Charles ("Charlie") Joseph Wenzinger was born in Philadelphia on March 7, 1875, the son of immigrants Johanna
Wagner and Joseph Wenzinger (from Germany and Switzerland, respectively).
1880 Census: 38 N. 6th St., Philadelphia. In June 1880, Charles (age 5) lived with his parents and older sister Lillie (age 6) plus three others, listed on the census as a servant and two lodgers. His father was in the liquor business.
1900 Census: 2225 Clearfield St., Philadelphia. In June 1900, Charlie (age 25) lived with his parents (Joseph and Johanna) and worked as a bartender. His father Joseph was a saloon keeper. By this time his older sister Lillie had married and moved out of the family home. (
1900 U.S. Census, lines 1-3)
Martha Elizabeth (Noll) Wenzinger was also born in Philadelphia, on May 27, 1877. According to the baptism record of the Salem-Zion United Church of Christ (Philadelphia), she was the daughter of Jacob Noll and Anna Catharine Noll (
nee Boehlmann, per
Martha Elizabeth's death certificate).
1900 Census: 1901 W. Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia. In June 1900, Martha (age 23) lived with her parents and worked as a milliner. Her father Jacob, who was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1869, was a shoemaker; her mother Catherine, who was born in Pennsylvania, was a dressmaker. Martha had a younger sister named Carrie and a younger brother, John. (
1900 U.S. Census, lines 1-5)
Charlie and Martha married on November 6, 1900, according to the records of St. Mark's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Philadelphia. The marriage produced five children, three of whom survived infancy and grew to adulthood.
1910 Census: 937 40th St., Philadelphia. Charlie, age 35 in 1910, is listed as being a courier for the newspapers in the 1910 Census.
The photo at right shows Martha with her children Edward, Carl and Elizabeth (c. 1915).
Charlie owned a liquor store and/or a restaurant in Philadelphia, likely between 1910 and 1920. A family photo (below) shows a sign "Wenzinger's Fine Wines and Liquors" on an old building on an as-yet unidentified Philadelphia street corner.
1920 Census: 3135 North Front St., Philadelphia. By the time of the
Fourteenth Census (lines 1-7, June 1920), Charlie (age 45) was the head of a seven-person household, which consisted of his wife Martha, sons Carl and Edward, daughter Elizabeth, and parents Joseph and Johanna (who, by then, were in their early 70s).
By the time
Prohibition became the law of the land in 1920, Charlie had entered the hardware and house furnishings business, with a store located at the 3135 N. Front Street address. The business stationery indicates that Charlie's store also sold electrical supplies, paints and glass.
Some family members speculate that Charlie might have remained in the liquor business as well, participating in the illegal transportation of alcoholic beverages from the Philadelphia area to places in New Jersey (see
Edward C. Wenzinger memoir, p. 18).
Some time after the death of Charlie's father, Joseph Wenzinger (Oct 4, 1923), the extended family moved to a large home located at 7201 Oxford Avenue, in the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia.
Charlie seems to have retired at a young age, as evidenced by son
Carl's 1924 marriage license (to Emma Kaelin) that shows the father's occupation as "retired." Charlie was 49 years old in 1924.
1930 Census: 7201 Oxford Ave., Philadelphia. The household consisted of Charlie (age 55), Martha (age 53), son Edward (24), daughter Elizabeth (17) and mother Johanna (84). Charlie's occupation was listed in the 1930 Census as "none."
Grandson Ed Wenzinger, who was born in 1935 and grew up in the 7201 Oxford Avenue house with his parents (Ed and Ethel), grandparents (Charlie and Martha) and younger brother Bob, provides this description of the home:
The house at 7201 had five bedrooms, one for Grandfather and Grandmother, one for Mother and Father, one for Aunt Carrie, one for Bob and I, and the attic bedroom for Aunt Bettie and Uncle Russ. There were two bathrooms on the second floor and one on the first floor. The house had a kitchen with a gas stove and lots of cabinets, a separate pantry for food, in which the ice box was also located; a breakfast room with wooden bench seats, the radio was on a window sill in the breakfast room; the dining room could accommodate 20 people seated, and had a bay window; the living room was 15'x21' and had Father's 10+ fish aquariums, mostly guppies. There was a 'sun' porch with wicker furniture. At Christmas time the trains were erected on the porch.
-- from
Ed Wenzinger's memoir
Charlie loved to be on the water and owned a number of boats during his lifetime, including the Domph-Noodle, Elizabeth, Martha E., and Eva Dor.
Click here to see photos of Charlie and his boats.
In 1939, Charlie and Martha vacationed in Florida, as evidenced by these
companion photos.
Charlie and Martha celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1950; the photo at right was taken on that occasion.
Martha Elizabeth
Noll Wenzinger died on June 6, 1951. The
funeral service was conducted from the family residence (7201 Oxford Ave., Philadelphia). Her grave is located at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA (see
findagrave.com for details).
At some time following Martha's death, Charlie moved to 3323 Sheffield St., Philadelphia, where he lived with his son Ed and daughter-in-law Ethel.
The photo at left, taken by grandson Ed Wenzinger in 1959, shows Charlie at age 84.
Charlie died on January 10, 1963, at age 88. The
newspaper obituary (from the Philadelphia Daily News, Jan 12, 1963) indicated that he was a retired hardware dealer who was active in Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Burholme and the Schweizer Tur-Verein, and was a life member of Kensington Lodge No 211, F. and A.M.
Charlie's
funeral service was conducted from his son Edward's home (3323 Sheffield St., Philadelphia). Charlie's grave is located at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA (see
findagrave.com for details).
Charlie and Elizabeth's Descendants
Florence Wenzinger (stillborn on Nov 24, 1901)
Carl Joseph Wenzinger, Sr. (b. 1903, d. 1988)
Spouse (1): Emma Kaelin Wenzinger (b. 1904, d. 1994)
Son: Carl Joseph Wenzinger, Jr. (b. 1926, d. 2006)
Son: George Robert Wenzinger (b. 1933, d. 2007)
Spouse (2): Ruth H.
Widmer Wenzinger (b. Jan 28, 1909; d. Dec 24, 2002)
Edward Jacob Wenzinger (b. Oct 10, 1906; d. Mar 29, 1981)
Spouse: Ethel (Ellis) Wenzinger (b. May 24, 1907; d. Sep 1997)
Son: Edward ("Eddie") Charles Wenzinger (b. Nov 9, 1935)
Son: Robert Ellis Wenzinger (b. Apr 6, 1939; d. Feb 1985)
Martha Elizabeth Wenzinger (b. Apr 12, 1910 and died after 8 hours)
Elizabeth J. Wenzinger Morgan (b. Sep 12, 1912, d. 1995)
Spouse: Russell Evan Morgan, Sr. (b. Feb 14, 1909; d. Dec 5, 2003)
(married 1936)
Son: Russell Evan Morgan, Jr.
Daughter: Gwendolyn Elizabeth
Morgan White
Daughter: Martha Alice Morgan
Charles ("Charlie") Joseph Wenzinger was born in Philadelphia on March 7, 1875, the son of immigrants Johanna Wagner and Joseph Wenzinger (from Germany and Switzerland, respectively).
1880 Census: 38 N. 6th St., Philadelphia. In June 1880, Charles (age 5) lived with his parents and older sister Lillie (age 6) plus three others, listed on the census as a servant and two lodgers. His father was in the liquor business.
1900 Census: 2225 Clearfield St., Philadelphia. In June 1900, Charlie (age 25) lived with his parents (Joseph and Johanna) and worked as a bartender. His father Joseph was a saloon keeper. By this time his older sister Lillie had married and moved out of the family home. (1900 U.S. Census, lines 1-3)
Martha Elizabeth (Noll) Wenzinger was also born in Philadelphia, on May 27, 1877. According to the baptism record of the Salem-Zion United Church of Christ (Philadelphia), she was the daughter of Jacob Noll and Anna Catharine Noll (nee Boehlmann, per Martha Elizabeth's death certificate).
1900 Census: 1901 W. Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia. In June 1900, Martha (age 23) lived with her parents and worked as a milliner. Her father Jacob, who was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1869, was a shoemaker; her mother Catherine, who was born in Pennsylvania, was a dressmaker. Martha had a younger sister named Carrie and a younger brother, John. (1900 U.S. Census, lines 1-5)
Charlie and Martha celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1950; the photo at right was taken on that occasion.
Martha Elizabeth Noll Wenzinger died on June 6, 1951. The funeral service was conducted from the family residence (7201 Oxford Ave., Philadelphia). Her grave is located at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA (see findagrave.com for details).
At some time following Martha's death, Charlie moved to 3323 Sheffield St., Philadelphia, where he lived with his son Ed and daughter-in-law Ethel.
The photo at left, taken by grandson Ed Wenzinger in 1959, shows Charlie at age 84.
Charlie died on January 10, 1963, at age 88. The newspaper obituary (from the Philadelphia Daily News, Jan 12, 1963) indicated that he was a retired hardware dealer who was active in Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Burholme and the Schweizer Tur-Verein, and was a life member of Kensington Lodge No 211, F. and A.M.
Charlie's funeral service was conducted from his son Edward's home (3323 Sheffield St., Philadelphia). Charlie's grave is located at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA (see findagrave.com for details).
