Maria Magdalena (Dressel) Betz (1790 - 1852)

Born 7 Apr 1790 in Feilbingert, Rheinpfalz, Germany

Ancestors

Wife of Johann Heinrich Betz — married 17 May 1808 in Feilbingert,Pfalz,Bayern,Germany

Descendants

Died Aug 1852 at age 62 in Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jillaine Smith [send private message]

Biography

Christina Dressel was born as "Maria Magdalena" 7 Apr 1790, Feilbingert, Rheinpfalz, Germany.^[1] This is also the name on her 1808 marriage certificate; however, after marriage, on the Feilbingert baptisms of her children,^[2] and certainly after emigration, she went by the name Christina, supposedly called that after an older sister by the same name who died young.

Feilbingert church records indicate a Maria Christina Dressel born May 06, 1783; but this same Christina is also shown to have died 7 June 1789.^[3]

At the age of 14, under the name Christina Dressel, she was confirmed in 1804 in Feilbingert ^[4]

She married 17 May 1808 Johann Heinrich Betz in Feilbingert, Rheinpfalz, Germany; witnesses: Philippe Christmann, Adam Haubert^[5]

Christina Betz emigrated 25 Jun 1845 aboard the ship "Fanny" from Amsterdam to NYC. ^[6]

With Christina were her daughters: Elisabetha, Anna Maria, Henrietta (with husband Joseph Schmitt), Maria Christina Schwed (with her daughters), and also a baby Anna Maria Betz, 6mos, who might actually be Anna Maria Schmitt, dau of Joseph and Henrietta.

On 4 Aug 1850, Christina served as godparent to Heinrich Schmidt, son of Joseph Schmitt and (her daughter) Henrietta Betz.^[7]

Christina (Dressel) Betz died in Aug 1852, in Buffalo, Erie County, NY and was buried 1 September 1852.^[8] While many of her family members are buried at Concordia Cemetery, that cemetery did not open until 1859, so it's not clear where Christina would have been buried.

In addition to the children attached to this profile, Christina also had:

• Anna Margaretha Betz, born 2 Dec 1822; d 12 Jan 1823^[9]
• Johanetta Betz, born 7 March 1836; d before 1845 (not on passenger list)^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Evangelische Kirsche Feil (Feilbingert), FHL 193843, vol. 3, Baptisms 1751-1798, Year 1785, entry 574
2. ↑ Birth Record - Elisabetha Betz, Civil Registry, Verbandgemeinde, Munster am Stein (Civil Records), 101, Munster am Stein / Ebernburg, Vol. 3, Baptisms 1751-1798, Year 1785, entry 574; photocopy obtained by Jillaine Smith in May 2000.
3. ↑ Feilbingert, Church Records, Deaths, #375: "age 6 years, 1 month"
4. ↑ Feilbingert church records, Vol. 4, Confirmations Year 1804.
5. ↑ Feilbingert Civil Records, Certificate of Marriage - Heinrich Betz & Maria Magdalena Dressel; photocopy obtained from original at civil archives, Bad Munster - Ebernburg, Germany
6. ↑ NY Passenger & Immigration Lists, Family Identification: 39019, Microfilm Serial Number: M 237; Roll Number: 58
7. ↑ St. Peter's German Evangelical Church, Buffalo, NY Church Records, 1848-1968, Baptisms, 1850
8. ↑ St. Peters, Item 1, Funerals 1848-1854, Year 1852, pg. 56.
9. ↑ "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPRN-PKHD : 24 October 2021), Anna Magdalena Betz, 5 Dec 1822; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Bingert, Feilbingert, Bad Kreuznach, Rhein, Preußen, Deutschland, Bingert u Feilbingert, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
10. ↑ "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPRN-TVHQ : 24 October 2021), Johannetta Betz, 13 Mar 1836; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Bingert, Feilbingert, Bad Kreuznach, Rhein, Preußen, Deutschland, Bingert u Feilbingert, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.

Acknowledgements

Jillaine thanks fourth cousin and genealogy partner, D. McCabe, for the early research that contributed so significantly to what we now know about our Smith ancestors.