Heinrich Christoph (Stradtmann) Stradtman (1820 - 1889)

Born 3 Oct 1820 in Celle, Hanover, German Empire

Husband of Catharine Magdalene Hesse — married 2 Dec 1842 in Stadtkirche, Celle, Hannover

Husband of Dorothea Elise Helena (Meier) Stradtmann — married 4 Oct 1847 in New York City, New York, United States

Husband of Sophie Wilhelmine Amalie (Struve) Stradtmann — married about 1852 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

Descendants

Died 19 Jun 1889 at age 68 in Chestnut Hill, West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

He was born in Celle-Blumlage in what was then the independent Kingdom of Hannover. He and his first wife had two sons together. He worked as a "shaft master" (equivalent to a tunnel engineer) on various railroad projects in the area of Hannover and Bremen. Following his migration to the United States in 1847, he married his second wife in New York City; she and their infant daughter died in a cholera epidemic in the area of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1849-1850. He resettled in Lancaster sometime after 26 Jul 1850 (the date of the U.S. Census in which he appears as a laborer in Cincinnati). He worked as a raftsman on the Susquehanna River, and was credited with saving the life of another man who otherwise would have drowned.

He eventually married his third wife and settled down in the German-speaking community of Chestnut Hill, West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Like most of the other men there, he worked in the iron mines which were associated with the Cordelia Furnace at Lake Grubb, Lancaster County. He was naturalized in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1858. He appears to have done mostly menial labor during his first twenty years in Pennsylvania. The 1870 United States Census says that he was working as a fence maker. His occupation is described as "carpenter" in the 1880 United States Census. He was in the Silver Spring Band, although it is not known just which instrument he played. Oral tradition within the Stradtman family says that he broke his leg while he was helping to build Concordia Lutheran Church at Chestnut Hill.

He signed his name several different ways throughout his life (Strathmann, Stratmann, Strautman, Streetman, etc.). The 1850 United States Census identifies him as "Henry Strautmyer". Then he appears as "Henry Strademan" in the 1860 United States Census. By 1880, the "Stradtman" spelling appears to have been firmly established.

It is likely that he served in the Pennsylvania militia during the American Civil War. That has not, however, been firmly established as of 31 May 2020.

His death resulted from heart disease. He and his third wife (Wilhelmina) are buried side by side in the cemetery of Concordia Lutheran Church, Chestnut Hill, West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Sources

• Stradtman, Henrich Christoph - various work and immigration documents in possession of George Gast Stradtman Jr.

• Stradtman, Heinrich Christoph; and Meier, Dorothea Elise Helena. Marriage certificate. New York: United German Evang.-Luth. Ch.--Oct. 4, 1847.

• "Stradtman, Henry" - entry in _Williams' Cincinnati Directory for 1850-51_ (Cincinnati, OH: C.S. Williams - 1850) - 1850), p261

• 1850 U.S. Census - 11th Ward Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH - Roll# M432_691; p194B; Image# 394 - viewed on Ancestry.com.

• 1860 U.S. Census - Mountville, West Hempfield Twp., Lancaster Co., PA - Roll# M653_1125; p946; FHL# 805125 - viewed on Ancestry.com.

• Strautman, Henry (W. Hempfield Twp., Lanc. Co., PA) - list of persons of Class II, subject to military duty in the 9th Congressional District of Lancaster Co., PA, enumerated during Jun 1863; fm Ancestry.com U.S. Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865.

• 1870 U.S. Census - W. Hempfield Twp., Lancaster County, PA; Roll# M593_1359; p490A; FHL# 552858 - viewed on Ancestry.com.

• 1880 U.S. Census - W. Hempfield Twp., Lanc. Co., PA - Roll# 1141; FHL# 1255141; p66C; ED# 125; Image:# 0136 - viewed on Ancestry.com.

• Auxer, Susan Stradtman (10 Aug 1864-26 Sep 1918) - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death - digital image viewed on Ancestry.com.

• "Death's Harvest", obit of Henry C Stradtman (Lancaster, PA: Lancaster Daily Intelligencer newspaper--20 Jun 1889).

• Weidler, Magdalena S (d 1924) - PA death cert. fm Ancestry.com.

• Siple, Anna Mary (23 Aug 1873-02 Apr 1927) - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death - digital image viewed on Ancestry.com.

• Stradtman, Henry S (18 Jul 1854-12 Oct 1932) - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death - digital image viewed on Ancestry.com.

• Stradtman, William F - PA death cert. (d 1956) - viewed on Ancestry.com at http://tinyurl.com/pzdy5m6

• Stradtman, J S; obit (Lancaster, PA: _New Era_ newspaper--22 Aug 1961), p3 - copy provided by Steve Mondros via Facebook on 30 May 2020.

• Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Naturalization Index 1800-1906 - viewed on www.co.lancaster.pa.us website in 2008.

Acknowledgments

• Stradtman, William F. _History of the Stradtman Family_ (Lancaster, PA: W.F. Stradtman, Printer--1940), pp3-4.