Frederick Flache and Catharine Halter*

Inspired by the writings of Gottfried Duden, many Germans sought to immigrate to Missouri in to be able to purchase cheap land and to have more business opportunities. "The first period brought us exclusively men of learning and standing, which cannot be said in reference to all the later comers who were divided so to speak into two classes men of the higher culture and others with but little education. Physicians, lawyers, clergymen, teachers, artists, professional men of all branches in one class, mechanics, peasants, journeymen, and laborers of all classes, formed the mass of the other."

"The party arrived in Baltimore in early June. Traveling by train, wagon, and steamboat, the immigrants reached St. Louis on July 2. (1834) (Source:The Letters Of Frederick Steines by Norma Steines Cunningham is a translation of correspondence, poetry, and songs written by a Missouri immigrant who was the first German schoolmaster west of the Mississippi River, Link
(Source: The Story of Old St. Louis, Thomas Edwin Spencer, 1914, p. 167, available on Google Books Link)

July 24, 1834 Frederick Flach age 34, arrived in the Port of Baltimore, Maryland on the ship Medora from Bremen, Germany with Hermine Flach age 7. The ship name sailed from Bremen Germany.

Dec 31, 1838 Frederick Flack marries Catharina Ann Halter in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She is listed as newly arrived from Germany on the marriage certificate. She may have been the daughter of Ludwig  (Lewis) Halter

Marriage Records from Frederick Flach Link

In 1840 Frederick Flach living in Apple Creek, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

In 1850, he is living in St Louis Ward 6, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri:
Frederick Flach age 50, occupation: Clerk

Catharine Flach age 31

William Flach age 10

Adeline Flach age 9

Frederick Flach age 6

Ida Flach age 4

Charles Flach age 2

Children born after 1850:
Mathilda Flach: 1851

Clementine Flach: 1852

George Flach: 1855

Lenora and Laura (twins) were born in 1858

During the years 1857-1858 he is a Justice of the Peace. The 1857 City Directory listed Frederick as a Justice of the Peace in the 2nd Ward with an office at 17 Carondelet, residing on Fulton. You can find a list of these records by searching for the lost marriage records of Frederick Flach.

Frederick Flach died from a stroke on 15 Mar 1858. (St Louis Death Records). He is buried in Holy Ghost Evangelical and Reformed Cemetery,also known as The Evangelical Protestant Cemetery Association of the Church of the Holy Ghost, or Holy Ghost Cemetery Link

Probate Records: Link

Catherine Flach states: "that at the time of the inventory of her deceased husband, there were was no grain, meat, vegetables, groceries or other provisions on hand or provided, necessary for the subsistance of the widow and her Children."

There is a declaration (image 27) by Charles Frassy that says, "that he was well acquainted with the

with the circumstances of the family of Frederick Flach, dec'd at the time of making the inventory, that there were no provisions in the house of any kind, and that the friends of the family had to provide for them."

The request was for an appropriation of $150, it is unclear if the money was provided.