Marie Elizabeth (Trinkhaus) Sousa (1826 - 1908)

Born 20 May 1826 in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany

Descendants

Died 23 Aug 1908 at age 82 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA

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Biography

Elizabeth Trinkhaus was born on 20 May 1826 in Hesse Darmstadt, in present-day Germany.^[1]

According to a newspaper article written some twenty years after her death, Elizabeth came to the United States with her parents around 1843 and settled in Brooklyn, where she met Antonio Sousa. They were married in Brooklyn sometime before 1854, when their daughter Catherine "Tinny" Sousa was born.^[2]

In 1860, Antonio and Elizabeth were included in the census, living in the 6th ward of Washington City with children Catherine, age 9 (born in New York) and John P., age 5 (born in D.C.).^[3]

In 1870, the family was still living in the 6th ward of the District of Columbia.^[4] Their household consisted of:

• Antonio Souse, 43, Musician, born in Spain
• Elizabeth Souse, 41, HK (housekeeper), born in "Hesse, Ger."
• John P Souse, 44, Musician, born in DC (his census entry was annotated after his age: "should be 14, see 1860.")
• George Souse, 9, born in DC
• Elizabeth Souse, 4, born in DC
• Antonio Souse, 2, born in DC

In 1880, the Sousa family lived at 519 Seventh street, southeast, Washington, D.C.^[5]

• Antonio Sousa, 54 Self (Head)
• Elizabeth Sousa, 53 Wife
• George W. Sousa, 19 Son
• Elizabeth Sousa, 14 Daughter
• Antonio Sousa, 12 Son
• Louis Sousa, 8 Son

Elizabeth's husband, Antonio, died in 1892, so in the 1900 census she was listed as a widowed head of household living at 500 Seventh street, southeast, Washington, D.C.^[6] Her widowed daughter and granddaughter lived with her.

• Elizabeth Sousa, 74, head, born in May, 1826 in Germany, mother of 10 children, 6 living
• Elizabeth Bernays, 34, daughter, born in December, 1865 in D.C., mother of 1 child, 1 living
• Roberta Bernays, 9, granddaughter, born in November, 1890 in D.C.

In January of 1908, Elizabeth Sousa sued the Commissioner of Pensions for back pay she believed was due her late husband, an enlisted musician in the Marine Corps.^[7]

She died on 23 August 1908 and was buried in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.^[8]

Obituaries

An obituary for Elizabeth Trinkhaus Sousa appeared in the Washington Post on 24 August 1908:^[9]

"Mother of Famous Band Master Passes Away, Aged 82"

"Mrs. Elizabeth Sousa, Widow Of Antonio Sousa And Mother Of John Phillip Sousa, Died At 5:35 Yesterday Afternoon At Her Home, At 502 Seventh Street Southeast. She Was Eighty Two Years Old, And Had Been A Resident Of Washington For Fifty Four Years, And Was Widely Known. Death Was Due To A General Decline Of Strenth Due To Age. Mrs. Sousa Was A Member Of Christ Protestant Episcopal Church, And Had Been Active In The Church And In Charitable Organizations.

Mrs Sousa Was Born May 20, 1826 In Hesse Darmstadt, Germany And Came To Washington In 1864. Two Of Her Sons Became Connected With The Marine Band, One Of Them, John Phillip, Being It's Leader, And The Other, George W, At One Time Was The Librarian For The Organization. Mrs Sousa Is Survived By Four Sons And Two Daughters. The Son's Are, John Phillip Sousa, Leader Of Sousa's Band, George W Sousa, Retired Marine Officer, Living In Newport News, Virginia, Anthony A Sousa, Of 617 G Street Southeast, Noted In Amateur Baseball Circles, Having Been The Organizer Of The Departmental Basball League, And Louis M Sousa, Of 631 East Street Southeast. The Daughters Are, Mrs. A.C. Varella, Of 536 Sixth Street Southeast, And Mrs. Bower, Wife Of Lieut. J McK Bower, A Retired Marine Officer Living In Chicago. Mrs. Sousa's Husband Passed Away Ten Years Ago.

Arrangements For The Funeral Will Not Be Completed Until The Relatives That Are Living At A Distance, Are Heard From. In The Meantime The Body Will Be Placed In A Receiving Vault In The Chapel At The Congressional Cemetery. John Phillip Sousa's Last Visit Home Was About Four Months Ago, When He Rode Horseback To Washington From Hot Springs, Virginia To Pay A Visit To His Mother."

Other obituaries appeared for Mrs. Sousa in newspapers beyond the Washington D.C. area. For example, the following obituary appeared in the Greensboro (NC) Daily News on 26 August 1908:^[10]

"Plain Services for Mrs. Sousa, Funeral of Aged Mother of the Composer to be Held Today"

"Washington, D.C., Aug. 25--Funeral services over Mrs. Elizabeth Sousa, mother of the famous composer and bandmaster, John Philip Sousa, who died in her home at 502 Seventh street southeast, Sunday afternoon, at the age of eighty-two years, will be held this morning at ten o'clock in Christ Episcopal church, of which she has long been a member. The Rev. Arthur s. John, the pastor, will officiate.

John Philip Sousa, who was playing in the west, is now speeding to this city. He was his mother's favorite son, and his great love for her attracted wide attention while she was alive.

The cause of her death was general debility, brought on by old age. Unusually active for a woman of her years and accustomed to take a daily walk, it was noticed three months ago that her strength was failing her. Later, she was confined to the house, where she became gradually weaker until the end.

Mrs. Sousa was born May 20, 1826, in Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany. She came to this country in 1846, and settled i Brooklyn. After her marriage to Antonio D. Sousa she removed to Washington, in 1854. Her husband died in 1892.

Mrs. Sousa leaves four sons and two daughters. The sons are John Philip Sousa, George W. Sousa, retired marine officer of Newport News, Va.; Anthony A. Sousa, of 617 G street, southeast, and Louis M. Sousa, of 631 E street southeast.

The daughters are Mrs. A.C. Varella, of 536 Sixth street southeast, and Mrs. J. McK. Bower, of Chicago, wife of Lieutenant Bower, U.S.M.C., retired."

Newspaper report on 1908 lawsuit to recover husband's back pay

"Sues for Back Pay -- Mrs. Elizabeth Sousa Wants Money Due Late Husband -- Mother of Famous Composer -- Asserts She is Entitled to Sum of $19.50 for Each Month from March 4, 1886 to April 27, 1892 -- Served in Marine Corps and Was a Member of the United States Marine Band."^[11]

"Mrs. Elizabeth Sousa, mother of John Philip Sousa, famous band conductor and composer of marches, yesterday instituted proceedings in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. She brings action to compel Hon. Vespasian Warner, Commissioner of Pensions, to pay her money which she alleges is due her as the widow of Antonio Sousa, for many years an enlisted musician in the Marine Band, of which his son later became conductor, and in which he won, on account of his marches, a high place among American composers. Mrs. Sousa lives at 502 Seventh street southeast.

By a writ of mandamus she seeks to compel Commissioner Warner to pay her the sum of $19.50 for each month from March 4, 1886, to April 27, 1892.

The Death of Her Husband

In her petition she states that her husband died April 27 1892 and had served in the Marine Corps for many years. In April 1879, he applied to the Secretary of the Navy for the benefits of section 4756 of the Revised Statutes, and the Secretary issued him a certificate certifying that under this section he was entitled to $19.50 as retired pay for the remainder of his life, instead of a home in the Naval Asylum in Philadelphia.

From April 1879 until March 4, 1886, this amount monthly was paid to Sousa by the Commissioner of Pensions, and about the latter date he was granted a pension of $24 a month. When the pension was granted, the commissioner canceled the payment of $19.50 a month, on the ground that, under the law, no person could receive two pensions at the same time. Accordingly, Sousa was paid his pension of $24, and the payment of $19.50 on the certificate ussued by the Secretary of the Navy was discontinued.

Calls It a Similar Case.

The widow states that in December 1892, the then Secretary of the Interior, in a case similar to hers, decided that payment under the terms of section 4756 was not a pension, but "retired pay," and allowed the applicant in that case to draw both awards. Notwithstanding this decision, Mrs. Sousa states, the Commissioner of Pensions has taken adverse action on her application for the amount that accrued to her husband from the time the $19.50 monthly was stopped until the time of his death.

Attorneys Fugitt and De Putron represent Mrs. Sousa."

Research Notes

Elizabeth may have been the child born to Johann Peter Trinkaus and Anna Catharina Schaefer on 20 May 1826 and baptized on 23 May at "Evangelisch, Fraenkisch Crumbach, Starkenburg, Hesse-Darmsta."^[12] This is included here as a clue only, since the only common link with Elizabeth Trinkaus Sousa is the common date of birth.

Sources

1. ↑ "Early Life of John Philip Sousa, The March King," Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 07 Aug. 1921, p. 5, col. 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress,(https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1921-08-07/ed-1/seq-53/).
2. ↑ "Early Life of John Philip Sousa, The March King," Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 07 Aug. 1921, p. 5, col. 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress,(https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1921-08-07/ed-1/seq-53/).
3. ↑ 1860 Census: "1860 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1860; Census Place: Washington Ward 6, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: M653_104; Page: 653; Family History Library Film: 803104
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7667 #10564504 (accessed 9 February 2022)
   Elizth Sousa (34) in Washington Ward 6, Washington, District of Columbia. Born in Hesse, Hessen.
4. ↑ 1870 Census: "1870 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1870; Census Place: Washington Ward 6, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: M593_125; Page: 166B
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7163 #2960302 (accessed 9 February 2022)
   Elizabeth Souse (41), Keeping House, in Washington Ward 6, Washington, District of Columbia. Born in Hes; Ger.
5. ↑ 1880 Census: "1880 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1880; Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia; Roll: 124; Page: 259A; Enumeration District: 081
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6742 #35478482 (accessed 9 February 2022)
   Elizabeth Sousa (53), wife, Keeping House, in household of Antonio Sousa (54) in Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA. Born in Hesse Darmstadt.
6. ↑ 1900 Census: "1900 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1900; Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia; Page: 2; Enumeration District: 0136; FHL microfilm: 1240164
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7602 #392073 (accessed 9 February 2022)
   Elizabeth Sousa (74), widowed head of household in Washington, Washington, District of Columbia. Born in Germany.
7. ↑ "Sues for Back Pay," The Washington Herald (Washington, D.C.), 29 Jan 1908, p. 12, col. 4, Newspapers.com.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49404427/marie-elizabeth-sousa : accessed 07 February 2022), memorial page for Marie Elizabeth Trinkhaus Sousa (20 May 1826–23 Aug 1908), Find a Grave Memorial ID 49404427, citing Congressional Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA ; Maintained by Wanda White (contributor 47184571) .
9. ↑ The Washington Post - Monday, August 24,1908
10. ↑ "Plain Services for Mrs. Sousa, Funeral of Aged Mother of the Composer to be Held Today," Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, North Carolina), 26 Aug 1908, p. 3, col. 1, Newspapers.com.
11. ↑ "Sues for Back Pay," The Washington Herald (Washington, D.C.), 29 Jan 1908, p. 12, col. 4, Newspapers.com.
12. ↑ Baptism: "Germany, Select Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898"
    Ancestry Record 9866 #24975338 (accessed 9 February 2022)
    Maria Elisabetha Trinkaus baptism on 23 May 1826 (born 20 May 1826), daughter of Johann Peter Trinkaus & Anna Catharina Schaefer, in Evangelisch, Fraenkisch Crumbach, Starkenburg, Hesse-Darmsta.