Laux article by Karen
John Peter Laux and Family
By Karen Cuccinello
John came to the USA between 1873 and 1880 (his obituary states 1873 and the 1900 Stamford census says 1880) from Luxembourg, often referred to as Germany, supposedly at the age of 18. He is in the 1880 Stamford census, age 25, working at a South Gilboa creamery and living with Edward Young and family.
The Luxembourg Civil Registration states Johann Peter Laux was born August 27, 1854 in Esch, Luxembourg to Johann Peter and Katharina (Scholtes) Laux. This document is on familysearch.org but it is in German so I could not read the whole thing. His obituary states he was born August 27, 1855, but what’s a year? In 1884 he was united in marriage to Miss Luella/Ella O’Brien and to this union 14 children were born; 13 lived to adulthood. The NYS Marriage Index states a John P. Loucks of Harpersfield was married December 17, 1884 and Ella’s obituary says January 3, 1884. Luella was born October 15, 1866 in Gilboa to Thomas J. and Anna (Gardner) O’Brien.
Offspring of John and Ella in order of birth: Katherine (Katie)/Mrs. L. Walker, Eliza/Mrs. Julio Soto Navarro, Charles H., John, Alice/Mrs. Henry Sterk, Frances/Mrs. Ralph Hoyt, Grace/Mrs. Earl Hillis, Elton, Julia/Mrs. Willis Myers, George, Fred, Helen/Mrs. Charles A. Michel, and Edward. I believe all were born in the town of Stamford.
John, who died September 4, 1928 age 73, was also a farm laborer, contractor and landscape gardener. In 1904 he was digging the hole for the cellar of a house in Granthurst Park and elected master-at-arms for the Stamford Tent Knights of the Maccabees.
Eliza Ann (August 27, 1887- November 23, 1975) graduated from the Stamford Seminary Training Class, probably in 1906 as newspaper snippets mention her teaching near Bloomville in 1907. She also taught near Grand Gorge, Cobleskill and Middleburgh probably up until her marriage February 4, 1913. She married Julio Soto Navarro, of Havana, Cuba, (January 28, 1882 – September 23, 1954). They lived in Cuba most winters and Stamford most summers and according to her obituary she taught school in Cuba as well. They also resided in Manhattan sometimes where Julio was a steamship or real estate broker. Interestingly he has a WWI registration card listing him as an “alien non-declared, citizen of Cuba”.
Eliza’s mother, Ella, died shortly before her husband on March 27, 1954. Eliza lived in Havana until 1958 then moved to Oneonta and briefly resided at Robinwood Rest home in Hobart until her death. She is buried in Stamford along with her parents, and Julio in Colon Cemetery, Havana, Cuba.
Two of the Laux boys had unusual deaths.
On August 26, 1944 John Jr., a carpenter and employee of the highway department at Harpersfield, was struck and instantly killed by a car near his home on the Grand Gorge-Stamford Highway, age 63. They never found the person that ran him down, to my knowledge. He had attended the Stamford Seminary and on Feb. 23, 1916, married Miss Maude Ellsworth of Stamford who survived him.
July 17, 1957 Edward Laux, age 44, of Belleville, NJ drowned in Newark Bay, NJ. He had married Iola Deyo of Stamford November 4, 1934. He was a machinist by trade and had lived in NJ for 17 years.
An article in 1935 stated that the whole family got together for the return of Eliza and Julio from Cuba after a four-year absence. Can you imagine 13 adult children, spouses and grandchildren totaling at least 50?