Elizabeth M Hartmann Mueller  (1894-1938)

Elizabeth “Betty” Hartmann was born in Chicago on Wednesday, March 14, 1894 to 36 year old John J Hartmann and 32 year old Catherine M Meyer Hartmann. She was the 2^nd of 5 children and the middle daughter. Her parents were both born to German immigrant families.   St. Patricks day was 3 days after her birth – this holiday was celebrated even then in Chicago with a parade.  She is listed in some census as Lizzie though the family typically referred to her as Betty. Her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Kecheison Meyer, was born in Hannover, Stadt Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany and died in Chicago just one month after Betty's birth. S

1900 Census Chicago Ward 4

We often think of people marrying very young in the late 1800s and early 1900s but that was not always the case.  When Peter and Elizabeth married June 14, 1924 in Chicago, IL they were both 30 years of age. In fact, this was not unusual among midwestern Catholic families where the family stayed together longer, often working large farms. Her parents were 29 and 25 when they married, his were 34 and 24.  

In 1900 (census above) Betty was attending school at age 6 while her father was noted as a teamster (wagon driver, later to be truck drivers). According to Teamster.org in 1900 the typical teamster worked 12-18 hours a day, seven days a week for an average wage of $2 per day. A teamster was expected only to haul his load, but also to assume liability for bad accounts and lost or damaged merchandise. Within a year of the census, in 1901 a group of teamsters formed the Teamsters Union right there in Chicago.

We find her 10 years later in the 1910 census as a stenographer in an office. Generally a stenographer indicated a clerical worker, typist or secretary at that time although the word stenographer is also used for court recorders. At the 1920 census her occupation was indicated as “Mail order house – office.” Interestingly, Sears Roebuck had a big business at that time selling Craftsman style homes via mail order. Sears Roebuck did originate in Chicago (remember the Sears Tower?). We haven’t yet confirmed which company she worked with in 1920, but that’s a possibility.  Census records indicate that she lived with her parents until her marriage. We don't know a lot about Betty's childhood but daughter Rose Ella tells about going back to the family home on Cicero in Chicago and having fun with grandparents, aunts and cousins. 

In Chicago in 1924 at the age of 30 she married Peter Michael Mueller (1893-1976), who was just a few months older. Peter lived in Racine County, Wisconsin with his family who were also first generation German immigrants.  His parents were Frank “Franz” and Maria Fischer Mueller.  Peter is listed as farmer, farm hand, Manager-Implement Shop, business owner and fireman during his life.

Elizabeth had two children, lovely daughters. Rita arrived in 1929 followed by Rose Ella in 1931. They had moved to Sturtevant, a village near Peter’s family farm in Mount Pleasant. Peter was a business man and fireman. The family was active in their church, St. Sebastian’s where generations of their family would continue.  She had heart issues and passed away when her girls were just 9 and 7 years old. At the time of her death she was living in Sturtevant, Wisconsin in a white frame house downtown. She was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery near generations of the Mueller family.

Peter’s brother, Joe Miller and wife Barb, became a big part of the family with Aunt Barb providing lots of maternal care and guidance for the girls through the years. Rita and Rose Ella each had large loving families (8 and 5 children, respectively) and we are sure that Elizabeth would have been proud of her beautiful daughters and their influence on so many lives with laughter and love.