, age 19; and, Henry Willer, age 37.

Buried:

     According to information on her death certificate, "Alfreda Oberwortman" was to be buried in a "Private Home Cemetery."
     According to information at Find A Grave, "Elfreda Oberwortmann" was buried in the Oberwortmann-Fallbeck Cemetery, a private, family cemetery located between the towns of Etlah and Berger. Among the other family members buried in this cemetery are three of Elfreda's siblings: Alfred J., F. Emus, and Ludwig W.

Died:

     According to information on her death certificate, Alfreda Oberwortman [sic] died at 5:20 p.m. on 29 November 1911 on Market Street. The cause of death was judged to be exhaustion resulting from a laperotomy on 25 November 1911 for the removal of bilateral ovarian cysts. Alfreda's doctor,Ernst L. Haffner, M.D., at Hermann, Missouri, recorded that she had been under his care from 1 September to 29 November 1911. Indeed, he had last seen her alive on the 29th.
     It raises some unanswered questions in my mind when I reflect that she succumbed to a fatal level of exhaustion on the same day of a visit with her physician.
     According to information on her death certificate, Alfreda was single and her age was 24 years, 5 months, 2 days. Her occupation was recorded as "none."
     In April 1910, at the time of the U.S. census, 21 year old Alfreda (her name was spelled "Elfrida") was living in the family-owned farm outside Berger, Missouri. The household was headed by her parents and included five of her siblings (ages 26 to 6 years) and two hired hands (ages 19 and 37). Presumably a year later, she was still living in this household. While she may not have held down a job outside the home that brought in wages, she was very probably kept very busy in her daily living environment.