Caroline Blume and John Ludwig Barth

Johann Ludwig Barth was born in Freinsheim, the son of Anna Maria Ehrhardt and Ludwig Barth. According to his US WWI draft registration and the US Social Security Death Index, his birth date was 17 Jul 1879.

In 1897 Johann Ludwig immigrated to the States, arriving in NYC 13 Sep 1897 aboard the SS Obdam out of Rotterdam. His contact in the States was "Joh. Ehrhard," who lived at the corner of First Avenue and 92nd Street in Manhattan. (I wasn't able to identify Mr Ehrhard at this address in the 1900 census.)

Sometime in or before 1904, John married Caroline Blume. Caroline was born in 1884-1885 in Geestemünde, which at that time was a municipality next to Bremerhaven. (It was merged with Bremerhaven in 1939.) Her parents were Katharina Runge and Hermann Dietrich Blume.

Caroline arrived in NYC on 13 Oct 1898 aboard the SS Trave out of Bremen. The passenger manifest says only that she was going to join her uncle. This would have been Hermann's brother Gerhardt Heinrich Blume, who had immigrated in 1882 and was living in New Rochelle. Caroline's older sister Johanna had immigrated in 1892. Gerhardt Heinrich made a trip back to Germany the following year. Caroline's older brother Hermann Dietrich had immigrated as well. Most of his census records say this happened in 1896, but I suspect it was 1894.

Finally, on 30 Sep 1903 Caroline's widowed mother and her four younger siblings arrived in NYC aboard the SS Main out of Bremen. They were discharged to G H Blume, police commissioner, 4 Burling Lane, New Rochelle, NY.

Thus as of the 1900 US Census, Gerhardt had two nieces and a nephew living with him and his wife, Elizabeth Tiedemann Blume, at 48 North "Street" (Avenue) in New Rochelle. They were "Minnie" Blume (possibly Johanna?), "Leana" Blume (Caroline, nicknamed Lena) and Herman Blume. By 1905 Gerhard and Elizabeth had moved to 4 Burling Lane with their own children plus Elizabeth's sister and her children. Katharina and six of her children, including Johanna and Herman but not Caroline, were ensconced at 40 North Avenue. Living with them was another German immigrant, Christian Runge. He was 24 years younger than Katharina, possibly her younger brother, more likely her nephew - if he was related at all. The name could be merely a coincidence.

1905-1939

But where was Caroline? As of 1905, she and John Barth were living at 332 Beachwood Avenue in New Rochelle with their one-year-old daughter Emma. John was working as a baker. When John's mother, step-father, siblings and nephew immigrated in 1908, they gave John's address as 47 Railroad Avenue.

By 1910 Caroline and John had moved to 25 John Street. John was working as a foreman at a baker's shop. According to the census records, John and Caroline been married six years. Caroline was said to have born only one child, who was still living. However, this was not Emma, who's never mentioned again after 1905. John and Caroline's only child as of 1910 was four-year-old Anna.

The Barths may have moved to Bridgeport CT by 1915. I couldn't find a record for them in the 1915 New York State Census, and I know they were in Bridgeport by 11 Aug 1917. The New Rochelle Pioneer published that day notes that, "Mrs. Lena Barth of Bridgeport, Conn., is visiting her mother Mrs. H. Bloom of 50 North avenue." John's WWI draft registration dated 12 Sep 1918 states that he and Caroline were living at 56 Capitol Avenue in Bridgeport and that he was working as a baker.

By 1920 the family was back in New Rochelle at 395 Huguenot Street. John was still baking. They were still there in 1925.

Anna married in 1927. I couldn't find an exact date, but the Mount Vernon Daily Argus reported on 09 Feb 1927 that a shower was given in her honour for a marriage to take place "this year." Her husband was Charles Randall Zeidler, the son of Charles Zeidler and Charlotte E Randall born in Brooklyn 21 Oct 1900. The family moved to New Rochelle sometime between 1905 and 1910. The 1920 US Census reports that Charles Sr was working as a lineman for the railroad, while Charles Jr was a labourer in a railroad shop. However by the time Charles Sr died on 1936 Jul 28, as reported in the Tarrytown Daily News, Charles Jr had become a police officer, specifically a patrolman on the "New Rochelle force." As it happens, one of the attendees at Anna's shower on 09 Feb 1927 was her uncle, "Detective Gerhardt Blume." Coincidence? Did Detective Blume take it upon himself to introduce his niece to a new member of the New Rochelle police department? Or did Charles reconsider his own career prospects after a chat with his wife's uncle?

(It was in fact the newspaper clipping about the shower that got me Caroline Barth's last name before marriage. I'd found four Carolines in the Ellis Island records of the right age who emigrated from Germany at about the right time. When I spotted Gerhardt Blume's name, I remembered that one of the four Carolines was Caroline Blume and started poking around more diligently.)

I couldn't find a record for Anna and Charles Zeidler in the 1930 US Census. However, Caroline and John Barth were living at 14 Burling Lane. By 31 Mar 1936 they'd moved to 10 Lorenz Avenue. According to an Ossining Citizen Register article reporting an automobile accident that day, there were four people in the car when it skidded and over-turned: John L Barth of 10 Lorenz Avenue, New Rochelle; Mrs Lena Barth at the same address, Mrs Marcella Neff, 25, of 75 Van Guilder Avenue, New Rochelle; and Otto Neff at the same address. The two men had no injuries, while the two women were hospitalized with minor injuries. (And remember, this was before seatbelts had been invented!) I believe that Marcella Neff may be John's niece Marcella Thiele, the daughter of his sister Elizabeth Barth Thiele.

1940 on

By 1940, it was Anna and Charles Zeidler who were living at 10 Lorenz Avenue, along with their six-year-old daughter Carol Ann. Carol Ann's date of birth was later reported as 20 Sep 1933 in some records and 20 Sep 1935 in others. The census record suggests that 20 Sep 1933 is the correct date.

Meanwhile, John and Caroline had moved to 129 Broad Street, Bethlehem, PA. Now 61, John was still working as a baker for a baking company. By 1942 they had moved to 15 West North Street in Bethlehem. They were still in Bethlehem when Caroline's sister Johanna Blume Weichert died 26 Feb 1950. The Mount Vernon Daily Argus reported that Johanna was supported by three brothers and three sisters, including "Mrs. John L. Barth of Bethlehem, Pa."

Johanna's obituary was the last record I have for Caroline Blume Barth. Their brother Deidrich died in Mamaroneck 28 Mar 1957, but I haven't been able to find an obituary that might indicate whether or not Caroline survived him. Caroline is definitely not listed as a surviving sibling in the obituary published in the Yonkers Herald Statesman for her brother Herman, who died 20 Sep 1966.

I also don't know what happened to Anna Barth Zeidler. Her husband Charles Randall Zeidler died in the Bronx 15 Feb 1947. Their daughter Carol Ann married Preston James Morehouse on 20 Apr 1968. The article in the Bronxville Review Press-Reporter describes the bride as the daughter of the "late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Randall Zeidler," which sounds as if both Charles and Anna were deceased. Instead, Carol Ann was escorted down the aisle by her grandfather, John Ludwig Barth.

John Ludwig Barth died in New Rochelle in October 1969.

Carol Ann Zeidler was a woman of considerable accomplishment. At the time of her wedding, she had graduated from the New Rochelle Hospital School of Nursing, New York University School of Education and Columbia University Teacher's College and head nurse of the eighth floor at New Rochelle Hospital. An experienced horsewoman, she was also teaching riding at the Wilmot Riding School - and she was a former freelance model. (The photo of her in her wedding dress is quite lovely.)

Unfortunately the marriage doesn't seem to have worked out. Her obituary 40 years later gives her name as Carol Ann Zeidler and makes no mention of Mr Morehouse. The obituary adds the Barbizon School of Fashion to the list of schools she graduated from. More importantly, it states that she was an 36-year employee at the New Rochelle Hospital, where she established the first recovery room and the Howe Avenue Nursing Home (ECP). (ECP refers to the Extended Care Pavilion. It's not clear to me exactly what role Carol Ann played regarding the nursing home. Bidding began on the construction of the nursing home in February 1969 per the Yonkers Herald Statesman and the Tarrytown Daily News. Also, I would assume that the obituary means the first recovery room specifically at the New Rochelle Hospital.)

Carol Ann Zeidler, of Eastchester, died of cancer 06 Apr 2008. Her obituary states that she was survived only by "her dearest friend, Maude Ann Polo of Greenwich." Ms Polo survived her by 49 days.