Elizabeth Kanmacher^{[1, 2, 3]}

1821 - 1910  (89 years)

• Name	Elizabeth Kanmacher
  Born	12 Feb 1821	Hohwiller, , Alsace, France   [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
  Gender	Female
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177440355
  Interesting	midwife - 2,700 deliveries
  Immigration	1852	, Canada   [4]
  Name	Elizabeth Gress
  Retired	1901	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-112235
  Died	15 Sep 1910	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7, 10]
  	Cause: Cause: Senile Debility (years) - Heart Disease
  Buried	Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7, 9]
  Person ID	I112235	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	Henry Kanmacher,   b. Abt 1801, of, Germany ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Elizabeth Burghert,   b. Abt 1801, of, Hausperch, Alsace, France ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F23569	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Henry Gress,   b. 12 Feb 1822, Trimbach, , Alsace, France ,   d. 8 May 1896, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Married	1849
  Children	1. Alice Gress,   b. 1850, , France ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Adelaide Gress,   b. 24 Sep 1850, Trimbach, , Alsace, France ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Caroline Gress,   b. 3 Jan 1852, , France ,   d. 1942  (Age 89 years)   4. George H. Gress,   b. 3 Oct 1854, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 15 Sep 1911, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 56 years)   5. Christian Gress,   b. 30 May 1858, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 15 Sep 1921, Brantford, Brant Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 63 years)   6. Elizabeth Gress,   b. 25 May 1860, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Anna Magdalena Gress,   b. 2 May 1863, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1961  (Age 97 years)   8. Henry Gress,   b. 1866, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F28409	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos		Elizabeth Kanmacher tmhull47 originally shared this to Ancestry Public Member Tree
  		Mother Gress - Elizabeth Kanmacher City of Cambridge Archives

  
  

• Notes

  Elizabeth was born in Hohnweiler, Alsace, France 12 Feb 1821. She was a midwife by profession and was trained in Strasbourg. She received her degree in 1847 and delivered over 2,700 babies retiring in 1900. She married Henry Gress in 1849 and they came to Preston in 1853. She sometimes charged food, sometimes up to $5.00 and sometimes nothing depending on the financial condition of the family she was helping. In 1880 aged 59 she was required to take a certification test and passed and continued until 1900. Cambridge Mosaic , Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [abbreviated snippet from original text in book] __________________________ ELISABETH GRESS Several issues ago in Branch Notes, we told you about the Preston midwife "Mother" Gress, who helped babies into the world for 55 years (c1853-c1910). We speculated about her records...if only they could be found. Well, your genealogical detectives in the branch have found the surviving records of Elizabeth Gress, and the key word is "surviving". In 1962 the Galt Reporter ran a feature on Mrs Gress having borrowed the substance from the London Free Press. At the time, a reporter from the paper met with Mrs Gress' grandson and borrowed her meticulously kept record book of the babies she had brought into the world. The records were never returned, and the Reporter cannot now find them. What survives is her account book and her notebook of midwifery methods from her German college. The account book records what she was paid up to about 1883. These two records are in the hands of a descendant, and were found. We were graciously allowed to borrow the records and had them microfilmed. They will shortly be available for scrutiny at the Kitchener and Cambridge libraries; sharpen up your German handwriting analysis skills if you hope to read them! Branch Notes Volume 15 No 4., Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society ________________________ ... In 2006 or 2007? I donated to the Cambridge Archives several items belonging to my great-great grandmother. These items included the described accounts ledger listing the births and amounts received as well as a medical book written in German, a woollen shawl and a photo of Gramma Gress taken late in life. Due to the very fragile nature of the items (in particular the ledger and book), my brother, John Huggan and myself thought it important that these important family artifacts could be better preserved (and perhaps displayed) in an archival facility. We have long known of Elizabeth Kanamacher-Gress and her significant contribution to the births of many, many children in the Waterloo County Region and we are very proud to be her descendants. Jane Huggan email __________________ DEATH OF MRS, GRESS Preston, Sept. 16. - There died in Preston to-day one of the oldest and most respected citizens in town in the person of Mrs. Elizabeth Gress. She was in her 90th year, and had only been ill for about ten days. This venerable old lady was highly educated and led a very unusual life. She Was educated in a French College at Flasbourg, Germany, as a midwife, getting a degree, and started practicing in 1847. In the year 1853 she migrated to Canada with her husband, the late Henry Gress, and started a practice in Preston. Her husband predeceased her 14 years. She practiced from that date until the year 1900. Her records, which are in very beautiful handwriting, show that she attended the birth of 2,700 children. The late Mrs: Gress was born February 12, 1831, at Honweiler. Alsace, Germany, and was married in Germany in November, 1849. Those who survive her, are three sons, four daughters, 18 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. The sons are: Henry, Detroit, Chris. Brantford, and Gcorge, Preston. The daughters are: Mrs. J. W. Gardner, Toronto, Mrs. Mahler, Detroit; Mrs. Fred Fischer, Presten and Mrs. Peter Middlemiss, Preston. The funeral will take place on Sunday to the Lutheran Church, Preston, where services will be held, and thence to Preston cemetery. The Chronicle Telegraph, 22 Sep 1910, p. 2

  
  

• Sources

  [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 9708-74. John BAUMGARTNER, 25, stone cutter, Gunzesshausen Bavaria, Preston, s/o John & Dorothea, married Adelheit GRESS, 23, Trimbach Elsass, Preston, d/o Henry & Elizabetha, witn: George GRESS & Peter BERNHARDT, both of Preston, 7 May 1874 at Preston [S3002] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 011027-77. William Mahler, 26, occ. Limestone Burner, b. Preston, res. Preston, S/O George & Elizabeth Married Elizabeth Gress, 18, b. Preston, res. Preston, D/O Henry & Elizabeth, Witn Charles Mahler & George Gress Both Of Preston, 4 December 1877 In Preston. [S3297] Missouri Synod, U.S., Lutheran Church records, 1851-1973. NameWilliam Mahler GenderMännlich (Male) Marriage Age26 Record TypeMarriage Birth Dateabt 1851 Birth PlacePreston, Ontario Marriage Date4 Dec 1877 Marriage ChurchSt. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church Marriage PlacePreston FatherGeorge Mahler MotherElisabeth Beyer SpouseElisabeth Gress Marriage Age18 Birth PlacePreston, Ontario Father Henry Gress MotherElisabeth Kammacher [S204] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1901, Preston (Village) F-1 Page 13. [S105] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1871, Pg. 64. [S297] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1881, Page 13. [S239] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Preston CC#6335 Cemetery Internet Link . In / memory of/ Henry GRESS/ born in Frimbach/ Alsace/ Feb. 12, 1822/ died May 8, 1896/ ruhe sanft/ His wife/ Elizabeth/ KANMACHER/ born in Hohweiler/ Alsace/ Feb. 12, 1821/ died Sep. 15, 1910 [S2441] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1891, Section 1 Page 71. [S239] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Preston CC#6335 Cemetery Internet Link . [Monument] In / Memory Of/ Henry Gress/ Born In Frimbach/ Alsace/ Feb. 12, 1822/ Died May 8, 1896/ Ruhe Sanft/ His Wife/ Elizabeth/ Kanmacher/ Born In Hohweiler/ Alsace/ Feb. 12, 1821/ Died Sep. 15, 1910/ Gress./ [Footstones] Mother/ Father. [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration. Name:Elisabeth Gress Gender:Female Birth Year:abt 1821 Birth Place:Hohweiler, Alsace, Deu Age at Death:89 Death Date:15 Sep 1910 Death Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 12 Feb 1821 - Hohwiller, , Alsace, France Immigration - 1852 - , Canada Retired - 1901 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Cause: Senile Debility (years) - Heart Disease - 15 Sep 1910 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth