Sophia Weber (1815-1891)

Sophia Weber (1815-1891) aka Sophia Webber, Immigrant from Alsace to USA in 1834 (b. circa May 19, 1815, Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, France/Germany - d. October 09, 1891, Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, USA)

Birth
According to her death certificate, Sophia was born around May 19, 1815 to Alexander and Jeanette Weber. However, it should be noted that the individual who completed the information on the death certificate likely had only limited knowledge regarding Sophia's precise birthdate and parents. Also, the death certificate makes at least one inaccurate assertion, i.e. that she lived in New York since 1834, when it is clear that she lived in Pennsylvania until at least 1840. An alternative account of her birth is provided in the index of Etat civil (naissances), 1792-1882, which lists a Sophie Louise Weber born May 2, 1819 in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, France, to parents Louis Regnard Weber and Jeannette Louise Pfeffinger. However, it is not yet clear whether this is the same Sophia Lindauer as the subject of this article. Circumstantial evidence in support of the contention that this is the same Sophia include the following facts: However the following facts suggest the two Sophias may be different people:
 * Both Sophias are born in May
 * Both Sophias have a mother named Jeanette
 * Louis Renard Weber's wife Jeanette appears to be the only Jeanette married to a Lindauer in Strasbourg.
 * Sophia had a son named Louis, which may have been named for Sophia's father. (It appears that Sophia's son John Jacob may have been named for Jean Jacques Lindauer, a likely candidate for the father of Sophia's husband Oscar.)
 * Sophia's father's name does not match the Alexander on her death certificate.
 * Sophia would have married at age 15, if we are to believe she was born in 1819 (unless there was a transcription error, as only the index to the birth record has been examined as of yet).

Marriage and emigration To Philadelphia
Sophia married Oscar Arthur Moritz Lindauer (1815-1866) and on their honeymoon in 1834 they emigrated to the United States.

Children

 * Charles Frederick Lindauer I (1835-1921) who married Anna Augusta Kershaw (1841-1931)
 * John Jacob Lindauer (1841-1888) married Nellie X (1853-1899)
 * Louis Julius Lindauer (1842-1915) who married Mary Sheehan (1842-1888)
 * Eloise Lindauer I (1852-1942) who married William Arthur Ensko II (1850-1889)

Pennsylvania
Oscar and Sophia probably resided in Lehigh, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in the 1840 census. Lehigh is near the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border, north of Philadelphia. An Aug Lindauer is listed as head of household, born between 1810 and 1820. He is married to a woman born between 1810 and 1820 (presumably Sophia), and they have one son born between 1835 and 1840 (presumably Charles).

New York City
The family moved to New York around 1850 and there they had their daughter. The Lindauers lived in Greenwich Village in New York City on Houston Street, and Oscar and his children may have operated a liquor store, or been policy dealers, or brokers, more research will have to be done in the Manhattan business records to determine their exact occupations. In the 1880s the three Lindauer boys had cigar stores in Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey under the name of Lindauer and Company, Tobacconists. Oscar Lindauer may have been a Freemason since his obituary calls for members to attend his funeral, his son Charles was a member, and appears in the Freemason's Master Index. One or more of Sophia and Oscar's children may have served in the Civil War, but no written records have been found to date except for a "Louis Lindauer" who worked as a shoemaker, and he may not be our Louis Lindauer. There is no known information, written or oral, that connects the two families.

Death of husband
Oscar Arthur Moritz Lindauer died in 1866 and he is buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery on 833 Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn, New York and his obituary appeared in the New York Herald on Friday, September 07, 1866. In 1870 Sophia, now a widow, appeared on the census living in Manhattan with her 4 children, and she listed her birth year as 1825. There is another set of entries in the 1870 Census in Manhattan for "Sophia Lindauer and "Eloise Lindauer"; and a "Charles Lindauer" living with "Caroline Lindauer" that may be the same or different people, Caroline Lindauer is Caroline Ritter.

Move in with daughter
In 1880 Sophia was living with her son-in-law, William Arthur Ensko II (1850-1889) and her daughter, Eloise Lindauer.

Images
The only known photograph of Oscar Arthur Moritz Lindauer and Sophia Weber came from the collection of Eloise Lindauer I (1852-1944) and she also inherited the Lindauer family bible. They are now housed with Eloise Ensko Higgins (1955- ) in Hamilton, New Jersey.

Memories about Sophia Weber
In 1965 Eloise Ensko (1925-1993) wrote the following: My great-grandmother Sophia married an Oscar Lindauer. They came from Alsace-Lorraine [to the US] on their honeymoon. Alsace-Lorraine was then owned by the French. Great grandmother brought a lovely picture of Napoleon over from the other side - none of which I have ever seen duplicated. It is still in the family and in excellent condition. The Lindauer family owned a huge department store over there. When the newlyweds came to this country about the early 1800's they settled in Philadelphia. The living room furniture is still in the family. I have in my possession one of the sitting chairs. It is a very pretty, light wood in color, Victorian style. It is now of heavy material and cover. Sophia's Oscar had three boys and later on one girl. The boys were Charles, Louis and John.

Furniture
The Lindauer furniture is currently in the possession of Charles Edward Ensko II (1921-2004) who had it refinished.

Death and burial
Sophia died on October 09, 1891 in Manhattan. She died of diorrhea secondary to dyspepsia. Her death certificate (numbered "34791") also reports that she was senile at the time of her death. She was buried with her husband in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn. There is no tombstone for her or her husband, but the site has two markers for other family members.

Uncompleted tasks
She has not been found in the 1850 US Census.

External link

 * Findagrave: Sophia Weber
 * Wikicommons: Sophia Weber

Trivia
If Sophia's mother is indeed Jeanette Louise Pfeffinger, then Sophia is a cousin of the classical composer Philippe-Jacques Pfeffinger (1765-c1821).