Tombstone Tuesday–Anna Rosina Betzel

Anna Rosina Betzel, Kessler Cemetery (aka Liberty Cemetery), Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.

This is the tombstone of Anna Rosina Betzel, located in row 14 of Kessler Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Hier ruht, Anna Rosina Betzel, geb. Herzog, geboren zu Puschendorf, Bayern, 1 November 1828, Gestorben 15 Mai 1879.Translated it reads: Here lies Anna Rosina Betzel, born Herzog, born in Puschendorf, Bavaria, 1 November 1828, Died 15 May 1879.  

According to the Familienbuch portion of the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio, Anna Rosina Herzog was born 1 November 1828 in Buschendorf, County Court Herzogen Auerach, District Unterfranken in the Kingdom of Bavaria. She was the daughter of Johann Georg and Margaretha Herzog. She married Georg Friedrich Betzel on 1 October 1846, the location of the marriage not given. After they were married the couple resided in Butler County, Ohio, for three years before moving to Mercer County. The church records also mention that Mrs. Betzel died at about 12 o’clock at night. She was 50 years, 6 months and 14 days old.

Friedrich and Anna Rosina (Herzog) Betzel had the following children:

Elisabetha (20 June 1848-14 March 1853, buried in Kessler Cemetery)
Magdalena (b. 30 March 1850, married Johann Schlenker in 1869)
Johann (15 June 1852-2 Mar 1879, born and died in Mercer County)
Wilhelm Johann (b. 12 February 1854, married Sophia Deitsch in 1879)
Georg Friedrich (b. 6 December 1855)
Jakob (b. 26 December 1858, married Mary B. Drewes in 1882)
Maria Elisabetha (b. 15 March 1861)
Catharina Paulina (b. 19 April 1864)
Heinrich David (b. 30 November 1869, married Sophie Ann Kessler)

Although several members of the Betzel family are also buried at Kessler Cemetery, Anna Rosina’s husband Friedrich is buried in North Grove Cemetery, Celina. Anna Rosina is buried next to their son, Johann, who died only two months before she did. Both tombstones are carved from beautiful white marble that has weathered very well. The engraver’s name is even carved on the lower right of her monument. I cannot make out the name but it looks like it came from Cincinnati.

Engraver’s mark, Anna Rosina Betzel tombstone.

Anna Rosina‘s grave marker also gives a lot of information about her. It not only tells her maiden name and place of birth, but it actually gives her birth date as well as the date of her death. Usually only the death date and age are given and you have to calculate the date of birth.

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  1. Fascinating post. I love it when I find gravestones that bear such information. The engraver’s mark look to me like C ? Tellmris. That script is very hard to read.

    1. You are right. The engraver’s script is very difficult to read. It is weathered a little, which makes it even harder. I wasn’t even sure what the first letter was!

  2. Sad to read that she died young and that a son predeceased her by only two months.

    1. There was a lot of illness and death back then. So many children died before their parents and many adults did not live a very long life. But there are the few that lived into their 70s and 80s.

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