Generation One
1. Johannes
Albert Robrecht1 Westphalen was born on 25 May 1816 in Herstelle,
kreis Höxter, Westphalen, Germany first-born child of Johannes
Franciscus Antonius Westphalen and Anna Maria
Lippmann.1
He was christened the following morning in Saint
Bartholomäus Katholische Kirche in Herstelle where his baptismal witness
was his maternal grandfather Albertus Lipmann.2
Johann, as he was popularly known in Europe was named in part in memory
of his father's first wife, Justina Robrecht. Johann Westphalen married
twice, first with Clementine Franke, daughter of Rheinhard
Franke and Elisabetha Rest, on 8 February 1846 in
the Catholic church of Saint
Bartholomäus in Herstelle. The detailed church entry reads as follows:
Johann Westphalen, Fabrikarbeiter in Herstelle. Vater: Johann Westphalen, Schiffsmann und Anna Maria geboren Lippmann in Herstelle. Alter: 29, Geboren 25/5 1816. Jüngling. Braut: Clementine Franke, Nätherin in Herstelle. Vater: Meinhard Franke, Schiffsmann und Elisabeth geboren Rest in Herstelle. Alters: 29 Geboren 11/4 1816. Jungfrau. Am achten (8) Februar. Joseph Lüking, Pfarrer. Zeugen: Cornelius Hodes Schiffsmann und Friedrich Robrecht, Schiffsmann beide in Herstelle.3In English this record is translated as: Johann Westphalen, factory worker in Herstelle, son of Johann Westphalen, boatman and Anna Maria Lippmann. He was a single 29-year old born on the 25th of May 1816. His bride was Clementine Franke, daughter of Meinhard Franke a boatman and Elisabeth Rest from Herstelle. She was a single 29-year old born on the 11th of April 1816. They were married on the eighth of February [1846] by Reverend Joseph Lüking before witnesses Cornelius Hodes and Friedrich Robrecht both boatmen in Herstelle.After the death of his first wife in July 1853, Johann Westphalen married secondly Maria Florentine Becker, daughter of Johann Andreas Becker and Maria Amelia Lautze, on 4 October 1853 again in Saint Bartholomäus Catholic Church.. The church record contains the following entry: Johann Westphale, Wittwer von Florentine Franke, Tabakarbeiter in Herstelle. Schiffm. Johann Westphale u. Anna Maria Lippmann in Herstelle. Alter: 37, Geb 25 Mai 1816. Die nachlebends Mutter hat eingewilligt. Braut: Florentine Becker in Herstelle. Vater: Fassbinder Johann Becker und Amalia Lautze in Herstelle. Alters: 29 geb. 29 Sep 1824. Die Eltern haben eingewilligt. Tag: Am vierten (4) October. Rev. Offergett, Pf. Zeugen: Arbeitergemeinde Franz Wille in Herstelle und Fussmann August Schulze aus Beverungen."4The English translation reads: Johann Westphale, tobacconist and widower of Florentine Franke in Herstelle and son of boatman Johann Westphale and Anna Maria Lippmann, aged 37 years, born on 25 May 1816. His widowed mother consents. The bride is Florentine Becker, daughter of cooper Johann Becker and Amalie Lautze in Herstelle. She was 29 years old, born on 29 September 1824. Her parents had given consent. Johann Westphale and Florentine Becker were married on the fourth of October [1853] by Reverend Offergett before the following witnesses: Franz Wille a worker in Herstelle and August Schulze a footman from Beverungen.Notice that the priest recorded Westphalen's first wife as Florentine instead of Clementine. He was not the first to make this mistake. Perhaps because of the similarity of the names Florentine and Clementine, confusion was bound to occur. Furthermore, this record attests to the fact that the Westphalen surname was on occassion rendered as Westphale even in Europe. Later, after immigration to Maryland, the surname is consistently spelled Westphale and generally pronounced West-fail. There are of course inevitable misspellings including Westfall, Westfale and a variety of others. Once in the United States, Johannes Albert Robrecht shortened not only his surname but his given name, being known as John Westphale, Sr while his eldest surviving son was known as John Westphale, Jr. John Westphale earned his living in a variety of occupations. In Germany, between 1846 and 1864, he is most often noted to be a tobacconist or Tabakarbeiter although atleast one church entry refers to him as a Fabrikarbeiter or factory worker. Just before emigration, Westphale is described in a baptismal record as a Postbote or mail man. In Baltimore he was recorded in city directories as a saloon keeper or occassionally as owning a restaurant. |
Westphales emigrate from Europe to Maryland in 1869
| Westphale, his family and perhaps some Becker in-laws immigrated roughly
between 1868 and 1869 to Baltimore
City, Maryland. The year of entry is confirmed by information from Westphale's
death record as well as that of his son John Westphale, Jr.6
Unfortunately, a search of Baltimore passenger arrivals as well as other
east coast ports has failed to identify the precise date of arrival or
the name of the ship that carried these folks from Europe to America. Westphale
was naturalized on 4 October 1875 at the Criminal
Court of Baltimore City before Judge Robert Gilmor. J. A. Ostendorf served
as his witness.7
The early Westphales lived in what is today central Baltimore near where the current Enoch Pratt Library is located. Between 1877 and 1880 John Westphale, Sr. resided at 58 North Liberty Street in Baltimore. City land records however make no reference to him as grantee or grantor for any real estate transaction, supporting evidence that he rented rather than owned the property.8,9 In the federal census of 1880, Westphale and his family were enumerated at 42 Clay Street just a few blocks from the Liberty Street address.10 John Westphale, Sr. died on 12 March 1882 in Baltimore City, Maryland, at age 65. A summary of his death record includes: "John Westfallen [sic] was a 66 year old white male cigar maker from Germany who died on 12 Mar 1882 due to lymphoma and exhaustion of eighteen months' duration. He had lived in Baltimore for seven years and died at number 128 Saratoga Street. He was buried on 14 March in St. Alphonsus Cemetery. Dr. Schmitt had been his physician and Henry Barzmann from Clay Street was the undertaker." 5 Saint Alphonsus Cemetery was the leading German Catholic burial ground in the nineteenth-century, however by the 1920s it had been practically abandoned. Most interments were removed to Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery. In the case of John Westphale, Sr, the details of his burial and presumed re-interment are not known since at this time access to the Saint Alphonsus Cemetery registers is restricted. Clementine Franke, the first wife of Johann Westphalen was born in Herstelle on 11 April 1816, daughter ofRheinhard Franke and Elisabetha Rest.11 She was baptised three days later in Saint Bartholomäus Katholische Kirche. A translation of the baptismal register reads: Born the 11th, baptized 14th of April 1816, Clementina Amalia Franke, daughter of Rheinhard Franke and Elisabetha Rest. The witnesses were Antoinette ... of Herstelle.12Clementine Westphalen died an early death in her native village on the afternoon of Wednesday, 27 July 1853 at 37 years old. The burial register provides a few details including the cause of death as Auszehrung which is literally a wasting away, probably a nineteenth-century synonym for tuberculosis. She had not been attended by a physician. Clementine was survived by her husband and one child. She was laid to rest in the churchyard on the 30th of July. This record also names her as "Florentine Westphale" further confusing the given names of Johannes' two wives.13 Perhaps Clementine was known as Florentine.
Florentine Becker Westphale's funeral notice was published on 6 December 1904 in the Baltimore Sun as follows: On December 5, 1904 Florentina Westphal [sic] aged 82 years. R.I.P. San Francisco and New York papers please copy. Funeral from the residence of her son-in-law, Frank Jendrek, no. 207 West Mulberry Street on Wednesday at 8 AM thence to St. Alphonsus Church where a Requiem High Mass will be said for the repose of her soul. Interment private. Kindly omit flowers.An obituary appeared two days later in the same daily and reads as follows: Mrs Florentina Westphal [sic]. The funeral of Mrs Florentina Westphal, who died last Monday of paralysis at the residence of her son-in-law, Mr. Frank Jendrek, 207 West Mulberry Street at the age of 82 years, took place yesterday at 8:30 AM. The remains were taken to St. Alphonsus' Catholic Church, where services were held by Rev. Louis A. Dauenhauer who also officiated at the grave. The floral offerings were numerous. The pallbearers were Messrs. John Becker, Louis Roth, John Jendrek, Charles Borgman, Andrew Ostendorf and Charles Jendrek. Interment was in the Holy Redeemer Cemetery. William J. Schilling had charge of the funeral.31,32Of the pallbearers, two, namely John and Charles Jendrek were grandchildren. John Becker was probably her brother. Andrew Ostendorf is no doubt related in some way to the J. A. Ostendorf who served as her husband's witness in 1875 at the time of his naturalization petition. The remaining pallbearers, Louis Roth and Charles Borgman are not known.
11. vii. Heinrich Carl Ludwig was born on 14 July 1868.44 He was christened on the same day by Pfarrer Offerget who entered the following notation in the baptismal register: "Heinrich Carl Ludwig, vierzehnten Juli, Zwei Uhr Morgens, ehelich Sohn Johanns Westphale, Postbothe und Florentine Becker aus Herstelle. Tag der Taufe am 16 Juli. Nahmen der Taufzeugen: Schafmeister Heinrich Schotteler aus Würgassen und Ehefrau Sophia Lippman in Herstelle."45 Heinrich immigrated with his family to Baltimore. He was confirmed on 2 October 1881Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church, Baltimore City, Maryland. The church register reads: "Confirmation of Henricus (nomen impositum Alphonsus) Westphahle [sic] son of Joannes Westphahle [sic] and Dina Becker. Witness is Henricus Reuwer."47 In the U.S.,Henry Westphale does not appear in the 1900 federal census for Maryland but was present in the 1880 enumeration.46 There are no extant death records for Saint Alphonsus parish from 1880 through 1894. Unfortunately, Baltimore City death records for this period are poorly indexed and extremely difficult to use, although no entry for Westphale has been found. In 1904, at the death of his mother Florentina Westphale, her obituary in The Baltimore Sun requests copies of the notice be printed in the newpapers of San Francisco and New York City. Perhaps this is a clue as to the whereabouts of her son Henry. |
5. Ludwig
Johannes [also known as John Westphale, Jr]2 Westphalen
(Johannes1) was born on 29 December
1854, the last Friday of the year. His place of birth was in the Westphalen
home, house number 37 in Herstelle,
Kreis Höxter, Duchy of Westphalia. He was the first son of Johannes
Albert Robrecht Westphalen [John Westphale, Sr] and Maria
Florentine Becker.48
The baptism of this child was performed on New Year's Eve 1854 in Saint
Bartholomäus Katholische Kirche in Herstelle. The church register
reads:
Haus no. 37, Westphalen, Ludwig Johannes [Johannes is underlined indicating the preferred name] . Am neun und zwanzigsten December, 2 Uhrs Mittags, ehelich Sohn des Johannes Westphalen, Tabaks fabrik. Arbeiter und Clementine Becker in Herstelle. Tauf d. 31 Dec 1854, Offerzett, Pf. Nahmen der Taufzeugen: Küfer, Johann Becker und Ehefrau Sophia Wustefeld, beide aus Herstelle.In English this entry is translated as: House number 37, Ludwig Johannes Westphalen was born on the 29th of December at 2 PM, the legitimate son of Johannes Westphalen, tobacconist and Clemetine Becker in Herstelle. He was baptised on 31 December 1854 by Father Offerzett. The names of the witnesses were the cooper Johann Becker and his wife Sophia Wüstefeld, both from Herstelle.Note that there is a significant error in this record. The mother is referred to as Clementine Becker, an amalgamation of Westphalen's deceased first wife Clementine Franke and the actual mother and current wife, Florentine Becker.49 This mistake perpetuates the confusion, in names at least of Westphalen's wives. Johannes Westphale immigrated with his parents roughly about 1869. In the United States, he followed his father's path in using the anglicized name John Westphale, Jr. There is no evidence that either man undertook any legal change of name, but like so many immigrants, anglicized their birth names, in this instance, no doubt a consensual and deliberate process. Unlike his father, John Jr. earned his living as a shoemaker. Since he was roughly 14 years old when he left his homeland, presumably John learned his trade during an apprenticeship in Maryland. Where and with whom he learned this trade are not known. In a petition to the Mayor and City Council, John Westphale, Jr. was permitted to place a sign in front of his buisness on Mulberry Street.54 Between1878 and 1881, John and his young family lived at 112 Preston Street in central Baltimore City not too distant from his parent's residence.52,53 By 1885 and at the time of his death one year later, the Westphales were residing at 46 St. Mary's Street near Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore City.55,56 John Westphale, Jr. married Mary Elizabeth Stinner, daughter of Johannes Stinner and Catherine Bossle, on 13 April 1880 in Saint Alphonsus German Catholic Church in Baltimore City.50
Mary Elizabeth Stinner, John Westphale Jr's wife was born in Baltimore on 9 April 1859 to German immigrants Johannes Stinner and Catherine Bossle.57 She was christened on 16 April 1859 in Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church where information from the church baptismal record includes: "16 April 1859: Maria Elisabeth, born 9 April 1859 to Johannes Stinner from Fischbach, Borussia and Catharina Bossle from Misenbach, Bavaria. Witness is Elisabeth Bossle."58 She was confirmed on 13 September 1874 Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church. The church record reads: "13 Sep 1874: Confirmation of Maria Elisabeth (nomen impositum Anna) daughter of Joannes et Catharina Stinner. Witness: Anna Greb."64 When her husband John Westphale died, Mary was 27 years old, the mother of two young sons ages four and two. She was also most remarkably eight months pregnant with her third child, Frank or Fanciscus. Clearly, she and her young children suffered during these next years. Two of her sons, the eldest John H. and the youngest Frank were admitted in the Spring of 1887 to Saint Vincent's Catholic Orphan Asylum by Justice of the Peace John B. Hebb under the imprimatur, "Father's dead and mother unable to provide." Sadly, when Mary Westphale returned to claim her children in 1888, her youngest had died. The middle child, Louis J. Westphale born in 1884 apparently remained with his mother or other relatives as his name is not included in Saint Vincent's registers. By 1889, life began to improve for the young widow, Mary Stinner Westphale. She had met Jeff Pentland, slightly younger than she and world's apart. He was the son of Scots-Irish immigrants who had carved a comfortable life as one of Baltimore's leading florists and horticolturists. How the poor young German Catholic widow with two sons came to know the Irish Presbyterian Pentland is not known, however they married on 31 January 1889 at the Harford Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church where the Reverend Benjamin F. Clarkson was the presiding minister.59,60 Pentland the son of James Pentland and Roseanna was born in Baltimore during the height of the Civil War on 6 January 1862 and was given the dubious name of James Jefferson Davis Pentland, clearly reflecting his father's Democratic pro-Southern sympathies. Fortunately, he adopted the nickname Jeff by which he was generally known throughout his life. Jeff Pentland and Mary Elizabeth Stinner Westphale had no biologic children. They raised John H. and Louis J. Westphale. Mary Stinner Westphale Pentland died on 13 May 1941 at 3133 Chesley Avenue in the Hamilton suburb of Baltimore having attained the age of 82 years. She had outlived both of her husbands. Her last years were spent with her grand daughter, Naomi, daughter of Louis J. Westphale. Information in the death record includes, Elizabeth Pentland, a married
white female born in 1859 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her husband's name was
Jefferson. No information was provided for her parents. The informant was
Louis J. Westphale of 5644 Belair Road. She died of carcinoma of the stomach
and was buried on the 16th of May in Lorraine Park Cemetery by the Leonard
Ruck Funeral Home of 5305 Harford Road.61
A Requiem Mass was offered at Saint Dominic's Church.65
She is interred in section 12, lot 47, grave I with her elder son John
H. Westphale and his wife Mary Estelle.62,63
As a very young child, John Herman Westphale was admitted to Saint Vincent's Orphan Asylum in Baltimore City, on 2 May 1887 by John P. Hebb, Justice of the Peace because "father's dead and mother's unable to provide." He was discharged to the care of his mother on 1 May 1888. During this time, his infant brother Frank Westphale had died in Saint Vincent's on 20 August 1887. 70 John H. Westphale was confirmed on 1 June 1899 at Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church where he was given the name "Johannes (Herman, nomen impositum)" at which time Herman Vorsteg served as a confirmation witness.71 In 1920, John H. Westphale appeared on the federal census at 1632 Holbrook Street in Baltimore where the enumerator described the household as, "John H. Westphale, 38-year old white male; Estella, 36-year old white female from Maryland, wife; Carolina Weber, mother-in-law, 64-years old from Maryland." There were no known children of John H. Westphale. The funeral notice that was published on 16 December 1951 in the Baltimore
Sunday Sun included the following information: On December 14, 1951
John H. Westphale beloved husband of the late Estella Weber Westphale.
Funeral from the residence of his brother-in-law Mr. J. Arthur Weber, 2054
Kenneday Avenue on Monday at 2 PM. Interment in Lorraine Cemetery. King
David's Lodge No. 68 A.F. & A.M will hold a special communication at
1 PM on Monday December 17 for the purpose of attending the funeral of
our late brother John H. Westphale. Henry Ehatt, Worshipful Master."72
Frank Westphale is not found in the 1900 census, at least he is not enumerated with his mother and her second husband nor with his godfather Frank Jendrek. This information would further confirm that he died as an infant in Saint Vincent's Orphan Asylum as Frank Westpathe.78 Paulina Theresia Westphalen [Paulina is underlined indicated this is the preferred given name] am zweiten Marz, 1 Uhr Nachts, ehelich Tochter des Johannes Westphalen, Tabakarbeiter und Florentine Becker aus Herstelle. Tag der Taufe am 4 Marz. Offerget Pfarrer. Nahmen der Taufzeugen: Ehefrau Charlotte Kayser und Wittwe Theresia Franke beide in Herstelle."80Paulina immigrated to Maryland with her parents and siblings about 1868. Roughly ten years later she married Frank Jendrek, son of Johannes Jendrek and Johanna Kutschka, on 19 February 1878 in Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church in Baltimore City. The priest, Reverend Liebritz made this notation in the church marriage register: Franciscum Jendereck from Jetchiz Bromscai Poloniae son of Joanis et Joanne Jendereck with Paulinum Westphale from Herstelle, Westphalia daughter of Joannis et Dinae Westphale. Witnesses: Joanni Westphale and Elisabetha Stinner.81Pauline Westphalen Jendrek died on 20 July 1935 in Baltimore at age 78. Information from her death record includes, "Pauline Jendrek of 2667 Edmondson Avenue, resident of Baltimroe City for 65 years, a white widowed female born on 2 March 1858 in Germany. She was 77 years 4 months and 18 days of age. Father was John Westphale of Germany and Florentine Becker of Germany. Informant was Frank Jendrek of same address. Burial in Holy Redeemer Cemetery on 23 July 1935 by Geo. W. Little of 2700 Edmondson Avenue. Cause of death was senile myocarditis since 1934, chronic nephritis since 1933 and anemia since 1933.82 Her tombstone in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery tombstone reads only "Pauline Jendrek 1857-1935." |
Frank Jendrek, Pauline Westphale's husband was born on 10 August 1846 in Jetchiz Bromsca, Poland, son of Johannes Jendrek and Johanna Kutschka.83 An alternative birth date of 16 August 1846 in Pawlowiczki, Poland, is found in the Saint Alphonsus Catholic church register.
This date could be his baptismal date rather than the day of birth.84
He married twice, first with Mary
Reichel on 21 July 1867 in Pawlowiczki,
Poland.85
Roughly six months after the death of Mary Reichel Jendrek, Frank married
Paulina Theresia Westphalen on 19 February 1878. Frank Jendrek died on
22 January 1918 at his home 207
West Mulberry Street in Baltimore City at age 71.86
Jendrek immigrated to Maryland in 1872. His death certificate in 1918 notes his length of residence in Baltimore as 46 years. He appeared in the federal census of 1900 at 207 West Mulberry Street where the enumerator described the household as: "Frank Jendrek 53-year old white male from Germany born in August 1846, citizenship question was not answered. He had been married 22 years and had immigrated to the US in 1872 from Germany. His occupation was listed as a saloon keeper. He owned his own home. Pauline his 43-year old wife born in March 1857 in Germany and had six pregnancies from which she had four living children. Mary a daughter born Feb 1875 in Maryland was identified as a servant; Annie a daughter born in January 1879 in Maryland was also listed as a servant; Frank a son born in March 1881 in Maryland, Lizzie a daughter born July 1883 in Maryland and Edward a son born in June 1895 in Maryland."88 When Frank Jendrek died in 1918, the following information was included in his civil death record, "Frank Jendrek, Sr of 207 West Mulberry Street, a married white male born 11 Aug 1846, age 71 years 5 months and 12 days. Occupation listed as "restaurant." He was born in Germany to John Jendrek. His mother's maiden name was unknown to the informant who was Henry B. Mateling of 2733 Harlem Avenue. He died 22 Jan 1918 of aortic and mitral [possibly regurgitation]. He was buried in Holy Redeemer Cemetery by Henry Jenkins Brothers on 25 January."8687 The seven known children of Paulina Theresia2 Westphalen and Frank Jendrek were as follows:
21. vii. Leo J. was born on 23 September 1900 in Baltimore City, Maryland, son of Frank Jendrek and Paulina Theresia Westphalen. He married Carrie M.[--?--]. He died on 27 April 1974 Baltimore City, Maryland, at age 73. He was confirmed on 26 January 1913 Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church, Baltimore, Maryland. The church register contains the following information: "Leo Jendrek son of Franciscus and Paulina Jendrek. Witness is George Gruebel."98 |
13. Louis
John3 Westphale (Ludwig2Westphalen,
Johannes1)
was born on Monday the 21st of January
1884 in Baltimore City,
Maryland. There is no civil registration of a return of birth for Westphale
(or variants) on 21 January of that year.99
He was christened on the second day of his life inSaint
Alphonsus German Catholic Church where the priest at the Saratoga Street
parish, the Reverend Philipp Rossbach entered the following notation
in the baptismal register:
Ludovicius Westphale born 21 Jan 1884. Father Joannes Westphale from Westphalen, Borussia; mother Elisabeth Stinner from Baltimore, Maryland. Sponsors: Ludovicius Becker and Paulina Jendrick [sic] of Baltimore.Becker was likely a maternal relative while Paulina Jendrek was Louis Westphale's paternal aunt.100 Louis Westphale married for the first time with Mary Elizabeth Groppe, daughter ofFrank Groppe and Mary Bauerschmidt, on 15 June 1905 in Saint James' Catholic Church in Baltimore City. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend John A. Dlag.101 Louis and Elizabeth had one child, Mary Naomi born in 1906. After the death of Elizabeth Groppe Westphale, Louis married second in 1918 to Lena Schmidt, daughter of August and Pauline Caroline Walters Schmidt. Louis and his second wife had three children, of whom two survived, Viola L. and Louis F. Westphale.
In 1917, Louis John Westphale was admitted to City Hospital, now known as Mercy Medical Center because of an eye injury. Information in the medical record includes: Louis Westphale was admitted 30 November 1917 at 8 PM to City Hospital on the service of Drs. Requardt and Fleckenstein for an eye injury. A summary of his card index includes the following information: Address: 1104 Hoffman Street. Religion: Catholic. Birth: 21 Jan 1885 [sic]. Occupation: tool seller. Correspond with Mrs. L. Pentland [his mother] of 265 West 31st Street. Father: John Westphale of unknown birthplace; mother: L. Hener [sic] of unknown birthplace. Discharged 6 Dec 1917. Microfilm of the actual hospital record includes only the demographic front sheet and vital signs. There are no medical notes, history or laboratory data.105 In 1920 the young Westphale family appears in the federal census at 2013 McHenry Street in the western section of Baltimore City. The census data include the following information: "Louis J. Westphale, a 36-year old married male from Maryland. He rents his home and can read and write English. He is employed as a butcher/grocer. Lena H. Westphale, his 20-year old wife from Maryland, born of German parents. Naomi M., his 13-year old daughter from Maryland."106 Louis and his family moved from west Baltimore to 5644
Belair Road where he kept a grocery on the first level. He Following the death of his first wife Elizabeth and a second marriage
to Lena, Louis Westphale was estranged from his birth family and even from
his first daughter Naomi. After his second marriage, Naomi lived with Louis
and Lena Westphale only briefly. Thereafter she was raised by her paternal
grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Stinner Westphale Pentland. There was little
if any contact between Louis Westphale's children from his second marriage
with his birth family or Naomi. Family members have attributed this to
differences in religion, especially because Louis married Lena Schmidt
in the Lutheran church. Since, Louis's mother married for the second time
to a staunch Scots-Irish Presbyterian and held the wedding in a Methodist
church, this argument does not seem to hold.
The annual migration of black drum, the largest species of sea fishes that come regularly into the upper Chesapeake, is well on the way, catches of the big gamesters in the past few days indicate.
Mary Elizabeth Groppe John L. Westphale's first wife, was born on 8 November 1885 in Baltimore City, daughter of Frank Groppe and Mary Bauerschmidt.110Mary Elizabeth Groppe died on Thursday 17 February 1916 at 1216 North Eden Street at age 30 from valvular heart disease. 111 She was buried on 21 February 1916 in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in section O lot 53. There is no tombstone for Elizabeth Westphale.112 Her funeral notice on 21 February 1916 in the The Baltimore Sun reads as follows: "On February 17, 1916, Mary Elizabeth Westphale (nee Groppe) aged 30 years, beloved wife of Louis J. Westphale. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend her funeral at her late residence no. 1216 North Eden Street this Monday February 21 at 8 AM and thence to St. James Church where a requiem mass will be offered for the repose of her soul. Interment in Holy Redeemer Cemetery."113 The only known child of Louis John3 Westphale and Mary Elizabeth Groppe was:
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Some records note her name as Helena Schmitt. Lena spoke German, Polish and English. Even in her later years she was able to speak German without problem. On Sunday the 7th of February 1904, Baltimore City suffered a devastating fire that destroyed the entire central business district. The fire engulfed the whole of the town as laid out in 1730. In the 140 acre fire district, 1,545 buildings were destroyed. Lena Schmidt and her family lived in South Baltimore well out of harm's way from the fire. She often recounted how just a few days after her fifth birthday, she and her brothers and sisters watched the city in flames from atop Federal Hill, about a mile from their home. Federal Hill offered an ideal vantage point looking high over the city skyline.122
Lena Schmidt attended Saint Stephen's Lutheran Church, Baltimore City, Maryland, from at least the time of her confirmation in 1912 through 1925. She is recorded as a communicant in 1922, 1923 and 1925. In 1923, she is specifically "re-instated" as Mrs. Frank L. Westphale [of course she was Mrs. Louis J. Westphale]. When the Westphale family from South Baltimore moved to McHenry Street in West Baltimore, she and her children attended Saint John's Lutheran Church on Catherine Street. Sometime in the early 1930s, Lena left the Lutheran church and become a member of Reverend G. E. Lowman's Gospel Tabernacle, a non-denominational church on Federal and Wolfe Streets.124 Between 1930 and 1968 Lena Schmidt was employed as a grocery store clerk. She had actually begun working in her older brothers' store as a child. During her marriage she worked with her husband in his store, first located on McHenry Street then later on Belair Road. After his death, she took a part time job working on Saturdays in another small grocery on Kavon Avenue that was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Stephan Mesko. She enjoyed her sparetime crocheting and cooking. She was meticulous about both. To crochet, she had to have precisely the proper materials. She spent hours making table clothes, table scarves and doilies. Lena was also an excellent cook. Although it is not likely that she would agree, it has been said that Lena Westphale was superstitious. One of her strongest held folk traditions would manifest on New Year's Day. Our family usually spent New Year's Eve in church for Watch Night service. On returning home early the next morning, Lena would insist that the eldest-born child had to enter the house first, otherwise bad fortune would befall the entire household. Since this requirement inevitably fell to me to fulfill, and especially because going in the house first while my parents and grandmother were in the dark cold night was contrary to otherwise expected behavior, it is a tradition that I recall clearly. She had other similar though frankly less firmly held beliefs, such as the old wives' tales about burning ears, itchy palms, four-leaf clovers and of course never passing by found money. She kept a jar of coins and paper money that she had found since her childhood. It contained many Indian head pennies and silver certificate dollars. Relatives tell of other superstitions on the Schmidt side of the family.
One of these had to do with Lena's siblings, all of whom were older than
she, and long late-night story-telling sessions in an isolated old barn
belonging to one of the sisters. Frightening each other into believing
ghostly and ghoulish hauntings was entertainment well into adulthood. Lena Westphale fell down the stairs of her daughter's home on a Sunday afternoon in December 1968. She had just taken a bath and was on her way to the kitchen where she was planning on baking a cake for Christmas. When she fell she fractured her femur. She was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's Hospital in Towson where she was admitted on the orthopedic service. She required surgery and was then kept in bed in the hospital until just before discharge on 17 May 1969. She died abruptly about a week later of a massive pulmonary embolus at her daughter's home and was interred in Moreland Memorial Cemetery with her husband Louis and sister Mary Schmidt Brown.121 The Reverend Roy D. Balderson had charge of the funeral service at Altenburgs Funeral Home on Harford Road. One of Lena Schmidt's longest friendships was with Virgie Scroggs. They
were girlhood friends and neighbors in Locust Point.
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