Another Early Death in the Klopp Family
The twelfth child, born in Wolmirstedt on 4 August 1894, did not reach adulthood just as the seventh and tenth child. Although Selma had been mentioned in family circles, nobody could recall any details about her final resting place. The date and place of death could not be found in the official records of the town of Wolmirstedt, Jersleben or Elsenau. However, a photo of her exists (not in my possession), which was made in 1903 or 1904 by the photo store owned by Paul Lorenz. It shows her when she was about nine or ten years old. Her face, no longer childlike, already displays features of early adolescence. In all likelihood, she suffered from a lung disease just as her sister Else born a year later, who will be the topic of the next post. In 1903 or 1904 she moved with her mother Emma to Elsenau in West Prussia, and there she must have passed away a little later having suffered from tuberculosis.
Church in Elsenau (Olszanowo)
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
Very sad. TB took so many lives. We tend to forget these days how people over time have endured such plagues.
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So sad. What a beautiful church though.
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It’s so sad to read about a child dying. I know that was much more common back then, but I’m sure it still broke her parents’ heart. Still, writing about her all these years later keeps her memory alive, and that’s important!
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Children dying early seems to be a recurring theme at least till the mid twentieth century. My paternal grandparents also had a couple of children before my father who did not live long. There also seemed to be greater acceptance of such events.
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