GERMANS-STLOUIS-L Archives

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Subject: [Germans-STL] Scharfenberger in St. Louis
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 13:14:40 EST

I am trying to find out more about my grandmother, Josephine Thake (nee
Scharfenberger), who was orphaned at an early age and taken into the home of
Jacob M. Gruen. From before 1900 until her marriage in 1906 she was know as
Josephine Gruen, though the 1880 Census gives her surname as Scharfenberger.
Josephine was born in Missouri according to three Census years and her death
certificate. The date of her birth is not exactly known (probably between 1870
and 1875) and her birth parents are not known. However, I believe her
parents were Joseph Scharfenberger and his wife Maria M. Jenne who married and
lived in St. Louis and had at least a couple other children. Joseph died in 1877
but I cannot find where and when Maria died. If she died before 1880, then
I have a stronger case for Josephine's parentage. Jacob Gruen and Joseph
Scharfenberger were in the same kind of business and both knew Charles Jenne.
More on Josephine, her foster parents, her possible birth parents and siblings,
and her husband and own children can be read on the web pages I have made for
them. Go to http://thoma.ws, then click on either of the genealogy mirror
sites, then use the site search engine or the maternal drop menus to find
Josephine and the others.
Erven Thake Thoma

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