HEMRICH, Andrew

History of Northern Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, p 163

Andrew HEMRICH, butcher, Alma [Buffalo County, Wisconsin], was born 25 March 
1832 in Germany. He came to America in 1851, and settled in New Jersey, and 
was engaged in butchering. In 1856 he came to Alma and continued in the same 
business. He [Andrew HEMRICH] has been married, and has seven children: 
Matilda, Frederick, Andrew, Melissa, Annie, Lydia, and Frank.

[In the 1880 census of Alma, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, Andrew and his former 
wife, Elisabeth, are both listed as divorced, and both of their households 
are enumerated. Andrew lives in the family of Henrietta JOHNSON, milliner, 
divorced female, age twenty-five, born in Norway to parents also born there, 
and her son, Charles JOHNSON, age five, born in Wisconsin to parents both born 
in Norway, who attends school. Andrew HEMRICH, a butcher, whose surname 
appears more like HEINRICH, is age forty-eight, born in Germany, by his 
census age about 1832, which agrees with the year of birth given in the 
biography, to parents also born in Germany.]

[Also enumerated in Alma is the family of Elisabeth HEMRICH, whose surname 
also appears more like HEINRICH in the 1880 census. She is divorced, 
thirty-eight years of age, keeps house, born in Germany, about 1842 by her 
census age, to parents both born in Germany. The children listed in the 
Elisabeth HEMRICH household include the following, all of whom were born in 
Wisconsin to parents both born in Germany: (1) Andrew, age fifteen, who 
attends school, born about 1865 by his census age; (2) Elice, likely 
"Melissa" mentioned in the biography, age eleven, also attending school, born 
about 1869; (3) Anna, the "Annie" of the biography, age nine, who attends 
school, by her age born about 1871; (4) Lydia, age five, born about 1875; 
and (5) Frank, age three, born about 1877.]

[Two children mentioned in the biography are not enumerated with either 
Andrew HEMRICH or the family of his former wife, Elisabeth HENRICH: (1) 
Frederick and (2) Matilda. There is a Frederick HEMRICH enumerated in the 
1880 census (p 126) of Winnebago City, Faribault County, in southern 
Minnesota, who is seventeen years of age, two years older than Andrew, the 
eldest child of Andrew HEMRICH listed in the Alma census. His occupation is 
given as butcher, which appears to make him a good candidate for a son of 
Andrew, also a butcher. Fred HEMRICH resides in the household of Vincent 
FROELICH, age twenty-seven, whose occupation is also listed as a butcher. 
(If interested in Vincent FROELICH, he was born in Baden to parents also born 
there, and the only other member of the FROELICH household is Vincent's wife, 
Matilda H., age nineteen, born in Wisconsin to parents both born in 
Switzerland.) According to this Minnesota enumeration, "Fred" HEMRICH was 
born in Wisconsin, about 1853 by his census age, to parents both born in 
Switzerland. This appears conflicting, since Andrew HEMRICH is noted in the 
Alma census to have been born in Germany, but it was not a rare occurrence 
for Swiss from the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland to be identified as 
German instead of Swiss, although this is more often the case with passenger 
lists than with census records. Thus some doubt exists as to whether this is 
Frederick, the son of Andrew HEMRICH. The possibility of Frederick being 
deceased has not been eliminated. The daughter Matilda may have married, or 
may also be deceased; neither possibility was examined. Bracketed material 
added by submitter (who is not researching these surnames) to support and 
clarify information given in the biography and to raise questions.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly