A life of service
Born on November 2, 1854, Ane Katherine was the eldest child of George Frederick Dortzbach and Kjesten Schmidt. Peter recalled that she entered a deaconess institution in Flensburg at about twenty-five and became a supervisor caring for orphans. He described almost fifty years of service and a deep religious faith.
Family ties
Although Peter made his home in America, he remembered his sister’s work and the care she gave relatives during illness. His account places her beside Ane Kristine during her final illness and describes her attempting to nurse their brother Paul late in his life.
A note on the records
The supplied tree gives 1930 as her death year; Peter’s recollection describes her age as about seventy-five.
Sources for this biography
Based on the family’s written histories. Recollections and compiled records are identified here so they can be revisited as the archive grows.
- Peter P. Dortzbach’s biography — Peter’s recollections, recorded by his granddaughter Eileen Townsend; Word transcript and scanned versions RB010–RB015 and RB022–RB025B.
- Personal History of the Dortzbach Family — Clara Dortzbach, October 25, 1984; scans HS001–HS011, incorporating material supplied by Jen Peter.
- Family tree supplied by the family — Relationship chart provided by the owner in October 2026. Used alongside the written histories.