Post by dawnsiek on Apr 11, 2011 11:27:27 GMT -5
This is a long story - but the family asked if I could help. Looking for a red haired girl, who's English name was Fredericka. Read story and if you could suggest where to start looking. I would appreciated it.
A German family was moving out West. We do not know how many were in the family other than one young red haired girl. As they traveled through the mid-west , a band of Indians attacked their wagon train. One of the Indian braves saw the young girl and took her as a "war trophy" We believe the rest of the family was killed, The girl was taken to the camp and presented to the chief. He give her to his son for a wife.
The squaws resented the attention the girl received and they were very cruel to her. The chief's son had grown to love the girl, so he moved away from camp to live in a sod house. She soon became pregnant. We do not know which tribe but they lived in the Dakota area - we believe the North Central South Dakota.
Near the time for the baby's birth, the father (his name was Rentfro) went to get hunt for food. He was to be back in two or three day. While gone a blizzard hit and when he wasn't back in five days Fredericka went to the nearest neighbor and asked for help. They found him frozen to death.
Shortly after the baby was born, she was named Maria. Maria (Mary) was born 22 Oct 1891. Fredericka was married to a widower that had five small children. But the new husband didn't like the "Indian baby" so he abused her and her mother. Scared that the husband would killed the baby. Maria was given to a childless couple who had befriended Fredericka. The Family was Philip and Pauline Krauss. I have they info from 1900 on.
Any ideas how to verify or research this story.
A German family was moving out West. We do not know how many were in the family other than one young red haired girl. As they traveled through the mid-west , a band of Indians attacked their wagon train. One of the Indian braves saw the young girl and took her as a "war trophy" We believe the rest of the family was killed, The girl was taken to the camp and presented to the chief. He give her to his son for a wife.
The squaws resented the attention the girl received and they were very cruel to her. The chief's son had grown to love the girl, so he moved away from camp to live in a sod house. She soon became pregnant. We do not know which tribe but they lived in the Dakota area - we believe the North Central South Dakota.
Near the time for the baby's birth, the father (his name was Rentfro) went to get hunt for food. He was to be back in two or three day. While gone a blizzard hit and when he wasn't back in five days Fredericka went to the nearest neighbor and asked for help. They found him frozen to death.
Shortly after the baby was born, she was named Maria. Maria (Mary) was born 22 Oct 1891. Fredericka was married to a widower that had five small children. But the new husband didn't like the "Indian baby" so he abused her and her mother. Scared that the husband would killed the baby. Maria was given to a childless couple who had befriended Fredericka. The Family was Philip and Pauline Krauss. I have they info from 1900 on.
Any ideas how to verify or research this story.
