The rather unusual name, Kunigunda, has appeared on this blog several times over the years. I consider it unusual for a reason other than the fact that it is a name that has pretty much disappeared in today’s day, but also because of its meaning. It is a feminine name that means “brave warrior” or “fighter for her clan”. I have previously discussed a Kunigunda Wirth, Kunigunda Hoehn, Kunigunda Rauh, and even a Kunigunda Fassold, which you will soon discover is the married name of today’s Kunigunda.

The birthday for Kunigunda Amschler, today’s main character, is up for debate, but our German Family Tree says that she was born on August 16, 1822. It is that date that inspired me to write her story today because, if it is correct, today would be a very special one…her bicentennial birthday. I actually have no reason to think this date of birth is correct. The German Family Tree states that it gets the August 16th birthday from Findagrave.com. However, that site says her birthday was September 16, 1822, not August 16th. However, I will write Kunigunda’s story today anyway.

I have no information about Kunigunda Amschler’s parents, nor do I know when she came to America. I do know that she was born in Germany. I also know she was from the region of Bavaria in Germany. If fact, I think all of the women carrying the name, Kunigunda, that have shown up on this blog have been from Bavaria. I think Kunigunda is a name found more commonly from that region of Germany. She must have come to this country prior to 1847 because that is the year in which she got married.

The man who would become Kunigunda’s husband was Michael Fassold, who was born on the first day of 1817, January 1st. Michael was the son of Johann and Anna Maria (Sittler) Fassold. Sometime around 1839, Michael married a woman in Germany, but all we know about her is her first name, Elizabeth. According to our German Family Tree, the only son born to Michael and Elizabeth was a son named Henry who was born in 1841 in America. However, the GFT says he was “probably” their son.

What is puzzling is the fact that we find Michael’s name on a passenger list including several Fassold’s, but we do not see an Elizabeth who was at a child-bearing age. The passenger list is for the ship, Plato, that arrived in the United States in 1840. There are two Michael Fassold’s listed. The one who is 23 years old is one of today’s main characters. There was also an Elizabeth who was just 7 years old.

The date of Elizabeth Fassold’s death is just speculated as taking place between 1842 and 1847. The cemetery that is most likely to be the one in which Elizabeth was buried, Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg, does not have an entry for Elizabeth on Findagrave.com.

Michael Fassold married Kunigunda Amschler on April 30, 1847. The Friedenberg Remembrances book says this marriage took place at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. We can look at a civil marriage record for this wedding from Perry County.

The German Family Tree lists 2 children born to Michael and Kunigunda, one in 1849 and another in 1856. When the 1850 census was taken, we find the following Fassold household. Michael’s parents are included. This entry is a bit of a mystery. First of all, it appears that two children were born to this couple before 1850. Perhaps the child named John was a son that is not included in the re-constructed records we find in the Friedenberg Remembrances book. Second of all, there is a 10 year-old named Michael. Was that another child born to Michael and Elizabeth in Germany. There is a Michael on the passenger list who was said to be 0.6 years old.

Next, we find the Fassold family in the 1860 census. It appears that 3 more children were born to this couple in the 1850’s. Our GFT only shows Albert as being a child born during that decade. John (age 8) and Mary (age 4) may have evaded being found when the Friedenberg book was being researched. Also, in this entry, Michael and Henry show up again as farm laborers, Michael being born in Bavaria and Henry born in Missouri.

The 1870 census shows that Michael’s mother, Mary, was still alive and living in their household. The remaining children correspond with the ones shown in the previous census. Henry Fassold had gotten married Christina Rodewald in 1866, so he is not listed any longer. I also think the Michael Fassold shown previously is the one who married another Kunigunda in 1866…Kunigunda Wirth.

In the next decade, this Fassold couple moved their family to Gordonville, Missouri. That is where we find them in the 1880 census. It looks like Michael and Kunigunda had an empty nest, but right above their entry, you see that of Albert Fassold, their son, who had married Caroline Krueger in 1878.

Michael Fassold died in 1891 at the age of 74; Kunigunda died in 1894 at the age of 71. Both Michael and Kunigunda are buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Gordonville. Findagrave.com includes a close-up view that enables you to better read what is inscribed on the stones. You can click on the thumbnails to enlarge them. Kunigunda’s date of birth can be clearly seen as September 16, 1822.

After reading this post, maybe you should pull it up again this coming September 16th in honor of Kunigunda’s real bicentennial birthday.