Theodore Christ Elling

Theodore Christ Elling was born on December 15, 1898 in Freedom Township. Known as "Ted," he was our grandfather Albert's third brother, ten years younger.

In the 1910 census, Ted was still at home on the farm with his parents. On September 12, 1918, at the age of nineteen, he registered for the WW I draft as Theodore Christ Elling. He filled out the application, describing himself of medium build with blue eyes and light brown hair. His occupation was farming for his father, Fred Elling. (I found no evidence that he ever was in the military.)

By the 1920 census, he was 21 years old...old enough to be hired out to work. He was living with George W. F. Rohrs, 42, and his wife Anna, 37, and their children Alvera, Harold, Mildred, Edna, Ida and Marie on Infirmary Road, Napoleon Township. Mr. Rohrs farmed a rented farm and Ted was described as a hired man.

On April 29, 1926, he married Martha Krauss who was 24 at the time. Ted was 27. You can really see the 1920's "flapper" influence in Martha's dress in the wedding photo. In the 1930 census, Ted and Martha lived in Swan Creek Township in Fulton County. He farmed and they had one son, Leon, who was 3 8/12.

At the time of their deaths, they were living in Delta. Leon died young in an auto accident, and I know they had a daughter, Unabelle, but I am unsure if there were other children. This is really the only great uncle that I can recall visiting, usually when my family took a ride to the dairy bar in Delta. Ted died in September 1975 and Martha in September 1982.

This post originally appeared on February 18, 2009 on a previous blog, Elling Family News.

Albert Elling's family

 
First Row: L to R - Emma, Mary, Fritz, Albert
Second Row: Minnie, Ted, Harmon, Kate, Henry, Anna, Freddie

Elling Brothers - L to R: Albert, Freddie and Ted

Albert Louis Johann Elling (1888 - 1969) was the first son and second child of the nine children of Heinrich Friedrich ("Fritz") Elling and his wife Maria ("Mary") Rohrs. Albert was born in Freedom Township, as were most of his brothers and sisters.

His eldest sister, Emma Catharine Marie Anna ("Emma") was born just two years before him on June 6, 1886. She eventually married John Scheele in 1906 and died in Napoleon in 1967.

His sister, Catharina Dorothe Anna Emma ("Kate") was born just a year after him on August 25, 1889. She married Henry Buenger and lived near Hamler.

Finally a brother, Hermann Heinrich Wilhelm ("Harmon") arrived in 1891. He was married to Helen Gerken and he died in 1978.

Another brother, Heinrich Carl ("Henry") was born in 1893. He married Ida Huner and died in 1980.

A sister Anna came along in 1895. She married Ed Koppenhofer and she died in 1974.

Brother Theodore ("Ted") was born in 1898. He married Martha Krauss and lived in Delta, dying in 1975.

I was able in interview his sister Minnie once and she gave great information for family research, along with a few photos. Minna E. was born in 1900 and died in 1993. She was married to Arthur Miller and lived in Defiance.

The youngest brother was Frederick H. ("Freddie") who married Nora Prigge and died in 1987.

This post originally appeared on the Elling Family News blog 
on January 6, 2009.