Joshua Hamden Wenzel


Eleventh child - Joshua Hamden Wenzel (1871-1948)

Joshua Hamden Wenzel was born on October 31, 1871 in Baltimore County. His nickname was Josh. Josh married Margaret Augusta Meisel on October 17, 1895 in Baltimore County. Her nickname was Gussie. She was born on February 5, 1873, the daughter of John and Margaret Elizabeth Meisel. Josh had six children by his first wife Augusta.
  • Elsie Mae Wenzel was born on June 10, 1896 in Baltimore County. She married Clarence O'Connell McDonagh on June 22, 1921 at St. Gregary Catholic Church. Clarence was born on June 12, 1897, the son of Marti McDonagh and Frances Bruns. In 1930, Elsie and Clarence lived at 5240 St. Charles Avenue in Baltimore. Clarence was an assistant manager at a credit company. Elsie and Clarence McDonagh had 4 children, Elsie M. (1922-), Norma A. (1928-), Clarence O. (1929-), and Patricia F (1941-). Clarence died on June 26, 1984 in Waldorf, Maryland, at age 87. Elsie died on August 15, 1987 in Waldorf, Maryland, at age 91. Both are buried at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf.
     
  • Charles Edward Wenzel was born on December 8, 1897 in Baltimore County. Charles married Mary F Henninger, on October 17, 1926 at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Hamden, Maryland. Mary was born October 17, 1899, the daughter of Wilhelm Henninger and Mary Truelien. Charles and Mary had 1 child, Charles E. (1928-). Charles Sr. was working as a mail clerk in 1930 when the family lived at 3346 Gilman Terrace in Baltimore. Mary died February 21, 1980, at age 80. Charles died on March 15, 1980 in Towson, Maryland, at age 82. Both are buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.
     
  • Grace Augusta Wenzel was born on November 10, 1899 in Baltimore County. She married Benjamin Suman Dinsmore on March 9, 1923 in Hamden, Maryland at St. Luke Lutheran Church. Benjamin was born July 19, 1889, the son of Oliver K and Mary Ellen Dinsmore. Benjamin’s first wife died giving birth to the only child by that union. Benjamin was employed as a salesman in 1930 when the family lived at 843 Wellington Street. Grace and Benjamin had 9 children, James E. (1925-), Allen W. (1928-1994), Earl B. (1930-1944), Mary A. (1931-1984), Barbara A. (1933-1976), Martha L. (1935-), Robert E. (1937-), Kenneth S. (1941-1997), and Donald S. (1943-). Benjamin died on May 6, 1956 at age 66. Grace died on May 23, 1985 at age 85. Both are buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Maryland.
     
  • Margaret Wilhelmina Wenzel was born on December 8, 1901. She married James Pumphrey on August 23, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland at the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was a widower with 3 children. Margaret’s second marriage was to Samuel B Zunich around 1933. He was born on December 2, 1893. Margaret and Samuel had 3 children, Margaret A. (1934-), Samuel B. (1935-), and Ruth W (1937-). Samuel B Zunich Sr. died in May 1967 in Washington, DC. Margaret died on September 27, 1993 in Las Vegas.
     
  • Anna Elizabeth Wenzel was born on November 17, 1904 in Baltimore, Maryland. Anna married Robert John Meisel on October 29, 1938 in Baltimore, Maryland at St. Gregory Catholic Church. He was born on July 10, 1895. Anna and Robert Meisel had 1 daughter, Treva A. (1944-). Robert died on July 16, 1969 at age 74 in Baltimore. Anna died on July 4, 1997, at age 92 in Rockville, Maryland.
     
  • Helen C Wenzel was born on October 26, 1906 in Baltimore County. She died on June 27, 1907 in Baltimore County and is buried at Loudon Park Cemetery.

Josh and Augusta were listed in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 Census as follows:

1900 Census - Baltimore City, Maryland - 1415 Patterson Avenue
Name                      birth month      Relationship         Age    Occupation                         Birthplace
Joshua Wenzel         Oct 1871                                     28     foreman of electric road      Maryland
Augusta Wenzel       Feb 1873              wife                 27                                               Maryland
Elsie Wenzel             Jun 1897          daughter                 2                                              Maryland
Edward Wenzel       Dec 1898              son                    1                                               Maryland
Grace Wenzel          Nov 1899         daughter           6 months                                         Maryland
George Wenzel        July 1877          brother                 22     laborer at Railroad             Maryland
Record also notes Joshua and Augusta had been married for 5 years.

1910 Census - Baltimore City, Maryland - 3351 Beech Avenue
Name                                          Relationship        Age    Occupation                             Birthplace
Joshua H Wenzel                                                     38     mail clerk at steam railroad      Maryland
Augusta M Wenzel                            wife                36                                                    Maryland
Elsie M Wenzel                              daughter             13                                                   Maryland
Charles E Wenzel                               son                 12                                                   Maryland
Grace A Wenzel                             daughter             10                                                   Maryland
Margaret Wenzel                            daughter               8                                                   Maryland
Anna E Wenzel                               daughter               5                                                   Maryland
Elizabeth Meisel                          mother-in-law         79    (widow)                                  Maryland
Joshua’s, Augusta’s, and Elizabeth’s parents were born in Germany. Joshua and Augusta had been married 14 years.
Augusta gave birth to 6 children, 5 are living. Elizabeth gave birth to 9 children, 5 are living.

1920 Census - Baltimore City, Maryland - 822 37th Street
Name                                            Relationship         Age    Occupation                             Birthplace
Joshua Wenzell                                                           48     mail clerk at railing                  Maryland
Augusta Wenzell                                 wife                  46                                                   Maryland
Elsie M Wenzell                              daughter               23     office clerk at cotton mill         Maryland
Charles E Wenzell                               son                   22     clerk at post office                  Maryland
Grace A Wenzell                             daughter               20     saleslady at department store  Maryland
Margaret W Wenzell                       daughter               18     stenographer at jobbing comp Maryland
Anna E Wenzell                              daughter                15                                                   Maryland
Record also notes Joshua’s parents were born in Mainz. Augusta’s parents were born in Bavaria.

Augusta Wenzel died on May 20, 1922 in Baltimore, at age 49. On July 3, 1923, Josh remarried to Nelle Virginia Musgrove. She was born August 10, 1885, the daughter of Walpert Musgrove and Indiana Short. Nelle Musgrove was first married to Raymond Watkins and had 2 children. Raymond Watkins died in 1913. The marriage certificate of Josh Wenzel and Nelle Musgrove reads as follows:

Marriage Certificate - I hereby certify, that on this third day of July One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three at seven o'clock in Brunswick, Md, Joshua H Wenzel and Nellie V Watkins were by me united in Marriage in accordance with the License issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Frederick County, in the State of Maryland. OW Brittinghouse, Pastor, First Methodist Episcopal Church, Brunswick, Md

Josh and Nelle had one child together:

  • George Earl Wenzel was born on May 16, 1924 in Baltimore County. He married Temperance Estelle Smith on April 15, 1951. She was born November 16, 1926, the daughter of Marion Chapman Smith and Lillian Ammon. Earl and Temperance had 2 daughters, Emily L. (1952-), and Jane L. (1954-).

Josh and Nelle appeared in the 1930 Census together:

1930 Census - Baltimore City, Maryland - 822 W 37th Street
Name                             Relationship    Age    Occupation                                   Birthplace
Joshua Wenzel                                       68      clerk for railway mail                    Maryland
Nellie                                    wife           44                                                         Maryland
Margaret                           daughter        27      typist for a public store                 Maryland
Anna                                 daughter        25      operator at a shirt factory             Maryland
Earl                                       son              5                                                         Maryland
The record also shows that Joshua owns a home worth $4200. His age at first marriage was 22.
His parents were born in Germany. Nellie’s age at first marriage was 37.

Josh died on September 5, 1948 in Baltimore County, Maryland, at age 76. Nelle died on August 6, 1964 in Baltimore County, at age 78. Both were buried at Loudon Park Cemetery.