The Senica-St Louis Aufrichtigs

Jenny Lederer

Jenny Lederer, was born in Blovice [German name: Blowitz] Bohemia on 12 June 1864 to Adolf Lederer (c1823-1892) and Fannie Fischl (c1829-1910). She was one of 10 children, all of whom had been born in the family home known as the "A F Toula House". Their parents, too, had started life in the same Bohemian town and were still alive when first, elder daughter, Franciska (b1856), and then Jenny, and younger sister, Mary (b1865), emigrated to the United States. 

It is clear that Jenny and Mary left Bohemia when they were very young since, although no documentation has yet been located with details of their arrival in the U.S, both were included in the 1880 U.S. Census conducted in St Louis in November that year.

The Census form reveals that both Jenny and Mary Lederer were sisters-in-law to the Polish-born Head of Household, Phillip Jacobs (incorrectly transcribed as Phillip Facobs). Mr Jacobs' wife (Franciska) was listed as Francis Ka. Facobs, aged 24, from Bohemia. According to the document, the 1880 Census was conducted in November that year which would have meant Jennie was aged 16 years seven months at the time. Her name was also spelt in its original format as "Jenny", and not "Jennie", the Anglicised version by which she has been referred on subsequent documents. The Census form gave her occupation as Milliner.

Other Census Listings

Two years later, a month before her 18th birthday, Jenny married Alois Aufrichtig, 16 years her senior, and a respected coppersmith. The marriage took place on 21 May 1882 in St Louis. The couple had four children - Hannah Aufrichtig (b1883), Charles Grover Aufrichtig (1885), Elsa Aufrichtig (1990) and Albert Alois [Ollie] Aufrichtig (1895).

On 12 November 1912, Alois Aufrichtig died, leaving Jenny a widow at the age of 48, and her two younger children aged just 12 and seven.

In 1914 Jenny, accompanied by Ollie, returned to Europe for what would turn out to be a memorable trip. Postcards sent during their trip indicate that Jenny and Ollie were in Senica on 16 June 1914. Ollie had written the town's German name of Senitz alongside the date, which was subsequently franked on 17 June 1914 bearing the Hungarian postmark "Szenicze". The postcard, addressed to his sister Elsa, read: Dear Elsie, We are now in the beloved "Senitz" and it is a beautiful place. I am invited to go riding in the morning with an army officer. The under signed comprises our party. Ollie.

His next card was dated 30 June 1914 and sent from Blovice. He wrote: Dear Elsie, All well. Will write a long letter all about the paradise as soon as we leave. __?___" Ma + Ollie" The postmark provided the town's name in both Czech (Blovice) and German (Blowitz), its stamp of Kaiser Wilhelm and the display "Osterreichischepost Kaiserlichekonigliche", highlighting its Austrian identity. On another card Ollie wrote to his sister: Dear El. this is Uncle Solomon & Adolph. (this is no Bull) - in reference to the picture on the postcard showing a man and young boy standing in front of a giant building. [NB: Solomon and Adolf were Lederer relatives.]

While in Blovice, Jenny visited the house in which she had been born, posing in front of its steps with her son. [Years later the house was badly damaged by fire, and today the site accommodates a prominent hotel.] 

Jenny and Ollie were in Berlin when war was declared on Serbia by Austria-Hungary and they had to make a hasty return to the U.S. The return trip was eventful, including verification of identities by the French and an escort out of Southampton by a British torpedo boat on 5 August, immediately upon which the harbour was closed to commerce, thus making the SS Philadelphia the last ship to leave that port. Following arrival in New York on 12 August, comments from the ship's passengers, including Jenny, were featured in a New York Times report.

In 1918, tragedy struck when Jenny's elder son, 32 years old Charles Grover Aufrichtig, died, leaving widow Edith and their two infant children, Alois A Aufrichtig, 5, and three years old, Bernice Aufrichtig.

Two years later, the 1920 Census indicated that Jenny and Ollie were in residence with daughter Hannah, son-in-law Mike Lentin and their children Dorothy Lentin and Melvin G Lentin at 5537 Waterman Avenue on the night the form was completed. The Census form credited Ollie's occupation as being President of a stock and bond company. Other St Louis records for that year confirm that he was in the investment securities business at 718 Equitable Building, 613 Locust (Tel: Olive 309]. Although on the night of the Census he was at his sister Hannah's home, virtually next door to his late brother Charles's wife, Edith, at 5543 Waterman Ave, Ollie's own place of residence was at 5798 Kingsbury Blvd [Tel: Cabany 6273-W]. [NB: While she also lived at 5543 Waterman, on the night of the 1920 Census Edith was recorded as residing with her two children at 3668 Lafayette, which she owned, and her occupation listed as President of a Sheet Iron Works.]

On August 22 the following year, Jenny applied for a fresh passport. Her application form advised that the earlier passport, issued in 1914 - almost certainly for her June travels with Ollie - had expired. As well as including requisite verification of name, date of birth, etc, her application also provided confirmatory details that her late husband, Alois Aufrichtig, had emigrated to the United States in 1871, and had lived there uninterruptedly for 41 years until his death in 1912. While it had been known that Alois had spent time in Massachusetts and Chicago before settling in St Louis, Jenny's passport documentation highlights the fact Alois had left Massachusetts for New York, prior to moving on to Chicago.

Although there are, as yet, no copies of any manifest to confirm that Jenny travelled to Europe in 1921, her passport application stated that it was her intention to sail from New York on October 21 that year - two months from the date on which she signed the document. She also highlighted her intentions to visit Czechoslovakia,  Switzerland, France, British Isles, Italy, Belgium and Holland and that the purpose of her trip was to visit relatives.

It remains a possibility that, perhaps, Jenny had an extended absence in Europe since she is recorded as having travelled on board the SS George Washington which departed from Bremen, Germany on 06 September 1922, arriving New York 15 September. Given the well-documented manifests for Jenny on other trips, it does not appear likely that no manifests exist for the alternative - a 1921 return leg from Europe and a 1922 outward-bound journey to Europe. In 1925 she made yet another trip, her homeward voyage being with the SS Berengaria, which left Cherbourg on 17 October and arrived in New York on 23 October.

Jenny's next recorded trip to Europe took place in 1929. On that occasion she was accompanied by her 18 years old grandson, Justin Silverstein, the son of her daughter Elsa Aufrichtig. The couple returned to the United States on board SS Reliance, sailing from Southampton in England on 21 August and arriving in New York on 29 August.

What appears to be her fifth and, possibly, final European voyage took place the following year when she was a passenger aboard the SS Bremen, which arrived in New York, from Bremen, on 09 October 1930.

Following Alois' death in 1912, he was buried in Mt Sinai Cemetery in  the first of a row of four individual plots purchased by the family. The other three were set aside for Jenny, daughter Hannah and son-in-law Mike Lentin.

Photographs and Family History by Tripp Alyn, great-grandson of Jenny Lederer.

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Senica-St Louis Aufrichtigs Alphabetical Listing

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Alois Aufrichtig Business

Family Census Details

Jenny Lederer Background

Charles G Aufrichtig Obituary Notice

Hannah Aufrichtig Lentin

Elsa Aufrichtig Silverstein

Emma Aufrichtig Background

St Louis References

Mt Sinai Cemetery