Alexander Schaefer, part 2: His Widow

Here is the obituary of Katherine Schaefer, widow of Alex Schaefer. It looks like she had a long and productive life herself and her story deserves mention of its own.

I do wish to point out that the article's claim that late husband had fought at Gettysburg and Antietam seems to be a mistake as the 13th Ohio Infantry served in the Western Theater. He may have seen action at such major battles as Shiloh, Perryville, Chickamauga and others, but it seems highly unlikely he was ever back east for the battles mentioned below.

Last Rites are set of Mother of 19 – Civil War Soldier’s Widolw dies at 92

Funeral services for Mrs. Katherine Schaefer, widow of Alexander Schaefer, prominent Civil War soldier, will be held at the John J. Radel Co. funeral home, Newport at 2 p.m, Friday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery. She was 92.

Mrs. Schaefer, who lived most of  her life in Newport, died Wed at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Augusta Lyons, 3417 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati. She moved from Newport following the 1937 flood.

She was the mother of 19 children, all but five of whom she outlived. Mrs. Schaefer also reared six grandchildren whose mothers died when they were very young.

Her husband was a member of the 13^th Ohio Infantry and fought in the battles of Gettysburg and Antietam. He died in 1925.

Mrs. Schaefer remained in excellent health until a week before her death. She attended the Ohio League of Woman Voters’ meeting in Columbus, last June and was photographed with Gov. Bricker.

She leaves another daughter, Miss Lillian Schaefer, and three sons, Edward, Walter and Frank G. Schaefer, proprietor of the Knight Soda Fountain Co.