I would describe the post that I wrote yesterday to be a “Dambach Downer” story because there was so much tragedy involved in the life of a person named Dambach. While I was writing that tale yesterday, I had no idea that I would find the story of that Dambach’s brother for today’s post. And even after I discovered that today’s birthday girl would marry that Dambach, I was not aware that this tale would be another one that is full of tragedy. I think if today would be Easter Sunday, I would not write it because I would not want to ruin the celebration of a joyful day of resurrection with a story full of doom. However, since we are in the midst of the Lenten season, it seems to fit the season. I will begin with today’s birthday girl.

Nancy Rosa Bess was born on April 8, 1880, so today would be her 145th birthday. Rosa was the daughter of Daniel and Louisa (Masters) Bess. I have no idea where Rosa was baptized, but I know that during the year of her birth, Rosa is found as a baby, and her family was living in the Crooked Creek Township which is located in Bollinger County when the 1880 census was compiled. She was called Nancy in this entry, and her father was a farmer. Rosa had quite a few older siblings.

That would be the only census entry in which we find Rosa as a single person. So, let’s take a look at the man who would become Rosa’s husband. His name was Friedrich Heinrich Dambach, who was born on September 28, 1877. He was almost always called Fritz during his lifetime, so I will use that name. Fritz was the son of Friedrich and Ernestine (Mehner) Dambach. That means Fritz was the younger brother of Amalie Dambach, who was highlighted in yesterday’s post. All the Dambach children born up until 1882 were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Beginning in 1885, the Dambach children were baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. We can view the baptism record for Fritz from the Friedheim books here.

Fritz is found in the 1880 census at the age of 2. His father, also called Fritz in this entry, was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township. This entry was also displayed in yesterday’s post, and you will see Amalie, called Mollie, as a teenager in this list.

Fritz Dambach married Rosa Bess on April 5, 1900, just 3 days before Rosa’s 20th birthday. According to the Missouri marriage license displayed below, this couple was married by a justice of the peace in Jackson, Missouri. This document states that both Fritz and Rosa were from Shawneetown.

I am also able to show this marriage certificate for this pair. Both of these marriage documents spell Rosa’s surname as Best, but our German Family Tree uses the Bess spelling.

Fritz and Rosa are found as a married couple in the 1900 census. In the occupation column, it uses the abbreviation, N.G. I would like to know what that means. I know I have seen it on other entries before.

Our German Family Tree lists 5 children born to Fritz and Rosa. Their fist child was baptized at Grace, Uniontown, but the next two were baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. Then, the last two were back to being baptized at Grace, Uniontown. When the 1910 census was taken, the Dambach’s had 3 of their own children along with a 4 year-old named Phillip who was called an adopted son. This time, Fritz was farming in the Apple Creek Township.

The first tragic occurrence in this Dambach family took place in the next decade. In 1914, Rosa died at the age of 33, leaving Fritz as a widower. Their last child had been born in 1912, so we have one child who was only 2 years old when his mother died. Rosa’s death certificate below indicates that she died as a result of tuberculosis.

I found this article in the Perry County Republican that is more or less an obituary for her. It was a paragraph found in a column called “Old Appleton News”. This article uses the term, consumption, to describe the disease, tuberculosis. It says this couple had 6 children. That likely included the adopted son mentioned earlier.

In the 1920 census, we find Fritz as a widower with 5 Dambach children. There is also a 13 year-old named Phillip Jackman, who is called a nephew. That must be the Phillip who was previously described as an adopted son.

The Dambach’s are found in the 1930 census still living in the Apple Creek Township. Two sons and Phillip, who is once again called a nephew, were helping Fritz on his farm.

The year, 1933, became the next year that was filled with tragic events. On July 3, 1933, Fritz’s son, Fred Dambach died at the age of 28. His death certificate below says he died of heat exhaustion. He died at St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

An obituary for Fred published in the Perry County Sun gives some more details about his death. It mistakenly says Fred was 38 years old.

Fritz must have had a difficult time after losing his son. According to this article printed in the Perry County Republican on November 30th, Fritz was treated at Southeast Missouri Hospital for some kind of medical issue.

Fritz died not even a month later on December 21st at the age of 56. This article below was included in the “Old Appleton News” column in the Perry County Republican. It gives some explanation behind the fact that Fritz died while he was a patient at the State Hospital in Farmington.

Fritz’s death certificate is shown here. It states that his doctor had attended him beginning on December 6th, and it says Fritz died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Fritz, Rosa, and Fred Dambach are all buried in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown. Rosa has a gravestone of her own, while Fritz and Fred share a gravestone.

This Dambach story ranks right up there (or down there) with the number of tragic events that took place in the Dambach post from yesterday. I guess you could say that nobody’s full life story is just made up of pleasant events, but this post and the previous one certainly included quite a few sad occasions. And I suppose sometimes, I have to just grit my teeth and write about the realities of people’s suffering. Hopefully I will discover a more uplifting story to write tomorrow.