Born the oldest of 11 children, he was baptized 9 Apr 1855 at St. Bartholomäus Evangelical Lutheran Church and confirmed there in 1869. With his family, Fred left Meerbeck in Schaumburg-Lippe, Germany on 30 Mar 1869, arriving in New York City aboard the SS Hermann on 3 May 1869. They immediately went by rail car to Will county, Illinois and stayed there for about 6 years. His family then joined friends and relatives by relocating to a farm south of Tobias (Saline county), Nebraska. He, with his father and brother Henry, were founding members of the Zion Lutheran Church south of Tobias. He moved to Friend (Saline County), Nebraska where he met MIss Marie "Mary" Petau; they married on 8 Sep 1881 in the tiny village of Olive in west central Saline county by the pastor of Zion Lutheran church, Rev. Simon Meeske. They then lived in Pierce county for five years before moving to Grand Island, Nebraska. They had 10 children, the first, twins Adolph and Friedrich dying before they were 3 months old. Five sons and three daughters survived him.
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Death Notice and Funeral Service Announced:
From the Grand Island "Independent"
FRED BARTELS DIES;
WILL RETURN BODY
Fred Bartels, 84, former Grand Island resident, died last night at a hospital in Enid, Okla., members of the family here were advised today. Complications attending the infirmities of his advanced years caused death.
After 38 years residence in this city, Mr. Bartels left five years ago to live with a son, W. H. Bartels, at Covington, Okla. He was born in Germany.
Surviving are five sons, W.H., at Covington; F.A. of Western; John A., of Council Bluffs, Ia.; Otto L., of Portland, Oreg.; and Henry B., of Cheyenne; three daughters, Mrs. Herman Koch and Mrs. Chris Eriksen, both of this city, and Mrs. C.R. Shivers, Thermopolis, Wyo.; nineteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Mrs. Bartels died on June 16, 1920.
Funeral services and burial will be here, the body arriving from Enid Monday. The time and place of the fuenral will be announced Monday.
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FUNERAL SERVICES
FOR FRED BARTELS
Friends attended funeral services for Fred Bartels, long time resident who died recently at the home of a son in Oklahoma, held yesterday afternoon in Trinity Lutheran church on East Second street. The pastor, Rev. O.A. Graebner, conducted the rites with burial in the family plot in Grand Island cemetery. The Messrs. Rudolph Reher, Henry and Herbert Schroeder, Henry Ruff, Henry Warner and John Langenheder served as pallbearers.
In attendance from out of the city were Mr. and Mrs. John Bartels of Tobias, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Heideman [sic], Duncan, Mr. and Mrs. William Bartels, their son and daughter, Darold and Mildred, and Mrs. Leona Helling of Covington, Okla., Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bartels, Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz Bartels and family and Mr. and Mrs. Adloph Haake and family of Western, Mr. and Mrs. John Bartels of Council Bluffs, Ia., Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shivers and Miss Mildred Eriksen of Thermopolis, Wyo., Henry Bartels of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Otto Bartels of Portland, Ore.
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(Volunteer at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grand Island provided this additional information from church records.)
Fred Bartels
Born: 6 April 1855
Died: 5 May 1939
Buried: 9 May 1939
Cause of death: Bowel complications
Sermon text: II Timothy 4:18
Mourners: 5 sons, 3 daughters, 19 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren
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Another obituary was published 19 Apr 1939 in "The Daykin Herald" at Daykin, Nebraska on page 2 and noted that it was from the "Tobias Times":
Death of F. G. Bartels, Former Tobias Resident
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Tobias Times:
Word has been received at Tobias of the death of F. G. Bartels at Covington, Okla., which occurred Friedy, May 5. Mr. Bartels was a former resident of the Tobias vicinity and was 84 years, 29 days of age.
He was born in Germany in 1855 and came to America in 1869 to Crete, [sic-Will County, near Beecher]] Ill. Six years later he moved to Nebraska and lived on a farm south of Tobias for some time. He moved to Friend, Nebr., where he met Miss Mary Petau. They married, in the now "ghost town" of Olive, Saline County, on 8 Sep 1881. (The records of Zion Lutheran church, however, state that that is where they were married.)
From there they moved to Pierce county where they resided for five years. Then they moved to Grand Island and lived there for 33 years. His wife died in Grand Island and was buried there in 1920. Later Mr. Bartels moved to Covington, Okla., where he made his home with his son, W. H. Bartels.
He leaves to mourn his loss, five sons, W. H. Bartels, Covington, Okla., F. A. Bartels, Western, Neb., John Bartels, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Otto Bartels, Portland, Ore., Henry Bartels of Cheyenne, Wyo., Mrs. Martha Koch and Mrs. Marie Ericksen of Grand Island, Neb., and Mrs. Sophia Slivers, Thermopolis, Wyo; one brother, John Bartels, Tobias; two sisters, Mrs. Fred Heideman, Daykin; and Mrs. Anna Schweer, Ritzville, Wash.; and 22 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Grand Island Monday afternoon, May 8, conducted by Rev. Grabner of the Trinity Lutheran church. He was buried beside his wife at Grand Island.