Anna Theresa (Ruhland) Kieber

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Born 15 Sep 1876 in Buffalo NY to Georg and Anna Ruhland. Anna was baptized on the 24 Sep in St. Anne’s R.C. Church. The godparents were Theresa Ruhland and Andreas Biller.

Anna was the eldest girl of thirteen children. She had four older brothers: Joseph, George, John, and Andrew. Brothers Frank Xavior and Henry and five younger sisters Theresa, Dora, Eva, Francis, Louise, and Girlie.

Anna was 3 in 1880 when her dad (38) went to work in a sugar refinery for a year and the family moved to 1708 Washington Street, Peoria, Illinois. Andrew Ruhland, 20, is listed as a boarder working at the sugar refinery, also living with them.

 The photo is of Ana and Georg Ruhland with their eldest five children: Joseph, George, John, Andrew, and Anna. Photo courtesy of Donna Bonning.

In 1892, the NY state census shows that Anna was 16 and working in a shoe factory, as were her 2 older brothers, Andrew and John, shoemakers.

In 1898, Anna (22 yrs.) is  living at 120 Guilford St., Buffalo and working as a Shoe opr, as were Dora and Eva. Her father, George is a laborer and brother George is a machine hand[ler]. Theresa is a laundress and John was simply listed as being home

As most young women of her time, Anna learned to stitch. She created many fine embroidered table linens. Please send photos of any of these if you have them!

The story I’d always heard was that Anna was a dipper at the family chocolate shoppe. I have not been able to find a record for this yet. A handsome young man, named John Kieber was the milk delivery boy. One thing led to another and the youngsters fell in love, even though John was a Lutheran and

Photo of Anna Ruhland and John Kieber on their wedding day.  Anna was a Catholic. They were both 22 year old. They married 7 Jun 1899 in her parent’s church, St. Ann’s AFTER telling everyone that they were going to get married at John’s family’s church, the Trinity Lutheran Evangelical in Amherst. John had secretly been baptized the night before the ceremony. The guests eventually figured it out and everyone celebrated together at St.Ann’s.

NOTE:In 2011, St.Ann’s officially closed its doors as a Buffalo Catholic parish.

Though the family never lived on Ruhland Avenue, the street is named after the family.

Anna was very thin when she married John, so she was encouraged to put on weight. She had to drink some sort of elixer to help her gain.

Anna cooked for the family and passed along many of her beloved recipes that are still enjoyed today by three more generations. She continued her own mother’s tradition of baking the traditional family Christmas cookies, the recipe of which is still hotly debated (in a friendly way) among the cousins. 🙂

Elinor R. recalls: “I even have the famous home made chili sauce recipe.  I can still picture Gramma Kieber sitting in the back yard on Amherst Street with that huge wooden bowl in her lap.  She used a curved blade (with a handle on it) that Grampa had made for her to cut up the peppers and chilis.”

Photo is of John and Anna Kieber in Atlantic City, NJ.

The 1910 census shows John and Anna (33), having had 2 children (Ray and Florence)and living at 131 Bissell Ave. They own the home with a mortgage.John is a motorman for the street railway. Next door, Eva (Anna’s sis) and Max Wendt live (132 Bissell).

Anna and John loved to take road trips.

She visited 1000 Islands, and Atlantic City, among other memorable excursions.

Photo is of Anna Ruhland Kieber in black hat, John Keber, and Mrs. Worth (Lert’s godmother) on road trip.

In 1915 the family resided at 131 Bissell Ave. Anna is 38 and husband, John is a Rail Motorman. Three of her children had been born.

Anna knew how to tat and she made beautiful doilies. She taught her youngest, Bob to sew and tat. He was quite fond of needlework.

The 1920 federal census shows all five of Anna and John’s children living in a rented home at 127 May Street in Buffalo’s 16th Ward. Eldest son, Raymond was working as a bank clerk at City Bank.

1927 brought the birth of Anna’s first grandson, Raymond Kieber Jr., son of Ray and Elsie. Tragically, Raymond jr. died at 17 years old in 1945. He’d just graduated from high school and was heading into the service.

Though I have never heard of a Ruhland family reunion, Anna and John evidently enjoyed themselves at the annual Kieber Reunions.

Photo is of Anna Ruhland Kieber with grandson Ray Jr. 1928.

In 1925, Anna (48) the family lived at 620 East Amherst. St. All of the children were at home. John was a Machinist, Ray a Bookkeeper, and Florence a telephone Operator. Son, Robert, remembered how his parents would play pinochle every Saturday with Anna’s sis, Theresia and her husband, John Hoffman. Theresia was only one year younger than Anna and they held a very close relationship.

Photo is of  some Kieber women: Elsie Kieber, Phyllis Flint, Emma Kieber, Anna Ruhland Kieber at Kieber Reunion.

The 1930 census listed Anna (53) and John living with only 4 of their children. Eldest son, Raymond had moved (was probably married). They owned the home on 120 East Amherst St.valued at $7500 as well as a radio. Florence (24) is working as a Telephone Operator and Clarence (19) is a Knitter in the knitting mill. John is a Yard Foreman at the Steam Railroad.

Bob recounted a scary time as a boy with his Mom.They were on a dock on the Niagara River and somehow, Anna fell in. As you probably know, the Niagara is swift and deep. Anna was flailing (I’m not sure she knew how to swim) At any rate, Bob, dove in the water and was able to pull his mum out, thus saving her life. The story reminds some of us of the time great-grandson, Devin fell off a dock after a sailing expedition in Galveston TX in 2011. Fortunately, Dev knew how to swim and sheepishly, was able to climb back onto the dock.

In 1940 John and Anna (63) lived on East Amherst St. with Lavern and Bob. They owned a home that was valued at $4800.

Anna and John loved hosting the family Christmas gathering in their home on East Amherst. She had learned how to make the famous Bavarian Anise cookies from her mother, Anna, and made them every year.

A happy 50th wedding anniversary in 1949 was celebrated in Buffalo with a Mass led by son, Rev.Lavern Kieber. Photo at left shows Father Kieber, Ray Kieber, John and Anna Kieber and Florence Kieber Malone. Sons, Robert and Clare were also in attendance. The Buffalo News included a lovely photo of the event.

Husband, John died in 1956. Photo is of Anna Ruhland Kieber….possibly at husband John’s funeral 1956 Buffalo NY

Three years later,at 82 years of age, Anna died in the hospital 28 Apr 1959, possibly of a stroke

Uncle Lert and Bob went to the hospital every day for about 17 days in a row to say the Catholic prayers for the dying. Her funeral Mass was concelebrated on May 2 by Rev. Lavern Kieber, Rev. Herbert Engelhardt, and Rev.Henry Romanowski.

She was buried on 2 May in Mount Cavalry Cemetery Buffalo with her husband John and son Rev. Lavern Kieber. (Sec. D, Lot 231, Grave 3).

Photo is of Carolyn at grave of Anna Ruhland Kieber.

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