The Hyphen Family Lineage

Note: Edward Schoen, the "lost" Schoen son

There was a gap of thirty years in the census records I had initially found for Charles Schoen Sr., from 1870 to 1900. In that time, he and his wife had the majority of their children, moved from the farm in Ixonia, Jefferson Cty, Wisconsin into the city of Oconomowoc, Waukesha Cty, Wisconsin (where Charles Sr. was in business selling farm equipment), and became a prominent part of the business and social community in Oconomowoc.

I had believed I had an accurate count and list of all of his children to this point, and that many of the other Schoen families around the state were not direct relations of his. In that gap of time, though, I had managed to "lose" one of his sons - Edward, b. 1871, d. 1927.

The first sign that this might have occurred didn't register in my mind; the earliest obituary I have for the family of Charles Sr. is for his son Gustav, who died in his late twenties in 1898. (Another brother, Louie, had died in 1871 at the age of four, but I have not at this point located an obituary for him.) Gustav's obituary does not name his siblings, but mentions that he is survived by ten brothers and sisters. I believed this to be an error, and that the publication assumed that he was the first of the eleven children of Charles Sr. and Louisa to have died.

The next sibling to pass was Leonard (1923), but I haven't located an obituary for him yet. The wake-up call came when reading the obituary for Charles Schoen Jr. in 1926. The surviving siblings are described as five brothers and three sisters - one more than I would have expected - and they are explicitly named, including Edward of Fort Atkinson. After assuring myself that this wasn't an erroneous or alternate naming for any of the known surviving brothers, I was left with the conclusion that I had missed Edward in my research. A peremptory search turns up state and federal census records from 1900 to 1920 with an Edward Schoen and wife Emma, with various children, in Ixonia, Fort Atkinson, and Koshkonong (all in Jefferson Cty, Wisconsin). Birth records for two of the children give Emma's maiden name as Froemming (or misspelled as Fromming), and she appears to be born in Lebanon, Wisconsin. Additionally, the couple (Edward and Emma) are mentioned in the text Dodge County, Wisconsin - Past and Present (Vol. 2, p.464) in the biographical article on Emma's family in Lebanon, Dodge Cty, Wisconsin.

A quick search on FindaGrave.com shows an Edward J. Schoen buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson Cty, Wisconsin; according to the listing on the website, he was born 14 Apr 1871 and died 9 Dec 1927. This would explain why the census record search did not find him after 1920. Wife Emma is buried in the same cemetery (d. 1933), along with son Armond (b. 1900, d. 1913). Another son, Theodore (b. 1910, d. 1961) is buried there with his wife Ethel. Locating son Fritz/Fred and daughters Emma and Gertrude, along with confirming Edward is a son of Charles Schoen Sr., will take more work.

ADDENDUM: Edward and Emma had five children:

Son Armond, b. 1900, d. 1913
Daughter Gertrude, b. 1902, unknown after 1920 US Census
Son Fritz ("Fred"), b. 1905, d. 1974 (if I have the same one)
Daughter Emmaline, b. 1907, unknown after 1930 US Census
Son Theodore, b. 1910, d. 1961

At least two of these five are believed to have been alive through at least 1932, which could account for the two remaining grandchildren of Charles Schoen Sr. that had been "missing" prior. The fate of daughters Gertrude and Emma are currently unknown after the last census counts for which they were noted.

Edward's obituary is likely to be found in the Oconomowoc newspapers, as he had family in the city; it may also be found in the Watertown newspapers. The children's obituaries, though, may not have made it as far "east" as the Oconomowoc publications.

[Obituary for Edward Schoen, from the Oconomowoc Enterprise, 16 Dec 1927.]

[headline] Fort Atkinson Resident Dies

[second line] Edward Schoen, Former Oconomowoc Citizen, Passes Away December 9, Aged 56

Edward Schoen, former resident of Oconomowoc for some years and who has a number of relatives and many friends in this community, died at his home at Fort Atkinson at 1:30 Friday morning, December 9, death following a few days' illness of pneumonia.

Mr. Schoen, who was 56 years of age, was born in the town of Ixonia April 14, 1871, his earlier years being spent in that township, the family later moving to Oconomowoc to reside.

Following his marriage to Miss Emma Froemming of Watertown Mr. and Mrs. Schoen made their home on the Schoen farm homestead in the township of Ixonia, and about twenty years ago moved to Fort Atkinson which has since been their home. Mr. Schoen was employed at the Northwestern Furniture Co. factory in Fort Atkinson for many years, and for the past four has been in the employ of the James Company in Fort Atkinson, and was well liked and held in high by his associates and by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and two sons, Mrs. Maurice Reynolds of Beloit; Fred Schoen of Watertown; Miss Emeline and Theodore Schoen at home. He also leaves his aged father, Charles Schoen of Oconomowoc; four brothers and three sisters: William Schoen of Milwaukee; Otto Schoen, G.J. Schoen of Rockford, Ill.; Louis Schoen, Mrs. Frank Hoeft, Misses Laura and Emma Schoen of Oconomowoc.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the residence, thence to the Lutheran church at Fort Atkinson with interment in the cemetery at Fort Atkinson.