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Note: Margaret (or the German name Margaretha) Steffes was born on June 24, 1848, in Taycheedah Township, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. This was about a year after her parents arrived in that area, having immigrated from Germany. I have Margaret in my file, because this seems to be the name she went by almost all of her life. She grew up in Fond du Lac County and met her husband Jacob Knechtges there. They married in Marytown in Fond du Lac County on October 9, 1866. They lived on a farm in the Brotherton area for six or seven years. Their four oldest children were born there. In about 1874 she and her husband Jacob moved to Houghton County, Michigan, where Jacob found work in the copper mines. They spent the rest of their lives in that area, first living in Calumet, and later to nearby Laurium. They had eight more children born to them in Houghton County. In the birth records of a couple of her children born in Michigan, Margaret is listed as Anna Margaret Knechtges and Annie M. Knechtges. These seem to be the only records I have found where her first name is listed as Anna, so I have not used this name. Margaret died in Laurium on May 7, 1913. She is buried in the Lakeview Cemetery, located at 24090 Veterans Memorial Hwy just outside of Calumet. Her husband Jacob, daughter Emma and possibly a couple of children who died young are buried there also, in Section F, Plot 49. Rick Waggener =========== From the 1860 Federal Census of the Town of Calumet, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, page 1/ 299, taken June 1, 1860, post office- Marytown, household 4; from ancestry.com, image 1 of 38. Margaret is listed in the household of her parents: Margaret Steffes; age- 11, female, born- Wisconsin, in school =========== From the 1870 Federal Census of the Town of Brotherton, Calumet County, Wisconsin, post office- New Holstein, taken July 7, 1870, page 16, household 109; from ancestry.com, image 16 of 42. Margaret is listed in the household of her husband: ------- Margretha; age- 22, female, occupation- keeping house, born- Wisconsin, parents of foreign birth ============ From the 1880 Federal Census of Houghton County, Michigan, Calumet 2nd Precinct, page 26 B, (no date written, probably June or July of 1880), ancestry.com, Houghton County, district #10, image 26 of 82. Margaret is listed with her husband and family: ----- Maggie; female, age- 32, wife, married, occupation- keeping house, born- Wisconsin, parents born- Prussia ============ From the Polk's Directory 1899-1900 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, Margaret (widow Jacob), res 228 Osceola "Res" indicates that Margaret resided there. ============ From Federal Census of 1900; Village of Laurium, Houghton County, Calumet Township, Michigan; district #175, page 10A, taken June 6, 1900, the house number does not seem to be given but the street is Osceola, household #194; from ancestry.com, district 175, image 19 of 57: Knechtges, Margaret; head of household, female, born June 1848, age- 51, widowed, mother of 14 children/ 10 alive, born- Wisconsin, parents born Germany, occupation- housekeeper, r/w's, owns home free of mortgage, home is a house ----- Emma; daughter, female, born March 1870, age- 30, single, born Wisconsin, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- dress maker, not unemployed last year, r/w's ----- Effie; daughter, female, born- Sept. 1876, age- 24, single, born- Wisconsin, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- sales lady, not unemployed last year, r/w's ----- Mary; daughter, female, born-Mar 1877, age- 23, single, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, no occupation listed, r/w's ----- John; son, male, born- June 1878, age- 21, single, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- day laborer, not unemployed last year, r/w's ----- Jake; son, male, born- Dec 1881, age- 18, single, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- wiper angions???(illegible), not unemployed last year, r/w's ----- Ottila; daughter, female, born- Dec 1882, age- 17, single, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- at school- 10 months last year, r/w's ----- Rose; daughter, female, born- Sept 1885, age- 14, single, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- at school, r/w's (Margaret is the head of household as her husband Jacob died in 1898.- RW) =============== From the Polk's Directory 1901 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, Margaret (widow Jacob), res 228 Osceola =============== From Polk's Director 1903-04 for Laurium, sent to me by Pam Welles: ****** Knechtges, Margaret (wid Jacob), res 228 Osceola =============== From the Polk's Directory 1907-08 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, Margaret (wid Jacob), res 228 Osceola ================ From Polk's Director 1910 for Laurium, sent to me by Pam Welles: ****** Knechtges, Margaret (wid Jacob), res 228 Osceola =============== From the 1910 Federal Census of Houghton County, Michigan; Calumet Township, Laurium Village, district #96, page 3A, taken April 16, 1910; from ancestry.com, district #96, image 5 of 26: At 228 Osceola Street, household #50 Knechtges, Margaret; head of household, female, age- 61, widowed, mother of 12 children/ 10 living, born- Wisconsin, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- none, not able to read or write, owns home, free of mortgage, home is a house ----- Emma; daughter, female, age- 41, single, born- Wisconsin, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- saleslady/ department store, not out of work on April 15, 1910, not unemployed last year, r/w's ----- Jacob; son, male, age- 28, single, born- Wisconsin, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- labor/ mine surface, not out of work on April 15, 1910, not unemployed last year, r/w's ----- Rose; daughter, female, age- 24, single, born- Wisconsin, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- book keeper/ bank, not out of work on April 15, 1910, not unemployed last year, r/w's ================ From Polk's Directory 1912 of Laurium, from the Sutro Library, San Francisco, CA: ****** Knechtges, Margaret (wid Jacob) res 228 Osceola Also still listed in the home are Emma, Jacob, and Rosa. =============== From the Calumet News, dated May 7, 1913, page 6: Laurium Matron Succumbs to Heart Trouble Today Mrs. Margaret Knechtges, Aged 65, Passes After Brief Illness Mrs. Margaret Knechtges, aged 65, passed away at her home on Pewabic street at 8 o'clock this morning, following an illness of about six weeks. Death was due to heart trouble. The late Mrs. Knechtges was taken ill while visiting with relatives in Cincinnati, O., just prior to the floods in the Ohio Valley and because of the destruction of roadbeds, she was unable to be taken to this city. Three weeks ago, accompanied by a daughter, she returned. The deceased was born in Chilton, Wis., where she resided until her marriage more than forty years ago. For the past two score years, she made her home in Laurium. The following children survive: Peter of Great Falls, John and Jacob of Laurium and Theodore of Phoenix, Mrs. W. J. Pirron and Mrs. Gerden Derosiers of Cincinnati, O., Mrs. William Laberge of Detroit, Miss Rose of Chicago and Mrs. Frank Brown and Miss Ellen of Laurium. Funeral arrangements have not been completed, pending word from children outside the state. ============== From the Daily Mining Gazette, Houghton, Michigan, Thursday May 8, 1913, page 6: Mrs. Margaret Knechtges died yesterday morning at her house on Pewabic street, Laurium, aged 65 years. Death was the result of heart trouble and followed six weeks illness. The late Mrs. Knechtges was born in Chilton, Wis., where she resided for fourty years. Funeral arrangements have not been made. The following children survive: Pe- (There appears to be a line missing) of Laurium; Mrs. W. J. Pirron and Mrs. Gerden Derosiers of Cincinnati, O.; Mrs. Willam Laberge of Detroit; Miss Rose of Chicago; and Mrs. Frank Brown and Miss Ella of Laurium. ============== From the Daily Mining Gazette, Houghton, Michigan, Friday May 9, 1913, page 10: The late Mrs. Margaret Knechtges will be buried tomorrow morning, the funeral services to be conducted at the Sacred Heart church at nine o'clock, with interment at Lake View cemetery. ============= Margaret's death certificate was posted on-line by the State of Michigan: State of Michigan Certificate of Death Place of death: Pewabec St., Laurium, Calumet Township, Houghton County Name: Margaret Knechtges Sex: female Color: white Marital status: widowed Age: 65 years Birthplace: Wisconsin Name of father: Theodore Steffes Birthplace: Germany Maiden name of mother: unknown Birthplace: Germany Informant: John Knechtges Residence: Laurium, Mich. Date of death: May 7, 1913 Cause of death; inyo cardiac mitral regurgitation Cemetery: Lake View Date of burial: May 10, 1913 =============== From Probate File #3419, Office of the Probate Court, County Court House, Houghton, Michigan. Transcribed in September of 1996, and sent to me by Jean Braun: State of Michigan- Probate Court for the County of Houghton In the Matter of the Estate Margaret Knechtges, deceased. I, Rose Knechtges, respectfully represent that I reside in the Township of Calumet, in said county and am interested in said estate and make this petition as a daughter and heir at law of said deceased. I further represent that said deceased died on the Seventh day of May A. D. 1913, leaving no last will and testament as I am informed and believe. I further represent that said deceased was, at the time of her death, an inhabitant of the Township of Calumet in said county and left estate within said county to be administered and that the estimated value thereof is as follows: $3,000.00 or thereabout; personal estate. $2,500.00 or thereabout, as I am informed and believe. I further represent that the names, relationships, ages and residence of the heirs at law of said deceased are as follows: Name Relationship Age Residence Peter Knechtges son 44 Great Falls, Montana Emma Knechtges daughter 43 Laurium, Michigan Katherine Braun daughter 42 Laurium, Michigan Theodore Knechtges son 40 Phoenix (?) Effie DeRosia daughter 38 Lockland, Ohio Mary LeBarge daughter 36 Laurium, Michigan John Knechtges son 34 Laurium, Michigan Jacob Knechtges son 30 Laurium, Michigan Ottilia Pirron daughter 28 St. Bernard, Ohio Rose Knechtges daughter 26 Laurium Legal notice of probate hearing to be held June 13, 1913, in the probate office (in Houghton) was published in The Calumet News newspaper on May 21, May 28, June 4, and June 11, 1913, pursuant to an order of Goe. C. Bentley, Judge of Probate Court. Other documents reflect the estate value including: -Lot number eight (8) in Block number three (3) of the Village of Laurium, formerly known as Calumet Village, according to the Recorded Plat thereof on file in the Register of Deeds for the County of Houghton (valued at $2,000). -Stock certificates for Lake Superior and Arizona Mining & Smelting Company (valued $36), Wolverine Copper Mining Company (289.50), Mohawk Mining Co. ($980), Copper Range Cons. Mining Company ($1,290), Ask Bid Mining Company ($0), and Arnold Mining Company ($0). -Cash at First National Bank of Calumet $106.73 Total estate: $4,702,23
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