Family Tintypes - 1890

Every family has certain pictures that mean more to you than others. These next two are mine. They are tintypes of my great-grandparents. This first one - I had to lighten it up a bit. On the right is my great-grandmother Rose (Baum) Lenz (1873-1937) born in Dusseldorf, Germany. On the left is her sister Bertha (Baum) Stein. Rose who worked as a maid in hotels in Germany made the trip over in 1890 and by all accounts she was a very kind person - who always made others feel welcome in the family home along Virginia Avenue. I've always been grateful she came over in 1890 and not 1889 and I give her credit - four of her children were born deaf  - but thanks to her hard work - you would never have known that - because they all ended up married and with good jobs. 

Next up is my great-grandfather John Henry Lenz (1867-1941) on the left with his crooked eyes. He was born in Paris, France and standing next to him is his brother Henry Lenz (1862-1939) who was born in the Whitecapel section of London. Their parents Conrad and Margaret (Hoppe) Lenz were originally from Atzenheim, Germany and Conrad along with his brother Henry and sister Elizabeth were part of a work force that went to England to work in the sugar industry in the late 1850's - a very interesting story - of which someday I will write more about. These jobs were so dangerous that British workers didn't want anything to do with that kind of work.

Back to John and Henry in this picture - they of course worked for Cambria Iron and by all accounts had pretty good jobs - they were both engineers. Interesting look at them all decked out in their work garb. My Lenz family made the trip over to America from Germany in 1873 - landing at the Port of Baltimore before heading up to Johnstown. I grateful John survived the 1889 Flood somehow - otherwise I might not be here. The body of his sister Mary (Lenz) Berg who died in the flood was never found. She lived in Cambria City on Chestnut Street near old St. Stephens Church.