Anna Maria Schömbs of Buffalo, New York

Anna Maria Schömbs of Buffalo NY

CLICK to trace the ancestors of Anna Maria Schömbs

The Story of Anna Maria Schömbs (*1855 Bretzenheim, +about 1885 Niagara Falls NY)

Anna Maria was the second child of Johann Baptist Schömbs and Maria Anna Finger. To understand her interest in emigrating and why she went to Buffalo, New York it is helpful to read about her parents and Aunt Barbara (*1824 Undenheim). Click on the Link above to "trace the ancestors of Anna Maria". Her father Johann Baptist passed away in 1868, leaving seven children ages 3 to 15 years of age. It is not known when Maria Anna Finger Schömbs died. We first know of the emigration of Anna Maria Schömbs from the 1880 U.S. Census for Suspension Bridge, New York. Suspension Bridge was a town about 15 miles north of Buffalo and a mile downstream from the Falls. She was living with her aunt Barbara Schömbs Barthan (*1824 Undenheim). Anna Maria was a dress maker and enumerated near the bottom of the page as "niece". Therefore her emigration was most likely between the years of 1875 and 1878 when she would have been 20-23 years old. She was not living with Aunt Barbara in the 1875 New York State Census. She followed her older brother Johannes in emigrating by about 5-8 years and preceded her younger brother Georg Jacob by the same number of years. These would have been exciting times for Suspension Bridge, New York. It was the site of the first bridge over the Niagara River and an engineering marvel at the time. Designed and built by John Augustus Roebling, a German immigrant, it was completed in 1855. It allowed foot, wagon and railroad traffic to cross the River between Canada and The United States, greatly increasing commerce and personal travel between the two countries. The Bridge was completed about 20 years before Anna Maria arrived in Suspension Bridge. To learn more about the Niagara Suspension Bridge, visit Wikipedia. Roebling went on to design and with his son build the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The Brooklyn Bridge took 14 years to build (1869-1883) and is today still a major arterial in the City.


Advertisements and Pictures of the Niagara Suspension Bridge Click to enlarge

On 28 June 1881 Anna Maria was married in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Niagara Falls to Joseph Sporer (*Feb 1851 Ulm, +aft 1930), son of Johann and Madeline Stedinack Sporer. In 1880 Joseph, a shoemaker in his late 20's, had been boarding with the John Kramer Family. He had emigrated in about 1869 according to the 1915 New York State Census. In May 1883 Anna Maria had a child, a daughter Anna. While we have not yet found a death record for Anna Maria (*1855) we know she passed away, probably in 1885. For in September 1886 Joseph Sporer marries for the second time. His wife is Annie B. Powley. In the marriage license Joseph is identified as a shoemaker and widower. In 1992 the town of Suspension Bridge was incorporated into the town of Niagara Fall.

Descendants of Anna Maria Schömbs Sporer

Children: (1)

1.1.....Anna Sporer (*5.1883 Niagara Falls NY)

We can follow the life of Anna (*1883) through the various Census records. In 1892 at age 9 she is living with her father, step-mother Christine and three half-siblings. In 1900 and still in 1905 at age 22 she continues to live with Joseph and Christine. There are now eight younger half-siblings in the home. By 1915 Anna has moved out of the family home at 2240 Whirlpool Street.

In 1921 at age 38 Anna marries Robert Ellis Jr. (*1888 Niagara Falls NY), the son of Robert (*Canada) and Bridget McDonald (*Ireland) Ellis. It is the first marriage for both Anna and Robert. Robert was a butcher by trade, Anna a clerk. Finally in 1930 she is 47 years old with no children. Living with them is Robert's older sister Catherine who has never married and a boarder. But notice that Anna Ellis is the Census Taker - see her name in the top right part of the page.

Anna Sporer Ellis was the last descendant of Zacharias Schömbs from this line.

Even though they are not related through the Schömbs, it is worthwhile noting the later marriages and children of Joseph Sporer, after the death of Anna Maria Schömbs in about 1885. In all, Joseph married three times. His first wife Anna Maria Schembs died. His second wife Annie Powley must have also died. For in 1888 he was married for the third time. The third marriage was also in the Catholic Church.

The Marriages of Joseph Sporer (*1851)

Year Wife Jos' Age Groom's Father Groom's Mother

1881 Anna Maria Schembs Joannis Sporer Madeline Stedinack

Place: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Suspension Bridge NY

1886 Annie B. Powley 35 John Sporer Magd Steille

Place: Niagara Falls, Ontario CA. Sporer was a shoemaker and a widower. Notice in the Schedule of Marriages below in Live Links. The witness for Joseph Sporer was Thomas Kitchen of Suspension Bridge NY. But there were two weddings on that day. In the other Thomas Kitchen was the groom and Joseph Sporer the witness! The brides were both from Niagara Falls, Ontario. The grooms and brides were all "widowers" or "widows"! Both were Catholic ceremonies conducted by the same priest.

1888 Christine Grassley Joanni Sporer Magdalene Sleightly

Place: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Suspension Bridge NY. The marriage record shows her name as Catherine Grassley. However the birth records for her children show it as Christine, which may have been correct.

In his three marriages Joseph Sporer was the father of nine children. The final eight were as follows:

Children from the marriage with Annie Powley:

9.2.....Rose Sporer (*12.1886 Niagara Falls NY)

**The Marriages of Joseph Sporer (*1851)**
Year	Wife	Jos' Age	Groom's Father	Groom's Mother
1881	Anna Maria Schembs		Joannis Sporer	Madeline Stedinack
	Place: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Suspension Bridge NY
1886	Annie B. Powley	35	John Sporer	Magd Steille
	Place: Niagara Falls, Ontario CA. Sporer was a shoemaker and a widower. Notice in the Schedule of Marriages below in Live Links. The witness for Joseph Sporer was Thomas Kitchen of Suspension Bridge NY. But there were two weddings on that day. In the other Thomas Kitchen was the groom and Joseph Sporer the witness! The brides were both from Niagara Falls, Ontario. The grooms and brides were all "widowers" or "widows"! Both were Catholic ceremonies conducted by the same priest.
1888	Christine Grassley		Joanni Sporer	Magdalene Sleightly
	Place: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Suspension Bridge NY. The marriage record shows her name as Catherine Grassley. However the birth records for her children show it as Christine, which may have been correct.

Rose was born six months after the marriage of Joseph and Annie Powley.

Children from the marriage with Christine Grassley:

9.3.....Lena Sporer (*10.1888 Niagara Falls NY)

Lena was born three months after the marriage of Joseph and Christine Grassley.

9.4.....August Sporer (*10.1890 Niagara Falls NY)

9.5.....Gertrude Sporer (*07.1893 Niagara Falls NY)

9.6.....Frank A. Sporer (*08.1895 Niagara Falls NY)

9.7.....Agnes Sporer (*07.1898 Niagara Falls NY)

9.8.....Clarence Sporer (*1902 Niagara Falls NY)

9.9.....Laurence Sporer (*1904 Niagara Falls NY)

There are also the Census records of 1900 and of 1930 which provide additional information.

Other Research Steps

Contact the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Niagara Falls NY -- death and burial of Anna Maria (*1855), birth of Anna (*1883*), birth of Rose (*1886). The Church as been merged with another and their 716-282-1749 is no longer active. Try it again and perhaps there is a new number.

Live Links

Because sometimes Links to public websites (e.g. Ancestry) no longer are active or begin to charge for access, screenshots and images are usually used in the Stories. However, for additional reserach, assuming they are still active, these Links may be helpful: 1892 N.Y. Census, then drill down on the Original Document Schedule of Marriages - 1886 Marriage (#2) of Joseph Sporer, then drill down on the Original Document