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| Death Notice for Wessel Marcus Osterhaus (1866-1913) "The Chicago Tribune" 24 Jun 1913 |
Wessel Marcus OOSTERHUIS was born 07 March 1866 in the little town of Leens, Groningen, Netherlands. His parents were Jan Hiddo OOSTERHUIS and Anna Catharina REISEGER.
As a child, Wessel sailed with his family to the United States on the S.S. Nevada in the spring of 1869. The passenger lists Johan OSTERHAUS (age 29 years), Anna OSTERHAUS, Wessel OSTERHAUS, and Jan OSTERHAUS. They sailed steerage class. (Wessel is mistakenly listed as a two year old female child on the ship's manifest.)
The ship originated in Bremer Haven, Germany and then made a stop in Liverpool, England before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It arrived in New York City in May 1869. There were 2020 passengers on the ship manifest of the S.S. Nevada.
By July 1870, Jan OOSTERHUIS and his family were living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois (12th Ward). This census records a baby named Titia had been born in September 1869 so Anna had been pregnant on the ocean voyage.
Wessel's siblings were Jan, Titia, John and Jacob (twins), Martha, Mary, and Jacomina. Only Wessel, Jan, Martha and Mary lived to adulthood.
The Osterhaus family was living in Chicago when the terrible Great Chicago Fire burned over three square miles of the city in October 1871.
Wessel married Addie Beatrice ANGLEMIRE on 13 May 1886 in Kenosha, Kenosha, Wisconsin. They had come with another couple who had wanted to elope. The other couple supposedly didn't marry after all but Wessel and Addie were wed by D.A. Mahoney. The marriage record notes that "the groom sworn as to the age of the parties". Addie was only 15 years old and Wessel had just turned 20 years old two months earlier.
Wessel and Addie were the parents of eight children: Anna Beatrice, Lutitia Pemelia, Frederick Marcus, George Joseph, Wesley Marcus, Marie and Martha (twins who died soon after birth), and William.
Wessel and Addie lived in Chicago until sometime after the 1900 U.S. Federal Census. They were living in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California in June 1901 when their youngest son, William, died at the age of 2 years from complications of spinal meningitis. (Willie was buried in Naperville City Cemetery.)
A 1902 City Directory for the city of Los Angeles lists Wessel M. Osterhaus working as a carpenter and his address is 221 Dacotah [sic]. By 1904, Wessel was living back in Chicago and listed as a carpenter. His address is 1015 N Park Avenue in the section of the city known as Austin.
Wessel and his family were living in Plainfield, Waushara, Wisconsin by the time of the 1910 U.S. Federal Census. They had left Chicago and bought a farm there. The census states that the farm was mortgage free.
Wessel died in Plainfield on 21 June 1913. The death certificate records his name as "W. M. Osterhaus". He was buried on 25 June 1913 in the Naperville City Cemetery in Naperville, DuPage, Illinois. He was only 47 years old.
As noted in the obituary found in the Plainfield, Wisconsin "Sun", Wessel had died of tuberculosis but had been bothered by several other health issues as well.
