Richert – Schröder Marriage

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been looking at the parents of Konstantin Nörenberg. His father, Michael, was first married to Louise Ziemer. Konstantin’s mother, Louise Schröder, was married first to Gottfried Richert.

Gottfried Richert

To date, not much is known about Gottfried Richert, the first husband of Louise Schröder. His death record¹Evangelische Kirche Włodzimierz (Wołyń). Taufen 1881-1897 — Tote 1881-1898 (Elizabetpol). Gottfried Richert death 14 November 1881. No 15. LDS film 8019333, item 2. provides a few clues:

From this record:

• Gottfried Richert, a landworker residing in Elisabethpol, Vladimir-Volhynia
• Died 14 November 1881; buried 16 November 1881
• Born at Lipic, Petrikau__ G., Rawa__ Church
• 48 years old [calculated birth year of 1833]
• Married to Louise Schröder
• Cause of death: Geschwulst (swelling)

Marriage to Louise Schröder

Truthfully, I have not found a marriage document for Gottfried and Louise. There are a few reasons for this lack of discovery.

First, the spelling of Richert could be indexed as: Rajchert, Rechert, Reichert, Riechert, Rikert, Rychart, Rychert, Rykert,

Second, the name of Gottfried’s birth location (given in the death record) is unknown to me. Is it a current town name? Is Lipic an abbreviation? He may/may not have been married in the same place where he was born.

Lastly, not all of the church/civil records are digitized. Without knowing a specific date, location, or parish, it is difficult to find one particular record.

Children of Gottfried and Louise

Even without a marriage record, we can use the birthdates of their children to establish an approximate marriage date for Gottfried Richert and Louise Schröder.

1885 Lutheran Confirmation of Wilhelm Riechert²Elisabethpol, Rozyszcze Parish; Włodzimierz(Wołyń), Confirmation Records, Emilie Nöhrenberg, 21 April 1885, digital images, Archiwum Glowne Akt Dawnych (AGAD) The Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw, http://agadd2.home.net.pl/metrykalia/439/sygn.%2034/pages/PL_1_439_34_0191.htm. accessed 16 Jan 2022. Confirmation of Wilhelm Riechert, register #557.

From this record:

• April 21, 1885 at the Elisabethpol Congregation
• Wilhelm Riechert
• Son of Gottfried Richert and his wife Louise née Schröder
• Residing [now] in Elisabethpol
• Born 16 May 1868, baptized at the church in Radom
• Confirmand’s knowledge of reading, catechism and Holy Scriptures is good to very good.

We know that by 1885, Michael Nörenberg was married to Louise (Schröder) Richert and living in Elisabethpol. Emilie Nörenberg (Michael’s daughter) was in the same Confirmation Class with Wilhelm.

This is the correct family group!

Gottfried and Louise Schröder were married before 1868.

Children of Gottfried Richert and Louise Schröder

To date, I know of these children of Gottfried and Louise Schröder:

• Wilhelm (1868-1916), married Henrietta Hensch
• Julianne (1871- ), married Friedrich Schmidtke
• Michael (1873- ), married Louise Rogin
• Caroline (1876- ), married Gottfried Schmidtke
• Eva (1879- ), married Karl Golke

Widows Marry

A series of tragic events struck Michael Nörenberg’s home in 1880-1881. His young daughter, Wilhelmine, died in September 0f 1880. Seven months later, his nine-year-old daughter, Anna Justine, died. Three months after birthing their daughter, Auguste, Michael’s wife Louise (Ziemer) died in August of 1881.

In Novemeber of 1881 Louise (Schröder) Richert’s husband died.

Louise (Schröder) Richert and Michael Nörenberg were widows in Elisabethpol. Michael had 4 young children; Louise had 5 young children.

In the spring of 1883, they married and merged their families.  Konstantin Nörenberg (1889-1955) was their only child to live to adulthood.

What’s Next?

My Dad remembers his grandpa (Konstantin) saying that he had a brother that also immigrated. Maybe it was one of Konstantin’s half brothers or one the husbands of a half-sister.  Perhaps a cousin?

SOURCES

• 1
  Evangelische Kirche Włodzimierz (Wołyń). Taufen 1881-1897 — Tote 1881-1898 (Elizabetpol). Gottfried Richert death 14 November 1881. No 15. LDS film 8019333, item 2.
• 2
  Elisabethpol, Rozyszcze Parish; Włodzimierz(Wołyń), Confirmation Records, Emilie Nöhrenberg, 21 April 1885, digital images, Archiwum Glowne Akt Dawnych (AGAD) The Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw, http://agadd2.home.net.pl/metrykalia/439/sygn.%2034/pages/PL_1_439_34_0191.htm. accessed 16 Jan 2022. Confirmation of Wilhelm Riechert, register #557.