BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
ALBUM of GENEALOGY and BIOGRAPHY, COOK
COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Chicago - LaSalle Book Company successor to Calumet
Book & Engraving Co.
1899
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MICHAEL HENRY
REISSENWEBER. Many of the citizens of foremost rank in
the great cities of America are indebted to Germany for their
birthplace, and though they so often become among the most
law-abiding of our people and loyal to our Land of the Free and its
interests, they never forget nor cease to love that beautiful land
of mountains, of the River Rhine, and the many ruins of castles
which help to make the valley of the most beautiful of rivers.
They revisit their native land, if possible, and though they admire
our form of government more, they honor and respect the hospitable
nature of their own people. They remember with pleasure the
country that gave them birth and revere the name of the Fatherland.
Michael Henry Reissenweber stands as an example
of the prosperous citizen of Chicago, and holds the respect of all
with whom he comes in contact. He was born November 7, 1834,
in the village of Sonnefeld, Saxe-Coburg, Germany, and his parents
were Martin and Barbara (Hummel) Reissenweber.
His grandfather, Michael Henry Reissenweber, was a shoemaker
by occupation. He was twice married and his first wife was
Miss Bauersachs, and was the mother of Martin Reissenweber,
father of the man whose name heads this article. The second
wife of M. H. Reissenweer was Miss Barth and his
children in all numbered eleven. Some of them, those of whom
record is obtainable, are: Philip, who was a shoemaker and
died and died in New York in 1883; Johann Paul, John Adams, Eva
Barbara, Martin, Anna Marguerita, Michael, Gottfried, Christian
and Margaret.
The maternal grandfather, George Henry Hummel,
was twice married and the mother of our subject was the child of his
first marriage. His first wife was Miss Knauer.
His children are accounted for as follows: Jacob, Barbara
and Anna Marguerita. The last named married Henry
Bauer, of Blue Island. The family if Hummel was
interested in a pottery which was conducted by its members and the
work is still carried on by Carl Hummel. The work
turned out is of the best and noted for its quality.
Martin Reissenweber was born May 27, 1808, and
died Jan. 27, 1881. He was buried in the village of Sonnefeld,
where his son, Michael Henry, was born. He followed the
occupation of a shoemaker and also was interested in a grocery.
His wife was born June 3, 1811. She died May 18, 1876.
Her children were: Michael Henry, Anna Marguerita, Jacob Adolph
Dorothea, Christiana, Henry, Wilhelmina, and six others who
died. Anna M. married John Gruber, a building
contractor. She was born March 31, 1837, and died Feb. 5,
1897. She was residing in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the time of
her decease, and her remains were interred in Iowa City. Her
husband had preceded her to the better world. The children of
John and Anna M. Gruber were named as follows:
Henry, Clara, George, John, James and Minnie. Jacob Adolph
was born June 3, 1839, and has never emigrated from the land of his
nativity. Dorothea was born Dec. 10, 1840, and Christiana
June 3, 1843. Henry was born May 17, 1848, and
Wilhelmina is the youngest.
Michael Henry Reissenweber was the first of his
father's family to immigrate to America and reached New York Jan.
15, 1854. He learned the trade of a shoemaker in that city and
the last year spent there he conducted a business in his own
interests. Feb. 12, 1860, he left New York and visited
Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He also traveled to
St. Louis, Missouri, and reached Chicago Mar. 20, 1861. He was
first employed by John Wolf, located at No. 529 Clark Street.
He served in the interests of Mr. Wolf until May, 1863, when
he established a business of his own at No. 557 Clark Street.
Aug. 1, 1863, he removed to the southeast corner of Fourteenth and
Clark Streets and the next may, 1864, he moved to No. 702 State
Street. He leased a lot at No. 780 and built on it, the land
now being at No. 1516 State Street. August, 1881, he decided
to change his line of business and subsequently conducted a catering
establishment at No. 1555 State Street. May, 1884, he removed
to No. 2703 Wentworth Avenue and has since this time lived retired
from active business life.
Mr. Reissenweer was married March 3, 1863, to
Julianna Rich, a daughter of Peter
Rich and a native of
Burgen, Rhenish Prussia, Germany. She was born June 21, 1842,
and died July 22, 1865. Her parents came to America at the
same time and they were married in Chicago. Her children are
accounted for as follows: Henry Conrad died at the age
of thirty-two years; Charles John resides in St. Paul,
Minnesota, and Julianna died at the age of five weeks.
Mr. Reissenweber was married the second time, August 3, 1866,
to Henrietta Ellfeldt, daughter of Charles Ellfeldt.
She was born in Germany Aug. 7, 1842. Her children were named
as follows: William Christian, born Dec. 15, 1867;
Ottilie, born Sept. 19, 1869; Henrietta Amelia, born July
24, 1871; Louisa, born Feb. 5, 1873; Clara Sophia,
born Dec. 5, 1874; Otto, born Jan. 22, 1877, and Dora
Gresenda, born Aug. 22, 1882.
Mr. Reissenweber is a member of the German Order
of Harugari, having filled all the offices up to the Gross Barde.
The members of his family are connected with the Presbyterian Church
and are honored and respected by the others of the congregation.
Mr. Reissenweber is not an agitator in political affairs and
not bound to any particular party. He votes for the man who,
in his estimation, is liable to do the most for the welfare of the
people, and work to their advantage.
Source: Album of Genealogy
and Biography, Cook County, Illinois - Publ. Chicago-LaSalle Book
Company successor to Calumet Book & Engraving Co. - 1899 - Page
633
(NOTE: Corrections made by
Jean-Louis de Brux who emailed
me from France with the corrections. He is documenting the
family tree. ~ Sharon Wick)
MORE NOTES FROM MR. de BRUX: "I
have a lot of documents (photographs and letters by him or by his
father and other members of his family, as well as letters of the
Gruber family). And of course, I have a copy of the
Gruber-Reissenweber book. My grandmother was Dorothe
Reissenweber, his last child. She married Alfred Joseph Bailey, born
in 1885. They had two children, my mother Lou Elizabeth, and a son,
John, who died at the age of 27, in an airplane crash over Corpus
Christi, while training to become a Navy Pilot during WWII (May 24,
1943). After living at 1555 State, the Reissenwebers moved to 4547
Champlain, then to 7737 Emerald Avenue and built a house nearby at
7720 South Green in 1907. This house is still standing, and I
visited it some weeks ago during my last trip to Chicago."
Mr. deBrux said he will correct the biography soon.... Note
the correction thus far in "Red" |
NOTES:
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