Dorethea Wylimann was born on 12 September 1793 at Bisikon, Illnau, Zurich, Switzerland, to Kaspar Wylimann and Regula Mader. She was the oldest of nine children, and grew up in the town in which she was born. When Dorethea was five years old her brother, Johannes, died at the age of 19 months. Eleven days later her mother gave birth to another baby boy who they also named Johannes. In April of 1801, three years later, this Johannes also died. A baby had been born a year earlier to the family. In July of 1801 another baby boy was born which was named Johannes. He lived 9 days. When Dorethea was fourteen, her mother had her last baby. During Dorethea's young life she had witnessed the deaths of five of her brothers and sisters, leaving two brothers and one sister. When Dorethea was 25 her mother passed away, leaving her father with 4 children.
A year following the death of Dorethea's mother, her father remarried. He married Regula Sauermann, a widow with 6 children by two previous marriages. This made a big family to care for...10 children, the oldest only 15 years.
Dorethea lived with the family until her marriage at age 31, to her step-mother's oldest boy, Caspar Wintsch, who was 10 years younger than Dorethea. They were married on 2 February 1824 at Volketschweil, Zurich, Switzerland.
Caspar and Dorethea had three children:
- Rudolph Wintsch, born about 1826, who died very young
- Heinrich or Henry Wintsch, and
- Barbara Wintsch.
After Caspar and Dorethea were married 11 years Dorethea died on 22 February 1835. Henry was 7 and Barbara was 5 years old. Dorethea's sister, Anna, came to keep house for Caspar and his children. After about 3 months Caspar married Anna Wylimann, who was 4 years younger than Caspar. They were married on 25 May 1835. Anna raised her sister's two children, as well as the additional 8 children which Anna and Caspar had. Dorethea died before the family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and she is buried in Switzerland.
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