Marie Seitz (Zeitz) Stohler

Catherine Eliza Marie Seitz (Zeitz) was born in Heemsen, Nienburg, Germany July 9, 1868 weighing 12 and one half pounds. Her father was Jurgen Heimrich Dietrich August Zeitz.  Her mother was Sophie Wilhelmine Dorothee Boikhoop.  Their religion was Lutheran.  She went by the name of Maria.

When Maria was in the family home in Germany she was in the kitchen washing dishes, her uncle walked in the room and asked why one arm was hanging down her side.  Maria answered that her arm hurt.  She was about 12 years old at this time.  Her uncle found the arm to be broken and a parent had evidently abused Maria.  About 1880 the uncle took Marie to the United States taking her away from her parents.  They settled in Bunker Hill, Illinois.

Later Maria met Frederick Stohler of St. Louis, Missouri and they married August 13, 1889.  Five children were born in St. Louis being, Frederick, Adolph "Otto", Emma Louise, Emil and Leo.  Maria and Frederick spoke German to their children but they had to answer in English.  Maria could not read or write in English but could sign her name in English.  She could read German.

In 1910 or 1911 the family moved by train to the San Francisco area.  Frederick died of pneumonia in 1917.

In 1919 Maria met and married Jacob "Jack" Steinman.  Jack was 49 and Maria was 50 years old when they married.  They lived in Watts in Southern California and had a walnut grove and raised cattle.  Watts at this time was all country and a peaceful and quiet place to live.  Jack was German and all Germans were noted for being frugal about spending money or wasting anything.  In the late 20's Jack saw a biscuit on the railing of the back porch, he ate it and died.  Maria had been trying to catch or kill a rat she had seen so put poison in the biscuit.  Maria had forgotten to let Jack know about the poison bait for the rat. Maria was once more a widow and never married again.

In 1950 a month before I moved to Georgia with Cheryl and Doug, I went to visit and say goodbye to my grandmother, Maria.  Cheryl was over 2 years and Doug was 7 months.  Maria held Doug in her arms and asked what month he was born.  I answered in July and she said, "Aw, too bad, he is a Cancer like me and will have a hard life."  Doug was born July 24the and a Leo.  This was the last time I saw my grandmother.  She had lost two husbands, had one son that was a gambler, being Emil and her youngest son, Leo, was an alcoholic.  Fred Stevens was a successful businessman and Otto was a chiropractor in Vancouver, Washington.

Maria lived with her sons, Emil and Leo, in Huntington Park, after she sold the walnut grove in Watts.  Maria died about 1954.  Date and interment unknown.