John Seidenstriker (1824-1878), a German immigrant probably from Wachenheim, Bavaria settled at Ocean Springs between 1860 and 1870, with his sister Anna Maria Seidenstricker (1830-1904), and their great niece, Margaret (Maggie) Seidenstriker Mon (1867-1947).  Anna Maria Seidenstriker has also been referred to in historical documents as Arminie and Armoree Seidenstriker.  Mr. Seidenstriker was a shoemaker and had a net worth of $2800 in 1870.(1870 Federal Census-JXCO, Ms.)

John Seidenstriker acquired a tract of land on the northwest corner of Washington Avenue and Porter.  The Seidenstriker tract had a front of 287 feet on Washington Avenue and 206 feet on Porter and comprised about 1.27 acres.  He donated a small tract to the Methodist Episcopal Church circa 1870, with 28-feet fronting on Porter.(E.N. Ramsay Survey of February 24, 1890-JXCO Chancery Court Cause No. 340, May 1889)

After the demise of John Seidenstriker, it appears that Amoree Seidenstricker (1830-1904) was legated the NW/C of Washington Avenue and adjacent land on Washington Avenue.  The 1875 Land Rolls of Jackson County, Mississippi show her to possess Lots, 10, 11, and 12 of Block 27 valued at $500.(JXCO-1875 Land Roll Bk., p. 72)  She sold Lot 10-Block 27 (Culmseig Map of 1854) to John H. Krohn (1831-1912) for $50 in February 1880.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 4, pp. 271-272)  Mr. Krohn’s father, John Augustus Krohn, was German.  John H. Krohn vended Lot 10 to his daughter, Amelia Krohn Eglin (1855-1916), the spouse of Albert Eglin (1852-1891), for $50 in September 1887.  This lot was contiguous with Lot 9-Block 27, which the Eglins had acquired from F.W. Illing in September 1873.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 2, p. 153)

On April 30, 1890, the Chancery Court of JXCO, Mississippi declared Amoree Seidenstriker “non compos mentis” or mentally insane.  She was made a guardian of Edmond Mon (1843-1920), the husband of Maggie Seidenstricker Mon, her great niece.(JXCO Chancery Court Cause No. 340-1889)

Mr. Edmond Mon, was born at Bayou La Batre, Mobile County, Alabama, the son of Benito Mon (1820-1870+), a native of Barcelona, Spain and Marie Castellin Bouzage (Bosarge).  He married, Maggie Seidenstricker (1867-1947), the daughter of Bavarian born, Lisette Seidenstricker, the niece of Amoree Seidenstriker on December 22, 1886.(JXCO MRB 3, p. 315)  They parented seven children.(Adkinson, 1991, p. 110)  Among them were: Olea Leon Mon, Josephine M. Ryan (1890-1918), Edmond Reneau Mon (1893-1972), George M. Mon (1896-1973), Marguerite Cora Mon Delcomyn (b. 1898), and Blanche Mon (b. 1902).(Lepre, Vol. I, 1991, p. 228-229 and 1920 Federal Census-JXCO, Ms.)

Division of the Sidenstriker Tract

The Amoree Seidentricker land on Washington Avenue was sold by Edmond Mon at a Commissioner’s Sale on September 20, 1890.  Division of the Seidenstricker property occurred on February 21, 1891.  The proceeds from the sale were held in escrow by the Chancery Court which gave Ed Mon $125 per year for the support of the mentally afflicted, Amoree Seidenstricker.  Miss Seidenstricker passed on November 6, 1904. (JXCO Chancery Court Cause # 1341-1904)

Lot 1

Mr. Mon, guardian of A. Seidenstricker, conveyed Lot 1 to Albert G. Tebo (1848-1929) of New Orleans for $1000. (JXCO Land Deed Bk. 12, pp. 224-225)  This lot had a front of 143 feet on Washington and 135 feet on Porter.  In March 1891, A.G. Tebo sold it to Caroline V. Nill (1862-1949) of New Orleans for $1600.  Here the Nill’s erected a drugstore cum offices.  A Rex meeting was held here in February 1896, to plan a grand program for Mardi Gras.(The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, Ocean Springs Locals, February 7, 1896)  In April 1900, the Methodist Episcopal Church situated on Lot 1, was demolished and the materials sold to Herman Nill (1863-1904).(The Pascagoula Democrat-Star, Ocean Springs Locals, April 27, 1900)  The fine lumber salvaged from the Methodist sanctuary was utilized to build the Vahle House, a tourist home, on the northwest corner of Washington and Calhoun.  Mrs. Theresa Vahle Friar (1871-1956), the proprietor of the Vahle House, was the sister of Caroline V. Nill.  The Nill drugstore was destroyed by fire in December 1900.  W.S. Vancleave (1871-1938) and J.P. Vancleave (1879-1945+) built a masonry building here in 1906, which evolved into the W.S. Vancleave Store which remained on the site until 1964.  The Five Season Health Food Store of Jan Walker is located here today.(The Ocean Springs Record, August 5, 1993)

Lot 2

Lot 2 of the Seidenstriker tract ran 144 feet north of Lot 1 and was 135 feet in depth.  It was purchased from Edmond Mon on February 21, 1891, by Emanuel J. Morris (1849-1899) for $430.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 13, p. 446)  In November 1895, he conveyed it to his mother, Annie Morris (1819-1900) for $885.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 17, pp. 144-145)  Mrs. Morris sold Lot 2 to Jeremiah J. O’Keefe (1859-1911) in February 1899 for $800.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 26, pp. 271-272)  J.J. O’Keefe conveyed the lot to F.J. Lundy (1863-1912) in February 1900 for $1000.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 21, p. 379)  F.J. Lundy sold Lot 2 to Emma F. Bertuccini (1873-1955) in April 1903 for $800.(JXCO Land Deed Bk. 26, p. 272-273)  In 1903, Jacques and Emma Bertuccini erected a Queen Anne style cottage and barbershop here which are extant at 619 and 619-A Washington Avenue.  Mrs. Courtney Cook Blossman owns the buildings and operates Minerva’s Antiques from the old Bertuccini cottage.  Threadneedle Street is situated in the former barbershop.

Lot 3

Lot 3 of the Seidenstriker tract fronted 71 feet on Porter Avenue.  It ran northerly approximately 280 feet.  Acquired by A.G. Tebo (1848-1929) from Mr. Mon in 1891, Lot 3 became the site of the Orrell-O’Keefe Cottage.  Miss Mary C. O’Keefe (1893-1980) lived here from 1925 until 1970, when she sold her home place to the Catholic Housing Charities Association.(The Ocean Springs Record, September 30, 1999, p. 16)

John P. Seidenstriker et al v. Mrs. Maggie Mon et al

In March 1907, several years after the demise of Amoree Seidenstriker, Cause No. 1341 was filed in the Chancery Court of Jackson County, Mississippi by John P. Seidenstriker et al against her legatee, Maggie S. Mon (1867-1947).  John Peter Seidenstriker (d. 1907) and the other plaintiffs, Charlotte Seidenstriker Jenny (1870-1907+), Katherine Seidenstriker Montegut, residents of New Orleans, and Katherine Seidenstriker Buchmiller (1858-1907+), residing at Helena, Montana, alleged that Maggie S. Mon was not the legitimate heir of Amoree Seidenstriker (1830-1904).  They further averred that Maggie S. Mon was the illegitimate daughter of Lizette Seidenstriker, who was the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Seidenstriker, a sister of Amoree Seidenstriker.  They wanted to be named legal heirs of Amoree Seidenstriker and receive her estate.

Depositions of the plaintiffs in this case reveal many interesting familial relationships and Seidenstriker family history.  Amoree (Anna Maria) Seidenstriker was from a large Bavarian family.  She had three brothers, Karl, George, and John, and three sisters, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Catherine Seidenstriker. 

Karl Sedienstriker died circa 1887 at Turkheim in the Hardt, Germany.  He sired three children.  One child, John Charles [Johann Karl ] Seidenstriker (1842-1900), immigrated to Galveston, Texas and was killed in the Great 1900 Storm which inundated Galveston.  Karl's daughter's, Phillipine (b. ca 1843) and Dorothea (b. ca 1847), remained in Germany.(Nancy Shuman Kitchel, March 2, 2008)

George Seidenstriker died in 1888, at Wachenheim, Rheinfalz, Bavaria.  His children, Karl Seidenstriker (d. 1879), and Katherine Seidenstriker Buchmiller (1856-1907+) came to America.  Karl Seidenstriker married Margaret Muller at New Orleans They parented three of the litigants, John Peter Seidenstriker (d. 1907), Charlotte S. Jenny, and Katherine S. Montegut.  Karl died of typhoid fever at New Orleans in 1879.

Katherine Seidenstriker (1856-1907+) was born at Wachenheim, Rheinpfalz, Bavaria in 1856.  She came to the United States in 1880, and settled at Cleveland, Ohio.  Katherine married Charles Buchmiller in Ohio in 1883.  They relocated to Helena, Montana where he made his livelihood as a baker.  The Buchmiller had five male children.

John Seidenstriker (1824-1878) settled at Ocean Springs with Amoree Seidenstriker and Lisette Sidenstriker, his niece, the alleged illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Seidenstriker.  He made his living here as a shoemaker and acquired land holdings on Washington Avenue.

Caroline Seidenstriker died in Bavaria without issue.

Elizabeth Seidenstriker died in the Hardt, Rheinfalz, Germany of consumption.  Prior to her childless marriage, she had a daughter, Lisette Seidenstriker, out of wedlock.

Catherine Seidenstriker died at Wachenheim, Bavaria circa 1890, without issue.