The research library at the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum is called the Starzinger Family Research Library, thanks to a generous donation from people that were descendants of that clan. Today, I hope to tell the story of the original members of the Starzinger family to arrive in our area. That means I have to discuss two men who shared the same name, Gottlieb Starzinger. One was Gottlieb, Sr. and the other Gottlieb, Jr., and Junior has a birthday today.

Before I get started, let me tell you about the main sources in which I found information about this Starzinger family. First of all, there is a family tree on Ancestry.com that has quite a bit of information. Secondly, we have a Starzinger family binder in our research library that was also helpful. However, these two sources do not always agree. In this post, I will refer to one source as the “family tree” and the other as the “family binder”.

Let’s start with Gottlieb, Sr. He was born on May 31, 1797, the son of Wolfgang and Anna Maria (Stelzer) Starzinger. Since I enjoy alliterations, Starzinger/Stelzer spouses sounds interesting to me. The family binder spells the maiden name as Stelzerin.

The family tree includes an image of Gottlieb, Sr.’s birth/baptism record. It is from some sort of books located in Pettighofen, Austria. That image is shown here. It gives the date, June 1, 1797, but I think that may be the date of his baptism.

The map displayed below shows the proximity of Pettighofen and the city of Salzburg.

Gottlieb Starzinger, Sr. was married twice. His first wife, Anna Maria Ettel, blessed Gottlieb with several children, including Gottlieb, Jr. The family binder includes the following information about Gottlieb, Sr. The family tree spells the maiden name of Gottlieb’s first wife as Ottlin.

Anna Maria Starzinger died in 1832, and Gottlieb, Sr. then married a woman named Theresa, who may have also had the maiden name of Starzinger. That marriage took place in 1833.

When we reach the early 1850’s, several members of the Starzinger family moved to America. It does not look like they all came to this country at one time on one ship. I found evidence that two Starzinger children made the voyage in 1852. First of all, I have to let you know that Anna Maria Starzinger had married Joseph Meyr in 1850. Joseph and Anna Maria, along with their first infant child, are found on a passenger list for the ship, Deutschland, that arrived in the United States in 1852.

Farther down on the same page of passengers, we find the name of Franz Starzinger, Anna Maria’s brother.

That passenger list also contained other names of people who settled in this area like Oberndorfer and Mirly. Sadly, Franz Starzinger’s life in America was short. He died in 1853 at the age of 31. His death record, which is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, states that he died as a result of typhus.

Even though his death record is found in the Trinity, Altenburg books, this was a time prior to the establishment of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells which took place in 1859. Rev. Georg Schieferdecker, who wrote the above record, was involved in ministering to the people around New Wells at this time, and that is likely where Franz died.

Gottlieb, Sr., his wife, Theresa, and Gottlieb, Jr. came to this country in 1853. Gottlieb, Sr. and Theresa are found on the passenger list for the ship, Columbia, that arrived in America in July of 1853. I wonder if they knew that their son, Franz, had died before they left Austria.

Let’s now take a look at Gottlieb, Jr., who is also today’s birthday boy. He was born on November 19, 1828. The family binder says that Gottlieb married Anna Maria Haberfelner on May 9, 1852 in Austria. A child named Joseph (or Josepha) was born in February of 1853 in Austria. When that child was still an infant, this Starzinger family travelled to America. I was unable to find out what ship on which they made the voyage. I do know that Gottlieb’s wife died in August of 1853 and their child died in September. Those death records are also found in the books of Trinity, Altenburg.

Gottlieb, Jr. married again in 1854, so let’s take a look at the woman who would become his second wife. Her name was Theresa Brandt, who was born on July 31, 1835 in Austria. The family tree says she was the daughter of David and Anna Maria (Hubinger) Brandt. About the only other thing I know about Theresa is that she was likely the sister of Elizabeth Brandt, who has shown up in a previous post titled, Cool Schades, which told the story of Elizabeth marrying Friedrich Schade.

Gottlieb Starzinger married Theresa Brandt on May 6, 1854. That marriage record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but the record says that Rev. Christoph Loeber from Concordia, Frohna performed the wedding. It also mentions that Gottlieb was from Cape Girardeau County and Theresa was the son of David Brandt from Illinois.

I also am able to display 2 other civil marriage records for this event. Both of them indicate Rev. Loeber’s involvement in this wedding, and they are both from Perry County, not Cape Girardeau County.

Our German Family Tree lists 11 children born to this couple. The first one, born in 1857 before the split occurred between Trinity and Immanuel in Altenburg, was baptized at Trinity. The next 7 children were baptized at Immanuel, Altenburg, and the last 3 were baptized at Immanuel, New Wells. When the 1860 census was taken, we find the Starzinger’s living in the Shawnee Township. Both Gottlieb Starzinger’s are found in this entry, both with wives named Theresa. Both are also called Caleb, and both are farmers. Gottlieb, Jr. had 2 children at this time.

Next, we find the Starzinger’s in the 1870 census with 7 children. Gottlieb, Sr. was still included in this household in his 70’s.

The last census in which we find Gottlieb, Jr. was the one taken in 1880. Theresa is called a daughter, but we know that is not correct.

Gottlieb Starzinger, Jr. died in 1898 at the age of 69. Theresa, now a widow, was found living in her son, Charles’s, household when the 1900 census was taken.

Theresa Starzinger died in 1902 at the age of 67. Gottlieb and Theresa are buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in New Wells. Just Theresa has gravestone photos on Findagrave.com. Here are 2 photos of her gravestone, one enlarged so it’s easier to read.

The Starzinger name became one of the prominent ones found in the Austrian settlement in and around New Wells. People that later carried that surname can all trace themselves back to the pioneer Starzinger’s that arrived in this country in 1852 and 1853.