The Mehlenbacher Family — Lewis Mehlenbacher (1839-1917) Not too much is currently known about Lewis Mehlenbacher himself, but the research continues. A wealth of information about his origins and ancestry was gained from the internet-published research of a distant cousin by the name of Klaus Dufner who lives in or near Ottweiler, Germany in 2006. He has made a detailed search of local church and civic records, identifying hundreds of related individuals and tracing family lines back to the early 1600s and in some cases earlier. Our family owes Mr. Dufner a great debt of gratitude. Lewis Mehlenbacher was born Ludwig V. Mühlenbacher in Ottweiler, Saarland, part of the Rhineland, Germany near the French-German border. The Mühlenbacher name goes back seven generations to a Hans Mühlbach (1615-1673) of Stennweiler, Saarland, Germany a smaller town just a couple of miles west of Ottweiler. Many of the men in this line were shepherds and farmers, but some of them, and others in related families were linen weavers. Other family names in the Mehlenbacher ancestry include: Schmidt, Kron, Eichhorn, Sonntag, Hildebrand, Reinshagen, and many others. Lewis immigrated to America in 1846, with his parents Christian Conrad Mehlenbacher (1810-1874) and Christiane Margarethe Schmidt (c.1813-1883). Lewis was the only boy of five children born in Germany, and the eldest of the ten children born to Christian and Christiane. Lewis, as well as his father and siblings, were farmers in Steuben county, New York, primarily in the communities of Wayland and Cohocton. Those communites were well-filled with German immigrants from Saarland, and related families who emigrated from the town of Ottweiler include: Kornbau, Schmidt, and Drum, among others. Lewis was about 22 years of age when the American Civil War began. He served as a private in the 28th New York Independant Light Artillary Battery and was stationed at Fort Schuyler, New York and elsewhere. While it is not reported in the official history, Lewis apparently served at the battle of Gettysburg, because he was invited to and attended the 50th anniversary commemorative reunion of the battle in 1913. Gettysburg veterans of New York state were granted a free rail voucher to attend. The invitation was retained as a family artifact, and it has a date stamp of June 30, 1913 from the ticket agent in Cohocton. (The official history of his unit is listed below.) Some descendants remember that Lewis' son-in-law Fred Sturm would display his uniform each year at the family Fourth of July picnic. After returning from his service, Lewis married Mary Christina Kornbau (1841-1912) in 1866, and the couple had eight children. Charlotte (b.1868) and Annie (b.1871) died young. Third child Martha (1871-1946) lived to the age of 74, and married a distant cousin, Otto Mehlenbacher. Fourth daughter Mary Elizabeth married Fred Sturm, who had eight children. Fifth child Anna (1875-1960) never married. Next was George (1877-1959), who married Nora Drum and had four children. Frederick (1879-1881) died young. Their last child, Katherine (1881-1955?), was well known among the family as Katherine Mehlenbacher Mehlenbacher, as she married Henry Mehlenbacher, a distant cousin, and they lived in the town of Canfield in Ontario, Canada. The Descendants of Lewis Mehlenbacher and Mary Christina Kornbau 1. Charlotte Mehlenbacher (c.1868-before 1880) 2. Annie Mehlenbacher (1871-1871)  3. Martha Mehlenbacher (1871-1946)        m. Otto J. Mehlenbacher (1893-1966) 4. Mary Elizabeth Mehlenbacher (1874-1929)         m. Frederick John Sturm (1873-1956)      a. Franklin George Sturm (1896-1936)      b. Anna Sturm (1897-1953)      c. Louis Christian Sturm (1899-1986)            m. Ruth Lucinda Marvin (1904-1984)              i.   Jerrold Lee Sturm (b.1936)                     m. Patricia Parnell (1936-1999)                     m. Mary Ives              ii.  Patricia Ann Sturm (b.1939)                     m. Paul Sciandra (b.1938)      d. Frederick William Sturm (1901-1941)            m. Louise Gillette (1900-1957)              i.  Fred Gillette Sturm (1925-2006)                    m. Betty Schaeffer (d. 1959)                    m. Kathy              ii. Douglas Earl Sturm (b.1929)                    m. Marjorie Jean Anderson      e.  Emma Mary Sturm (1903-1963)      f.  Carl Sturm (1905-1905)      g. Hilda Pearl Sturm (1908-1995)           m. Homer L. Wilson (1904-1979)              i. Janet Wilson (1934-1992)                   m. George Gilmour (b.1934)              ii. Mary Wilson (b.1937)                   m. Leo Drotar (1934-1989 )              iii. Louise E. Wilson (b.1939)      h. Barbara Sturm Ruth (1915-1961)           m. David Campbell (1916-1987) 5. Anna Mehlenbacher (1875-1960) 6. George Phillip Mehlenbacher (1877-1959)       x Nora Louise Drum (1887-1951)       a. Charlotte Mehlenbacher (b.1915)       b. Robert A. Mehlenbacher (1918-1988)       c. Charles J. Mehlenbacher (1920-2000)       d. Raymond L. Mehlenbacher (1925-2000) 7. Frederick W. Mehlenbacher (1879 -1881)  8. Katherine B. Mehlenbacher (1881-after 1950)      x Henry Mehlenbacher The History of the 28th New York Independent Light Artillery Battery Adapted from Dyer's Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer, published 1908 by Torch Press of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Republished in 1994 by Broadfoot Publishing Company, Morningside Press.) Also includes information from the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center. The 28th was also known as Anthon’s Light Artillery Battalion; or Willard’s Battalion Artillery. December 27, 1862: Organized at Fort Schuyler, N. Y., and mustered in. Assigned to duty as garrison at Fort Schuyler, New York Harbor, and at Sandy Hook, N.Y., Dept. of the East. July 31, 1865: Mustered out November 26, 1862, the organizations forming for the Anthon (Willard) Battalion  of Artillery were consolidated in two batteries, of which the second received  the above numerical designation. This battery was organized at New York city, Forts Columbus and Schuyler, New York harbor, and mustered in the service of  the United States at Fort Schuyler for three years December 27, 1862. The men were recruited principally at New York city, Avoca, Campbell, Cape Vincent, Cohocton, Howard, Lynn, Sackett's Harbor, Watertown, Wayland and Urbana. At its muster-in it was commanded by Capt Cyprian H. Millard, served at Fort Schuyler and Sandy Hook, Department of the East, and, commanded by Capt Josiah C. Hannum, it was honorably discharged and mustered out July 31, 1865, at New York city. Battery lost during service 8 Enlisted men by disease.