Stephanie Erbs

ID # 4585, (1847-1909)
FatherAugustus Erbs
MotherMaria Magdalena Hespeler (1819-1892)
BirthStephanie Erbs was born in 1847 at France. 
MarriageShe married Joseph E. Seagram, son of Octavius Augustus Seagram and Amelia Stiles, on 23 February 1869 at Galt, Waterloo Co., Ontario.
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography places the marriage of Joseph E. Seagram and 'Stephania Urbs' in Upper Fort Garry in Winnipeg in December of 1869. There is another record to be found, however, that states a different date. For this see publication nbr. 358 of the Brant County branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, Trinity Anglican Church records, Galt. Page 7 of this publication records the following:

Joseph Seagram, of Stratford, to Stephanie Erbs, of Galt, on 23 February, 1869. Witnesses Marie A. Erbs and James Warnock.

The entry of a marriage in a book of church records does not always show the location of the marriage. Sometimes is was in a town or township of a few miles away. The Dumfries Reformer of Galt, however, tells a fuller story.

From the edition of February 24, 1869:

On 23 February 1869, at Trinity Church Galt by Rev. Dr. Boomer, groom Joseph Seagram of Stratford, bride Stephanie Erbe, niece of Wm. Hespeler, late of Waterloo, Ont.

The above extraction is provided by Rosemary Ambrose via the Waterloo Wellington branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society in her work Dumfries Reformer Marriages, 1866-1870.

 
DeathShe died on 4 August 1909 at Cushing's Island, Portland, Maine. 
BurialShe was buried on 7 August 1909 at Section B, Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo, Ontario. 
NoteShe The 1861 census is the only place where, so far, Stephanie has been found under her maiden name of Erbs. She is age 15 and residing in Waterloo Village with her uncle William Hespeler. The census page tells us that she was born in Germany though later census years locate her birth in France.

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography provides a substantial history of William Hespeler. He was active in bringing numbers of Mennonites to Western Canada and he spent some time in Winnipeg, though the biography isn't clear about all time periods. Apparently, Stephanie must have followed the household for her to meet and marry Joseph Seagram in Fort Garry (Winnipeg) in December of 1869. (A caveat here: An index shows a marriage for Joseph Seagram and Stephanie Erbs at Stratford on Feb. 23, 1869. The source for this is said to be in the Trinity Anglican Church, Galt, records. See Norma Huber's 1986 work, Marriages of Galt and Area Inhabitants With Some Strays. Trinity's marriage records appear to verify this, at least in part. See marriage notes.

Stephanie's year of birth is taken from the 1901 census at Waterloo. Her month and date also appear, but the month, as written, is illegible.

A death registration for Stephanie has not been found. The Toronto Globe's archives, however show a brief story of her demise in Portland, Maine. The date is not specified, but the newspaper is dated Friday, August 6th, 1909, and is datelined Berlin (Ontario). It briefly tells that the had been vacationing in Portland. The story is not coordinated with a death notice that appears in the same issue of the newspaper on page 12. This states that Mrs. Seagram died on Wednesday evening, August 4, 1909, at Cushing's Island, Portland, Maine. Funeral Saturday afternoon at 2:30

The 1861 census tells us that Stephanie began life as a Lutheran. The first story referred to above tells that she was active in Anglican church work. 
Last Edited28 Mar 2019