Katherina Delker Spexarth was born on August 9, 1824 in Varensell, Germany. Her parents were Johannes and Maria Delker. Katherina is related to the Wellman side of Walt’s family. So today is her 200th birthday.

Katherina went by Catherine. I have very little information about her early life. She married Gerhard Ruscherdavid on November 21, 1841. They had one child together, a daughter named Elizabeth. Gerhard died on July 9, 1944. Elizabeth was born after his death and died at about two months of age.

In 1945, Catherine married Gerhard Joseph Spexarth. They had 12 children together, but 3 died young. They lived on the Ruscherdavid farm in Germany.

Catherine and Joseph came to the United States around 1870. They settled in Pleasant Ridge Township in Lee County, IA. They were farmers. Joseph died April 9, 1884. Katherina Delker Spexarth died January 6, 1892 in Saint Paul, Iowa.

I wrote about one of Katherina and Joseph’s daughters in this post.