The life of my gr. gr. grandmother, Magdalena (Koopman) Peters. Click read more, below to read the unusual life of this very strong woman.

STORY PROVIDED BY NOTES LEFT BY CLARA MAE ARN, DAUGHTER OF ANNA PETERS

! GRANDMOTHER MAGDALENA KOOPMANN PETERS CAME FROM

HAMBURG, GERMANY IN 1855.  HER HUSBAND AUGUST PETERS, HAD CHOLERA AND DIED

ABOARD SHIP.  HE WAS BURIED AT SEA.  SHE GAVE BIRTH TO ANNA PETERS ABOARD THE SHIP KLEINE ANNA

ON  JANUARY 15,  OF 1855.  THEIR SAILBOAT OR SHIP DOCKED IN FEB. OF 1855.  ALL OF HER

BAGGAGE WAS LOST OR STOLEN.  THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO HAVE BEEN ON THE WATER FOR

THREE MONTHS ,SO THEREFORE THEIR JOURNEY MUST HAVE STARTED IN NOVEMBER OF 1854.

AFTER ARRIVING IN NEW YORK SHE WENT BY TRAIN TO CHICAGO

ILLINOIS AND THEN BY COVERED WAGON

 TO MILWAUKEE, WI. WHERE SHE TOOK A JOB NURSING A BANKERS SON WHILE

NURSING HER LITTLE ANNA.  THIS IS KNOWN AS WET NURSING.   AT A LATER DATE SHE

REMARRIED.  THIS TIME TO A MAN WITH THE LAST NAME OF REINGER.  THIS IS ABOUT

ALL THAT IS KNOWN ABOUT HER.

  IT WAS SAID THAT WHEN ANNA MARRIED JOHN ARN THEY

WENT ON A HONEYMOON TO SWITZERLAND, HIS HOME COUNTRY.  THEY WERE GONE FOR SIX

MONTHS. JOHN  REINGER WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE SAILED WITH THEM.  WHY I DO NOT KNOW.  I

DONOT BELIEVE THAT GRANDMOTHER PETERS REINGER WENT WITH THEM.

GRANDMOTHER PETERS REINGER WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE TWO STEP- SONS THAT RAN AWAY WHEN 14

OR 15 YEARS OLD.  DO NOT KNOW IF THEY WERE BY FIRST OR SECOND HUSBAND.

( I BELIEVE THESE SONS POSSIBLY WERE AUGUST HEINRICH PETERS BY A FIRST MARRIAGE.  MY THOUGHT IS THAT AFTER THEIR FATHER DIED ABOARD SHIP, ON DOCKING THEY JUST WENT THEIR OWN WAY.)

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THE FOLLOWING STORY WAS WRITTEN BY THE GRANDAUGHTER OF JOHN HENRY ARN.  HE IS THE SON OF ANNA PETERS REINGER ARN FROHN.  HER STORY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS STORY OF MYRTICE GIFFORD FORSYTHE WHO OBTAINED HER INFROMATION FROM HER GRANDMOTHER CLARA MAE ARN GIFFORD ENGLEHARDT, WHO WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ANNA PETERS REINGER ARN FROHN.

MAGDALENA KOOPMANN was born between Thursday, March 7 and

Monday, October 14, 1816 in Hamburg, Germany.

    In November, 1854, August and pregnant Magdalena boarded the sail vessel,

Kleine Anna, at the port of Hamburg, Germany and sailed for the port of New York.

During their journey, August became ill.4 He died on Saturday, December 2, 1854 and

was buried in the Atlantic Ocean. A witness to his death and burial was Jacob Heim,

a close friend.

    Magdalena was about 39 years old when she and August sailed for America.

Their child was born on Monday, January 15, 1855 on the Kleine Anna.8 When

Magdalena landed in America, she was a widow and a new mother.

    No further information on August is currently known.

    Magdalena met JOHN REINGER sometime between 1855 and 1858 in Erie, Erie

County, Pennsylvania. (John was born circa 1822 in Baden, Germany). (He emigrated

to America in 1845.) John and his first wife Margrett _________ had a baby in

October, 1852/53. Margrett died in childbirth. It is not known if their child

survived.

    On Monday, March 21, 1859, Magdalena and John had a baby girl. They

named her Margaretha Katharina Reinger.

    “The 1860 deed list for Erie shows a listing for a Magdalena Reinger. She

bought a lot on the northwest corner of Seventh and Plum Streets which is on the

outskirts of Erie. They were diving up an estate and she put in a successful bid for lot

#1 832.

    John enlisted as a volunteer in the army in Waterford1 Pennsylvania during the

Civil War on Thursday, December 24, 1863. He was in Company G, 111th Regiment,

Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers.’ John was 5’5" tall, had hazel eyes, dark hair, a light

complexion and was about 42 years old. His occupation was a carpenter. At the time John enlisted, there was $200 to $300 bonus being paid for volunteers.  Johns name appears in the book entitled HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS  by Samuel P. Bates.  His name is on page 1047.

On Saturday, December 26, 1863, Magdalena and John were married in Erie by

E. Camphausen, a Justice of the Peace.21 This was the second marriage for both. Their

daughter, Margaretha, was already four years old.

    In July, 1864, John developed a heart disease, a result of rheumatism contracted

in the army while lying on the damp ground in wet clothes. He received an honorable

discharge from the army on Wednesday, July 19, 1865Y

    John was naturalized in Erie on Monday, September 28, 1868.  His sponsors

were John Dunlap and U.E. White

    The deed book lists show Magdalena and John sold the house on the northwest

corner of Seventh and Plum Streets in December, 1874 to an Adolph Hippely for

$900.00.

    Magdalena and John were married 12 years when John died in Portage, Wisconsin from heart

disease on Friday, December 31, 1875 He was about 53 years old.

    Magdalena remained a widow. She applied for a pension from the government

as John had served in the Civil War. She was turned down in Erie as it was reported

that John’s death was not related to him having served in the army.  Circa 1889,

Magdalena traveled by stage coach from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin.

    Once in Wisconsin, Magdalena applied for a pension from the government, again,

and this time it was granted - a mere $8.00 per month until her death.’

    By 1897, Magdalena was living with a Mrs. Dora Thurler.  She earned her

room and board by watching Dora’s little children. Magdalena was about 81 years old.

    In 1902, Magdalena was living with a J. Clemons in Portage, Columbia County,

Wisconsin She died in Portage from pneumonia on Monday, November 24, 1902.~~

She was 86 years old and was buried in Gonton’s (presently Oak Grove) cemetery in

Portage. There is no monument or headstone with the PETERS OR REINGER name on it.