Konrad Karl Müller was born 27 August 18711 in Alsfeld, Hessen, Germany, and was baptized 24 September 1871. 2 His parents are Jacob Müller IV and Helena Weiffenbach both from Alsfeld, Darmstadt-Hesse, Germany.
According to C.C’s youngest daughter Mary Mueller Patterson: During visits from his aunt and uncle who had moved to the US, Konrad heard all about the US and wanted to come here. His parents forbade him, but told him that when he was 16, if he still had this dream they would let him go. His aunt and uncle were told to discourage Konrad from wanting to come to the US, and they tried even to the point of saying that if he came with them they’d sail first class and Konrad would have to come in steerage,3 which meant that he wouldn't be able to have any contact with them during the trip. This didn’t deter him at all, and when he turned 16 his aunt and uncle Weiffenbach went to Germany and brought young Konrad to the states.
When going through some papers the other night I found Konrad's original confirmation certificate. I can't really tell anyone what it says as parts of it are in the old German script. What isn't, my husband was able to read. Here are the basics. His name was Konrad Karl Müller, born in Alsfeld on the 27th of August 1871, he was confirmed on the 24th of May 1885 in the Evangelical Church of Alsfeld. It looks as though he was either sponsored by or the minister was a Johann Müller.
C.C. Mueller's Grocery in Dayton, Ohio.
C.C. Mueller with his delivery truck.
C.C. Mueller's House and Store.
Aunt Mary Mueller Patterson working in her father.'s store. C.C. is the gentleman on the left in the rear, without the hat.
According to Aunt Mary, the picture to the right is of the Weiffenbach family, in Alsfeld, Germany. This picture appears to be the same era as the previous, and no doubt Carl wanted these pictures to remember his family while in America.
On the Left: Back row: Carl Conrad Mueller, Aunt Minnie, Maria Hanitsch Weiffenbach, and Konrad Weiffenbach. Picture taken between 1887 and 1892. My guess is it’s an 1887 family gathering before Carl sailed to the New World. Konrad Weiffenbach died in 1892, so it obviously isn’t post 1892. This would be Carl and his grandparents, or in otherwords, my 3rd great grandparents Müller.
One must have a subscription to ancestry.com to use the links in the footnotes.
1. Naturalization Papers located in the Montgomery County Probate Court in Dayton, Ohio gives name as Conrad Carl Mueller, date he came to the USA on or about October 12, 1887, born 27 August 1887.
2. Baptismal Record Evangelische Kirche Alsfeld. LDS European Microfilm #1336901
3. Norway Heritage.com has an excellent article on what it meant to travel by steerage. See: http://www.norwayheritage.com/steerage.htm Norway was also the home of the Noordland.
4. "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925" on Ancestry.com and New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 also on Ancestry.com
6 New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 A close examination of Mrs. "S" Weiffenbach's name will show that the transcriber mistook what should have been a "J" for an S. A common mistake with early documents when the J often sat on the line (like an I) and didn't drop below.
7. Montgomery County Marriage Records Book #29, p. 201 license #15927
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Carl Conrad Mueller married Miss Elizabeth Eva Shantz on June 14, 1899. On their last birthday he turned 27 on Aug. 27, 1898, and she 25 on Apr. 22, 1899. His birth: Alsfeld, Oberhess, Germany. Her birth Shoups Station, Greene County, Ohio. His father: Jacob Mueller IV His mother: Helena Weiffenbach. Her father: Frederick Shantz Her mother: Barbara Olt. Married by the Reverend J. S. Mueller St. John's Evangl. Lutheran Church, Dayton. 7 I always heard it was in honor of Flag Day, but Flag Day didn't come into existance till the 20th century.
The picture on the right is of Carl and Elizabeth on their wedding day, June, 14, 1899. While the picture below is of them on their honeymoon.
Carl and Elizabeth had four children:
Helena "Helen" Anna Mueller born May 29, 1900, married Clement James Rowe.
Florence Barbara Mueller born December 17, 1901, married Arthur Wendel.
Carl Frederick Mueller born November 18, 1904, married Susan Wine.
Mary Elizabeth Mueller born January 14, 1910, married Pat Patterson.
According to U.S. passport applications the only Weiffenbach to have a valid passport in 1887 was John E. Weiffenbach, a resident of Dayton, Ohio, born 19 January 1865. The date of issue was on June 22, 1887 (just four months before Mr. and Mrs. Weiffenbach brought young Konrad to the United States). According to Konrad’s immigration papers he was sponsored by John E. and Charles Weiffenbach, both of Dayton. Charles was born on the 3rd of July 1854 in Alsfeld, Hesse Karristadt, Germany. He was also living in Dayton at the time his passport was issued, but it wasn’t issued until 4 years later June 29, 1891. With this knowledge I looked at the image of the Noordland's original passenger list, and the transcriber mistook an old fashioned "J" that sat on the line as an "S." 6 That would mean that John E. was the uncle who sailed to Germany to bring young Konrad to the States.
Probate Court Montgomery County of the State of Ohio.
Personally appeared in open Court Conrad Carl Mueller, who being duly sworn says: I reside at No. 6th and Brown Street; Dayton Montgomery County and State of Ohio, and I am a native of Hessen, Darmstadt and came to the United States on or about the 12th day of October, 1887 under the age of eighteen years, bearing allegiance to the Grand Duke of Hessen Darmstadt and Emperor of Germany. I was born on the 27th day of August 1871 and am now more than twenty-one years of age: I do also swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America and that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiances and fidelity to all and any foreign Prince, Potentate, State and Sovereignty, whatever, and particularly to the Grand Duke of Hessen Darmstadt and Emperor of Germany, and I do further swear that it is bona fide my intention, and has been for the last three years, to become a citizen of the United States of America. Conrad Carl Mueller... And attested by John E. and Charles Weiffenbach.
Immigration sponsored by family members in Dayton, John E. Weiffenbach and Charles Weiffenbach. [Note: Deputy clerk in Dayton was John Olt, don't know if that's another relation.]
When they reached America, the Weiffenbachs continued to discourage Konrad, so he joined the German Evangelical Church which offered two services each week, one in German and the other in English. Konrad attended both services making friends and learning English. Before long he became successful and met and married Elizabeth Eva Shantz.
His German church records recorded him as Konrad Karl Müller, while his immigration papers have his name Conrad Carl Mueller. He later went by Carl Conrad, or just C.C. Mueller.
Jacob Müller IIJacob Müller IV Maria Elisabetha BerckC.C. MuellerKonrad WeiffenbachHelena WeiffenbachMaria Hanitsch
The two stones are of the grave of Kath
Olt born Schwinn, lived from 1836-1904.
I'm not sure who she is, as Barbara
was born in 1845, so it may be an aunt?
Konrad Karl Müller / Carl Conrad Mueller
Elizabeth Eva Schantz.
Konrad's Confirmation Certificate.
As a profession, Carl was a grocer. Just when he started his grocery, and when he retired I can't tell you. I believe Aunt Mary said that one of the floods forced him to relocate. I have a few pictures, but the first two don't look like the same store as the latter ones. I'm wondering if the first image below was his first store, and the others were his second.
Helen, Elizabeth, Mary, CC, Carl and Florence.
I have been unable to verify any Weiffenbach’s obtaining a passport between the time that Konrad was born
and the time they immigrated (1871-1887), therefore I believe that Konrad may have actually gotten letters from his aunt and uncle, and not a visit from them.
Courtesy of Ancestry.com
Florence, Frederick Schantz, Carl, Mary, Barbara Olt Schantz, and Helen.
The first picture below is of Helen and Florence, the second is of Carl and Elizabeth and their children, and
the third is of Elizabeth's parents with their grandchildren.
I had tried to find the ship that Carl came to America for many years, but it wasn't until Ancestry.com put up "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925"4 that I was able to find him. It was here that I was able to find out that he sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, on our about October 1, 1887.
C. C. Mueller's 1922 U.S. Passport Application.
A search of the New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 on Ancestry.com 5 turned up the Noordland, that sailed from Antwerp to New York in October 1887. On board was an O. C. Mueller and Mr. and Mrs. Weiffenbach, though admittedly just as Aunt Mary said, they were not listed together.
List of Passengers, District of the City of New York, Port of New York, October 12, 1887. Below is Mr. Weiffenbach and the next line down is Mrs. Weiffenbach.
Courtesy of Ancestry.com
Courtesy of Ancestry.com
O.C. Mueller, should read C.C. Mueller, same ship's record as above, but more toward the back. Courtesty of Ancestry.com
More information on the Noordland can be found at
Ellis Island opened in 1892, so Carl did not enter the U.S. there. The New York Times, Oct. 13, 1887 in an article about arrivals includes the "Steamship Noordland, (Belg.,) Nickels [Captain], Antwerp 12 ds., with mdse. and passengers to Peter Wright & Sons." [This shows us that the voyage was 12 days.]
In another article in the New York Times, dated Oct. 13, 1887 it states, "On the Red Star steamship Noordland, which arrived yesterday from Antwerp, were Theodore de Bounder de Melsbrouck, Belgian Minister at Washington; Col. M. B. Ewing, the Hon. S. R. Bond, Dr. P. J. Horwitz, United States Navy; Dr. Ettinger, the Rev. Joseph Hauber, the Right Rev. Edmund de Pauw, Mrs. George J. G. Marsily, and Dr. Thomas C. Potter."
Helen and Florence.
