Anthony Neubauer (Rescuer)
It started with a newspaper clipping
While diving into boxes of old photos and letters, I stumbled upon a gem—a newspaper clipping from the Chicago Tribune that my Aunt Pearl Donovan Cerny had sent me. Pearl was a journalist through and through, even long after she left the bustling newsrooms of Chicago behind. Back in the late '90s, I was just getting started on my genealogy adventure, but Pearl, who was already in her 80s, was determined to pass along every scrap of information she had about our family. She made sure I knew all about our connection to the Eastland Disaster, leaving no stone unturned. Pearl was the ultimate family historian, and she wasn’t about to let any piece of our story slip through the cracks.
I’d forgotten that she sent this clipping.
“Raising the Eastland.” James A. Neubauer, Chicago. Letters to the Editor. Chicago Tribune. 5 Sept 1999.
Chicago Tribune - Sept 5, 1999
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Raising the Eastland
Thank you for remembering the Eastland disaster on its 84th anniversary [Sidewalks, July 25]. It’s a Chicago story that has personal import for many Chicagoans to this day. (My father at age 23 was a salvor who dove on the boat to try to save lives.)
George W. Hilton’s book “Eastland: Legacy of the Titanic” (Stanford University Press, 1995) tells how the law of buoyancy was stronger than the law of gravity and upset the vessel. The tragedy needn’t have happened, like all such tragedies, but we learned from it. We hope.
An amazing fact is that President Franklin Roosevelt sailed on it as the Wilmette in August 1943, on a fishing trip!
JAMES A. NEUBAUER
Chicago
Anthony Cornelius Neubauer: A Brief History
Anthony Cornelius Neubauer was born on September 5, 1892, in Chicago, Illinois, to Peter Neubauer and Theckla Tommon. Peter, who immigrated from Germany in 1863, worked as a tanner, and Theckla was born in Illinois. The couple married in Chicago on May 1, 1890. By the time of the 1910 Census, Peter and Theckla had seven children and were residing in Chicago.
Anthony served in World War I and later married Mary Gass, with whom he had nine children. He worked as a carpenter throughout his life. Tragically, Anthony passed away in 1944 at the age of 49. While the cause of death wasn’t specified in the records I reviewed, I can’t help but wonder if his early passing was linked to his heroism during the Eastland disaster. Many who spent time in the Chicago River after the Eastland capsized reported lingering illnesses, raising the possibility that his bravery may have contributed to his untimely death.
Anthony and Mary Gass Neubauer Wedding Photo
Anthony was a man who spoke his mind, as evidenced in this little interview. Daily Times, Chicago. March 3, 1938
Anthony Neubauer’s Obituary
Anthony Neubauer's Obituary from the Chicago Tribune, May 17, 1944
James Neubauer died in 2013 but as always, I am glad he shared this story of the courage his father showed during the Eastland Disaster.
Neubauer Family Memorial Site on Find A Grave.
Contact me, please, if you have more information about this family.
