Johann Schäuble

My 4th-great-grandfather Johann Schauble was born 222 years ago today, on 18 December 1794, in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the son of Joseph Schäuble and Ursula Mutter.

He married Maria Anna Albiez on 21 January 1818 in Niederwihl.

Marriage record, Johann Schäuble and Anna Maria Albiez, 21 January 1818. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 16. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-16. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869. 

Their children were Magdalena (born 26 February 1819), Theres (born 3 March 1820), my 3rd-great-grandmother Franziska (born 24 September 1821), Agatha (born 24 January 1824), Franz Joseph (born 13 December 1825), Katharina (born 21 March 1847), Fridolina (born 4 March 1829), Karl (born 28 March 1831, died 30 March 1831), Sophia (born 15 May 1832), and Sekunda (born 31 December 1833).

Johann was a farmer (Landwirt), a cotton manufacturer (Baumwollfabrikant), and the proprietor of the Stag Inn (Hirschenwirt)

He became a widower on 20 March 1847, when his wife Maria Anna passed away.

Johann died on 26 February 1851 in Niederwihl.

Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 153. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-153. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht >Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

Mappy Monday: Baden 1801-1819

Baden 1801-1819. By ziegelbrenner [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

This map shows Baden from 1801 to 1815, and indicates when areas became part of Baden. My ancestors lived in the area that became part of Baden in 1805.

Jacob Bär

My 4th-great-grandfather Jacob Bär was born 238 years ago today, on 16 September 1778, in Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the son of Joseph Bähr and Magdalena Huber.

He married Magdalena Kaiser on 22 March 1802 in Görwihl. Their first child, Maria, was born less than 3 months later, on 15 June 1802, but died the next day. Their second child, Bartholomaeus, was born on 25 August 1804; he also died the next day. Their third child, Pelagius was born on 4 September 1805. This child survived, but the next child also died very young. Blasius was born on 3 February 1808, but died on 12 August 1808. Jacob and Magdalena had five more children: Franzisca (born 10 October 1811), Fridolin (born 9 March 1815), my 3rd-great-grandmother Maria (born 10 September 1818), Theresia (born 23 September 1821), and Thomas (born 11 November 1824).

Jacob's occupations were Taglöhner (day laborer) and Eisenhändler (ironmonger).

He died on 19 March 1854.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl. Bad Säckingen : H. Faller, 2000.

Jakob Dreier

My 3rd-great-grandfather Jakob Dreier was born 201 years ago today on 7 September 1815, in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the son of Fridolin Dreyer and Maria Eva Stäuble.

Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5775, Bild 18. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498376-18. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Geburtenbuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

He worked as a blacksmith (Schmied).

 On 24 February 1846, he and Franziska Schäuble became the parents of a daughter, my 2nd-great-grandmother Kunigunde. Jakob and Franziska married almost two years later, on 3 February 1848.

Marriage record, Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, 1848. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 81. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-81. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869. 

A little over four months later, on 17 June 1848, their daughter Magdalena was born, but she died when she was eight months old, on 25 February 1849. Their only son, Julius, was born on 20 March 1855. Their last child, Emilie, was born on 19 November 1857, but died on 5 July 1859.

Jakob died on 18 September 1870.

Joseph Schäuble

My 5th-great-grandfather Joseph Schäuble (or Scheuble) was born 252 years ago today, on 2 September 1764, in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the second child and first son of Joseph Scheible and Anna Wasmer.

He married Ursula Mutter on 3 February 1793. Their daughter Magdalena was born less than two months later, on 22 March 1793. Their son Johann (my 4th-great-grandfather) was born on 18 December 1794. Another son, Lorenz, was born on 7 August 1798. Their last son, Gregor, was born on 11 February 1802. He died almost two years later, on 5 January 1804. Their second daughter, Maria, was born on 13 August 1805. Their last child, Katharina, was born on 6 May 1807. She died less than three weeks later, on 25 May 1807.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl. Bad Säckingen : H. Faller, 2000.

Joseph died on 16 March 1815 in Niederwihl. He was only 50 years old.

Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 16. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-16 Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht >Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

Paulina (Gersbacher) Schneider's 140th Birthday

Paulina Gersbacher, 1895

140 years ago today, on 13 August 1876, my great-grandmother Paulina (Gersbacher) Schneider was born in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany.

Matrilineal Monday: Maria Bär

My 3rd-great-grandmother Maria Bär was born on 10 September 1818 in Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She was the daughter of Jacob Bär and Magdalena Kaiser.

Birth record, Maria Bär, 10 September 1818. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5711, Bild 94. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-497910-94. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Geburtenbuch 1810-1869.

She married her first cousin Fridolin Gerspacher on 4 November 1839 in Görwihl.

Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5712, Bild 88 Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-497911-88 Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

They had the following children:

Joseph, born 4 February 1841.
Johann (my 2nd-great-grandfather, later known as John), born 2 September 1843
Fridolin, born 19 October 1845
Bertha, born 28 March 1848
Wilhelmine, born 1 November 1851
Maria, born 25 September 1857

Maria's husband Fridolin died on 23 February 1865. Her son Joseph died on 3 August 1870. Johann immigrated to the United States in the early 1880s.

Maria died on 18 August 1888.

13 July 1809

On 13 July 1809, my 3rd-great-grandfather Fridolin Gerspacher (or Gersbacher) was born in Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl. Bad Säckingen: H. Faller, 2000.

He was the last child of his parents Johann Gerspacher and Magdalena Bär. Magdalena died on the day of his birth.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl. Bad Säckingen: H. Faller, 2000.

Fridolin never knew his mother, but he knew her family. On 14 November 1839, he married his first cousin Maria Bär. Maria was the daughter of Jacob Bär, Magdalena's brother.

Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5712, Bild 88 Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-497911-88 Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

Matrilineal Monday: Elisabeth Arzner

My 5th-great-grandmother Elisabeth Arzner is my earliest known ancestor in my direct maternal line. She was born about 1758. On 26 April 1787, she married Oswald Altbuez (or Albiez), a widower from Oberwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. Oswald and his first wife Maria Elisabeth Lüttin had six children: Oswald (born 3 September 1774), Marzell (born 4 January 1777, died 15 January 1777), Regina (born 11 January 1778), Cornelius (born 13 September 1780), Elisabeth (born 6 November 1782), Thaddaeus (born 5 July 1784), and Fridolin (born 7 January 1787). Maria Elisabeth had died on 30 January 1787. Elisabeth gained an instant family when she married Oswald.

On 20 October 1787, Elisabeth's stepson Oswald died at age 13. But just after Christmas, there was a happier event; Elisabeth gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Ottilia, on 28 December 1787. More sad times followed a month later, when Elisabeth's stepson Fridolin died on 19 January 1788, less than a month after his first birthday. Elisabeth gave birth to her second child and first son, Anton, on 11 June 1789.

Elisabeth's next two children died young. Katharina was born on 2 March 1791 and died on 18 March 1792. Oswald was born on 10 June 1793 and died just one day later, on 11 June 1793.

Elisabeth gave birth to Maria Clara on 17 August 1794, and gave birth to my 4th-great-grandmother Maria Anna on 2 July 1796. She then had two more daughters that died young: Rosa (born 21 May 1799, died 14 December 1799) and Agatha (born 18 January 1801, died 21 January 1804). Her last child, Johann, was born on 11 July 1803.

Elisabeth's husband Oswald died on 13 April 1805. Elisabeth still had young children to take care of when she became a widow. Other than her children, I have not yet identified any of Elisabeth's relatives. I hope she had family support at this difficult time. Perhaps her older children and stepchildren helped.

Elisabeth died in Oberwihl on 26 September 1815.

Death record, Elisabeth Arzner, 26 September 1815. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5794, Bilder 22-23. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498395-22, http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498395-23. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Oberwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

Matrilineal Monday: Maria Anna Albiez

My 4th-great-grandmother Maria Anna Albiez (also known as Anna Maria Albiez) was born on 2 July 1796 in Oberwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She was the daughter of Oswald Albiez (or Altbuez) and Elisabeth Arzner.

On 6 August 1848, when Maria Anna was only nine years old, her father Oswald died. Her mother Elisabeth died on 26 September 1815.

On 21 January 1818, Maria Anna married Johann Schäuble (or Scheuble) in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany.

Marriage record, Johann Schäuble and Anna Maria Albiez, 21 January 1818. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 16. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-16. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

Johann and Maria Anna had the following children:

Magdalena Schäuble, born 26 February 1819
Theres Schäuble, born 3 March 1820
Franziska Schäuble (my 3rd-great-grandmother), born 24 September 1821
Agatha  Schäuble, born 24 January 1824
Franz Joseph  Schäuble, born 13 December 1825
Katharina Schäuble, born 21 March 1847
Fridolina Schäuble, born 4 March 1829
Karl Schäuble, born 28 March 1831, died 30 March 1831
Sophia Schäuble, born 15 May 1832
Sekunda Schäuble, born 31 December 1833
 
Maria Anna died on 20 March 1847 in Niederwihl.

Death record, Maria Anna Albiez, 20 March 1847. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 124. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-124. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht >Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

Matrilineal Monday: Franziska Schäuble

My 3rd-great-grandmother Franziska Schäuble was born on 24 September 1821 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She was the daughter of Johann Schäuble (or Scheuble) and Maria Anna Albiez. Her father was a farmer (Landwirt), a cotton manufacturer (Baumwollfabrikant), and the proprietor of the Stag Inn (Hirschenwirt).

Birth record, Franziska Schäuble, 24 September 1821. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5775, Bild 35. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498376-35. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Geburtenbuch 1810-1869.

On 24 February 1846, Franziska gave birth to my 2nd-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. Kunigunde's father was Jakob Dreier, a blacksmith (Schmied).

Franziska lost two family members in 1847. Her mother Maria Anna Albiez died on 20 March 1847, and her younger sister Katharina Schäuble died on 28 November 1847 at age 20.

On 3 February 1848, almost two years after the birth of their daughter, Franziska and Jakob married in Niederwihl.

Marriage record, Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, 1848. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 81. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-81. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869.

A little more than 4 months after their marriage, on 17 June 1848, their daughter Magdalena was born. Sadly, Magdalena died on 25 February 1849, one day after Kunigunde's third birthday.

Franziska lost her one remaining parent in 1851; her father Johann Schäuble died on 26 February. Later that year, on 3 June, she gave birth to her daughter Sophie. She had another daughter, Agnes, on 10 September 1852.

In 1854, Franziska's youngest sister, Sekunda Schäuble, applied for permission to emigrate from Germany and settle in the United States.

Franziska and Jakob's only son, Julius, was born on 20 March 1855. Their last child, Emilie, was born on 19 November 1857. Emilie died on 5 July 1859.

Franziska lost three of her siblings in the 1860s. Her sister Sophia died on 23 June 1862, her sister Theres died on 11 April 1865, and her sister Agatha died on 17 April 1866.

Franziska experienced more losses in the 1870s. Her husband Jakob Dreier died on 18 September 1870, her son Julius Dreier died on 3 May 1874, and her sister Magdalena Schäuble died on 28 September 1876. But there were happier moments too, such as the birth of her grandchildren. Her daughter Kunigunde married Johann Gerspacher on 16 February 1871, and gave birth to five children in the 1870s: Friedrich/Fridolin, born 15 May 1871; Hermann, born 30 May 1873; Pauline, born 13 August 1876; Hermann, born 26 September 1877; and Joseph, born 8 May 1879. Sadly, both Hermanns died, the first on 24 August 1873, and the second on 18 December 1878. Kunigunde gave birth to one more child during Franziska's lifetime: daughter Augusta, born 29 January 1881.

Franziska died on 21 May 1882.

Tombstone Tuesday: Erich and Elsa (Albiez) Hilpert

I came across the graves of Erich Hilpert (1925-1983) and Elsa (Albiez) Hilpert (1923-2005) while visiting St. Bartholomäus Catholic Church in Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Elsa could be a distant relative of mine. Maria Anna Albiez (2 July 1796 - 20 March 1847) was my 4th-great-grandmother. She lived in Oberwihl and Niederwihl (now both part of Görwihl).

Surname Saturday: Gersbacher, Gerspacher, Gerspach

The maps below show the absolute distribution and relative distribution (considering population density) of the surname variants Gersbacher, Gerspacher, and Gerspach in Germany. They were created using Christoph Stöpel's Geogen 3.0 surname mapping site, which uses data from German telephone directories.Geogen 4.0 is the latest version.

Absolute distribution (Gersbacher)

©Christoph Stöpel. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/deed.en). http://legacy.stoepel.net/de/MapGateway.aspx?name=Gersbacher&target=DE&renderer=EN_US&mode=abs

Relative distribution (Gersbacher)

©Christoph Stöpel. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/deed.en). http://legacy.stoepel.net/de/MapGateway.aspx?name=Gersbacher&target=DE&renderer=EN_US&mode=rel

 The maps show the highest concentration of the surname in Landkreis Lörrach.

Absolute distribution (Gerspacher)

©Christoph Stöpel. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/deed.en). http://legacy.stoepel.net/de/MapGateway.aspx?name=Gerspacher&target=DE&renderer=EN_US&mode=abs

Relative distribution (Gerspacher)

©Christoph Stöpel. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/deed.en). http://legacy.stoepel.net/de/MapGateway.aspx?name=Gerspacher&target=DE&renderer=EN_US&mode=rel

The maps show the highest concentration of the surname in Landkreis Lörrach. The next highest concentration of the surname is in Landkreis Waldshut.

Absolute distribution (Gerspach)

©Christoph Stöpel. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/deed.en). http://legacy.stoepel.net/de/MapGateway.aspx?name=Gerspach&target=DE&renderer=EN_US&mode=abs

Relative distribution (Gerspach)

©Christoph Stöpel. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/deed.en). http://legacy.stoepel.net/de/MapGateway.aspx?name=Gerspach&target=DE&renderer=EN_US&mode=rel

The maps show the highest concentration of the surname in Landkreis Waldshut. The next highest concentration of the surname is in Landkreis Lörrach.

These maps helped me to pinpoint the area of Baden that my Gersbacher/Gerspacher ancestors came from. I suspected that they were from Landkreis Lörrach or Landkreis Waldshut. When I identified the location, it turned out to be in Landkreis Waldshut.

My known Gersbacher/Gerspacher/Gerspach ancestors are:

great-grandmother: Paulina Gersbacher/Pauline Gerspacher
born 13 August 1876, Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany.
married John (Johann) Schneider  23 July 1902, St. Louis, Missouri
died 1 December 1966, St. Louis, Missouri

2nd-great-grandfather: John Gersbacher/Johann Gerspacher
born 2 September 1843, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
married Kunigunde Dreier (my 2nd-great-grandmother) 16 February 1871
married Theresa Vollmer 26 March 1900, Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois
died 8 February 1914, St. Louis, Missouri

3rd-great-grandfather: Fridolin Gerspacher
born 13 July 1809, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
married Maria Bär 14 November 1839, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
died 23 February 1865, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany

4th-great-grandfather: Johann Gerspacher
born 29 October 1766, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
married Magdelena Bär (my 4th-great-grandmother) 25 October 1796, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
married Theresia Wassmer 27 November 1809, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
died 10 January 1841, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany

5th-great-grandfather: Fridolin Gerspacher
born 28 May 1739, Strittmatt, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
married  Catharina Adler 13 January 1766, Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany

6th-great-grandfather: Joseph Gerspach
born 21 June 1701, Strittmatt, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
married Clara Schlageter 15 August 1734

7th-great-grandfather: Fridolin Gerspach
married Anna Schupp
died 23 May 1744, Strittmatt, Waldshut, Baden, Germany

Military Monday: War Memorials, St. Karl Borromaeuskapelle, Rotzel, Baden, Germany

St. Karl Borromaeuskapelle in Rotzel, Laufenburg, Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, Germany has two memorial plaques which list the names of local men who died or went missing during  the Franco-Prussian War, World War I, and World War II.

There are also two markers. One has an iron cross, and the other has a wreath with a helmet in the center.

A transcription of the men's names is available at http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/dkm_deutschland/rotzel_wk1u2_bw.htm.

52 Ancestors: Week 40 "October": Anton Stäuble

My 5th-great-grandfather Anton Stäuble (or Steuble) was born on 10 October 1741 in Rotzel (now part of Laufenberg), Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the son of Georg Steuble and Catharina Fack. He married Maria Elisabeth Gaßmann (or, written without using the eszett, Gassmann) on 27 November 1764. They had the following children:

Anton (born 12 June 1773, died 29 November 1840)
Catharina (born 1 November 1775, died 1 December 1840)
Jacob (born 25 July 1777, died 4 March 1842)
Maria Elisabet (born 16 April 1779)
Eva (born 23 December 1781)
Joseph (born 12 October 1784, died 14 June 1845)
Liberatus (born 16 August 1786, died 26 August 1786)
Maria Eva (born 24 December 1787, died 21 December 1858)
Gregor (born 4 December 1790, died 4 August 1791)

His daughter Maria Eva Stäuble (often just called Eva Stäuble) was my 4th-great-grandmother.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte von Hochsal, Binzgen und Rotzel: Stadt Laufenburg. Bad Säckingen: H. Faller, 2001.

Rotzel, Laufenberg, Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Wednesday's Child: Emilie Dreier

Death record, Emilie Dreier, 5 July 1859. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 176. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-176. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869.

Emilie was the sixth child of my 3rd-great-grandparents Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, and the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. She was born on 19 November 1857 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She died in Niederwihl on 5 July 1859.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl

I finally managed to find Helmut Faller's 2-volume Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl (Bad Säckingen : H. Faller, 4th enlarged edition, 1993). The volumes are rare and out of print, and I didn't think I would ever find my own copies. The volumes cover Görwihl and other nearby communities, such as Engelschwand, Hartschwand, Niederwihl, Oberwihl, Rotzingen, Burg, Rüsswihl, Segeten, Strittmatt, and Tiefenstein. My maternal grandmother's mother's side of the family came from this part of Baden. The books include a great deal of information about my family.

52 Ancestors: Week 27 "Independent": Augusta Marie "Gussie" Gersbacher

My great-grandmother's sister Augusta Marie "Gussie" Gersbacher strikes me as an independent woman. My aunt Joan said that Gussie was something of a career woman and always had a job, unlike many women of her generation. Her marriages were brief, she never had children, and she moved halfway across the country. There is also an interesting family story about her!

Gussie was born on 29 January 1881 in Niederwihl (now part of Görwihl), Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She was the daughter of Johann/John Gersbacher and Kunigunde Dreier. When she was only two years old, she and her mother and siblings left Germany to join her father in St. Louis, Missouri. They sailed from Bremen, Germany on the Braunschweig and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 26 July 1883.

Gerspacher family, Braunschweig passenger list. Baltimore, Maryland. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Baltimore, Maryland, 1820-1891. Microfilm Publication M255. RG 36. 50 rolls. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Available from Ancestry.com. Baltimore, Passenger Lists, 1820-1964 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. 

After her mother died in 1893, her father abandoned the family. Gussie went to work as a laundress. Although the feminine form of her occupation was used in her 1900 United States census enumeration, she was incorrectly enumerated as a male!

1900 United States census, St. Louis City, Missouri, Ward 6, population schedule, enumeration district 88, sheet no. 5A. Available from Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. 

Gussie married Emil Glaser, the son of immigrants from Baden, in 1903.

Marriage license, Emil H. Glaser and Gusta Gersbacker, 9 May 1903, St. Louis County, Missouri. Available from Ancestry.com. Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.Original data: Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.

Gussie and Emil separated by 1908, when Gussie was listed on the St. Louis city directory at a different address than Emil.

Gould's St. Louis Directory for 1908. St. Louis, MO: Gould Directory Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

In 1910, Gussie ran a rooming house and lived with her younger sister Annie.

1910 United States census, St. Louis City, Missouri, Ward 7, population schedule, enumeration district 111, sheet no. 5A. Available from Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. 

Emil Glaser died on 12 August 1912. Although they were separated, his obituary stated that he was the "beloved husband of Gussie Glaser." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 14 August 1912, page 12.) Gussie remained in St. Louis until at least 1913.

Gould's St. Louis Directory for 1913. St. Louis, MO: Gould Directory Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

On 1 June 1916, Gussie married Roy Lee Parker in Santa Ana, Orange County, California. Her marriage record stated that she was a resident of San Francisco, California and that Roy was a resident of Denver, Colorado.

Marriage license and return, Roy L. Parker and Augusta D. Glaser, 1 June 1916. California, County Marriages, 1850-1952, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8DJ-XRB);  citing Orange, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,290,107.

By 1918, Roy was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and on his World War I draft registration card, he listed his mother as his nearest relative. Gussie remained in California. In 1920, she was working as a seamstress in Los Angeles.

1920 United States census, Los Angeles precinct 175, population schedule, enumeration district 433, sheet no. 15A. Available from Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

In 1921, Gussie was a clerk in the Argonaut Hotel.

Los Angeles Directory Co.'s Los Angeles City Directory, Including San Pedro, Wilmington, Palms, Van Nuys and Owensmouth. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Directory Company, 1921. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

By 1927, Gussie lived in Pasadena and was working as a hotel waiter. She worked at the Hotel Vista Del Arroyo at that time, but later worked for the Huntington Hotel and the Maryland Hotel. She worked as a waiter at least through 1949.

Thurston's Pasadena (California) City Directory 1927, Including Altadena and Lamanda Park. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Directory Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

 Thurston's Pasadena (California) City Directory 1934, Including Altadena, Lamanda Park, and San Marino. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Directory Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Augusta Marie Gersbacher Parker, SS no. 552-10-1611, 27 November 1936, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

1940 United States census, Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, population schedule, Assembly District 47, enumeration district 19-472, sheet 2B. Available from Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Gussie died on  22 February 1969 at the Palm Grove Sanitarium in Duarte, Los Angeles County, California.

Augusta M. Parker death certificate. State of California, Department of Public Health. 22 February 1969.

Pasadena Star-News, 28 February 1969, page B-6.

Gussie was entombed at the Pasadena Mausoleum. However, that was not her final resting place. Her body was brought back to St. Louis, Missouri, and she was buried in the Gersbacher family plot (section 010K, lot 0024E) in Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery on 22 December 1972. Her grave is unmarked.

Gussie Gersbacher