Monday, March 2, 2015

Monthly Puzzle - Theo Trendel and Family


On Sunday,  24 July 1892, the Daily Inter-Ocean reported the death of Carrie Eda Trindel. (Vol:21 Issue:122 Sec:2 Pg:13)

In this case the identity of Carrie is not a mystery, her parents are named as Theo and Lizzie Trindel. The spelling of the name is generally Trendel.  Theodore Trindel, bn 1866 in Illinois married Elizabeth Eichelmann(Ickerman) in Chicago in Cook County on 20 Sep 1890.  There are six other known children in the family born between 1893 and 1906, Carrie fits in perfectly, born about 10 months after the marriage.  Theo died in 1922 in Chicago and Lizzie in 1931 in Elmwood Park and according to death certificates, he was buried in Oakridge Cemetery.

 The puzzle this month is a missing cemetery record.   I found two Oakridge Cemeteries in Cook county.  One has over 10000 burials listed and the other over two, but the only Trendel found is Marie the daughter of Theodore's brother Julius.  Where is Theodore?

Theo was the son of Herman Trendel and Caroline Mack who were discussed in the 9 Dec 2013 posting on this Blog.  I have found another possible record for Herman, a birth in Prussia for a Carl Herman Trendel on 5 Sep 1838 with a baptism on 20 Oct 1838 at  Sankt Nikolai, Berlin Stadt, Brandenburg, Prussia, father Joh. Carl Trendel and mother Elisabeth Henriette Karstaedt.  As I said possible, but in no way proven and the names Carl and Johann do not seem to have been used by Herman in naming his children which makes it a little suspect.  Additionally, this appears to be a Lutheran baptism and Herman married a Catholic. The only census record found for Herman states he was born in Germany which is not very helpful and no death record has been found to date.

This is still a puzzle in progress!