Louis THOMSER

   Another name for Louis was Ludwig Thomser; Louis THUMSER.

  General Notes:

The name Thomser was not found in any census records except for a William Thomser in Baltimore in 1850. That individual was identified as a black slave. A Maggie Thomser, age 2, daughter of Frank and Eva Thomser, was found in the records for a Catholic cemetery in West Turin, Lewis Co. in upstate NY, buried in 1871, but no Thomser family was found in that area in the 1870 census. (There was a Frank Thompson living in West Turin in 1870 but no Maggie in the family.)

Search of the 1860 census records show a Louis "Thomson," age 18, enumerated with Louis, Mary, Joseph, Charles, Martin and Josephine Reitz in Ward 16, Brooklyn. The men are all listed as glassblowers. Anthony Kaferly and family are living next door. His wife is named Appolonia. His children include Henry, Anth., Mich., Appolonia, Math., and Barbara. Anthony and wife were born in Bavaria. Anthony and Henry are identified as jewelers. It is believed that this is the Koferl family and that the daughter Appolonia became the wife of Louis Thomser.

In 1870 the following families were enumerated together: 1) Anton Keffer and wife "Ablonen"; 2) Louis Tumpser, age 28, with wife Lisi, age 19, and son Louis, age 1 month; and Louis Reitz, age 56, wirh 4 children. Anton is identified as a jeweler and the two Louises work in a glass factory. All of the Reitz men were identified as having been born in France. Anton was born in Bavaria. It is believed that Anton Keffer is the Anthony Kaferly of the 1860 census.

1880 census records indicate that Louis "Tomser" was 35 years old and born in Lorraine. He was widowed at that time. He is identified as working in a glass factory. Two female children, born in New York, are with him. Since young Louis does not appear with the family, it is assumed that he died before his tenth birthday. The family is living at 98 Meserole Street. Louis declares that he was born in Lorraine.

Research was done on the name Thomser in France. According to an email from a person living in Lorraine, Thomser is not a Lorraine name. Mary E. Thomser Reiss' death certificate states that her parents were Lewis and Mary Thompson, born in Germany. On the International Genealogical Index of the Family History Library, one Roman Catholic Thomser was found in Germany. The individual was identified as Joannes Adamus Thomser, son of Caspari Thomser and Barbarae Franklin, Joannes was christened 26 Aug. 1813 in Birkenhördt, Pfalz (Rheinland), Bayern. This city is very close to the border of Lorrain (about 22 miles from Bitche). Since Louis' father was named John (Joannes is Latin for John), it is very possible that this person was the father of Louis. If this is Louis' father, the family may have moved from Germany to Lorraine before Louis was born. Messages left on the Moselle Website by researchers have indicated that I should be also checking "Thumser" and "Dumser."

On November 17, I checked the IGI for Thumser and Dumser in Lorraine and Germany. I found two Joannes Dumsers, born in 1811 and 1814 in Birkenhördt. The parents are listed as Casparus Dumser and Barbarae Franck. I did not find any Thumsers or Dumsers in Lorraine in the time frame to be the father of Louis. One researcher stated that the "Thumser"s were from Bohemia. Further research will be done.

The 1890-91 Brooklyn City Directory shows a Louis Thomser, a packer, living at 10 Scholes Street, Brooklyn. This address is about five blocks away from 166 Hope Street where Francis J. Reiss was living at that time. It is around this time that Mary and Francis were married.

The sponsors for Louis Frank Reiss at his baptism are listed as Louis and Lena Thomser. These individuals were most likely Louis Thomser and his second wife.

Research on Ancestry.com shows a Louis Thomser (Tomser) as an enlistee in the Union Army on August 16, 1861. This is a New York City outfit. According to the posting on that website, Louis enlisted as a Private in the 68th NY Infantry and was a 2nd Lieutenant at Discharge. Pension records for this individual were requested from the National Archives on June 26, 2000. The wife of Louis Thomser is identified as Magdalene Zimmer.

The pension records were received from the National Archives on November 27, 2000. The pension records state that Louis was mustered in as a private, promoted to Corporal and discharged as a 1st Sgt. on December 31,1863. He re-enlisted on January 1, 1864 as a veteran volunteer. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. on May 30, 1864 and was mustered in at that rank on June 7, 1864. He was mustered out of service on November 30, 1865 at Lookout Valley, TN.

At the time that Louis applied for his pension (May 24, 1897), he states that he is unable to work due to chronic rheumatism, failing eyesight, neuritis causing a general waste of entire body. His address at this time is 10 Scholes Street.

Among the pension records was the death certificate for Louis Thomser. He died on September 4, 1911 at 287 South Third Street, Brooklyn which is identified as a private residence. Pension papers indicate that he and Lena lived at that address at the time. He is listed as being 67 years, 8 months and 3 days old at that time. Cause of death is listed as "Cancer of Liver - Anasarca, General Debility." The certificate was signed by H. T. Eichacker, M.D., 382 Covert Ave. Burial took place in Holy Trinity Cemetery on September 7, 1911. Undertaker was J.G. Lutz Sons, 132 Stagg St. The certificate indicated that he was born in France and that he had been in the USA for 57 years. Therefore, he emigrated around 1854, at the approximate age of 10. His parents are listed as John Thomser and Margareth Bourgyne, who were born in France. On the Marriage Certificate for Louis Thomser and Magdalena Zimmer, it appears that Louis' mother's name was written as "Margaret Bengart."

According to the Brooklyn Cemeteries office (6/8/2001), Louis and Appolonia Thomser were buried at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery but were re-interred at St. John's Cemetery on April 16, 1935. I called the Cemetery Office in August 2004 and was told that they had no idea where in St. John's that they were buried.

A Zimmer researcher, Richard Haberstroh contacted me via email on Nov. 2, 2004 requesting information about Louis Thomser. In subsequent emails he enlightened me concerning glassmaking in Lorraine and a man who emigrated from Lorraine and established a glassworks in Brooklyn. Richard checked his index of vital records from Most Holy Trinity Church and found a reference to the marriage of Ludwig Thomser and Apollonia Elizabeth Koeferl. He also sent me information about the Zimmer family and I sent him the information I had on Magdalena. We will be in further contact.

On 6 November, another Zimmer researcher, James Pelzer, sent an email that he had found the burial site for the Thomsers at Holly Rood Cemetery, Westbury, LI, NY. He attached pictures of the gravestone. There are six burials in the plot, Louis, his two wives, his grandson and granddaughter, Joseph V., Madeline, and a Madalaine who may have been one of Joseph's chidren or his mother.

On November 10, 2004, an email from Richard Haberstroh indicated that he had visited Most Holy Trinity Church and viewed the marriage record for LudwigThomser and Appolonia Koeferl. The record contained the name of the town in Lorraine where Louis was born, the names of his parents and the names of Appolonia's parents. Richard mentioned that the town, Götzenbrück, is the same one that the Reitz family came from. Witnesses to the ceremony were Carl Thomser and Ludwig Reitz.

Louis married Appolonia Elisabeth KÖFERL, daughter of Anton KÖFERL and Appolonia HEIL, on 14 May 1867 in Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Williamsburgh, NY. (Appolonia Elisabeth KÖFERL was born on 6 May 1851 in Williamsburg, Kings, NY, USA, died on 26 Sep 1879 in Brooklyn, Kings, NY, USA and was buried on 16 Apr 1935 in Holy Rood Cemetery, Westbury, Li, NY.)