Born
August 2, 1867
Birthplace
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died
June 14, 1935
Death Place
Pittsburgh, PA
Vital Information
- Spouse
- Mary L Hazelbaker
- Children
- Herman Louis and Margaret Wolf (Peterson)
- Father
- Gustavus F Wolf
Biography
Louis G Wolf was born on August 2, 1867 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Gustavus Frederick Wolf and Louisa Haupt. His father mysteriously abandoned the family shortly after Louis's birth. Louis was baptized September 22, 1867 in his parents' residence by Pastor John Launitz of the Erste Deutsche Presbyterian Kirche, Allegheny, Pa. Sponsors were his parents, Grandfather Louis Haupt, T. Eisenhauer and Jacob Gass.
At age six, Louis gained a stepfather, Carl Charles Altenhof (a widowed German immigrant), and a 4-year-old stepbrother named Louis. His mother and Charles had four children together—Wilhemina Lisette (Minnie), Louise, Caroline, and Marie—but Louise and Marie died as infants. Following Marie's birth in 1879, Charles also left the family, which according to Grandma Ethel, was likely a result of Louisa being "a very unprincipled person, hard to get along with".
Louis married Mary Hazelbaker of Fayette County PA on July 29, 1895, and together they had a son and daughter, Herman Louis and Margaret. He joined the Knoxfille Evangelical Lutheran church, where his wife Mary was later confirmed on April 1, 1917. Louis was a successful contractor and builder in the Knoxville, Mt. Oliver and South Side areas.Louis's mother, Louisa lived with him even after his marriage to Mary, and continued to support his half-sisters Minnie and Caroline until they became adults.
On June 14, 1935, Louis passed away from prostate cancer at the age of sixty-eight, outliving his wife who died during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Ethel remembered him as being a "kind and honest man", granddaughter Ruth recalls how he would read them the Sunday "funnies", and grandson Louis reminisced "when Grandpa died, I lost my pal".
Notes from Louis G Wolf
Louis left three small pocket notebooks. The following is the verbatim copy of one of those with editor's notes in parentheses. (The editor was Chuck Soergel)
I was born Aug. 20th 1867 in Manchester, Pa. in a deserted school house next to the German Presbyterian church. My father's name was August F. Wolf. Had 2 brothers and 1 sister. Their names G. L. Wolf, (not listed on the church family records) Rudolf Wolf & Clara Wolf. He had a daughter before he married my mother, her name was Emma Wolf. My father was from Magdeburg the last address I had was Begne, Kingrich, Prussia, Germany. My father must have been born about the year 1823 and died about the year 1869 (actually in 1899). My mother came from Kassel Germany about the year 1857 to Baltimore, she was born the 12th of March 1843. She got married in York, Pa., about the year 1862. I had one right sister by name Fannie E. Wolf and I had four half sisters and a step brother. My mother got married to Charles Altenhof about the year 1870 and had a very unhappy life, he died April the 22, 1891, age 52 years. I started to work in the glass house the 25th of May 1880 (before his 13th birthday) I started with John Siebert April the ninth, 1883. I left home the 1st of September, 1883. (At age sixteen) Mother and Lina (Caroline) left 10th November 1885 (see court proceedings) and stayed with me till 1898. I bought a lot off Geo. Bucher the 27th 1889 for $240. Moved in our new home Oct 1, 1889. Got married the 1st of Aug, 1895. Margaret Wolf born June the 9th, 1896. (The house was at 56 Gregory Street and still stands today) "........Mother left Aug 29th 1898. Herman L. Wolf born Nov. 6th, 1898...........Rebuilt house in Nov. 1895........Lot #832 Freeland St. Feb 3rd, 1902 (Louis' shop and office).......(End of diary) The second diary, along with various names and addresses, listed the birth dates of ten members of the Haupt family. There was some duplication of the above diary, but of interest was the entry, "Minnie Altenhof came to us April 30, 1891", eight days after her father died. Louis' sentimental side was revealed by the presence of several poems, either original or copied, dealing with love, friendship and beauty. The third diary was for the year 1933, at which time he was living in one of the houses he had built at 2008 Pioneer Avenue with Herman, Ethel, Louis and Ruth, and for a time, Leslie Miller. Daily entries described his passion for receiving his daughter Margaret's letters from Detroit, his frequent trips into Pittsburgh, trouble with his eyes and his many purchases of "tobies". (tobie = cheap cigar)
2008 Pioneer Ave (Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh) - built by Louis!
