THIRTEENTH (and last) CHILD of Johann Christoph Bierbaum and Florentine (Johanningmeier) Bierbaum, Susanna Florentine Bierbaum was -- according to her birth/baptismal record -- born June 25, 1877, and baptized on August 5. Her sponsor was Susanna (Mettler) Bierbaum, second wife of her paternal uncle, Johann Friedrich Bierbaum. (Entry #17, 1877 Births/Baptisms, St. John Lutheran Church, Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa)

Susanna died on August 29, 1877 and was buried on August 31. (Entry #8, Deaths/Burials, St. John Lutheran Church, Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa)

It was presumed the child's name would be "Susanna F." on her gravestone in keeping with the use of first name and middle initial on stones of her infant brothers and sister. However, a 1974 reading by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold D. Roggman of Garnavillo revealed the name Florentine on her partial stone, its upper half missing. Unknown is whether the name Susanna had preceded Florentine. From what remained, the stone revealed...

Dau. of J. C. & F. M. BIERBAUM, DIED AUG. 29, 1877, AGED 2 Mos. & 7 D'ys.

Now what? If Susanna died at 2 months 7 days she would have been born June 22, 1877, not June 25 documented in the church record. It is easy to vascillate between a birth date of June 27 (parish register) and June 25 (calculated from age at death on gravestone).

Take your pick.

Also, the same pastor penned her name "Sussana" in both her birth/baptismal record and death/burial record (written only two months apart), as well as "Sussana" as the given name of her female baptismal sponsor. Was the name actually the more familiar "Susanna" spelling? Her baptismal sponsor's name is usually encountered spelled "Susanna" (Susanna Mettler Bierbaum).

You decide.

It is Susanna's gravestone that almost eluded detection. Only three square inches were visible allowing the stone to be excavated and photographed in the 1980s. The top portion of the stone had been missing for several years.

--DeeAnna Allum Granston, author
JOHANNINGMEIER, DRAHN, SCHRADER, Clayton County, Iowa