Florentius Weber (1858 - 1914)

Born 14 Aug 1858 in Geismar, Heiligenstadt, Saxony, Prussia, Germany

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 21 Sep 1914 at age 56 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

Florentius Weber was born at around 1pm on the afternoon of 14 August 1858 at Number 15 in what is today Geismar, Thuringia, Germany. At the time, Geismar was in the District of Heiligenstadt in the Erfurt administrative district, Province of Saxony, Prussia. He was the son of Cäcilia Kümpel and Johannes Weber, and he was the grandson of Johann-Adam Weber and Magdalena Henkel. He was baptized the next day, with his uncle Gervasius Kümpel as his godfather.^[1][2]

Florentius grew up at Biehanse, a house that dates back to the mid-16th century and is one of the oldest residential dwellings in Geismar. He had three siblings, and worked as a farmer throughout his youth, like his father.^[2] Nothing additional is known for sure about Florentius’s early life, though family rumors suggest he was involved in the military and that he may have immigrated to the United States to avoid a conflict. Other family oral histories remember Florentius as a troublemaker who embarrassed his family by running off with the maid, Sibilla Hohmann.

Florentius immigrated to the US with Sibilla from Bremen in 1884 aboard the North German Lloyd company vessel Fulda, arriving in New York on 1 November.^[3] Florentius and Sibilla were among about 1.4 million Germans who came to the US during a wave of immigration in the 1880s.

He married Sibilla on 27 November 1884 at Holy Trinity Church in Boston.^[4][5][6] As of 1885, the family was living at 7 Oriental Court in Boston.^[7] As of 1886, the family was living at 9 Oriental Court.^[8] As of 1888, the family was living on James Street.^[9] Between at least 1890 and 1893, Florentius was working as a bottler.^[10][11] He petitioned for US citizenship on 22 April 1897, and he took his oath of allegiance on 6 December 1904 in Boston.^[12][13]

As of 1900, the family was living at 111 James Street, and Florentius was working as a waiting room keeper.^[6] He was working as a bottler in a brewery as of 1910, and his daughter Ida was living with her family just down the road.^[14]

Florentius passed away on 21 September 1914 at his home on James Street following a stroke, though he had been suffering from general arteriosclerosis for years. He had most recently been working as a janitor. He was 56 years old, and he was preceded in death by his daughters, Carolina and Ida, and his son George. He was buried at New Calvary Cemetery in Mattapan on 24 September 1914 following a funeral at his home at high mass at Holy Trinity Church.^[15]

Florentius could read and write, and as of 1900 he owned his home.^[6]

Research Notes

• Florentius' name is variously recorded as "Florence Webber,"^[11] "Florenteus,"^[6] "Florenz,"^[4] "Flornetinus,"^[16] "Florentine,"^[8] "Florentinus,"^[17] "Florentin,"^[3] "Ferdinand,"^[7]
• James Street became Glendower Road by 1917.^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ Collection of T. Reid. Birth record of Florentius Weber.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Collection of T. Reid. "Biehanse - Weber Hsnr8 Geismar."
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-5RS6-FM?cc=1849782&wc=MX6L-8MS%3A165897101 : 26 November 2014), 481 - 6 Oct 1884-15 Nov 1884 > image 803 of 1092; citing NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Collection of T. Reid. Sibilla Hohmann Forester Record.
5. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N49S-G58 : 24 May 2018), Florentius Weber and Sibila Hohmann, 27 Nov 1884; citing Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,432,998.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XXNH-NVY?cc=1325221&wc=9B7X-Y4F%3A1030549901%2C1034570401%2C1035246601 : 5 August 2014), Massachusetts > Suffolk > ED 1513 Precinct 5 Boston city Ward 23 > image 7 of 36; citing NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH5B-RP1 : 10 November 2020), Maria Magdalena Josephine Weber, 8 Jul 1885; citing Birth, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004351627.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCSW-QCG?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D9-DPF%3A353350401%2C353366201%2C353464301 : 19 October 2020), Suffolk > Boston > Births 1886 no 1-12310 > image 572 of 621; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9979-W9FP?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D7-92S%3A353350401%2C353366201%2C355082301 : 20 October 2020), Suffolk > Boston > Births 1888 no 1-13088 > image 535 of 685; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8979-Q98Y-N?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D4-3Y9%3A353350401%2C353366201%2C353358701 : 20 October 2020), Suffolk > Boston > Births 1890 > image 256 of 311; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9Q1-Q32P?cc=2061550&wc=Q4DS-VZC%3A353350401%2C353366201%2C353361601 : 19 October 2020), Suffolk > Boston > Births 1894 > image 44 of 360; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
12. ↑ National Archives at Boston; Waltham, Massachusetts; ARC Title: Petitions and Records of Naturalization , 8/1845 - 12/1911; NAI Number: 3000057; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: RG 21
13. ↑ National Archives at Boston; Waltham, Massachusetts; ARC Title: Petitions and Records of Naturalization , 8/1845 - 12/1911; NAI Number: 3000057; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: RG 21
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RJ6-5M9?cc=1727033&wc=QZZQ-BRS%3A133638101%2C141688201%2C142171601%2C1589219048 : 24 June 2017), Massachusetts > Suffolk > Boston Ward 23 > ED 1616 > image 48 of 50; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
15. ↑ "Webber." Boston Globe clip. Collection of T. Reid.
16. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97M-MQ67?cc=2061550&wc=Q4DQ-92W%3A353350401%2C353366201%2C354971601 : 19 October 2020), Suffolk > Boston > Births 1891 no 1-14968 > image 207 of 775; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BRT-9FG3?cc=1968530&wc=9FHN-C6X%3A928311301%2C928937301 : 24 August 2019), Massachusetts > West Roxbury City no 23; J-Z > image 2555 of 2803; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).