Sunday's Obituary: Charles J. (Carl) Schneider

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 19 February 1969, page 23D

Schneider
Charles J. (Carl) Schneider, Wed., Feb. 19, 1969, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, beloved husband of Louise Schneider, dear father of Louise Bascom and Virginia Vessels, dear brother of Mrs. Ann Wegman, dear father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle.
     Funeral from KRIEGSHAUSER'S SOUTH, 4228 S. Kings-highway, Fri., Feb. 21, 8:30 a.m., to Immaculate Conception Church Lafayette and Longfellow. Interment Sunset. A member of the Elks. In state after 1 p.m., Thurs.

Carl J. Schneider was the son of my 2nd-great-grandparents Carl Joseph Schneider and Christina Nagel. He was born on 17 March 1885 in Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. He and his family emigrated in 1892, and he grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He married Louise Scheffer on 12 June 1912 in St. Louis. They had twin daughters, Louisa Virginia and Virginia Louisa, born on 21 March 1915. He died on 19 February 1969 and was buried in Sunset Memorial Park in Affton, St. Louis County, Missouri.

52 Ancestors: Week 45 "Movember": Carl Joseph Schneider

Since this week's 52 Ancestors theme is free (pick your own theme), I have chosen the theme Movember. The Movember Foundation was founded in 2003. Each November, men grow moustaches to raise awareness of men's health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health, and physical inactivity. My 2nd-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider had an impressive moustache, so it is fitting to feature him during Movember.

Carl Joseph Schneider was born on 22 January 1855 in Erpel, Neuwied, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. He was the son of Johann Wilhelm Schneider and Anna Sibylle Lindlohr. He was only seven years old when his mother died on 2 April 1862. His father remarried less than a year later, to Adelheid Noll. Carl was sixteen when his father died on 13 November 1871.

On 31 January 1878, Carl married Christina Nagel in Bonn, Germany. The couple settled in Carl's father's hometown of Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Christina's father and stepmother moved there as well. Carl worked as a tailor in Remagen.

Carl and Christina had seven children: my great-grandfather Johann, later known as John (born 6 December 1878 in Remagen); Johann Wilhelm (born 5 July 1882 in Remagen, died 17 August 1882 in Remagen); Johann Wilhelm, later known as William J. (born 8 December 1883 in Remagen); Carl J. (born 17 March 1885 in Remagen); Rudolph (born 21 September 1886 in Remagen); Anna Maria (born 25 November 1888 in Remagen); and Maria, later known as Marie, (born 11 April 1890 in Remagen).

I am not sure when Carl first grew a moustache, but he had one when my great-grandfather was a young boy. 

Johann (John) and Carl Joseph Schneider

As time passed, Carl's moustache grew bigger and fuller.

Photo by Bapt. Schneider Photogr. Atelier, Fürstenbergerstrasse, Remagen, Rhein-Erft, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Carl, Christina, and their children left Remagen in 1892 and immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, where Carl's brother Johann Wilhelm (John William) was living. Carl continued to work as a tailor. He also continued to sport a moustache.

Photo by Pietz, 1630 Franklin Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 

Carl took a trip back to Germany in 1900. He knew that he was dying of cancer, and he visited with friends and relatives there one last time. He died of stomach cancer on 5 November 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri and was buried in Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, in Section 035, Lot 0160.

Mappy Monday: Landscape of Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz

Landkarte der Landschaften im Umkreis Mayen-Koblenz. By Francis [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

This map shows the landscape of Landkreis (district) Mayen-Koblenz and the surrounding area. My 4th-great-grandfather Nikolaus Schneider was stationed in Koblenz when he was in the Gendarmerie. He moved to Remagen after he married. Although Remagen is located in Landkreis Ahrweiler, it is also shown on the map.

Tombstone Tuesday: Carl Joseph and Christina (Nagel) Schneider

My 2nd-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider was born on 22 Jan 1855 in Erpel, Neuwied, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. (The birthdate on the tombstone is incorrect.) He married Christina Nagel on  31 January 1878 in Bonn, Germany. She was born on 27 Feb 1851 in Kendenich, Rhein-Erft, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. They moved to Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany after their marriage. In 1892, they immigrated to St, Louis, Missouri with their children. Carl died in St. Louis on 5 November 1901. Christina died on 16 January 1934, also in St. Louis. They were buried in Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, in Section 035, Lot 0160.

Amanuensis Monday: Carl Schneider's Letter from Germany

The below letter was written in 1900 by my great-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider to his wife Christina (Nagel) Schneider and their children. He had gone to his native Germany to visit family and friends. The letter appears to be a typed copy and may be a translation. The typographical errors in my transcription are also present in the typed letter.

Dear Tina and Children!

Yesterday I received the dear letter from you and the children and I am very pleased the good news from all of you. Thursday the 5th was my day for Erpel. Although Joseph and Marion are no longer there (the first is in Düren and Marion is married in Cologne). I was nontheless very well received by all the friends in Erpel, especially by Pether Schmitz - Scholl is dead and Peter is in Erpel since then. Lena lives in Remagen, although both are almost thirty they are not married yet. We made a trip to Heister (?) where they only now begin to work at our stoneworks, then to Arsberg, Bruchhausen, Severinsberg (?), Karsbach (there I visited the Weber family) and finally to Erpel where everybody brought me to the Rhine at a very late hour to go back home. It was an elegant tour, Webers were delighted to see me and I had to promise to come back in a week from Sunday for Kirmes. Friday morning we had copany in Remagen and we arranged for a tour to Neuenahr. Peter . . . . (the neighbor's boy) teacher Martin Demm and I zipped by bike to Ahr and there I met Krupp and baker Nelles as well as a former from Albermann Bonn who now has a large hotel in Neuenahr. He showed ma all and we had a great time with him - at nine in the evening we returned to Remagen.

Neuenahr is a much larger and more elegant place now. Krupp has a large two family house there like a large hotel, but his wife is dead now for seven years. Generally things have changed a lot, but only the better. Tomorrow, Sunday, I will go to Erpel and at the beginning of next week to Bonn, Brühl, and Haimath (?); I will write again from there. I enjoyed getting the letter from the children. There are plenty of news to tell. I have made a lot of notes, particularly about Remagen. The boys are still very much alive. Unfortunately the weather is bad, always rain and that, of couse, limits my bycycling. The cold weather bothers me a lot and an overcoat would feel good. I caught quite a cold and have my famous very stuffy nose. most of my time here, althoug I am careful.

Many regards from everybody here
Your Carl and Papa


This letter is full of clues to follow up on.  I recognize the names of several ancestral places, but do not know of any family connection with some of the places. Many people are mentioned, but I do not know who they are. Joseph and Marion may be Carl's half-siblings Wilhelm Josef Schneider and Maria Schneider. I suspect that Agnes Schmitz from Kendenich, a sponsor at the baptism of Carl and Christina's son Johann Wilhelm Schneider, may be Christina (Nagel) Schneider's sister Agnes. Christina was born in Kendenich. Perhaps Pether Schmitz was Agnes Nagel's husband.

Amanuensis Monday: Carl Schneider's Letter Announcing His Return Home

In 1900, my great-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider traveled to Germany to visit family and friends. On 30 July 1900, he wrote to his wife Christina (Nagel) Schneider and their children and told them when he would be coming back to their home in St. Louis, Missouri. The below letter may be a typed translation.

Remagen, July 30, 1900

Dear Mamma and Children,

Today I am writing to Anterp to announce my arrival there on the 4th of August in order to leave with the steamer Nordland. I hope to be with you again between August 18th and 20th. I will probably stay in New York for a day because I have something to take or order for Peter Wickel.

I don't write in detail because I will see you soon and then will tell you all the news. I received John's as well as brother's letter and enjoyed them both. I am healthy and feel fine and hope the same of you. I hope I have a good journey.

Regards and kisses to all of you
Your Carl and Papa.


Charles Schneider was listed on the passenger manifest for the Noordland, which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium on 4 August 1900 and arrived in New York, New York on 16 August 1900.

Manifest SS Noordland, arrival in New York, NY, 16 August 1900. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Sports Center Saturday: Rudolf Caracciola

This statue of racing driver Rudolf Caracciola is located in Remagen, Kreis Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. Remagen is his birthplace, and is also one of my ancestral towns.

Rudolf Caracciola was born on 30 January 1901. His ancestors came to Germany from Italy during the Thirty Years' War. He began driving before he was eighteen years old (the legal age). In 1922, while he was working at the Fafnir automobile factory in Aachen, he drove one of Fafnir's cars in the Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße (AVUS) race in Berlin, and was fourth overall. He won his next race, at the Opelbahn in Rüsselsheim. In 1923 he moved to Dresden, and won the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.) race. At first he continued to work for Fafnir, but he became a car salesman for Daimler later that year. He won eight races in 1925. In 1926, he won the German Grand Prix. He married Charlotte Liesen, and opened a Mercedes-Benz dealership on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin. He finished third in the Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.

After Mercedes-Benz withdrew from racing in 1931, he raced for Alfa-Romeo. In 1933, after Alfa-Romeo withdrew from racing, he and his friend Louis Chiron formed their own team, Scuderia C.C. (Caracciola-Chiron). While practicing for the Monaco Grand Prix, he was seriously injured in an accident. In February 1934, his wife died in an avalanche while skiing.

Rudolf Caracciola returned to racing in 1934. He won his first European Drivers' Championship in 1935; he won two more in 1937 and 1938. He died on 28 September 1959.

When my great-grandfather's brother Carl (or Karl) Schneider was baptized in Remagen on 25 March 1885,  Karl Caracciola was one of the sponsors. I am not sure what the relationship was between Karl Caracciola  and Rudolf Caracciola, but they probably were related somehow.

References
Biography: Rudolf Caracciola (1901 - 1959)
Die Familie Caracciola in Remagen
Rudolf Caracciola
Rudolf Caracciola - Biography
Rudolf Caracciola: Official Website
Rudolf Otto Wilhelm Caracciola (1901-1959), Automobilrennfahrer

Military Monday: World War I Memorial Plaque, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Remagen, Germany

Inside Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Remagen, Kreis Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany, there is a memorial plaque which lists the names of local men who died during World War I. In the bottom section of the last column, names of missing men are listed.

Capture of the Ludendorff Bridge

The Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine at Remagen after it was captured by U.S. troops, 7 March 1945. U.S. Signal Corps/ National Archives. Public domain. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Today is the 70th anniversary of  the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge. The bridge connected Remagen and Erpel, two German ancestral towns of mine. It was built in 1918 to carry supplies to the Western Front in World War I, and was named after General Erich Ludendorff. Architect Karl Wiener designed it as a railroad bridge; it had two railroad tracks and a walkway for pedestrians.

On 7 March 1945, the U.S. 9th Armored Division captured the Ludendorff Bridge shortly before 4:00 PM, when they believed the Germans would blow it up. The first American soldier to cross the bridge was Alexander A. Drabik; as the Germans fired at him, he ran across the entire length of the bridge. German-born lieutenant Karl H. Timmermann was the first officer to cross the bridge. More than 8,000 American soldiers crossed over within 24 hours.
 
14-year-old Heinrich Lindlohr and his family were in the back part of the bridge tunnel at the time of the surrender. About 40 American soldiers were there as well. Heinrich's sister Anni walked toward the soldiers and carried a white flag. Lindlohr is one of my ancestral surnames from Erpel. I could be related to Heinrich and Anni Lindlohr.

On 17 March 1945, the bridge collapsed as a result of the damage it had sustained.

References
Alexander Drabik, 82, First G.I. To Cross Remagen Bridge in 1945
Battle of Remagen 
The Bridge of Remagen - Between Truth and Legend: Contemporary witnesses remember March of 1945
Capturing the Bridge at Remagen, 1945
Ludendorff Bridge
The Ludendorff Bridge Erpel - Remagen
Ludendorff-Bridge - "The battle for the bridge is legendary"
Ludendorff-Bridge ... "The Bridge of Remagen"
Remagen
US Troops Capture Ludendorff Railroad Bridge at Remagen

Those Places Thursday: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Remagen, Germany

Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church is located in Remagen, Kreis Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. The church was built on the site of the church that was destroyed in a fire in 1198. The original church was in existence by 1003.

The oldest part of the church building is the choir, which dates back to 1246.  The nave was built in the 16th century. The bell tower was built in 1662, and the vaulted tower was completed in 1674.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the church was enlarged by adding on to the existing building at right angles.

Many generations of my ancestors attended Sts. Peter and Paul. My great-grandfather John (Johann) Schneider was baptized at Sts. Peter and Paul.

I had a chance to visit Sts. Peter and Paul earlier this year. Visiting my ancestors' church was a very moving experience. While I was there, I lit candles in their memory.

References
McLachlan, Gordon. The Rough Guide to Germany.  Rough Guides, 2004.
St. Peter und Paul (Remagen)

Mappy Monday: Remagener Wanderwege

I photographed this map, which is displayed near Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Remagen, Kreis Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. My Schneider ancestors lived in Remagen and attended Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church.

Tombstone Tuesday: Jacobvs Fasbender

This gravestone for Jacobvs Fasbender, Anno 1770, is located at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Remagen, Kreis Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. Fassbender is one of my family surnames from Remagen. Jacobvs could be a relative of mine.

Historic German Newspapers Online

I recently purchased Historic German Newspapers Online. It was compiled by Ernest Thode and published by Genealogical Publishing Company in 2014. The book contains two lists of German-language newspapers: one arranged by current country, place of publication, and title; and the other arranged by title, dates, and key. The key to abbreviations is included at the beginning of the book.

I am 1/4 German, so this book is of great interest to me. I have already begun looking at the newspapers online. I would love to find more information on my family, but even if I do not find their names mentioned, I can still learn more about their communities and about the events of the times.

Ahrweiler Kreisblatt, zugleich Anzeiger für die Städte Remagen und Sinzig, 8 Juni 1862. Available from Universität Bonn.

I have ancestors from Remagen. The above clipping gives me information about train rides in the area.

Tombstone Tuesday: Anthony L. and Anna M. (Schneider) Wegman

Anna Maria Schneider was born on 25 Nov 1888 in Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. She was the daughter of my great-great-grandparents Carl Joseph Schneider and Christina Nagel. The family immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1892. Anna married Anthony L. "Andy" Wegman on 1 May 1912, at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Louis, Missouri. Anthony was born on 22 April 1887. He was the son of Herman J. Wegman and Margaret Pauly. Anthony died on 19 July 1962. Anna died in September 1983. They are buried in Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis, section 035, lot 0160.

Tuesday's Tip: Meyers Orts Gazetteer

Ancestry.com has made Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire (Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs) available free. The gazetteer was compiled in 1912, and it includes all areas that were part of the German Empire before World War I. If you have German ancestors, this is a great resource to use; it will give you information about locations in Germany, such as a town's population, government district, churches, post office, and schools.

The beginning of Volume I contains a list of abbreviations, which will help in understanding the entries. The excerpt below explains the abbreviations for Post, Telegraph, Fernsprecher (telephone).

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol.I, page X.

Below are the entries for some of my ancestral towns:

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. I, page 208.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. I, page 383.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. I, page 453.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. I, page 598.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. I, page 777.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. I, page 951.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. II, page 330.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Erich Uetrecht. Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. 5th Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. Vol. II, page 577.

As you can see, I found quite a bit of information about my ancestral towns! Some entries are much longer than others.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Familien-Stammbüchelchen, Carl Joseph Schneider & Christina Nagel

My aunt Joan has the Familien-Stammbüchelchen (Family Pedigree) which records the births of the children of my 2nd-great-grandparents Carl Joseph Schneider and Christina Nagel. All their children were born in in Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Only their first three children are listed: my great-grandfather Johann (John), born 6 December 1878; Johann Wilhelm, born 5 July 1882, died 17 August 1882; and Johann Wilhelm, born 8 December 1883.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Remagen Notgeld

 

Notgeld (emergency money) is money that is issued during a time of economic crisis by an institution that is not officially sanctioned by the central government. It may be issued by municipalities or banks. During World War I and the period between World Wars I and II, it was produced in Germany and Austria. As a result of inflation after World War I began, the value of the material coins were made from was higher than the value of their denominations, and metal was needed to produce materials for the war. Coins were hoarded by many institutions. Because there was a shortage of coins, notes in small denominations were issued. The first German Notgeld was produced on 31 July 1914 and was issued by Bürgerliches Brauhaus GmbH, Bremen. 5,500 varieties of Notgeld, from 452 different places, were produced that year. The number of varieties subsequently increased. The largest number of varieties was produced in 1923: 70,000 varieties of inflationary notes from 5,849 places. Additional statistics are available on the Issues: German page of Notgeld.com and the Chicago Coin Club's Notgeld Web page.

My aunt Joan has the 25 pfennig note from Remagen, Germany pictured above; I have a scanned copy of it. According to the Remagen Stadt Set 1 page on the German Notgeld Web site, it was produced in 1921. My Schneider ancestors left Remagen in 1892. I know that my great-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider returned to Remagen for a visit in 1900, but I do not know if anyone from the family ever visited at a later date. I am not sure if this note was obtained on a later visit, if it was sent by a relative or friend, or if it was purchased at a later date. Many people collect Notgeld.

References
German Notgeld
German Notgeld: Remagen Stadt Set 1
Notgeld
Notgeld (Chicago Coin Club)
Notgeld.com
Notgeld.com: Issues (German)

52 Ancestors: #42 John Schneider

My great-grandfather John Schneider was born Johann Schneider on 6 December 1878 in Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. He was the first child of Carl Joseph Schneider and Christina Nagel.

In 1892, according to a family photo, he received the sacrament of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. The family attended St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Remagen. That same year, he left Remagen with his parents and siblings, and the family settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where his uncle was living. In St. Louis, the family attended a different Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. By 1895, John was working as a tailor like his father. The entire family became citizens of the United States on 18 February 1898 when John's father naturalized.

On 23 July 1902, John married Paulina Gersbacher at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Louis. On 20 April 1903, their daughter Christina Maria was born, and on 2 June 1905, their son Carl Joseph was born. Christina died of meningitis on 27 April 1909. Their daughter Margaret Ann (my maternal grandmother) was born on 16 March 1911, and their daughter Paula Christina was born on 27 January 1913. He bought a home at 2024 Russell Boulevard, St. Louis.

By 1918, John was working as a manager for Modern Woodmen of America. In 1921, he graduated from City College of Law and Finance in St. Louis with a degree in law. After his graduation, he began working as a lawyer.

John hated Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal. He refused to take a Roosevelt dime; when receiving change, he insisted on nickels or pennies instead of a dime.

John was a member of the Men's Sodality of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Knights of Columbus Lafayette Council No. 1940, Modern Woodmen of America, and the Bar Association. He was director of Jefferson-Gravois Bank.

John died on 11 June 1955 and was buried on 15 June 1955 in Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Communion, 1892, Remagen, Germany

Gould's St. Louis Directory for 1895. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Although many John Schneiders were listed, I could identify mine by his address (1804 Geyer Av.) and occupation (tailor).

 

 John Schneider draft registration card, 12 September 1918. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm. 

Graduation program, City College of Law and Finance, St. Louis, Missouri, 1921

Paulina and John Schneider

John Schneider death certificate, no. 20389. 11 June 1955. Division of Health of Missouri.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 14 June 1955

Sibling Saturday: Carl Joseph and John William Schneider

For a long time, I did not know that my Schneider ancestors had family in St. Louis when they arrived. My great-great-grandparents Carl Joseph and Christina (Nagel) Schneider and their children (including my great-grandfather John Schneider) left Remagen, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany in 1892 and settled in St. Louis. Christina's brother Mathias Nagel had been living in Jefferson City, Missouri, but had moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1891.

While searching the Missouri History Museum's Genealogy and Local History Index, I found an entry for Carl J. Schneider from the weekly periodical Squib. He was mentioned in a biographical sketch. I requested a photocopy from the Missouri History Museum. Although Schneider is a common surname, I thought there was a chance that the entry referred to my great-great grandfather, or to his grandson with the same name (my maternal grandmother's brother). It did not refer to either of them. It was a biographical sketch of a man named John William Schneider. One of his sons was named Carl J. Schneider. The Missouri History Museum thoughtfully included extra information about John William Schneider; they also sent his death certificate and a copy of his death notice.

I looked over the information, and a theory began to form. The biographical sketch said that John William Schneider was born in Erpil, Germany on 25 December 1856. My great-great-grandfather Carl Joseph Schneider was born in Erpel, Neuwied, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on 22 January 1855. "Erpil" looked like a misspelling of "Erpel." The two men were close in age. John William Schneider's death notice mentioned that he was an uncle, and his oldest son shared a first name and middle initial with my great-great-grandfather. His death certificate stated that his father was William Schneider, born in Germany (likely Wilhelm), and his mother was unknown. Carl Joseph Schneider's father was Johann Wilhelm Schneider, and he was called Wilhelm. His mother was Sibylle Lindlohr, who had died in Erpel on 2 April 1862, when she was only 38 years old. John William Schneider had died of chronic hypertrophic cirrhosis of the liver, but gastric carcinoma was listed as a contributory cause of death. Carl Joseph Schneider had died of stomach cancer. When Carl Joseph Schneider wrote a letter to his wife and children while visiting Germany in 1900, he mentioned receiving "brother's letter." This statement implied that his brother was not living in Germany. I suspected that his brother was John William Schneider. However, I could not prove it right away. Catholic church records from Erpel are not available through the Family History Library. I had information about Carl Joseph Schneider's parents and maternal grandparents from the book Familienbuch der katholischen Pfarrei Sankt Peter und Paul Remagen, 1649 bis 1899, by Gerhard Hentschel (Köln: Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde, 2007). However, the book only listed one child for them: a daughter, Maria Anna, who died in 1863 when she was not quite a year old and was buried in Remagen. Carl Joseph Schneider was not even listed as their son, but I knew that he was their son; his marriage certificate names his parents. He was born in Erpel (just across the Rhine River), so he was not recorded in the Remagen book.

In 2010, the book Familienbuch der katholischen Pfarrei Sankt Severin Erpel 1615-1875 (Köln: Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde), by Gerhard Hentschel's wife Renate, was published. I obtained a copy, and finally found the proof that I had been searching for. In the list of children of my my 3rd-great-grandparents Johann Wilhelm Schneider and Anna Sibylle Lindlohr, underneath the entry for my great-great-grandfather, was one for Johann Wilhelm Schneider, born 24 December 1856 in Erpel. The two men were brothers.

Carl Joseph Schneider's father-in-law Johann Nagel, his children's only living grandparent, died in Remagen on 15 February 1891. The following year, Carl and his wife and children moved to St. Louis, Missouri to join his brother, his only living full sibling.

I believe that John William Schneider wanted to be found. If I had not received the information from the Missouri History Library, I probably would not have found him. Even though I still would have learned about him from the Erpel Familienbuch, I would not have known that he went to St. Louis. Although researching others with the same surname can lead to finding relatives, this approach does not work so well with common surnames like Schneider, especially in an area like St. Louis, with a large German population. And after learning that his son Ferdinand had died in World War I, I believe that John wanted me to find him too.

Biographical sketch of John William Schneider. Squib, circa 1911. From the collection of the Missouri Historical Society.

 

John William Schneider. Squib, circa 1911. From the collection of the Missouri Historical Society.

Carl Joseph Schneider. Photo taken at Pietz, 1630 Franklin Ave., St. Louis, Missouri.

Family of Johann Wilhelm Schneider and Anna Sibylle Lindlohr. Hentschel, Renate. Familienbuch der katholischen Pfarrei Sankt Severin Erpel 1615-1875. Köln: Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde, 2010.

Certificate of death, Carl Joseph Schneider, 5 November 1901. Ancestry.com. Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008. Original data: Missouri Death Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.

John W. Schneider death certificate, 27 August 1934. Missouri State Board of Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics.