A special thanks to Robert Jungbluth for providing the information on this page. If you have any comments or have an interest in this family, please contact Robert Jungbluth.
Catharina Sophie Wilhelmina Lempke, born August 24, 1851 in Krenzliner Hutte, Mecklenburg, Schwerin. Her father was Johann Jurgen Carl Lempke, born March 30, 1817 in Krenzliner Hutte, Mecklenburg, Schwerin. Sophie's mother was Catharina Maria Elizabeth Moller, born January 16, 1818 in Krenzliner Hutte, Mecklenburg, Schwerin. Elizabeth Moller married Carl Lempke April 13, 1847 in Krenzliner, Hutte, Mecklenburg, Schwerin. Three daughters would be born to this marriage, with 2 surviving. The birth and marriage events listed here are in the church records of the Lutheran Church of Picher, Mecklenburg, Schwerin, the parish church of Krenzliner Hutte. At the time of the early events in Sophie Lempke's life, there were two kingdoms of Mecklenburg, Mecklenburg Schwerin, the largest of the two, and Mecklenburg, Strelitz, both ruled by a Duke of Mecklenburg. There was at that time, not a Germany, as we know it today. After the death of her husband Carl Lempke, February 2, 1864, Elizabeth Lempke made plans to travel to America to live. She would go there with her 2 daughters Sophie and Sophie's older sister, Catharina Maria Dorothea, born September 19, 1847. They would travel with Joachim Heinrich Friedrich (Fritz) Jungbluth, of Alt Krenzlin. The plans were that Fritz Jungbluth would marry Sophie's sister Maria Lempke once in America. Leaving from Hamburg, November 18, 1865, aboard the sailing schooner, Thatcher Magoun, this group arrive in New York January 6, 1866, after many weeks at sea. Fritz Jungbluth took them to Middleton, Wisconsin, where there was a very large Mecklenburg population, and Fritz Jungbluth's brother, John Jungbluth, had a farm. Fritz Jungbluth and Maria Lempke were married there February 15, 1866. The mother Elizabeth Lempke and her daughter, Sophie, would now make their home with the Fritz Jungbluth family.It was here in the Middleton, Wisconsin area, that Sophie on December 14, 1868 gave birth to daughter Rosetta, the first of 9 children she would have. Soon after this birth, in late 1869, Fritz Jungbluth, his wife Maria, and son Fred and daughter Pauline, would move to Colfax County Nebraska, where a number of Mecklenburg families now lived. Also moving with this family was Elizabeth Lempke, daughter Sophie Lempke, and Sophie's daughter Rosetta. It was here in Schuyler Nebraska, on October 20, 1870 that Gustave Schmidt married Sophie Lempke. This marriage record is number 9 in Book 1 of the Colfax County Marriage Records. With this marriage, Sophie would start her own family. Her mother Elizabeth Lempke would live the rest of her life with her daughter Maria Jungbluth's family, as she is listed as 65 years old, and living with the Fritz Jungbluth family in the 1880 Census. For some unknown reason, she is listed as living, in the 1885 Nebraska State Census, Grant Township, Colfax County.
Her final resting place is beside her daughter Maria Jungbluth, in the Schuyler, City Cemetery, Schuyler Nebraska. Her head stone reads,
Elizabeth Lanka 1820 - 1882 The fact that her birth date is listed as 1820, instead of 1818, as the church records tell us, as well as Sophie's birth date listed as September 29, 1851, instead of August 24, 1851, again as the church records tell us, is very easy to explain, our families at this time lacked even the most basic education, many could not read or write, some could only write their names, so dates really did not mean much to them. When you look at a death certificate, and the child giving the information for their mother, did not know her maiden name, you will have a better understanding of this problem. Sophie Lempke's birth record has a notation written on it at a later date, that said she had gone to America.
Children of Sophie Schmidt Rosetta Schmidt, born December 14, 1868, married Henry Kroeger, born September 22, 1860
Bruno Schmidt, born abt 1871, married Leha Noh, born June 1876
Ida Schmidt, born 1875, married Arthur Stott
Gustave A Schmidt, born June 6, 1876, married Mayme Nieman, born November 9, 1881
Clara Schmidt, born 1878, married John Immel, born June 1873
William P Schmidt, born July 1882, married Edith Guidinger, born 1882
Louis Schmidt, born August 1888, we have no marriage record for at this time. He is listed in the 1917 WW I Draft records for Colfax County.These marriage records can be found at the Colfax County Court House. This list tell us 7 of the 9 children born to Sophie Schmidt. The 1900 Federal Census for Colfax County, Grant Township, lists Sophie as having 9 children, with 7 alive at that time, with William and Louis living still at home. The 1910 Federal Census, City of Schuyler, Colfax County Nebraska lists Sophie, now retired and living in Schuyler, but with 8 children born to this marriage, with 5 living now. We know from cemetery records that Rosetta Kroeger had passed away, and we think that Bruno Schmidt had also died by that time, leaving as it said, 5 children.
Gustave Schmidt, died April 15, 1911 in Schuyler, Nebraska.
Sophie Schmidt, nee Lempke died September 23, 1921 in Schuyler, Nebraska.
Their final resting place is the Schuyler City Cemetery, where also rests many of their children. At this time, 2001, there are today, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren of Gustave and Sophie Schmidt still in Colfax County, Nebraska.
Submitted by:
Robert Jungbluth
797 Cortez Drive
Hemet, CA 92545