Person:Charlotte Becker (8)

CHARLOTTE BECKER was born in 1857 at Hesse, Germany. Records indicate she grew up as an only child until the birth of her brother Christian when she was 8. A year later in 1866, her parents brought her and her baby brother from Germany to the Chicago area. The Civil War was underway in their new home, but it was far away from where they lived. Brothers Henry and John joined the family in the new land. Charlotte was seventeen when her youngest brother John was born.

When Charlotte was 18 she married JOHN WINTERFELD. They married on 19 Feb 1875 at Kane County, Illinois. John was eight years older than her. Perhaps that was a problem. Charlotte remarried four years later so it is likely she and JOHN WINTERFELD divorced circa 1877.

She married HEINRICH ARNOLD LUETGERT on 9 Mar 1879. They had a prolific life together. Charlotte had 10 children, 7 girls and 3 boys. She lost her daughters Luise and Elsa when they were very young, but certainly still had a full life with her eight surviving children.

Everything came apart in 1897 when her husband's brother Adolph was charged with murder following the disappearance of his wife, Louise. Police charged him with killing her and dissolving her body in a vat inside his sausage factory. He became known as The Sausage King Murderer^S6.

Things fell apart after that. Her husband Arnold fell on hard times in his business dealings and committed suicide in grisly public fashion.

The family must have coped by sticking together. 2 years later the 1910 Census showed them all living together in their house at 5124 Ashland Avenue in Chicago. The 1920 census shows that Charlotte was still living in the house but now her son Arnold and his wife Marie are listed as head of household.

Charlotte lived on long after, dying in Chicago on 16 Jul 1950 at the age of 93.

Census

Charlotte Becker Winterfeld Luetgert Census

Year	Source	Image
1880	1880 US Federal Population Census: Hanover, Cook County, Illinois
1910	1910 US Federal Population Census: Chicago Ward 29, Cook County, Illinois
1920	1920 US Federal Population Census: Chicago Ward 29, Cook County, Illinois

1. ↑ John Becker Obituary. (Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Nov 30, 1926)
   1926.
2. ↑ 1880 US Federal Population Census: Hanover, Cook County, Illinois
   1880.
3.   1910 US Federal Population Census: Chicago Ward 29, Cook County, Illinois
   1910.
4. ↑ 1920 US Federal Population Census: Chicago Ward 29, Cook County, Illinois
   1920.
5.   Illinois State Archives Luetgert Death
   1950.
   Death Record
6.   Robert Loerzel. Alchemy of Bones by Robert Loerzel.
7.   Illinois State Archives Becker Marriage.
   Winterfeld Marriage Luetgert Marriage
8. ↑ Death Record