The Fippinger Farm Mystery

Who’s who?!

I found three photos that were likely taken on the Fippinger family farm in Madison, Connecticut in the late 1930’s or early 40’s. Their farm is now know as the  Davis Burr-House (c. 1830 at 2199 Durham Road) as identified on the Madison Historical Society website.

My 2nd Great Grandfather, Christian Ritter (and presumably first owner of The Ritter Mystery Cup) lived in Madison, Connecticut–next to or very near the Fippinger family–at least through the 1910 and 1920 US Census periods. Was there a Ritter-Fippinger love connection? Or perhaps a turn-of-the-century I’ll-learn-to-love-you-in-time connection? Are we related, I’m not sure yet, but my family would visit the Fippinger “cousins” back in the day.

In the back row, left to right: 1. my Grandmother Elsie Schwarz SCHLETTER (daughter of Doris Ritter SCHWARZ), 2. unknown lady, 3. unknown lady, 4. unknown man but maybe the farm owner at this time Fred Fippinger?, 5. likely Dot SCHLETTER wife of Eddie below, 6. this might be my mother Jeannette SCHLETTER (later BROADHURST)

In the front row: 1. unknown girl with an unkown dog … but Fred Fippinger and his wife Helen had a 13 year old daughter Dorothy in 1940 maybe that’s her?, 2. my uncle Eddie SCHLETTER.

The lady of the left is known to me as “Grandma Schwarz”, my great grandmother. She called herself Doris. She was born Frederinne Dorothea RITTER in Holmestrand, Norway on Monday, 10 July 1865. The lady on the far right might be Doris’ granddaughter, and my Aunt Dorothy Schletter EVERS. The twosome in the middle are unkown at this time but believed to be Fippinger family members as the note on the back of the photo, added years later, reads “cousins Helen and Sabina”.

Okay, the pictures are getting worse. The lady on the far left looks to be my grandmother Elsie Schwarz SCHLETTER (see her in the first photo above) and next to her who knows? The kid on the far right could be Howard Fippinger, Fred and Helen’s 11 year old son (in 1940 that is).

So, who’s who? Any guesses?

The Madison Historical Society website has the following information about the house and family….

The Fippinger Family
owned 1898-1945

Peter and Sabina Fippinger, immigrants from Germany, were the next owners of the farm. Peter was sixty-nine at the time of the purchase; Sabina was forty-nine. Before moving to Madison, the Fippingers lived in New York where their children (Henry, Fritz, Margaretta, and Lina) were born. Peter died of tuberculosis only two years after the family moved to the house; he was buried in the Rockland Cemetery. Perhaps the move to the country was made with the hope of improving his health. Sabina and the family continued to live in the house; her sons Henry and Frederick farmed the land.  When Sabina died in 1917 at age sixty-eight, the farm went to Frederick and his wife, Helen.

This is some of the Fippinger genealogical family history….

1. 1900 Census from Madison CT farmer Peter Fippinger (71) and his wife Sabina Fippinger (51) with children Henry (13), Fritz (11), Margaretta (9) and Lina (7)
2. Father Peter died in Sept 1900
3. 1910 Census from Madison CT: widow Sabina Fippinger (61) was on the farm with her sons Frederick (21) and Henry (24) and his wife Emily (18) and Sabina’s daughter Lena (17)
4. Mother Sabina in Dec 1917
5. 1920 Census from the same Madison farm, I think: farmer Fredrick Fippinger (31) and his wife Helen (20) and their daughter Sabina (1)
6. 1920 Census from Hartford CT: Henry Fippinger (32) and his wife Emily (28) with their son Frederick (9) and boarder David Schmitt (33)
7. 1930 Census from Madison CT: Frederick Fippinger (42) and his wife “Dorothy” (30) with their children Sabina M (11) Lorain T (9) Dorothy H (3) and Howard (1)
8. 1930 Census from Hartford CT: Henry P Fippinger (43) and wife Emilie S (38) and children Frederick H (19) and Helen E (8)
9. 1940 Census from the Madison farm: Frederick Fippinger (51) and his wife Helen (40) with their children Dorothy H (13) and Howard (11)

Advertisement