Gottfried Friederick Draeger (1821-1899)

Gottfried Friederick Draeger was born on 12 Jan 1821 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia, as the third child of Michael Friederick Dräger and Christina Bohn. He was baptized at Dobberphul on 21 Jan 1821. He had five siblings, namely: Gottfried (who died young), Hanna Louisa, Dorothea Louisa, Christian, and Friederike.

He was called Friederick.

When he was 27, he married Joanna Friedericke Streich, daughter of Johann Friederick Streich and Maria Elizabeth Luise Liesener, on 13 Nov 1848 in Evangelical Church, Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia. She was known as Friedericke.

Friederick and Friedericke started their family in Dobberphul. Today, the town is known as Dobropole Gryfińskie, Poland. But, before 1945, the village was part of Germany (and before that Prussia) and was known as Dobberphul.

Poland

Sadly, two of their first four children, both sons named Carl, died as babies. Not long after the birth of their fourth child, Friederick and Friedericke, like many others from their area, left Prussia to settle in America. They, and two children, sailed from Hamburg, Germany on the ship Gerhardt and arrived in New York City on 9 Jun 1856. Their final destination was Wisconsin.

Passenger list from the Gerhardt.[/caption]

Gottfried Friederick Draeger and Joanna Friedericke Streich had the following children:

1. Carl August Ferdinand Draeger was born on 18 Sep 1849 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia. He died on 07 Nov 1849 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia.
2. Emilie Friedericke Luise Draeger was born on 12 Oct 1850 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia.  She married Carl F. Fehlhaber on 21 May 1872 in the Town of Maine, Marathon, Wisconsin. She died on 12 Dec 1910 in the Town of Berlin, Marathon, Wisconsin.
3. Carl Friedrich Draeger was born on 21 Jan 1853 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia. He died on 03 Jan 1855 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia.
4. August Wilhelm Draeger was born on 10 Oct 1855 in Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia. He died on 02 Feb 1939 in Merrill, Lincoln, Wisconsin. He never married.
5. Charles Frederick Draeger was born on 26 Sep 1858 in Maine, Marathon, Wisconsin. He married Anna Wilhelmina Alberta Saeger on 22 Oct 1886 in Maine, Marathon, Wisconsin. He died on 05 Sep 1936 in Merrill, Lincoln, Wisconsin.
6. Wilhelmina Draeger was born on 26 Jun 1860 in Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin. She married Hjlmar August Reuter in 1883 in Rhinelander, Oneida, Wisconsin. She died on 18 Nov 1938 in Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin.
7. Mathilda Louisa Frederika Draeger was born on 20 Feb 1863 in Maine, Marathon, Wisconsin. She married William Sylvester Twomey on 27 May 1894 in Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin. She died on 21 May 1933 in Waupaca, Waupaca, Wisconsin.

After arriving in America, the family made their way to Wisconsin. They settled in Maine Township, Marathon, Wisconsin where Friederick bought 80 acres of land on 1 November 1859. The land had originally been granted to Wornton Jones who had earned it as a result of military service being a private in Captain Lane’s Company of the Georgia Militia. Wisconsin is a long way from Georgia, so Mr. Jones probably never actually intended to farm the land.

Friederick’s occupation was listed as joiner on the ship passenger list. According to Wikipedia, A joiner is an artisan who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the “fittings” of a house, ship, etc. But, in America, Friederick became a farmer. He was listed as a farmer in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 Federal Census records.

Later in life, Friederick and Friedericke left the farm and moved into the city of Wausau. Gottfried Friederick Draeger died on 22 Dec 1899 in Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin and was buried there in Pine Grove Cemetery.

Friederick left a will leaving his estate, less any debts and funeral expenses, to his beloved wife. After her death, the estate was to be distributed to his children. His daughter Wilhelmine was to receive $100. His other two daughters, Emilie and Mathilde, and his son, August, were to split the rest of his estate. For some reason, his other son, Charles, a.k.a. Carl, didn’t receive anything in the will. That seems a little strange, but it is possible that he had been given something prior to his father’s death. The furniture company was paid right away for the funeral expenses, but the final settlement of the estate didn’t happen until after Friedericke’s death in 1906.

Where is he in the tree?