b. 15 June 1837, d. 4 June 1897
Birth | 15 Jun 1837 | Louis Authenrieth was born on 15 Jun 1837 in Ulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.2 |
Full Name | | His full name was Johann George Ludwig Authenrieth.1 |
Marriage | 24 Apr 1860 | Louis married Mary Jane Debusk, daughter of Andrew Debusk and Mary (?), on 24 Apr 1860 in Washington County, Virginia.3 |
Cens-1860 | 12 Jul 1860 | A few months after their marriage Louis and Mary were enumerated in the household of Frank Murenthen in Washington County. Louis was 23 and Mary was 19. Louis' place of birth was noted to be "Wirtenburg", Germany, as was Frank's. Both men were employed as vine dressers.4 |
| | Louis' wife Mary Jane Debusk was the sister of Frank's wife Susannah Debusk. It seems likely the two couples were living on land owned by the Debusk family as their immediate neighbors in 1860 included the women's parents as well as their brothers William and David. William Debusk owned land valued at $6,000.5 |
| | Interestingly Louis and Frank's other adjacent household belonged to William E. Jones who a few years later would become a prominent figure in the Confederate Army. By 1860 William was actively engaged in cultivating a vineyard on his property. Although no evidence has been found to date linking Louis and Frank to Gen. Jones, one wonders if they helped him establish his vineyards. |
| | Family records note that at some point Louis was employed as a vine dresser and groundskeeper at Martha Washington College.1 |
Military | 20 Aug 1861 | Louis enlisted for one year in company F. of the 37th Virginia Infantry at Glade Spring, Virginia. At the end of the year he was discharged because he was not a resident of the Confederate States. The paperwork created at that time stated that Louis was born in the Kingdom of Wurtenburg, Germany, was 27 years old, stood 5 feet, ten inches tall and had grey eyes and dark hair. He was noted to be a vine dresser by occupation. The Confederate Army owed him $13.96 in pay but Louis owed them $26.00 for clothing.6 |
| | Louis and Mary Jane were the parents of 16 children. The 1880 census enumerated 12 children: Catherine [Mary Katherine] (18), George [George Leonard] (16), Charlie [Charles Conrad] (15), Jackson [Andrew Jacob Frederick] (13), August [William August] (12), Frank [Thomas Franklin] (11), Lewis [Louis] (9), Flora (8), Harry (6), Minnie [Wilhelmene] (5), Oscar (3), Benj. (4/12, b. Jan.). The full names in brackets were added from Louis and Mary Jane's entry in Families of Washington County and Bristol, Virginia 1776-1996 (see citation). The authors of the entry provided these 4 names in addition to those listed on the 1880 census: Rachel Anna (b. Feb. 1862), Nellie (Oct. 1876-Dec. 1876), Robert (1882-1882) and Ella (1883-1899).7,1 |
Widowed | 3 Jun 1889 | Mary Jane died on June 3, 1889. |
Death | 4 Jun 1897 | Louis died on 4 Jun 1897 at age 59.2 |
Burial | | He was buried at Sinking Spring Cemetery in Washington County, Virginia.2 |