Finding aid for the Robert M. Stecher Family Papers


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Stecher, Robert M. Family
Title: Robert M. Stecher Family Papers
Dates: 1843-1972
Extent: 3.20 linear feet (4 containers)
Abstract: Robert M. Stecher (1896-1972) was a Cleveland, Ohio, physician and amateur genealogist. The collection consists of letters, wills, estates, and narrative writings of Stecher's family from the 1800s and early 1900s, Stecher's own correspondence, genealogy manuscripts and charts, copies of sources he used, and a small series of real estate records.
MS Number MS 4078
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English and German

Biography of Robert M. Stecher

Robert M. Stecher (1896-1972) was a medical doctor who was born in Cleveland, Ohio and spent most of his life there. He specialized in arthritis and rheumatic diseases. His hobby, however, was genealogical research, an activity he pursued nearly full time from the time he cut back his medical activities in 1956 until his death in 1972. He began by tracing his own ancestry back to 1620 in Germany and then worked on numerous other Stecher family genealogies in the United States and in Germany. His work culminated in the posthumous publication of A Stecher-Stecker Saga: The Story of Several German Families and Their Descendants in America.


Scope and Content

The Robert M. Stecher Family Papers, 1843-1972 and undated, consist of letters, wills, estates, and narrative writings of Stecher's family from the 1800s and early 1900s, Stecher's own correspondence, genealogy manuscripts and charts, copies of sources he used, and a small series of real estate records.

This collection includes information on numerous Stecher and Stecker families in the United States and Germany. It will also be useful to researchers studying the history of the German immigrant community of Cleveland, Ohio. Much of the nineteenth and early twentieth century material may be useful to social historians interested in the lifestyles, beliefs, and activities of German-Americans. The nineteenth century correspondence contains some references to immigration experiences. It also contains numerous references to the American Lutheran Church of the nineteenth century and some of the issues it faced.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in six series.
Series I: Original Stecher Family Papers is arranged alphabetically by name, then by document type, and then chronologically.
Series II: Genealogical Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name and then chronologically.
Series III: Narrative Genealogies is arranged alphabetically by last name and then chronologically.
Series IV: Genealogy Charts is arranged alphabetically by name and then chronologically.
Series V: Copies of Sources of Information is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.
Series VI: Real Estate Records is arranged chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Related Material

The researcher should also consult PG 348 Robert M. Stecher Family Photographs.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

German Americans.
Stecher family.
Stecher, Robert M., 1896-1972.
Zwerg family.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4078 Robert M. Stecher Family Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Florence Stecher in 1975 and 1979.

Processing Information

Processed by Richard Hite in 1987.

Detailed Description of The Collection

Series I: Original Stecher Family Papers 1843-1959 undated

Box Folder
1 1 Armstrong family correspondence 1906-1934
1 2 Ann Armstrong to Henry W. Stecher, correspondence 1905-1935
1 3 Concordia College, correspondence 1902-1917
1 4 John family, correspondence 1911-1916
1 5 Edward Kremers, correspondence (photocopies) 1915-1917
1 6 G. Rohlfs to "Stecher," correspondence (photocopies) 1881-1888
1 7 List of Stecher family correspondence ca. 1850-ca. 1930
1 8 Stecher and Armstrong families, correspondence ca. 1890-ca. 1916
1 9-10 Stecher family wills and estates 1916-1959
1 11 Anna Bachmann Stecher, correspondence 1882-1916
1 12 Anton Daniel Stecher, autograph collection (photocopy) ca. 1845-ca. 1890
1 13 Anton Daniel Stecher, sermons ca. 1848-ca. 1889
1 14 Anton Daniel Stecher, letters and sermons ca. 1853-ca. 1869
1 15 Anton Daniel Stecher, letters and will ca. 1869-ca. 1883
1 16-17 Anton Daniel Stecher, letters from Germany (translations) 1843-1885
1 18 Anton Daniel Stecher, letters from the United States (translations) 1874-1894
1 19 Anton Daniel Stecher, narrative writings (translations) undated
1 20 Anton Daniel Stecher, poems (translations) undated
1 21 Anton Daniel Stecher, poems and sermon (translations) 1876 undated
1 22 Fred Stecher, correspondence 1912-1916
1 22 Fred Stecher, naturalization 1886
1 23-27 Frederick W. Stecher, correspondence 1880-1914
1 28 Frederick W. Stecher and Henry W. Stecher, correspondence ca. 1914-ca. 1930
1 29 Hans Stecher, letter (includes "Heil Hitler" greeting) 1943
1 30 Henry W. Stecher to Frederick W. Stecher, correspondence 1890-1916
1 31 Josef Stecher, poems undated
1 32 Martin Stecher, diary (abstractions) 1880-1883
Box Folder
2 33 Martin Stecher, abstracts of diary 1880-1883
2 34 Peter Abraham Stecher, Freethinker's Catechism (photocopy) 1869
2 35 Robert M. Stecher and Lue M. Stecher, correspondence 1915-1919
2 36 Robert M. Stecher, writings on hereditary diseases (photocopies) 1950-1955
2 37 William H. John Battina Company, correspondence ca. 1906-ca. 1911
2 38 Wilson and Wilson Dress hook Company, correspondence 1909-1911
2 39 Zwerg family, correspondence 1905-1935
2 40 Miscellaneous letters (transcriptions) 1853-1915

Series II: Genealogical Correspondence 1956-1972

Box Folder
2 41 Abbott - Arnt 1956-1972
2 42 Bachtold - Bilka 1956-1972
2 43 Blake - Byrne 1956-1972
2 44 Calumet County (Wisconsin) Superintendent of Schools - Cleveland Medical Library Association 1956-1972
2 45 Cohen - Cypress Lawn Cemetery Association 1956-1972
2 46 Dahlberg - Drake 1956-1972
2 47 Eastman-Kodak Compan - Fuchs 1956-1972
2 48 Gainer - Haynes 1956-1972
2 49 Hebberecht - Hutt 1956-1972
2 50 Illinois - Kivimaki 1956-1972
2 51 Klee - Kluge 1956-1972
2 52 Kneyse - Kuuiste 1956-1972
2 53 Landratsamt Buhl - Lenochova 1956-1972
2 54 Library of Congress - Lutheran Theological Seminary 1956-1972
2 55 McCrea - Mayer 1956-1972
2 56 Merklen - Mount Hope Cemetery 1956-1972
2 57 National Carl Schurz Association - Ostrey 1956-1972
2 58 Paetznick - Quintrell 1956-1972
2 59 Rachie - Rudolph 1956-1972
2 60 Saalfelder - Srb 1956-1972
2 61 Staatsarchiv in Detmold - Stawnyczyj 1956-1972
2 62-65 Stecher/Stecker, A - I 1956-1972
Box Folder
3 66-69 Stecher/Stecker, J - W 1956-1972
3 70 Stecher/Stecker, corporations, unidentified 1956-1972
3 71 Stecklen - Stuwer 1956-1972
3 72 Tauscher - Turner 1956-1972
3 73 Union Township (NJ) - Von Preuscheu 1956-1972
3 74 Vorwerk - Votruba 1956-1972
3 75 Wahl - Wright 1956-1972
3 76 Yellowstone Library - Zwerg 1956-1972

Series III: Narrative Genealogies undated

Box Folder
3 77 Preface to Stecher Story undated
3 78 Achern Stechers undated
3 79 Anton Daniel Stecher family undated
3 80 Bohemian Stechers undated
3 81 Brandenburg Stechers undated
3 82 Cord Stecker family undated
3 83 George Stecher of Upper Standusky, Ohio undated
3 84 Melchior Stecher family undated
3 85 Nebraska Stechers undated
3 86 Peter Abraham Stecher family undated
3 87 Renchen Stechers undated
3 88 Robert W. Stecher undated
3 89 Rochester, New York Stechers undated
3 90 Rudolph Stecher family undated
3 91 Willie Stecher of Horn, Germany undated

Series IV: Genealogy Charts undated

Box Folder
3 92 Achern Stechers undated
3 93 Baden Stechers undated
3 94 Balthazar Stecher descendants undated
3 95 Brandenburg Stechers undated
3 96 Cord Stecker descendants undated
3 97 George Johann Stecher descendants undated
3 98 Melchior Stecher descendants undated
3 99 Michael Stecher descendants undated
3 100 Nebraska Stechers undated
3 101 Newark, New Jersey Stechers undated
3 102 Peter Stecker descendants undated
3 103 Rappenau Stechers undated
3 104 Renchen Stechers undated
3 105 Typed charts, arranged by family head undated
3 106 Handwritten charts, arranged by family head undated

Series V: Copies of Sources of Information dates vary

Box Folder
3 107 Baptismal, marriage, and death records ca. 1820-ca. 1960
3 108 Wills and estates dates vary
3 109 Civil War records, insanity records, and citizenship records 1861-1891
3 110 Stecher Lithographic Company records 1892
3 111 Census records, deed abstracts, general abstracts, and abstracts from German sources ca. 1600-1880
3 112 City directories ca. 1880-ca. 1920
3 113 Newspaper clippings ca. 1900-ca. 1950
3 114 Notes undated
Box Folder
4 115 Passports 1800 1854

Series VI: Real Estate Records dates vary

Box Folder
4 116 Real estate records 1786-1927