Amanuensis Monday: Johann STROESSER’s death certificate

Last week we saw the birth of my great-grandfather Harry STROESSER’s younger brother Johann. Today we see that his parents’ joy lasted only a short while; Johann died just a year and a half later. Unfortunately, his death certificate does not name the cause of his death, so we can only speculate on what took the life of such a young child. Fatal diseases were more common in small children then than they are today, but it could as easily have been some sort of tragic accident.

This image has been trimmed from the original at FamilySearch.

Transcription (the italicized parts were handwritten on the record):

Im Jahre tausend acht hundert zwei und achtzig, den drei und zwanzigsten

des Monats November um Zehn Uhr Vor- mittags sind vor Uns

Johann Eduard Brassel, Bürgermeister Beamten des Civilstandes

der Gemeinde folscheid , im Kanton Redingen , Großher=

zogthum Luxemburg, erschienen Dominick Lamberto

alt sechszig Jahre, Taglöhner

wohnhaft zu Schwiedelbruch, Nachbar des Verstorbenen

und Johann Peter Stephany , alt dreiszig sieben Jahre

Notar=Gesuche [?] wohnhaft zu Rambruch

Diese haben Uns erklärt, daß Johann Stroesser

alt achtzehn Monate Jahre, –

geboren zu Schwiedelbruch , wohnhaft zu selben Schwiedelbruch,

Sohn der [words not yet successfully distinguished] Peter Stroesser, Eisenhändler und Barbara

Thinnes, ohne Stand

verschieden ist heute um vier Uhr Vor mittags,

zu gemeltem Schwiedelbruch

und haben beide Anzeiger gegenwärtige Urkunde, nachdem sie ihnen vorgelesen worden,

mit Uns unterschrieben.

Line by line Translation:

In the Year one thousand eight hundred eighty-two, the twenty third

of the Month of November at Ten o’clock Before- noon have before Us

Johann Eduard Brassel, Burgermeister Officials of the Civil State

of the Commune of folschette , in the Canton Redange , Grand-

duchy of Luxembourg, appeared Dominick Lamberto

aged sixty Years, Day laborer

residing in Schwiedelbrouch, Neighbor of the Deceased

and Johann Peter Stephany , aged thirty seven Years

Notary-Seeker [?] residing in Rambrouch

This has been declared to Us, that Johann Stroesser

aged eighteen Months Years, --

born in Schwiedelbrouch , residing in same Schwiedelbrouch,

Son of the [aforesaid?] Peter Stroesser, Ironmonger and Barbara

Thinnes, without Occupation

deceased is today at four o’clock Before noon,

in same Schwiedelbrouch

and have both Informants the present deed, having been read to them,

with Us signed.

You will note that in the transcription of this certificate I have a few uncertainties. Firstly, my translation of “Notar=Gesuche” as “Notary-Seeker.” I am not at all sure that I have correctly transliterated the second part of that word, but it is the only way I have managed to come up with that made any sort of sense whatsoever. Little enough sense it makes, though.

Secondly, there are a few words identifying Johann’s parents which I have yet been unable to recognize; however the context implies that they would mean something in the nature of “aforesaid.” I have no doubt that, given a few hours, I could ferret out what the exact words are, but I have deemed it more important at this point (since their meaning is not vital to the comprehension of the certificate) to finish the blog post.

Source:

Folschette, Redange, Luxembourg, death certificate no. 34 (1882), Johann Stroesser; digital image #53 of 142, Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "Décès 1879-1889," FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 21 Nov 2014).