Dorothea was the daughter of Andrew (listed as Antreas) Reuschlein, born 1804 in Bavaria, Germany and died 4 May 1874. He is buried in the Arenzville Cemetery. Her mother was Margaret (Fisher) Reuschlein - she is buried in the old German Cemetery in Cumberland, Maryland, born 26 Jun 1799 and died 29 Dec 1851.
Dora had two brothers, John who was born in 1832 and Frederick born in 1841. Dorothea was born in Germany on 2 Apr 1837 and died 2 March 1914 - married on either 23 Feb 1854 or 28 Mar 1854 in St. Lukes Lutheran Church to Johannes Heinrich "Henry" Schaefer (also listed as Schaeffer), who was born in Germany on 1 Sep 1833 and died in 1912 in Arenzville, IL. He learned the shoemaking business in Cumberland, Maryland and moved his business and family to Arenzville, Illinois in 1856. He served as a member of Company G, 18th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving under Colonel Webber. Henry's parents were Conrad Schaefer (1807-1839) born in Germany who was also a shoemaker and a farmer and Christina (Eiler) Schaefer (1810-1865). It appears Henry had a brother named John who was married to Juliana and also had several of their children baptised at St. Peter's Lutheran Church.Henry and Dora had 12 children, as follows:
Frederick (6 Apr 1855 - 21 Oct 1912)
J. Henry (8 Jun 1857 - 1916) - buried in Oakgrove
George (3 Jan 1859 - 25 Nov 1924)
Anna Maria Schaefer (17 Jan 1861 - ? ) - baptised on 25 Nov 1866 in St. Peter's Lutheran Church
William (5 May 1863 - ? )
Elizabeth (8 Jun 1867 - 10 Oct 1877) - baptised on 25 Nov 1866 in St. Peter's Lutheran Church
Infant (deceased)
Mary (31 Dec 1869 - 1924)
Edward (22 Feb 1871 - ? )
Lula (5 Jun 1873 - 1917)
Maggie (23 Sep 1875 - ?)
Charles (11 Oct 1877 - ? )
Biographical Sketch of Henry Schaefer from the History of Cass County, Illinois
Edited by William Henry Perrin
Published by O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, Chicago, 1882.
Reprinted in 1968 in its in entirety as part of the
Sesquicentennial History of Cass County, Illinois
Edited by Virgil M. Dowdall
HENRY SCHAEFER, shoemaker; Arenzville; was born in Germany, Sept. 1, 1833, and is a son of Conrad and Christina (Eiler) Schaefer, also natives of Germany. Conrad Schaefer, a shoemaker and a farmer, was born in 1807, and died in 1839, in Germany, where also his wife, who was born in 1810, died in 1865; they had two children. Our subject attended school in Germany for eight years; came to this country in 1850, and learned the shoemaker's trade in Maryland. In 1856 he came to Arenzville, where he has since pursued his trade. During the late war he was a member of Company G, Eighteenth Illinois Volunteers, under Colonel Webber. In Maryland, Feb. 23, 1854, he married Dora Reuschlein, a native of Germany; born April 2, 1837; daughter of Andrew and Margaret Reuschlein. By this union they have been blessed with twelve children: Frederick, born in Maryland, April 6, 1855; J. Henry, born June 8, 1857; George, Jan. 3, 1859; Anna, Jan. 17, 1861; William, May 5, 1863; Elizabeth, June 8, 1867, died in Arenzville Oct. 10, 1877; an infant (deceased); Mary, born Dec. 31, 1869; Edward, Feb. 22, 1871; Lula, June 8, 1873; Maggie, Sept. 23, 1875, and Charles Oct. 11, 1877. Mr. Schaefer is a member of the Lutheran Church, and is a Democrat.
I have a lot of additional information on her extended family as well, but am looking for information on her brother John. Her brother Frederick had started spelling the surname as Reischlein and has a long extended family still living in Nebraska (Clatonia, Omaha, Friend, Hickman and Lincoln). If anyone is interested in additional information on this family or lineage, they are more than welcome to email me.
Regards,
Todd Reuschlein - [email protected]