He emigrated to America in 1849, at about age eighteen, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States. As an adult he was a beer brewer and lived in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.
Frederick married (first), probably about 1854, Lizetta A----- Hausmann. She was born April 4, 1831, also in one of the Hesses, the daughter of ------ ------ Hausmann and ------ (------) Hausmann. All the Traudt children were said to have been born in the same house in Newark, presumably the one in which the family resided in 1880.
Children:
On October 11, 1870, Frederick stood for election as a Republican for Alderman of Newark's Thirteenth Ward, beating his Democratic opponent by a wide margin. The results of Newark's election were held to be largely affected by the city's "colored men," then voting for the first time. Frederick served in the Common Council as an Alderman from the Thirteenth Ward from 1871-1873.
Frederick's former partner Daniel Frielinghaus made his will May 23, 1872; it was filed and proved on September 6, 1873, and the inventory of his estate was filed and proved June 25, 1874. Frederick A. Traudt, described as a disinterested freeholder and Frielinghaus' former business partner in the Traudt & Frielinghaus Brewing Company, assisted executor Daniel Lauck and Thomas O. Dowd in making the inventory and appraisement.
At the end of 1873 Frederick was elected Treasurer of the Newark Beer Brewers' Union.
Lizetta Traudt died March 4, 1880 and was buried in a family plot in a Newark Cemetery.
In June, 1880 the family was living at 425 Springfield Avenue, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. Frederick's son Ernest was employed as a clerk in the brewery. Charles, Laura, Oscar and Anna were attending school. Lena was not living with the family, and had presumably left home some time before this.
At the end of September, 1881, Frederick, described as a well-known brewer who had been in business many years, owned in addition to the brewery property at the corner of Springfield Avenue and Magnolia Street, Newark, four houses adjoining and other real estate. His business was not doing well, however, having "been running behind for some time past." In that month his business failed, and he "placed his affairs in the hands of his creditors for a compromise." When his creditors met his liabilities were stated to be $38,000, nominal assets, $21,000, and actual assests, $19,000. His real estate, all heavily mortgaged and considered to have no equity, was not included in the assessment. The principal creditors reportedly accepted an offer to pay 50 cents on the dollar, in notes to come due at four, six, nine, twelve, and eighteen months, and as a result his business was expected to be continued as it had been previously. Less than a month later he made an assignment to a certain James F. Bond.
Frederick's daughter Anna presumably had this bankruptcy in mind when she wrote in 1948 that "they say we were rich one time but others in ... fathers friends did him well to make him poor."
Most of the children left home between 1880 and 1900. Because Anna had been left motherless by Lizetta's death Lena, who had married and was living in Newark, took her in some time after June, 1880, and raised her. Ernest married, lost his family through tragedy, and disappeared from the knowledge of his father and siblings in a train wreck about 1890. Charles left home by 1895, and Margaret, Matilda, Laura and Oscar also left before 1900.
Frederick married (second), about 1890, Magdalena ------ ------. She was born October --, 1863, in Germany, the daughter of ------ ------ ------ and ------ (------) ------. She came to America in 1868, at about age five, presumably in the company of her parents.
Children:
In 1900 the family lived in a rented house at 499 Warren Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. Frederick's occupation was given as park inspector, and that of his wife as grocer.
By 1905 Frederick had become a deputy collector of taxes for the city, a job he seems to have retained until his death. The Traudts were living in a house at 204 South Orange Avenue in that year. In 1914 they had a house at 129 Ridgewood Avenue.
Frederick died February 17, 1916, aged 85. At that time he resided in a house at 366 South 19th Street, Newark. His funeral was held February 21, 1916. He was buried in the Traudt family section of the Woodland Cemetery (first incorporated as West Newark Cemetery in 1855), where most of his children were later buried as well. His daughter Anna, in a letter of June 29, 1948, described it as "large with a high shaft in the middle with Traudt on." The graves were apparently raised, and the cemetary later wanted to flatten them, "but Aunt Laura wouldn't allow it." After Maggie died, sometime prior to Anna's letter, the cemetery levelled them anyway, leaving only the footstones. Since the 1960s the cemetery has suffered from vandalism and neglect, but the Traudt obelisk still stands, and near it Frederick's grave marker, with the following inscription:
Magdalena, listed as Frederick's widow, was still living in the 19th Street house later in 1916. Their daughter Elsa lived with her as a boarder and was working as a stenographer at #808, 31 Clinton.
In 1932 Magdalena Traudt was living with her stepson Charles and his wife in their home at 2 Hawthorne Place, East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.
From May 21, 2004 revision.
Posted Apr. 2, 2004.
Updated Apr. 5, May 14, 21, Nov. 15, 2004.