The Kazmaier in Pennsylvania
Two years after the first Andreas Kazmaier another Kazmaier arrived. Andreas was a very common name in Germany at that time and obviously it was very common in the Kazmaier family. The second Andreas Kazmaier (1823-1900) came from Grabenstetten as well. They were 3rd cousins 1 time removed. Their common ancestors are Clemens Kazmaier and Anna Blankenhorn. He arrived in Castle Garden, New York City in 1848 and finally settled in Erie County Pennsylvania.
1. Andreas Kazmaier, was born on the 27th of September 1823 in Grabenstetten and he died in 1900 in Millcreek Twp., Erie County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Johann Georg Kazmaier and Rosina Staiger. On February 12th 1850 he married Anna Barbara Renz in Gomaringen in Württemberg, born 13 Dec 1824 in Gomaringen, died 1894 in USA, the daughter of Johann Georg Renz and Anna Margaretha Ulmer.
They had 8 children together:
2. I Andreas Kazmaier, born 30 May 1850 in Gomaringen; died 11 Jul 1928 in College Park, Clayton, Georgia. He married (1) Hanna E N.N and (2) Katherine Baldwin.
3. II Laeza Kazmaier, born 1851 in Pennsylvania.
4. III Pauline Kazmaier, born 1854 in Pennsylvania.
5. IV Mary Kazmaier, born 1855 in Pennsylvania.
6. V Rosa Kazmaier, born 1858 in Pennsylvania.
7. VI John Kazmaier Sr., born 25 Apr 1861 in Erie, PA, USA; died 3 May 1931 in Blair, Altoona, PA, USA; buried in Oak Ridge Cemetary, Altoona, PA. He married (1) Barbara Louisa Buck; (2) Nellie Kemp.
8. VII Gottlob Kazmaier, born 23 Jul 1865 in Erie, PA, USA; died 11 Dec 1937 in Erie, PA, USA. He married Anna Meyer.
9. VIII William Bartholomew I Kazmaier, born 27 May 1871 in Erie, PA, USA; died 26 May 1913 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He married Mary Elisabeth Weisser.
2. People may say Germans are weird but again Andreas (1823-1900) named his first son Andreas (1850-1928). He was married twice. About 1872 he married Hanna E, her maiden name remains unknown, but we know she was born 1854 in Maryland and she probably died young in the late 80s of that century. Andreas then in 1890 married Katherine Baldwin in Maryland, born Aug 1859 in Maryland, she died 19 Sep 1944 in College Park, Clayton, Georgia.
With Hanna Andreas had one son and three daughters:
10. I William A Kazmaier, born 1873 in Maryland.
11. II Katherine Kazmaier, born 1875 in Maryland.
12. III Mary B Kazmaier, born 1877 in Maryland.
13. IV Josephine Kazmaier, born 1879 in Maryland.
Together with Katherine Baldwin Andreas had another son and two more girls:
14. I Latha Luise Kazmaier, born Sep 1891 in Maryland. She married Humphrey Charles Wilson.
15. II Georgia Kazmaier, born Apr 1893 in Georgia.
16. III William Andrew Kazmaier, born 5 Oct 1894 in North Atlanta, Georgia; died 1920 in College Park, Clayton, Georgia.
7. Andreas’ second son was named John. John Kazmaier Sr. was born on the 25th of April 1861 in Erie, Pennsylvania and he died on May 3rd 1931 in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. John was married twice. 1880 in Maryland he married Barbara Louisa Buck, born 18 Mar 1860 in Württemberg, died 16 Nov 1904 in Altoona, in Maryland. After her death he took a second wife, Nellie Kemp, born 1872 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, died 30 Oct 1957 in Altoona. She was the daughter John Charles Kemp and Mary Jeffry. We find all of them buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Altoona.
Upon receiving his education in the public schools of Erie County, John Kazmaier was sent to Germany by his father to learn the brewery business from the old German brew masters. He remained in Germany for three years and upon his return to America, in 1879, worked in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Johnstown for some years, later establishing a brewery in Columbia. He came to Altoona, in 1896, and bought the Germania Brewery, which had been established in 1852. It was reorganized and equipped with modern machinery and was operated by John Kazmaier until the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919.
Since the closure of the brewery John has devoted his time to his duties as director of the Mountain City and Central Trust Companies and to a number of building and loan associations with which he was connected. He was a man of generous disposition, giving largely to all benevolences. His last large benefaction was the gift of the Franklin Hotel to the Altoona Rescue Mission. He was deeply interested in the welfare of his community and a backer of many movements for the betterment of Altoona. He was a member of the various Masonic bodies, and has been honored by the Jaffa Shrine Temple. He was also a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the various German societies. He was an active member of the Grace Lutheran Church. In social affiliations, he belonged to the Medina Athletic Club, Chicago, the Spruce Creek Rod and Gun Club, the Blairmont Country Club, the Altoona Cricket Club, and the Juniata Valley Colony Club.
John and Barbara Louisa had two daughters:
17. I Amelia Louise Kazmaier, born 8 Sep 1881 in Baltimore, Maryland, died 14 Aug 1949 in Los Angeles, CA. She married Emil Herman Hoerl.
18. II Elizabeth Kazmaier, born 16 Nov 1904 in Blair, Altoona, PA, USA, died 17 Nov 1904 in Blair, Altoona, PA, USA.
Together with Nellie Kemp John had one son, John Kazmaier, Jr. , who died when seven years of age, in 1918, during the Flu epidemic. John Kazmaier, Jr. was born 11 Jun 1911 in Altoona and died 21 Dec 1918 in Altoona at the family home in Allegheny township of influenza and pneumonia.
Nellie Kemp had one son before she was married to John Sr., Jacob Kemp Kazmaier, born before 1906 in New York City. He died 26 Sep 1971 in Altoona. He is buried in Alto Reste Burial Park, Altoona and he was married to Jane E. Patterson.
8. Andreas’ third son was Gottlob Kazmaier, born 23 Jul 1865 in Erie, died 11 Dec 1937 in Erie. He married Anna Meyer, born Nov 1866, died 7 Apr 1934 in Erie, daughter of Andrew Meyer and Elizabeth N.N..
Gottlob and Anna were born three sons:
21. I Arthur Kazmaier, born Sep 1889.
22. II Otto Kazmaier, born 12 Apr 1893 in Erie, died 1 Oct 1971 in Erie. He married Helen M. Zimmerman.
23. III Howard Kazmaier, born May 1896 in Erie, died 22 Apr 1962 in Niagara Falls. He married Florence Johnson.
9. And finally Andreas’ fourth son was William Bartholomew I. Kazmaier, born 27 May 1871 in Erie, died 26 May 1913 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He married on 18 Nov 1894 in Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Mary Elisabeth Weisser, born Oct 1868 in Marietta, Lancaster County, died 12 Jun 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
William Bartholomew I. Kazmaier and Mary Elisabeth Weisser had two sons and one daughter:
24. I William Bartholomew II. Sr. Kazmaier, born 25 Feb 1895 in Lancaster, died 24 May 1971 in Burlington, Racine, Wisconsin. He married (1) Martha Bertha Piepenburg; (2) Florence L Steinhoff.
William Batholomew II is the grandfather of the "the strongest man who ever lived", William "Bill" Kazmaier (born 1953). Today he is a former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equalling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions.
25. II Marion Josephine Kazmaier, born 7 Jul 1896 in Lancaster, died 9 Mar 1998 in West Allis, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
26. III Emil Victor Kazmaier, born 11 Aug 1904 in Altoona, died 9 Sep 1981 in Greenbay, Brown, Wisconsin.