David Fairfield WEEKS

Notes:

David was eight years old when his parents divorced — something that he felt keenly, due to the absence of his father in the home. He graduated from high school and served in the Army in Europe during World War II. He was sent to special university training before and after his active duty. Upon returning to Seattle, David attended the University of Washington where he rowed on the varsity crew. Following graduation, he was married and became a Certified Public Accountant. He eventually had is own CPA practice in parternship with a friend. He later increased his earnings through investments and real estate. He subsequently built a summer home on Hood Canal. David’s wife passed away when his youngest child was almost grown. He has remarried twice. His retirement years include travel, playing Bridge, grandchildren, a family summer home on Lake Chelan and annual visits to his time-share condominium in Hawaii.

David married Eleanor Jane GRAVES on 18 Dec 1948 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA. Eleanor was born on 13 Mar 1925 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA; died on 14 Mar 1978 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living
4. Living

Harold married Erna Dora MEERSCHEIDT on 22 Jul 1916 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA. Erna (daughter of Alexander MEERSCHEIDT and Olga REMER) was born on 24 Jul 1893 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 3 Apr 1989 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

At age thirteen “Axel” was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Emma and Karl Koerber, in Bad-Herzberg, Germany. This would be the first of eleven trips to Germany. It was there that he began his formal education, taking an advanced course in architecture at the University of Hildesheim and taking graduate courses in Paris. It was also in Germany that he married his cousin, Lilly Koerber who had become ill with tuberculosis and had fallen in love with him. Axel was fond of her and grateful to her parents for all of the assistance with his early life, that he married Lilly in July 1877 at Braunschweig. The soon left for the United States, where she died a year later.

Axel studied law under Judge Teichmuller in La Grange and passed the bar exam. Then he moved to San Antonio where he built a real estate business. He fell in love with Olga Remer of New Braunfels and married her in 1881. They lived twenty-five years in a beautiful home in San Antonio. He became rather successful in the real estate business there, where a residential district was named “Meerscheidt Addition.”

Axel and Olga also enjoyed an active social calendar. He belong to several clubs, such as the Beethoven Verein and the Casino Whist Club. He loved to travel to Europe, where he would visit his son, Arthur, a chronic invalid who lived with a famous physician. Axel would take his family to Europe for periods up to a year. While he and Olga traveled, the children would study in German private schools.

In 1906, after his tenth trip to Europe, he moved with his family to Seattle, Washington. He remained in the real estate business, but he also enjoyed political discussions and taking care of his garden, and parties, including the Sunday night suppers on Mercer Island. However, he succumed to a heart ailment in 1921.

Alexander married Olga REMER on 16 Feb 1881 in New Braunfels, Comal, Texas, USA. Olga (daughter of Dr. O. REMER and Franciska SCHLEIER) was born on 4 Feb 1864 in New Braunfels, Comal, Texas, USA; died on 26 Feb 1931 in Seattle, King, Washington, USA; was buried in Seattle, King, Washington, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Olga maintained a large home, but she was also expected to entertain in a beautiful manner. Axel’s wealth made it possible to hire servants, but Olga’s personality, devotion, and skill as cook and seamstress perfected her household. She and Axel enjoyed their many trips to Europe where she bought clothes, many designed for royalty and worn once at a state occasion. She filled huge bins full of Christmas cookies each year, sending them to friends in the U.S. and Germany, a tradition that her daughters carried on. After Axel’s death, her unmarried daughter, Emita, lived with Olga. Olga died of pneumonia at the of sixty-seven.

Birth:
1900 census: Apr 1866

Notes:

Married:
by T. G. Muelder

Notes:

Arthur Meerscheidt’s given name was Arthur Carl Wilhelm Gustav Anton Archibald von Meerscheidt-von Huellessem. He was educated in Braunschweig. At sixteen years of age he became a cadet in Prince Wasa’s Hungarian regiment and age nineteen became an officer in the Hungarian army. He was wounded while fighting as a revolutionary at Czegedin. After recovering from his wound, he traveled down the Danube en route to Constantinople when he was captured by Serbians. He was spared by a friendly Hungarian and was allowed to continue his journey. He then returned home to Germany where he attempted to join the army of Schleswig-Holstein, at his mother’s bidding. However, the war that army was in had ended. Shortly after he sailed for the United States.

He arrived at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana aboard the “Ohio” on 2 Jan 1850. From there he met an acquaintance, a man named Jenski, who was from near Nassau in northern Fayette County, Texas. Arthur settled in that area and became a farmer and family man. He later became a merchant in nearby Round Top before moving to La Grange in 1874. There he was appointed Postmaster, in which office he remained until his death. He took a trip west because of ill health, but saw little improvement. He died in Boerne, Texas due to a heart ailment.

Arthur married Amanda Karoline VON ROSENBERG on 9 Nov 1850 in Fayette County, Texas, USA. Amanda (daughter of Peter Carl Johann VON ROSENBERG and Amanda Henriette Louise FALLIER) was born on 15 Jun 1832 in Memel, Memel, Preußen, Prussia; died on 29 Aug 1911 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA; was buried in Old La Grange City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

“Lina” von Rosenberg was born at Eckitten Estate, was baptized at St. Johannis Kirche in Memel, and was confirmed at the Landkirche in Crottingen. She spent much of her youth with her mother’s relatives in Königsburg where she attended school and enjoyed musical entertainment.

She came with her family to Texas in 1849 and married Arthur Meerscheidt a year later. They lived in a log house near Nassau, but later moved to La Grange. After the death of her husband, Lina moved to San Antonio where she kept house for three of her children, Max, Otto, and Martha. She and Martha also raised Max’s two sons after his wife passed away. In old age she returned to La Grange to live out her days in an invalid’s chair, cared for at the home of her daughter, Lieschen Scholz. She enjoyed reading and stayed abreast of politics.

Birth:
at Eckitten Estate

in the Landkirche

Notes:

Married:
by F. Ernst, J. P.

O. married Franciska SCHLEIER. Franciska was born about 1826 in Prussia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]