The Strandt Family: What the Census Suggests?

 This week's prompt is "What the Census Suggests". I thought I would look at the 1900 US Census for the Carl F. T. Strandt family.

This census tells us that Carl F. Strandt is 66 years old and has been married for 39 years. It also confirms his birthday as being in March 1834 and that he has been in the US for 29 years. So, we know Carl and Wilhelmina were married for 10 years before they decided to move to America. The census tells us they arrived in 1871 and it also tells us that Carl is a Naturalized American citizen. We know Carl is a farmer. He also has the ability to read, write and speak enough English to get by. He also owns his home, with a mortgage.

Next, we have Wilhelmina. The census confirms her birthday as February 1841. She is 59 years old. The 1900 census asked women how many children they had given birth to, and how many were still alive. Wilhelmina lists 4 as the number given birth to, and 2 as the number still alive. This is very interesting. We know Wilhelmina was Carl's second wife. Oldest son, Carl, jr was from the first wife. When Carl and Wilhelmina came to America, they came with three children. They had Carl, Carolina, and Wilhelmine. William was born in Chicago, after they arrived. Carolina and William were her two surviving children. Sometime after arriving in America, Wilhelmine disappears. She must've passed away. The question is, when was the other child born, and when did they pass away? Was there a child born in Germany that died as an infant? Or was there a child born in America, perhaps before William, who passed away? 

Also, while the census tells us that Carl was naturalized and a citizen, no mention is made of Wilhelmina's citizenship status, or any wife for that matter. A woman's citizenship status was usually tied to her husband's. Since Carl became a US citizen, Wilhelmina may then have been considered a US citizen too. However, since women weren't allowed to vote, being a US citizen wouldn't have mattered much to Wilhelmina. 

We also know that Wilhelmina too, could read, write and speak enough English to get by.

The census tells us that William and his new family are living with Carl and Wilhelmina in Watson, Allegan County, Michigan. Carl is listed as the head of the family with William as the son. William and Mary, and daughter Eva are living with his parents. William's occupation is farmer. Mary is listed as having given birth to one child, with one child living. William and Mary had been married for 2 years.  Eva is one year old.

One more interesting note, on this census, the Strandt name is spelled with the final "t". 

William and Mary, with Eva and Carl and other family members, approx 1904.

Carl Strandt family is listed at the very bottom.