His mother, Maria Magdalena van Beethoven, died in 1787. In 1815 Ludwig's brother Caspar died on November 15. Caspar was predeceased by his wife and nine-year-old son. His brother left guardianship of his son to his widowed wife and Ludwig. Beethoven was in his forties and found it difficult to juggle raising a nine-year-old, his deafness and his music. Ludwig tried to teach his nephew music, but never succeeded and eventually the boy began to live in the army