Starting a New Life

This is the portion of John's life of which I know the least, so I must speculate. Arriving at the age of 17, John may have traveled west by train to be with relatives or friends that had come before ... possibly to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (This area had [and still has] a prevalence of residents named Jungwirth, an unusual surname.)

From there, it would not have been difficult to get to Chicago where a carpenter could easily have found work. Rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1871 had made the city's economy strong, and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition would show off Chicago's rebirth.

Here he would meet Catherine (Katie) Meyer, born to Jacob and Susana (Schommer) Meyer on 25-Oct-1874 in Chicago. They were married 20-Jul-1895 at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 813 W. Roosevelt Road.

John and Katie had a large family, all born in Chicago:

1. John Jungwirth Jr., b. 6-May-1896, d. 8-Jul-1961


2. Edward Henry Jungwirth, b. 12-Nov-1897 , d. 28-May-1964


3. Fredericus Jungwirth, b. 16-Aug-1900, d. 19-Aug-1900


4. Catherine Gabriela Jungwirth, b. 12-Aug-1901, d. 6-Apr-1952


5. Gertrude Jungwirth, b. 28-Mar-1903, d. 24-May-1930


6. Marie Jungwirth, b. 17-Apr-1905, d. 11-Dec-1939


7. Frederick Peter Jungwirth, b. 15-Oct-1906, d. 7-Oct-1980


8. Arthur Henry Jungwirth, b. 22-Sep-1908, d. 6-Apr-1944


9. Clarence William Jungwirth, b. 19-Mar-1910, d. 3-May-1983


10. Susan Agnes Jungwirth (twin), b. 17-Dec-1911, d. 11-Feb-1977


11. Henry John Jungwirth (twin), b. 17-Dec-1911, d. 1-Oct-1958

For baptismal information on these children, click here: Baptismal listing

John and Katie celebrated their silver wedding anniversary in 1920, and are shown below at the celebration with nine of their 10 living children. Front row: Clarence, Henry (Heinz), Susan, Arthur, and Fred (Fritz). Back row: Gertrude, John, Edward, Katie, John Jr., and Marie. (Catherine [Kate] is not present.)

Because John had no family in Chicago, the family was especially close to Katie's Meyer relatives. There is no evidence that John ever returned to visit the family he left behind in Bohemia, although his daughter Susan recalled that packages were sent to and received from John's family. His father Johann did visit his son on 4-Oct-1899, arriving (via Bremen) in New York City on the ship Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.

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).