Memorials › Theodore Pruemer

Theodore Pruemer

19 Jul 1819 – 26 Dec 1905

Birth19 Jul 1819
Death26 Dec 1905
CemeteryCalvary Cemetery
Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara County , California , USA
Added byAndrea Berger Walston on 06 Sep 2025
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206606640

Bio

The grave marker has his name as T. Prumer. Theodore Pruemer married Maria Anne Uptmor on May 29, 1849 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Teutopolis, Illinois. Maria Anne Uptmor was born in 20 Oct 1834 and died 06 Jan 1919 in San Diego. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Theodore Pruemer & Maria Anne Uptmor – Biography Researched by Andrea (Berger) Walston Compiled on October 29, 2025 Theodore Pruemer was born on July 19, 1819 in Südkirchen, Coesfeld, Westphalia, Germany and baptized on July 21, 1819 as Johann Theodore Pruemer, at St. Pankratius Catholic Church, Diocese of Münster, Südkirchen, Germany. His father is Franciscus Wilhelmus Pals gt. Pruemer and his mother is Maria Elisabetha Pruemer. Theodore learned the carpenters trade while he was growing up in Germany. Theodore had four siblings that we know of, three brothers and one sister, who all came to America. John Bernard Pruemer born 12 Aug 1813 Südkirchen, died 26 Apr 1902 Teutopolis, Effingham Co., Illinois Gerhard William Pruemer born 15 Jun 1815 Südkirchen, died 15 Jan 1891 St. Francis Twp., Effingham Co., Illinois John Theodore Pruemer born 19 Jul 1819 Südkirchen, died 26 Dec 1905 Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara Co., California Elizabeth Maria Pruemer born 02 Jan 1822 Südkirchen, died 18 Feb 1905 Terre Haute, Vigo Co., Indiana John Gerard William Pruemer born 15 Apr 1824 Südkirchen, 24 Sep 1893 Teutopolis, Effingham Co., Illinois Südkirchen is about 40 km south of Muenster. It is a village and a district of the municipality of Nordkirchen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and belongs to the district of Coesfeld. It is unclear when each of the Pruemer siblings came to America but according to "A History of Tours, Texas" by Sister Mary Elizabeth Jupe published in 1988, Theodore Pruemer emigrated to American in 1844 through the Port of Baltimore. From there he went to Teutopolis, Illinois, where his brother was living. All three of his brothers lived in that area, so we are unsure which of the brothers is referred to in the book. While living in Teutopolis, Illinois, Theodore met Maria Anne Uptmor. Maria is the daughter of John Heinrich Uptmor and Maria Elizabeth Beckmann. Maria Anne was born on October 20, 1834, and baptized on October 21, 1834 at St. Gertrude Catholic Church, Lohne, Vechta, Niedersachsen, Germany. Maria Anna Uptmor emigrated to America in 1837 along with her parents and her older sister and brother. Maria was only two years old at the time. They arrived at the Port of Baltimore, Maryland aboard the sailing ship Weser, on August 28, 1837. Maria's father was one of the earliest pioneers of Teutopolis and was one of the founders of that town. When the first election was held in Teutopolis on the first Thursday of April 1846, there were eight voters. Clement Uptmor, Maria's brother, was elected President and Theodore Pruemer was elected Treasurer. The first saw mill that was built in Teutopolis, Illinois was an old-fashioned water mill built by Theodore Pruemer on Salt Creek. His business and knowledge as a carpenter helped boost the growth of the village. Theodore Pruemer & Maria Anne Uptmor were married on May 29, 1849, at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Teutopolis, Effingham County, Illinois. The next year they had their one and only child, Elizabeth Pruemer, who was born on March 8 1850 and baptized on the same day at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. By 1860 Theodore, Maria Anne and their daughter, Elizabeth had moved to Quincy, Illinois, where carpenter jobs were more readily available for Theodore. According to the City Directory for 1861 they were living on the south side of Elm between Tenth and Eleventh streets in Quincy. Theodore registered for the Civil War draft on July 1, 1863. His place of Residence is listed as 6th Ward, Adams County, Illinois. Theodore Pruemer and his family were still living in Quincy, Illinois on July 3, 1865 when the Illinois State Census was taken. Elizabeth Pruemer, Theodore and Maria's daughter, had met a young man by the name of Henrich Ernest Willenborg. He was a Catholic, which pleased Elizabeth's parents, but he was a blacksmith, which seemed beneath their expectations for their daughter. In spite of her parents' objections, Elizabeth Pruemer and Henrich Ernest Willenborg were married on April 26, 1870 at St. Francis of Solanus Catholic Church in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. We find Ernest and Elizabeth Willenborg on the 1870 U.S. Federal Census record living in Quincy Ward 6, Adams County, Illinois, Dwelling #422, enumerated 16 Aug 1870. In about 1872 Theodore & Maria Anne (Uptmor) Pruemer moved to Louisiana and the next year, in 1873, Ernest and Elizabeth (Pruemer) Willenborg and their two children, Theodore Casper born 1871 and Mary Elizabeth born 1873, moved to Waco, Texas where Ernest could practice his trade as a blacksmith. The first railroad came through Waco in 1872, when the Waco and Northwestern Railroad completed its line into the city in September of that year. This line connected Waco to the Houston and Texas Central Railway at Bremond. Theodore and Maria Anne Preumer decided to move again to be near their daughter and her family. They had heard that Maria's brother, Clement Uptmor, along with a group of German families from Illinois were moving to McLennan County, Texas to take advantage of the University Land that had been opened up for settlement. Each family could purchase 160 acres of land for $1.50 per acre. 160 acres is a quarter section of University Land. Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas: Tours, Texas, on Farm Road 3149 seventeen miles northeast of Waco in northeast McLennan County, was first called St. Martinville. A wagon train from Teutopolis, Illinois, arrived at the site on November 11, 1874, the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, in response to an appeal from the state of Texas for homesteaders. The site was designated university land. Clemens Uptmor, John and Edward Deiterman, Frank Debbendener, and John and George Schneider brought their families, accompanied by two single men, George Hirschfield and George Busker. Sister Mary Elizabeth Jupe, C.D.P. Theodore and Maria Anne Preumer purchased 160 acres between West and the town of St. Martinsville, which was later renamed Tours, Texas. Theodore built a large house on his property. We find Theodore and Maria on the 1880 U.S. Federal Census in McLennan County, Texas (Tours, Texas) - enumerated on June 7, 1880. Living nearby are John and Josephine (Hatke) Deiterman family, Edward and Bernadina (Hatke) Deiterman family and Alois and Maria (Schlehuber) Weinberger family. Marie's brother, Clement Uptmor, also owned property adjoining the Pruemer's on the Southeast corner, however Clement had died on June 12, 1876. The symptoms indicated that he had died of poisoning. He had just purchased a barrel in which he wanted to store grain. There was a little whisky in the bottom which had been poisoned by tobacco. When death seemed inevitable, Theodore Pruemer rode in to get Father J. L. Bussant in Waco. Clement died fortified with the last sacraments. (A History of Tours, Texas - Page 734) Theodore and Maria Anne Preumer lived in the Tours community until 1883, when they decided to move to California. We are able to trace there whereabouts through California Voter Registration records. Thy lived in Florence, Los Angeles County, California in 1884. We next find them in Hope, Santa Barbara County, California in 1892 and 1896. On September 10,1887, Theodore and Maria Anne purchased a lot on Ortega Street in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California. We find them living there in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census record enumerated on June 5, 1900. This record states they were married 51 years. In addition to his carpenter work, Theodore also kept bee hives on his property. During slack times, Theodore tended his bees and sold honey to supplement his income. On January 26, 1904, Theodore Pruemer made and signed his Last Will and Testament. He named his wife, Maria (Uptmor) Prumer and daughter, Elizabeth (Pruemer) Willenborg as heirs to his estate. On December 26, 1905 Theodore Pruemer died of chronic bronchitis and old age. He was 86 years old at his death. The funeral mass was said at Santa Barbara Mission on December 28th and he was laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Co., California, Section C21, Lot 12, Grave 3. T heodore Pruemer - Obituary THEODORE PRUMER DEAD. Theodor Prumer, who has been a resident of Mission canyon for twenty-two years, died at his home December 26th, at the age of 86 years, 7 months and 11 days. He was a native of Germany, and came to California forty years ago. He leaves a widow. The funeral services will be held at the Old Mission at 9 o'clock this morning. The Morning Press, Santa Barbara, California, Thursday, 28 Dec 1905 - Page 8 Theodore Pruemer's Will was probated on February 1, 1906. Maria Anne (Uptmor) Pruemer died on January 6, 1919 at St. Joseph Sanitarium, San Diego, California. Cause of Death was gangrene, age. [The Uptmor Family Heritage Book - 1992 - Page 54 - By Sister Mary Elizabeth Jupe; Also California Death Index] Theodore Pruemer – Find a Grave Memorial ID 206606640 Maria Anne (Uptmor) Pruemer - Find a Grave Memorial ID 240929648 Sources: Matricula Online – Catholic German Church Records U.S. Federal Census Records – Ancestry Prayer Cards Newspapers.com Find a Grave website McLennan Co., TX Cemetery Records Vol. VII - West area; published by Central Texas Genealogical Society, Inc A History of Tours, Texas, By Sister Mary Elizabeth Jupe published 1988 The Willenborg Family Heritage Book, by Sister Mary Elizabeth Jupe published 1983 The Uptmor Family Heritage Book, by Sister Mary Elizabeth Jupe published 1992

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