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one of our maternal great grandfathers
*my direct-line ancestors. The (-4G), etc., indicates the number of generations before Erven Thoma. - - - - - - - - from his birth (June 1851) to his immigration (Dec. 1851) - - - - - - - -On the baptism (6 Jul. 1851) record his given names are Carl Eugen Victor Robert. Carl=Charles and Eugen=Eugene. I (Erven Thoma) believe that his parents and others called him Eugene because of confusion with his father if Carl were to be used. His American records use Eugene or Eugene C. and his gravestone reads Eugene Ch. The baptism of Carl Eugen Victor Robert Thake took place on 6 July 1851 at the St. Peter Evang-Ref Church in Minden. Carl Amelung (-4G) (a train driver in Minden and the brother of Eugene's mother) was the godfather. His birth is given as 7 June 1851 at 10:30 AM. The full names of his parents are given. The pastors were Kessler and Lerbecke. The address of Eugene and his parents is given as #695 in Minden. The father's occupation is given as "Eisenbahn Werkschreiber" (clerk/record keeper/bookkeeper/scribe for the railroad, probably the Cologne-Minden line). The reference is Kirchenbuchduplikat, 1815-74, FHCL (LDS) film #1051925. The original is now in the Personenstandarchiv in Detmold. The death certificate gives Emily? as his mother and Chas. (Charles) as his father. It was filled out by Cecelia Thake (-2G) (his daughter) who gives his year of birth as 1852. However the gravestone reads 1851 and so does the christening record. A St. Louis newspaper announcement for his wedding anniversary in 1922 gives 7 June 1851 as his birth date and Minden as his birthplace. The 1900 Census also gives his birth time as June of 1851. His parents left from Bremen on the ship "Peter Godeffrey" and arrived in New Orleans on 15 Dec. 1851. Although his name is not listed with his parents as immigrants on the ship passenger list, family tradition says he did come over with his parents when only a few months old. However the book "Vivat Amerika" (see below) cites a record archived in Detmold that gives the emigration of one Carl Eugen Viktor Robert Thake as 1864. See below. - - - - - - - - 1852 - 1872 (in the U.S., before his marriage) - - - - - - - -On the Illinois State Census for 1855 (Oct.) there is listed a C. Thake (between 30 and 40) in Caseyville in St. Clair County. With him is a child below 10 years of age (no name given), a woman between 30 and 40 (no name given), and another man between 30 and 40 (no name given), for a grand total of 4. The 1860 Fed. Census for Illinois lists his parents as living in Caseyville, St. Clair County. There is a 10-year old, Prussian-born, male child listed with them, but the name does not seem to be Eugene. It looks like A_janious; the underscore representing a letter I cannot read. Could this be a Latin form for Eugene or is this person a servant or boarder? The book Vivat Amerika: Auswanderung aus dem Kreis Minden 1816-1933, by Wolfgang Riechmann (Minden: Mindener Geschichtsverein, 1993) is available in the Hatcher Library at The University of Michigan. It lists Carl Eugen Viktor Robert Thake, with the birthdate of 7 June 1851, and the emigration of 1864, and the destination as America. The document referenced is StA DT: M1IC 406 which is in the Staatsarchiv in Detmold, Westphalia, Germany. M1IC is part of the Ausmittelung und Einziehung des Vermögens der bei der Ersatzaushebung nicht erschienenen Militärpflichtigen des Kreises Minden, 1821-1879. His father died sometime between the 1860 Census and April 1865. His mother remarried to William E. Miller (-4G) on 15 Apr. 1865 in St. Clair County, IL. He probably met his future wife, Johanna Vossler (-3G), in St. Clair County sometime between 1867 and 1869.
He is listed in the 1870 Fed. Census for Illinois (microfilm roll 251, page 215 as Eugene Tacki (sic!) at which time he is 18. In 1865 his mother had remarried; the second husband, William E. Miller, (-4G) appears on this 1870 Census. They are living on a farm in Collinsville Township (on St. Louis Rd.), inc. Eugene and several farm hands. Family tradition says he met his future wife, Johanna Vossler, in Caseyville, St. Clair County, Illinois where he and his mother lived. On 8 Nov. 1872 a justice of the peace in St. Louis marries Eugene and Johanna in civil ceremony. His residence at this time is given as Madison County, IL Their ages are not given. (St. Louis, MO, Marriages 1804-76, vol. 15, p. 486, KA-34). On the index card her name is given as "Johanne". - - - - - - - - 1872 - 1889 (just after his marriage) - - - - - - - -He is listed in the St. Louis City Directories for the years 1874 through 1881 at the following addresses: The Registry of Births--City of St. Louis (located in the St. Louis Public Library) list the birth of a Johanna Thake, daughter of Eugene C. Thake and Johanna Thake of 1420 Spring Ave., on 18 Feb. 1880. It states that both parents were born in Germany. (No. 699 in the Registry). This is a surprise! Since it is unlikely that there was another Eugene C. and Johanna Thake in St. Louis and no twin is listed, the only plausible explanation is that the child was originally given the name Johanna, after her mother. Then her name was changed to Emilie after her grandmother. The daughter Emilie was baptized at Independent Evangelical Protestant Church (Webster or Tyler and 13th) on 11 Apr. 1880. The parents are listed in the church records. The only godparent was Eugene's mother Emilie Miller (née Amelung). He and his family are listed in the June 1880 Fed. Census for Missouri (first enumeration: vol. 34, district 107, page 11, line 24, taken 3 June) as residents at 1420 St. Louis Ave. in St. Louis. His age is given as 29 years old, his occupation as packer in a whol(?) house (warehouse?), and that he and his parents were born in Prussia. With him is his wife, Johanna, whose age is 27, occupation is housekeeper, and she and her parents were born in Prussia. Their children, all born in Missouri, are listed as Sylbilla (sic!) (7 years old), Erven (5), Christopher (2) and Emily (3 months, born in Feb.). Sibylla is at school, the other children are at home. The 1880 Fed. Census for Missouri (second enumeration: vol. 80, supv. dist. 71, district 261, sheet 9, stamped page #140A, line 20, dwelling 36, family 82, dated 10 Nov.) lists a Eugene Thake family living at 1525 Exchange (same address as in the city directory above). He is a 29 year-old packer, born in Germany. His wife Sybille is 26 years old, born in Germany. His daughter Johanna is 6, son Eugene is 4, son Victor is 2, and daughter Florence is 3 months. This information is from the Soundex Index and Census sheet. Is this Eugene the one born as Carl Eugen Victor Robert Thake who immigrated in 1864 (according to the book Vivat Amerika!)? I need to examine the full census and the second enumeration. The presence of these two entries for a Eugene Thake in the 1880 Census fuel the debate over the circumstances of his birth, his parents' names, his place of baptism and his given-name at birth. However, only one Eugene Thake is given in the St. Louis City Directories listed above and below. The ages in the two Census appearances match or are close. In addition, the names of the wife and children in the Exchange St. family are the middle names of the wife and children in the St. Louis Ave. family. We could therefore assume that the family was caught by the census takers twice, once when they were living on St. Louis Ave. and then again when they moved to Exchange St. Why the use of the other names is puzzling, however Eugene and his wife did change the name of their daughter Emilie. Also, Eugene (assuming it is the same person) did change his name from Carl Eugen Victor Robert Thake to Eugene Charles Thake. We also know that Eugene and his family moved often in these decades. In the 1881 St. Louis City Directory Eugene C. Thake is listed as a packer living at 1525 Exchange (the same address as in the 1880 Census, vol. 80). In the 1882 St. Louis Directory Eugene C. Thake, porter, is living at the same address. There is no listing in the 1883 Directory. But in the 1884 and 1885 St. Louis City Directories, Eugene is listed as a packer (meat? warehouse?) living at 1823 Warren. He is the only Eugene Thake listed. In the 1886 Dir. Eugene C. Thake, packer, is listed living at 1823 Warren. In the 1887 Directory Eugene C. Thake is listed as a porter living at 1823 Warren. At the time of his daughter Emily's death (5 May 1888), he and his family were living at 1823 Warren in St. Louis. Sometime between May 1888 and perhaps the end of 1889 the family moved to 2511 Coleman. - - - - - - - - 1889 - 1905 (on Coleman Ave.) - - - - - - - -The St. Louis City Directories of 1890, 1891, and 1892 list Eugene C. Thake, foreman, living at 2511 Coleman. Naturally we can assume that his wife and four living children are also living there at this time. At the time of his son Christopher's death (6 Oct. 1892) he and his family were living at 2511 Coleman in St. Louis. The St. Louis Directory of 1893 lists him as a packer, living at 2511 Coleman. The Directories of 1894-1899 list him as a foreman still living at 2511 Coleman. At the time of his daughter Sibylla's marriage (15 Nov. 1899), Eugene and his family are living at 2511 Coleman in St. Louis.
The 1900 Fed. Census for Missouri shows Eugene and his family living at Coleman (2511?) in St. Louis. His birth is given as June 1951 and his age as 48. He has been married 25 years. His immigration is given as 1851 and his years in the U.S. as 49. He is naturalized. His occupation seems to be "foreman training". He can read, write, and speak English. His wife Johanna is 45, born in Aug. 1854. The Census says she had 2 children and they are both living. [In fact, she had 5 children and 3 are living.] Her immigration is given as 1853 and the years in the U.S. as 47. [In fact she immigrated in 1855 and was born in 1853.] She can read, write, and speak English. Both Eugene and Johanna were born in Germany, and their parents were also born in Germany. No occupation is given for Johanna, but it is presumed to be housekeeper. With them is their son Erven, 24 years old, born June 1875. He is single, born in Missouri. Also living there is Cecilia, 10 years old, born in Oct. 1889 in Missouri, and at school. Also at the house is a boarder. The St. Louis Directories of 1900 through 1904 list him as a foreman living at 2511 Coleman. - - - - - - - - 1905 - 1928 (on Greer Ave.) - - - - - - - -
According to the license for the first marriage of his son Erven on 21 April 1906, Erven (and therefore Eugene, Johanna and sister Cecilia) was living at 3814 Greer Ave. in St. Louis, MO. Greer is only two streets north of St. Louis Ave. where they used to live. The Edwardsville Intelligencer of 30 Oct. 1908 (a newspaper in the capital of Madison County, IL) reports the transfer of lots 7 through 11 in block 4 of the Maple Home Subdivision in Collinsville, IL, except minerals, from E. C. Thake and wife to Chas. Mendenfield, widower. The same issue of this newspaper also reports that the same lots were transfered from Chas. Menderfield to Johanna S. Thake. The Edwardsville Intelligencer of 02 Nov. 1908 reports the transfer of lot 10 in block 6 of the Maple Home Subdivision 3-S, except minerals, in Collinsville, IL, from E. C. Thake and wife to J. C. Allen, widowed, for the sum of $150. The 1910 Fed. Census for Missouri (April, family 111, line 14) shows his family living at 3814 Greer Ave. in St. Louis. Eugene is 58, born in German. He is a foreman in a factory. With him is his wife Johanna Vossler (-3G), 56 born in Germany, and daughter Cecilia Thake (-2G), 20 and born in Missouri. Eugene and Johanna have been married 37 years and had 5 children but now just 3 are living. The parents of both Eugene and Johanna were born in Germany. The immigration for Eugene and Johanna is given as 1852 but that is not correct. Living with them are two relatives of Johanna: George and Lawrence Vossler. They are 19 and 18 and were born in Missouri. Their parents were also born in Missouri. They are both machinist apprentices. His other daughter Sibylla Thake is living upstairs with her husband and 2 children. The son, Erven is married and living elsewhere. The two Vossler boys are orphans, nephew's of Eugene's wife and sons of Theodore Vossler (-3G) and his wife Frances Johanna Schloemer who died in 1893 and 1904 respectively. The 1910 St. Louis Directory lists Eugene C. Thake, foreman at 2000 N. Broadway, res. at 3814a Greer. The Directory of 1915 list Eugene C. Thake as a foreman at 2000 N. Broadway, living at 3814a Greer. His wife and daughter Cecilia are assumed to be there too. His son Erven is listed as Irwin E. Thake, hatter, living at 3922 Lexington Ave. In the 1920 Fed. Census for Missouri (vol. 112, district 419, ward 21, sheet 4, line 54), Eugene, his wife, and last child Cecilia, are listed as living at 3814a Greer Ave. in St. Louis, which house he owns. Eugene is 68, born in Westphalia, immigrated in 1852 and naturalized in 1873. His parents were also born in Westphalia. He works in a hardware store or supplier, which may be his own business. His wife is 66, born in Germany, immigrated in 1854 and naturalized in 1875. Her parents were born in Germany. Daughter Cecilia is 30 and is single. Cecilia was born in Missouri and is now working as a postal clerk in the Post Office. Daughter Sibilla is living downstairs in the same house with her husband and son. Eugene's son Erven is living at another location with his family. The St. Louis City Directory of 1922 lists Eugene C. Thake with a hardware store at 3917 Lee Ave. and his home at 3814a Greer. At the same address there is a separate listing for Cecelia T. Thake, a P.O. clerk. On Wednesday, 8 Nov. 1922, Johanna and Eugene celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home, 3814a Greer Ave. in St. Louis. They had twenty guests who were entertained by a small orchestra. From the Post Office clerks they received flowers and a note of congratulations signed by many postal employees. (Their daughter, Cecelia, worked for the Post Office.) In the newspaper announcement it stated that Mr. Thake was born in Minden, Germany on 7 June 1851 and came to America at the age of 3 years. (That birth date matches with the church records of Carl Eugen Victor Robert Thake in Minden. However, the age of immigration does not match the other information.) The newspaper article gives the name of the ship, Peter Godeffrey, and indicates that it was on its maiden voyage and took 13 weeks for the crossing. (However, information on this ship indicates it was built in 1848.) The 1924 St. Louis Directory shows Eug. C. Thake (Lee Av. Hdw. & Variety Store) living at 3814 Greer Av. The 1925 Dir. has the same information except he is living upstairs at 3814a Greer. In the St. Louis City Directory of 1926 we see Eugene C. Thake in business with the Lee Av. Hardware and Variety Store and living at 3814a Greer. We can assume that his wife and daughter Cecelia and her husband are also living there. His son, Erven, is listed in the same directory at another address. The 1927 Dir. has the same information as the 1926 Dir. - - - - - - - - 1928 - 1936 (in Kirkwood) - - - - - - - -
The 1928 St. Louis County Directory has Eug. C. Thake living at 325 W. Adams in Kirkwood. No occupation is given and no other Thake is listed. The 1930 County Dir. has the same information. The 1930 Fed. Census for Missouri (roll T626_1223, enum. dist. 3, supv. dist. 9, sheet 15A, printed page 28, lines 25-28, family #350, dated 11 Apr.) list Eugene C. Thake living at 325 W. Adams in ward 2 of Kirkwood, Bonhomme Township, St. Louis County. He is 78 years old, born in Germany of parents born in Germany. He immigrated in 1852 [sic!] but has the "Na" naturalization status. German was his original language, but he now reads, writes and speaks English. He has no occupation at this time and was not a war veteran. He married at age 21 and his wife at age 19. His wife Johanna is 76 years old, was born in Germany and her parents were also born in Germany. She immigrated in 1856 [sic!] but has the "Na" naturalization status. German was her original language, but she now reads, writes and speaks English. She has no occupation. The head of the household is John F. Muller [Mueller] who is Eugene's son-in-law. John is the owner of the house which is valued at $7500 and is not a farm. He is 38 years old born in New York with parents born in Germany. He reads, writes and speaks English. He is presently employed as a Post Office clerk in a government post office and is not a war veteran. He married at age 32 and his wife at age 33. John's wife, Cecelia, is 39 years old, born in Missouri with parents born in Germany. She reads, writes, and speaks English. No occupation is listed for her. None are in school. At the time of his wife's death (16 Apr. 1930) he was living at 325 W. Adams in Kirkwood, MO (St. Louis County). His daughter Cecelia was married to John Mueller on 29 Jan. 1924 and they were living with Eugene. The 1932 St. Louis County Directory lists Eug C Thake residing at 325 W. Adams in Kirkwood. No other Thake is listed. The County Dir. of 1934 has the same information. The Edwardsville Intelligencer of 18 Feb. 1933 reports the transfer of lots 1 through 4 in Block 5 of the Maple Home Subdivision in Collinsville, IL from Eugene C. Thake, widower, to George B. Cranmer and wife for the sum of only $1.
The 1936 St. Louis County Dir. shows Eug. C. Thake residing at 325 W. Adams in Kirkwood. The last address of Eugene Charles Thake (13 May 1936) was still 325 W. Adams, Kirkwood, Mo. His occupation (listed on his death certificate) is given as laborer. He was a widower. His daughter Cecilia and her husband were still living there. The death certificate gives 7 June 1852 as his birth date but the year 1851 is given on the gravestone and Valhalla Cemetery records. Also, the ship records are from 1851 and the newspaper article on his 50th anniversary and the Minden birth records show 1851. The death certificate gives Germany as his place of birth and lists his parents names as "Chas. Thake" (Charles) and "Emily?". The cause of death was given as cerebral arteriosclerosis with a contributing factor of angina ___. He died at home. His daughter Cecelia Mueller was the informant. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an obituary for Eugene. It gives his death as 13 May 1936 and lists his late wife, and living children, Sybilla Sandherr, Erven Thake and Cecelia Mueller (she had married in 1924). He was also a grandfather and a great-grandfather. He was a member of Erwin Lodge No. 121, A.F. and A. M. and also a member of the N. St. Louis Turn Verein. Funeral was at 3 p.m. on the 15th from the Bopp Funeral Church on Hanley Rd. and Forsyth Blvd. in Clayton, St. Louis County, MO. A masonic service was held. Interment was in the Thake lots (lots 154-55, section 4) at Valhalla Cemetery. There is also a notice in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of 13 May 1936 in the "Deaths" column section (Section C, page 11).
-------------------- His son, Erven, died on 09 Mar. 1944 in St. Louis. His daughter, Sibylla, died on 21 Feb. 1950. His daughter, Cecelia, died on 11 Nov. 1979.
Created Tues., Apr. 4, 2000. Updated 31 May 2006.
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Baptism 6 July 1851 at the 
