Johann Emil August Friese (mostly known as August) was born in Erfurt, Sachsen-Anhalt in 1835, the son of a military man, Karl Friese, a Sergeant in the Royal Prussian 32nd Regiment, and Margarethe Sieb, daughter of a military man of Battalion 11 of the Royal Prussian Hußars. August spent his life as a shoemaker. Karl’s ancestry has a direct line of shoemakers and saddle repair. I’m thinking Karl must have repaired shoes in the army to have continued the ancestral line of shoemakers.

Although he had many siblings August is described as the only legitimate son of Karl Friese in the marriage documents. His father seemed to have “retired” from military service between 1838 and 1840 when their sixth child was born in Altenburg.

His father was deceased by the time of August’s marriage. From marriage and baptismal records comes his full name of Johann August Emil Friese, described as a citizen and shoemaker from Naumburg. He is living in Naumburg-Neuengüter in 1860 when he married Marie Thusius at Eisenberg on 17 June.

August and Marie had 3 children born in Naumburg: Friedrich Wilhelm Carl in 1860 who emigrated to America with his parents; Henriette Auguste Christiane in 1863 who died at age 1 year, 4 months; Franz Wilhelm Paul in 1866 who may have died on the way to America because he is not listed in Naumburg nor in U.S. death records. Finding the listing for the family in immigration records has not been successful thus far. I believe they immigrated around 1866 because Marie’s mother immigrates from Eisenberg in 1867 after all her children were in America.

The census entry in 1870 shows an A. Frieze with wife Marie, and includes son, Willie born in Prussia, age 10. Daughter Paulina is Orlina in the 1870 census. All family at Arlington Heights in Cook County, Illinois.

In 1880 the family is living in Arlington Heights with Fred Koas. August is listed as a shoemaker. August is deceased in 1886 according to Marie’s obituary and in 1900 Marie is living with their son, Edward and his wife.

1870 Illinois, Cook County, Wheeling Twp., page 37, film M593-213
dwelling 274, family 274
Frisis(?), A, age 37, male, white, shoemaker, personal $200, born Prussia
--------, Mary, age 31, female, white, keeping house, born Prussia
--------, Willie, age 10, male, white, home, born Prussia
--------, Orlena, age 2, female, white, home, born Illinois
--------, Ann, age 2/12, female, white, home, born Illinois, Apr

1880 Illinois, Cook County, Wheeling Township, Arlington Heights, Vol.17, E.D. 226, sheet 10A, line 27, stamped page 467, film T9-202
dwelling 78, family 93 (living with Fred Koas)
Frieze, August, white, male, age 46, head, shoemaker, born Prussia, father Russia, mother Schleswig
--------, Mary, white, female, age 41, wife, keeping house, born Saxony, parents born Saxony
--------, Paulina, white, female, age 12, daughter, in school, born Illinois, father born Prussia, mother Saxony
--------, Anna, white, female, age 10, daughter, in school, born Illinois, father born Prussia, mother Saxony
--------, Edward, white, male, age 5, son, born Illinois, father born Prussia, mother Saxony

--------------deceased

Marriage Record (translation) of Johann Emil August Friese and Marie Auguste Caroline Thusius - Eisenberg, Sachsen-Altenburg, German, Protestant Church Register
Year 1860
page 170; number: ---
groom:
Meister Johann August Emil FRIESE, Buerger und Schuhmacher in Naumburg, weiland Karl Friese, gewesenen Sergeanten im koeniglich preussischen 32.Infanterieregiment, ehelicher einziger Sohn
[Master Johann August Emil FRIESE, citizen and shoemaker in Naumburg, only legal son of the deceased Karl FRIESE, who was a sergeant in the royal prussian 32.Infantry-Regiment]
bride:
Marie Auguste Caroline THUSIUS, weiland Herrn Friedrich August Karl THUSIUS, Quintus an hiesiger Buergerknabenschule hinterlassene 1.Tochter aus 3.Ehe
[Marie Auguste Caroline THUSIUS, first daughter of 3rd marriage of deceased Friedrich August Karl THUSIUS, fifth teacher of citizen boys school here]
day of banns:
2.Pfingstfeiertag [second day of pentecoste]
day and location of wedding:
June 17th, church here.