The Family of Margarethe (Eckerlin/Wullschleger) Bolliger

Version: 22 Jan 2017

The Family of Margaretha (Eckerlin/Wullschleger) Bolliger

By Richard L. Tolman, Ph. D.

MARGARETHE ECKERLIN was born¹,²,³ 24 Oct 1892 at Basel, Canton Basel-Stadt, Switzerland to Friedrich Hermann and Barbara (Sommer) Eckerlin and died 18 Mar 1958.⁴,⁵ She was adopted⁶ and had her name legally changed to Wullschleger at Basel by her adoptive parents Eugen and Emma (Gabelmann) Wullschleger. She traveled several times to New York beginning in 1914 and including 10 Apr 1916 on the Bermudian to New York through Ellis Island.⁷ She became a naturalized citizen⁸ 29 Nov 1938 (address: 360 E. 19th St., Brooklyn, NY). She married (probably in Switzerland)⁹,¹⁰ before Feb 1921 Rudolf/Rodolphe Bolliger¹¹. He was born¹² 7 Sep 1890 at Brugg, Canton Aargau, Switzerland and died¹³ Jul 1969 at Kennett Square, Chester, Pennsylvania. He immigrated in 1908¹⁴ and in the 1920 census was a cook and single in Knoxville, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.¹⁵ Before marriage, he had traveled widely to Australia and Hawaii.¹⁶ He and Margarethe had a daughter Margaret, b. 7 Mar 1922 in Brooklyn.¹⁷

The Bolliger family are longtime residents of Canton Aargau (originating in early 17th century in Schöftland, Aargau). Their family wappen (coat-of-arms) is shown at right.¹⁸

Margarethe’s adoptive parents were Eugen and Emma (Gabelmann) Wullschleger. Eugen Wullschleger,¹⁹ (see left) was born 8 Jan 1862 at Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland the son of Sigmund and Emilie (Diebold) Wullschleger. He died 30 Oct 1931 at Riehen (a district of Basel). He married probably at Basel 1894 Emma Gabelmann. She was born 21 May 1867, probably in Mecklenberg-Schwerin (north Germany) the daughter of Wilhelm and Henrietta Gabelmann of Tessenow. Eugen was the founder of the Swiss Sozialdemokrat party (a workers party) and was Regierungsrat (State/cantonal minister) in Basel 1894-1896.

The genealogical origins of Margarethe Eckerlin are shown below. Our genealogy of the Eckerlin family of Lörrach in southern Baden-Württemberg begins three generations earlier with her great-grandfather.

Generation One

1. Johann Georg Eckerlin was born abt 1810, the son of Sebastian and Maria Barbara (Frey) Ekerlin and died 1877.²⁰ He married²¹ 4 Jun 1833 at Kandern (Lörrach), Baden, Germany Anna Maria Ankelin, daughter of Johann Georg and Anna Maria (Schmidlin) Ankelin. She died Jan 1870 at Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.²²

Johann Georg and Anna Maria (Ankelin) Eckerlin had at least one son.

+ 2 i. JOHANN GEORG ECKERLIN was born 18 Apr 1834 of Kandern (Lörrach) Baden.

Generation Two

2. Johann Georg Eckerlin²³ was born²⁴ 18 Apr 1834 of Kandern (Kreis Lörrach), Baden-Württemberg, Germany; he was evangelisch (Lutheran). He was the son of Johann Georg and Anna Maria (Ankelin) Eckerlin. He married²⁵ 17 Feb 1863 at Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland Maria Barbara Kraft dau of Johannes and Maria Barbara (Wetzel) Kraft; she was born 2 Dec 1832,²⁶ christened²⁷ (evangelisch) 9 Dec 1832 at Grenzach (Lörrach) Baden and died²⁸ October 1903 at Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.

Johann Georg and Barbara (Kraft) Eckerlin had two children.²⁹,³⁰

+ 3 i. FRIEDRICH HERMANN ECKERLIN was born 5 Feb 1864 at Basel and christened 13 Mar 1864 at Kandern (Kreis Lörrach), Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He married Barbara Sommer.

4 ii. GEORG LUDWIG ECKERLIN was born³¹ 13 May 1865 at Basel and christened 9 Jul 1865 at Kandern (Kreis Lörrach), Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He immigrated³² with his wife to New York arriving 9 Nov 1891 on the La Bretagne from Havre. He married 1886 Marie/Mary ____ born 1867 in Switzerland. In 1900 they were living in Queens with their 3 yr. old daughter Anna Maria.³³,³⁴

Generation Three

3. Friedrich Hermann Eckerlin³⁵ was born³⁶ 5 Feb 1864 at Kandern (Kreis Lörrach), Baden-Württemberg, Germany; died³⁷ 19 Aug 1899 (35 yrs) no information on cause of death. He married³⁸ 6 May 1886 in Basel, Kanton Aargau Barbara Sommer. She was born 24 Jan 1866 and died³⁹ 29 May 1898 in Basel (32 yrs.); no information on cause of death. She was probably christened⁴⁰ (catholic) 27 Aug 1866 in Geinsheim, Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany, the daughter of Joannis and Maria Josephae (Nett) Sommer.

Hermann was a ‘Seidenfarber‘ (cloth dyer). They had eight children including Emma (Emilie), Rosly⁴¹, Lugge (Lydia) and Luise.⁴²

Friedrich and Barbara (Sommer) Eckerlin had eight children all born⁴³,⁴⁴ in Basel:

6 i. CLARA EMILIE ECKERLIN was born⁴⁵ 18 Jul 1886 at Basel, Switzerland. Emilie emigrated with her sister Lydia arriving New York from Antwerp on the Zeeland on 24 Apr 1907.⁴⁶ She returned to Switzerland in 1921 (she was single) returning to New York on the Rochambeau from LeHavre. She came from Switzerland, contact person: Sister: Eckerlin, Luise at Bale, Switzerland. In 1910 she was a servant in a Queens household (Gallucci), in 1915 she was a cook in the Lembcke household in the 25th district of New York, and in 1920 she was single and a cook in the Steib household in Yonkers.⁴⁷ She married⁴⁸ 20 Sep 1922 at Queens, New York John Stickley. The author has not been able to trace them further.

7 ii. BARBARA LYDIA (Lilly) ECKERLIN⁴⁹ was born⁵⁰ 20 Feb 1888 and died⁵¹ 13 Dec 1927 at Brooklyn, Kings, New York. She emigrated with her sister Emilie arriving Ellis Island in New York from Antwerp on the Zeeland on 24 Apr 1907.⁵² She married⁵³ 16 Apr 1910 at Queens, New York Friedrich/Frederick Mollenhauer; he was born 7 Sep 1878 in Germany. They had three children in 1925—Theodore (b. 1911), Lydia (b. 1913), and Emily/Amelia (b. 1918).⁵⁴

8 iii. MARIA ROSA ECKERLIN born⁵⁵ 16 Jul 1889 at Basel, Switzerland and died⁵⁶ Aug 1972 at Basel. She was adopted 11 Apr 1899 by a family in Zuerich. She returned to Basel and became a sales clerk (verkäuferin)⁵⁷ and then the housekeeper for the Wullschleger household, attending Eugen Wullschleger as his nurse until his death in 1931.⁵⁸ She married⁵⁹ 7 Apr 1914 Alexander Hug from Haslach in Kinzigtal (Kreis Wolfach), Baden, the son of Alexander (master carpenter) and Karolina (Rothmann) Hug. He was a butcher. He died before 1931.

9 iv. LOUISE ECKERLIN born⁶⁰ 15 Jan 1891 at Basel, Switzerland and died 5 Feb 1974 probably in Basel. In 1930 she was a maid in Basel.⁶¹

10 v. MARGARETHA ECKERLIN was born⁶²,⁶³ 24 Oct 1892 at Basel, Canton Basel-Stadt, Switzerland (vide supra).

11 vi. WILHELM HERMANN ECKERLIN born⁶⁴ 20 May 1894 in Basel and died 28 May 1894 at Basel, Switzerland.

12 vii. LUDWIG THEODOR ECKERLIN born⁶⁵ 26 Aug 1895 at Basel, Switzerland. He immigrated⁶⁶ to New York 30 Apr 1914 on the President Grant from Cuxhaven. He was a machinist. He married in 1925 Sophia McConlogue daughter of James and Agnes McConlogue. Sophia was born in New York in 1900 of Irish parents.⁶⁷ No children in 1940.

13 viii. KARL FRIEDRICH ECKERLIN born⁶⁸ 8 Feb 1897 and died 26 Dec 1897 at Basel, Switzerland.

NOTES

1. Copy of Birth Certificate ‘Geburtschein des Zivilstandkreises Basel-Stadt’, two copies—one dated 1912 and the second dated 1919; copies in the possession of Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

2. Margarethe Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (hereafter STABS), G1886-1893, p. 79 (1892), entry 2060.

3. Copies of STABS references were obtained by Yvonne Hausheer, Swiss genealogical researcher.

4. Margaret W. Bolliger death: Social Security Death Index; online at Ancestry.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

5. Margaret Bolliger Johnson obit: Thursday, January 24, 2013 Kent County News (Chestertown, MD); online at GenealogyBank.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

6. Adoption Papers, ‘Urkunde betreffend Kindesannahme’, signed 25. Juli 1919; copy of the document in the possession of Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

7. ‘Margarite Wullschleger’ Immigration: New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924, Swiss, arriving from Hamilton, Bermuda, age 23y; online at FamilySearch (accessed 22 Oct 2010).

8. U. S. Naturalization Indexes, 1794-1995, Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York , Microfilm Serial M1164_37; online at ancestry.com (accessed 7 Jun 2016).

9. Margaret Bolliger Johnson obit: Thursday, January 24, 2013 Kent County News (Chestertown, MD); online at GenealogyBank.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

10. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Arrival New York (1921), Film T715_2924, p. 262, Rodolphe and Marguerite are returning from Switzerland on the Nieuw Amsterdam from Boulogne-sur-mer in Feb 1921, birthplaces and occupations are listed (he was a cook); online at Ancestry.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016); hereafter Nieuw Amsterdam passenger list.

11. 1930 U. S. Census of Brooklyn, Kings, New York, Roll 1536, Page 8A, E. D. 1691, Image 1103, FHL Film 2341271, Rudolf, Margaret (age 27), and dau Margaret (age 8, b. NY), Margaret age 28 at marriage, Rudolph (age 29, immigration year 1908) was a hotel manager on Lenox Road; online at ancestry.com (accessed 7 Jun 2016).

12. Cf Nieuw Amsterdam passenger list. The Brugg, Aargau Church and Civil Registers (Kirchenbuch, FHL Film 2061,887 and Civilregister/Geburten FHL Film 2062,001) were searched for a 10 year period about 1891 without finding any Bolliger births/baptisms.

13. Rudolf Bolliger: Social Security Death Index, issuing state Virginia; online at ancestry.com (accessed 22 Oct 2010).

14. 1930 U. S. Census of Brooklyn, Kings, New York, Roll 1536, Page 8A, E. D. 1691, Image 1103, FHL Film 2341271; online at ancestry.com (accessed 7 Jun 2016).

15. 1920 U. S. Census of Knoxville, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll T1535_1613, Page 2A, E. D. 167, Image 247; online at ancestry.com (accessed 7 Jun 2016).

16. California Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1959, M1412, San Francisco 1903-1918, the Ventura, Sydney to San Francisco and Honolulu, Hawaii, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1900-1959, the Ventura, Sydney to Honolulu (1916); online at ancestry.com (accessed 7 Jun 2016).

17. Margaret B. Johnson obit: Kent County News (Chestertown, MD), Thursday, January 24, 2013; online at GenealogyBank.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

18. ‘Der schweizerische genealogisch-heraldische Webkatalog‘ (Swiss Genealogical-Heraldic Web Catalog), online at www.chgh.ch/index/php/b/boichat-bonhote/bolliger.html.

19. Degen, Bernard, Eugen Wullschleger biography, online at http://www.his-dhs-dss-ch/testes/d/D4778.php (accessed 4 Jun 2016).

20. Personal communication from Yvonne Hausheer 25 Sep 2016, STABS.

21. ‘Ekerlin‘/Ankelin marriage: Deutschland Heiraten 1558-1929, FHL Film 1189,435 item 1-2, Evangelische Kirche Kandern, Kirchenbuch, 1591-1961, both sets of parents are named; online at FamilySearch (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

22. Anna Maria (Ankelin) Death: Alphabetisches Sterberegister UD Reg 1863-1870, STABS

23. In this time period there is second Johann Georg Eckerlin living just south of Kandern in the village of Binzen. He is the son of Martin and Anna Barbara (Stöcklin) Eckerlin (b. 1815) and he married Anna Maria Schönauer in 1841. A son, Johann George Eckerlin was born and baptized 15 Dec 1839 in Binzen (mother’s name Anna Maria, maternal gf Martin)—because of the mother’s name given at the baptism this must a son born (before their marriage) to Eckerlin/Schönauer {Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898, FHL Film 1189,339, Taufen 1811-1848 (Binzen, Baden, Germany); online at FamilySearch (accessed 21 Jun 2016)}.

24. Familienstand des Eckerlin/Kraft (Kandern, Baden), 14 Juni 1879, Kanton Basel-Stadt, STABS; record reads ‘of Kandern‘.

25. Heimatschein from Grossherzogthum Baden (9 Apr 1878) from STABS and Eckerlin/Kraft marriage FHL film 1189435, .

26. Familienstand des Eckerlin/Kraft (Kandern, Baden), 14 Juni 1879, Kanton Basel-Stadt, STABS.

27. Deutschland Geburten und Taufen 1558-1898, FHL Film 1189,347, Evangelische Kirche Grenzach; online at FamilySearch (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

28. Maria Barbara (Kraft) Eckerlin death: (Baseler) Alphabetisches Bestattungs-register 1901-1904, No. 1677 (Oct 1903), STABS.

29. ‘Erlassungskunde’, dated 5 Apr 1880/Basel (describes the Eckerlin/Kraft family structure and names the two sons Friedrich Hermann and Georg Ludwig with their birthdates), STABS.

30. ‘Blair Family Tree’, owner Kate Blair , trees.ancestry.com/tree/85512944—has some sources including baptism records (FHL Film 1189,340 and 1336,617) that names a Ernst Friedrich Eckerlin with parents as Johann Georg Eckerlin and Maria Barbara Kraft (although the record plainly states the mother to be Maria Barbara Häusel) baptized 1867 in the village of Lörrach; online at Ancestry.com (accessed 4 Jun 2016). This cannot be correct.

The Johann George Eckerlin of Binzen (b. 1815) married 10 Feb 1841 at Binzen, Baden Anna Maria Schönauer by whom he had at least three daughters and a son Karl Friedrich (b. 1853). He also had an earlier son Johann Georg Eckerlin (b. 13 Dec 1839, out-of-wedlock; mother ‘Anna Maria’). Then Johann Georg the son (b. 1839) married 8 Jan 1865 at Lörrach, Lörrach Maria Barbara Häusel by whom he had at least two sons, Carl August (b. 1864) and Ernst Friedrich (b. 1867) of Binzen, Baden. But it is a biological impossibility that Maria Barbara Kraft and Maria Barbara Häusel are one person, since Maria Barbara Kraft was in nearby Kandern having babies on 5 Feb 1864 and 13 May 1865; online at FamilySearch (accessed 5 Dec 2016).

31. Deutschland Geburten und Taufen 1558-1898, FHL Film 1189,431 items 9-10, Evangelische Kirche Kandern; online at FamilySearch (accessed 17 Nov 2016) and Familienstand des Eckerlin/Kraft (Kandern, Baden), 14 Juni 1879, Kanton Basel-Stadt, STABS.

32. Germans to America Passenger Index, 1850-1897, online at FamilySearch (accessed 21 Jun 2016).

33. ‘Louis Eckerline’ household: 1900 U. S. Census of Queens Ward 3, Queens, New York, Roll 1149, Page 3B, E. D. 668, FHL Film 1241149, Louis birth, May 1865 Switzerland, immigration yr 1891, parents b. Germany; online at ancestry.com (accessed 21 Jun 2016).

34. Mary Eckerlin household: 1915 New York Census of Queens, Queens, New York, Election Dist. 31, Ward 3, Page 11; Mary (age 48) born Switzerland (may be a widow/or divorced) with her dau Anna M. (18 yrs), immigrated 1891, not naturalized; online at Ancestry.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

35. Familienstand des Eckerlin/Kraft (Kandern, Baden), 14 Juni 1879, Kanton Basel-Stadt, STABS.

36. Friedrich Hermann Eckerlin Baptism: Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898, FHL Film 1189,431 item 8-9, names parents; online at FamilySearch (accessed 4 Jun 2016).

37. Friedrich Hermann Eckerlin death: Alphabetisches Bestattungs-register 1896-1900, No. 1202 (Aug 1899), STABS.

38. Official Name Change by Kanton Basel-Stadt of Margarethe Eckerlin to Margarethe Wullschleger, ‘Beschluss des Regierungsrates des Kantons Basel-Stadts’, vom 25. Juli 1919, names birth parents of Margarethe as Friedrich Hermann Eckerlin and Barbara geb. Sommer; copy of the document in the possession of Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

39. Barbara (Sommer) Eckerlin death: Alphabetisches Bestattungs-register 1896-1900, No. 874 (Jun 1898), STABS.

40. Barbara Sommer Baptism: Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898, FHL Film 367,648, Katholische Kirche Bellheim (Germersheim); online at FamilySearch (accessed 24 Jun 2016).

41. ‘Eigenhaendige letztwillige Verfuegung des am 30. August 1931 verstorbenen Eugen Wullschleger (Gabelmann)‘; point 1. in the document mentions ‘Frau Witwe Rosa Hug – Eckerlin’, who was in charge of his household and was his nurse during his illnesses (he leaves her 2000 Franken); copy of the document in the possession of Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

42. Personal communication from Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

43. Birth Records (STABS-G by year; G1886-1893, pp. 62-65, 67 and G1894-1897, pp. 73,76,79) from an alphabetical register at the Staatsarchiv Basel-Stadt (Alphabetisches Verzeichnis vom Geburtsregister A- Z); obtained by Yvonne Hausheer (researcher).

44. Email 23 Jun 2016 from STABS (Staatsarchiv des Basel-Stadt to Yvonne Hausheer, researcher).

45. Clara Emilie Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1886-1893, p. 62 (1886), entry 1130.

46. Year 1907, Arrival: New York, New York; microfilm Serial T715, 1897-1957, Roll 874, Line 14, Page 95; online at ancestry.com (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

47. 1910 U. S. Census of Queens Ward 3, Queens, New York, Roll T624, E. D. 1203, Page 1B, Household 18, Image 43, ‘Emily Eckerlein’, 1915 New York Census, Election Dist. 25, Assembly Dist. 15 of New York County, Household 151, P. 3, ‘Emma Eckerlin’, and the 1920 U. S. Census of Yonkers Ward 10, Westchester, New York, Roll T625_1281, Page 10A, E. D. 269, Image 494, ‘Emilie’ Eckerlin; online at ancestry.com and FamilySearch (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

48. Stickley/Eckerlin marriage: New York , New York Marriage Index 1866-1937, certificate #2705, database at ancestry.com (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

49. ‘Kleyboecker Family Tree’, owner John Hendickson , trees.ancestry.com/tree/88470877, a few US sources for Mollenhauer family, cites New York marriage index marriage date; Lydia’s parents are unknown (accessed 5 Dec 2016).

50. Barbara Lydia Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1886-1893, p. 63 (1888), entry 290.

51. ‘Lilly Mollenbauer’ death: New York, New York Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949, database at FamilySearch, age 39, spouse ‘Frederick Mollenbauer’, parents ‘Fredrick Echerlin’ and Barbara Summer’, buried Evergreens; online at FamilySearch (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

52. Year 1907, Arrival: New York, New York; microfilm Serial T715, 1897-1957, Roll 874, Line 14, Page 95; online at ancestry.com (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

53. Mollenhauer/Eckerlin marriage: New York , New York Marriage Index 1866-1937, certificate #418, database at ancestry.com (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

54. 1925 New York State Census of Brooklyn, Kings, Election Dist. 47, Assembly Dist. 11, Page 39, House Number 443 and also 1920 U. S. Census of Brooklyn, Assembly Dist. 22, Roll T625_1161 Page 1A, E.D. 652, Image 910; they lived on Lincoln Place, online at ancestry.com (accessed 6 Jun 2016).

55. Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1886-1893, p. 64 (1889), entry 1232.

56. Rosa (Eckerlin) Hug death: Alphabetisches Bestattungs-register 1971-1975, No. 2008 (Aug 1972), STABS.

57. Per Yvonne Hausheer, she was listed as a ‘verkäuferin’ in the Basel Address books, no further reference.

58. ‘Eigenhaendige letztwillige Verfuegung des am 30. August 1931 verstorbenen Eugen Wullschleger (Gabelmann)‘; point 1. in the document mentions ‘Frau Witwe Rosa Hug – Eckerlin’, who was in charge of his household and was his nurse during his illnesses (he gives her 2000 Franken); copy of the document in the possession of Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

59. Hug/Eckerlin marriage: Eheregister A, p. 221, STABS.

60. Louise Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1886-1893, p. 65 (1891), entry 32.

61. Per Yvonne Hausheer, she was listed as a ‘magd’ in the 1930 Basel Address books, no further reference.

62. Copy of Birth Certificate ‘Geburtschein des Zivilstandkreises Basel-Stadt’, two copies—one dated 1912 and the second dated 1919; copies in the possession of Karen Urioste of Port Townsend, Washington.

63. Margarethe Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1886-1893, p. 79 (1892), entry 2060.

64. Wilhelm Hermann Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1894-1897, p. 73 (1894), entry 1092; in the record father’s Rufname was ‘Johann’.

65. Ludwig Theodor Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1894-1897, p. 76 (1895), entry 1765.

66. ‘Theodor Zckerlin’, New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924, age 18 from Basel (1910); database online at FamilySearch (accessed 22 Jun 2016).

67. 1930 U. S. Census of Queens Ward 5, Queens, New York, Roll 1606, Page 6B, E. D. 1481, Image 850, Family 38, FHL Film 2341340; ‘Theodore Eckerline’ b. 1895 Switzerland, living with Theodore and Sophia are Sophia’s mother Agnes (divorced), Sophia’s brother Wm and his two children May and Daniel; and 1940 U. S. Census of Queens, Queens, New York, Roll T627_2747, Page 2B, E. D. 41-1399, household had the same composition as 1930; online at Ancestry.com (accessed 17 Nov 2016).

68. Karl Friedrich Eckerlin Birth: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Basel-Stadt (STABS), G1894-1897, p. 79 (1897), entry 290.