Person:Joseph Stein (4)

Bio by great-granddaughter Tammy Hensel

Joseph Adam Stein with his father, step-mother, brother, and a sister departed from Bremen, Germany and arrived in New York, United States in September 1881, according to his Petition of Naturalization. Family oral history says they came to America so that the boys would not have to serve in the Prussian army. One sister, Amalia, was ill and was not allowed to travel, but immigrated later in 1912. The family eventually settled in San Antonio, Texas where city records find Joseph working as waiter and baker at the Southern hotel in 1891. He continued to work as baker in that city listed in 1893 as working for C.I. Gimbel. His future father-in-law Frank Wagner (stepfather of Emilia Luderus) and brother-in-law, Peter Luderus, were also bakers in San Antonio, owning Wagner & Luderus Bakery in 1894. Joseph's employment record for that year lists him as baker, but doesn't give a business name, so he may have still worked for Gimbel, or may have worked for Wagner & Luderus. Either way, we assume it is through this common occupation with Luderus and Wagner that he met Emilia Luderus.

Joseph and Emilia married in 1894 and the couple moved to Dallas, Texas, where he worked for Schepps Bakery. When he heard that the small town of Rockdale, Texas didn't have a town bakery, he moved his growing family there in 1897. He served a volunteer in the Rockdale Fire Dept. and donated time and funds to help build churches and aid individuals. The "Rockdale Centennial, A History of Rokdale, Texas 1874-1974" listed him as one of the leading professional men in the town. Joseph in also mentioned in the book in a reprint of a newspaper article about the "great flood" of September 1921. "An incident of the rescue work undertaken by Rockdale citizens was the actions of Joe Stein, Rockdale's old reliable baker, in donating bread for the 300 rescuers on Tuesday. When the commissary was organized a member thereof went to Mr. Stein and told him that a basket or two of bread would be necessary, to put it up and charge it to the Chamber of Commerce. 'Charge nothing,' said Stein. 'I don't sell bread for such purposes as that. You can have all the bread you want for free." And he made good on his promise, and while doing also sent out a number of cases of cold drinks for the rescue party--all free. This was not the first time Joe Stein's generosity had shown itself. He had always been found ready to do his part as a good citizen.

The book also includes a historic newspaper photo depicting Joseph's son, Otto driving the horse-drawn bakery wagon down main street. It was one of the photos used in recent years as inspiration for the town mural,painted by artist Kim Finley in 2008. http://www.rockdalereporter.com/news/2013-09-12/Lifestyles/PRESERVING_THE_PAST.html

A talented musician, he required each of his children to learn a musical instrument. His children fondly recalled the Saturday evenings concerts their little family orchestra fave for the town from their front porch. 

Joseph became crippled by an unknown illness (possibly Multiple Sclerosis) in mid-adulthood. Despite his disabilities, he remained active in the life of his family and community. On discovery that the naturalization papers taken out by his father when he was a minor were destroyed in a fire, he reapplied for U.S. Citizenship in 1937. Although partially paralyzed and almost completely blind, he memorized the U.S. Constitution as his children read it to him. In his application he stated, "I have voted in nearly every election since I was 21, acted as an officer in holding elections, served on jurys, in state courts, did not register as an alien enemy during the World War, and performed every duty I was called upon to do as a citizen. Helped sell liberty bonds and saving stamps in the World War and helped every way I could as a private citizen, at all times in good faith thinking I was a full fledged citizen."

On his naturalization petition Joseph gave the following information: Place of residence: Rockdale, TX. Occupation: retired baker. Birth: Loenigahofen (probably misspelling of Konigshofen), Germany on September 28, 1871. Race: German. Name of wife: Amelia, married 1894 in San Antonio, Texas, spouse's place of birth, Fredericksburg, Texas August 18, 1875. Permanent residence: Rockdale, Texas. Children: 11, all born and reside in the U.S. Last place or foreign residence: Wurtzburg, Germany. Emigration from Bremen, Germany. Lawful port of entry: New York, N.Y. under the name Joseph Adam Stein on September 20, 1881 on the vessel SS Donau. He affirms that he has been in residence in the U.S. since Sept. 20, 1881 and a permanent resident of Milam county since 1897. He also affirms that he has no allegiance to any foreign government particularly to the German Reich.

He is listed on the New York Passenger lists as arriving 1 Oct. 1881 on the Donau. I don't know if he forgot that they arrived in October, or if it took several days for processing and the processing date was recorded as arrival date on official records. He actually had 12 children, but one didn't survive to adulthood.

Joseph died 13 Aug 1952 in Rockdale, Milam, Texas and was buried in Oddfellow Cemetery there.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Petition for Natualization and Affidavit of Petitoner, in Petition for Natualization and Affidavit of Petitoner.

   On file at Milam County Courthouse, Milam, Texas
   Facts inclu

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Family Bible, personal records, photos.
3. ↑ The Rockdale Centennial, A History of Rockdale Texas, 1874-1974.

   Printed by The Rockdale Reporter, no copyright listed.

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Germany. Germany Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898: index. (FamilySearch MyHeritage).
5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 San Antonio (Texas) city directories. (Woodridge, Connecticut: Research Publications, c1980-1984).
6. ↑ U.S. City Directories, 1821-1995: [database on-line]. (Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} Census Records Texas.
8. ↑ Find A Grave.
9.   National Archives and Records Administration. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957. (Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration).