Today’s birthday girl named Knoll had two siblings who ended up finding their mates in the state of Colorado and are buried in that state. The girl you will read about today would also find her husband in Colorado, but she would also be buried in Perry County. However, her reason for being buried nearby may not be what you expect.

Elsie Carrie Knoll was born on March 2, 1896, so today would be her 130th birthday. Elsie was child #7 out of 10 children in her family. She was the daughter of Michael and Sarah Georgia (Venable) Knoll. A post telling the story of Elsie’s parents was titled, Michael and Georgia – The Friedenberg Knoll’s. Elsie’s father was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, but her mother was a member of York Chapel in Longtown. We cannot view baptism records from Peace, and we do not have access to the books of York Chapel. I figure that the Knoll children were baptized at one of those churches. Elsie is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. Her father was a farmer in the Central Township.

Sadly, Elsie’s mother died in 1907 when Elsie was just 11 years old. In the 1910 census, her father was a widower, and Elsie was a teenager. The Friedenberg Remembrances book says that she was confirmed at Peace in 1909.

Another tragic event took place in 1912. The Knoll barn burned to the ground as described in this article printed in the Perry County Republican.

Elsie had an older sister, Carrie, who had moved to Colorado Springs and is found living there when the 1910 census was taken. I think it is likely that Elsie decided to follow her sister to that state after these tragic events took place in her family. It would be in Colorado that she would find her husband. Let’s take a look at him.

Harry Isadore Tenenbaum was born on October 3, 1895 in Denver, Colorado. He was the son of Sam and Goldie (Zellinkoff) Tenenbaum. I was unable to locate the Tenenbaum family in the 1900 census. The first entry in which I found Harry (called Isadore on this document) was in the 1910 census. He was 14 years old at the time. His father was an express man.

Harry had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Denver address and called an express messenger employed by Wells Fargo.

My best guess is that either Elsie managed to make her way to Denver and became acquainted with Harry Tenenbaum, or Harry managed to make his way down to where Elsie lived and got to know her. Regardless, Harry Tenenbaum married Elsie Knoll on January 2, 1918. According to the certificate of marriage shown below, this wedding took place in Colorado Springs. For some reason not known to me, it says that Harry was from San Francisco, California. It also says that Elsie was from Pueblo, Colorado. The were married by a justice of the peace.

Later in October of 1918, this couple had their only child, a daughter named Ruth Jane Tenenbaum. In the 1920 census, we find the 3 Tenenbaum’s living in Denver where Harry was a messenger for the railroad. A servant named Etta (or Ella) Hall was living with them.

It must have been right after the above census entry was submitted on January 5th of 1920 that Elsie went to Perry County because of health issues. On June 22, 1920, Elsie died at the age of 24, and an article was published in the Perry County Republican describing her death. It says Elsie had come to Perry County in the previous January.

Since she died in Missouri, I am able to display her death certificate. It says her cause of death was tuberculosis.

By the way, when I located the above death certificate, I discovered that the Henry Klemp that was a main character in a post 2 days ago died on the same day as Elsie. Elsie Tenenbaum is buried in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg. Her gravestone calls her Elsie Knoll, wife of H. Tenenbaum.

Harry married again during the next decade. His second wife was Stella Florence Klatt, who was born on November 27, 1895, the daughter of John and Nora (Platner) Klatt. She is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. The census entry below indicates that Stella had a twin sister named Hazel. Her father was a farmer in Golden, Colorado.

Next, we find Stella in the 1910 census as a teenager. This time, her father was called a bricklayer in Engelwood, Colorado.

Stella Klatt married George Richardson on January 6, 1917 in Denver. I am not able to show any documentation for it. In the 1920 census, we find the Richardson’s living in Denver where George was a mill man at a rubber company. Stella was working as a box maker at a factory. This couple would have no children.

In 1924, Stella became divorced from George Richardson, as is shown in the document below.

Harry Tenenbaum married Stella Richardson on December 23, 1924 in Brighton, Colorado. We can view this Colorado marriage record for that wedding. Once again, Harry was married by a justice of the peace.

In the 1930 census, we find the Tenenbaum’s living in Denver with 2 daughters. One was Ruth Jane from Harry’s marriage to Elsie Knoll, and it looks as if another child was born to Harry and Stella. Harry is called a recorder for the steam railway.

The 1940 census shows Harry, Stella, and their daughter, Shirley in their household. Harry was a clerk for the railroad.

Harry Tenenbaum died in 1948 at the age of 53. He is buried in the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.

I am not going to go into detail about the rest of Stella’s life, other than to say that it looks like she married again because she has a different last name on her gravestone.

Now, if anyone tromps through the Friedenberg cemetery and sees a tombstone with the name, Tenenbaum, on it, they could read this post and know how it got there.