1831-1913
Image from 1889 city atlas
President and manager of the Christiana Trefz Brewing Company. She managed the company from 1876, when her husband died, until 1889 when it merged with Krueger, after which her son served as superintendent. She became “one of the wealthiest and best known women of this city”.
In 1893, the Newark German Hospital was in need of nurses and Trefz felt they needed a training school of their own. She bought up land and donated about $20,000 for a school of nursing with a lecture room, 14 bedrooms, bathrooms, and a living room. The school was named the Christiana Trefz School for Trained Nurses” and was attended by famous NJ nurse Clara Maas.
Trefz immigrated from Germany at age 14 and married Christoph Trefz at age 18. Members of the Pheonix Singing Society were invited to her funeral, and sang at the opening of the Nursing School, suggesting she may have been a member of this group. She is buried in Fairmount Cemetery.
Bibliography
“Mrs. Christiana Trefz Will be Buried Tomorrow Night” Newark News Aug 15, 1913
“Funeral of Mrs. Trefz To Be Held Saturday” Star Aug 15, 1913
Christiana Trefz Brewing Company
“Big Money In Beer” Daily Inter Ocean May 13, 1889
“Trefz School Dedicated This Newark Woman’s Generous Purse Has Built a Place to Train the Nurse” New York Herald Dec 1, 1893
“Tapped by Ammonia” New York Herald Dec 3, 1889