Louise Maertz (1837 — February 4, 1918) was an
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
nurse, writer, and clubwoman based in Illinois.
Early life
Louise Maertz was born in
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...
, the daughter of Charles Augustus Maertz and Ottilia Obert Maertz. Both of her parents were German immigrants. Louise was sent to Germany for medical treatment at age 18, and toured Europe during that time.
[Amy Kaiser]
"Louise Maertz: A Lesson in How to make a Difference"
''Herald Whig'' (August 27, 2012).
Career
As a young woman during the American Civil War, she volunteered as a nurse, at first locally in Illinois, and then in
Helena, Arkansas
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the n ...
, and
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, among other assignments. She caught
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
in 1863, at an Army hospital in Mississippi. She helped set up the Soldiers' Home in
. In 1895 she donated money to the Blessing Hospital in Quincy, in memory of her father, for a men's ward.
[Arlis Dittmer]
"Once Upon a Time in Quincy: Book Reveals Life of Early German Family"
''Quincy Whig-Herald'' (February 1, 2015).
Maertz wrote several books, including ''A New Method for the Study of English Literature'' (1884), and a biography of her father (1903).
In 1895, during thirtieth anniversary commemorations of the end of the Civil War, she published a detailed memoir of her time as a nurse with the Union Army.
In 1869, she was a founding member of the "Friends in Council," a women's study club in Quincy.
[Helen Warning]
''Quincy Herald Whig'' (January 30, 1977). Late in life she served on the board of the Quincy Historical Society, and in that capacity saved the
John Wood Mansion from demolition in 1907.
She was also active in the Quincy Humane Society.
Personal life
Louise Maertz died in 1918, aged 80 years. There is a plaque in Quincy, Illinois, placed by the Quincy Women's Club, honoring several "Pioneer Women" of the town, including Louise Maertz.
At her death, her estate funded the establishment of a "waif's home" for black children in Quincy.
"To Build Waif's Home"
''Kansas City Sun'' (February 23, 1918): 1. via Newspapers.com
Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites.
In November 2018, ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maertz, Louise
1837 births
1918 deaths
People from Quincy, Illinois
American women writers
American people of German descent