Marie Elizabeth (Mertens) Keller (1865 - 1894)

Born 3 Oct 1865 in Deutscher Bund

Wife of Emil Keller — married 28 May 1890 in District of Columbia, United States

Died 25 Jan 1894 at age 28 in Auburn, Cayuga, New York, United States

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Biography

Marie Elizabeth (Mertens) Keller has roots in the region now known as Sachsen, Germany.

Marie Elisabeth Mertens born 3 October 1865 in Sachsen Germany, daughter of Johann Christoph Mertens and Wilhelmine Moller. (Johann and Wilhelmine were married 28 June 1863).

Marie arrived from Germany via Switzerland on the ship La Champagne, 20 May 1890. Eight days later, Marie and Emil Keller filed for a marriage license on 28 May 1890, District of Columbia. On 22 October 1890 they were married by W.C.H Lubkert, District of Columbia Justice of the Peace. To this union were born:

1. infant Keller 1892-1892
2. Anna Keller 1893-1894

Marie was a dressmaker. They settled in New York. In 1892, their first born child was born. She only lived 12 days. In 1893, Marie gave birth to another daughter, Anna. Shortly after Anna's birth, Marie was hospitalized due to mental illness. When she was released in 1894, she killed Emil, Anna, and herself.

Marie died 25 January 1894 (aged 28–29), Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, and is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, Plot: Home Lot 285 Grave.

OBITUARY: (Article from the Auburn Bulletin on the day after the shooting, 1894):

"Three in one casket. Emil Keller, wife and baby united in death. The little one died at the hospital last night-The funeral will be held from the Universalist Church tomorrow afternoon. Shortly after 6 o'clock last evening death came to the relief of little Anna Keller at the city hospital. It was found that the bullet from the mother's revolver had penetrated the infant's right lung and came out on the left side. The body of the child was removed and prepared for burial with its parents. Throughout the day throngs of people have visited the undertaking room to view the remains. Father, mother and daughter will be buried in the same casket, which is a special order about 4 inches deeper and 9 inches wider than the ordinary, and covered with gray embossed plush. The plate reads: EMEL KELLER Aged 30 years. MARY, the wife aged 29 years. Another plated is inscribed "Our Darling." The head of Mrs. Keller rests on the left shoulder of her husband thus hiding from view the wound in her temple and partly covering a discoloration of the right eye. There are traces of suffering in the woman's face but her husband looks as if he was in slumber. His left arm around the body of his wife while his right rests on his hip. Between the mother and father is the infant, a handsome plump child. It's right hand is clasped by the left of its mother's left arm. The mother and the infant laid out in plain white shrouds while the husband and father has a coat and vest of plain black and trousers of a dark pattern. The funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon at 8:30 from the Universalist church and the interment will be in Fort Hill."

Keller Family 3 in one casket

Research Notes

The birth place was somewhat inconsistantly given as:

• the grand duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany (was in the location field), which would now be part of Thuringia, Germany
• Sachsen, Germany (in Bio and Roots-Sticker) wich would by nowadays Saxony, Germany
• Sachsen, Landkreis Ansbach, Bayern (Find-a-Grave), which would be a village in Bavaria, Germany

Since it is not clear, which is right and where all the info comes from, ist is for now only known, that she might have been born somethere in the German Confederation.

Sources

See Also:

• "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVSL-TGRM : 5 March 2019), Marie Mertens, 1890; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,027,784.
• "United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD7W-LGL : 27 December 2014), Marie Mertens, 20 May 1890; citing Germans to America Passenger Data file, 1850-1897, Ship La Champagne, departed from Havre, arrived in New York, New York, New York, United States, NAID identifier 1746067, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X21H-92T : 15 January 2021), Emil Keller and Marie E Mertens, 28 May 1890; citing p. , Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,107,970.
• New York State Death Index 1894 pg 425 Certificate #4223
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65436223/maria-e.-keller) : accessed 26 January 2021, memorial page for Marie E. Mertens Keller (1865–25 Jan 1894), Find a Grave Memorial no. 65436223, citing Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Sharon Hinshaw-Payne (contributor 47737583) .