Rose and Emma Rüeck

The past few weeks have been bitterly cold, very windy, and snowy here in Ohio. Weather alerts on my phone inform me that it is a poor time for outdoor fitness. So I have stayed indoors as much as possible, spending my time going through and sorting old photos.

Rose & Emma Rueck, Oregon, c. 1899.

Rose & Emma Rueck, Oregon, c. 1899.

This photo caught my eye and I decided to take some time to research and learn more about the two pretty girls. The photo is from a group of digitized photos my dad had placed in a folder labeled “from Clara.”

Clara was Clara (Miller) Reef, my great aunt, the daughter of immigrant Christena (Rüeck) Miller. I recognized quite a few photos of Rüecks in the group.

These two girls are Rose and Emma Rüeck, daughters of George Rüeck (1858-1944). George, the son of Johann Georg Rüeck (1820-1905), was a brother of the four Rüeck sisters featured in last week’s blog post. George and his brother Jacob immigrated to America about 1882 and eventually moved to Oregon. Their uncle Jacob Rüeck Sr. and his family had already immigrated and most of them were living in Oregon by the late 1880s. Jacob Rüeck Sr. (1828-1918) was my great-great-grandfather and Christena’s father.

George Rüeck married Ida “Emma” Schewrel in 1883, according to family history. I have not found a marriage record for them, so perhaps they married in Germany and immigrated together.

George and Emma lived in Indiana for a while or they were there long enough for the birth of their daughter Rose on 22 March 1884. They moved to Oregon within two years and their second daughter Emma was born there on 22 May 1886.

I believe the photo below is Rose and Emma, but it was not labeled. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.

Rose & Emma Rueck.

Rose & Emma Rueck. [?]

The George Rüeck family was living in Portland, Oregon, by 1889-1890, where his wife Emma was a midwife and George worked as a watchman for the Northern Pacific Rail Road. [1] Wife and mother Emma passed away sometime between 1893-1894, leaving George to raise their two young daughters.

The two girls went to live with relatives in the country after their mother died. In 1900 Rose and Emma were living with their great-uncle Jacob Rüeck Sr. and some of his children. Their uncle Jacob Rüeck also lived a few houses away. [2] He would eventually marry Jacob Sr.’s daughter Regina.

Jacob Rueck farm in Oregon.

Jacob Rueck farm in Oregon.

By 1910 and through 1920 Rose and Emma lived with their father in Portland. George was still employed by the railroad and daughter Emma was a dressmaker for a private family. Rose was not employed. [3] [4]   

Rose married William Henry Lohkamp sometime between 1921 and 1930. In 1930 they were living in Portland with Rose’s father George and George’s two nieces, Margaret and Christine Rüeck, daughters of Jacob and Regina (Rüeck) Rüeck. William Lohkamp was a carpenter who built homes [5] and was the postmaster of Wecoma Beach, Lincoln, Oregon, from 1935-1950. [6] William died in Lincoln, Oregon, on 7 April 1950 [7] and Rose died there on 8 June 1959. [8]

Emma married Roy Bugh in 1929. In 1940 they were living in Portland, where Roy worked in a grocery store [9] and later as postmaster of Wecoma Beach, from 1950-1957. [6] Emma visited some Rüeck relatives in Germany at least once during her lifetime. She and her German first cousin Emma (Frank) Knodler were the same age. Roy died in Washington, Oregon, on 28 April 1965 [10] and Emma died on 6 December 1973 in Multnomah, Oregon. [11]

Emma (Frank) Knodler with first cousin Emma (Rueck) Bugh, Germany, 1972.

Emma (Frank) Knodler with first cousin Emma (Rueck) Bugh, Germany, 1972.

Georg Rüeck lived with his daughter Rose and her husband William from at least 1930-1940, [12] [13] and he most likely lived with them until his death in 1944. [14]

It appears that neither Rose nor Emma had any children. George, Rose, Emma, William, and Roy ware all laid to rest in a mausoleum at Lincoln Memorial Park in Portland, Oregon.

 

[1] Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1890, p. 446; Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 January 2014), U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line].

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSDC-V78 : accessed 29 Jan 2014), Rosa Rueck in household of Jacob Rueck Sr., Barlow, Pleasant Hill, Tualatin, and Union Precincts, Clackamas, Oregon, United States; citing sheet , family 56, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241345.

[3] 1910 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLYJ-L2Q : accessed 29 Jan 2014), George Rueck, Portland Ward 4, Multnomah, Oregon, United States; citing sheet , family 91, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1375299.

[4] 1920 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M4ZL-L3D : accessed 30 Jan 2014), George Rueck, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States; citing sheet , family 216, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821499.

[5] 1930 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCS4-1RZ : accessed 30 Jan 2014), William Lohkamp in household of George Rueck, Portland (Districts 271-553), Multnomah, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0494, sheet , family 104, NARA microfilm publication .

[6] “Record of Appointment of Postmasters, Lincoln, Oregon, 1832-30 September 1971,” Ancestry.om (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 January 2014), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-Sept. 30, 1971; Roll #: 106; Archive Publication #: M841.

[7] “Oregon, Death Index, 1903-1998,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZHJ-4H9 : accessed 30 Jan 2014), William H Lohkamp, 1950.

[8] “Oregon, Death Index, 1903-1998,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZ4Q-ZJQ : accessed 30 Jan 2014), Rose K Lohkamp, 1959.

[9] 1940 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VRTY-7M1 : accessed 29 Jan 2014), Roy Beugh, Tract 23, Portland, Portland City Election Precinct 282, Multnomah, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 37-377, sheet 7A, family 251, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 3391.

[10] “Oregon, Death Index, 1903-1998,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZHC-116 : accessed 30 Jan 2014), Roy Bugh, 1965.

[11] “Oregon, Death Index, 1903-1998,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZW4-G36 : accessed 30 Jan 2014), Emma Ida Bugh, 1973.

[12] 1930 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCS4-1RZ : accessed 30 Jan 2014), William Lohkamp in household of George Rueck, Portland (Districts 271-553), Multnomah, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0494, sheet , family 104, NARA microfilm publication .

[13] 1940 U.S. Census, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VRTS-SHF : accessed 29 Jan 2014), Rose Lo-Kamp in household of William H Lo-Kamp, Oceanlake, Oceanlake Election Precinct, Lincoln, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 21-22, sheet 8A, family 192, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 3370.

[14] “Oregon, Death Index, 1903-1998,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZCH-946 : accessed 30 Jan 2014), George Rueck, 1944.

4 comments

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  1. That represents a lot of detailed and documented information!! Amazing stuff that even family living at the time probably could not have completely and correctly assembled. I know for a fact that our family always knew of the Rueck connection in Oregon, but really knew very little about those folks other than Grandma (Margaret Miller Kallenberger) had some contact on very rare occasions.

  2. Both are such nice photos. If an approximate date could be assigned to the second, it may help to determine if it is, in fact, another photo of Emma and Rose. Those lace collars are sure something!

    1. You are correct. Those lace collars are amazing and might help date the photo. I will do some fashion/dress research and see when that type of collar was fashionable. If they were popular in the early 1900s the photo might very well be of Rose and Emma.

  3. The hair color looks consistent with family trend, ie blonde as very young child, changing to brown through youth years and being darker as an adult (at least until it turns grey).

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