Individual Details
Mary Augusta Hollenkamp
(24 Aug 1859 - 2 Nov 1905)
Mary Augusta grew up in Louisville Kentucky of immigrant German parents. It appears as if her father was absent during most of her growing up as he is not found with the family after the 1860 census when Mary was a year old. She was raised by her mother and maternal relatives; her Grandfather Graefa and Aunt and Uncle Ruwe were either in the home or nearby.
Mary was the middle of three siblings, between her elder brother Henry and younger sister Minnie. They were all baptized in the Catholic Church and were educated at Louisville schools. Finishing school, they obtained employment in stores, the girls as salesladies and Henry as a shipping clerk. It was while working at a large department store that Mary met Lafe DeWitt and became the first of her siblings to marry.
In an 1888 article describing Lafayette Dewitt and his business the German paper Louisville Anzeiger said, "On Jan. 29 1880 he married Miss M.A. Hollenkamp, an educated, charming young lady, niece of the late J.H. Ruwe..." They married in the DeWitt church with family and friends in attendance. A newspaper clipping in a DeWitt Bible described the event:
Friday night at 8 o'clock Mr. Lafayette DeWitt and Miss Mary A. Hollenkamp were married at the Floyd and Chestnut-street Christian church, Rev. G.W. Yancey conducting the services. Miss Mary Zabel and Mr. E. G. Davidson were the attendants. The church was crowded with the friends of the young couple. When the ceremony was concluded the young people with their friends left the church, and participated in an excellent supper.
The new couple opened their own store across the street from where they met. The 1888 Louisville Anzeiger article continued, "They have 2 boys and 2 girls. His wife helps with management; she was involved in the store during the last 7 years, and understands thoroughly to assist and advise in buying wares, her main attention is on cleaning dept."
Mary bore a total of ten children, though only six reached maturity. After the first four children, the next four born between 1886 and 1895 died as infants. Two were twins that died at birth. Then she had two more, a boy and a girl, in 1893 and 1895.
Her brother married soon after she did in 1880 to Mary Doran. They had a large healthy family of seven children who all lived to old age even though Henry died at 42. He was buried next to his father in Saint Louis Cemetery. Her sister Minnie married in 1881 to George Kramer when she was 19 only to die at 21, shortly after having her second child. The baby boy only lived a few months.
Mary, though she outlived her siblings, died when she was only 46. She died of pneumonia and chronic enteritis 2 November, 1905 and was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
Mary was the middle of three siblings, between her elder brother Henry and younger sister Minnie. They were all baptized in the Catholic Church and were educated at Louisville schools. Finishing school, they obtained employment in stores, the girls as salesladies and Henry as a shipping clerk. It was while working at a large department store that Mary met Lafe DeWitt and became the first of her siblings to marry.
In an 1888 article describing Lafayette Dewitt and his business the German paper Louisville Anzeiger said, "On Jan. 29 1880 he married Miss M.A. Hollenkamp, an educated, charming young lady, niece of the late J.H. Ruwe..." They married in the DeWitt church with family and friends in attendance. A newspaper clipping in a DeWitt Bible described the event:
Friday night at 8 o'clock Mr. Lafayette DeWitt and Miss Mary A. Hollenkamp were married at the Floyd and Chestnut-street Christian church, Rev. G.W. Yancey conducting the services. Miss Mary Zabel and Mr. E. G. Davidson were the attendants. The church was crowded with the friends of the young couple. When the ceremony was concluded the young people with their friends left the church, and participated in an excellent supper.
The new couple opened their own store across the street from where they met. The 1888 Louisville Anzeiger article continued, "They have 2 boys and 2 girls. His wife helps with management; she was involved in the store during the last 7 years, and understands thoroughly to assist and advise in buying wares, her main attention is on cleaning dept."
Mary bore a total of ten children, though only six reached maturity. After the first four children, the next four born between 1886 and 1895 died as infants. Two were twins that died at birth. Then she had two more, a boy and a girl, in 1893 and 1895.
Her brother married soon after she did in 1880 to Mary Doran. They had a large healthy family of seven children who all lived to old age even though Henry died at 42. He was buried next to his father in Saint Louis Cemetery. Her sister Minnie married in 1881 to George Kramer when she was 19 only to die at 21, shortly after having her second child. The baby boy only lived a few months.
Mary, though she outlived her siblings, died when she was only 46. She died of pneumonia and chronic enteritis 2 November, 1905 and was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
Events
| Birth | 24 Aug 1859 | Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States |  | ||
| Census | 1870 | 4th Ward, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States |  | | |
| Marriage | 29 Jan 1880 | Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States - Lafayette DeWitt | | | |
| Census (family) | Jul 1880 | 125 Lampton Street, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States - Lafayette DeWitt | | ||
| Census (family) | 1900 | 426 E Market Street, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States - Lafayette DeWitt | | | |
| Death | 2 Nov 1905 | of pneumonia and chronic enteritis - Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States | | | |
| Burial | 4 Nov 1905 | Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States | | |
Families
| Spouse | Lafayette DeWitt (1857 - 1948) |
| Child | John Henry DeWitt (1880 - 1939) |
| Child | Clarence Douglas DeWitt (1882 - 1937) |
| Child | Olive May Augusta DeWitt (1884 - 1985) |
| Child | Minna Rosalie Charlotta "Minnie" DeWitt (1886 - 1970) |
| Child | Albert Arthur DeWitt (1886 - 1886) |
| Child | Grace Lillian DeWitt (1886 - 1886) |
| Child | Mary Jane "Jeanette" DeWitt (1888 - 1888) |
| Child | Adeline DeWitt (1892 - 1893) |
| Child | Lafayette Gilbert DeWitt Jr. (1893 - 1974) |
| Child | Nellie Adeline DeWitt (1895 - 1961) |
| Father | Johann Gerhard Henrich "G Henry" Hollenkamp (1820 - 1890) |
| Mother | Augusta Emilie Graefe (1834 - 1916) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Louise Hollenkamp (1854 - 1860) |
| Sibling | Lisette Hollenkamp (1856 - 1860) |
| Sibling | Johann Heinrich "John Henry" Hollenkamp (1857 - 1900) |
| Sibling | Wilhelmine "Minnie" Hollenkamp (1862 - 1884) |
Notes
Census
Hollenkamp, Mary, 10, F, W, at school, Kentucky, parents foreign bornMarriage
Lafayette DeWitt and Mary Augusta Hollenkampwere married by Rev. G.W. Yancey
Pastor of the Floyd and Chestnut Street Christian Church
Louisville Kentucky Thursday evening January 29th at 8.30. pm 1880
Census (family)
125 Lampton Str.L. Dewelt 23, KY KY KY, Salesman
Mary A. Dewelt 21, KY Hanover, Saxony
Right below Graffe & Hollenkamps, her grandfather and mother.
Census (family)
1900 Kentucky, Vol 35, ED 39, sheet 11, line 24.Jefferson Co., Mag Dist 6, Louisville,
E Market Street, 426 (house no.)
DeWitt, Lafayette, Head Jan 1857 43, married 21 yrs. Illinois, Indiana, KY, Merchant dry goods
Mary A. Wife Aug 1859 40 married 21 yrs., 10 children 6 living, KY, Ger., Ger,
John H. Son Oct 1880 19 KY, salesman dry goods
Clarence D. Son July 1882 17 KY, salesman dry goods
Olive M. Daughter July 1884 15 KY, at school
Minnie C Daughter Jan 1886 13 KY, at school
Lafayette Son Sept 1893 6 KY
Nellie Daughter Nov. 1895 4 KY
Ditzel, Delia Employee June 1864 35 Indiana
Death
Died of pneumonia, November 2nd at 6.15 am 1905, aged 46 years and 2 months. Died at 1218 Fourth Ave, Louisville, Kentucky and was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.Newspaper clipping in Lafe DeWitt's Bible -
BURIAL PERMITS
Mary A. DeWitt, 46, 1218 Fourth; chronic enteritis
(handwritten- Louisville- Nov. 2nd, 1905)
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) Fri, Nov 3, 1905, Page 5
MRS. MARY A. DEWITT DIES AFTER LONG ILLNESS.
Mrs. Mary A. DeWitt, the wife of Lafayette DeWitt, died of chronic stomach trouble at her home, 1218 Fourth avenue, at 6:15 o'clock yesterday morning, after a severe illness of four months. Mrs. DeWitt had been in failing health for two years, the result of an attack of typhoid pneumonia. She recovered in a measure and was not confined to her home until last July.
Mrs. DeWitt was forty-six years of age last August. She was born and reared in Louisville. Her mother, Mrs. Augusta Hollenkamp, still lives in the city. Aside from her husband and mother, Mrs. DeWitt is survived by six children and one aunt. The children are John Henry, Clarence D., Lafayette, Jr., Miss Olive May, Miss Minnie and Miss Nellie DeWitt. The aunt is Mrs. Wilhelmina Rueve.
The funeral services will be held at the residence, 1218 Fourth avenue, at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. The Rev. W. M. Briney, pastor of the Broadway Christian church, of which Mrs. DeWitt had been a member for twenty-five years, will conduct the services. The burial will be in Cave Hill cemetery.
Burial
Went to Cave Hill today, ....a Dewitt family plot. There should be 8 people buried there but there are only three stones. Two of them are unreadable except for the name Dewitt. The other one readsMother Mary A. Dewitt Aug. 24, 1859 - Nov. 2, 1905 Rest in Peace
she was burried November 4, 1905.
Edna Parrott
Section A, lot 559, grave 8. Owners of lot 559 are John H Ruwe and George Kramer.
Inscription; Mother, Mary A Dewitt, Aug 24 1859, Nov 2 1905, Rest in Peace
Endnotes
1. DeWitt family records written by Lafe DeWitt and Olive DeWitt, 1938 (Santa Rosa, CA: Family records held by Charles DeWitt Prouty.).
2. U.S Federal Census - 1870, 4th Ward, Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY (researched by Shirley Duncan rec'vd Oct. 3, 1998).
3. DeWitt family records written by Lafe DeWitt and Olive DeWitt, 1938 (Santa Rosa, CA: Family records held by Charles DeWitt Prouty.).
4. 2 newspaper clippings pasted in front of Bible given to Lafayette DeWitt on his 28th birthday by "Mrs. Augusta Hollenkamp My Dear Darling Mother-in-law" Jan. 11th 1885. Bible owned by Charles DeWitt Prouty. (New Testament and Psalms New York: American Bible Society c. 1884).
5. Soundex - 1900 Kentucky, D300 for DeWitt T1047 (read April 22 2003 Nancy Prouty).
6. DeWitt family records written by Lafe DeWitt and Olive DeWitt, 1938 (Santa Rosa, CA: Family records held by Charles DeWitt Prouty.).
7. 2 newspaper clippings pasted in front of Bible given to Lafayette DeWitt on his 28th birthday by "Mrs. Augusta Hollenkamp My Dear Darling Mother-in-law" Jan. 11th 1885. Bible owned by Charles DeWitt Prouty. (New Testament and Psalms New York: American Bible Society c. 1884).
8. DeWitt family records written by Lafe DeWitt and Olive DeWitt, 1938 (Santa Rosa, CA: Family records held by Charles DeWitt Prouty.).
9. Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky, DeWitt Burial List (obtained and sent by Edna Parrott, Aug. 1999).
10. Parrott, Edna., Pictures of tombstones from Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky. (Aug 1999).