Help with translating a German Obituary

Question

Hi, I again need help with the translation of a German Obituary.  I'm hoping some one has time and to help me with translating Johann Bader's obituary.  I have his obituary posted to his profile.

Thank you so very much,

Carrie Lippincott

Answer 1

Kirchenbote Vol. 38 #42, 14 Oct 1920

Johann Bader starb nach sechswöchigem schweren Leiden im Bismarck Hospital. Er wurde geboren am 20. November 1871 zu Paris, Süd-Russland. Als 14-jähriger Knabe kam er mit seinen Eltern in dieses Land. Im Jahr 1893 verehelichte er sich mit Emilie Schulz, jedoch nach 16-jähriger Ehe wurde ihm seine Lebensgefährtin durch den Tod entrissen. Er verehelichte sich 1910 zum zweiten Mal mit seiner nun trauernden Gattin Ida Schweigert. Sonntag, den 8. August stellten sich bei dem Verstorbenen plötzlich furchtbare Schmerzen ein. Eine am nächsten Tag im Bismarck Hospital erfolgte Operation ergab, dass ein Darmgeschwür vorhanden war, wodurch eine Oeffnung in den Darm gekommen war. Nach sechs Wochen wurde eine zweite Operation vollzogen, die aber das erwünschte Resultat nicht hatte, da schon zu große Schwäche eingetreten war. So entschlief der stille Dulder am 17. September und wurde am 19. September unter außergewöhnlich großer Beteiligung beerdigt. Er hinterlässt die betrübte Gattin, 5 Kinder, Eltern, 5 Brüder und eine Schwester. Möge die Hoffnung auf ein seliges Wiedersehen die Trauernden reichlich trösten.

?ulm, N.D.

H. Nuetzmann, Pastor

Kirchenbote Vol. 38 #42, 14 Oct 1920

Johann Bader died after six weeks of severe illness in the Bismarck hospital. He was born on 20 November 1871 in Paris, South Russia. As 14-year-old boy he came with his parents in this country. In 1893 he married Emilie Schulz, but after 16 years of marriage his partner was snatched away from him by death. In 1910 he married for the second time with wife Ida Schweigert, who is now mourning. On Sunday, 8 Aug, the deceased suddenly suffered terrible pain. The surgery done the next day showed that there was an intestine ulcer, which caused an opening in the intestine. After six week there was done a second surgery which didn’t bring the result wished for, because the weakness that occurred was already too big. So the silent sufferer passed away on 17 September and was buried on 19 September with extraordinary participation. He is survived by the sad wife, five children, parents, five brothers and a sister. May the hope of a blessed reunion console the mourning people very much.

?ulm, N.D

H. Nuetzmann, pastor

I am not sure about the first letter of the town where this was issued.

Comments

The town is Kulm.

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NOTE: Historically speaking, and although "Darm" was used instead of "Magen", before the advent of the modern H2-blockers such as Zantac, peptic ulcer disease was common. Without any effective treatment, death from perforated gastric ulcers was not uncommon. Said perforation lead to peritonitis which, before the antibiotics era, lead inexorably to death from overwhelming sepsis.

The term "durch den Tod entrissen" was standard language in obitutuaries  and "snatched away in death" is a literal, rather than a figurative, translation. The intent of the term "durch den Tod entrissen" is to connote that their union was dissolved through death.

The translation "buried with extraordinary participation" would also seem to be a literal translation. The meaning of "Er wurde mit aussergewoehnliche Beteiligung beerdigt" is that the funeral was unusually well attended, which would imply that that dearly departed was mourned by many.

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Thank you Jelena!  Your help is very appreciated!   

Vielen Dank

Carrie

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S.

Thank you for explaining some historical facts for us. That is part of what I love about doing genealogy.   

Carrie

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S., "Darm" is something else than "Magen". "Magen" is "stomach" and "Darm" is "intestine". Have a look at this graph with German namings. A few days ago I read a very interesting report about the intestine, saying that sometimes there can occur a hole in the large intestine going through to the small intestine. This doesn't happen overnight, but it is a 100% sign for colon cancer. So when I read the obituary, I realized that Johann actually died of colon cancer.

Thanks for the other suggestions for translations. 

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Actually, the inflammation involved with perforated peptic ulcer disease causes inflammation and adhesions to anatomically adjacent organs including the proximal small intestine,  which could explain the obituary as written.

The conclusion that he died from colon cancer cannot me made with absolute certainty from the obituary, because the obituary does not specify whether the "Darm" was the Dickdarm or the Duenndarm. If it was the Dickdarm, then while colon cancer is the most likely explanation, it is not the only explanation.

I am happy to be of assistance

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Duodenal ulcers were at least as common as stomach ulcers and the duodenum would be Zwölffingerdarm in German and definitely be a part of the Darm and not the Magen.