Charles was born in Germany and moved to the United States, settling in Springwells (now Detroit/Dearborn), Michigan. He is believed to have arrived in the U.S. in about 1850. Census records show him living in Greenfield, Michigan, in 1860. He and his wife, Bertha/Albertine Welm Maurer, had at least 13 children. His name is listed in most of their baptism records (in Emmanuel Luthern Church, Dearborn, found at the LDS website) as "Carl". After the death of his wife, Bertha, he married a woman named Sophia (aka "Louisa") Kreger at Trinity St. Mark's Church on Fort St. in Detroit. Their marriage date is recorded as November 18, 1896. On that record, the parents of Charles are listed as John Maurer and Laura Real (Riel/Ruehl?). A German christening record found at the LDS website lists his parents as Johannes Maurer and Eleonora Ruehl, and Charles Henry's name "Karl Heinrich", and the place of christening as "Steinbach Giessen, Oberhessen, Hesse-Darmstadt" (Germany-EASy GS Film number 1269896). Sophia is buried in the same cemetery plot with Charles and Bertha. The cemetery records spell his last name "Mauer". His cause of death in the records is listed as "Myocardial degeneration". Known children of Charles and Bertha are: Mary (1865-1935, married name Rushlow); Louise Wilhelmine (1866-1930, married name Miller); Laura E. (1868-1934, married name Coon); Anna Elizabeth (1870 – 1928, married name Bloom); Margaret "Maggie" Christine (1873 – 1953, married name Barton); Willm (1874-1875); Wilhelm (1875-1930); Caroline (1877-1878); John W. (1879-1961); Charles J. (1881 – 1963); Henry (1889 – 1979); George (1890 – 1922); and a baby boy born May 31, 1894, either stillborn or dying shortly after birth on the same day and buried with Bertha. Charles was a member of the I.O.O.F. (Oddfellows) Dearborn, Michigan Rouge River Lodge, No. 419.