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!

Weekly Puzzle - German Roots

On 3 Jun 1857 Herman Trendel, age 19, a grocer, arrived in the Port of New York on the Orpheus.  Having sailed from Bremerhaven, Germany. His stated destination was New York.

In 1870 Herman Trendel is residing in Chicago, Cook, Illinois working as a driver.  Living with him are his wife, Caroline Mack and three sons: Herman, Theodore and Julius.  In 1880 Caroline is listed as a widow and a daughter Caroline has been added to the family.

The likelyhood is that this is the same man.  There is no Herman Trendel found living in New York in 1870. Herman may have made connections on the voyage with passengers destined for Chicago, there were some.

All four children were married and had children.

So the question is, who is Herman Trendel?  Where in Germany did he come from?  It appears that Caroline was from Baden and Catholic, was Herman Catholic as well?

While following German families is not going to add to my own genealogy, following these families does help in sorting through records that might be relevant.