- Freddie Schoembs of New Jersey
CLICK to trace the ancestors of Freddie Schoembs - Through the extensive efforts of Monika Schoembs (Nürnberg, Germany) in 2010 we have learned much more about John Jacob Ferdinand "Freddie" Schoembs (*12.05.1869 Offenbach, +10.07.1952 NewJersey). It is one of the more interesting stories in the family!
- Freddie Schoembs, gardener, world traveler!
- Freddie was born the third of six children of Jacob (*31 Aug 1837 Friesenheim, +27 Mar 1888 Offenbach) and Maria Charlotte Chambosse Schoembs.
- Emigration
- In 1885 at age 15 Freddie emigrated from Germany to Amerika, settling in Chicago, Illinois. It is not known with whom he emigrated. We are not aware of any other family members who emigrated at the time. But given Freddie's age, he likely emigrated with friends who were older. The document which gives us critical information about his emigration and early years in Amerika is from June, 1897. Freddie was in Brussels, Belgium, having just arrived aboard ship from New York and apparently needing a U.S. passport. He went to the U.S. Legation (embassy) in Brussels and completed the application, which reads:
- "NATURALIZED
No.117 – Issued June 14, 1897
I, Ferdinand Schembs, a naturalized and loyal citizen of the United States, hereby apply to the Legation of the United States at Brussels for a passport for myself.
I solemnly swear that I was born at Frankfurt Germany on or about 5th day of December 1869; that I emigrated to the United States, sailing on board the Persia from Hamburg on or about the ... day of June, 1885; that I resided 12 years, uninterruptedly, in the United States from 1885 to 1897 at ???; that I was naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the Circuit Court of Cook County at Chicago on the 23 day of September, 1896 as shown by Certificate of Naturalization; that I am the identical person referred to in said certificate and passport; that I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence therein being at Chicago in the State of Illinois, where I follow the occupation of Florist; that I last left the United States on the 2 day of June 1897 on board the Westernland arriving in Antwerpen the 13th day of June 1897; that I have resided in Chicago since the ... day of January 1891; that I am now temporarily residing at Brussels; and that I intend to return to the United States within one year with a purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein.
I desire the passport for the purpose of protection.
Oath of allegiance
Further, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; hat I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I take this obligation freely; without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion: So help me God. Ferdinand Schembs.
Legation of the United States at Brussels
Sworn to before me this 14 day of June 1897
(Signature)
Description of Applicant
Age: 28 years
Stature: 5 feet 6 inches, Eng.
Forehead: Heigh
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Large
Mouth: Small
Chin: Pointed
Hair: Light
Complexion: Fair
Face: Long
Identification
June 14 1897
I hereby certify that I know the above-named Ferdinand Schembs personally, and know him to be the identical person referred to in the within-described Certificate of Naturalization, and that the facts stated in his affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
August Stellwag (Witness)" - It is assumed, since this was a sworn statement and that he probably had nothing to hide, that the information is correct. Except perhaps the spelling of his name. The spelling of Freddie's last name is interesting. While most of Freddie's siblings spelled their name Schoembs, rather than Schömbs, Freddie seems to have changed the spelling after his arrival in Amerika to "Schembs". Different records produce different information; some with Schoembs and others with Schembs. The baptism certificate for their daughter Louise, was written as Schoembs. The baptism occurred in 1912. The certificate was written in 1923! Yet the following records, among others, clearly spell the name Schembs:
- Social Security records for their daughters, meaning they registered as Schembs
The 1920 Census
The marriage book of Louise, their daughter, in which Freddie and Julia signed their names as Schembs - Interestingly, I don't think it is possible to tell from the passport application whether the name is Schembs or Schombs. But since there are no other instances where Freddie used the Schombs spelling, it is most likely Schembs.
- Until 2017 Freddie's life in Amerika was easily divided into two parts -- the years prior to his 1904 marriage and the years after. However, in 2017 a record of Freddie's first marriage and later divorce were found.
As stated earlier, Freddie emigrated in 1885. Between 1890 and 1901 there is documentation that Freddie returned to Europe on at least FIVE different occasions. While we are aware of one or two other Schömbs immigrants who returned to Germany once in the 19th Century to visit, Freddie is in a class by himself. - First Trip: On 22 Jul 1890 Freddie arrived in New York aboard the ship EMS from Bremen. There is a record from Castle Garden, the predecessor to Ellis Island. While the information is not complete, this is clearly Ferdinand Schoembs from Offenbach.
-
S.S. Noordland 
S.S. Westerland 
S.S. Maasdam - Second Trip: On 30 Nov 1895 Freddie arrived in New York aboard the ship Persia from Hamburg. Note in the passenger list that the spelling is Schömbs!
- Then in the summer of 1896 Freddie and Helena Knecht were married in Cincinnati OH. The date of the marriage was 15 July.
- Third Trip: Then just three and a half months later on 4 Nov 1896 Freddie arrived in New York aboard the Noordland from Antwerp, Belgium. Here the passenger list (line 33) seems to have Schembs. Yet Helena Schembs is not listed in the passenger list! Apparently Freddie left his new bride behind when he went solo on his honeymoon.
- Fourth Trip: On 14 June 1897, as we have previously indicated, Freddie was in Brussels, having arrived on the S.S. Westerland on 2 Jun. He made application for his passport. See the text of the application above.
- Fifth Trip: Perhaps this is a continuation of Trip Four, for on 24 Dec 1898 he is aboard the ship Viola bound from Hamburg to London. Freddie is on Line 30 of the passenger list. While the summary transcription indicates Freddie is married (verheiratet), the source document, the passenger list, indicates that he is indeed single (Familienstand = ledig). He is shown as a U.S. citizen, having been naturalized in 1896. His hometown is entered as Brooklyn?
- Helena Knecht Schembs had apparently had enough of Freddie, for she sued for divorce as reported in the Cincinnati Post on 18 January 1901.
- Sixth Trip: His last trip of which we are aware was in 1901. Freddie sailed on the S.S. Maasdam, arriving in New York on 19 Aug 1901 from Rotterdam. Here his name appears to be Schembs and he is coming from Berlin. At the time Freddie's brother Philip August Jacob "Jacques" Schoembs (*1867, +1958) was probably studying in Berlin. Assuming Freddie was really coming from Berlin, he could have been visiting Jacques before Jacques then went to Guatemala. Column 15 relates to whether the passenger has been in the U.S. previously. The response indicates in New York, which agrees with the Brooklyn entry in 1898. The year is not discernable but it suggests this is home in column 16. The last five columns are fascinating, dealing with prior imprisonment, polygamy, whether under a work contract in the U.S., condition of health (mental or physical), and whether crippled. None of these appears to be an issue for Freddie.
- While at first glance the pictures of the ships look similar, note the differences in the number of smokestacks and the rigging on the masts.
- Given that travel was much more challenging at the turn of the 20th Century than today, it is unbelievable that Freddie was able to return to Europe almost yearly. Whether he did this on his earnings as a florist and gardener, or he received his money from his family in Germany is not known. But Freddie is in a class of his own!
- Naturalization
- In 1896 in Chicago Freddie somehow seemed to have time to apply for naturalization as a U.S. citizen. On 23 Sep 1896 he became a citizen of his new country as shown above. His birthplace is Hessen Darmstadt, the State, and his name appears to be Schembs.
- Second Marriage and the End of Travel
- In about 1904 Freddie married Julia M. Fischer (*04.09.1882 NY, +06.1966 NJ), the sister of his brother Carlo's wife Elizabeth. We know little of the lives of Freddie and Julia. In 1910 they were enumerated in the U.S. Census (lines59-61) living in Greenwich, Connecticut. They had had their first daughter, Margaret.
Guttenberg, New Jersey - Then by 1920 (lines 23-26) they were living on Twenty-sixth Street in Guttenberg Township, New Jersey. As can be seen from the map on the left, Guttenberg is on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, across from Central Park in Manhattan. But again the information is confusing. Today there is no 26th Street in the area where Guttenberg is shown on the map. This is because the Guttenberg streets were re-named over the years. We now know that 26th Street became today's 70th Street. See the attached document.
During the 1920's Freddie and Julia moved from Guttenberg Township to the northern Jersey shore. They lived in the community of Elberon. Julia became active in the auxiliary of the Elberon NJ fire department as reported in the Asbury Park Press in 1932.
Bets Schoembs Feldmann, Freddie's grand-niece, remembers visiting the New Jersey Schoembs on occasion in the late 1930s with her grandmother, Elizabeth.[1]
Freddie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in 1952.[2] His wife Julia died 14 years later. 
Carlo (*1876) and brother Freddie (*1869), circa 1929 Brothers Freddie and Carlo, with three of their children:
Margaret (*1906), Louise (*1912), and Fred (*1906)
circa 1914- Descendants of Freddie Schoembs
- Children: (2)
- 2.1.....Margaret Schembs (*3.08.1905 New York NY, +13.08.1995 Santa Clara CA)
Gravestone at Skylawn Memorial Park, San Mateo County, CA - Margaret married Richard D. Heitzman (*18.08.1903, +13.10.1977 San Mateo CA) on 28 April 1926 in Long Branch. She was 20. Four years later there was an article in the Asbury Park Press mentioning that Margaret and Richard had her parents and sister to dinner.
Little is known of their lives, only their deaths. In a letter written in 1947 to Elizabeth Feldmann from Germany there is a reference to Margaret and Margaret's upcoming trip to Manila.[1] We know nothing else about this. - Click the Links for the death records for Margaret and Richard. The cities shown for their deaths are probably only the counties. Both Santa Clara and San Mateo are cities in counties of the same names on the San Francisco Peninsula.
- At this time it is not known if the Heitzmans had children. There lives a Richard D. Heitzman in Southern California. We are attempting to contact him to see if, by chance, he is a cousin.
- 2.2.....Theresa "Louise" Schembs (*5.08.1912 Stamford CT, +11.06.1999 Neptune NJ)
- Louise married twice, the first time to Edward Harrison Smith in 1931 in Long Branch, NJ. They had one daughter who died at birth.
The second marriage was in 1949 to Richard Henry Richter (*9.07.1911, +16.05.1996 Long Branch NJ). Louise and Richard were married in Bel Air, MD. Louise died in 1999 in Neptune, NJ. They had no children.