The River Running
"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Anna Rupp and Nicolaus Brooks
Anna Rupp was born in Freinsheim, the daughter of Conrad Rupp and Barbara Fett. She was christened on 18 Jul 1859.
According to the 1905 New York State Census, Anna immigrated in or about 1880. Take this with a grain of salt - according to the 1910 US Census, she immigrated in 1890, which would be three years after she got married in Manhattan.
Anna Rupp married Nicolaus Brucks (originally Brueck) in Manhattan on 13 Mar 1887. (By 1892 the last name had metamorphosed into Brooks.) Nicolaus was the son of Joseph Brueck and Magdalena Steigert of Gräfenhausen, a small district north of Annweiler. He was baptized at the Catholic church in Annweiler on 15 Oct 1859.
As far as I can tell Nicolaus and Anna had three children, of whom one died young:
At the time of Cora Laura's death in 1892, the family was living at 225 East 88th Street. Two years later on 08 Oct 1894, Nicolaus served as a witness when Anna's brother Frank was naturalized. His occupation was given as saloon keeper and his address as 229 East 106th Street. Frank's occupation was given as bartender, so it's possible he was working for Nicolaus.
The 1900 US Census found the family at effectively the same address, 227 East 106th Street. Living with them was Anna's sister Charlotte Rupp. The entire household was described as having been born in New York, which means that we don't have information on immigration years from this census. Also, Nicholas' occupation was left blank.
The 1905 New York State Census is a little more satisfactory. By now the family was living at 650 East 12th Street. Nicholas was running a saloon. He was said to have immigrated in 1871, Anna in 1880 and Charlotte in 1885.
The family had moved again by the time Nicolaus died on 28 Oct 1906, as his address is given as 415 East 86th Street. His occupation is saloon man. The cemetery is listed as the Fresh Pond Crematorium.
Bruno enlisted in the US Army at Fort Slocum (on Davids' Island in the western end of Long Island Sound in the city of New Rochelle) on 14 Oct 1909. The Army was to become his career.
By the time of the 1910 US Census, Anna, Charlotte and Eugene had moved to 1754 2nd Avenue. Anna and Charlotte were working as cooks in a bank. Fourteen-year-old Eugene was an errand boy in a butcher shop. (This is the last information I have on Charlotte until her death in 1935.)
On 19 Dec 1912, Eugene followed in his brother's footsteps by enlisting in the US Army at West Point. (Bruno had re-enlisted at West Point three months earlier.) Eugene apparently had to lie about his age in order to get in - although he was actually 17, his enlistment papers say he was 19.
Anna died in Manhattan on 29 Mar 1915 and is buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery.