Showing posts with label Johann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johann. Show all posts

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Childhood

John (Johann) Jacob Jungwirth was born March 4, 1875 in Tisch, Bohemia. (Bohemia was then part of Austria-Hungary, and John always referred to himself as "Austrian.")

His father was Johann Jungwirth (born c. 1830), but his mother's and younger sister's names are unknown (see photo at left, presumed to have been taken around 1883).

John attended the town elementary school for eight years, from September 17, 1881 to March 4, 1889. He seems to have been an excellent student. Click here to read a transcription of his final report card: Report card

A second family photo (at left) appears to have been taken around 1893, after John went to America.

Later Life

John Jungwirth became a citizen on 24-Oct-1898 in Chicago. His naturalization papers indicate he had lived in the U.S. for six years, five of these in Illinois.

John was a carpenter for 35 years, working at the Peter Schoenlager Brewing Company at 18th and Canal Sts. He was a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners Local No. 58. (See two-sided ribbon, in the possession of John Peter Jungwirth; black side was worn for funerals.)

In the early years of their marriage, John and Katie lived with her parents at 31 Solon St., in the St. Francis of Assisi parish. While they both spoke High German, Jacob and John spoke different dialects, which was a source of conflict between them.

By 1900, John, Katie, John Jr. and Edward lived at 45 Green St. This location no longer exists, but it would have been near Madison & Halsted Sts.

By 1904, John owned and occupied a two-family frame home, built in 1893, at 511 Southport Avenue. (This was later renumbered as 2738 N. Southport Avenue.) The home was in the parish of St. Alphonsus Church, 1429 W. Wellington, in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. It had been moved around the corner from its original location on Diversey Avenue. There must have been a corner brewery nearby, since youngest daughter Susan remembered being sent there with a nickel and a pail to bring back a brew for "Pa."

The family's final home (lower right) was at 4231 N. Whipple St., in Our Lady of Mercy parish, 4432 N. Troy Street. John purchased the 2-year-old brick two-flat on Feb. 28, 1920. Here he kept his beloved aquarium on the back porch (see photo below).