Family History Contributors
7
Martha Margaretha Cordes was an housekeeper for the Julius and Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse family and then became a daughter-in-law.
Martha was the fourth child and second daughter of Heinrich and Margaretha (Meier) Cordes. When Martha was born on March 20, 1879, near Farrar, Missouri, her father, Heinrich, was 29, and her mother, Margaretha, was 31.
Worked as a Domestic
When Martha was about ten years old, her father, Heinrich Cordes, became very ill and his illness left him paralyzed to the extent he could no longer work. His wife and three daughters (his two sons died as infants) worked hard to keep up the farm and make a living. Henry Cordes died 28 Mar 1899 and was buried in the Salem Lutheran Church Cemetery at Farrar, Missouri.
When old enough to leave home, Martha worked as a housekeeper for her aunt, Anna (Meier) Schroeder, in St. Louis until she returned to Perry County to work for the Kirmse family.
William Kirmse, son of Julius and Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse, returned as a sick man in 1903 from doing carpentry work in the Oklahoma Territory. This put such an extra burden on the Julius Kirmse family that they brought in a local young woman to help. The young woman was Martha Margaretha Cordes. After grandmother Kirmse told the story, she gave me a wink and said “And, that is when I caught him. He was too weak to run.”
Married William Kirmse
Martha married Wilhelm Kirmse on February 11, 1904, in her hometown. The couple homesteaded near Goodwin, Oklahoma Territory and then moved to Alva, Oklahoma. They had six children in 19 years. She died on December 9, 1967, in Alva, Oklahoma, at the age of 88, and was buried there.
Contributions
Working in the Kirmse household, Martha learned of the family lore. After my mother died, I lived with my Kirmse grandparents at various times until I graduated from high school. My grandparents – particularly my grandmother – would relate stories about their family and ancestors.
Now over 60 years later, I wish I had taken more detailed notes and asked many more questions for which I am now seeking answers.
See Also
Dale Kirmse. My Kirmse Grandparents Chapter Martha Margaretha Cordes