This was the 1st marriage for them both.  Mathias was 31 and Mary 16.  They lived in North Dakota their entire married life, had seven children with 5 living to adulthood.  Mary died suddenly on 20 Feb 1903 at the age of 30 and is buried in Mohall, Bottineau County, North Dakota.

Mathias never remarried and continued working as a water well driller in North Dakota until his retirement.  Week 5 of the challenge with have information about the children born to Mathias and Mary.

After Mathias retired, he moved to Los Angeles, California to live with one of his daughters, Su​sie (Schumacher) Franklin.  He died on 5 Jun 1942 in Los Angeles. No one in my family ever talked about their ancestors.  What little information I have on them is through research.  I’d like to have known Mathias.  He must have been of strong sturdy stock to have lived to 85 years of age when his life’s endeavor was to drill wells.

As a side note to this post. When doing genealogy, nothing is stressed more than having source documents for everything reflected in family history.  Well, if I had to reply on my Great Aunt Susie, I would have headed down the wrong path.  Mathias’ fathers name is wrong and the mother unknown.  Thankfully I have other documents with the correct information.