Eduard Mosblech (1884 – 1956)

Eduard Mosblech yog kuv niam great-yawg. Eduard yug hauv St. Louis, Missouri rau lub kaum hli ntuj 24, 1884, rau cov neeg tsiv teb German Gustave Mosblech thiab Bertha Mosblech nee Monse. Often written as Edward but pronounced like putting together aid and ward, Eduard yog li nws ua nws lub npe.

Kuv struggled uas sau txog nws vim hais tias cov dab neeg uas kuv tau hnov txog nws loj hlob twb tsis zoo. Eduard ruled his house with an iron fist and did not brook dissent from anyone including my great-grandmother, Magdalena. Eduard was not a violent man, but my grandparents and mom described him as cold and distant.

Thaum Eduard tuaj ntawm chaw ua hauj lwm hauv tsev, nws yuav ncha moo tias nws xav mus nrhiav duab. Tom qab uas ua daim ntawv tshaj tawm, Eduard expected everyone to join in on the search including sons-in-law, yam. This practice led to a famous blow-up with my grandfather, Gilbert Ellis, tom qab yawg sib yuav Eduard tus me nyuam thib xya, Alvina Mosblech.

Nws yog ib qho yooj yim uas tub qaug Eduard tab sis tsis ntev los no kuv pom muaj softened me ntsis. Eduard and Magdalena raised fourteen children. Lawv kuj raug tsis tau ntawm ib tug me nyuam, thaum 4 xyoo Loretta tuag los ntawm tus kabmob qafoob hauv St. Louis’ Kev rho tawm hauv tsev kho mob.

Dua li ntawm cov nyiaj txiag txoj kev sib tw ntawm raising xws ntau tsev neeg, Eduard muab txhua tus me nyuam qib kawm ntawv Catholic. Once the kids graduated eighth grade, Eduard expected them to go to work. It may seem harsh today, but it was unusual in 1910 -1930 rau cov me nyuam mus qib yim tag. Feem ntau cov menyuam yuav tsum tau ua hauj lwm mus rau kev them nyiaj yug tsev neeg.

Yog ib lub mysteries ncig Eduard yog lub caij nws tag sim neej. Police found Eduard floating in the Mississippi River at the foot of Iron Street. Lub xyoo, my grandmother and several of her sisters believed someone killed Eduard. Tom qab nws tuag, nws ob niam mab liab pub tag nrho ntawm cov kawm ntawv Eduard.

Nyob rau hauv 2006, Kuv twb tau mus saib tau ib daim qauv ntawm daim ntawv pov thawj tag sim neej tus Eduard. The coroner could not determine whether it was suicide or homicide. Txawm li cas los, muaj ob peb yam uas kuv laim. Nws tuag ob peb hnub tom qab yawm Grandma Magdalena lub hnub tuag, uas yog ntuj 10, 1945. Cov ntaub ntawv pov thawj kev tuag kuj ho tsis nco ntsoov tej lwm yam kev raug mob.

Thaum kuv hais rau kuv niam kuv xav tias nws yuav muab yus tua yus vim nws tu Grandma loj thiab siab tsis nyob hauv nws lub neej thib ob, she told me that the police thought he jumped in the river on the anniversary of Great Grandma’s death. Witnesses reported an older man jumped from the bridge on that day.

Eduard was not a gregarious man, but I do not know that we could have expected much different at the time and with his background. Txawm li cas los, his dedication to his children’s education and the manner of his death shows the depth of those hidden feelings. Keeb kwm yuav tsum ua zoo.

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