George Feltner (1851-1940) circa 1890
George Feltner (1851-1940) and family circa 1893
George Feltner (1851-1940) circa 1890
George Feltner (1851-1940) and Rosamund Feltner (1880-1952) circa 1925-1930
George Feltner (1851-1940) in 1935
George Feltner (1851-1940) aka John George Teifel; Tailor (b. June 25, 1851; Hamburg, Germany - d. November 13, 1940; Hudson, Columbia County, New York, USA)
Name[]
He was born as "John George Teifel" and used that name when he emigrated and when he married. By 1880 he was using the name "George Feltner". He changed his name from Teifel to Feltner because the name sounded too much like the German word for devil, teufel. He chose "Feltner" because he either was working with someone with the same name, or because it was a good name for someone working as a tailor.
Parents[]
- Conrad Teifel of Hamburg, Germany
- Katherine Friedrich of Hamburg, Germany
Birth[]
He was born on June 25, 1851, in Hamburg, Germany.
Baptism[]
He was baptized on June 27, 1851 at Entenberg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hamburg, Germany.
Cavalry[]
He was in the Uhlan Cavalry, stationed in Bamberg, Germany, where he met his future wife, Dorothea Schmaus. He deserted the army and swam to a ship where a friend had a ticket for his departure to the United States.
Emigration[]
He emigrated to the United States in 1876. He appears on a passenger list arriving in New York City as "Jon Georg Teifel" on April 01, 1876. Dorothea had emigrated before George.
Marriage[]
He married Dorothea Schmaus (1848-1936) of Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany on June 25, 1876, in Manhattan, New York City. Their marriage certificate was number "3246". George was listed as "John George Geifel" and "John G. Teifel". He had met her while he was in Bamberg, Germany with the cavalry, and she was the first to go to the United States.
Children[]
- Anna M. Feltner (1877-c1955) who married Melvin J. Yates on December 31, 1907 in the Bronx
- Augusta F. Feltner (1879-1954) who never married
- Rosamund Feltner (1880-1952) aka Rose Feltner who married Matthew John Donovan (1879-1958) on April 24, 1904 in New York City
- Alma Feltner (1883-1940) who married Edwin Joseph O'Malley (1881-1953)
- George Henry Feltner (1884-1958) who was born on December 09, 1884, and married Minnie L. Barmore (1884-1983) on June 12, 1907 in Brooklyn
- Robert H. Feltner (1886-1966)
- Dorothy Feltner (1889-1948) who married James T. Connors
- Clarence George Feltner (1891-1960) who was born on November 02, 1891, and married Helen M. Meyer on March 6, 1915 in Manhattan
Name change[]
Johan George Teifel had his name legally changed to "George Feltner" by the court of New York in 1883. At that time, he had three children, and he also had their names changed, along with that of his wife. His children are listed as Anna, Augusta, Rosa, and his wife is listed as Dora.
New York City[]
In 1880 he was listed as a "merchant tailor" in the census and was living in Manhattan. He was naturalized on July 22, 1882 in New York City. On June 30, 1886 he applied for his passport. He is listed in the 1890 directory as "Feltner Geo. tailor, 724 Eighth av. h 365 W. 44th". In 1900 they were living in the Bronx. By 1930 he was living in Hudson, New York.
Death[]
He died on November 13, 1940, Hudson, Columbia County, New York. He was buried in Stuyvesant Falls Cemetery in Stuyvesant, Columbia County, New York.
Memories about George Feltner[]
- Rosemary Donovan Coraggio said that, according to family lore, on January 27, 2008: "He was in the Uhlan Cavalry, stationed in Bamberg, Germany, where he met his future wife, Dorothea Schmaus. He deserted the army and swam to a ship where a friend had a ticket for his departure to the United States."
- Jonathan Feltner said on January 27, 2008: "I heard that he changed his name from Teifel to Feltner because the name sounded too much like the German word for devil, teufel. He chose "Feltner" because he either was working with someone with the same name, or because it was a good name for someone working as a tailor."
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