Arno Moeckel, Ella Sandner & Gertrude Moeckel Risch

A number of family trees published at Ancestry.com show Gertrude Moeckel Risch as the child of Arno H. Moeckel and Elizabeth Leonhardt. I can see why people think that, but as far as I can tell, it's not correct. Here are the reasons why:

A. My father told me growing up that Gertrude Moeckel was family and related to us. She was related through my dad's mother, who's maiden name was Sandner.

B. Gertrude and I used to correspond. As a kid, I loved getting letters from her cat, "Miss Kitty." Not that letters in themselves are proof of kinship—just proof of a relationship between the two of us.

C. Let's look at the information available about Arno Moeckel:

In the 1900 US Census for IL, Arn Moeckel is living in Staunton, IL. He is head of household, 29, single, born April 1871 in Germany, parents born Germany, came to US in 1892. In the US 8 years. Naturalized, a barker, can read, write, speak English. He rents a house. He is single. Also in household is his brother Peter.

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7602/4113784_00199?pid=75186394&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3D1900usfedcen%26h%3D75186394%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_cvc%3DImage:OtherRecord&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true

So on enumeration day, the 23rd of June, 1900, Arno is single. 

In the1910 US Census for IL, Arno Moeckel is living in Staunton at 171 Court St. He is 38, has been married three times, two years in this marriage, born GerGermany, parents born Germany, immigrated 1892, naturalized, Saloonkeeper, speaks and writes English. Owns his home free and clear. 

On the next page is his family: 

1. wife Elizabeth, 31, married two times, two years into this marriage, one child born, one child living. Born in IL, father born in IL, mother born Germany. 
2. On the next line is listed his stepson, indexed as Leonard Moeckel but reading as "Leonard Schubert," 9, born IL, father born Germany, mother born IL. 
3. On the next line is son WIllie Moeckel, 5, born IL, father born Germany, mother born IL.
4. On the next line (though not in the index) is daughter Gertrude Moeckel, born IL, father born Germany, mother born IL. 

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7884/31111_4328204-00378/5677454?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1910USCenIndex%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn%3darno%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmoeckel%26gsln_x%3dXO%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchRes

Thus on enumeration day, the 26th of April, 1910, Arno Moeckel is living with his family in Staunton. He's been married three times and is two years into his current marriage. Wife Elizabeth has been married twice, is two years into the current marriage, and has only one child living. Leonard Moeckel/Schubert is listed as his stepson. Willie and Gertrude as listed as "his" (Arno's) "son" and "daughter," and they are both over two years old. 

The only reasonable conclusion is that Willie and Gertrude are from a previous marriage. 

There's no question that Willie and Gertrude were Arno's children. They are listed as survivors in the probate records, along with Elizabeth (widow) and Berenice (Arno and Elizabeth's child together). Leonard Schubert is not listed at all—further evidence that he is not the son of Arno Moeckel. 

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/9048/004705431_00280?pid=2247796&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3DUSProbateIL%26h%3D2247796%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_cvc%3DImage:OtherRecord&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true

D. It appears that there was some bad feeling between Willie and Gertrude and their step-mother Elizabeth and step-sister Bernice. My dad was not fond of Bernice. I don't know why. But there's another indication both of the ill feelings and that Willie and Gertrude were the children of our family. 

1. 1. In the 1920 US Census for IL, widow Lizzboth Moecpel (reads as "Moeckel") is living in Staunton with son Leonard Moecpel and daughter Bernice. 
2. But Willie Mackel, 15, grandson, and Gertrude Mackel, 13, granddaughter, are living with Elestine (Ernestine) Sandner, 64, in Mount Olive, a few towns over. 
3. Ernestine Sandner is my great-grandmother.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7884/31111_4328204-00378/5677454?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1910USCenIndex%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn%3darno%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmoeckel%26gsln_x%3dXO%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchRes

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6061/4300552_00691/108520882?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1910USCenIndex%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn%3darno%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmoeckel%26gsln_x%3dXO%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

Aha.

(An interesting digression: Elizabeth Leonard Schubert Moeckel is buried with first husband E. Max and son Leonard in Staunton City Cemetery. It could be simply because Arno, being a vet, had a headstone paid for by the US Government, and there was no room for Elizabeth on it. Or maybe there was bad blood. All these folks are dead now, so who can say?

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=120892075)

And yet...

Having read through all the evidence and realizing that important pieces of the puzzle are missing, I have to change my initial assertion to say that I strongly believe that Gertrude Moeckel Risch was the legal and biological daughter of Arno H. Moeckel and Ella Liddy Sandner. You've read all the evidence I have at my fingertips and online. I need one of the following to prove my theory:

1. Ella's marriage license to Arno
2. Ella's death certificate
3. A DNA test from one of their descendants. (Luckily there are some still living) 

Looks like I'll have to travel to IL to do some onsite research. Oh, boy!!!!

:-)

That's all for now, folks.