Henry Carl Meinzen, the Oldest Son - 52 Ancestors

Henry Carl Meinzen, born in September, 1870, was the oldest child of Henry Carl and Elizabeth (Armitage) Meinzen's 15 children.  He was already 28 when his youngest sibling was born in 1898.  He is my maternal grandfather's brother.
In the photo at left, above, which I think was taken at the time of his mother's death in 1920, Henry is standing on the left of the two men in the rear.  In the photo at right, he is the man sitting on the left.  The center photo is, I believe, Henry when he was younger.  Don't you think it looks like him? 

He missed the 1870 census by several months but appears in the 1880 U.S. Census with his parents as a 10-year-old attending school, living on North 8th Street, Ward 5, in Steubenville, Ohio.

Marriage
On December 27, 1896, he married Ella Dray (also known as Ellen, Helen, or Hellen) in Steubenville, Ohio.

Living Locations, Employment, Etc.
1899
727 N. Seventh, Steubenville, Ohio.  Henry was a glassmaker.  (1900 Steubenville City Directory)

1900
807 Sherman Avenue, Steubenville, Ohio.  He worked as a chimney maker.  Margaret was the only child.  Ella (listed as Hellen) is noted as the mother of 2 children, 1 living, which explains why my mom and aunt knew nothing about the oldest child, Elizabeth.

1904
939 Sixth Avenue, Steubenville, Ohio.  Henry worked at LaBelle Iron Works.  (1904-05 Steubenville City Directory)

1910
South Pearl Street, Youngstown, Ohio.  He worked as a millwright at a steel mill.  Elizabeth, Sarah, Beatrice, and Mildred were still living at home.  (1910 U.S. Census)

1920
South Pearl Street, Youngstown, Ohio.  He had become a foreman millwright at the steel mill.  All 5 daughters plus a son-in-law were living at home; Margaret was married to Carl Schwab.  (1920 U.S. Census)

1930
Henry's wife Ella died in 1930.  I believe Henry moved to live with one of his daughters but I haven't found which one yet. 

1940
816 Creed Street, Struthers, Ohio.  Henry was a boiler maker helper in a steel mill.  His daughter Beatrice and divorced daughter Veronica Gettings lived with him as well as Veronica's two children.  (1940 U.S. Census)

Children
My mom and aunt remembered 5 sisters who were the daughters of Henry and Ella:  Margaret, Sarah, Beatrice, Mildred, and Veronica.  Veronica was closer in age to my mother (who was born in 1915); the others were older.  Records indicate that there may have been more children, children who died as infants or toddlers, and Henry's obituary indicates that there were 9 children.  The children known from civil records are

• Elizabeth, born October 22, 1897, died April 6, 1899
• Margaret, born February 11, 1900, died October 14, 1969
• Sarah, born February 18, 1902, died
• Male Infant, born August 19, 1904, buried August 20, 1904
• Beatrice, born about 1907, died
• Mildred, born about 1909, died
• Veronica, born February 14, 1914, died March 25, 1999
• Howard, born October 2, 1916, died November 1, 1916

Death
Henry died on August 11, 1958.  His obituary was published in The Steubenville Herald-Star the same day, on page 17, column 2.

Henry Carl Meinzen, 87, of Richmond, a former resident of Steubenville, died at 12:45 a.m. today in the home of his daughter, Mrs. George C. Porter of Richmond after a brief illness.

He was born Sept. 25, 1870, in Steubenville, a son of the late Henry C. and Elizabeth Armitage Meinzen.  He retired in 1940 as a millwright at the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co.  A member of the Lutheran Church, Mr. Meinzen was made a life member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 720 in Struthers, Ohio, last year.

He leaves three daughters, Mrs. Porter with whom he made his home, Mrs. Edward L. Vaughn Sr. of Rocksville, Md., Mrs. R. L. O'Neil Sr. of Struthers and Mrs. Walter Hileman of Letonia, Ohio; a brother, Robert Meinzen of Mineral Ridge; four sisters, Mrs. Ben Hashman, Mrs. George Harris, Mrs. Charles Sticker and Mrs. Russell Rhome, all of Steubenville; 14 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by three sons and three daughters.

Friends will be received at the Dunlope Funeral Home, Wintersville.  Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home with the Rev. Mr. Charles J. Willmann officiating. Burial will be in Union Cemetery.

Henry is not buried in the same cemetery as his wife.  It's sad to think they're separated in death.

I was alive a few years before Uncle Henry died but I don't remember him. 

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This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's call to her readers to write about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. 

--Nancy.
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