photo by Norbert Reimer
This weeks’ blog post is Winter. I may not be the most creative blogger around, but I just might be the luckiest as the wife of my 4th great-uncle was Amelia Winters. How convenient is that?
Amelia Winters was born in June, 1848. The early documents I’ve found about her show that she was born in Germany. She married my 4th great-uncle, Abraham Aaron (Steen) Stein in October, 1865. More on that later.
I first found Abraham in 1860 in Watsonville, California with his brothers, Jacob and Harris Steen. All were listed as barbers and were living in a hotel. Their older brother was my 3rd great grandfather, Joseph Steen. It seems that the brothers immigrated to America and early on were all known by the name of Steen.
In 1880, Abraham and Amelia were enumerated in Watsonville with the name Stern. But it’s hard to tell from the writing if it was Stern, Stein, or Steen. What do you think?
With Abraham and Amelia were their children Joseph (14), Harry (12), Robert (6), Mary (3), and Lilly (1).
Year: 1880; Census Place: Watsonville, Santa Cruz, California; Roll: 82; Page: 516A; Enumeration District: 091
Of course we don’t have the 1890 census but in 1900, Abraham and Amelia were now Stein and living at 746 W. Market in Lima, Ohio. Amelia could read, write, and speak English. Living in the household were Robert, Mollie, Lillie, Isaac, Jenny, and Irene. Amelia stated she had 14 children, 9 of whom were still living. I looked to see if the house is still standing and it appears that it is now a medical center.
1920 found Amelia and Abraham at 260 Lancashire Road in Cleveland. Maybe trying to Americanize themselves, after years of stating that Amelia was born in Germany and Abraham in Poland, they now stated that Abraham was born in New York and Amelia in New Jersey. Living with them were Mollie and Lillie and now widowed daughter, Jenny Zucker, and her daughter, Alice Zucker. The address is now a parking lot.
Abraham died in 1923 so in 1930 Amelia was a widow living at 1291 East Boulevard, Cleveland. Now she stated that she was born in Ohio and both parents were born in Germany. Also in the home were Mollie and Lillie (these two never married) and divorced daughter Irene Deutch and her son, Albert. All three daughters stated that both of their parents were born in Ohio. What gives? The address looks to be a parking lot now.
Back to the marriage of Amelia and Abraham. I found many references to their marriage – most being on 29 Oct 1865. Yet while some of the records listed the marriage of Abraham and Amelia Winters, there were a few references to Abraham and Amelia Neiter. Was this just due to the hard-to-read handwriting of the clerk?
I think it IS Winters but at least a few people thought it was Neiter.
I wish there was some explanation for why this part of the family changed their name (or at least the spelling) from Steen to Stein. The only siblings who seemed to keep the name Steen through their lives were Joseph, Jacob, and Harris who all spent their lives in California. Those who found their way to Ohio all seemed to go by Stein.
Amelia died on 8 May 1932 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery alongside Abraham.
Brr. I had interpreted her last name from the marriage records as Mintus. I think you have disabused me of that notion.
ReplyDeleteThat is so odd about the changes in their birth places! But census records are only as accurate as those providing and taking the information. So on that note, I think their name was likely always Stein and that it was spelled incorrectly on the 1860 census. Or do you have other records where it was spelled Steen? Just a hunch....
ReplyDeleteI don't have other records where Abraham's name was spelled Steen, but his brothers Jacob, Joseph, and Harris all used Steen throughout their lives.
DeleteThat is interesting. Steen would seem to be a Dutch name whereas Stein is German.
ReplyDeleteI have a mixed up family. :-)
DeleteDon't we all!!
DeleteI think “Steen” reflects how they pronounced the name. As for change in birthplace, you might look to see who the informant was. Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe they forgot. Or maybe the enumerator asked “where are you from” rather than “where were you born?” Also consider the political climate - was anti-German sentiment growing?
ReplyDelete