Probst Sisters

Fredericka (Probst) Erkman, Anna Erkman &
Louisa (Probst) Harre

Fredericka and Louisa Probst are the only known children of Andrew & Sophia (?) Probst.  This is one of the biggest blocks we've come up against in the family history. Andrew and Sophia were born in Prussia and they were married there ca. 1844. Fredericka was born July 30, 1845 and Louisa March 7, 1851.  The family left Prussia and came to the United States between 1851 and 1859 when Andrew is found buying land in Marrs Twp., Posey County, Indiana.  There is a family story about an aunt dying on the boat coming to America.  A locket of the woman's hair was passed down to my mom.  I'm not sure if this was a Probst aunt or an Erkman aunt.

In the 1860 Posey County census Andrew's age is given as 31 and Sophia's as 40.  The girls are listed as Rosena and Lowesi.  Andrew died before 1868 as Sophia is buying land on her own.  Sophia died after 1892.  She is listed as the widow of Andrew Probst in the 1892 Evansville city directory.  Her home was at 121 E. Iowa Street.

From other records it is known that Andrew did not speak English.  The census taker was Elijah Spencer and it is not known how well he spoke German.  Fredericka's middle name may have been Rose or Rachel. She is listed as Rachel in the 1870 census and Rosa on the 1900 census.  Fredericka never learned to speak English.  She married Michael Dietz in 1861 at age 16 and he went to war serving in Company A of the 91st Indiana Infantry.  They had six children and eventually moved to White County, IL.  When Michael died of cholera in July 1873 Fredericka was four months pregnant with their son William who was born in January 1874.  She was a 28 year old widow with five children.

In August 1873 Jacob Erkman  and his wife Eva's son Jacob Jr. was born in White County.  A year later Eva died.   In 1876 Jacob Erkman and Fredericka (Propst) Dietz were married in Posey County, he was 40 and she was 30.  She may have moved back to Indiana or they may have opted to marry there because they both had family and friends there.  Jacob's parents had settled in Posey County before moving on to White Co.  It's possible that they had known each other in the 1860s.  Jacob's oldest child was 19 and his youngest 3 years old. Fredericka's oldest child was 15 and her youngest was 2 years old.  Together they had nine more children. Jacob died in 1908.  Fredericka died in 1913 aged 67.  Both are buried in Newman Cemetery in White County.

I know much less about Fredericka's sister Louisa.  She married as his second wife Henry Harre ca. 1910 when she was about 57.  He was a widower with grown children.  Louisa died in White Co. Nov. 23, 1923. Although Henry Harre lived three more years he was not the informant on her death certificate.  Fredericka's daughter Sophia was the informant and seems to have taken care of the arrangements.  Louisa is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville where Sophia may have been living at the time.