The Lost Mosblech Sisters

When I was growing up, I often heard Grandma Ellis, Alvina M. Mosblech Ellis, talk about her two lost sisters.  She lost her oldest sister Margaret and her little sister Loretta before her 40th birthday.

Margaret B. Mosblech was the first of fourteen children born to Eduard and Magdalena Mosblech.  Great Aunt Margaret was born on June 10, 1908.  As the oldest child, she was probably called on often to help Great Grandma Mosblech with her growing brood.

Grandma talked about losing her little sister Loretta in 1930 to diphtheria.  Loretta was four years old and died on March 4, 1930 in the Isolation Hospital.  The Isolation Hospital at 5600 Arsenal Street would later transition into a mental health in-house treatment facility.

eduard-magdalena-and-family

Eduard, Magdalena and 12 of their 14 children from the July 5, 1934 edition of the St. Louis Star-Times

The death was particularly hard because they had limited contact with Loretta in her last days.  Several of the younger siblings caught it but only Loretta died from diphtheria.

Loretta Mosblech was born on August 7, 1925.  Great Aunt Loretta was laid to rest with much of the rest of the Mosblech family in St. Peter and Paul Cemetary.

Great Aunt Margaret married Joseph H. Hartmann on June 6, 1936 four days before her 26th birthday.  Uncle Joe was born on September 20, 1907.  He was 26-years-old at the time of the marriage.  He would later serve in World War II.

On January 30, 1946, Great Aunt Margaret and Uncle Joe welcomed Joseph Edward Hartmann into the world in Texas.  Their only child Joseph Edward would also die young.  He was only twenty-four years old when he died in St. Clair, Missouri on July 11, 1970.

Great Aunt Margaret got very sick herself in 1952.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.  Breast cancer would take her life at only 45 years of age on June 5, 1954.  She was laid to rest in St. Peter and Paul Cemetery.

She and Uncle Joe were living in Kirkwood at the time of her death in a house on Monica Drive.  They had lived at the address for four years.  Uncle Joe was now a widower with an eight year-old son.

I think Uncle Joe used to come to the Mosblech family reunions.  Close to the end of his life, I remember him coming over to Grandma and Grandpa Ellis’ house on Kingsland Court.  I remember him having gray hair and being distinguished looking.  He was apparently sick and visiting all of his in-laws.

I remember that after he left Grandma was very sad.  She shared with me how hard it was losing their oldest sister so long ago.  It was almost thirty years before that Aunt Margaret passed away but it still seemed painful for Grandma.

On July 20, 1982, Joseph H. Hartmann passed away.  He was laid to rest in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Most of the Mosblech siblings would pass away between 1988 and 1999.  Grandma and her sisters outlived Great Aunt Margaret and Great Aunt Loretta by fifty to seventy years.    Despite such a long span of time, the deaths were still painful for the remaining siblings.  I don’t think Grandma ever completely got over it.  They were gone but never forgotten.


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