Sorting out the Heinrich and Henry Bieles of Missouri

Several Biele men in mid-19th-century Missouri shared the name Heinrich or Henry, either as a first or middle name. Because German immigrants often used their middle names in daily life and switched between German and Anglicized spellings, the records can be difficult to sort out. As with much genealogical research, the surviving records are incomplete, inconsistent, and sometimes plainly wrong.

In this case, the men I am trying to distinguish are:

Heinrich Adolphus Biele (c. 1820-1855/56), born in Germany, who lived in Franklin County, Missouri, and usually went by Adolphus.

Henry F. Biele (1846-1941), son of Heinrich Adolphus Biele, born and married in Franklin County, Missouri, and later a resident of Kansas.

Heinrich ("Henry") Biele (1818/19-1875/76), born in Prussia, who married in St. Louis, Missouri, and later lived in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Hermann Heinrich Biele (1821-1907), born in Prussia, who married in St. Louis and later moved to Gasconade County, Missouri. He also had a son named Henry, born in 1869, who is not included here.

At present, it is not clear when the three older Heinrich/Henry Bieles came to the United States or exactly where they were born in what is now Germany. The one exception is Henry F. Biele, who was born in Missouri in 1846.

To begin untangling this group, here is what the records seem to show about each man.

Heinrich Adolphus Biele

Heinrich Adolphus Biele first appears in an 1846 marriage record to Marie Brune in Franklin County, Missouri. In that record, he is listed as Adolphus. The couple had two known children: Henry F., born in 1846, and August, born in 1848.

Two Missouri land records also appear to be connected to him: one from 1848 for Henrich A. Biele in Franklin County, and another from 1851 for Henrich A. Biele, also in Franklin County. Both involve the same general area where Adolphus lived and where his descendants later remained.

His estate was filed in December 1855, though he may have died as early as 1854. Beyond these records, I have not yet identified him with confidence elsewhere.

Several secondary sources add possible clues, though not firm answers. Census records of descendants state that he was born in Germany. A published biography of his son, Henry F. Biele, says that Henry's father, Adolph, was from Bielefeld, Germany, but I have seen similar claims attached to other Biele men who appear to have come from different places. That same biography gives his wife's maiden name as Wortman, which is incorrect, so it must be used with caution. It also states that Adolph had a brother named Henry who also came to the United States, though it says it is not known where he settled. Family lore among present-day descendants holds that Adolphus and his brother died of cholera and were buried on the family farm.

In short, the firm facts are these: Adolphus was married in 1846, had children in 1846 and 1848, acquired land in 1848 and 1851, and died before December 1855. His exact place and date of birth remain unknown, though he was likely born in one of the German states in the early 1800s. No record yet identifies his parents or any confirmed siblings.

Henry F. Biele

Henry F. Biele was the eldest son of Adolphus Biele and was born in 1846 in Franklin County, Missouri. In the 1860 census, he appears living with his mother, his brother August, and relatives in Franklin County.

In 1864, he joined the Union Army and served in the Civil War. He married Amelie Sellman in Franklin County in 1869, and they had one son, Otto, in 1872. After Amelie's death, he married again in 1876, this time to Lean Bucher. The family later moved to Chanute, Kansas, where seven more children were born. He died there in 1941.

Compared with the older men in this study, Henry F. Biele is relatively easy to trace. The documentary record is fairly clear regarding his birth, marriages, residences, and later life. The main unresolved point is his middle initial. His gravestone reads Henry F. Biele, and he is identified that way in his obituary, but I have not yet found another record that spells out what the "F." stood for.

Heinrich ("Henry") Biele of St. Louis and Minnesota

The third man in this group is Heinrich, or Henry, Biele, who first appears in the record with an 1848 marriage to Mary Gross in St. Louis, Missouri. In the civil marriage record, his name is given as Henry. In the record from St. Peter's Church in St. Louis, his name appears as Heinrich Biele, with a birth year of 1818.

The marriage record includes the place name Brockhagen, Halle under Mary's name. It is not yet clear whether that refers only to Mary or to both bride and groom.

Two children were born to the couple in St. Louis, in 1852 and 1853. By the mid-1850s the family had moved to Minnesota, where three more children were born: one in 1856, and twins in 1861. The family appears in the 1865 Minnesota census, the 1870 U.S. census, and the 1875 Minnesota census, all in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Based on the census records and his gravestone, he appears to have been born in 1818 or 1819, probably in Prussia. His gravestone gives his dates as 1819-1876, though some records suggest he may have died in 1875.

There is also a declaration of intent from 1845 and a grant of citizenship from 1848 for a Henry Biele, but it is not yet certain whether these records belong to this man or to another man of the same name.

In summary, Heinrich/Henry Biele can be followed from St. Louis to Stillwater, Minnesota, but his origins before marriage remain uncertain. He was likely born in 1818 or 1819 in what was then Prussia, and he must have immigrated before 1848, when he married in St. Louis. No record has yet confirmed his parents, siblings, or exact place of origin.

Hermann Heinrich Biele

Hermann Heinrich Biele first appears in the official records with an 1856 marriage to Wilhelmine Meske in St. Louis. The city marriage record gives his full name as Hermann Heinrich Biele and states that both bride and groom were from Prussia. I have not yet found a corresponding church record that might provide more detail.

He next appears clearly in the 1870 U.S. census, where he is listed as Henry Biele. He appears with his wife and six children, all born in Missouri, with ages ranging from 12 years to 5 months. He and his wife are both listed as born in Prussia. By this point, the family was living in Third Creek Township, Gasconade County, Missouri.

This remained the family's home in the 1876 Missouri census, the 1880 U.S. census, and the 1900 U.S. census. Across these records he is listed variously as Henry and Heinrich. In the 1900 census, he is living with his son Henry, born in 1869, and both he and his wife are said to have immigrated in 1854. The same census states that he was naturalized.

I have not found a definitive immigration record, though there is a potentially relevant entry in a New Orleans ship log from 1853 for "Herm. Biele," whose destination was St. Louis. This may refer to Hermann Heinrich Biele, though it is not yet certain.

Although there are some conflicting dates in the census records, most sources suggest that he was born in 1821. He died in 1907 in the same general area of Gasconade County. His death was noted in both the local English-language and German-language newspapers.

In summary, Hermann Heinrich Biele is better documented after his marriage than before it. He was likely born in 1821 in what was then Prussia, and he immigrated to the United States sometime before 1856, possibly in 1854. As with the others, no record has yet identified his parents or any confirmed siblings.

Records that may belong to one of these men, but remain unproven

Several records look as though they may connect to one of these men, but in my view they do not yet meet a "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard.

1. The 1845 declaration of intent in Gasconade County

In 1845, a Henry Biele, native of Prussia, declared his intention to become a U.S. citizen in Gasconade County, Missouri.

At first I attributed this record to Hermann Heinrich Biele, since he later lived in Gasconade County for many years. However, the evidence does not fit especially well. Hermann is not a confirmed resident of Gasconade County until the 1870 census, and the 1900 census states that he immigrated in 1854, which would make an 1845 declaration impossible.

At present, I think this record more likely belongs to Heinrich Biele, the man who married in St. Louis in 1848 and later moved to Minnesota, since he is known to have been in Missouri in this period.

2. The 1848 citizenship record in St. Louis County

In 1848, a Henry Biele, native of Prussia, was granted citizenship in St. Louis County. The record states that he had been in the United States for at least five years and in Missouri for at least one year.

Like the 1845 declaration, this record seems to match Heinrich Biele of St. Louis and later Minnesota better than Hermann Heinrich Biele. It also does not fit especially well with Heinrich Adolphus Biele, who was already established in Franklin County by 1846.

My current working theory is that Heinrich Biele may have immigrated in the early 1840s, spent some time in the Gasconade County area, declared his intention to become a citizen there in 1845, then moved to St. Louis, where he married, completed his naturalization, started a family, and later moved to Minnesota. That remains only a hypothesis, however. Finding him in the 1850 or 1860 census would help test it.

3. The 1853 New Orleans passenger record for "Herm. Biele"

A November 1853 passenger record from a ship arriving in New Orleans lists "Herm. Biele," described as a 28-year-old farmer who boarded in Bremen and was bound for St. Louis.

This is an intriguing possibility for Hermann Heinrich Biele. If he arrived in late 1853 and then made his way upriver to St. Louis, his actual arrival there may well have been in 1854, which would fit the immigration year given in the 1900 census.

The difficulty is the age. If this passenger was truly 28 in 1853, he would have been born about 1825, plus or minus, whereas most later records for Hermann Heinrich Biele suggest a birth year of 1821. Since ages in passenger records and censuses are often imprecise, the discrepancy does not rule him out, but it does prevent a confident identification.

Current conclusions

At this point, the evidence suggests that these records belong to at least three distinct immigrant men:

• Heinrich Adolphus Biele of Franklin County, Missouri
• Heinrich ("Henry") Biele of St. Louis and later Stillwater, Minnesota
• Hermann Heinrich Biele of St. Louis and later Gasconade County, Missouri

Henry F. Biele, born in Missouri in 1846, clearly belongs to the next generation and is the son of Adolphus.

What remains unresolved is whether any of the older men were related before coming to the United States. The recurring given names, overlapping dates, and common regional origins make a family connection plausible, but no record I have found yet proves it. For now, the safest conclusion is that they should be treated as separate individuals unless and until stronger evidence links them.

R M Biele - the "French Hairdresser"

R M Biele, Rudolf M Biele, Rudolph M Biele and Ralph Max Biele 

R M Biele first appears in the public record in 1885 when he applies for US citizenship in St. Louis, Missouri.

Of note, this lists him as a native of Switzerland whereas all future records list him as French. There are no immigration records that I could find or any prior records, including from Europe.

The next record, this time as Rudolf M Biele, is for his marriage (first of three?) to Mary Streeb. Both are listed as residing in St. Louis County, with Rudolf in Clayton and Mary in St. Louis City. The license was issued on June 16th, 1886 and the marriage was performed by a Justice of the Peace on June 22, 1886.

In 1888, there is a listing in a Kansas City directory for a R M Biele - hairdresser, and then Rudolf and Mary moved to Salt Lake City. Tragedy struck in June of 1890, when Mary and a new born child died. The records state the child was born and died on June 26th and then Mary died a few days later on June 30, 1890. They were buried together in Salt Lake City.

Later in 1890, there is an advertisement in the Salt Lake Times for R M Biele, French Hairdresser. A listing in a 1892 Salt Lake directory lists him as a French Hair Dresser and Perfumer. He is listed as Rudolph M Biele in a 1892 lists of Salt Lake City residents.

It is then in 1901, that R M lands in Butte, Montana, first in more ads for a French Hairdresser and then for his December marriage (second of three?) to Zelia Labuette.

Of note, are the age (39), parents (George and Anna Biele), birthplace (Comar, France) and that he is widowed. His wife is also from France.

Things get really interesting according to a series of gossipy stories in the local Butte newspapers from January to April 1902. The first story tells how Mr. and Mrs. R M Biele are assaulted by Gustave La Grande upon their return from their honeymoon in Salt Lake City. La Grande was reportedly "abusive and used vile language" and assumed a "menacing attitude", claiming that Mrs. Biele was brought to the US from France by him and that he had supported her for many years. Mr. Biele went to the police and Mr. La Grande was arrested. That article and one the next day state that the couple were secretly married since that were afraid of La Grande. 

An article a few days later tells how all three were in court and stated that "All parties are French and none could speak English with the exception of Mrs. Biele, and her vocabulary appeared in court to be limited to a few profane words and risqué expressions". Through an interpreter, La Grande claimed that he did not threaten them but only wanted the return of items that Mrs. Biele had taken when she left him.

The next month, The Bieles were back in the papers when R. M. had his wife arrested for leaving him to live at a "house of ill repute." It was further stated he had known about his wife's prior life but sought to "keep her on the straight and narrow". Things took a twist the next day when R M was arrested because his wife claimed he "forced her to earn a living for him". Another states the Bieles were "given a write up on account for their peculiar ways of living" while in Salt Lake City and that upon their return "the life the woman was living before she married Biele resumed and the husband was a nightly visitor". All charges on both parties were later dropped.

In March, Mrs. Biele was arrested again, this time when a man was charged with assault and battery on her. He was released and she was arrest when an "investigation showed the young man to be less at fault than the woman who accused him". The incident occurred at the home earlier mentioned as the "house of ill repute". In April, R M Biele appeared in court with a lawyer to file for divorce because his wife "voluntarily entered upon a life of shame". There are no further articles and no other records of R M Biele in Butte.

R M Biele next appears as Ralph Max Biele on the marriage certificate of his son Walter J. Biele in Los Angeles in 1911 . This is Walter's second marriage and the record lists Walter's father as Ralph Max Biele and his mother as Mary Straub. The father is said to be born in Germany and the mother and Walter are listed as being born in New York. (While there are contradictions to other facts, I believe this is the same R M Biele. Ralph Biele is recorded in the 1920 and 1930 census as living with Walter and born in France as does his death certificate. The area in France where R M Biele is said to be born was occupied by Germany from around 1880 to 1920. Walter's mother "Mary Straub" is very close to R M's first wife "Mary Streeb" and Walter's birth year in 1888 is after R M and Mary were married and before she died. Walter's first marriage was in Salt Lake City which is where they lived before Mary's death.) 

R M Biele's third marriage was on April 24, 1915 in Great Falls Montana to Mary Fisher. They are both listed as from France. 

 

A year later in 1916, the Canadian census listed a prisoner named R M Biele who was born in France. His place of imprisonment is Saskatchewan, which is the Canadian providence across the border from Montana.

In 1917, Walter also has a third marriage (like father, like son?) and his father is listed as R M Biele.

A 1923 listing in a business directory for Key West Florida, lists a chiropodist named R M Biele. (Not sure if this is the same R M Biele, but maybe he needed some sun and warmth after serving his sentence in Canada.)

As previously mentioned, Ralph Max Biele appears in the 1930 and 1940 census as living in Los Angeles with Water Biele.  Ralph Max Biele died on April 22, 1947 and was buried in Los Angeles.

His son, Walter and his wife Sally, died in 1976 and a daughter of Walter, Sally Jean Biele, later Sally Biele Newton, died in 2001 which looks to be the last Biele in this branch.

I do not know of any connection between R M / Rudolf / Ralph Biele and my family and other Biele families I have researched. There are a few Bieles, in the French records, sometimes spelled Bielé or Bièle.

I will update this post as new facts emerge.

Update:

According to a granddaughter of Walter Biele, "My grandparents, Walter and Sally Biele continued the cosmetics business, Sunar, until my grandmothers death in 1976.  They lived at the 841 Belvedere, Pasadena, CA address with the manufacturing of nail products ( cuticle remover, paste polish, and nail buffers) in a garage behind their home.  My grandmother did most of the manufacturing and my grandfather took care of of sales and shipping."

  

  

 

Charles Edward Biele Jr.

 

Born: April 23, 1936 - Johnstown, PA

Died: March 9, 2021 – Springfield, VA

 

Charles Edward Biele Jr. was born in Johnstown, PA on April 23, 1936 to Charles Edward Biele and Marjorie Allen Biele. 

Charles E. Biele Jr. - 1936

Charles E. Biele Jr, 1941

He attended Fishburne Military School and graduated valedictorian in 1953 and winning an Honor Military School competitive appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.  He graduated from the Academy in 1957 and began a 30-year naval career.  

USNA Midshipman Charles E. Biele Jr. 1956 

He served on several destroyers and received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He then entered the nuclear submarine program serving on both nuclear attack submarines and ballistic missile submarines, including four years as Commanding Officer of the ballistic missile submarine USS VON STEUBEN. He achieved the rank of Captain in 1978, the same rank achieved by his father.   Staff assignments in Norfolk and Washington DC followed his years at sea, including three years as Deputy Director and Director of Navy Laboratories.  He retired in June 1987. 

Lt. Charles E. Biele Jr - 1962

  

Commander Charles E. Biele Jr. - 1971

Captain Charles E Biele Jr, - 1987

After retiring from the Navy, he joined TASC, a small technology firm that was later acquired by Northrop Grumman and spent the next 17 years as a Program Manager for multiple major programs for a U.S. Government customer.

Since retiring in 2004, he enjoyed volunteer work and world travel.  His volunteer work included leading the vestry and finance committees at his church and serving as a trustee of Fishburne Military School.

Charles E. Biele Jr - 2010

He is survived by his wife of 62 years Nancy Heim Biele, three children and four grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his sister Marjorie Biele Hanson.  He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in June.

The Ephemera Journal

Following up on the previous post, there is an article n the January 2015 issue of  The Ephemera Journal by Emily M. Orr that also references the showcases by Charles F. Biele and Sons used in department stores.

Starting on page 9, the article summaries points from  Orr's book and includes two pictures of Biele showcases from the trade catalogue found at the Hagley Museum and Library.

The article has the following text about Charles F. Biele and Sons while explaining the way goods were displayed:

The public grew accustomed to viewing objects through glass as visitors to trade exhibitions and museums, where glass was used in casework and vitrines that designated objects as exemplary in terms of their history, style, or manufacture. Just as in the façade, the glass medium itself was an integral marker of modern construction. Shopfitters served the museum and the store with analogous products. For example, Charles F. Biele & Sons Co., “artisans in metal, glass and wood,” were a leading maker of showcases and vitrines for merchants and museums “from Massachusetts to California.”15 The family business was first established in 1867 and Charles F. Biele took over from his father in New York City in 1875. During the late 1880s, he and his brother Emil expanded the company and established operations in downtown New York. From the early nineteenth century, Beile made cases for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Morgan Library. The New York Sun reported “dealers in paintings, sculpture and antiques bring their special show-case problems to the old firm.”16 A photographic trade catalogue of the company’s products survives in the collection of the Hagley Library and includes glass fronted or glass topped showcases, mirrors, and stools. Some cases, customized with a merchant’s name and specialty, such as a case made for a hat maker A. Abrams (figure 6), suggest their use in a trade fair. Meanwhile other ornamental cases, such as the one for the jeweler LBJ Co. (figure 7) resemble the counter-top cases used in department stores that afforded close inspection of notions or jewelry. The ornamental cornice would have added a stylistic note and signaled the department store’s fashionability.

15 “Cases are a Special Problem,” New York Sun, December 31, 1938. 

16 Ibid