AT THE RIVERBEND: Frieda Marie Dorothea Spoering

Frieda Spoering was the sister closest to my grandmother, Ida, in age. She was just two years younger than Ida. Born March 18, 1892, Frieda was the eighth child for Herman Heinrich and Katherine (Floke) Spoering.

Frieda was married to Charles J. Fouts, also born in 1892, on February 21, 1917. He was the son of Sylvester Andrew and Clara May (Freed) Fouts. On May 5th of that year, their first child, Albert Henry Friedrich Fouts, called Bert, was
born.

Charles participated in the World War I draft and enlisted himself into the 281st Aero Squadron, Columbus Barracks Detachment. He sailed on August 14, 1918, from Hoboken, NJ on the ship, Matsonia. Charles returned on the USS American from Brest, France on March 4, 1919. He was honorably discharged on April 3, 1919.

Upon Charles' return, son Albert was followed by two more siblings. Eldor Adolph George Fouts, was born March 2, 1921, and died January 23, 1922, of bronchial pneumonia. He was buried in the St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery, Deshler.
Their last child was Marie Clara Fouts, born March 4, 1924.

A first marriage for both Charles and Frieda

Unfortunately, Charles Fouts moved on and married again on December 30, 1928, to Eulah Katherine Market. Obviously, a divorce from Frieda took place.

So, what happened to Freida after Charles left her and remarried? A thorough search of the 1930 Henry County, Ohio census page by page did not find her anywhere, although I can't imagine that she would have traveled too far from Henry County. Her father and mother were deceased by this time. She would have had Albert, about 13, and Marie, about 6, with her.

Younger sister, Amelia on the left, and Frieda on the right

But, in 1930, a widowed man lived in Napoleon alone and he would soon meet Frieda. Theodore (Ted) Lange, the son of Friedrich and Sophia (Warncke) Lange had already been married twice - first, to Anna Dachenhaus in 1919 and then to her sister, Luella Dachenhaus Bostleman in 1925. Anna died in 1922 and Luella in 1928. He rented a farm and was a World War I veteran.

The meeting and courting were lost to history, but Frieda and Ted married on May 9, 1931, and soon began their own family. In his first marriage, Ted and Anna (Dachenhaus) Lange had had a son, Donald, who lived with Anna's parents in 1930. Christ and Sophie Dachenhaus and their sons, George and Herman, took care of Donald after his mother's death.

By the 1940 census, Donald, 20, lived with his father, Theodore H., 45, and stepmother, Frieda, 48. He was joined by half-siblings, Mildred Lange, 7, and Anna M. Lange, 5. His older step-siblings, Albert and Marie Fouts had already left the home. Albert married Esther Miller on November 19, 1938. Marie C. Fouts was working that year as a maid for Scott and Minnie Hoyt, owners of a hardware store.. Marie, 16, was in her first year of high school and was allowed to attend. She later married Victor Bockelman on April 27, 1941.

Ted had to fill out his World War II Draft Registration, even though he was 47 years old at the time. On April 26, 1942, in Henry County, Ted noted that he was self-employed and lived at Route 2, Napoleon. His self-description read that he was 5'11", 160 pounds, with brown hair and eyes and a light complexion. Mrs. Freida Lange was his contact person.

A death certificate confirmed that Theodore Herman Lange, born October 15, 1894, died on August 6, 1948 in Traverse City, Michigan. His reason for being there is unknown. He was 53 years old and married.