Title

The Life of Catherine (1845-1923)

Abstract

Catherine was born in Prussia, Europe on August 1845 and died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 7, 1923. Growing up in Europe was uneventful for her as she lived a normal life with her mother and father in a small house struggling to make ends meet. Catherine went to school and had to maintain a job which caused a lot of mental stress for her. Nevertheless, Catherine was a very positive and outgoing individual, which is why she was popular in middle school.

When it was found out she had a poor life at home, people stopped talking to her which caused her to be even more depressed than she already was. As she grew up and graduated from middle school, she had many doubts about her future as she struggled to find jobs and sustain a healthy life. At this time, Catherine was still in Europe with no job, so she was a stay-at-home wife and took care of the house while her husband worked and brought income to support them.

Catherine struggled with mental issues and there were quarrels between Joseph and their marriage. These petty disputes come from the fact that one wanted kids, and one didn’t. It seems she had two children early in her life because that’s what a later census indicated, but maybe not. After divorcing, Catherine moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and married again at age 58 on April 23rd, 1904, to Martin.

Martin worked as a butcher and Catherine was once yet again a stay-at-home wife. These mental challenges and struggles stayed with Catherine until she was admitted to Milwaukee County hospital for being mentally disabled. She died of “exhaustion senile psychosis” which was just the symptoms of old age and was finally buried in Potter’s field on March 19th, 1923.

Instead of finally finding peace, poor Catherine, decades after her death, was disturbed once again for her remains to be studied by a medical college. Then, some of the land where she was buried along with others was built over by a hospital. Catherine is remembered today as an immigrant that struggled, a mother, and a wife who deserves to rest in peace.

Note

Fictive Narrative

Date

November 5, 2025

Creator

Chris a sophomore high school student