AT THE RIVERBEND: Katherina Margaret Pflaumer, daughter of Jacob and Katharina Hoffman

"Aunt Kate" Pflaumer was the second child and only daughter born to Jacob Pflaumer and his second wife, Katherina Hoffman.

On the left is her baptismal certificate stating that Jacob Pflaumer and his legitimate wife, Catherine Hoffman, bore a daughter on the 21st of April, 1874 and she was baptised on the 26th of October, 1874 by P. Ruhl. She was christened Catherine Margaret (perhaps Margarethe). It is difficult to read, but it seems like the godparents might have been the parents. The baptism took place at the Reformed church in Springfield Township, Allen County, Indiana.

At the age of 20, she married Orman F. Saylor on November 5, 1895. Her brother, William, came with the couple to vouch for her age of maturity. The couple were married by the minister, A. W. Ballinger, on the same day the license was acquired. The Fort Wayne News reported on November 6, 1895: "Yesterday afternoon occurred the marriage of Mr. Orman F. Saylor and Miss Katie Pflaumer."

In the 1900 census, Katie and Orman lived in Wayne Township, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Orman, 28, worked as a conductor on the street car, while Katie, 26, was at home. They rented a house there and at some point also lived in Indianapolis. Sadly this marriage did not last, and somewhat unusual for the times, the couple divorced in 1905, apparently after having moved to Indianapolis. The paper again reported:
"Mrs. Katie Saylor has been granted an absolute divorce from Orman F. Saylor in the Marion circuit court at Indianapolis. Mrs. Saylor was granted the decree on her cross complaint and her maiden name of Katie Pflaumer is restored to her. The parties formerly resided in Fort Wayne and Mr. Saylor was for many years a conductor on the city traction lines and later held a similar position on the Fort Wayne and Southwestern interurban lines."

Katie moved back home with her mother. Her niece, Violette, remembered that after she was back home she had her own cows and made her own butter. She also had a sow, and every year she would sell pigs to pay the taxes. For company, she always served chicken and noodles and dried apples. She helped keep track of farm expenses for her mother, as well, as the account book still exists. As for her former husband, Orman Saylor remarried a few years after the divorce. The 1910 census found him in Indianapolis with his second wife, Anna and no children. He was then a police officer.

Kate Pflaumer died at the age of 51 from uterine cancer that had spread to her lungs and stomach.
She died on November 24, 1924, preceding her mother in death.
The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, carried her obituary on November 25, 1924:
"Miss Katherine Pflaumer, aged 51, died at 7 o'clock Monday evening at her home near Harlan, of a complication of diseases. Funeral services will be held at 10 o'clock Thursday morning at her home at 10:30 o'clock at the Scipio M.E. church. Burial in the church cemetery."

About a month before her death, a handwritten will was made by Kate on October 18th. Someone else wrote it for her, it appears, as the writing differed from her signature. The will was probated in December 1924.

In her will, she left $20 each to the children of her brothers, William and Edward. To her mother, she left all the interest she had in the real estate at the time of her death and the rights to a certain contract between her and her brothers dated April 19, 1906, with the sum owed her to go to her mother. She gave each of her brothers $100 and the residue of her estate, if any, to her nieces and nephews. She appointed her brother, George Edward, as executor.