1. Martha (c 1877, Germany)
2. Rudolf (c 1879, Germany)
3. Edmund (c 1881, Germany)
4. George (1885, New York)
5. Lilian (1888, New York)

To America

On 11 May 1882 and without his family Edmund T. Schletter arrived in America aboard the Westphalia; his occupation is listed as gardener. He was 30 years old. He left from Hamburg, Germany sailed to Le Havre, France then on to New York City. He arrived at Castle Garden (today it’s Castle Clinton National Monument) in Battery Park on tip of Manhattan, America’s first official immigration center. Ellis Island opened ten years later in 1892.

About 4 months later his wife, Wilhelmina and their three children, Martha, Rudolf and Edmund, joined Edmund T. in America arriving on 26 September at New York aboard the S.S. Herder from Hamburg, Germany via Le Havre, France.

Machpelah Cemetery – 1885

George Schletter was born in a cemetery. Years later, looking for a copy of his birth certificate for his Social Security application, George writes to the New York City Department of Health for a copy. His gives his place of birth in the application as “Cypress Hill” Brooklyn and his exact place of birth as “Machpelah – Cemetery = (House)”. Machpelah is a Jewish cemetery within Cypress Hill where Houdini is buried.

The death of Edmund Theodore

Fresh Pond Crematory

After having been under a doctor’s care for at least 4 days, Edmund T. Schletter died on Tuesday, 27 March 1900. He died in Cypress Hills, New York at the age of 48. Edmund was cremated at Fresh Pond Crematory. His cause of death is listed as “Acute Labor Pneumonia.”  He lived in America almost 18 years.

1900 US Census

On 02 June 1900 the Schletters lived on Cypress Avenue in Queens Ward 2 District 642. The head of the household was now Wilhelmina (45) and living at home were George (14) and Lillian (12) and their older sister, Margaret (23 aka Martha) who is now married to Henry WURSTIN (27) a clothing salesman. Wilhelmina and George are listed as “cemetery gardeners”.

A Wedding – 1905

Elsie and George years later

On Christmas Eve 1905, George SCHLETTER (19) married Elsie SCHWARZ (18). They were married in Elsie’s parent’s home at 107 Russell Street in Brooklyn. Official witnesses to the service were Elise’s brother Walter SCHWARZ and George’s sister Lilian SCHLETTER. By the time of the wedding George lived at 1253 Degraw Street in Brooklyn and he was now a salesman. It’s unknown if Minna and Lillian lived at that address also. George and Elise would have four children:

1. Dorothea (1907 – 1998)
2. Edmund T. (1909 – 1979)
3. Jeannette (1919 – 2006)
4. Gerard (1921 – 2007)

1910 US Census

108 Suydam Street in Brooklyn was the George SCHLETTER household in 1910. George (24) was a “postal cards” salesman. Elsie took care of their two young children, Dorothy (2) and Edmund (9 months and perhaps named after his paternal grandfather.)

No record of Wilhelmina SCHLETTER or her daughter Lilian has been found in the 1910 US Census to date.

World War I and Raggedy Ann and Andy

On 12 September 1918, just about two months before the Germany and Allies sign an Armistice ending World War I, George SCHLETTER enlists in the US Army. He’s a 34 year old salesman for P.F. Volland & Co, a publisher whose claim to fame is the Raggedy Ann and Andy line of goods. George sold greeting cards for the Chicago area based company.

1920 US Census

By 1920 the George SCHLETTER family grew to include Jeannette (7 months) and moved to 3391 Bidford (Bedford?) Avenue in Brooklyn. George is now listed as a stationary salesman.

By the census date, 07 January 07 1920, Wilhelmina SCHLETTER (65) lived in the WUESTLIE household at 48 Stratford Road, Brooklyn. She lived with the head of the household, her daughter Martha (43) a leather goods saleslady and her granddaughter Mildred (11). The correct spelling of Martha’s married name is unclear; it’s “Wurstin” in the 1900 census and “Wuestlie” in the 1920 census. By this time Martha’s husband Henry is not included in the household. He may be deceased or the couple divorced.

To Germany and Back

S.S. George Washington

Sometime after January 1920 Wilhelmina “Mina” SCHLETTER returned to Germany and returned on 27 September 1921 into Ellis Island. The George Washington manifest lists her final destination as her son-in-law’s, Albin ROESSLER at 51 Beech St, Dover, New Jersey. She traveled with $20 and Anna ROESSLER. The stated purpose of Minna’s trip was to visit “daughter NYC med cert senility”. This is the last record of Wilhelmina SCHLETTER I’ve located to date.

By 04 April 1930 Albin and Anna Roessler lived at 416 Madison Street in Boonton, New Jersey. Was Anna really her daughter?

1930 US Census

The George SCHLETTER family has not been found in this census with the exception of George’s daughter now Mrs. Dorothea Schletter EVERS and Lilian SCHLETTER.

In 1929 at the age of 21, Dorothea Schletter marries 57 year old Peter M EVERS, a furniture salesman and in 1930 they live in unit 1D of the Park Side Court Apartments for $65 a month at 150^th Street (Alsop Street) in Jamaica, Queens.

Lilian D. SCHLETTER is another story altogether …