“Three men, who had been working for the C and O, at Kenova, for sometime, and amassed a little roll money, probably about $1300, started on a prolonged drunk in this city several weeks ago. They were Frederick Klaiber, Frederick Spitzler and his brother. They sailed high and drank deep, and soon ran through with their earnings. But worse than this: Klaiber, on Thursday of last week, was taken to the Infirmary, where he died from congestion of the heart, caused by excessive dissipation, on Sunday morning. Frederick Spitzler is struggling with an aggravated case of the jim-jams in the city prison, and his brother is wandering about the city – if he has not left recently – dead broke and very disconsolate. So much for a first-class drunk.”
“Superintendent Foster, of the Infirmary, is quite anxious to learn of the family of the man who died at the institution Sunday. Naturalization papers found with his effects show that he was a German, and that he took out his last papers in Elk county, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1890. Before he died he said that his wife was dead, but that he had two children who were being well cared for. He did note state where they were, however.”
“The man had many marks of good breeding about him, and seemed to be of a gentle and kind disposition. He was smooth-shaven, with good teeth, about five feet eight or nine inches tall and would weigh about 140 pounds. Mr. Foster thought him about 55 years of age. His clothes were of a good material and make, but very dirty. The man claimed, when he came there, that he had saved $25 and a watch out of the wreck, but had lost that at Biegel’s boarding house.”
“The remains were buried in the potters’ field in Greenlawn Monday afternoon.”
“Any information about the man’s connections will be gladly received by the superintendent of the Infirmary.”1
Finding Fritz
On January 3, 2021, while completing a survey of the Scioto County Infirmary Cemetery that had begun on April 11, 2018, a downed grave marker that previously had been cataloged as “unknown and unnumbered” showed signs of bearing an inscription. Using multiple lighting techniques to provide contrast to the engraving yielded enough information to begin research through other sources despite much of the surname being obliterated from the marker.
The date April 12, 1891, was identifiable and a newspaper search was conducted with the Portsmouth Times April 18, 1891 edition containing the above story which had already been cataloged and queued for later reprinting.
A search of the Record of Inmates Volume 1, a multi-volume record detailing the names of inmates, their nativity, date admitted, physical and mental condition, date of discharge, and reason for discharge locates the above entry on page 216. It shows a Fritz being admitted to the Infirmary on April 9th, 1891, which corresponds with the Portsmouth Times’ article. On page 217 the record indicates that Fritz Klaiber perished on April 12, 1891. This information corresponds both with the Portsmouth Times’ article and the date read from the grave marker at the Scioto County Infirmary Cemetery. While Klaiber’s death is found in the Record of Inmates Volume 1 it was not located in the Scioto County Death Records, 1867-1880, Vol 1.
The Grave of Fritz Klaiber
One necessary correction to the Times’ story is that Klaiber’s burial was made at the Scioto County Infirmary Cemetery and not Greenlawn Cemetery. This is supported by the presence of his grave marker and lack of documentary evidence supporting a burial at Greenlawn.
The Fritz Klaiber grave marker lies in the westernmost section of the Infirmary cemetery. This older section’s markers are of a local freestone material, possibly Raven Rock Freestone, or from the stone quarry located on the Infirmary’s property. The below photos illustrate a similar stone that was located on property adjacent to the Scioto County Infirmary Farm with several showing tool marks.
This stone while desired for its uniformity, being able to be cut in any direction, its fine grain, and ease at which it could be cut with chisel it does not typically fare well in areas that require continuous grooming. The stones having a height of 12″ are too tall to be driven over with common commercial mowers requiring that they are mowed around and then the remaining grass be trimmed with a line trimmer.
As you can see from the below image, the grave marker of May McCan, also buried at the Scioto County Infirmary Cemetery, has been damaged by a heavy gauge trimmer line. While not initially apparent, additional damage is done when water infiltrates these fissures and through the process of frost expansion causes further flaking eventually making the inscription illegible.
Often when these smaller stones are found down it is through them having been installed without bases which allows them to fall over (only 6″ beneath soil supports the stone) or broken at the soil level with the remnants still mortared into the original base.
It is not common to find a burial and marker without a base. Loose soil compaction from the grave would necessitate a base and at least a third of the tablet-style grave marker’s total height be beneath the surface to remain erect. Without this larger surface area anchoring the monument, it would fall into the grave as the soil compacted over time. It is, however, common to find a marker and no base (or an improvised base) where there is no burial. This can be found in older family plots when family members died away from home and could not be returned for burial; it is also found when grave markers have been moved from their original burial location to another area. During this latter scenario, the base was not removed from its original location and the tablet was broken at ground level.
In more modern times it is common to find grave markers such as these broken at ground level due to being struck by mowers or vandalism. Once downed the inscribed surface is prone to repeated blade strikes from mowers as is the case for Fritz Klaiber’s marker.
The Family of Fritz Klaiber
The Portsmouth Times’ story details some of Fritz’s possibly family history, including that his country of birth was Germany, that he had become a naturalized citizen in Elk County, Pennsylvania, that he was a widower, and that at least two children survived him. Genealogical research with utilizing the above information as parameters and allowing for standard deviations in age and name variants returned a strong result.
Friedrich Klaiber, son of Simon Klaiber and Theresia Hahn, was born about 1846 and was christened March 1, 1946, at Dotternhausen, Schwarzwaldkreis, Wuerttemberg, Germany. In the mid-1800’s he immigrated to the United States with his mother’s brother Sebastian Hahn, and three of his brother: Salome Hahn Schimminger, Sebastian Klaiber, and Anthony Klaiber.
After this time and before 1872, Friedrich Klaiber was married to Maria Fuchs. Of this union was born Teresia Klaiber, John Baptist Klaiber, and Julia M Klaiber. The 1880 Federal Census provides two entries for Friedrich and his family; the first showing that Friedrich, John, and Julia living with Friedrich’s older brother, Sebastian, and his family. This record has been stricken through and another entry shows Friedrich living together with Teresia, John, and Julia, as a separate household. Other pertinent information that can be extracted from this Census is that Friedrich was a widower and a stone-cutter by trade. While not explicitly mentioned in the Times it is within the realm of possibility that a stone-cutter would be employed by the C&O railroad. The Pennsylvania Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 record Mary Fuchs Klaiber having died about May 1880 at St. Mary’s, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Further review of Mary Fuchs Klaiber located a burial listing for her at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Saint Mary’s, Elk County, Pennsylvania, with a date of death of May 10, 1880. Interestingly, this burial listing shows marriage to Friedrich Klaiber, with an unsourced date of death of 1894. It is possible that given Friedrich’s death far from home with no local family that the family in Pennsylvania was not made aware of his death until this later date.
