Family History Writing Challenge Day 15

In a previous post, which you can find here, it was revealed that my grandfather Joseph Henry Kubler, lost his father Henry in 1902 when he was only 10. It must have been very difficult for him to face such grief at such a young age. How did he feel when, a year and a half later, his mother married Charles Brinkman? Perhaps he welcomed the half brother who was born when he was 15.

In 1905 when his paternal grandmother, Josephine (Hillenbrand) Kubler died, she left her grandson Joseph $100. Today that is equivalent to around $2,600. Some in the family might have questioned that amount of money as she left a LOT more than that to her three surviving sons. Since Joseph's father Henry had pre-deceased Josephine, it certainly might have been felt that Joseph should have gotten his father's 1/4 share in the estate.

Music Hall

In 1910, Joseph was living with his mother, stepfather and half brother in Cincinnati. Joseph was employed as a clerk in a liquor retail house. Apparently he was quite a roller skater when he wasn't working because in 1910 he entered the Ohio Championship, which was a one-mile race at Music Hall Rink in Cincinnati. The race drew amateur skaters from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky to determine who would be the tri-state champion. The Cincinnati Music Hall stands at the corner of 14th and Elm Streets, and was opened in 1878. It housed musical activities in the center area, and industrial expositions in its side wings. It was in the north wing that the roller skating race was held. The racers were competing for gold, silver and bronze medals.

St. Lawrence Church

Two years later, at the age of 21, Joseph was married to 16-year-old Lillian Marie Hungler. Their wedding took place on 24 July 1912 at St. Lawrence Church. Lillian was born to Albert Hungler and Catherine (Cramer) Hungler in Cincinnati on 22 October 1895. She was the oldest of four children, though only she and her younger sister Alice lived to adulthood. Lillian was 1 when her brother Corry was born, and 2 when twins Alice and Albert came along. Corry died as an infant, and Catherine Hungler lost her battle with tuberculosis on 16 April 1900. She was not yet 23 years old.

Michael and Anna Cramer

Albert Hungler found himself a widower at the age of 30 with a 4-year-old and two 3-year-olds to rear. So that he could continue to work as a laborer, he and the children moved in with Catherine's parents, Michael and Anna (Willard) Cramer, where they appear in the 1900 census record. As if the grief of losing Catherine weren't enough for the family to deal with, little Albert died of tuberculosis on 10 October 1900. How devastating this must have been.

But Albert found love again and married Matilda Stritzinger on 10 May 1906. Albert and Matilda went on to have 8 children. Lillian remained living with her grandparents, while Alice stayed with her dad and his new wife.

Lillian and sister Alice

Certainly Joseph and Lillian would have had a lot in common in that they both had lost a parent at a young age, and both of their parents remarried and started second families. Did Lillian marry at such a young age because she was eager to escape the household of her grandparents?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 12

Father Rudolph

At the age of 22, four years after the death of his father Joseph, Henry Kubler (my great-grandfather) married 20-year-old Louisa Boegel. On 18 January 1891, Father Rudolph joined the couple in Holy Matrimony at St. Gabriel's Church in Connersville. The priest offered a "dispensation from the impediment of mixed religion", as the bride was not Catholic. Louisa was born in Cincinnati in July of 1871 to Johann Boegel and Sophie (Suhre) Boegel, who were both from Westfalen, Prussia. Louisa was the 4th of 7 children born to Johann and Sophie.

Louisa was employed as a tailoress in Cincinnati when she and Henry met. It would be interesting to know how they met as Henry was working as a wood carver - a trade he no doubt learned from his father - in Connersville. He and Louisa not only married in Connersville, but they also set up their household in that community of around 4,500 people. Perhaps it was because Louisa was expecting when they got married. Their son Joseph Henry Kubler was born in Connersville on 22 July 1891. He was joined in August of 1894 by a sister named Ethel. Unfortunately, Ethel died on 3 June 1895 in Indianapolis.

Later in 1895 the family of 3 had settled in Cincinnati. His mother was married to her second husband and had a small child, so Henry must have felt comfortable leaving her behind. His two brothers were still in the area to look after her in the case she needed anything. Henry continued his occupation as a wood carver in Cincinnati, and then became a painter. Louisa was again working as a tailoress.

Henry Kubler's stone

On 11 February 1902, Henry died of an abscess of lung complicated by lobar pneumonia. He was just 34 years old. His burial preparations were handled by a funeral home in Connersville, and he was buried at City Cemetery there in the Kubler plot alongside his father and younger brother Alfred.

At the age of 31, Louisa found herself a widow with a 10-year-old son to care for on her own. It wasn't long before she found a help-mate in Charles Brinkman, and they were married on 9 November 1903 in Cincinnati. A son, Charles, was born to the couple on 6 January 1907.