Theodore Rechner (1879 - 1957)

Born 16 May 1879 in Edithburgh, South Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Hattie Marion (Franklin) Rechner — married 25 Dec 1902 in St. Peters, South Australia

Died 5 May 1957 at age 77 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Biography

Theodore, known as Ted, was the first child of Meta and Otto Rechner, and was born at Edithburgh on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. He was only sixteen when his mother died. Until then, the family had always been on the move, as his father was a travelling salesman (selling mainly drapery).

When Ted’s grandparents, Anna and Johann Lamcken, took Ted and his six siblings to live in their home in Strangways Terrace, North Adelaide, the children must have settled into a much more stable and comfortable home life.

Their grandfather had considerable influence over Ted and his brother Bernard – teaching them his carpentry skills, which became an important part of Ted’s adult life. His grandchildren have fond memories of the swings, seesaws, tables, chairs and toys which he made for them.

Ted found employment with the large city store of Charles Birks, where he worked in their Bulk Store at Mile End. He eventually became manager of the Bulk Store.
At the age of twenty three, in 1902, Ted married Hattie Franklin at her mother’s home in St Peters, a suburb of Adelaide. They lived for some time in Mile End.
At some stage after their marriage, Ted realised that his grandparents, being both over 80 years of age, would have difficulty caring for a twelve year old boy. So Ted took his youngest brother John, to live with him and Hattie.

He recognised that John had a pleasant singing voice and so Ted and John joined the nearby Holder Memorial Church. They sang in the choir for many years.
Eventually Ted and Hattie had two sons of their own and the family relocated to Glen Osmond, a suburb in the foothills of Adelaide.

The two boys, Reginald and Kenneth, attended the Glen Osmond Primary School. Ted however, taught them the carpentry skills that he had learnt from his grandfather.

In his retirement, Ted enjoyed fishing and rabbit shooting, and he was very proud of his motor vehicle – a Hudson Terraplane.

Ted was a diabetic and unfortunately, as a consequence, was blind for the last few years of his life, dying in 1957, aged 78.

Sources

Information taken from the Weidenhofer Database compiled from family input and research for the book “A History of the Weidenhofer Families in Australia 1846 – 2004© ”. Reproduced with permission of Stewart Allen, Barry Malcolm and Carlien Melrose.

South Australian Genealogy Index of Birth, Death and Marriage.
Birth
Date: 1879 - Name: RECHNER Theodore Otto Ferdinand - Father: Johannus RECHNER - Mother: Metha Dorothea LAMCKEN - District: Daly - Registration No.: 221/183
Marriage
Date: 1902 - Registration No.: 213/1036 - Name: RECHNER Theodore - Spouse: FRANKLIN Hattie Marion - District: Norwood.
Death
Date: 1957 - Registration No.: 858/2538 - Name: RECHNER Theodore - Relative: undefined - District: Adelaide.
Link to Index
South Australian Genealogy Index of Birth, Death and Marriage.
https://www.genealogysa.org.au/index.php