WALTER & IDA JUCH

WALTER MICHAEL JUCH

1882-1932

WALTER MICHAEL JUCH

1882-1932

He was born in St.Louis, MO on October 12, 1882 to mother Christiane Johanne Magdalena Langbein Juch. He was likely born in the family home at 1944 Palm, St.Louis, MO.  His father, Johann Michael Juch, the immigrant from Untersuhl, Germany, had already died at the age of 42, of Typhoid, on September 14, 1882, just one month prior to Walter’s birth. Walter would witness the death, all in 1889, of his three brothers, Hermann, Emil, & Otto, before his eight birthday. One brother, Fred died at age 2, in 1877 prior to Walter’s birth. Another brother, Albert, died at age 21, in 1902. Albert and Walter would likely have developed a bond as the only two surviving sons living to early adulthood. Walter’s third son was likely named after his deceased brother Albert. Walter was the sole surviving son of Johann the immigrant, to continue the Juch lineage for his Juch branch in America. Walter’s only sister, Magdalena Juch (Aunt Lane), never married and died December 31, 1943 without issue. Aunt Lane was the third to be buried in the JUCH Family Plot in the New Bethlehem Cemetery, St.Louis, MO.

Walter was to experience another catastrophe in his early life when at the age of 8 his mother Magdalena Langbein Juch died suddenly on February 22, 1890. He was now an orphan along with his brother Albert and sister Magdalena. But as was the case in those days family would step in and care for the children. In this case the three children would become the foster children of their mother’s sister Maria Langbein Schuetz and her husband William Heinrich Schuetz. Walter’s foster family of his Aunt & Uncle consisted of foster brothers William, Theodore, Henry and foster sister Emma Schuetz. This was Walter’s first “complete” family, with two foster parents and more brothers with which to bond. The loss of his brother Albert in 1902, just 12 years after the death of their mother Magdalena Langbein Juch meant that the Schuetz boys were Walter’s only brothers. It’s this author’s opinion that his cousins and foster brothers and sister meant much to Walter and that because of this Walter named his first born son after his cousin and foster brother, Theodore. I remember my parents telling me that Walter & my father Roy would often visit the Schuetzs. This further strengthens my views about this strong family connection.

On October 10, 1904 at the age of 21, Walter married Dora Boehner in the Zion German Ev. Lutheran Church in St.Louis, MO. Dora was born February 19, 1883 and was also 21 at the time of her marriage to Walter. Dora’s parents were Conrad Boehner and Emma Ellerbrock. The tradition of the day was to name the first born daughter after the mother’s mother and I believe that this is the case that their first born and only child was named Emma Magdalene Henriette Juch. Magdalene was after Walter’s mother.

In the 1900 St.Louis City, MO census Walter’s occupation is shown as cigar maker.  In 1906 Walter was employed by the Southwestern Bell Telegraph & Telephone Company in St.Louis, MO. This was the forerunner of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and eventually one of the “Bell Telephone Companies” owned by parent American Telephone & Telegraph Company.

On January 14, 1911, just six years after being married, Walter’s first wife Dora died of Tuberculosis at the young age of 27 leaving Walter a widower & father with a young daughter. This was another terrible blow to Walter. So much death, so early in his life. He must have been a very strong man to be able to deal with loosing so many close family members. Born without a living father, mother dead, all brothers dead and now his wife. His wife Dora was the first to be buried in the JUCH Family plot at the New Bethlehem Cemetery, St.Louis, MO.

It is not known how Walter met Ida Mae Gadberry McClintock but 15 months after the death of Walter’s first wife, he and Ida Mae were married on April 12, 1912 in the Bethlehem Ev.Lutheran Church, St.Louis, MO. Ida Mae Gadberry had been divorced from her first husband Earl McClintock sometime before 1910. Ida Mae was living with her children at the home of her parents in Wright City, Warren County, MO in 1910. She had had two children with her first husband. These were Earl (b. 1902) & Elmer (born 1898) McClintock. Neither of these children had issue. Ida Mae Gadberry was born December 13, 1878 to parents Joseph Daniel Gadberry (originally of Barren County, Kentucky), and Arcelia C. Creech, (aka Celia Creech), originally of Lincoln County, MO. Early in Walter’s marriage he lived at 4431 Penrose, St.Louis, MO.

Walter & his second wife Ida Mae Gadberry McClintock Juch had four children. The first was Walter Theodore, born April 21, 1913. Second was Roy Frederick, Sr., born February 18, 1915. The third child was Dorothy Mae, born September 1, 1918 and the forth and last child was Albert Kenneth, born November 4, 1919. These four children and the daughter Emma from Walter’s first marriage comprise the five children Walter fathered.

Walter continued to work for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company until his death on August 15, 1932. During his career Walter received a number of letters of commendation for the excellent work he performed for his customers. I have been told that his position at the time of his sudden death was that of a PBX Installer. One outstanding accomplishment was his installation of the PBX for the Bush family estate at Grant Farms, near St.Louis. Walter was given a check for $25 from Mr. Bush for the manner and professionalism in which he completed the installation of the PBX.

Later in his short life Walter purchased a small farm in Jefferson County, near DeSoto, MO. He didn’t permanently reside at this “country home” however. I am told he enjoyed the farmer’s life and that of the hunter and outdoorsman. I have pictures of him with rifle in hand after the hunt when he visited the Gadberry family (his in-laws) in Follett, Lipscomb County, Texas!

Walter’s life was extinguished at 49 years of age. At the time of his death he was residing at 5661 Cote Brilliant. My mother has said that it was an allergic reaction to poison ivy or poison oak that he contacted while at his farm near DeSoto. In any case the cause of death on his death certificate is listed as liver failure. At his death on August 15, 1932, Walter was an active employee of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Walter was the second to be buried in the JUCH Family plot at the New Bethlehem Cemetery, St.Louis, MO. Prior to his death Walter bought Perpetual Care (Certificate #456), for the JUCH Family Plot, for the sum of $122 on March 30, 1925.

Son of an immigrant. Born to a widowed mother. Orphaned at age 8. Widowed at age 27. Death at age 49. This summarizes the short life of Walter Michael Juch. From all accounts he was a loving, kind and gentle man with a dedication to excellence in all his endeavors.

SCHUETZ//SCHUTZ FAMILY

My Grandfather’s Foster Parents

Mary/Maria S. Langbein Schuetz (1832-1906) and Heinrich (Henry) W. Schuetz (1830-1908), Walter’s foster parents are buried in Lot #476 adjacent to Johan Michael Juch & wife Magdalene C. Langbein Juch in Lot #459 at Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery, St.Louis, MO

The 1900 Census for City of St.Louis (above)

Retyped as follows:

Schuetz, (Henry) sic Head

----------, Marie Wife

Juch, Magdaline ? daughter (foster)

------, Albert ? son (foster)

-----, Walter ? son (foster)

NOTE: The spelling of the surname Schuetz appears in a number of variations, i.e Schultz, Schutz. In the estate record for Andreas Langbein, Henry Schutz was the administrator so Schutz is likely the surname that survived the transformation to English from german.

Aunt Mary & Uncle Henry had a son named Theodore A. Schuetz who married Julia M. Dicke. Julia was the daughter of John H. Dicke and Margaret E. Unknown. Theodore and Julia had a daughter named Cornelia T. Schuetz who later married George W. Snarr George & Cornelia lived with Cornelia’s parents Theodore & Julia for many years according to the 1920 & 1930 census records. Aunt Dottie remembers “uncle Theodore & aunt Julia” and visiting the “Schuetzs & Snarrs in the 1930’s at 414 Baker in Webster Groves, MO.

IDA MAE GADBERRY

My Grandmother

IDA MAE GADBERRY

(about age 18)

1878-1945

IDA MAE GADBERRY

(about age 22)

1878-1945

IDA MAE GADBERRY JUCH

(about age 65)

1878-1945

IDA MAE GADBERRY

1878-1945

by Roy Frederick Juch, Jr.

Grandson

Ida Mae Gadberry was the only grandparent alive when I was born. I vaguely remember her when she visited with us on Oakdale Street in St.Louis, Missouri, when I was five years old. Her ancestry on both her mother’s & father’s side are my only colonial ancestry.

Note: Colonial ancestry refers to those coming to America during the times when the colonies were being formed. This is generally between the years 1620 (Jamestown) and 1775, and before the birth of the United States. Early Gadberry/Gadbury arrival in the colonies is recorded in 1704. Colonial arrivals settled along the Eastern Shore and gradually migrated Westward as the “new” government in Washington created incentives, which were usually land grants for military service, or “free” land in return for an agreement to “homestead” for a specified period of time. In our case, the Gadberrys migrated from Virginia to North Carolina, then Kentucky and finally Missouri.

Ida Mae always said she was born in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. But I believe she was actually born on 13 December 1878 in the family home in Hiseville, Barren County, Kentucky, which is a small town only a few miles North of Glasgow. No birth certificate has been found to authenticate her birth place. I believe she always said Glasgow because that was the closest large town to where she was actually born. Ida Mae’s father was Joseph Daniel Gadberry (1834-1910). Her mother was Arcelia Creech (1846-1925), also known as Celia Creech. Ida Mae was the first child of Joseph & Celia to be born in Kentucky. The children born to Joseph & Celia after Ida Mae were also all born in Kentucky. Previously five children had been born in Lincoln County, Missouri with the sixth child born in Indiana while the family was returning to Kentucky in December 1875.

For some unknown reason my grandmother’s family returned to Missouri in about 1887 when Ida Mae was eight or nine years old. A home in Wright City, Warren County, Missouri was purchased. This was a house on lots 5 & 6, block 9, Wright City Village, which is on the Northeast corner of North 2^nd Street & Elm Street. North 2^nd Street was at one time the main East-West Highway between St.Louis and Kansas City. Ida Mae likely attended public schools in Wright City. If she had completed public schools Ida Mae would have graduated in about 1895 or 1896 from the Wright City Public High School?

In about 1897 at age 19, Ida Mae married for the first time to Earl McClintock, Sr. Two sons were born during this troubled marriage. Elmer was born about 1898 and died of cancer at about age 28 in about 1926. Elmer was married to a Thelma Unknown but without issue. The second son, Earl Alexander was born 14 September 1902 and died on 7 September 1984 at age 81. Earl, Jr. was married twice without issue. Earl, Jr. had a distinguished career with The Western Electric Company (St.Louis), Warner Brothers Studios (Hollywood), and retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Army. Ida Mae divorced Earl, Sr. prior to 1910 because in the 1910 census she and her two sons are living with her parents in Wright City, Warren County, Missouri.

During Ida Mae’s life she spent much time developing her talents as a millinery designer and maker. Her ladies hats were sold from the home and store of her parents in Wright City and possibly from her home in St.Louis. Ida Mae also was a seamstress. Ida Mae’s niece, Dora Gadberry Perry told me the story about her Aunt Ida once sending her a wool dress for some occasion when she was a very young girl. It was beautiful but Dora didn’t know how to wash it and after washing it in hot water the dress shrank to the size of a doll dress!

It is unknown how my divorced grandmother Ida Mae met my widowed grandfather Walter Michael Juch? I believe it was most likely in St.Louis since Walter was living & working in St.Louis? Walter had lost his first wife Dora Boehner on 14 Jan 1911 when she was just age 27 to Consumption/TB. Ida Mae & Walter were married on 27 April 1912 in the Bethlehem Ev. Lutheran Church in St.Louis, Missouri. Ida Mae with two sons and Walter with a daughter (Emma) joined families and then had four more children of their own. I have been told that both were even tempered, kind, and down to earth people.

Ida Mae was a Missionary Baptist and Walter was a Lutheran. However Ida Mae must have been very tolerant of a person’s choice of religion. My mother told me that her mother-in-law would drive my mother to the Catholic Church for mass as my mother did not drive. Ida Mae would sit on the pew at the back of the church while my mother attended services.

Walter & Ida Mae had four children.    The first born was Walter Theodore, born 21 April 1913.    The second was Roy Frederick, Sr., born 18 February 1915.   The third child was Dorothy Mae, born 1 September 1918 and the forth and last child was Albert Kenneth, born 4 November 1919.  

Ida Mae was living with her daughter Dorothy Baumgartner at 5811A Thekla when she died at age 66 of Bronchial Pneumonia after suffering a stroke. Ida Mae died in the Bethesda Hospital in St.Louis, Missouri on 12 November 1945 at 4:30am. Ida Mae was buried on 15 November 1945 next to her second husband Walter in the Juch family plot in New Bethlehem Cemetery, St.Louis, Missouri.

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Comments are welcome. Please email me at:

royjuch at juch dot net