Bertha L. Wasmer was the fifth of twelve children born to Bernhard and Mary (or Maria) Wasmer (or Wassmer) Her father was born in Switzerland about 1823 and her mother in Prussia about 1831. They were enumerated by the 1850 U.S. Federal Census in the Fifth Ward of Milwaukee, WI having no children. The 1860 Census listed the family in Milwaukee Ward 6, identifying Bernhard, a tanner, age 37,Maria age 28 and six children: Edward, age 7, Bernard, age 6, Emili, age 5, Frank, age 4, Bertha, age 3, and George, age 1. Also listed with the Wasmer family was Gertruida Schneider, age 16, identified as a servant born in Prussia.

    The 1870 U.S. Census found the Wasmer family, increased by the addition of Charles, age 1, still living in the same location. Bernard, identified as a grocer, was 37 and Mary was 39. The two oldest sons were working in a tannery. Wisconsin was given as the place of birth for all of the children. The 1880 Census listed a forty-eight year old female named M. Wasmer as the head of household in Milwaukee. She was identified as a widow and her family consisted of only two children, Paul and Lily, both age 7. By that time all of the children listed in the previous census records would have been eighteen or older and had apparently left home.

    Emma Wasmer, who in all likelihood had been listed as Emili in the 1860 Federal census, married Charles Schering in 1883. In 1885 Charles Schering, age 36, and Emma Schering, age 30, were listed together as residents of Whatcom County by the Washington Territorial Census. Similar listings appear in the Washington Territorial census records for 1887 and 1889. All three of these latter records give Charles Schering's place of birth as Germany and Emma Schering's place of birth as Wisconsin. The 1889 record also lists Lillie Wasmer, age 17, born in Wisconsin as a member of the Schering household. Lillie Anna Wasmer married Edgar L. Cowgill of the Fairhaven Land Company in Fairhaven on November 26, 1889 with her mother's consent as she was only eighteen. This indicates that Mary Wasmer may have taken up residence in Fairhaven before the wedding date.

    The 1890 Federal Census records were all destroyed, so the next census record is for 1900. It listed Mary Wasmer, age 69, born in Germany in 1831, as a widow and mother-in-law in the family of Charles Schering, age 50, at Fairhaven, Whatcom County, Washington. The only other member of the household was Emma Schering, age 45. This record includes the facts that Mary Wasmer had immigrated to the United States in 1850, had been married the same year, had borne twelve children, only four of whom were still living, and that Charles Schering had immigrated in 1865.

    Bertha Wasmer was not listed in the Federal Census for 1880,at which time she was twenty-three. Since she died in 1888, she was not listed in the 1890 census. She was identified as a resident of Whatcom County in the marriage license issued to her and Dan Harris on October 16, 1885. Perhaps she was then living with her sister and brother-in-law, Emma and Charles Schering, like her mother and sister, Lillie, did later.

    Testimony given by two witnesses during the first trial involving the estate of Dan Harris and a letter submitted to the Los Angeles Times at the outset of that trial by the attorney for Dr. Andrew S. Shorb, one of the defendants in that trial, reveal that Bertha Wasmer was employed as a domestic servant in the Shorb household in Los Angeles for several years prior to her marriage. The probable scenario is that Bertha was employed by the Shorbs for some time and then either left their employ or took a holiday and went to visit the Scherings in Fairhaven. While staying in Fairhaven, she met and married Dan Harris.

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