Anna Dorothea Schuricht was born on this day (July 23) in 1859. Her parents, John and Anna Susanna (Tirmenstein) Schurict were living in St. Louis and members of Old Trinity Lutheran Church.
In 1878, Dorothea married Johann Heinrich (John Henry) Thiess. Henry was a Lutheran pastor who had received some of his Lutheran traning in Ft. Wayne Indiana. He himself was an Indiana native. The couple was living in Clarks Fork, Missouri in 1880. The next census was in 1900, and by then Henry and Anna were living in Alameda, California. In between that time, there is some indication that Rev. Theiss was instructed by the church to begin a ministry to African-Americans in the Los Angeles area. The Theiss family had nine children.
Both John Henry and Anna Dorothea are buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Alameda, California.
A correction here may be needed. Actually Anna Dorothea is the daughter of Johann (John) Traugott Schuricht and Anna Maria Tirmenstein. Two Johann Schuricht brothers married two Anna Tirmenstein sisters, which may be the cause of some confusion. And of course, the F”s and “T”s in old German script in census records are sometimes hard to differentiate.
The Tirmensteins and the Schurichts were part of the group that decided to stay in St. Louis. Johann Traugott Schuricht married Anna Maria Tirmenstein 25 Jan 1846 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Anna Dorothea was the 8th of 13 children. Johann Fuerchtegott Schuricht married Anna Susanna Tirmenstein 10 Sep 1854, also at Trinity Lutheran. These relationships are confirmed through the published Schuricht family history, census records, records, pictures, as well as data available online from family histories.
There are some wonderful stories to share about both these families, from references made from other family histories as well as our own, as well as pictures and records.
Perhaps we could work on a blog together in the future, as well as the story of Esther Tirmenstein, my Saxon immigrant direct ancestor who married immigrant ancestor Johann Caspar Friedrich Wilhelm Holls, the first of 4 consecutive generations of Lutheran Missouri Synod pastors who originated from this area.
I also am a direct descendant from the Tirmenstein line. Anna is my ancestor Esther Theresia Holls (Tirmenstein)’s niece. I have a lot of data from my uncle’s research 20 years ago as well as many pictures to upload in the coming year here on the Saxon genealogy site as well as several other online sites.
I read somewhere that the Schurichts also have an interesting story. The two Tirmenstein ladies that married into that line would not have had husbands were it not for a huge blessing–when their luggage was put on the wrong ship. Rather than lug it over, they just changed ships — off the Amalia, and onto the Olbers.
As they all were on the same ship as Martin Stephan, I really want to solve the mystery of the dumplings. In “The Destinies and Adventures of the Stephanists who emigrated from Saxony to America”, a very talkative Mrs. Mrs. T–st–n, saved the day when morale was low by suggesting all they needed was some good potato dumplings. Everyone pitched in to make them, and though they weren’t the best to look at or to taste, the whole endeavor brightened everyone’s outlook–until they started fighting over them.
Later on Pastor Stephan admonished them for acting so worldly on such a saintly mission. Not sure if he was more upset about the fight or the dumplings. Maybe they should have offered him the first one?
It seems the Tirmensteins are the only name on the ship manifest that would fit that hangman puzzle. But I don’t know if this book is considered historically accurate or more like a novel?
I am a direct defendant from Anna Tirmenstein’s Brother. I was looking at my family tree made by my grandmother. Now I’m looking for notable people. : )