My week-long stay in Warren County, Missouri has ended. I traveled there hoping to find information about my 3rd great grandparents, the Düwels or Duewels, who appeared in the census of 1870 but not 1880. Their daughter, Friederieke, was the mother of my paternal great grandfather, Henry Duesenberg. Using church records, deeds and estate documents, I’ve been able to piece together the final chapters of their lives after 1870.

Anne Catrine Marie (Springmeyer) Düwel, my 3rd great grandmother, became a landowner for the first time in October of 1877. At the age of 63, she purchased 96 acres of land from Herman and Anna Hülsmann. According to the deed, she was a single woman. I believe this is the same land she and her husband, my 3rd great grandfather, Johann Friedrich Düwel, had farmed since they arrived in Warren County about 1845. August Nolting owned the land adjacent to the Hülsmann’s and is listed as a neighbor of the Düwels in the 1850 census.

Friedrich, or Fritz, Düwel appears to have died about 1876 or early 1877. His grandson, Charles Koelling, was baptized at Strack’s Church in late 1875 with Grandfather Friedrich listed as his only sponsor. Since there is no evidence that he ever purchased land in his own name, there was likely no need to file estate documents when he died. All of his personal belongings would have passed to his wife.

“Catherine Duvall”, as she appears on the deed in 1877, borrowed $266 from Julius Brandt to purchase the 96 acres. The promissory note filed the same day as the deed stipulated that she had two years to repay him. He charged her 8% interest annually. Although this was likely a risky undertaking for a single woman of her age, she must have successfully repaid him because there is no debt owed to him according to her estate documents filed in October of 1879. Her three children – Fred “Duvall”, Mina Koelling and Rieka Duesenberg – sold the land for $400 in December of the same year and split the proceeds.

The reason she decided to purchase the land after having rented it for so many years is unclear. I suspect her landlords may have been concerned about her ability to run the farm successfully and pay rent after the death of her husband. To avoid the liability, they apparently sold the land to her instead. She appears to have done alright for herself, however, as she died owning it outright. (Good for her!)

Her estate documents also included an inventory of her personal belongings. Among them were twenty gallons of “fresh wine”, a blind mare, and 30 chickens, more or less. Sadly, there is no mention of her daughter, Caroline Düwel, who was 8 years old in the census of 1860 but was not listed in 1870. She is likely lost to the ages.

I had no idea what I might find in Warren County. I could have easily returned empty-handed. But, instead, I learned a great deal about two of my ancestors, one of whom appears to have been a strong, independent woman.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 3rd great grandmother
Common ancestors: Anne Catrine Marie (Springmeyer) Düwel is the daughter of Friedrich and Marie (Geismann) Springmeyer, my 4th great grandparents