FIRST DAUGHTER, ROSA

The second child and oldest daughter of William and Rosina Ritterhouse/Rittershaus was named Anna Rosa, probably after her mother Rosina who went by "Rosa".  Anna Rosa also went by Rosa (or maybe Rose sometimes), her entire life.  She was born in Pekin (Tazewell County), Illinois on July 22, 1860 (according to her death certificate).

Rosa's parents were German-born immigrants who had been in America twelve years (her father William) and eight years (her mother Rosina).  Her father was already 41 at the time of her birth; her mother was 29.  William and Rosina apparently became naturalized citizens the year of her birth (as per the 1920 U.S. Census).  Rosa had an older brother who was about 21 months old awaiting her.  In just a few months, her mother would again be pregnant with a baby girl who would die in infancy --  Anna Mary (born September 2, 1861).  Eventually, Rosa would have five younger Ritterhouse siblings for whom she, no doubt, helped care, especially after her father died in 1876 when Rosa was nearly 16.

Rosa completed at least five years of school in Tazewell County.  When she was 18 (on May 29, 1879 to be exact), Rosa married a local man who was nearly twice her age, the 34-year-old, German-born John William Schlereth.  (John William was the son of John and Barbara Schlereth.)  Having immigrated to America from Germany in 1868, by 1879 he was living in Elm Grove Township, Tazewell County, Illinois, working as a laborer.

Rosa Ritterhouse Schlereth with her husband John and children Emma, Edward and John

John and Rosa began their family immediately, with their first child, a boy they named John William, no doubt after his father, arriving a little less than nine months later, on February 19, 1880.  The following year, their only daughter was born on July 7, 1881 and was given the name Emma Lese.  While still living in Illinois, they had a third child, Edward Charles, born on June 10, 1886.

In 1890, Rosa's (apparently widowed) mother Rosina Ritterhouse VanDorn bought land in northern Kansas in Marshall County.  It appears that all of Rosina's children moved with her.  John Lewis, Anna Louise, Frederick William and their half-sister Emma VanDorn (who was only about 10 years old) probably lived with Rosina on her new farm which was just 1/2 mile from the Nebraska state line.  George and Charles each purchased 80 acres in Nemaha County, just a few miles from their mother's farm, and big brother William leased land in Nemaha County.  In 1900 Rosa and John were also living in Nemaha County, in the town of Seneca.  Since their fourth (and final) child, Elmer Bryan, was born in Kansas on February 18, 1896, they apparently had been living there for several years.



Downtown Falls City, Nebraska in 1907

At some point between April 1900 and April 1910 (when the U.S. Censuses were taken), two important events occurred in the Schlereth family.  (I have not been able to determine exactly when the events happened or in what order they occurred.)   During that first decade of the twentieth century, John William Schlereth died, leaving Rosa a widow while in her forties.  Also during that decade, the family moved about fifty miles northeast and across the state line to Falls City, Nebraska.  According to Rosa's death certificate, she lived in Falls City for the last 41  years of her life. That indicates she may have moved there in 1900 or thereabouts.


John P. Falter's 1946 oil painting of downtown
Falls City, Nebraska used as Saturday Evening
Post cover 

Falls City, Nebraska is located in the southeast corner of the state, near the state lines of Missouri and Kansas.  It was founded by an abolitionist couple from New York in 1857 to use as a location to ferry slaves from the slave state of Missouri to the free state of Kansas.  The town won a battle with a neighboring town to become the county seat of Richardson County and became an important railroad hub.

Rosa lived in various houses in Falls City during the forty years she lived in that town.  It appears she always lived with at least one of her children.  In 1910, she was living in a rented house in Ward 2 on Barada Street with her sons Edward (23) and Elmer (13).  Ten years later, she was living in the home of Walter Jones at 717 Harlan Street with her sons Edward (now 33) and John (39).  Then in 1930, Rosa was still living with her son Edward, now in a home she owned in the 3rd Ward at 806 Lane Street.  Near the end of her life, in 1940, at the age of 79, Rosa was living in another house she owned a few blocks away at 1123 Chase Street.  Edward, still single at 54, continued to live with her, along with John who was now 60.  According to the census record, they had lived in that house for at least five years.

Rosa spent her life as a wife and mother, living with and caring for her children all her life.  She had at least two grandchildren; daughter Emma had a son and son Elmer had a daughter.  Her children lived most of their lives in the Falls City area so, no doubt, her children and grandchildren were involved in her life.  Rosa lived a long life, dying at the age of 80 years, 5 months and 21 days on January 13, 1941.  She died of a cerebral hemorrhage accompanied by debilitating weakness and senility.  She was buried in the Rosehill Cemetery in Douglas, Nebraska which is located about 90 miles northwest of Falls City, outside of Lincoln.  Apparently her grave is unmarked but is located near the grave of her son Edward.




It seems like Rosa Ritterhouse Schlereth was less connected to the rest of her family.  I definitely have fewer pictures of her and have less information about her.  I have some information about her children which I'll include in a later post.  I'm hoping we can connect to some of her descendants and learn more about her life.