This is a true family history of one of the shirt-tail relatives of one of the families I am tracing in a family tree I am currently working on. Sadly, the tale it tells of the early marriage of a teenaged girl who dies in her early 30's after being worn out by year after year of child-bearing, was repeated thousands of times in my own home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1800s. Multiply this story by hundreds of thousands and millions of deaths of young women in similar circumstances in other municipalities in the United States and in countries around the world, both before and after this particular young woman died at age 31 in 1897, and you begin to get the picture of why we needed brave women such as Margaret Sanger (14 Sep 1879 - 06 Sep 1966), who stood up and said THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.
For taking that stand, Sanger has been vilified as a racist, accused of fomenting genocide and promoting abortion, etc. etc. etc.
You think about this - and you be the judge. It is an all too typical story of a young female in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and elsewhere in the United States at the time.
This is the true story of the short life of Maria Schuengel, who was born 11 Jun 1866 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and died there on 26 Nov 1897 after giving birth to her 13th child.
Emil Sebastian married Maria Schuengel on 17 Mar 1883 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. She was 16 years old. He was 20 years old.
Less than 4 months later, their first child was born:
CHILD 1:
Paul born 03 Jul 1883 / died 15 Sep 1883
As you can see by the fact that this child lingered in life for a little over 2 months after he was born, he was born premature. I doubt, though, that he was a 4 month baby - a baby born 5 months premature would not have survived long out of the womb in those times. Even today it is not generally feasible to keep a 4 month fetus alive. It appears that this was a "shotgun" wedding - 16 year old Maria was already pregnant at the time of the wedding. Guess there were no statutory rape laws in effect back then...
CHILD 2:
Elsa born 15 Aug 1884 / died 06 Jul 1961
As you can see, Maria's husband, Emil, did not give her much time to recover from the birth or death of her first child. Daughter Elsa was counted as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895 and was on the 1900 U.S. Census. The Wisconsin State Census from 1895 is the earliest census record available for the period when Maria was still alive. Unfortunately, the 1890 U.S. Census was one of the records destroyed in a massive fire that wiped out about 99% of the federal government's 1890 census records.
CHILD 3:
Emil born 12 Dec 1885 / died prior to Wisconsin State Census of 1895. I could not find a death record for Emil #1. Birth and death records at the time were sketchy. Maria may well have born and lost more children of which there is no "official" record, between the disappearance of Emil #1 from census records and the next official census, which was the 1895 Wisconsin State Census. Ten long years of no reliable records.
CHILD 4:
Emil born 22 Jan 1887 / died unknown but Emil #2 was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted him as one of three males in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895. Emil #2 was also listed on the 1900 U.S. Census.
CHILD 5:
Meta born 07 Aug 1888 / died unknown but she was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted her as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895.
CHILD 6:
Herbert or Hubert born 17 Sep 1889 / died 29 Jul 1890
CHILD 7:
Irena born 08 Sep 1890 / died 13 Jul 1891
CHILD 8:
Rubine "Ruby" born 14 Oct 1891 / died unknown but she was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted her as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895.
CHILD 9:
Estella Gertrude born 13 Jan 1893 / died unknown but she was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted her as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895.
CHILD 10:
Norbert Max born 29 Apr 1894 / died 15 Nov 1970. Norbert was the third male included in the Wisconsin State Census of 1895, and was listed on the 1900 U.S. Census.
CHILD 11:
Mayme born 13 Dec 1895 / died 25 Oct 1970. Mayme was less than 2 years old when her mother Maria died.
CHILD 12:
Enola born 09 Jan 1897 / died prior to 1900 U.S. Census. I could not find a death record for Enola but she was not listed on the 1900 U.S. Census.
CHILD 13:
Erwin born 24 Nov 1897 / died and buried 01 Jan 1898. As you can see, Emil, Sr. hardly gave Maria time to recover from the birth of Enola before impregnating her with Erwin. About 10 months and 2 weeks separated the birth dates of Enola and Erwin.
Maria Schuengel died on 24 Nov 1897 after giving birth to her 13th child, Erwin. Maria was 31 years old when she died. Baby Erwin did not survive very long after his mother died. The City of Milwaukee death record I found for Erwin says he died on 01 Jan 1898 and was also buried that same day at Union Cemetery.
For taking that stand, Sanger has been vilified as a racist, accused of fomenting genocide and promoting abortion, etc. etc. etc.
You think about this - and you be the judge. It is an all too typical story of a young female in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and elsewhere in the United States at the time.
This is the true story of the short life of Maria Schuengel, who was born 11 Jun 1866 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and died there on 26 Nov 1897 after giving birth to her 13th child.
Emil Sebastian married Maria Schuengel on 17 Mar 1883 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. She was 16 years old. He was 20 years old.
Less than 4 months later, their first child was born:
CHILD 1:
Paul born 03 Jul 1883 / died 15 Sep 1883
As you can see by the fact that this child lingered in life for a little over 2 months after he was born, he was born premature. I doubt, though, that he was a 4 month baby - a baby born 5 months premature would not have survived long out of the womb in those times. Even today it is not generally feasible to keep a 4 month fetus alive. It appears that this was a "shotgun" wedding - 16 year old Maria was already pregnant at the time of the wedding. Guess there were no statutory rape laws in effect back then...
CHILD 2:
Elsa born 15 Aug 1884 / died 06 Jul 1961
As you can see, Maria's husband, Emil, did not give her much time to recover from the birth or death of her first child. Daughter Elsa was counted as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895 and was on the 1900 U.S. Census. The Wisconsin State Census from 1895 is the earliest census record available for the period when Maria was still alive. Unfortunately, the 1890 U.S. Census was one of the records destroyed in a massive fire that wiped out about 99% of the federal government's 1890 census records.
CHILD 3:
Emil born 12 Dec 1885 / died prior to Wisconsin State Census of 1895. I could not find a death record for Emil #1. Birth and death records at the time were sketchy. Maria may well have born and lost more children of which there is no "official" record, between the disappearance of Emil #1 from census records and the next official census, which was the 1895 Wisconsin State Census. Ten long years of no reliable records.
CHILD 4:
Emil born 22 Jan 1887 / died unknown but Emil #2 was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted him as one of three males in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895. Emil #2 was also listed on the 1900 U.S. Census.
CHILD 5:
Meta born 07 Aug 1888 / died unknown but she was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted her as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895.
CHILD 6:
Herbert or Hubert born 17 Sep 1889 / died 29 Jul 1890
CHILD 7:
Irena born 08 Sep 1890 / died 13 Jul 1891
CHILD 8:
Rubine "Ruby" born 14 Oct 1891 / died unknown but she was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted her as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895.
CHILD 9:
Estella Gertrude born 13 Jan 1893 / died unknown but she was on the 1900 U.S. Census and I counted her as one of five females in Emil Sr.'s household on the Wisconsin State Census of 1895.
CHILD 10:
Norbert Max born 29 Apr 1894 / died 15 Nov 1970. Norbert was the third male included in the Wisconsin State Census of 1895, and was listed on the 1900 U.S. Census.
CHILD 11:
Mayme born 13 Dec 1895 / died 25 Oct 1970. Mayme was less than 2 years old when her mother Maria died.
CHILD 12:
Enola born 09 Jan 1897 / died prior to 1900 U.S. Census. I could not find a death record for Enola but she was not listed on the 1900 U.S. Census.
CHILD 13:
Erwin born 24 Nov 1897 / died and buried 01 Jan 1898. As you can see, Emil, Sr. hardly gave Maria time to recover from the birth of Enola before impregnating her with Erwin. About 10 months and 2 weeks separated the birth dates of Enola and Erwin.
Maria Schuengel died on 24 Nov 1897 after giving birth to her 13th child, Erwin. Maria was 31 years old when she died. Baby Erwin did not survive very long after his mother died. The City of Milwaukee death record I found for Erwin says he died on 01 Jan 1898 and was also buried that same day at Union Cemetery.
This sad story is the kind of story that Margaret Sanger fought to prevent happening to millions of other families in the United States and also around the world.
Sadly, now Planned Parenthood is under vicious attack by politicians and so-called "conservative" groups who want to turn back the clock on women's reproductive rights and the right of a husband and wife to plan their families as they would wish - in privacy, without government interference. These same politicians and so-called "conservative" groups on the one hand profess that they want less government - BUT - they want to install a camera in your bathroom and your bedroom that will record your actions 24/7. These same politicians and so-called "conservative" groups want to keep a national record of prescriptions for birth control pills, birth control devices and the "day-after" pill. These politicians and so-called "conservative" groups have already forced through legislation in many states that denies a female the right to have a prescription for a birth control device or medication DENIED by a pharmacist who objects - on religious grounds - to filling said prescription. I'm surprised that they haven't targeted condoms as an illegal product - yet...
This is just the beginning of the story, unfortunately. Legislation introduced in many states (recently and currently) seeks to ban a woman from seeking an abortion for any reason - including rape and incest or for medical necessity. That's right. Some people would rather see a mother and the fetus die than abort a fetus and spare the life of a mother. Some people would rather see a woman be forced to bear a child conceived of rape or incest.
At the same time as certain politicians and so-called "conservative" groups are pressing this agenda, they are also sponsoring laws that cut funding for health care for females and their children.
So - let's get this straight. These politicans and so-called "conservative" groups do not want a woman to have any say over whether she bears a child. THEY want to stick their nose into your sex lives, people. THEY want to force a woman to bear a child once she becomes impregnanted, regardless of the cause of the pregnancy and regardless of any danger to the mother's mental and/or physical health and well-being.
At the same time, THEY say that a female who becomes pregnant (for whatever reason) is not entitled to any health care or pre-natal advice and care unless she has health insurance or can pay for her own care. If she can't afford health insurance, and cannot afford to pay for her medical care, tough shit.
These same people also say that once the woman is forced to bear that unwanted child, said child is not provided with any medical care or health care unless the mother is covered by health insurance or can afford to pay for the child's medical care. If the mother can't afford health insurance or to pay for the medical care, tough shit.
Got that?
What I want to know is - where is the mega-fund into which millions of supporters of this kind of thinking are now pouring their money to support these women (forced to have children) and the resulting children from the unwanted pregnancies? I sure haven't seen it. Did I miss the press release???
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