Theodore and Hermine Goessling

In the 1880 U.S. Census, Theodore Goessling was listed as single and aged 30, with his birthplace as Germany. He lived in Sandusky, where he worked as a retail grocer. His store was located at 727 Market Street (now in the west 100 block) in downtown Sandusky.

Notes on the original photograph state that Theodore Goessling is most likely the man holding a hat in the doorway of the store.

On October 18, 1880, Theodore Goessling married Hermine Engels, the daughter of Herman Engels, a well known local vintner. Hermine is pictured below in a photograph taken at the Platt studio in 1889.

The Goesslings had a son born on December 4, 1881, named Theodore Herman Goessling. Theodore, the son, died at age 30 from heart disease. Theodore Goessling, the father, had died in 1891, at the age of 41. Hermine Goessling lived to be 78 years of age, passing away on August 26, 1933. Because Hermine did have any direct descendants at the time of her death, she left twenty thousand dollars in her estate. She gave one thousand dollars each to Good Samaritan Hospital and the United Ladies’ Sewing Circle, and the rest to relatives.