Individual Details

In 1900, Otto, age 12, was living with Paul and Ida McKim in Ft. Smith. His birthplace given as Arkansas; parents born in Germany. I know that Otto's mother had remarried and he likely felt more comfortable living with his sister.

I have a letter written to "Master Otto Schniebs" which refers to him as "my dear brother" and addressed to Monroe Co LA, where Ida & Paul lived for awhile, 11 Jun 1905. It is signed your Bro. & family, I. B Stevinson.
We have a box of love letters from his girl friends in his younger days. These seem to have gone to Hope, AR, circa 1910-1911. I have never found Otto in the 1910 census.

According to JoEllen McKim, Otto never married and spent his last years living with Ida and Paul; she was told he had a veneral disease. I believe this may not have been the correct story at all. He did marry and lived until 1945; however, he did die of syphilitic heart disease. Paul's brother Victor also lived with Paul and Ida for a time, possibly just before he died.

I found the following.
World War I Draft Registration. Otto John Schniebs, age 27, living at 315 S. Jefferson, Springfield MO. Born 2 Apr 1888 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Plumber with his own business [Paul McKim was a plumber and no doubt taught Otto the trade]. He was single, of medium height and build, blue eyes, light brown hair. Signed 5 June 1917.

VA Master Index Card
Otto John Schniebs, Corporal, Company D, 69th Infantry.
Address: 4103 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX
Born 2 Apr 1888; died 24 Feb 1945
Enlisted Feb 1918; Discharged, Dec 1918

1920 Census. Wichita Falls, Wichita County, TX
Otto J. Schniebs, roomer in the house of W. W. Belshea.
Age 31, a single man, b. AR, parents b. Germany, plumber by trade.

1925, -1929 City Directory, Dallas, TX
Schniebs, Otto J (Lena) plmbr 4103 Maple Av

1930 Census. Dallas, Dallas Co TX
Otto J. Schniebs, age 41, married at age 34, Plumber, b. AR, parents b. Germany
Elizabeth, wife, age 24, married at age 23.
Otto J. Jr., son, age 3, born Texas [Elizabeth was not Otto, Jr.'s mother if she's only been married to Otto for a year - his mother appears to have been Lina Baker, see later.]

Texas Birth Index shows the following:
17 Apr 1926, Otto John Schniebs Jr. born to Otto J. Schniebs and Lina Baker in Dallas County
28 May 1930, Paul Michael Schniebs born to Otto J. Schniebs and Elizabeth Luzah in Dallas County.

1931 Dallas City Directory.
Schniebs, Otto J (Eliz) plumber, 4103 Maple Av

1934, 1937,1938, 1939, 1940 City Directory, Dallas, TX
Schniebs, Otto J. (Elizabeth) plmbr. 4103 Maple Av

Advertisement in the Dallas Morning News, 21 Apr 1940. Two new brick homes, just completed, Eastway Acre Estates, only $4115, a full acres, 5 room brick cottage. One of the subsidiary ads says: "Plumbing Fixtures, Hot Water Heaters Installed by Otto J. Schniebs, 4103 Maple, Phone 5-0162

1940 Census. Dallas, Dallas Co, TX, Hh 492, living at 4103 Maple, where they also lived in 1935.
Otto Schneibs, age 52, b. AR., Plumber, working from his own home.
Elizabeth, wife, 33, b. AR
Otto Jr, son, 14, b. TX
Paul M. son, 9, b. TX
Louise Stahl, roomer, age 26, b. TX, lived in San Antonio in 1935. Head of Operating Room, Hospital.

1941 Dallas TX City Directory
SCHNIEBS, OTTO J (Eliz:2) Plumbing, Fixtures, Water Heats, New and Repair Works, 4103 Maple Av

27 Apr 1942 World War II Draft Registration.
Otto John Schniebs lived at 4103 Maple, Dallas, TX. He 54, born 2 Apr 1888 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Self-employed as a plumber. Mrs. O. J. Schniebs would always know his address.
He was 5'8" tall, weighted 175, had blue eyes and blonde hair going gray, wore glasses.

1942 & 1944 Dallas TX, City Directory
Schniebs, Otto J. (Eliz:2) plumber. 4103 Maple Av

1945 Dallas City Directory - Listed under Plumbers
Schniebs, Otto J., Plumber, 4103 Maple
1947 Dallas TX City Directory
Schniebs, Eliz (wid Otto J) (Otto J. Schniebs Plumber) home 4103 Maple
Schniebs, Otto J. Jr, plumber, Otto J Schniebs Plumber, 4103 Maple Av
Schniebs, Paul M., plmb, Otto J. Schniebs Plumber, 4103 Maple Av
1948
Schniebs, Otto J., plumber, 1027 Maple Av


Dallas Morning News; 25 Feb 1945
Plumbing Contractor, War Veteran Passes
Otto J. Schniebs, 56, a plumbing contractor in Dallas for twenty-four years, died early Saturday at Veterans Hospital, Lisbon. He was a veteran of the First World War and had been ill for a years.
Schniebs, born in Hope, AR, is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; two sons, Pvt. Otto J. Schniebs Jr. in overseas service, Paul Michael Schniebs, Dallas, and three sisters, Mrs. Annie Priebe, London, Ark.; Mrs. Ida McKim, Fayetteville, Ark.; and Mrs. Mattie Burke, Hallsville, Mo.

Otto J. Schniebs, died Dallas County 24 Feb 1945, Texas Death Certificate #6322
Otto J. Schniebs died in the VA Hospital in Dallas, TX. He had lived in Dallas for 23 years, his most recent address was 4103 Maple Ave [the family gave the same address when Otto Jr was born, 1926]. Otto was born 2 Apr 1888, died 24 Feb 1945 of syphlilitic heart disease. He had a social security number, not remembered. He was a self-employed plumber. Born in Arkansas; father was August Schniebs, born Germany; mother was Emelia Berthold, born Germany. Otto was buried Calvary Hill Cemetery, Dallas, on feb 27th.

Otto's grave marker, Calvary Hill Cemetery, as found on FindAGrave.com, indicates that he did serve in World War I.
Otto J. Schniebs
Arkansas
Cpl 69 Inf. 10 Div.
April 2, 1888 - Feb 24, 1945
The application for his military marker dated 8 Mar 1945, is on Ancestry.com. The applicant was Mrs. Otto J. Schniebs of 4103 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX. She requested the flat granite marker with Christian emblem. Otto enlisted 3 Apr 1918 and was honorably discharged on 31 Jan 1919. His Pension number was C3 629 082; his Serial number, 2209858.


The Texas Birth & Marriage Indexes indicate several additional facts about the sons of Otto.

Otto Jr. was apparently married to a lady named Mabel Christine Lacey by whom he had the following:
Otto John Schniebs III, b. 24 Feb 1949, Dallas Co
Sheila Schniebs, b. 15 Dec 1955, Dallas Co

There is a death for Otto Schniebs Jr on 31 May 1969, Hill Co, Texas. This date and the same date of birth as above, 17 Apr 1926, are also found in the Social Security Death Index.


Paul Michael married Bobbie Jean Kelley. The following children are listed in the Texas Birth Index:
Paul Michael Jr., born 17 Jun 1951, Dallas.
Susette, born 22 Feb 1953, Dallas - Susette married John R. Kelley, 19 May 1974 in Travis Co TX.
Leeanna, born 15 Oct 1958, Dallas
Paul Michael Schniebs died 15 Mar 1988 in Dallas - Social Security Death Index.

Otto John Schniebs III married Deborah D. Martin, 25 Sep 1969, Dallas. They had the following children:
John Michael, born 22 Dec 1969, Dallas Co - a John M. Schniebs married Deborah A. Dovenbarger, Kerr Co TX, 30 Jul 1988; John Michael would have been 19 years of age.
Shannon Marie, born 20 Jul 1970, Tarrant Co - according to the Texas Death Index, this baby girl died the day she was born.
Christopher Lee, born 15 Jun 1972, Dallas - Chris Lee Schniebs and Kimberly Renee Huffman had a daughter, Amanda Marie, born 20 Feb 1991, Gilespie Co TX.
There are two divorce dates for Otto the third and Deborah - one 16 Feb 1971 and another on 9 May 1975.

Otto the third married Barbara Ruth Briggs, 24 May 1974, Dallas Co, by whom he had additional children.
Johnny Dale Schniebs, born 21 Mar 1979 in Tarrant Co.
Stephanie Dawn Schniebs, born 20 Aug 1981, Tarrant Co.
A divorce is listed as 27 Jan 1982, Dallas Co.

There is another marriage for Otto J. Schniebs to Patricia A. Crayton, on 30 Dec 1982, Navarro Co, TX - presumably this is Otto the third, and his third marriage.


Sheila Schniebs, daughter of Otto Jr, married Marlin S. Richert on 11 Aug 1973, Dallas. She may have returned to her maiden name because a Sheila Schniebs also married Steven Eric Eilers, 9 Aug 1996 in Dallas. They had a son, Leif Erik Eilers, born 8 Feb 1995, Dallas Co TX.


Paul Michael Schniebs' son of the same name, Paul Michael Jr., married Pamela Brassey, 6 May 1978 in Dallas Co, and they had:
Joseph Aaron Schniebs, born 17 Mar 1982, Tarrant Co TX
Sarah Marie, born 10 Aug 1985, Tarrant Co.
Kathleen Ann, born 6 Feb 1988, Parker Co TX

Birth	2 Apr 1888	Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas
Marriage	Abt 1925	Lena Baker
Marriage	22 Jun 1929	Sebastian County, Arkansas - Elizabeth Luzah
Death	24 Feb 1945	Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

Spouse	Lena Baker (1891 - 1926)
Child	Otto John Schniebs Jr. (1926 - 1969)

Spouse	Elizabeth Luzah (1906 - 1990)
Child	Paul Michael Schniebs (1930 - 1988)

Father	August Schniebs (1841 - 1890)
Mother	Emilie Berthold (1845 - 1934)
Sibling	Anna Selma "Annie" Schniebs (1873 - 1946)
Sibling	Mathilde Maria "Martha or Mattie" Schniebs (1874 - 1952)
Sibling	Mary Ida Schniebs (1878 - 1964)