© 2010 by Jim Walton. All rights reserved

Joseph Aaron Weinberger Artist/Photographer/Grocer/Mechanic

(25 September 1873-after 1933)

Frenzer Block, Omaha, Nebraska in 1879 Home of Weinberger Art Studio 1893 & 1894

From the collections of the Omaha Public Library. Used by permission

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At 15 years of age, Jennie Emily Bell of Council Bluffs, Iowa, married Joseph Weinberger. Five months later my grandfather, Irvin Earl Weinberger was born. There has been a lot of family tradition, mostly based on speculation and rumor, concerning the events that transpired next, but recently the facts have come to light and we now know for certain some of what happened. In 1899 Jennie filed for divorce due to abandonment.1 She later married George Houck and had eight more children. Her firstborn, Irvin, was raised as a Houck but took the name Wineberg when he left home. We don’t know for certain exactly when he learned of his true identity or how it came about that he chose the name Wineberg. His children reported that he was illiterate so would not know how to spell the name. His wife was a well educated young lady and perhaps, in teaching him how to write his name, may have chosen that spelling based on a mispronunciation and the phonetic spelling of Weinberg.

Wineberg is an Americanization of the German name Weinberg which means literally “Vine Mountain” or vineyard. A Weinberger would be the vintner or some other person who either lived near the vineyard or was employed there. There is a common belief that Joseph must have been Jewish because of his name, but the name is pure German. Jews were required to take German names in 1787, but I have been unable to prove or disprove that Joseph was a Jew. According to Avotaynu, a Jewish site on the Internet, “The third most common Jewish surname in the United States…is Miller. Clearly Miller is both non-Jewish and Jewish.”2

Joseph Aaron Weinberger was born 25 September 1873 in Austria3 which was actually the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father’s initial was S and his mother’s name was Fannie Klein4, but we know nothing more about them. I suspect they remained in Austria. Joseph was 23 when he married Jennie in 1897. He was an artist and a photographer. 1 “Assortment of Divorce Suits,” The World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska, October 17, 1899), sec. Council Bluffs Department, p. 3, col. 2. 2 “What is a ‘Jewish Name’?,” short article, Avotanyu, Inc. Consolidated Jewish Surname Index (http://www.avotaynu.com/csi/jewishname.htm : accessed 11 July 2010), para. 1. 3 “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital images. Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2010), card for Joseph Aaron Weinberger, no. 1026, Lincoln Draft Board 3; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, National Archives microfilm publication M1509, imaged from Family History Library film roll 1684926. 4 “Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995,” database, FamilySearch Record Search (http://pilot.familysearch.org : accessed 10 July 2010), entry for 1901 marriage of Adolph H. Weinberger and Lida M. Shamp.

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Figure 1 Irvin Weinberger Birth Certificate

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Irvin Earl Weinberger was born on 1 August 1897 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. His birth certificate shows that he was named Weinberger5, which puts to rest one theory that he was named Wineberg to hide his existence from his father. In fact, according to his mother, she and Joseph were living together at 3603 3rd Avenue in Council Bluffs when Irvin was born.

Starting with these known facts, here is the information we have been able to discover about Joseph Weinberger.

In 1888 Joseph’s older brother Adolph was living in Omaha, working as a photographer for H. Heyn.6 He was living in the same boarding house with Moritz Weinberger but there is no indication that they were related. Moritz had been living in Omaha since 1885 and circumstantial evidence may point to a familial relationship. Moritz was from Austria, as were the Weinberger brothers, he was a grocer, as were the brothers, and the brothers worked with him in their early years in Omaha. Over the next year Adolph continued working as a photographer, but now for James & Co,7 a partnership formed by Louis James and H. Heyn. Adolph was still boarding with Moritz, but we now find a few more Weinbergers in the area. Andrew was a tailor, living with a Mrs. E. S. D. Weinberger and a Miss Katie R. Weinberger. There is no relationship indicated between Andrew and the two women, but it would appear that they were perhaps his mother and sister. Hopefully some day we can determine what, if any, relationship might exist between the brothers and these other Weinbergers.

The photography business was apparently not doing so well and in 1890 we find Adolph running A. H. Weinberger Groceries and Joseph working for him as a clerk8. Over the next couple of years Joseph worked with Adolph and also as a clerk in the Empire Cash Market, a butcher shop owned by one Thomas H. Bowen9.

By 1894 Adolph had opened what appears to have been a very successful art studio. It took three suites, 17-19-21, in the Frenzer Block, a two-story commercial building in downtown Omaha. Joseph worked for him as a collector.10 The business was apparently so successful that Thomas Bowen joined him and formed the A. H. Weinberger & Co.11 art studio. Joseph worked for them as an agent. By 1896 Joseph

5 From birth certificate shown in figure 1 6 Omaha City and Dougtlas County Directory 1888, (Omaha: J.M. Wolfe & Co., 1888), 902, entry for “Weinberger, Adolph”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010). There are two other Weinbergers in Omaha at this time, Andrew and Moritz. No relationship has yet been found to these other Weinbergers. Moritz has lived in Omaha at least since 1885. 7 Omaha City and South Omaha City Directory for 1889, (Omaha: J.M. Wolfe & Co., 1889) 837, entry for “Weinberger, Adolph”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010) 8 1890 city directory 9 Pen and Sunlight Sketches of Omaha and Environs (Chicago: Phoenix Publishing Company, 1892), 108; digital images, Archive.org, Pen and sunlight sketches of Omaha and environs (http://archive.org/details/pensunlightsketc00phoe : accessed 11 July 2010). 10 Omaha City Directory for 1894, (Omaha: J.M. Wolfe & Co., 1894), 827, entry for “Weinberger, Joseph; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010). Andrew and Moritz are both still in the area and two new Weinbergers appear, George and Deborah. Deborah is living at the same address as Moritz which appears to have been a boarding house. George shares a residence with Andrew, so they may have been brothers. 11 From 1893 city directory

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and Adolph were partners in the business and Thomas had gone back to his butcher shop.

In 1895 the brothers moved across the river to Council Bluffs, Iowa12. Adolph continued his work in Omaha while Joseph started the Council Bluffs branch of the studio. 1895 also saw the arrival of a young Hungarian lady by the name of Sophia Weinberger. She arrived in New York from Germany en route to Nebraska13. We find her later working in the business with the brothers, which leads me to believe she may have been a sister, or possibly a cousin. I am still trying to find more information about her.

The following year Joseph took over the operation of the Omaha Art Studio14 which had moved out of the Frenzer Block. He was still living in Council Bluffs, and it perhaps during this year that he met the young Jennie Bell.

In 1897 Joseph’s relationship with Jennie had blossomed into a full blown romance. He and Adolph were both still living in Council Bluffs.15 Joseph continued to manage the Omaha Art Studio,16 and Adolph worked as an artist. He did not appear to be working with the studio, and it may be that Joseph’s relationship with Jenny had come between them. While this is pure speculation, there are a number of small events that indicate that all was not well with the brothers.

Joseph and Adolph were not working together during this time. Another Weinberger, Herman, took over as manager of the studio. After Joseph left Jennie, he moved back to Omaha and appears to have stayed in the studio.17 Adolph stayed in Council Bluffs and worked as an artist rather than a business owner. I have not yet identified Herman, but it is possible that he is another brother or perhaps a cousin.

By 1899 Joseph had moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where Adolph later joined him to open another studio. The brothers now had three art studios, one in Omaha, one in Council Bluffs, and the Omaha Art Studio and School in Lincoln.

12 Council Bluffs City Directory for 1895-6, (Omaha: Omaha Directory Company, 1895), 348, entry for “Weinberger Jos. A.”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010). Joseph and Adolph are the only two Weinbergers shown living in Council Bluffs at this time. 13 “New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957,” digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2010), manifest, S. Phoenicia, Hamburg, Germany, to New York, arriving 10 June, 1895, p. 2, Sophia Weinberger. 14 Omaha City Directory for 1896, (Omaha: Omaha Directory Company, 1896), 556, entry for “Weinberger Jos. A.”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010). Andrew and Moritz are still living in Omaha. 15 McAvoy’s Council Bluffs City Directory for 1897-8, (Omaha: Omaha Directory Company, 1897) 269, entry for “Weinberger, Joseph 16 McAvoy’s Omaha City Directory for 1897, (Omaha: Omaha Directory Company, 1897), 718, entry for “Weinberger, Jos. A. ; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010). Andrew and Moritz are both still working and living in Omaha. 17 McAvoy’s Omaha City Directory for 1898, (Omaha: Omaha Directory Company, 1898), 806, entry for “Weinberger, Jos. A.”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010). Adolph, Andrew, Herman, and Moritz are all included in this directory.

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A story from the November 5, 1899 issue of The Nebraska State Journal shows that Joseph was resident in Lincoln and was already a part of the singles scene, indicating he may have lived there for some time. Also mentioned in this story is his brother Adolph and the unnamed Miss Weinberger who was most likely Sophia, as she was the bookkeeper for the Lincoln art studio18.

Another thing that makes me wonder if Adolph may not have had a hand in the breakup of Joseph’s

marriage to Jenny is that Joseph continued to live with Adolph for many years, even after Adolph married Lydia “Lida” Shamp in 1901. It would seem that the brothers were almost inseparable. Perhaps it was not that Joseph was a bachelor playboy. He may have intended to marry Jenny, settle down, and have a family. Perhaps his older brother put pressure on him to not break up their own family togetherness. It was many years before Joseph would again make another try at being a family man.

After Adolph and Lida married, the family, including Joseph, moved to Leavenworth, Kansas where Joseph and Adolph were merchants (probably grocery). A daughter, Maude, joined the family 23 April 1902. By 1905 they were running their own farm in Fishing River Township, Missouri19. Apparently the farming life didn’t agree with them because a few years later Adolph and Lida were back in Lincoln where Adolph was a real estate agent and Lida ran the grocery business20. Joseph does not appear in the records at this time, so his whereabouts are unknown.

In 1918 Joseph registered for the World War I draft. He was living in Lincoln and gave his brother as his next of kin. It was from his draft registration that I finally got his middle name, his actual date of birth,

18 Hoye’s Directory of Lincoln City for 1900 (Hoye Directory Company, 1900), 496, entry for “Weinberger, Sophia”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 February 2010). 19 1905 census, Leavenworth County, Kansas, population schedule, Leavenworth, p. 125, dwelling 553, family 580, Joseph Weinberger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2010). 20 1910 United States census, Lancaster County, Nebraska, population schedule, Lincoln, sheet 9B, dwelling 194, family 207, Adolph Weinberger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 February 2010).

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and learned that he was not yet a naturalized citizen. He had his own auto repair business in Lincoln.

It was also in 1918 that Joseph married Lillian M. Stuart21 and moved his automotive business to Independence, Kansas22. In the census, this is indicated as his first marriage, so he had either forgotten about Jenny, or more likely, had never told his wife he had been married previously. Since she is probably the one who answered the census questions, it is obvious she didn’t know. We don’t know what happened to Lillian, but Joseph’s venture in the automotive business didn’t last long, and we find him once again living with Adolph’s family in 193023. Adolph was still in the grocery business and now Joseph was running the store.

In 1933 he married a Mrs. Jane Jung24, but we know nothing about where they lived or what happened after this time.

Adolph, in 1937, was still running his grocery store. By 1945 he had apparently retired from the grocery business and spent his retirement years running a second hand store next door to his residence.25

Adolph died in 1955 at the age of 92 and is buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln. Lydia (“Lida”) died in 1968 at the age of 94 and is buried next to her husband.

So far I have not been able to find any further information on Joseph after his marriage to Jane, but the search goes on.

21 “Marriage Licenses,” The Evening State Journal (Lincoln), 18 November 1918, p. 8, col. 3; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2010). 22 1920 United States census, Montgomery County, Kansas, population schedule, Independence, sheet 1A, dwelling 8, family 12, Joseph Weinberger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 February 2010), citing National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 542. 23 1930 United States census, Lancaster County, Nebraska, population schedule, Lincoln, page 18A, dwelling 279, family 484, Joseph A. Weinberger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2010), citing National Archives microfilm publication T626, roll 1285. 24 “Today’s Records: Marriage Licenses,” The Lincoln Star, 22 September 1933, p. 16, col. 7; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2010). 25 Polk’s Lincoln (Lancaster County, Nebr) City Directory 1945 Including West Lincoln, (Omaha: R.L. Polk & Co, 1945), 461, entry for “Weinberger Adolph”; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2010).