A Bit About Frieda's Husbands - Charles Fouts and Theodore Lange

Frieda Spoering probably had a bit more convoluted life than some of her siblings.  But to explain that, one must discuss each of her spouses and their histories.

Charles Fouts, her first husband, was born in Wood County in the same year as Frieda, on December 2, 1892.  He and Frieda married in 1917, and soon after, he reported to duty in World War I where he served from 1918 -1919 overseas.  When he came back, the couple had two children - Eldor Adolph George who died at about 10 months old of bronchial pneumonia in 1922, and Marie Clara, born in 1924.
Sometime between 1924 and 1928, he and Frieda were divorced.

He moved on to marry Eulah Katherine Market on December 30, 1928.  Katherine was about 12 years younger than Charles, her birthday being in 1904.
I would question the honesty of his age on this form.

 In the 1930 census of Dover Township, Fulton County, Charles J., 32, stated that he was a garage mechanic. Catherine, his wife, 25, noted she was a farmer.

Eulah Catherine (or Katherine) died on July 31, 1931, in Wauseon, Fulton County, Ohio, although she was buried in St. Augustine Cemetery in Napoleon.  Her cause of death is unknown at this time.

But Charles found another love and married her on November 14, 1932.  Alice M. Rittichier was 23 on her wedding day, the daughter of Michael and Lottie. Charles said he was a race driver on his marriage license and he seemed to skip the question about previous marriages. She had a small child, Mary, before the time of their marriage who was adopted by the Hotz family.
She and Charles had their first child on January 7, 1933, Martha Marie.  Catherine Joan followed on April 30, 1934.

However, on July 27, 1934, a terrible accident happened at the home of Alice's uncle.  According to the death certificate, Alice "possibly fainted and fell backward, striking her neck on a cabinet, injuring the spinal cord. Alice died the next day, and was buried at St. Casper Catholic Cemetery in Wauseon, Ohio.

The infant, Catherine, was adopted out to her aunt Martha Leggett, Alice's sister, and the child, Martha, went to live with her another aunt, Josephine.  Martha was there in the 1940 census as a seven year old, with her aunt, Josephine, 40, single and proprietor of a restaurant; her grandmother, Lottie, 63, a widow; and another aunt, Martha, 31, single, a waitress.  

Charles married one more time to Charlotte, whose identity has not been discovered yet.  Charles Fouts died in Florida in the same year as Frieda, 1961.
His obituary from the Toledo Blade, September 16, 1961:

"CHARLES J. FOUTS
VETERAN OF THREE WARS, EX-TOLEDOAN

Charles J. Fouts, 62, of Moon Lake Estates, Fla., a former Toledo resident an veteran of three wars, died Sunday at MacDill Air Force Base Hospital, Fla.

Mr. Fouts, who retired two years ago as an air force master sergeant, was born in Tontogany and lived in Toledo several years.  He moved to Florida two years ago following his retirement.

Mr. Fouts was in the army air corps and air force 33 years. He served in France in World War I,participated in the Normandy landings in France in World War II, and was stationed in Japan in the Korean conflict.

He was a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, New Port Richey, Fla. and Msgr. O'Connell Council, Knights of Columbus, Toledo

Surviving are his wife, Charlotte; daughters, Marie, Joanne and Martha, and son, Albert, all of Toledo; sisters, Mrs. Grace White, Bluffton; Mrs. Frances Leupp, Waldron, Mich.,; Mrs. Mabel Spencer, Mrs. Ruth Schelle and Mrs. Clara Kiel, Lima, and brothers, Floyd, Fostoria; Lewis, Findlay; Clarence, Hartford, Mich.; Donald, New Riegel, O., and Benjamin, Bowling Green.

Services will be Monday at 9 a.m. in St. Adalbert's Church with burial in Calvary Cemetery.  The Rosary will be recited in the Gastiorowaki Memorial Sunday at 8 p.m."

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 Theodore (Ted) Lange was Frieda's second husband.  Born on October 15, 1894, he was several years younger than Frieda.  He was first married to Anna Dachenhaus, daughter of Christ and Sophia.

On March 9, 1920, they were blessed with a son, Donald F. Lange.  On October 13, 1922, Anna passed away.  

Before that, Anna's sister, Luella, had married Edmund Bostelman on January 20, 1918.  They had one son, Raymond, in 1920, who lived less than a year.
And then Edmund contracted tuberculosis and he died on March 27, 1921.
In a brief twitch of time, Luella lost both husband and baby.

On July 3, 1925, the two lonely widowers found each other and married.  Luella and Ted Lange joined their households.

 But the marriage was short-lived.  Luella died on July 27, 1928.  So, in the 1930 census, Ted lived alone, while his son, Donald F. Lange, was raised by his Dachenhaus grandparents.  Finally, in 1940, or perhaps before, he lived with his father.

Finally, Ted Lange and Frieda Spoering married.

Lots of marriages, lots of tragedies and young deaths and children - an interesting research trip.