Martin and Margaretha Bittner Fischer
Contributed by Kurt Cook
Martin John Fischer was born 13 May 1828 in Bavaria, Germany. He married Margaretha Bittner on 08 Jan 1850 In St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. He died 21 Apr 1887 in Batesville, Ripley County, Indiana and was buried there in St Louis Cemetery.
Margaretha was the daughter of Henry & Catharina Staub Bittner (Henry died in 1881 in Hamburg, Franklin County, Indiana). She was born 06 Jun 1829 in either Bavaria or Hannover, Germany She died 05 Feb 1914 and was buried in St Louis Cemetery on 09 Feb 1914.
Martin & Margaretha were the parents of 10 children: Peter (1850- ); Leo (1852- ); George A (1854-1939); Elizabeth (1857-1906); John William (1861- ); Anthony (1864-1941); August (1867-1919); a stillborn son (12 Apr 1870); Bernard Henry (1871-1904); and Katherine (1874-1918).
Martin and Margaretha lived in Cincinnati from the time of their marriage until at least December 1867 (the birth of their son August). They lived in Hamburg, Franklin County, Indiana from 12 Apr 1870 through 08 May 1881.
Land deeds of Franklin County show Martin (and Margaretha) buying & selling land from 19 Oct 1868 to 29 Apr 1874. On 19 Apr 1875 a court ordered Sheriff's sale of land belonging to Martin & margaretha was completed in order to satisfy a judgement against him for $1145.32.
Martin's son Peter married Maria Ann Ostheimer on 01 Aug 1871 in Hamburg, Indiana at St. Anne's Catholic Church.
Another son, Leo, married Mary A Luesche on 05 May 1874 in St. Anne's.
Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Martin & Margaretha, married John Bernard Mayer on 13 Apr 1880 in Hamburg at St. Anne's.
Martin ran a lumber business and was also a Franklin County Justice of the Peace from 06 May 1877 through 08 May 1881. During this time period he performed 7 marriages.
Martin's fifth child, John William, entered the Catholic Priesthood on 01 Sep 1888 at the convent in Oldenburg, Franklin County, Indiana.
Martin, Margaretha, and their unmarried children were living in Batesville, Indiana at the time of his death 21 Apr 1887. He was buried in St Louis Cemetery (his headstone is in German).
August, Martin's 7th child, married Philomena J Johnson on 20 Sep 1892 in Batesville, Indiana at St Louis Catholic Church.
On 03 Apr 1893 George A Fischer filed a suit in the Ripley County Circuit Court against his mother (Margaretha) and his siblings Peter, Leo, Elizabeth, John, Anthony, August, Benjamin, & Kate to sell the land bequeathed them by Martin in to pay debts outstanding against martin's estate. According to a deposition filed on 28 Apr 1893, George reported that the court ordered sale of land had been accomplished by public auction on 08 Jul 1893 and the highest bidder was Margaretha Fischer for the sum of $1624.00 which was paid in cash.
On 12 Feb 1896, Martin's son Bernard married Elizabeth Catherine Johnson at St Louis Catholic Church in Batesville.
The youngest child of Martin & Margaretha, Katherine, married Edward Anthony Chrisman on 06 Jun 1898 in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana.
The 1899 parish Census of St Louis Parish in Batesville shows the families of Margaret, Peter, and Leo. It also shows information about George, John, Anthony, & August but does not indicate that they were members of the parish at that point.
Anthony married Gertrude Belle Hargrove on 05 Nov 1902 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.
Margaretha died on 05 Feb 1914 in Batesville and was buried on 09 Feb 1914 in St Louis Cemetery.
The grandchildren of Martin & Margaretha Fischer are:
(Peter's children) Margaret Philomena; Joseph Dionysius; George Henry; Cecilia E; John Martin; Jacob Andrew; & Frank William.
(Leo's children) Hugo Martin; Margaret Grace; Eleanor Elizabeth, & unnamed stillborn son born in 1883.
(George's children) Harry John & Florence Leona.
(Elizabeth's son) Frank Joseph Meyer.
(Anthony's children) Irwin Russell; Edgar Austin; Adolph Leo; Kathryn Ilene; Frances Vadalis; Paul Eugene; Mary Margrett; Hazel Mae; Robert Earl; Betty Dolores; & David.
(August's children) Bernard & Edward.
(Katherine's children) Loretta Elizabeth Chrisman; Cecilia Catherine Chrisman; Joseph Bernard Chrisman; Martina Elizabeth Chrisman; Edward Leo Chrisman; Frederick George Chrisman; Geneva Ann Chrisman; Anthony Theodore Chrisman; & Dolores Marie Chrisman.
Sources:
Cecilia Chrisman Schuler, Aurora, Indiana (deceased)
Joseph B Chrisman, Aurora, Indiana (deceased)
Margaret Crusse Chrisman, Aurora, Indiana (deceased)
Martina Chrisman Lischkge, Aurora, Indiana
Laura A Vogel, Cincinnati, Ohio
Archive Records, (Patron section) LDS Family History Library, SLC, Utah
Hamilton County, Ohio marriage records
Franklin County, Indiana land records (Deeds) FHL film #'s 0476709 & 0476710
Franklin County, Indiana marriage records (1875-1890) FHL film # 0549352
1870 US Census of Hamburg, Franklin County, Indiana, FHL film # 0295449
1880 US Census of Hamburg, Franklin County, Indiana, FHL film # 0377988
1900 US Census of Batesville, Ripley County, Indiana, FHL film # 1240400
1900 US Census of Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana, FHL film # 1240402
1910 US Census of Aurora, Dearborn, Indiana, FHL film #
Church records of St Anne Catholic Church, Hamburg, Indiana FHL film # 1535798 items 8 & 9
Church records of St Louis Catholic Church, Batesville, Indiana FHL film # 1535800 items 4 & 5
Church records of St Joseph Catholic Church, Shelbyville, Indiana FHL film # 1535751 items 5-9
Church records of St Mary's Catholic Church, Aurora, Indiana FHL film # 1535796 items 5-7
Death certificate for Margaret Fischer (#62-4-1914) issued by the State of Indiana
Copy of obituary for Margaret Fischer from Batesville Herald, 11 Feb 1914.
This compilation on the lives of Martin & Margaretha Fischer was made by:
Kurt Cook (Great -great-grandson)
336 I Street #A
Salt Lake City UT 84103
801-366-5240