Charles And Mary (Mervine) Schroeder

Charles August Ernest Schroeder was born on November 22nd, 1886 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the son of Carl and Anna Marie (Heese) Schroeder. He had three living brothers and one sister, Albert, John, Edward and Anna. Another brother, Arthur died five days after his birth. Though, his siblings remained in Wisconsin, Charles moved to Philadelphia, Pa. in the early part of the 20th century.

Occupations Charles held through his lifetime were that of an electrician in a battery storage plant, milkman, delivery man, church bell ringer and grave digger. He married Mary Mervine when he was 18 years old and she was 15 years old and had fifteen children; Charles, Marie (direct descendant), Helen, Florence, Edwin, William, Elmer, John, Howard, Raymond, Dorothy, Lillian, Edna, Earl and Pearl.

Edwin, Howard and Pearl died in infancy. Pearl was the twin of Earl.

Mary Mervine Schroeder was born on March 16th, 1889 to Alexander and Mary Ann (Hughes) Mervine in Philadelphia, PA. She had three sisters and three brothers, Hannah, Charles, John (half siblings from Alexander's marriage to Sarah ) and Caroline, Anna, William. (full blood siblings) After she married her husband, she relocated with him to Milwaukee, Wisconsin after the birth of their first child, Charles. Their next two children, Marie & Helen were born in Wisconsin before they relocated once again back to Philadelphia. This would not be the first relocation back and forth between Milwaukee and Philadelphia but by the 1920 Census records, the family remained in Philadelphia.

Tragically, Charles and Mary would experience the loss of five of their fifteen children. After losing three children in infancy, their youngest child Earl loss his own life at the tender age of 13 years old while swimming in Beech Wood, N.J. on August 13th, 1939. Because he was found afloat in the water, it was assumed he died from drowning but a coroner's report later established the cause of death as a heart defect because his lungs did not fill up with water as would be the case had he drowned. On February 19th, 1945 and just two days after the birth of her third child, Marie Schroeder Weleski, second oldest child of Charles and Mary, died from what was identified as a stroke that occurred immediately after the delivery. Marie was 38 years old.

On November 3rd, 1945 at the age of 59 years old, Charles Schroeder died and was interred with his children at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Section Z .

On March 9th, 1979 at the age of 89 years old, Mary Mervine Schroeder died and was interred with her husband and children at Laurel Hill Cemetery. She lived to see five generations.

In addition, John Schroeder, son of Charles and Mary Mervine Schroeder was also interred at Laurel Hill with his wife and in-laws but in Section V. John Schroeder died on May 31st, 1969, ten years before his mother.