Person:John Mehl (1)

There is a marriage record for John Mehl and Mary A. Berand on 15 Jul 1874 Kings Co. {NYC Grooms Index, Italian Genealogy Group, <http://www.italiangen.org/default.htm>} .

  In the 1880 census, John is a milkman in Brooklyn, age 27, born NY (mo & fa from Hesse-Darmstadt).  His wife Mary is 26, from NY (father NY, mother England); and they have John, 4; and Adalaide, 1 - both born New York (father New York, mother Brooklyn). {Brooklyn, Kings Co., New York, NARA T9-0856, p. 21C}  They are on the same page as his mother and brother.
 In the 1897 directory for Brooklyn, there is a listing for John Mehl, driver, 940 Flushing.
 In the 1900 census for Brooklyn, ward 29, Kings Co., New York, John W. Mehl is 45 born Aug 1854 in New York (parents Germany), 'farmer - horse dealer', married 25 years; with wife Mary A. 43 born Nov 1856 in New York (father NY, mother England), with 2 of 3 children living; son John W. Jr. is 24 born Oct 1875 in NY (parents same), 'milkman', married 0 years [in the current year]; with [wife] daughter-in-law Bertha G. 19 born Apr 1881 in NY (parents Germany), with 0 of 0 children living, married 0 of 12 [in the current month of June?]; 'granddaughter' [daughter of  John Sr.] Grace is 9 born June 1890 NY (parents same), 'at school'; laborers are James Cobb 25 VA; Andrew (Doubker?) 15 NY; (Erastus Dorfman?) 42 New Jersey; and David Shields 38 North Carolina. {ed 547?, sh 14a, p. 106, roll 1068 HeritageQuest}
 There is a death record for Bertha G. Mehl, died 30 Mar 1912. {New York City Death Index, Italian Genealogical Group, <http://www.italiangen.org/databaselist.stm>}
 In the 1920 census for Brooklyn, Brownsville, Kings Co., New York, John W. Mehl [indexed as 'Wehl'] is 79, born New York (parents Germany), 'horse dealer'; with wife Johanna 70 born Germany (parents same); daughter Grace 29 NY; son John 48 NY 'contractor', (married?); granddaughter Ruth 16 born Brooklyn (father NY, mother Brooklyn). {ed 1122, sh 8b, p. 144, roll 1173 HeritageQuest}
 There is a death record for John W. Mehl, died 11 Aug 1921 in Kings Co. at age 85; and for Johanna C. Mehl, died 1938.
 According to articles in the New York Times, John Mehl [Jr.], 'prosperous former dairyman', disappeared mysteriously in April 1926.  An acquaintance, Samuel Serota, was suspected of kidnapping/murdering him, and later attacked John's sister Grace and daughter Ruth. He was convicted of that assault. Grace, Ruth, and estranged wife Harriet went to court in 1928 to have John declared legally dead.