Brother & Sister: Ludwig "Louis" Spohr & Amalia "Molly" Spohr Shaefer

Recently I got an email from Lauren Partida, a descendant of my great, great grandfather's sister, and we have been sharing information and photographs about our Spohr and Shaefer families.   I went through my genealogy file and wrote out all the info I currently have about these families to send to her, and I thought I'd share it here too:

My mom's father was Carl John Spohr Jr., and his father was Carl John Spohr, and his father was Ludwig Spohr (who went by Louis after he came to the United States).  Ludwig and his family spoke German and were born in Böhmen (Bohemia), which was then part of the Austrian Empire.  Now these towns are currently located in the Czech Republic, and many of the town names have been changed from their original German names to Czech names.

Ludwig Spohr was the 7th and youngest child of Karl Spor and Ludmilla Breinl.  This is what we've learned about their family so far:

Karl Spor was born 16 Jan 1825 in a Bohemian town called Salesel, the son of Jannes Franziskus Spor & Johanna Katharina Pannowitz.  On 10 January 1860 in a town called Graslitz, Karl Spor married Ludmilla Breinl.  Ludmilla was born 14 Dec 1839 in Graslitz, the daughter of Friedrich Breinl and Amalia Dotzauer.  Karl & Ludmilla had 7 children, all born in the town of Eger:

1. Karl Christof Spohr, born 26 Apr 1860.

2. Anna Elisabetha Spohr, born 9 Jun 1861.

3. Johanna Spohr, born 18 Jun 1863.

4. Rosa Francisca Spohr, born 3 Dec 1865.

5. Mathilda Amalia Spohr, born 14 Mar 1867.  (Her birth record lists her name as Mathilda Amalia, but all other records we have found for her refer to her only as Amalia, or some form of that name, including Molly after she went to the US).

6. Lumila Spohr, born 24 Feb 1870.

7. Ludwig Spohr, born 6 Aug 1871.

Even with the higher  mortality rate of the past, it seems that this family had it especially hard:  In 1863 little Johanna died before her third birthday, then two years later baby Rosa Francisca died before she was 2 weeks old, then 5 years later in 1870 baby Ludmila died at just 3 hours after her birth.  In 1873, when their youngest child, Ludwig, was 1 1/2 years old, Ludmilla Breinl Spor died, leaving their surviving children without a mother.  Then in 1878 when Ludwig was 6 years old, Karl Spor also passed away, leaving the children orphans.  Two years later, the eldest daughter, Anna Elisabetha, died at age 18.  (And although we have done significant research to learn about the fate of the eldest son, Karl Christof, we have not yet been able to find any mention of him other than his birth record -- so we do not yet know if he survived to adulthood or not).  So by the time that the two remaining children, Amalia and Ludwig, were ages 13 and 8 respectively, they did not have any surviving parents or siblings (except possibly the brother, Karl Christof).

In Aug 1883, at age 16, Amalia arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, having departed from a port in Bremen, Germany, on a ship named "Nurnberg."  

Mathilda Amalia "Molly" Spohr Schaefer, my 2nd great aunt 

(I was so excited when Lauren sent me a copy of this photo of Amalia since I had never seen a picture of her before).

And 3 years later on 13 Sep 1886 her younger brother Ludwig arrived in Baltimore, also traveling through Bremen, on a ship named "Rhein."  The ship's passenger list listed 15 year old Ludwig as a citizen of Bohemia, carrying 1 piece of baggage, and "intending protracted sojourn." 

Ludwig, "Louis" Spohr, my 2nd great grandfather

In 1890 Amalia Spohr was naturalized a US citizen, in 1896 or 1897 (around age 29) she was married to William Albert Schaefer, and by 1900 she and her family were living in Venice, Madison County, Illinois.  Amalia, who also went by”Amalie,” "Amelia," or "Molly" in the United States, was the second wife of William Albert Schaefer, who was born 2 Feb 1862 in Germany, the son of Ferdinand Schäfer.  William's first wife was Mary Strobel, born about 1861 in Germany, and they were married about 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri.  Mary and William had 3 children before William re-married to Amalia Spohr in 1896 or 1897: William Albert Jr., Wilhelmina "Minnie" C., & George A. Schaefer.  William and Amalia went on to have 5 more children together: Annie "Nonnie," Agnes, Louis Christopher, a child that did not survive, and Lydia "Liddie" Shaefer.  And we can see from some US Census records that William's three children from his first marriage were raised with their younger half siblings by William & Amalia.  In a few different Illinois towns, William Albert Schaefer worked at a General Hauling Company, as a Sand Pit Operator, a Foreman at a Steel Works company, a Teamster, a Merchant for a Coal Company, and a Blacksmith.  Amalia Schaefer died at age 65 on 15 March 1932 in Granite City, Madison, Illinois.  On 28 Oct 1945 in Granite City her husband passed away at age 83.  They were both buried in Edwardsville, Madison, Illinois. 

On 31 Aug 1898 at age 27, Ludwig Spohr married Anna Marie Ott in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Anna Marie Ott was also from Bohemia, the eldest daughter of Josef Ott & Maria Anna Strunz, and she was born on 10 Aug 1874 in a town called Putschirn.  Anna Ott and her siblings were all born in Putschirn, except her youngest brother, Louis Christopher Ott, who was born in Ohio after the family immigrated to the United States together (they arrived in the US between 1881 and 1884).  After Ludwig & Anna’s marriage in 1898, they moved to Madison County, Illinois where Ludwig (“Louis”) worked several different jobs for the next few years, including Carpenter, Banker, & Confectionery.  Between 1899 and 1903, Anna had 4 sons, 2 of which did not survive past childhood.

In 1912 the Spohr family was living in Madison, Madison, Illinois -- their home was upstairs on the second story, above the downstairs confectionery shop.  On 23 Dec 1912 at age 41, Ludwig didn't come upstairs for lunch as was his usual habit and Anna went downstairs to find that he had fallen, and hit his head and died in the store.  The boys, Louis & Carl, were ages 13 and 9 at the time their father died.  Anna Marie Ott Spohr lived until 21 Jan 1961 when she passed away at age 86 in Edwardsville, IL.  Ludwig & Anna were both buried in St. John Cemetery in Granite City, Madison, Illinois.  Ludwig & Anna's youngest son, Carl John Spohr, was my great grandpa.

Ludwig "Louis" Spohr and Anna Marie Ott Spohr, my 2nd great grandparents

Ludwig's family:

Children of Ludwig "Louis" Spohr & Anna Marie Ott:

1. Louis Christopher Spohr, born 23 Oct 1899 in Madison, Madison, Illinois.  (On 2 May 1925 in Carlinville, Macoupin, IL Louis married Florence Frances Graham, daughter of John George Graham & Susie, born 1903 in St. Louis & died 1988 in Maryville, Madison, IL.  Louis & Florence has 3 children: 1. Louis John Spohr born 21 Jun 1928 in Granite City, 2. Dolores Anne Spohr born 7 May 1931 in Madison & died May 2001, & 3. Frank K. Spohr, born 14 Sep 1932 in Granite City).  Louis Christopher Spohr died 19 Sep 1949 in Stookey, St. Clair, Illinois.

2. Twin boy (1), born and died sometime between 1900 and 1910 in either Madison County, IL or St. Louis, MO.

3. Twin boy (2), born and died sometime between 1900 and 1910 in either Madison County, IL or St. Louis, MO.

4. Carl John Spohr, born 21 Sep 1903 in St. Louis, MO.  (On 14 Aug 1929 in Granite City Carl married Nettie Dorothy Graham, daughter of John George Graham & Susie Florence Dobbins, born 1907 in Granite City, and died 1980 in Kansas City, MO.  Carl & Nettie has one child: Carl John Spohr Jr., born 28 Jun 1930 in Madison, IL and died 31 May 2003 in Lee's Summit, MO).  Carl John Spohr (Sr.) died 20 Jun 1979 in Granite City, IL.

Amalia's family:

Children of William Albert Schaefer & Mary Strobel:

1. William Albert Schaefer Jr., born 27 Jul 1889 in St. Louis, Missouri.  (William Jr. later married Gladys Jane Golden, and they had 3 daughters, the youngest named Virginia E. Schaefer born 24 Mar 1918 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and died 31 May 2007 in Coraopolis, PA.  I have no information about their first two daughters).  William Jr. died Oct 1967 in Georgetown, PA.

2. Wilhelmina "Minnie" C. Schaefer, born 7 Sept 1890 in Missouri.  (On 18 Nov 1908 in St. Louis, Minnie married Fredrich William Hilker, son of Gustav Hilcker and Elizabeth Hahn, born in 1886 in St. Louis, MO, died 1968 in Sacramento, CA.  Minnie and Fredrich had two children: 1. Fred A. Hilker, born about Mar 1910 in Illinois, & 2. Marie Elizabeth Hilker, born 2 Dec 1911 in Illinois, died 17 Jan 2004 in Arcadia, CA).  Minnie died 13 Nov 1987 in Orroyo Grande, CA. 

3. George A. Schaefer, born 24 Apr 1893 in Madison, Illinois.  (On 30 Aug 1917 in St. Louis Geroge married Bertha Elizabeth Keiderling, daughter of Henry Keiderling & Elizabeth S. Spree-Lorenz, born 1898 in Nameoki, Illinois, died 1975 in Sacramento, CA.  George and Bertha had 3 children: 1. Dorothy Elizabeth Schaefer 19 May 1991 in IL, died 22 Sep 1987 in Sacramento, 2. Albert Schaefer, born 1922 in IL, & 3. George Schaefer born 1924 in IL).  George A. Schaefer died Mar 1987 in Rancho Cardova, CA.

Amalia Spohr Schaefer and William Albert Schaefer, my 2nd great aunt & uncle

Children of William Albert Schaefer & Amalia "Molly" Spohr:

1. Annie "Nonnie" Shaefer, born Aug 1897 in Illinois.  (Married in 1924 to Kenneth C. Ross.  Kenneth was the son of William S. Ross and Emma D. McNeill, born about 1894 or 1898 in Minnesotta, and died in the 1970s in Florida.  Nonnie & Kenneth had no children).  Nonnie died between 1974 and 1979 in Florida.

2. Agnes Schaefer, born 21 May 1900 in Illinois.  (Married Raymond Beck in 1922.  Raymond Beck was born in 1900 in Illinois.  Agnes and Ray were divorced and had no children).  Agnes died in the 1950s.

3. Louis Christopher Schaefer, born 21 May 1900 in Illinois.  (Married Sara May Frazier, born 4 Aug 1902 in IL or MO, died 25 Mar 1976 in Bakersfield, CA.  Louis and Sara had 2 children: 1. Mary Lois Schaefer, born 18 Jan 1925, died 16 Jun 2008 in Bakersfield, CA, & 2. Louis William Schaefer, born 20 May 1928 in Madison, IL).  Louis Christopher Shaefer died 25 Aug 1990 in Oceano, CA.

4. Child born and died between 1896 and 1910.  (According to the 1910 census, Amalia Schaefer was the mother of 5 children, and 4 of her children were living as of 1910.  Assuming that the child that died was born during her marriage to William, we can suppose that this child was born sometime between 1896 and 1910). 

5. Lydia Schaefer, born 1905 in Illinois.  (In 1925 or 1926 Lydia married Oliver Scott , born 1904 in Michigan, died in Florida in the 1970s.  Lydia and Oliver had two children: 1. Robert Oliver Scott, born Oct 1928 or 1929 in Illinois, and 2. Suzanne Scott born 1936).  Lydia passed away in Florida in the 1970s.

I am excited to go through photos I have, and as Lauren continues to send copies of photos she has I hope to be able to identify some of the people in our previously unidentified family photographs.  I'll post the photos she sends me, and more of our findings soon.

Schaefer Family Census Findings

I have lots more Spohr family photos and papers, but I think first I will focus on posting the census records I have – which gave me much of my information about my Schaefer relatives. First I’ll post the census records I’ve found on the Schaefers, then I’ll post the ones for the Spohrs and Otts.

Summary of Census Findings for William and Amalie Schaefer and family:


Census Records:

1900 census -- Louis and Anna Spohr, and William and Amalie Schaefer families, (2 pages)

1900 United States Federal Census, Venice, Madison, Illinois, , roll T623 326, page 11B, Enumeration District 68, (sheets 238B-239A), dated 11 June 1900, dwelling no. 165-166, family no. 186-186, lines 96-100, 1-7:
"Dwelling 165:
Line 96, Louis Spohr, head of household, white, male, born Aug 1871, age 28, married 2 years, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, year of immigration to the United States: 1882, number of years in the United States: 17, naturalization: Na, occupation: banker, 0 months unemployed, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Line 97, Anna Spohr, wife, white, female, born Aug 1873, age 26, married 2 years, mother of 1 child, 1 child living, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, year of immigration to the United States: 1881, number of years in the United States: 18, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Line 98, Louis Spohr, son, white, male, born Oct 1899, age 8/12, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany.
Line 99, Frank Ott, brother, white, male, born June 1877, age 22, single, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, year of immigration to the United States: 1882, number of years in the United States: 18, naturalization: Na, occupation: Drill Presser, 0 months unemployed, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Dwelling 166:
Line 100, Wm Schaffer, head of household, white, male, born Feby 1862, age 38, married 4 years, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, year of immigration to the United States: 1883, number of years in the United States: 16, naturalization: Na, occupation: Foreman Steel Wrks, 0 months unemployed, able to read, able to write, able to speak English, owns house free (not mortgaged).
Line 1, Amelia Schaffer, wife, white, female, born Mch 1867, age 33, married 4 years, mother of 6 children, 6 children living, born in Austria, father born in Austria, mother born in Austria, year of immigration to the United States: 1882, number of years in the United States: 17, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Line 2, Wm Schaffer, son, white, female, born July 1889, age 10, single, born in Missouri, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, occupation: at school, attended school 9 months, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Line 3, Minnie Schaffer, daughter, white, female, born Sepr 1890, age 9, single, born in Missouri, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, occupation: at school, attended school 9 months, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Line 4, George Schaffer, son, white, male, born Apr 1893, age 7, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, occupation: at school, attended school 9 months, able to read, able to write, able to speak English.
Line 5, Annie Schaffer, daughter, white, female, born Aug 1897, age 2, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Austria.
Line 6, Agnes Schaffer, daughter, white, female, born May 1900, age 0/12, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Austria.
Line 7, Louis Schaffer, son, white, male, born May 1900, age 0/12, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Austria."

1910 census -- William and Amalie Schaefer family

1910 United States Federal Census, Venice, Madison, Illinois, , roll T624_310, page 9A, Enumeration District 63, Image: 1238, dated 22 April 1910, road: Second Street, dwelling no. 173, family no. 192, lines 20-26:
"Line 20, William A Schaffer, head of household, male, white, age 48, second marriage, 13 years of present marriage, born in Germany, able to speak German, father born in Germany, father able to speak German, mother born in Germany, mother able to speak German, immigrated to U.S. in 1883, Naturalized, able to speak English, occupation: Teamster, able to read, able to write.
Line 21, Mollie Schaffer, wife, female, white, age 43, first marriage, 13 years of present marriage, mother of 5 children, 4 children living, born in Austria, able to speak German, father born in Austria, father able to speak German, mother born in Austria, mother able to speak German, immigrated to U.S. in 1883, able to speak English, occupation: none, able to read, able to write.
Line 22, George Schaffer, son, male, white, age 17, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father able to speak German, mother born in Missouri, able to speak English, occupation: Teamster, able to read, able to write.
Line 23, Annie Schaffer, daughter, female, white, age 12, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father able to speak German, other born in Austria, mother able to speak German, able to speak English, occupation: none, able to read, able to write, attended school within the year.
Line 24, Agnes Schaffer, daughter, female, white, age 10, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father able to speak German, other born in Austria, mother able to speak German, able to speak English, occupation: none, able to read, able to write, attended school within the year.
Line 25, Lewis Schaffer, son, male, white, age 10, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father able to speak German, other born in Austria, mother able to speak German, able to speak English, occupation: none, able to read, able to write, attended school within the year.
Line 26, Liddie Schaffer, daughter, female, white, age 6, single, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father able to speak German, other born in Austria, mother able to speak German, able to speak English."

1920 census -- William and Amalie Schaefer family, George and Bertha Schaefer family, and Kenneth Ross

1920 United States Federal Census, Venice, Madison, Illinois, , roll T625_390, page 15B, Enumeration District 72, Image: 678, dated 15 January 1920, road: Second Street, house numbers 1508, 1514, and 1516, dwelling numbers 271-273, family numbers 357-359, lines 81-96:
"House number 1508:
Line 81, William Taylor, head of household, male, white, age 40, married . . .
Line 82, Sahah Taylor, wife, female, white, age 37, married . . .
Line 83, Edna Taylor, niece, female, white, age 15, single . . .
Line 84, Frank Brown, roomer, male, white, age 42, married . . .
Line 85, Kenneth Ross, roomer, male, white, age 26, single, able to read, able to write, born in Minnesota, father born in Canada, father’s mother tongue: English, mother born in Canada, mother’s mother tongue: English, able to speak English, occupation: Clerk, industry: Car Shops, type of worker: w.
Line 86, N. A. Young, roomer, male, white, age 25, single . . .
House number 1514:
Line 87, George Schaefer, head of household, renting home, male, white, age 26, married, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Germany, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: Chauffeur, industry: Steel Mill, type of worker: w.
Line 88, Bertha Schaefer, wife, female, white, age 21, married, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 89, Dorothy Schaefer, daughter, female, white, age 8/12, single, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, occupation: none.
Line 90, Elizabeth Keiderling, Mother-in-Law, female, white, age 50, widow, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Germany, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: Cook, industry: Rooming Hovel, type of worker: w.
House number 1516:
Line 91, W. A. Schaefer, head of household, owns home free (not mortgaged), male, white, age 58, married, immigrated to U.S. in 1883, Naturalized, year of naturalization: 1890, able to read, able to write, born in Germany, mother tongue: German, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Germany, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: Merchant, industry: Coal Co., type of worker: Em.
Line 92, Molly Schaefer, wife, female, white, age 53, married, immigrated to U.S. in 1885, Naturalized, year of naturalization: 1890, able to read, able to write, born in Austria, mother tongue: German, father born in Austria, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Austria, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 93, Anna Schaefer, daughter, female, white, age 22, single, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Austria, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: Stenographer, industry: Asphalt, type of worker: w.
Line 94, Agnus Schaefer, daughter, female, white, age 20, single, did not attend school within the year, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Austria, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: Stenographer, industry: Envelope Factory, type of worker: w.
Line 95, Louis Schaefer, son, male, white, age 20, single, did not attend school within the year, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Austria, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: Machinist, industry: Packing House, type of worker: w.
Line 96, Liddia Schaefer, daughter, female, white, age 15, single, attended school within the year, able to read, able to write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, father’s mother tongue: German, mother born in Austria, mother’s mother tongue: German, able to speak English, occupation: none."

1930 census -- William and Amalie Schaefer family

1930 United States Federal Census, Nameoki Township, Madison, Illinois, , roll 542, page 11B, Enumeration District 76, Image: 546.0, dated 21 May 1930, road: "Mitchelwood R-1 Granite City," dwelling no. 242, family no. 255, lines 86-91:
"Line 86, William Schaefer, head of household, owns home, value of home: 10,000, family not living on a farm, male, white, age 68, married, age 26 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, language spoken at home before coming to the U.S.: German, year of immigration to the U.S.: 1884, Naturalized, able to speak English, occupation: none, not a U.S. veteran.
Line 87, Amelia Schaefer, wife, female, white, age 63, married, age 21 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, language spoken at home before coming to the U.S.: German, year of immigration to the U.S.: 1884, Naturalized, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 88, Ray Becks, son in law, male, white, age 30, married, age 22 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: Salesman, industry: Oil Refinery, type of worker: w, actually at work, not a U.S. veteran.
Line 89, Agnes Becks, daughter, female, white, age 30, married, age 22 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 90, Kenneth Ross, son in law, male, white, age 32, married, age 27 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Minnesota, father born in Canada, mother born in Wisconsin, able to speak English, occupation: Foreman, industry: Car and Foundry, type of worker: w, actually at work, not a U.S. veteran.
Line 91, Anna Ross, daughter, female, white, age 32, married, age 27 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, able to speak English, occupation: none."

1930 census -- George and Bertha Schaefer family

1930 United States Federal Census, Venice, Madison, Illinois, , roll T624_310, page 9A, Enumeration District 63, Image: 1238, dated 7 April 1930, road: Madison Avenue, house no. 800, dwelling no. 189, family no. 177, lines 90-94:
"Line 90, George Schaefer, head of household, owns home, value of home: 8000, has radio set, family not living on a farm, male, white, age 36, married, age 23 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, able to speak English, occupation: Garage Man, industry: Garage, type of worker: O, actually at work, not a U.S. veteran.
Line 91, Bertha Schaefer, wife, female, white, age 31, married, age 18 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 92, Dorothy Schaefer, daughter, female, white, age 10, single, attended school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 93, Albert Schaefer, son, male, white, age 8, single, attended school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, occupation: none.
Line 94, George Schaefer, son, male, white, age 6, single, attended school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Illinois, mother born in Illinois, occupation: none."

1930 census -- Oliver and Lydia Scott family

1930 United States Federal Census, Madison, Madison, Illinois, , roll 542, page 10B, Enumeration District 74, Image: 702.0, dated 9 April 1930, road: Third, house no. 1655a, dwelling no. 218, family no. 236, lines 86-88:
"Line 86, Oliver Scott, head of household, renting home, monthly rent: $17, radio set, family not living on a farm, male, white, age 26, married, age 21 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Michigan, father born in Ohio, mother born in Michigan, able to speak English, occupation: Salesman, industry: Retail Shoe, type of worker: w, actually at work, not a U.S. veteran.
Line 87, Lydia Scott, wife, female, white, age 25, married, age 21 at first marriage, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany, able to speak English, occupation: none.
Line 88, Robert Oliver Scott, son, male, white, age 1 6/12, single, did not attend school within the year, able to read and write, born in Illinois, father born in Michigan, mother born in Illinois, occupation: none."

My Spohr and Schaefer Ancestors

I wrote this post a few days ago, and have since been trying to find the time to gather together the copies of documents and pictures that I have:

I was so excited last week to ‘meet’ the wife of my 4th cousin through the website, http://www.ancestry.com/. We’ve e-mailed and shared some information since then, and it turns out that she and her husband are members of our church. I didn’t know of any other relatives on my mom’s side of the family (other than some of her immediate family members) who were members of our church, so that’s kind of cool. Anyways, since then I have tried to connect with some other distant relatives on that side of the family, and I have been fortunate to hear back from two others also. This is great, since I haven’t met very many relatives on my mom’s side of the family at all, and the more relatives I get to know, the more we can share information to learn more about our ancestors.

I’ve been very busy this week with preparing a lesson and a schedule for the entire school year for the ‘Activity Days’ girl’s class that I am now the teacher for at church, that I haven’t really been able to find an extra minute to do any genealogy the last few days. But I’ve been meaning to try and find the time to send all of the copies of old family letters, photos, documents, and my research findings about the families that these distant relatives and I both descend from to each of them. But the idea just popped into my head that I could post this family information on our blog instead. That way I don’t have to worry about the possibility of problems with the e-mails getting sent and having to re-send them (which always seems to be an issue when I’m trying to send a large number of files as attachments to several different e-mails). Plus, if I post the info to our blog, it will stay on the internet, so there will always be the possibility that other descendant(s) of these same ancestors could find this information and we could share even more about our family history.

I guess the easiest thing for me to do would be to copy the e-mail that I sent to my cousin’s wife that I met last week (so I don’t have to spend time re-typing the same information again). That will explain how I’m related to our common ancestors, my 3rd great grandparents, Carl Spohr and Ludmilla Breinl. It will also show what information I currently have about our Schaefer relatives – two of Carl Spohr’s and Ludmilla Breinl’s children were Ludwig Spohr and Amalie Spohr. Ludwig Spohr was my great, great grandfather. And his sister, Amalie Spohr, married William Schaefer. This cousin that I have made contact with is a descendant of Amalie Spohr Schaefer.

So, this is the information I have on the Schaefer family (and some of the info I have on the Spohr family):

---------------------------------------------------

Elise,

First of all I’ll tell you a little about myself and explain exactly how I’m related to William and Amalie. My name is Stephanie Lynn Chidester Bradshaw. My husband, Michael Bradshaw, and I were married in 2002 and we have 5 very active little boys who keep us very busy: Kolby, Elijah, Camden, Isaac, and Courtland. I grew up in San Diego (where my parents and my youngest brother still live), and since meeting my husband in college, we have moved around quite a bit while he was in medical school in Milwaukee, a 1-year internship in Utah, and now a residency outside of Rochester, New York. My parents are Steven John Chidester and Amy Lynn Spohr, and my younger siblings are Jennifer, Michelle, Matthew, and Aaron.

My mom, Amy Lynn Spohr, is the daughter of Carl John Spohr Jr. and Beverly Frances Monk. My grandpa, Carl John Spohr Jr., was the only child of Carl John Spohr and Nettie Dorothy Graham. My great grandfather, Carl John Spohr, was the son of Ludwig Spohr (Louis) and Anna Marie Ott. And Ludwig (Amalie Spohr’s brother) was the son of Carl Spohr and Ludmilla Breinl.

I’d love to hear a little about you and your family too, and how your husband is related to the Schaefer/Spohr family.

And this is what I know about Amalie and Ludwig Spohr and their family: Amalie’s and Ludwig’s parents were Carl Spohr and Ludmilla Breinl. Carl was born about 1851 in Salesel, Aussig an der Elbe, Böhmen, Austrian Empire (now Ústí nad Labam, Čechy, Czech Republic).

[Maybe you already know this, but if not, here’s what I’ve found out about where they came from: Although the family spoke German and wrote in the old German gothic alphabet (I’ve seen some old family letters and documents from before they came to America) and they were ‘German,’ when they lived in Europe they lived in the Austrian Empire – so some of the records show that they were German and some show that they were Austrian. But the towns where the family was from are now in the Czech Republic, so lots of the place names have since been changed from the German to Czech names. My parents went on a trip to the Czech Republic and were able to visit some of the places where the family was from and find some birth records there for Ludwig, Amalie, and their siblings in one of the Czech archives.]

Anyways, back to the family: Carl’s wife, Ludmilla Breinl, was born about 1851 in Graslitz, Böhmen, Austrian Empire (now Kraslice, Čechy, Czech Republic). Ludmilla’s parents were Friedrich Breinl and Amalia Dotzauer (probably who Amalie was named after). Friedrich Breinl was born in Graslitz (and I’ve got several different possible birth years listed for him). He was a ‘master beer brewer’ in Graslitz. Amalia Dotzauer was born about 1831 also in Graslitz. I don’t know anything about either Friedrich’s or Amalia’s parents. I have two other children, besides Ludmilla, listed for Friedrich and Amalia: Anna Breinl christened 4 Aug 1846 in Graslitz; and Adolph Thomas Breinl christened 25 Jan 1849 in Graslitz and died 11 Oct 1904 in Bleistadt, Falkenau, Bohemia, Austria.

Carl Spohr’s parents were Franz Spohr and Johanna Panowitz. Franz Spohr was born about 1806, also in Salesel. According Ludwig Spohr’s birth certificate, Franz also lived in Graslitz and worked there as a Cantor (a choir master). Franz Spohr and Johanna Panowitz were married around 1831. Johanna was born about 1810 in Rasitz, , Austrian Empire. I don’t have any info about either Franz’ or Johanna’s parents.

As far as I know, Ludmilla Breinl and Carl Spohr never came to America with their children. And I don’t know if Amelia and Ludwig came to America at the same time or if they came separately. From different records (mostly censuses) I have found the following years for when Amalia came to America: 1882/1883/1884/1885, and all the records that I’ve found for when Ludwig came to the U.S. say that he came in either 1882 or 1886.

Ludwig Spohr married Anna Marie Ott on 31 Aug 1898 in Cincinatti. After they were married they had stillborn twin sons before having their first son who lived, Louis Christopher Spohr, born 23 Oct 1899 in either Madison, Illinois or St. Louis, Missouri. And their only other child was my great grandfather, Carl John Spohr, who was born on 21 Sep 1903 in St. Louis. The family lived in Venice, Illinois and later in Madison, Illinois. Ludwig owned and operated 2 different confectionery stores in both of these towns, and they lived in an apartment above the store in Madison. On 21 Dec 1912 Ludwig was reaching for something up on a high shelf in the store and he fell and hit his head and died, and he was then buried in Granite City, Illinois. His wife, Anna Marie Ott, raised the two boys and later died in Jan 1961 in Edwardsville, Illinois and was buried with her husband in Granite City.

I don’t have a lot of information about Amalie Spohr and her husband William, so I’m sure you can fill in a lot here. I have found lots of name variations on different records for Amalie, including: Amalie Schäfer; Amalia Schaeffer; Amelia Schaffer; Amelia Schaefer; Molly Schaefer; Mollie Schaffer. And if I remember correctly, when my parents found those birth records in the Czech Republic for Ludwig, Amalie, and their siblings, it gave a different name for her and Amalie was actually her middle name on her birth record. I don’t have those Czech records added to my genealogy file yet, but don’t let me forget to find them and send them to you too.

Here’s what I know about her and her family: Amalie Spohr was born Mar 1867 (I don’t have a date in March) in Eger, Böhmen, Austrian Empire (now Cheb, Čechy, Czech Republic). I don’t have a death or burial date or location for her. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1890. I found her on the US Census living in Venice, Madison, Illinois in 1900, 1910, and 1920; and then in Nameoki, Madison, Illinois in 1930. The only marriage info that I have for Amalie and William is that they were married in either 1896 or 1897 in the U.S. – do you have any more info than this?

I believe that Amalie Spohr was William Schaefer’s 2nd wife (do you know anything about his first wife? All I have is that she was born in Missouri or Germany and that she married William in 1888 – no name, birth date, death date, etc.) The only reason I know that William had another spouse was from the census records. In the 1900 census, it tells that it was William’s 2nd marriage, and that he had been married to his present spouse (Amalie) for 13 years. It said that it was Amalie’s 1st marriage, and that she had had 5 children and that 4 of those children were living at that time. This census also listed the following children in the household: George, Annie, Agnes, Lewis, Liddie. It said that George’s mother was born in Missouri, and for the rest of the children it said that their mother was born in Austria.
So, with that information, I looked back at their family on the 1900 Census (they happened to be living next door to Amalie’s brother, Ludwig, and his family). This census said that William and Amalie had been married for 4 years. But this census said that Amalie was the mother of 6 living children (they must have just assumed that all of the children were hers – would be kind of hard to have had 6 kids in 4 years of marriage). The census lists the following children: Wm, Minnie, George, Annie, Agnes, and Louis. And for Wm, Minnie, and George it shows that their mother was born in Germany, but for Annie, Agnes, and Louis it says that their mother was born in Austria. So, if you have any more info about William’s first wife or her family, I’d love to learn more about them. And I’ve always found the older kids listing Amalie as their mother in the few other records that I do have about them – so I guess they all considered her their mother since she raised them all since they were young.

I don’t know anything about William Schaefer’s parents or siblings, so if you have any info about them I’d love to know. Actually, all I know about William was that he was born Feb 1862 in Germany (again, no specific birth date or place). I have several different spellings for his last name: Schäfer, Schaeffer, Schaffer, and Schaefer. He came to the U.S. in 1883 or 1884 and was also naturalized in 1890. On the 1900 census it listed his occupation as a Foreman at a Steel Works company, and on the 1910 census it lists him as a Teamster, and then in 1920 as a Merchant for a Coal Company. In 1930 it lists that he didn’t have an occupation – don’t know if that means he was retired or unemployed.

And I have very little information for their children – just some names, approximate birth dates, and the names of a few spouses (mostly from census records). If you have more info about these children, their spouses, and their children, I’d love to learn whatever you know. The children of William Schaefer and his first wife were

1. William Schaefer born Jul 1889 in Missouri (lived in Venice, Illinois in 1900). I don’t have a spouse or children for him.

2. Nonnie Schaefer born Sep 1890 in Missouri (lived in Venice in 1900, and in Tavares, Florida in 1974). Nonnie married K. C. Ross – any idea what his name was, or anything else about him? And I don’t have any children for them. My mom has a copy of a letter that Nonnie sent to my great grandfather, Carl John Spohr, about Spohr family genealogy in 1974 – that’s the last contact our family had with any Schaefer relatives before I got your e-mail yesterday. (Interestingly, in the letter Nonnie spoke of her Spohr ancestors – not mentioning anything about Amalie Spohr actually being her step mother). I think I may have copies of some old family photos with Nonnie in them – I remember my Grandpa Carl mentioning Nonnie to me when I asked about family history when I was a teenager. I’ll have to check and see, and I can send copies.

3. George Schaefer born Apr 1893 in Illinois (lived in Venice from 1900 to 1930 (at least). He worked as a Teamster, a Cheaffeur for a Steel Mill, and a Garage Man over those years.) George was married in 1916 or 1917 to Bertha Keiderling. Bertha was born in 1899 in Illinois (and lived in Venice from 1920 to 1930, at least). (Bertha’s mother, Elizabeth, who was born in 1870 in Illinois lived with them in Venice in 1920 and 1930). George and Bertha had three children that I know of: Dorothy born May 1919, Albert born in 1922, and George born 1924.

And the children of William and Amalie were:

4. Annie Schaefer born Aug 1897 in Illinois. (I’ve found her listed as Annie and as Anna). (lived in Venice from 1900 to 1920 where she worked as a Stenographer for an Asphalt Company, and she lived in Nameoki, Illinois in 1930). She was married in 1924 to Kenneth Ross [any relationship to Nonnie’s husband, K.C. Ross???] Kenneth was born in 1894 or 1897 in Minnesota and he worked as a Clerk at a Car Shop in Venice in 1920 and then as a Foreman in Nameoki in 1930. His father was born in Canada, and his mother was either born in Canada or Wisconsin, although I don’t know either of their names. I don’t have any children listed for Annie and Kenneth. (I do also remember my grandpa Carl also mentioning a “Kenny” in one of the old photos that I found in his house, and I remember him specifically telling me that this Kenny was a Schaefer relative, not his mother’s brother who was also named Ken. I don’t know if this was Kenneth Ross or not). Annie may have also been in the photos with Nonnie – I’ll have to go back and see if I can find copies of them on my computer.

5. Agnes Schaefer born May 1900 in Illinois. (lived in Venice from 1900 to 1920, and in Nameoki in 1930 – worked as a Stenographer for an Envelope Company in 1920). Agnes and her brother, Louis, were twins. In 1922 Agnes married Ray Becks who was born in 1900 in Illinois (he worked as a Salesman for an Oil Refinery in Nameoki in 1930). Ray’s parents were born in Illinois, but I don’t have any other info about them. I don’t know of any children for Agnes and Ray.

6. Louis Schaefer born May 1900 (Agnes’ twin). (I wonder if Louis was named after Amalie’s brother, Ludwig, who went by Louis for the rest of his life after coming to America?) I’ve found Louis listed as Louis, Lewis, and Louie. (Lived in Venice from 1900 to 1920 where he worked as a Machinist for a Packing House in 1920). I don’t have a spouse or children for Louis.

7. (child) Schaefer, born between 1896 and 1910, and died before 1910 – I only know about this child because the 1910 census showed that Amalie had had one child who had died before that census was taken.

8. And Lydia Schaefer, born 1905 in Illinois. (lived in Venice from 1910 to 1920, and in Madison, Illinois in 1930). She was married in 1925 or 1926 to Oliver Scott who was born in 1904 in Michigan. (He worked as a Retail Shoe Salesman in Madison, Illinois in 1930). Oliver’s father was born in Ohio and his mother was born in Michigan. Lydia and Oliver had one son that I know of, Robert Oliver Scott, born in Oct 1928 in Illinois. (Robert lived in Madison in 1930).

(If you have anything to add, or any corrections to what I have, I’d be very interested). I’m excited to learn what you know about the family too.

I’m afraid this turned out to be a very long e-mail, oh well. I’ll try to gather up some of the documents, records, and some old photos to share.

Thanks so much,
Stephanie

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I was excited to hear back from Elise (my 4th cousin’s wife) and she was able to share some more information with me about some of the descendants of William and Amalie Spohr Schaefer. The other two distant relatives that I contacted were also related to the Schaefer and Spohr families. One is the great grandson of Agnes Schaefer, and the other is the wife of my 3rd cousin, who is a descendant of Ludwig Spohr’s and Anna Marie Ott’s son, Louis Spohr.
Well, I guess the next step is start posting the photos, letters, documents, etc. that I have about the Schaefers and Spohrs. I guess what I’ll do is start with what I have on the Schaefer family and then try to post some more about the Spohrs. Since the Spohr family is my direct line, I have more about the Spohrs than the Schaefers, but I’ll post what I do have on them. This will be nice, once I get it all done, to have all of it online in one spot.