I decided to research another collateral this time. She’s my great great aunt by marriage. As I was going through my grandparents’ boxes one day, I came across a copy of a photograph, which someone had labeled “Minnie Gehring.” Gehring is not a surname with which I am familiar, so naturally, I had to find out why we had a copy of this photograph.
A preliminary search turned up a marriage record for Louise M. Gehring and Henry F. Schroeder, who was the son of Frederick and Louise (Reisenberg) Schroeder. A connection! But I still had to make sure that Louise M. and Minnie were the same person. Thankfully, the 1920 Census gave her full name, Louise Minnie Schroeder.

Louise Minnie Gehring Schroeder
Louise Minnie Gehring was born on April 23, 1886, in Ontario, Canada. Her parents, Frederick and Wilhelmina Gehring had immigrated from Germany in 1883.1,2,3 Frederick was a laborer at the brick works. Minnie also had a job as a laborer at the woolen mills. She was fourteen years old.1
By 1910, the Gehrings had moved to Flint, Genesee County, Michigan. Minnie was now a forelady at a skirt factory, while her father was a foreman at the electric plant.2
Minnie married Henry Frederick Schroeder on June 22, 1911, in Flint, Michigan.3 Henry was the son of Frederick and Louise (Reisenberg) Schroeder. He was born on June 8, 1887, in Clay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio.3,4 At the time of their marriage, Henry was a machinist and Minnie was a dressmaker.3 Shortly thereafter, Henry became a woodworker and Minnie quit working to run the household.5,6 Minnie and Henry had two children: Wilfred Gerald (born circa 1913) and Dorothy Louise (born circa 1915).7,10
By 1920, Henry had gotten a job as a janitor at Homedale School.7 He worked there until at least 1941, with his title changing to engineer around 1925.8,9,10,11,12,13,14
After leaving the school, Henry began a lawn mower repair service. It was still in business in 1954.15
Minnie died in 1961.16 Henry died on November 16, 1980.16,17,18 They are both buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Blanc, Michigan.16
Sources
- Ancestry.com. 1901 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Year: 1901; Census Place: Waterloo, Waterloo (north/nord), Ontario; Page: 5; Family No: 44.
- Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Year: 1910; Census Place: Flint Ward 5, Genesee, Michigan; Roll: T624_643; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0029; FHL microfilm: 1374656.
- “Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925,” database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3KD-CZY : accessed 28 February 2015), Henry F. Schroeder and Louise M. Gehring, 22 Jun 1911; citing Flint, Genesee, Michigan, v 2 p 335 rn 9890, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,692.
- Ancestry.com. Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. “Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2011. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1914.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1915.
- Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1920; Census Place: Flint Ward 2, Genesee, Michigan; Roll: T625_765; Page: 4B; Enumeration District:28; Image: 168.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1921.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1925.
- Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Year: 1930; Census Place: Flint, Genesee, Michigan; Roll: 985; Page: 3A and 3B; Enumeration District: 0027; Image:138.0; FHL microfilm: 2340720.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1930.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1932.
- Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012Year: 1940; Census Place: Flint, Genesee, Michigan; Roll: T627_1894; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 85-73.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1941.
- Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Year: 1954.
- “Louise M Schroeder (1886 – 1961).” FindAGrave.com. Ellinda, 02 May 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. Find A Grave Memorial# 69254346.
- Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.Number: 379-30-2839; Issue State: Michigan; Issue Date: Before 1951.
- Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records. Michigan, Deaths, 1971-1996 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1998.