John Joseph Biermann – Born on the 4th of July (almost) – 52 Ancestors #24

Entry #24

I have now been retired a week. Boy, does it feel good to say that, but also a little strange. I have fallen behind on my posts because of moving my office and a few other distractions that came with retiring.

July has several notable family events. Even though this is a June blog entry, I will start with my dad’s dad, Grandpa Biermann.  John Joseph Biermann was born on the 5th of July, 1899. I know, in my title I said the 4th, but that Grandpa just liked to say that. He would readily admit he was really born the next day, but he celebrated on the 4th of July his entire life. I suppose it was  an adopted birthday. I can see how that would happen. July 4th was a big event for families back in the day. I suspect that, when everyone was gathered together, they would celebrate baby John’s birthday.

That is another thing that I know about my grandfather. He was the youngest of John F. Biermann and Anna Schulte Biermann’s five children; everyone says he was spoiled.  One of my favorite childhood photos of my grandfather has a handwritten quip on it, “current pie Mamma’s boy.”  I think the white lettering over little John says, “Cutie” and the word over the dog reads “dog.”

John’s oldest brother, Clifford John Biermann, was born in 1884, so there was a difference of 15 years between them. In between were three sisters: Mae (b. 1886), Anna (b. 1892), and Hilda (b. 1895). Is it any wonder that John Jr., as he was always called, ended up being a little spoiled?

John at a tea party with Anna and Hilda along with cousin Norma Schulte.

The only awareness I have about Grandpa being spoiled is that he was a “picky eater.”  He had a pretty narrow repertoire of foods that he would tolerate on his plate. And, darned if I didn’t inherit his finicky ways, although I am a bit more adventurous than he ever was. Grandpa hated tomatoes, and so do I. I don’t remember what else he didn’t like, but he usually had apple sauce instead of a salad.

John Jr. grew up to be a banker. I am not really sure how he got into banking, but he was a clerk at the Federal Reserve Bank. My mother was his secretary and that is how she met my father.

My grandpa met my grandmother, Katherine Schatz, at a picnic. They married in 1922. I knew there were some issues about religion. The Biermann family was staunchly Roman Catholic and the Schatzes were Protestant. I remember asking if my grandmother was the reason that my grandfather converted. The answer I received was, no, John Jr., converted when he was 19, before he met Katherine. Oddly, John Biermann Jr. became vehemently anti-Catholic, something that I found difficult to understand. I discussed this matter with my mom and dad. They said that grandpa thought the Catholic Church took too much money from its members during Great Depression. He thought it was wrong that his family gave so much at a time when they had so little.

My grandparents were married for 46 years until Katherine’s death in 1968. Shortly after becoming a widower, John Biermann Jr. married Julia Duebber Crozier, a long-time widow and close friend of the family. John Joseph Biermann Jr. died on 10 February 1995 at he age of 95.

Finally, it seems like there is always at least one thing you learn when you research a family member – something unexpected that takes you by surprise. John Biermann Jr. is no exception. Tonight I stumbled across the newspaper record for the marriage license issued to John and Katherine. John’s occupation is listed as “aeronaut.”

What? I have never heard anything about my grandfather being an aeronaut. The Cincinnati city directories for this time period list John Jr. as a clerk. He was a banker and a part-time farmer, but an aeronaut? What did being an aeronaut mean in 1922?  Just when I think I know someone, it looks like I have more sleuthing to do!

Update!  I figured out the reference to John Jr. being an aeronaut.  When I rechecked my grandparents’ marriage certificate, I discovered that John was an ACCOUNTANT!  Apparently, the typesetter for the newspaper mistook accountant for aeronaut. Someone must have had some really bad handwriting!  Aeronaut sounded a lot more daring, but accountant was more in line with the grandfather I knew.