Bertha is Ferdinand and Henrietta’s first child and daughter.

The Kirchenbüch Microfilms stop in 1874, so I don’t have verified birth record, but based on the 1887 passenger list, 1900 US Census, and 1910 US Census, I’m confident that it is 1885.

Family history records that Ferdinand came to American in 1885 and Henrietta in 1887, so I was always curious when and how Bertha made the voyage. On a whim I tried searching her as Bertha Kohler and that brought me to a passenger list from 1887, which lists Bertha (age 2) in succession with Casimir Köhler and Henrietta. A Ferd Bals appears on the prior page. Additional searching revealed that Henrietta’s younger brother was named Kasimir [a family tree on Ancestry.com and his FindaGrave memorial]. Newspaper announcements of his death also record that he immigrated to America in 1887 and has a surviving sister by the name of Mrs. Ferdinand Bals.

1900 US Census: Bertha [15] is living with Ferdinand and Henrietta and attending school.

1910 US Census: Bertha [25] is living/working as a servant for a private family in Crete, Nebraska.

1920 US Census: I have yet to find this record.

She marries Bernard Wiese [sometimes seen as Benhard] in 1915 and 1925 State Census records place them in South Dakota.

1930 US Census: Bertha [42 listed] and Bernard [40] are living/farming in Todd county, South Dakota with two daughers, Gertrude [13] and Marie [11].

1940 US Census: Bertha [51 listed] and Bernard [50] are living/farming in Sheridan country, Nebraska with Gertrude [23] and Marie [21].

1950 US Census: I have yet to find this record.

Bernard dies in 1966 aged 76. Bertha dies in 1982 aged 96.

It appears that neither of their daughters married, nor had children. They were both long lived and share a headstone.