Julia Thomas

Discuss information about the Lost Dutchman Mine
LDM
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Emil Thomas

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Emil and Caroline Thoma

Post by novice »

Greg and LDM

The spelling of Thomas as Thoma was interesting. I found an Emil Thoma Christening on Jan 3, 1856 in Baden. It's a close fit for our Emil.

Below is the complete family as derived from the LDS IGI Index.
LDS IGI Index - (Batch Number 7023901)

Father: Theodor Thoma – Christening: April 22, 1821 in Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden
Mother: Maria Theresia Gschwender
Karl Thoma - Christening: 23 JAN 1844 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden
Amalia Thoma - Christening: 06 FEB 1845 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden
Franz Thoma - 28 MAR 1847 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden – Died 09 JUL 1847
Herman Thoma - Christening: 15 APR 1849 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden – Died: 05 MAY 1850
Anton Thoma - Christening: 17 JUL 1850 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden – Died: 05 JUN 1869
Emma Thoma - Christening: 06 DEC 1852 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden – Died: 26 APR 1853
Karoline Thoma - Christening: 18 JUL 1854 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden – Died: 12 OCT 1854
Emil Thoma - Christening: 03 JAN 1856 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden
Theresia Thoma - Christening: 07 JUN 1867 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden

You will note that there is a maddening break between Emil's Christening in 1856 and Theresia's Christening in 1867. Also note that an older sister Karoline had died young.

A further search of the German IGI Index revealed the following:
Karoline Thoma – Birth: 28 MAR 1857 Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden - Parents Theodor Thoma and Maria Theresia Gschwender

Note: It was not at all unusual for a family to use the same first name when an older child had died young.

This information (on Karoline) was apparently submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. This does cast some question as to where this data came from? The other children's information apparently came directly from the church records and it was their Christening date that was given. This researcher gave the birth date?

From Caroline Steinegger's death certificate, we find the birth date of March 20, 1857 in Baden. Perhaps the researcher meant the christening date was March 28, 1857?

There are some questions but it seems possible that this may be our Emil; and Karoline Thoma?

You can duplicate this information on the free LDS site http://www.familysearch.org/

Is there any additional information you may have, that would shed some additional light on the above? Perhaps Emil's death certificate will provide a birth date?

Garry
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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

Novice: I have a letter out to California requesting the death certificate for Emil Thomas. Will let you know when it arrives providing the state lets me have a copy. I also have called the state archives for Washington and they are searching for the papers submitted by Emil for the naturalization process. Don't hold your breath for the archivists told me that they have only scattered records. I was at the LDS genealogy family center in Mesa yesterday and located an Emil Thomas on the New York Passenger list. He arrived 29 May 1886, Date of birth 1862 age 24. Destination USA, Place of Origin, USA. We know emil was born around l856 so this is NOT a match. There was a Lina Thoma (Remember Lina was a nick name for Charol), listed, arrival date 9 Oct 1886, date of birth 1858, age 28 , port of departure Hamburg, Germany, place of origin Baden, ship Wieland. Problem here is that it gives her only one month to travel from New York to Arizona, in 1886 and marry Alexander on November 8th. 1886. One more, there is a Miss Thomas, arrival date 23 August 1886, birth date 1857. age 29. port of depareture Hamburg, Germany and Le Havre, France. Destination USA, but Port of Origin is the USA. Ship Rugia. Greg Davis
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Leontina Bena's Immigration

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Just an update on a previous post regarding the immigration of Emil Thomas' wife Leontina Bena. I was able to locate the parents of Lena Bena in the 1900 Lewis County, Washington Census (Enumeration District 128 Page 4A). They are listed as Andrew and Mary Benet. This is the same family as I had previously identified as arriving April 24, 1888 on the Steam Ship Fulda. The census information makes it clear that this is Andreas and Marie Bena. Their daughter Barbara and her family are living next door.

I believe this gets rid of at least one hanging subject regarding Leontina.

Garry
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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

Novice; Isn't is a good feeling when the dominos fall into place! Good job on locating the Bena's. Sure wish we had access to the 1940 Federal Census. For LDM. Point of clarification. You mentioned that Clara Wetzel was the recipient of Albert Schaffer's personal belongings. I went back and read his will. In it he gives all of his belongings to W.C. Justice and G. Riley with no mention to his family. Then again in the formal probate procedings Clara Wetzel is mentioned as a lawful heirs along with her brothers. From your statement I would have to presume that Clara went to Arizona and met with Justice and Riley and they gave her Albert's family related materials. Years later when I met with Emil Wetzel, her son, he dened that any such papers still existed and that he only had a few picture albums. What was you source that said he had all of the papers? Thank you. Gregory E. Davis
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Wetzel

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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

LDM Thank you for the information on Emil and Clara. I do recall now that Emil mentioned there were things in the attic, but he did not know what they were. I need to give this project another try in attempting to locate Emil's descendents. It will take awile but I will let everyone know what I find. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis
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Wetzel

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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

I received a copy of the Certificate of Citizenship and Derlaration of Intention for Emil William Thomas today. I was somewhat disappointed for they were nothing but forms with the blanks filled in and no background information. The Citizenship certificate stated that Emil was sworn in at W.W. Laughorne Superior Court of Washington, Lewis County, on August 6th. 1896. He renouced The Emperor of Germany. Whitness for Emil were J. M. Setternair. and E. H. Farney (not sure of the spelling). The Declaration of Intention was a copy of the one emil filed in the District Court of the Second Judicial District of the Territory of Arizona, Maricopa County on April 13th. l886. It too was just a form. It was signed by J. E. Walker, Clerk of the District Court. That's it! For LDM. Talked with Louis Markel today brother to Ada Wetzel. He is sending me the family members and addresses plus family tree. Getting closer. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis
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Post by LDM »

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Naturalization

Post by novice »

Greg,

I have not been privy to a naturalization document in this time period and I had a couple of questions regarding the mechanics.

Were there any time requirements spelled out for the Declaration of Intention and the Naturalization Certificate? Emil had to be in the U. S., for X period? Emil had to be in the State for X period?

There was apparently a "Copy" of the Declaration along with the Naturalization in Lewis County. Do you know how a copy was made and sent to Lewis County? (no Xerox machines in 1896). The Judge Walker on the Maricopa document was from the 1886 time frame? The original would still reside in Maricopa?

Were the forms used created by the State or were they Federal forms?

What did the two witnesses swear to? How long they had know Emil, his character, etc.

LDM,

I have a feeling your going to find something in San Diego. Good Luck!

Garry
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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

Novice: The Certificate of Citizenship states that Emil has resided within the limites and under the jurisdication of the United States for at least 5 years and has lived in the State of Washington for a least 1 year and has behaved like a man of good moral character during that time. There are no time requirments spelled out on the Declaration of Intention. I am going to have to examine the records at the Arizona State Library and Archives for their copy of the Declaration of Intention for Emil. Right now it appears that Arizona sent the original to Washington State. Arizona should still have a copy of it logged into the 2nd. Judicial District of AT. As to who printed the forms I cannot say. I would assume it was the Territory of Arizona. The two witnesses swore that Emil had been in the U.S. for 5 years and at least 1 year in Washington and that he was of good character. I received an email from the Washington State Library and Arichives. They have no record of Leona Thomas being naturalized, however they suggested that she automatically became a citizen when Emil did by virtue of marrage. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis
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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

Schaffer Family Update: The father of Albert Schaffer was Johann Schaffer, born in 1819 Zweisel, Bavaria, Unternienden, Germany. He died in 1890 in Texas. Albert's mothers name was Anna Rantzinger. She was born in 1827 in Zweisel, Bavaria, Germany. I do not know the date of her death yet or when Johann and Anna were married. All of their children were born in Zweisel, Bavaria, Germany and the childern are: Mary Schaffer, born 1856. John Schaffer, born January 24, 1858. Ruppert (Robert) Schaffer, born 1860, died March 5th. l948 in Santa Ana, Calif. Max Schaffer, born 1861. Albert Schaffer, Born 1863, died April 30, 1926, near Morristown, Arizona. Clara Schaffer. Born March 6, 1865. died December 23, l934 of Pneumonia in Fullerton, California. She is burried at Los Angeles, Calif, Calvary Cemetery, Wetzel Plot. Joseph Schaffer, born 1866. Englebert Schaffer, born 1867. Anna Schaffer, born 1869, died February 26, l908 in Los Angeles. The Schaffer family left Germany in 1875, sailing from Hamburg on the ship Mosel. Novice pulled up the ship record for me from his genealogy search program after I got the date and ship name. Everone is listed except for John Schaffer. John was 19 at the time. Novic may be able to add the ships record as an attachment to his next post. I also believe he is going to look up the Schaffers in the 1880 census. I cannot do attachments with MSN. The family proceeded o Carrol County, Iowa where Johann (now John), became a farmer. Later he moved the family to Odessa, Texas, in the 1883. Clara, one of his daughters, moved to California in the late 1880's where she met and married Hugo Wetzel in the St. Boniface Church, Anaheim, Calif, September 6th. 1887. They had six children. Hugo was a rancher. More: Anna Artinger Schaffer developed TB and in 1883 her father sold their property and moved to Stanton, Martin, County, Texas, just north of Odessa where they purchased 640 acres of land. John L. Schaffer, the eldest son was living in Oregon in 1886. Their third son, Max, became a cowboy in Texas. He participated in the Oklahoma Land Run. Albert went to Phoenix, around 1889-90. "He married a young mulatto woman named Julia Thomas". Several of the other sons also went to Arizona to do mining but nothing ever came of that. This should do it for awhile. The next step is to locate the naturalization papers for Johann (John) Schaffer, the father of Albert. Cordially Gregory E. Davis
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Schaffer Ship Manifest and Census

Post by novice »

Greg kind of put me on the spot so at the risk of being repetitive I will post the Ship's Manifest and Census information. These documents simply supplement the information already provided by Greg. They give us confidence the information from the descendants is on track and provide a time frame.

From the Ship's Manifest you can see the problems that LDM referred to with clerk's spelling, etc. and later the transcriber's interpretation of what was written. The Ships' List also has a confusing entry for passenger No. 34. and it is also missing the oldest son John.

Name: Schaffer Family
Arrival Date: 15 Nov 1875
Port of Departure: Bremen, Germany
Ship Name: Mosel
Port of Arrival: New York
Microfilm Roll: 400
Ship List Number: 1024

24. Johann Schaffer - 57 - Male - Farmer - Germany
25. Anna - 47 - Female - Wife - Germany
26. Maria - 23 - Female - Daughter - Germany
27. Runrettie (Ruppert) - 15 - Male - Son - Germany
28. Max - 14 - Male - Son - Germany
29. Adalbert (Albert) - 12 - Male - Son - Germany (Husband of Julia Thomas)
30. Clara - 10 - Female - Daughter - Germany
31. Joseph - 8 - Male - Son - Germany
32. Engelbert - 6 - Male - Son - Germany
33. Anna - 6? - Female - Daughter - Germany
34. Joseph Krieger?? - 4 - Male - Son - Germany

From the census information, we find the family in Carroll County, Iowa in both 1870 and 1880.

The 1880 Census – Roselle Township, Carroll County, Iowa, Page 424D.

John Schaffer – 61 – Farmer – Born in Bavaria as were his parents.
Anna (Wife) – 52 – Keeps House - Born in Bavaria as were her parents.
John (Son) – 22 - Born in Bavaria
Ruppert (Son) - 20 - Born in Bavaria
Max (Son) – 18 - Born in Bavaria
Albert (Son) – 16 - Born in Bavaria
Joseph (Son) – 14 - Born in Bavaria
Englebert (Son) – 11 – (At School) - Born in Bavaria
Clara (Daug) – 11 – (At School) - Born in Bavaria
Anna (Daug) – 12 - (At School) - Born in Bavaria

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Post by Wiz »

You guys are great!

This is like Dueling Researchers; you each keep one-upping the other. Keep it coming, and pretty soon we'll know how Albert took his coffee.
Greg, it must be good to find somebody new who can evidently do research at your level and will post it here.
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Schaffer Error

Post by novice »

I obviously made an error in my previous post when I stated that the Schaffer Family was in both the 1870 and 1880 census. That would be rather hard since they didn't reach the U. S. until 1875. I was confusing them with some information I was working on regarding the Petrasch Family.

I hope someone was going to call me on it!

Sorry,

Garry
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Post by Gregory E. Davis »

Gentlemen; I have picked up a few more historical items pertaining to the Schaffer family I would like to pass along to the members. From previous research we know that John Schaffer, the oldest son of Johnna did not sail with the family on the ship Mosel. That is because he came to the US the previous year at age 15 to escape signing for the mandatory draft in Germany. It now appears that Johnna Schaffer was married 3 times for there are half sisters and step children in the family. He was married twice in Germany before coming to the US. After the death of Johnna second wife, Anna Artinger Schaffer, who died of tuberculosis on January 25, 1884, Johnna returned to Bavaria and remarried. He died their in April 1889 and is burried in Zwiesel, NidedrBayern, Germany. There were 10 members of the Schaffer family to come over on the ship Mosel. Mary (Maria on the ships list) was a half sister to the others for she was born to Johnna from his first marrage. Mary's older sister (who did not come over to the US) entered a convent in Germany at age 16. I am still waiting on snail mail to deliver the Naturalization paper for Johnna from Carroll County,Iowa. Cordially Gregory E. Davis
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Emil Thoma and the State Prison in Tennessee

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Previously in this thread, Greg, Matthew and myself, were trying to run down some additional history regarding Julia’s husband, Emil Thomas. I had found an Emmil Thomas, 24, born in Germany in the 1880 census and he was listed as a prisoner in the Tennessee State Prison at Nashville. We knew from other research, that our Emil Thomas was christened as Emil Thoma on 03 Jan 1856 in Burkheim, Freiburg, Baden and he arrived in the United States in 1872. The match with the 1880 census was very good. The age, place of birth and the rarity of the name all added up. Greg Davis and I were on the same page and we didn’t realize it, but we had both sent letters to the State of Tennessee, mine to the archives and his to the prison system. Both were returned stating that no record could be found for Emil Thomas. Greg wasn’t ready to throw in the towel and he told me that he would like to check the records personally.

My wife and I recently stopped in Nashville and were able to visit the archives. After a tedious search we were able locate Emil Thoma in the prison system. The entry was for Emil Thoma and the spelling made the likelihood of a match with our Emil, (Julia's husband), almost a certainty.

From the initial document, we found that Emil was convicted of Grand Larceny in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Chattanooga) and received a sentence of 5 years. He entered the state prison system on April 19, 1879. There was a physical description of Emil along with three other entries that caught our attention. In the remarks column, there was a notation that Emil escaped on February 3rd 1881. Also it was noted that he was married which surprised us. There was a third entry, Tracy City, that we didn’t understand.

The Tracy City entry became clear when we were told, that in this period, the Tennessee prison system leased prisoners out to work for coal companies and Tracy City in Grundy County was the area where some of the coal mines were located. That, in itself, is an interesting story in Tennessee history.

With the above information we were able to go to the Hamilton County records and though the trial transcript has not survived, the legal proceeding can be found in the Minute Books. They provided a description of the theft, a time frame for the legal proceedings and they also named a Henry Smyth as being involved in the crime with Emil.

With the date for the burglary, we were also able to find a newspaper article regarding the theft. In the same paper there was also an article about Henry Smyth. At the time of the articles, the newspaper apparently had not tied Henry and Emil together in the burglary but the Grand Jury information did that.

According to the newspaper, Emil Thoma was arrested in Nashville and brought back to Chattanooga on March 11, 1879. Emil had originally came to Chattanooga about five or six months previously from Meridian, Mississippi. About February 13, Emil had left Chattanooga and gone to Atlanta. He had returned to Chattanooga shortly before the 1st of March when the burglary occurred.

Emil, 23, was sentenced to 5 years while Henry Smyth a 19 year of colored man received 8 years for his part in the burglary. They were tried separately. They both were received into the Tennessee prison system on April 19, 1879 and both were assigned to the Tracy City mines. Don’t feel too bad for Henry because he escaped about a month after arriving. Escapes were rather common but far from the norm.

Greg and I had speculated that perhaps Emil learned the bakery trade while in prison. He could have worked in the mess for the prisoners at the mines but most of the convicts went into the mines. It was dangerous work and while scrolling through the records we found 3 instances where convicts were killed by falling slate. We really have no reason to believe Emil was not working underground also.

We found an entry for Emil in one of the Prison Record Volumes from the mines. In the remarks column it listed his escape date, February 3, 1881, and in a small handwritten note it said Dug Out ????. We could not decipher the other word or words.

In 1883, Emil married Julia in Texas.

There are still lots of questions: Who was Emil married to when he went to prison, did he get a divorce before marrying Julia, what kind of social network did he have in the United States (ie friends, relatives, etc.)? Still looking.

Garry
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Emil's other Sister

Post by novice »

In rereading this thread, I realized that there was some additional research regarding Emil’s family that had not been posted. Most are familiar with Emil’s sister, Caroline Thomas, who married Alexander Steinegger. Alexander was purportedly well acquainted with Dutchman.

Caroline was the only relative of Emil Thomas that I was aware of in the United States. There was some discussion about some girls living in the Alexander Steinegger household but it was not clear how they fit.

Greg Davis had shared a copy of a post card mailed from California in 1911 that Emil Thomas had sent to his sister Caroline Steinegger. Some of the signature line was hard to decipher, and I read it, “Your loving brother and sister, Emil and Trica.” I knew Emil had a younger sister in Germany named Theresa Thoma and I wonder if this could be who was with Emil in California.

I found a marriage in the Arizona Marriage index for a Theresa Thomas and Charles Fiedler. Greg obtained a copy of the actual marriage document within days. Two of the witnesses were Alex and Caroline Steinegger. Theresa and Charles were married on July 7, 1890 in the Catholic Church in Phoenix. Emil had another sister in Phoenix.

I have been unable to locate Theresa and her family in the 1900 Census but Charles Fiedler appears in the in the Philippines in the military. He was a 46 year old cook.

The May 5, 1904, Arizona Republican yielded up Theresa’s obituary.
Funeral of Mrs. Fiedler
Mrs. Charles Fiedler died Tuesday night at 11 o'clock at the Sisters Hospital of consumption. Mrs. Fiedler was a sister of Mrs. Alex Steinegger and has been a resident of the valley for many years.
Besides her husband, she leaves one daughter eleven years old, and another 5 years old. The funeral will be held this morning at 8 o'clock at the Catholic Church.
The Arizona Republican also had several additional references to the estate of Theresa in the following days. Charles Fiedler was transferring ownership of personal items and real estate to his daughters. This is also rather puzzling.

On March 8, 1906 the Arizona Republican carried the following obituary.
CHARLES FIEDLER DEAD – Phoenix lodge of the A O U W has been notified of the death in Los Angeles on February 27th of Charles Fiedler the death being sudden though its cause has not been ascertained here. The dead man was a butcher by trade and had lived in Phoenix most of the time for many years. His wife who died a year or two ago was a sister of Mrs. Alex Steinnegger of this city. He leaves a couple of children. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American war having served in the Philippines with the 34th infantry volunteers.
Greg came up with some photos of the Steinegger Family he shared. One photo carried the notation that identified the Fiedler girls as Theresa (Lena) and Emma Fiedler, Theresa being the older. There was a further notation that “Theresa and Emma’s parents died when the girls were very young. They were raised by Alex and Caroline Steinegger as members of the family.”

The twist to the story for me is the postcard. My original premise was that perhaps the loving sister, Emil was referring to, was Theresa. Obviously that was totally wrong. Theresa had died 7 years before the card was written. Greg speculated that perhaps Emil was referring to his wife in a generic way as sister. Emil’s wife was Leontina and the name Trica doesn’t seem to match her either. For me, the mystery of the identity of the loving brother and "sister" remains.

Garry
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