Monday, April 15, 2013

1890s Autograph Album of Emma Leutz, or Emma Lentz, of Jefferson, Wisconsin


Note: thanks to reader information, noted in the comments below, I've amended this post.

1890s autograph album that belonged to Emma Leutz, or Emma Lentz, of the Jefferson, Wisconsin, area.  Emma didn't sign her name in the album, but Lottie Hibbard inscribed her page to Miss Emma Lentz.



There's a clue in the signed pages of John Differt and his wife Nettie, the latter of whom indicated that she was Emma's aunt.  Whether she or her husband was Emma's blood relative, I don't know.




The album is approximately 7" x 5" and contains about 35 signed pages of sentiments.  Someone took some care in repairing the spine with fabric that perfectly matches the covers.  The repair didn't extend to the binding, as many pages are loose.

Most of the signers didn't indicate a residence.  Of those who did, only Jefferson, Wisconsin is mentioned.

I believe the Emma who owned this album was Emma Leutz, born in 1879, the daughter of German immigrants Charles Leutz and Elizabeth (Meister) Leutz, as shown on Emma's marriage record to Edgar C. Hoffman.  They were married on 17 April 1901 at Jefferson, Wisconsin.

They were still at Jefferson, Wisconsin at the time of the 1930 Census, but they may be the Edgar and Emma Hoffman who were living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the time of the 1930 and 1940 Censuses.  Both are buried at Jefferson, Wisconsin.

An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

Lena Buelow of Jefferson, Wisconsin signed a page and indicated she was Emma's schoolmate.  



Another schoolmate, Maud Parks, signed a page at Jefferson, Wisconsin, on 24 March 1890.  



A Bennie F. signed several pages.  He may have been Benhard or Bernhard Fischer, as his last name on two pages appears to be Fischer, and there was another signer named Henry Fischer.  Bennie might have been sweet on Emma.






Mary Wieman of Jefferson, Wisconsin, signed a page on 25 March 1890.  She had some advice for Emma.



If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, a different identity for Emma, or information on any of the signers, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Alphabetical list of the signers:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]


  • Bennie F., signed on 13 January 1891; signed other pages as well.  Possibly Bennie Fischer
  • W. J. M., signed on 31 March 1892; Emma's uncle
  • Johanna Bender
  • Maggie Bennett; Emma's schoolmate
  • Bell Bird
  • Lena Buelow, signed at Jefferson, Wisconsin; Emma's schoolmate
  • Mary Adaline Crist, signed on 14 January 1889; Emma's schoolmate
  • Martha Dickhoff, signed at Jefferson, Wisconsin, on 13 January 1891
  • John Differt, signed on 15 January 1891, wife of signer Nettie Differt, who indicated she was Emma's aunt
  • Nettie Differt, signed on 15 January 1891; Emma's aunt
  • Bennie F., signed on 13 January 1891; signed other pages as well.  Possibly Bennie Fischer
  • Henry Fischer, signed on 3 June 1892
  • Esther Friedel, signed on 14 January 1889; Emma's schoolmate
  • Tillie Grimm, signed at Jefferson, Wisconsin, on 21 December 1888
  • Genie Gulden
  • Lillie Gulden
  • Johanna Habermann, signed on 14 January 1889; Emma's schoolmate
  • Grace Hake, Emma's schoolmate
  • Matilda Henry, signed on 14 January 1889
  • Adele L. Henry, signed at Jefferson, Wisconsin, on 15 January 1891
  • Lottie Hibbard
  • Bertha Zahn or Jahn, signed on 3 June 1892
  • Emma Lentz of Jefferson County, Wisconsin; album owner
  • Linda Mueller; another Linda Mueller signed a page, but the handwriting appears different
  • Linda Mueller, signed on 3 June 1892; another Linda Mueller signed a page but the handwriting is different
  • Esla Mueller, signed on 3 June 1892
  • Mabel Parks, signed at Jefferson, Wisconsin, on 24 March 1890
  • Maud Parks, signed at Jefferson, Wisconsin, on 24 March 1890; Emma's schoolmate
  • J. O. Perkins
  • Clara Simon, signed on 16 January 1890; Emma's schoolmate
  • May Sommerer
  • Emma Stiel, signed on 14 January 1889
  • Lillie Turek
  • Mary Wieman of Jefferson, Wisconsin, signed on 25 March 1890
  • Bertha Zahn or Jahn, signed on 3 June 1892
  • Lizzie Zeh
Jefferson County, Wisconsin


Thanks for stopping by!




4 comments:

  1. I think this could be the owner of the album, an Emma Hoffman whose mother Elizabeth Leutz was living in the household in 1920 in Jefferson, Wisconsin. Emma was born about 1879 or so.

    http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsfn=emma&gsln=leutz&msrpn__ftp=Jefferson%2c+Jefferson%2c+Wisconsin%2c+USA&msrpn=53713&msrpn_PInfo=8-|0|1652393|0|2|3247|52|0|1522|53713|0|&cpxt=0&catBucket=rstp&uidh=hti&cp=0&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=23961201&db=1920usfedcen&indiv=1

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting... especially since I had thought Deutz a possibility, so the u in Leutz is intriguing. But when I went to your link and then clicked on Elizabeth, I see that someone has added the information to the indexing that her might have been Creutz, and these additions are usually from folks in the know.

    However, at FamilySearch I found a marriage for an Emma Leutz from Jefferson, Wisconsin, to the Hoffman in your link. So I'm inclined to go in your direction. What do you think? https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XRVZ-GY1

    I'm amending the post with the new information, which includes the full names of Emma's parents, with a caveat.
    Thanks once again, Ed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is this album for sale? This is a relative of mine. The mother of Emma is my grandfather William Meister's sister. I am interested in purchasing this. Please contact me.
    Thank you.
    Lois M Becker

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comments system doesn't provide me with your contact info, so I can't respond to you directly. Please scroll up in the right margin to Inquiries, where you'll find my contact info. Yes, I still have the album!

    ReplyDelete