In the book of Isaiah, it is written, ” I have called you by name, and you are mine.” She would be called several different names during her lifetime. Born on the first day of spring in 1828, Maria Magdalina Kraemer was French; however, her part of France was often claimed by Germany. She bore a German name. She spoke French.
Family stories reveal that Maria was educated in a convent school, where she learned the domestic art of doing fine work embroidery. Somehow, sometime, she came to Manhattan in New York. No record of her parents or means of passage can be found for Maria. It is there that she Anglicized her name…she would be called Mary.
At the age of 14, she met U.S. Army private Amos Howell Boultinghouse. He was from Illinois but stationed at Fort Columbus, New York, near Manhattan. Somehow, sometime, they met and agreed to marry. He was ten years her senior. On her marriage license application, she listed her first name as Mary from Alsace, France. She lied about her age and stated she was 22 years old. (She would not need a guardian to sign off on her marriage as she claimed to be an adult.) She was now called Mary Boultinghouse.
After a time, the couple moved to Amos’ native Illinois, where they farmed and began a family. Mrs. Boultinghouse would give birth to ten children. She would be called “Mother”. During the couple’s 18th year of marriage, Amos reenlisted in the Army during the Civil War to serve in the Union’s 55th Illinois Regiment. At times, Mary was referred to as “Sergeant Boultinghouse’s Mrs.”. Together, she and her children tended the farm during Amos’ three year absence.
In 1870, the Boultinghouses decided to take advantage of the Homestead Act. They came by wagon to Osborne County, Kansas. Walking to Kansas, Mary was pregnant with her 11th child. A few days after arriving, she gave birth to her son in a tent. He was the first white male born in the county. The baby was named after Mary’s favorite French hero, Lafayette. Neighbors and townspeople would refer to her as “Mrs. B”.
As Mary aged, the townspeople called her Grandma B. She was considered the matriarch of a pioneer family and a revered citizen. Amos went home to the Lord in 1893 while Mary lived until 1901. They were buried side by side in a small cemetery. She had been called home by the Lord. I call her second great grandmother…treasured and revered.
Once Upon A Lifetime: Tales And Vignettes Of My Ancestors 
Hi MaryAnne,
I enjoyed this beautiful post! You have once again inspired me to search out more information about my family. I did recently learn that my great grandfather came from Germany, where he had a vineyard along the Rhine river. He came to Illinois, my home state, from Pennsylvania, where he lived in the area of the Johnstown flood. I am hoping to learn more about him. When my mother in-law died in 2016, we learned that she had had a first marriage that none of her children knew about There is another trail to follow. I am at home nearly all the time caring for my husband who has Parkinson’s. Family history is an interest that may prove to be a means of relaxation. Do you find it so? I appreciate your graceful references to your faith. My husband is a retired pastor. Do you use Ancestry for your research?
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One can get lost in researching, and it is a way to provide relaxing breaks from caregiving…for that one shining moment, you can do something “normal”. I do the bulk of my research on Ancestry. There is an Osborne County, Kansas, historical group that has online copies of the weekly newspaper, which is another source. Concentrating on one ancestor at a time has helped me stay focused. You get to be a detective in finding your mother-in-law’s first marriage and what happened…now that is an adventure just waiting for you. Enjoy. Hugs and blessings for you and your husband.
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