- Bernhard Schoembs of New Orleans
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The Story of Bernhard Schoembs (1828)- Bernhard Schoembs was born 25 Feb 1828. He was the sixth of seven children of Georg "Philipp" (*1789) and Eva Stein Schömbs. Bernhard's christening is documented in the churchbooks of the Catholic Church in Groß Winternheim. Of the four sons of Philipp and Eva, three emigrated to Amerika. The first born son Philipp remained in Germany. The three younger sons, including Bernhard, all emigrated. The other brother emigrants were Georg (*1823) who emigrated and settled in Louisville, Kentucky and Franz (*1830) who settled in Cairo, Illinois.
- Bernhard's Emigration
- The timing of Bernhard's emigration is not known with certainty. His older brother George (*1823) immigrated in 1848 through the port of New York. There are no other family members other than George listed on the Argonaut, the ship on which George emigrated. Their youngest brother, Frank, is also believed to have emigrated in 1848 and was aboard the Seth Srague, landing in New Orleans 24 November 1848. Given that Bernhard settled in New Orleans, perhaps he had immigrated through the port of New Orleans before brother Frank. And that is why Frank booked his voyage aboard a ship also destined for New Orleans. If Bernard had emigrated in 1848, he would have been 20 years old at the time.
- His Marriage
- Bernhard married Maria Agatha "Hattie" Orth Zang (*1815 Lörzweiler, +17.09.1880 New Orleans). The wedding was 07 Jan 1856 in West Feliciana, Louisiana. Hattie was the second of eight children of Franz Michael Orth and Anna Maria Cornell Orth. At the time Bernhard was 28 and Hattie was 41 years old. In March, 1949 Agatha had married Adam Zang in Orleans Parrish, Louisiana. As was typical, Adam was required to post a $200 bond to enter into the marriage. Adam and Hattie were the parents of two boys. Some documentation for Hattie gives her family name as Orth, others as Ott. It is believed Orth was correct. From the descendants of Hattie, we now know that Adam J. Zang Sr., the husband of Hattie, was murdered. Out of a dispute, which apparently had been settled in court earlier in the day, Adam was in an argument with the Will brothers. One of the brothers pulled a knife and killed Adam. The date was February 3, 1855. An article in the Weekly Advocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana relates the events.
At the time of the death of her husband, Hattie's two sons were ages four and one (actually about 18 months old). She and Bernard were married eleven months later. - Their Lives and Family
- Much of our information about Bernhard and his family comes from Census information in 1860, 1870 and 1880.
In 1860 Bernhard, Mrs Schoembs, and their two sons, ages 11 and seven, are enumerated in Jefferson City, Louisiana. Today, Jefferson City is a part of New Orleans. Bernhard is listed as a merchant. They owned their home, with the value recorded as $2,000 and also $2,000 of personal property. Their neighbors are also indicated as owning their homes, although most of of slightly lesser value than Bernhard's.
The 1860 U.S. Census for New Orleans - The 1861 City Directory lists Bernhard as a cooper (barrel maker). "Stock Landing" perhaps indicates he was working at the docks.
- The Civil War
- Bernhard enlisted in the Pioneer Guard No. 1, City of Jefferson, Company D, Fire Battalion, Louisiana Militia. A date of 26 November 1861 is indicated, although it is not presently known if this was a date of enlistment, or some later date. A year earlier Abraham Lincoln had been elected as the new President of the United States. Within the next three months seven southern states would secede from the Union, including Louisiana.
On 12 April 1861 Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard had opened fire with cannons upon (the Union) Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War had begun. In July the Confederate Army under Stonewall Jackson defeat the Union at the Battle of Bull Run in Virginia. In February of 1962 the War reached Tennessee with the Union capturing Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. On 24 April 1862 Union ships under the command of Flag Officer David Farragut moved up the Mississippi River and captured New Orleans, the South's greatest seaport.
On 9 April 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The War was over.
During the Civil War Bernhard was in Louisiana. His two brothers, George and Frank, lived in Kentucky and Indiana, respectively. Kentucky was a border state, with many citizens siding with the Confederacy and the rest with the Union. Indiana was a Union state. - After the War
- In 1870 the Schoembs lived in New Orleans, Ward 13, Sixth District. Their sons, ages 20 and 17, were living with Bernhard and Hattie. The value of the real estate is given as $3,000. As all their neighbors seem to have changed, they probably are living in a different home in 1870 than in 1860.
The 1870 U.S. Census for New Orleans - From the 1870 City Directory we know that they lived on the southeast corner of the intersection of Magazine and Jefferson Streets. Hattie was a milliner working out of their home and Bernhard a dry goods dealer. The 1877 City Directory gives their street address -- 1182 Magazine Street.
The 1880 Census also gives street information. Bernhard and Hattie continue to live on Magazine Street. Bernhard is 58 and still a merchant in dry goods. Their sons no longer live with them. From the map shown below, we see the locations of Jefferson and Magazine Streets. 
The 1880 U.S. Census for New Orleans 
The Times-Picayune Article on the Passing of Hattie
click to enlarge- The Passing of Agatha "Hattie" and Bernard
- Hattie passed away on 17.09.1880, a few months after the 1880 Census. As seen in the brief article in the Times-Pacayune newspaper, the funeral was held the next day in their home on Magazine Street.
We have not found a record of the death of Bernard. In April 1886 Bernard wrote his last will and testament. Perhaps he passed away in the next year or two. 
The present day map shows the locations of Jefferson City and Magazine Street
The Schoembs lived on Magazine Street in 1880. The address on Magazine Street is not known.- The Lives of Their Sons
- The only information about the children of Bernhard and Hattie is in the 1860 and 1870 Census shown above. In 1870 both sons were living with their parents. Ten years later neither were. They were 31 and 27 years old at the time (1880). Further research will, hopefully, shed light upon their lives.
It was here where the story ended from about 2001 through 2016. Then in 2017, with so much more information on the internet, a brief article in the 16 June 1887 Times-Picayune newspaper was discovered. It summarized the last will and testament of Bernard Schoembs: - SCHOEMBS' WILL
The last will and testament of Bernhard Schoembs, dated April 24, 1886, reads substantially as follows: "My name is Bernhard Schoembs. I am a widower. I never had any children. My father and mother are both dead and I have no forced heirs. I give and bequeath all I may die possessed of to my stepsons, Adam J. Zang and Frank X. Zang, equally to be divided between them. I name and appoint my said stepsons to be executors of this my last will and testament without bond." - Finally it is clear why no records had been found about the sons after 1870. While they were growing up they were reported with the family name Schoembs. During the 1870's they fell back to using their birthname of "Zang". This then led to finding many articles about them as adults in the New Orleans newspapers.
As it appears they were never legally "Schoembs" their "step-name" is presented in quotation marks below. - The Family Burial Site
- At least eight of the family members are buried in a family plot at the Saint Joseph's Cemetery #1 located at 2220 Washington Avenue in New Orleans. It is a Catholic cemetery. Curiously, however, Bernard's name is not included on the headstone. Two of the descendants of Hattie, one descending from 2.1 Adam Jacob "Schoembs" Zang (*1850) and the other from 2.2 Frank Xavier "Schoembs" Zang (*1853) each independently and emphatically remember when they were young children being at the gravesite and seeing Bernhard Schoembs' name on a headstone.
Listed on the headstone are Agatha "Hattie" Schömbs, both of her sons as well with their respective wives, two of Hattie's granddaughters and one of their husbands. In checking with St. Joseph's Cemetery, all their records for burials prior to about 1955 were turned over to the Catholic Diocese Archives (504-861-9521). The Archives has the interment register, which is unsurprisingly in chronological sequence. One must give them an approximate (within a couple of months) date of burial (death) in order for them to search the register for a deceased. The challenge is to find some record of Bernhard's death: an obituary, news article, family record, etc. There is no record showing all those buried in a given grave. The Archives did mention there is a B. Schoembs, Title #480, issued 8 June 1927. The title is the legal ownership of the gravesite. In this case the title was apparently re-issued, perhaps because the original was lost. This is per the Archives.
Perhaps supporting that Bernhard is not buried in the family plot is an undated letter from the Superintendant of St. Joseph's Cemeteries D.A. Fisher to family member 2.2 Jules Zang Johnson (*1922). But it lists the identical information as is on the headstone and therefore perhaps the headstone is where Fisher's information came from.
Per the Cemetery office the family plot is in Section N, Lot 6, although there may not be any markers for Sections and Lots. Their instructions were: enter the Cemetery through the main/front entrance; walk straight ahead into the middle of the Cemetery; turn right (presumably on a major street) toward Liberty Street; when you come to a major gravesite for the Lorber family, turn toward 6th Street. The Schoembs/Zang/Johnson plot is the second behind the Lorber plot.
The history of the St. Joseph's Cemetery in interesting.
There are undoubtedly numerous records on the Zangs and their descendants still to be discovered on the web. For example, several of the descendants shown below have not yet been researched for marriages, children and other records. Louisiana, as it turns out, is quite easy to research relative to many other parts of the U.S. - Descendants of Bernhard Schoembs
- There is much information about the family in the various Census records in the later 19th and first forty years of the 20th Centuries. In some cases in the story below there are small pictures from parts of the Censuses. To see the full Census online go to the "LiveLinks" section below. If the person you are looking for is not listed, you should be able to click on Link below for a given Census year, then click on the Search Link and enter the person of interest. This all assumes that FamilySearch.com continues to be generally available and offering the full range of Census records for free.
- Children: (2)
- 2.1.....Adam Jacob "Schoembs" Zang (*1850 Louisiana, +5.08.1908 New Orleans)
- Adam is shown in the 1870 Census as living with his parents and working as a bookkeeper. Perhaps he was working for his father.
Adam Zang and Catharina Brakmann (*1852 Louisiana, +6.11.1915 New Orleans) were married 18 January 1877 in New Orleans. Catharina was the daughter of William and Catharina Osing Brakmann. The spelling of her mother's maiden name is not clear and perhaps wrong in the transcription. Three years later they appear in the 1880 Census. They are living at #55 Chartres Street in New Orleans. Adam is enumerated as a "dealer in fancy goods". 
Advertisement for Adam Zang's Store
click to enlarge- We soon learn that this was the millinery business, which apparently was successful and well regarded. He additionally offered jewelry and other accompanying products. The store was also referenced as being at #31 Chartres Street. There are numerous articles and advertisements in the New Orleans papers for the business. A few representative examples are from 1880, 1881, 1891 and 1899 and others from unknown dates. An article in the 1896 Times-Democrat indicates how he was sought out for his fashion opinions.
There is an fascinating article in the Times-Democrat from November 1887. A.C. Brackmann, presumably the brother of Catherine, was interfering in the millinery business. To solve the family matter, A.J. Zang sought and received a court order barring Brackmann from the premises. One would have hoped it could have been handled out of the public's eye.
In 1891 Adam exercised his responsibilities as a juror. In 1893 he advertised some of his property for lease. And finally in 1894 Adam and Catherine had an elegant lawn party for friends at their home at No. 72 Susterlitz Street. It included piano and violin solos as well as singing of songs. It was well attended.
In 1905 the family was living at 4438 Magazine Street in New Orleans. They sent out invitations to the wedding of their daughter Aimee, which was to be held at the home.
There is a curious article in the 1886 paper reporting the upcoming marriage of Mr. and Mrs A.J. Zang's daughter Miss Amelia J. Bennet. As Aimie was only three years old at the time, it is unclear to whom this news relates.
Adam J. Zang passed away on August 5, 1908 at home at No. 1032 Robert Street. The service was at St. Stephen's Catholic Church the next day.
- Children: (2)
- 2.1.....Aimie Agatha Zang (*10.04.1883 New Orleans, +11.12.1940 New Orleans)
- Aimie married Louis Richard Otto (*1884 Louisiana) on June 6, 1905, the son of John and Pauline Sutherlin Otto. The ceremony was at St. Stephen's Church, followed by a reception at the family home on Magazine Street. An article in the Times-Democrat newspaper, however, suggests that the wedding may have been at the home of Aimie's parents and that Reverend Lynn was from St. Stephen's. By 1910 Aimie and Louis already had three daughters and lived at 8320 Oak Street in New Orleans. They rented their home. Living with them was Catherine Zang, Aimee's mother, who was widowed and 54 years old. Louis was the proprietor of a drugstore.
In 1920 their family was much larger, necessitating a move. But they just moved down the street to 7902 Oak which they still rented. They had six children ranging from 11 years for the twins to Stanford who was 2. Louis, the father was recorded as being a common laborer, which was probably an error on the part of the Census taker. The person above Louis was shown as working in a drug store. Aimie's mother Catherine no longer lived with them.
In 1930 all seven children were living in the home at 1128 Fern which they owned per the Census. The children ranged in ages from 22 to 8 years. Louis is again enumerated as a druggist. The oldest four children are working.
By 1940 only three children remain living in the home and two of the three are working. And living with the family is an "aunt-in-law" Frances W. Wellhausen, age 71. Frances is shown as single, not widowed. No occupation is enumerated for Louis Sr. - Children: (7)
- 7.1.....Aimee Otto (*1908 New Orleans)
- In the 1930 Census Aimee was listed as a secretary for a private firm.
From the obituaries of Aimie (*1883), Leon Britsch (husband of Almeda Otto), Arthur Cantrelle (husband of Bernice Otto), Lucille Otto and Stanford Otto, we can deduce that Aimee married J.G. Erlicher, confirm some of the other marriages cited below, and learn who preceded Stanford in death. - 7.2.....Almeda Otto (*1908 New Orleans, +1987 New Orleans)
- In 1930 Almeda was enumerated as a stenographer. Almeda married Leon A. Britsch (*1902, +1986 New Orleans), a retired railroad freight agent.
- Children: (1)
- 1.1.....Almeda Anne Britsch
- Almeda married Kenneth Schott, a dentist.
- 7.3.....Bernice Otto (*1909 New Orleans, +before 1995)
- Bernice worked for the U.S. Government as a clerk in 1930. She later married Arthur Joseph Cantrelle (+1961 New Orleans). Arthur is buried at the St. Michael's Cemetery in Convent LA, about 60 miles west of New Orleans, where he grew up.
- Children: (1)
- 1.1.....Jeanne Aimee Cantrelle
- Jeanne Anne and Ed Baronowsky married.
- 7.4.....Lucile Otto (*1912 New Orleans, +15.01.1998 Metairie LA)
- Lucile was a stenographer in 1930. She later married a Mr. Bloom (+before 1998). Their children are listed below but not in order of birth.
- Children: (6)
- 6.1.....Richard Bloom (*1951)
- Richard lived in Denver in the late 1990's.
- 6.2.....Carol Bloom (*1945)
- Carol married a Mr. Paine and lived in Baton Rouge LA.
- 6.3.....Elizabeth Bloom (+~2014)
- Elizabeth and her husband Mr. Reister lived in Orlando FL.
- 6.4.....Barbara Bloom
- Barbara and Mr. Edmond live in New Orleans.
- 6.5.....J.D. Bloom
- 6.6.....Katherine Lucile Bloom
- 7.5.....Louis Richard Otto (*04.12.1915 New Orleans, +after 1998)
- In 1940 Louis was enumerated as an electrical engineer at a public utility. There is an interesting immigration record from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil dated 1953 documenting Louis entering Brazil. He was single and age 38 years. Louis was an engineer. He traveled occasionally internationally for business.
Louis Jr. married. He and his wife had five children. - 7.6.....Stanford Joseph Otto (*1918 New Orleans, +21.04.1995 New Orleans)
- In 1940 Stanford was a bookkeeper at a meat packing plant. He enlisted in the Air Force in about 1941, serving as a pilot in World War II and the Korean War. He was awarded the distinguished Flying Cross as well as the Medal of Valor. He received his degree from Tulane University and remained active in the University later in his life.
Stanford married Ceola Sanchez who brought two children, R Carey Bond and Barbara Bond Highfill, into the marriage. It is believed that Stanford and Ceola had no children together. He became an apartment developer in St. Tammany Parish. It is from his obituary we learn of the marriages of his sisters Lucille and Doris. - 7.7.....Doris M Otto (*1923 New Orleans, +after 1998)
- Doris married a Mr. Scott.
- 2.2.....Almeda Louise Zang (*17.08.1886 New Orleans, +12.09.1890 New Orleans)
- We only know of Almeda from her place in the family grave. Almost the entire U.S. Census records for 1890 were destroyed years later in a fire in Washington, D.C. However, the 1900 Federal Census has a key point of information. It indicates that "Kate Zaug" (Catherine Brakmann Zang) was the mother of two children, one of whom was living in 1900. The information is in the columns just to the left of their state of birth. This strongly suggests that Almeda Louise was the daughter of Adam and Catharine Zang.
- 2.2.....Frank Xavier "Schoembs" Zang (*27.09.1853 Louisiana, +25.10.1916 New Orleans)
- On May 1, 1879 Frederika Hoeffner (*09.11.1856 New Orleans, +07.09.1939 New Orleans), the daughter of Jacob and Martha Goth Hoeffner, and Frank were married in New Orleans. The death date for Federika is unclear. The Find-a-Grave webpage says she died in 1989. As she would have been 133 years old, perhaps it should have said 1939. No other records have been located to clear up the mystery. But the mystery goes deeper. She is shown on the gravestone as "Mrs. Frank Zang". Normally a person's given name would have been used. It is assumed that the person in the family grave is Federika and not another Mrs. Frank.
At the time of the Census in 1880, just a year after their wedding, they were living on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans. Frank was a store clerk. In 1995 at the time of the death of Fredericka's mother, they lived at the corner of Jena and Magazine Streets. In the same year Frank purchased investments in the amount of $500 for each of son Adam, daughter Annie and himself. Plus there had been exchanges of property between Frank and his brother Adam J.
In 1899 Frank was in the paper again. There had been a fire in a building in the back of their property. The amount of the loss was given as $40 of used furniture. Damage to the building was covered by insurance. It is fairly certain that the reference in the article to an Andrew J. Zang should have been Adam J. Zang.
By 1900 they lived in a purchased home at 812 Austerlitz. They had a servant by the name of Katty Fisher who helped Fredericka around the house. Frank passed away in 1916 with the funeral taking place in the home on Austerlitz. - Children: (2)
- 2.1.....Adam Bernard Zang (*13.03.1881 New Orleans, +29.05.1945 Matairie LA)
- The 1910 Census has an Adam H. Zang married to a woman with the given name Regina Ulm, nee Bleiger (*1873, +before 1940). She was the daughter of Ignatz and Margaret Brankle Bleiger. This was a second marriage for Regina, enumerated as Virginia in the 1910 Census. In Regina's first marriage she had two children, both of whom were living in 1910 but not with Adam and her. Regina was eight years older than Adam. They were living at 4006 Laurel Street in New Orleans where they rented. Adam was the owner of a grocery store.
Adam registered for the draft in September, 1918 during World War I. He indicated he was a self-employed merchant. He was of medium height, slender with brown eyes and dark hair. When he then later registered for the WWII draft he was living with his sister and brother-in-law, Annie and Chris Johnson. He was widowed and a watchman at Armour Meat packinghouse per the 1940 Census. - 2.2.....Anna Mary "Annie" Zang (*25.06.1889 New Orleans, +3.03.1968)
- Annie was married to Christian Johnson (*26.08.1888, +1.02.1967), son of Christian and Mary Tiemann Johnson, on June 19, 1912. A newspaper article provides much color about the ceremony.
Five years later Mary Tiemann Johnson, Christian's mother, died from injuries sustained in an explosion of their gas stove. Her obituary provides additional information. She was widowed at the time and operating a boarding house at 722 Austerlitz Street.
In 1920 they were renting a home at 3949 Constance. Living with them was Frederika Zang, Chris's mother-in-law, age 62 and a widow. And Katie Fischer, a seventy year old spinster servant. Chris worked in a printing shop.
To see the Census pages click on the Census Links below in LiveLinks.
In 1930 they had a second son, Jules, nine years younger than Adrian. They now owned their home at 3928 Louisiana Avenue Parkway. The home was valued at $10,000. They were living in the same home in 1942. Annie's brother Adam Bernard was widowed and living with them when he registered for the World War II draft.
Annie and Chris are buried in the family plot in St. Joseph's Cemetery. - Children: (2)
- 2.1.....Adrian Zang Johnson (*1914 New Orleans, +12.02.2001 Metairie LA)
- Adrian and June Mary Myers (*1914, +before 2001) were married on June 7, 1937. June was the daughter of James and Christine Arit Myers. Adrian and June lived for many years in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans to the north on the south bank of Lake Pontchatrain.
In 1940 Adrian was a doctor working at the Central Louisiana State (mental) Hospital in Pineville, Rapides County, Louisiana. Pineville is midway between New Orleans and Shreveport. Later he was on the staff of East Jefferson General and Hotel Dieu Hospitals. He also served on the board of directors of the Metairie Bank and Trust.
Adrian and June were parishioners of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. He also had a serious interest in magic and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians as well as the New Orleans Earl J. Christenberry Ring No. 27. He was buried in the Metairie Cemetery. - Children: (4)
- 4.1.....June A Johnson (*1939 Louisiana)
- June married a Mr. Schiro.
- 4.2.....Adrian Zang Johnson II (*about 1940)
- Recently Adrian II apparently lived at 80 Belle Helene Drive in Destrehan, LA, a small town about 10 miles west of Metairie.
- 4.3.....Myron L. Johnson (*1943)
- 4.4.....Noel Francis Johnson (*1949)
- 2.2.....Jules Zang Johnson (*21.08.1922 New Orleans, +10.09.2010 New Orleans)
- At the time Jules registered for the World War II draft he was 20 years old, single and living at home. He worked at the C.T. Patterson Company on S. Peters Avenue in the city. There was a Jules Z. Johnson shown in the Loyola University (New Orleans) yearbook for 1948. It is assumed this is the same Jules Z.
Two years later Jules and Margie Ester Gullatt (*1926), the daughter of Jap and Carrie Pesnell Gullat, were married in New Orleans on 28 October 1950. In 1957 Jules worked for Safety Finance Service Inc. as the Collections Manager. In 1959 Jules and Margie lived at 334 Aurora Avenue in New Orleans. - Emma and Adolph Michell of New Orleans
- It should be noted that there were other descendants of Zacharias living in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th Century. Emma Schoembs (*1866 Louisville KY) married Adolph Michell (*1870 New Orleans). They lived in New Orleans after their marriage in 1890. To learn about them go to the chapter for the Louisville Schoembs and scroll down to child 9.6 Margaret "Emma". Coincidentally Emma's Uncle Bernhard and Aunt Hattie lived on Magazine Street, just blocks from Napoleon Avenue where Adolph's parents (later?) lived. There is likely a relationship between Adolph Michel and Christian Michel, a witness for Adam Zang at his Naturalization in 1854.
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