I have mentioned Dr. Gustav Schuricht in passing within a few previous blog posts, and, knowing that he was a descendant of an original Stephanite immigrant, I was hoping to find a reason to tell his story. Today, I get that chance, and you will read his story. It leads us to a few other original immigrants as well.

Gustav Samuel Schuricht was born on June 1, 1853, thus making today his 173rd birthday. Gustav was the son of Johann Traugott and Anna Maria (Tirmenstein) Schuricht. The story of Gustav’s parents was told in the post, Traugott Schuricht – St. Louis Merchant. Gustav’s father came to this country aboard the Copernicus in 1839, and his mother made the trip aboard the ship, Olbers. His parents got married in 1848, and Gustav was the 4th of 12 children born into this family. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis. An Excel spreadsheet entry listing that congregation’s baptism records is pictured here.

We find Gustav in the 1860 census at the age of 7. His father was a merchant of dry goods in St. Louis.

Next, Gustav is found in the 1870 census as a teenager. His father was still a merchant, but Gustav was working at a flour mill. His uncle, Johann Fuerchtegott Schuricht, along with a man named Leonhardt, ran a flour mill, and Gustav must have been working there. Another post was written about his uncle titled, Saxony Mills.

A document for deceased physicians for Gustav states that he finished his studies to become a doctor in 1872 at the Homeopathic Medical College of Missouri located in St. Louis.

That leads us up to Gustav’s marriage, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Caroline Henriette Estel, who was born on November 27, 1854. Caroline was the daughter of Martin and Carolina (Vetter) Estel. Caroline’s father was also a member of the Stephanite immigration of 1839. He was 10 years old when his Estel family made the voyage to this country aboard the ship, Olbers. A previous post, Estel in a China Shop, told the story of Caroline’s parents. Caroline was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis. Her baptism record is shown here.

Caroline is found in the 1860 census at the age of 5, Her father had a china store in St. Louis.

The other census entry in which we find Caroline prior to her wedding was the one taken in 1870. She was 15 years old, and her father was called a Queensware merchant.

Gustav Schuricht married Caroline Estel on October 9, 1873 at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis. Their church marriage record can be seen here.

Gustav and Caroline had 6 children. Their 3rd child, Theodore, was said to be born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1877. Their 4th child, Helene, was back to being born in Missouri. However, when the 1880 census was taken, we find the Schuricht’s living in Effingham, Illinois where Gustav is called a homeopathic physician.

Their daughter, Clara, was born in Effingham in 1881, but their last child, Alphons, born in 1885, was born in St. Louis. The 1900 census shows the Schuricht family living in St. Louis with 4 children in their household. Gustav was called a physician.

In the 1910 census, 3 children were still living with their parents. Gustav was called a physician with a family practice.

Here are photos of Gustav and Caroline.

The last census in which we find Gustav and Caroline was the one taken in 1920. They had a single son and a single daughter, both in their 40’s, living with them. Gustav, at the age of 66, was still practicing as a doctor.

Caroline Schuricht died in 1922 at the age of 67. We can view her death certificate below. I have seen such death certificates on which Dr. Gustav Schuricht was the doctor of record, but he was not listed as the doctor who confirmed her diagnosis on this form. He is, however, the informant.

Dr. Gustav Schuricht died in 1927 at the age of 74. We can also view his death certificate.

Both Gustav and Caroline Schuricht are buried in the Our Redeemer Cemetery in Affton. There is a Schuricht family stone and two separate gravestones for Gustav and Caroline.

I know that Dr. Gustav Schuricht did not just have Lutheran patients, but I also know that I have seen Dr. Schuricht’s name on several death records for characters that have shown up on this blog. Lutherans in the neighborhood where Dr. Schuricht had his practice were probably happy to visit a doctor who shared their Lutheran faith.