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Sara Magaziner Wächter

Sara Magaziner was born in Humenne on April 2, 1858, the daughter of Samuel Magaziner and Eszter Jacubovits. Her name in the birth record was Sara, but her name appears in later records as Sali, Zali, Roza and Serene. Sara married Marcus Wächter in Humenne on July 4, 1876. His name also appears in various forms in the records (Minim, Mano, Mooney, Mark or just M). Marcus was born in Humenne in 1845. Sara and Marcus had at least six children between 1877 and 1888.

Sara died in Humenne on June 20, 1889. Marcus remarried to Debora "Bori" Taub in September 1889. Bori was Marcus's niece, the daughter of Marcus's sister Rosa. Marcus and Bori had a child of their own: Zoltan (aka Saloman, Charles), born June 1, 1891.

Around 1892, Marcus emigrated to Chicago, where his younger brother Simon, had settled many years earlier. In America, the family name was spelled Wechter. Bori and the children followed Marcus in October 1893, from Hamburg to Montreal on the Polaria, then by train from Montreal to Chicago. Marcus died of sclerosis of the spinal cord at his home in Chicago on February 8, 1895. He was buried at Waldheim in Chicago.

Children of Sara Magaziner and Marcus Wächter include:

67. John Wechter (Jonathan Wächter) (b: 4 NOV 1877)
68. Louis Wechter (Lenni Lajos Wächter) (b: 4 MAY 1879; d: 5 JUL 1946)
69. Louise Wechter (Lea Wächter) (b: 23 MAY 1882; d: 21 APR 1917)
70. Jakob Wechter (Gyula Wächter) (b: 18 JUN 1884)
71. Samuel / Sandor Wächter (b: 13 FEB 1886; d: 19 AUG 1886)
72. David Wechter (David / Derso Wächter) (b: 28 OCT 1888)

Generation #4

John Wechter (Jonathan Wächter)

Jonathan Wächter was born in Humenne on November 4, 1877. He emigrated to Chicago with his stepmother Bori in 1893 under the name Jonny Wächter. He may be the same person as John Wechter, who was a patient at Kankakee State Hospital (Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane) in the 1900 and 1910 census, though that person was said to be born in Germany in 1876. I have found no other record of John Wechter.

Louis Wechter (Lenni Lajos Wächter)

Lenni Lajos Wächter was born in Humenne on May 4, 1879. He emigrated to Chicago with his stepmother Bori in 1893 under the name Lajos Wächter, but in America he was known as Louis Wechter. He worked as a traveling salesman, and later owned a jewelry store and then a luggage store. He moved around quite a bit, starting in Chicago, then moving to Atlanta, Georgia, Louisville, Kentucky, then San Diego, California, then back to Louisville, and finally back to Chicago. On September 19, 1919, Louis became an American citizen in the Western District of Kentucky.

Louis married Marie Schwartz on January 11, 1910 in Chicago. Marie Schwartz was born on June 5, 1882 in Ochra, Hungary. They had one child. Marie died on December 19, 1918 in Louisville, Kentucky.

On May 19, 1920, Louis remarried to Elsie Strauss. Elsie was born in 1893 in Kentucky. They had at least five children, but two of those children, twins, died before they were four years old. The other three lived to adulthood and have living descendants.

Louis died in Chicago on July 5, 1946. He was 67 years old.

Child of Louis Wechter and Marie Schwartz:

1. Leah Serene Wechter (b: 10 APR 1912; d: 20 SEP 1997)

Children of Louis Wechter and Elsie Strauss:

1. Louis M. Wechter, Jr. (b: 1 FEB 1921; d: 27 MAR 2002)
2. Robert Lee Wechter (b: 15 JAN 1925; d: 18 MAY 2004)
3. Julian Strauss Wechter (b: 17 OCT 1926; d: BEF. 1930)
4. Babette Wechter (b: 17 OCT 1926; d: BEF. 1930)
5. William J. Wechter (b: 13 FEB 1932; d: 8 JUL 2007)

Louise Wechter (Lea Wächter)

Lea Wächter was born on May 23, 1882 in Humenne. She emigrated to Chicago with her stepmother Bori in 1893 under the name Louise Wächter, was known in America as Louise Wechter. Louise was apparently the only one of Sara's children who continued to live with Bori in the United States. She was working as a seamstress in 1900, probably with Bori, who was a dressmaker. In 1910, Louise was working as a bookkeeper.

In 1912, Louise married John Wechter. John was Louise's first cousin, the son of Marcus's younger brother Fred. Louise and John had one child, who died young.

Louise died on April 21, 1917 of hemorrhagic nephritis. She was 34 years old.

Child of Louise Wechter and John Wechter:

1. Marvin Wechter (Melvin John) (b: 5 AUG 1913; d: 23 APR 1934)

Jakob Wechter (Gyula Wächter)

Jakob Wächter was born on June 18, 1884 in Humenne. He emigrated to Chicago with his stepmother Bori in 1893 under the name Gyula, a name that usually becomes Julius in America. I have found no record of him in America after his immigration, neither as Jacob nor as Julius.

David Wechter (David / Derso Wächter)

David (Derso) Wächter was born in Humenne on October 28, 1888. He emigrated to Chicago with his stepmother Bori in 1893. He is probably the David Waechter who appears in the 1900 census at the Chicago Home for Jewish Orphans (born in Hungary in October 1888; emigrated in 1893), though this seems strange, because he is no more an orphan than his sister Louise, who was living with Bori at the time. He may have had psychological problems, because he is probably also the David Wechter (born in Hungary, right age) who is a patient at the Kankakee State Hospital (aka Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane) in the 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses. This is the same facility where a possible match for David's brother John was also a patient, though the census doesn't seem to indicate that patients John and David are related.

Generation #5

Leah Serene Wechter Goldman

Leah Serene Wechter was born in Chicago on April 10, 1912. She was the daughter of Louis Wechter and his first wife, Marie Schwartz. Leah was apparently named for her grandmother, Sara, because Louis indicates in one of his marriage records that his mother's name was Serene. Interestingly, Leah's original birth certificate gives the child's name as Leah Sara, but a second birth certificate gives the name as Leah Serene.

In 1930, Leah was living in Chicago with her maternal grandparents, Ignatz and Fannie Schwartz. On February 3, 1935, Leah married Harry P. Goldman. They had two children, both still living.

Harry died on February 19, 1968. Leah never remarried. She died on September 20, 1997, at the age of 85.

Louis M. Wechter, Jr.

Louis M. Wechter, Jr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky on February 1, 1921. He was the son of Louis Wechter and his second wife, Elsie Strauss.

Louis served in the navy in World War II. After the war, he attended and graduated from Northwestern University. On February 9, 1951, Louis married Carol Wilder in Chicago. Carol was born on December 17, 1930. Louis and Carol had two children, both still living.

Louis died on March 27, 2002. Carol died on April 5, 2007.

Robert Lee Wechter

Robert Lee Wechter was born in San Diego, California on January 15, 1925. He was the son of Louis Wechter and his second wife, Elsie Strauss.

Robert served as a pharmacist's mate in the navy during World War II. He was wounded during the war, though I have found no details about the nature or cause of the injury.

Robert married Muriel Evans on February 5, 1947. Muriel was born on March 16, 1926 in Chicago. They had two daughters, still living. Robert and Murial separated, and Robert later remarried to another woman, who may still be living. Robert died on May 19, 2004. Muriel died on September 5, 2005.

William J. Wechter

William J. Wechter was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky on February 13, 1932. He was the son of Louis Wechter and his second wife, Elsie Strauss.

On August 16, 1952, William married in Chicago to a woman who is still living. They had three daughters, all still living. Later, William remarried to another woman who is still living.

William earned bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1953 and 1954 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from UCLA. He worked in the pharmaceutical industry for almost 50 years and had 50 patents in his name. He was instrumental in the development and commercialization of many important drugs, including Motrin.

William died on July 8, 2007. He was 75 years old.