May ancestor: Mary (Junker) Seggerman

Here it is past mid-June and I never did my May ancestor. Well I got a new computer the end of May and it took time to move documents over, so I found my document with my goals. So I guess I better pencil in my June ancestor for next week, and see if I can get that done.

The irony of putting off my May ancestor until now is that I was able to visit her gravestone in person this last week. Mary (Junker) Seggerman was born January 26, 1852 in Germany to Hidde Harms Junker and Steinje Freise. She immigrated to the United States with her family in May 1862. Presumably they settled around Woodford county, Illinois for a while. On December 15, 1866 she married Johann Heinrich (John Henry) Seggerman in Minonk, Woodford county, Illinois. The 1870 and 1880 censuses have the family living in Minonk, Woodford county, Illinois. John and Mary are the parents of 9 children all born in Illinois (probably Woodford county): Greetje "Grace", Rena, Sena, Sarah Ann, Henry, Harry, Herman, Richard "Dick", and Mary.

In 1894, the Seggermans moved to Nebraska on a farm west of Fairbury. After 6 months of residency in Nebraska, Mary (Junker) Seggerman passes away on March 27, 1894. (The math doesn't work out here, so I'm thinking they moved to Nebraska in 1893.) She dies at the age of 42 years old, which consequently is my age now. She is buried in the East Gladstone Cemetery, now known as Zion United Church of Christ Cemetery.

Mary Junker Seggerman is my great-great-grandmother. One of her great-grandsons just passed away this week, who was a cousin to my mother.

So I've found Mary in the 1870 and 1880 censuses; I have her husband's obituary (not hers), and I have a photo of her gravestone. I'm not sure what else I could find on her; she died too early for a death certificate. It would be hard to find early documents on her in Germany.