Karl Heinrich Buchmiller - Part One

KARL HEINRICH BUCHMILLER

7 April 1860- 27 October 1887

     Thanks to Golden and Carol Buchmiller for compiling the written part of this history in their book entitled CHRISTINE GERTRAUDE WALZ BUCHMILLER KLINGLER.  Most all of the text is from that wonderful book.

     Karl Heinrich Buchmiller was born April 7, 1860, in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany. His father, Johann Buchmiller, was a master cobbler (shoemaker) by trade. His mother was Maria Barbara Wilhelmina Pfeiffer. Karl was taken to the Heiliggeist (Holy Ghost) Lutheran Church to be christened on April 23.

(Translation of above Christening Record - On the 7th of April 1860 at 2 a.m. Karl Heinrich illegitimate son of unmarried Barbara Pfieffer was born here (Heidelberg), and was confirmed (christened) on the 23 April at 1 p.m. by the undersigned pastor.  The mother is a legitimate daughter of the deceased Karl Pfeiffer, local citizen and tanner, and the deceased Elisabetha Bauersmann.  The sponsor was Karl Heinrich Weidert, unmarried cobbler from Dinglingnen by Lahr.  Witnessess were Nicholous Stegmair, local citizen and laborer, and Heinrich Clormann, local adult unmarried cobbler.  Immediately following the christening Johann Buchmiller appeared, he being a single adult cobbler from Bishoffingen, county of Breisach, with the above named witness and made this statement in the presences of the Pastor whose signature is below.  "I am the father of the child you just christened, the child of Barbara Pfeiffer."  Read aloud and signed at Heidelberg on 23 April 1860.  Four signatures follow, the first being Johann Buchmiller, then the two witnesses, and last the pastor's name.  (Note:  Johann and Barbara lived together for 10 years before they married.))

Lutheran Church in Heidelberg where Karl was baptized.

     He had two older brothers, Leonhart. 11, and Konrad, 5. Another brother, Emil Josef Stephan, was born three years later, on March 14, 1863. Karl's only sister, Anna Maria, known as Mary, was born September 1,1865. Mary was born with her eyelids closed. They were surgically opened so she could see. She never had eyelashes after that. Karl inherited some of his mother's features. He was blond and had blue eyes. Emil was more like his father with dark hair and eyes.

     Karl's father, Johann, was of medium height. Though his hair was dark, Mary and Emil recalled that it was starting to turn gray at the temples. He usually wore a full beard. His eyes were a very dark brown. He often wore a high silk hat when going out on a Sunday or holiday. Around the house he wore a cap. One could hear him singing as he worked in and around the home. As mentioned earlier, he was a master cobbler whose shoes were often displayed at the local fairs. Johann's mother was Christina Buchmiller. No father was in the home of Karl's father, just four boys and their mother, Christina. Karl's grandmother, Christina, was a cook at an inn in Muelheim not far from Freiburg.

     The family had come from Bishoffingen, a small village on a hill that rose above a plateau near the Rhine River. The name of the hill, sometimes called a small mountain, was Emperor's Chair (or Kaisersruhl). The area had a whitish soil that was ideal for growing grapes.

Kaisersruhl

     Karl's mother chose to be called Barbara. Barbara's mother, Maria Elizabeth Baussman, died when Barbara was only 15. Barbara was small in stature with blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was very active and energetic. Barbara was artistic and she, too, loved to sing. She had a lovely soprano voice. Her father, Johann Karl Pfeiffer, had been a soldier in the Swedish Army. That was the way some young men earned cash. He apparently was a man of nerve. He was stabbed on his way home one evening, but instead of giving up he managed to hold the culprit until help came. After his service in the army Karl's maternal grandfather, Johann Karl, became a tanner. He did not marry until he was about 40 in 1817.He married Maria Elisabeth Baussmann, Barbara's mother and Karl's grandmother.  Barbara had an older brother, Wilhelm Pfeiffer, who had been in Egypt. He later returned to Germany. Barbara told someone she had a sister in London, but it was never verified. She had sisters who died as young children, Johanna Katharina, Elisabeth and Margaretha.  As far as we know, there were only 5 children and only Wilhelm and Barbara lived to adulthood.

Pictures from our trip to Heidelberg in 2004

Mark and Lois

Lois and Trevor

Mark and Lois

     The Johann Buchmiller family lived in Heidelberg until their last child was born, then moved to Mannheim and then to Freiburg. From there, they moved to Johann’s home town of Bishoffingen.  He had an acre or two of ground planted in grapes.

Grape field in Bishoffingen

     While he was busy in the shop making shoes and tending baby Mary, his wife was tending the grapes. Johann worked for a Freiburg shoe company but did the work at his home. He would deliver his finished wares in Freiburg and then cut across the fields to get home. The children could see him coming home and loved to go meet him. One night he was late. He had had an accident. In the dark he had run into the end of a buggy tongue that was propped up waist-high in the darkened field. He was seriously injured. From then on his health failed.
     The family decided to move to Freiburg, a larger city, where their mother could more easily find a way to make a living. In Freiburg they obtained a large house and took in boarders. Karl and Emil earned additional money delivering hot lunches — made by their mother — to men at work. At one time Karl's mother was cooking for 60 people.