Margaret Pfaffenberger Bush

Click here to access Reference Page.

Margaret Pfaffenberger was born in Pennsylvania in 1840.₂  The eighth child and second daughter of Andrew and Catharine, Margaret's earliest memories would have been of the Chestnut Ridge farm her father purchased in late 1842.  Margaret grew up in the 1840's and 1850's.  She would have been instructed in "women's work" by her mother and sister Elizabeth.    Besides her brother Joseph, other childhood playmates likely included Hardin McCrary, Ann E. Cox, and Sarah and Nancy Love.₂

 By the time she reached adulthood she had seen her sister and all but one brother leave home and start families, and the loss of two sister-in-laws.  Before she married she had lost her closest brother to the civil war.

 On October 1, 1863, Margaret married Fredrick Bush, a 27 year old German born farmer.   Before a third of a year would pass, Margaret lost her mother Catharine.₁  The next year, 1865, was joyous for Fredrick and Margaret.  Their first child, Anne C., was born.₁₃₁  On August 8, of that same year, they bought a 40 acre parcel from Andrew for $400 (the same parcel George purchased in 1850 and sold to Andrew in 1853).  Link to Map of Andrew Pfaffenberger Farm

The Bush’s second child, William, arrived in 1866.₁₂₁  Fredrick and Margaret probably were living with Andrew on the farm at this time.  When Andrew remarried on June 19, 1868, he moved to Rockford.  Fredrick and Margaret remained at Andrew's house and farmed the ground.

 Fredrick and Margaret closed out the 1860's with the birth of their second son, Ulysses H. Bush, in 1869.  When U.S. census reached the Bush residence in the summer of 1870, it found Fredrick's 68 year old father in addition to the aforementioned family.₁₃₁     

By 1874 Fredrick was ready to move on to another line of work.  Fredrick, purchased the "Old Reasson Flour Mill."  Probably simultaneous with Fredrick's decision to change, Andrew sold his remaining farm property to James K. Green.  

Although the exact dates are uncertain, Fredrick purchased the Old Reasson Custom Flour Mill, which included property both in Jackson and Scott Counties.  Fredrick's property, which was situated one mile south and 1.5 miles east of the center Crothersville, contained about 120 acres, most of which was in Scott County.₆₅  

On September 15, 1875, the Bush's third son George was born.  A year later a fourth son, Fredrick H., came into the world.₉₁

 In late spring or early summer of 1877, Fredrick died. (at the age of 41)  Shortly after Fredrick's death, his brother, Henry, was appointed administrator of his estate.  Unfortunately, Henry Bush died mid-year 1880, and James McDonald was appointed to replace Henry Bush as administrator.₆₅ 

 John Pfaffenberger was appointed the guardian of the Bush children on May 10, 1878.₁₂₂  John's death in May of 1880 created an unusual circumstance for the Bush family.  Both the children's guardian and the administrator for Fredrick's affairs died within weeks of one another.  At John's death, Margaret and John's brother George assumed the guardianship of the Bush children on February 3, 1882.₁₃₂  George continued his duties of guardian of the Bush children until December 30, 1897.₉₁

 In 1881, administrator James McDonald was apparently asked by Margaret to sell the Old Reasson Flour Mill.  Court appointed appraisers Christopher Orr and James Gillispie appraised the property at $2,000.  However, no bids were received and Gillispie purchased the land for ten cents on the dollar on February 2, 1882.₆₃

 Research to date has not determined where Margaret and her children lived after Fredrick's death.  The 1880 U.S. Census did not locate her either in Vernon Township or Washington Township.  In the 1886 to 1889 time frame Anna C. Bush married a Tormoehlen.₆₉

 With exception of William, it is uncertain where the Bush Children ultimately settled and who their children were.  William settled in Seymour and became the proprietor of “W. F. Bush Shoes,” a shoe store located in the original dry goods and shoe store that was originally started by John Pfaffenberger and later operated by his son Wilbur._{27, 145}   Margaret died on December 28, 1902, in Seymour.₁₃₃

Return to Top of Page   Return to Pfaffenberger Heritage (Erbe)     Return to Home Page

© Copyright 2000, All rights reserved