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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Center for Sacramento History
Title: Wittenbrock family collection
Identifier/Call Number: MS0177
Physical Description:
4 boxes
Physical Description:
4.83 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): ca. 1840-1999
Abstract: The Wittenbrock family collection documents generations of a Sacramento family from the gold-rush. A native of Germany, Rudolph
Wittenbrock arrived in Sacramento with his wife, Elizabeth Boylston (or Beilstein) Wittenbrock via St. Louis in 1852 or 1853.
Failed gold miners, Rudolph and his brother Henry were successful hops farmers and ranchers in what is now the Natomas area.
Rudolph and Elizabeth had nine children. At one point, the Wittenbrocks owned the entire city block between J and K Streets
and 18th and 19th Streets. The family home built in 1873 at 1800 J Street is still standing. Homes constructed for the grown
Wittenbrock children on the block no longer exist. Rudolph and Elizabeth's only son, George F. Wittenbrock was a Deputy Sacramento
Sheriff and County Treasurer. George and his wife, Minnie Noerteman, had five children; Alvin, George Rudolph, Violet, Ione,
and Bernice. This family lived at 1808 J Street. Most materials in this collection pertain directly to these five siblings,
their spouses, children, and grandchildren and include objects, photographic materials, and documents. The material dates
from 1840 to 1999.
Language of Material: Languages represented in the collection: English
The collection is open for research.
All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted
in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron.
No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Friends of Sutter's Fort in 2017 (accession #2017/049).
Finding aid edited by Sabrina Holecko, 2023
A native of Germany, Rudolph Wittenbrock arrived in Sacramento with his wife, Elizabeth Boylston (or Beilstein) Wittenbrock
via St. Louis in 1852 or 1853. Failed gold miners, Rudolph and his brother Henry were successful hops farmers and ranchers
in what is now the Natomas area.
Rudolph and Elizabeth had nine children. At one point, the Wittenbrocks owned the entire city block between J and K Streets
and 18th and 19th Streets. The family home built in 1873 at 1800 J Street is still standing. Homes constructed for the grown
Wittenbrock children on the block no longer exist. Rudolph and Elizabeth's only son, George F. Wittenbrock was a Deputy Sacramento
Sheriff and County Treasurer. George and his wife, Minnie Noerteman, had five children; Alvin, George Rudolph, Violet, Ione,
and Bernice. This family lived at 1808 J Street. Most objects in this collection pertain directly to these five siblings,
their spouses, children, and grandchildren. Multiple family members are buried at East Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento.
Rudolph Wittenbrock (1825-1900) – Forty-niner, hop grower, rancher, property owner. Born in Prussia. Died at 1800 J Street
of a heart attack at age 75. Rudolph was initially buried at the Old City Cemetery but was reinterred at East Lawn in East
Sacramento in 1907.
Elizabeth Boylston (or Beilstein) Wittenbrock (1835-1926) – Wife of Rudolph. Mother of eight girls and one boy: Clara, Mary,
George F., Laura, Emma, Elizabeth, Ida, Minnie, and Katie.
Clara Wittenbrock Damm (1854-1936)– Married Adam Damm. Damm is often mentioned in the newspaper hunting with George F. Wittenbrock
and participating in shooting contests.
Mary Wittenbrock Morrison (1858-1943)– Married James Morrison. Morrison was once on the Board of Supervisors & Deputy County
Clerk.
George F. Wittenbrock (1860-1937) – The only son of forty-niners Rudolph and Elizabeth Wittenbrock, George F. served as a
deputy Sacramento County Sheriff for over 30 not continuous years beginning in 1903. He was known as an excellent marksman.
Additionally, George was president of the CA Fish & Game Commission and served as County Treasurer in 1912. At the time of
his death, he was the bailiff at Judge Martin Welsh's criminal court in Sacramento. George F. was a Mason, Knight Templar,
Shriner, and Eagle. Before marrying Minnie in 1887, George was briefly married to Clara Weilbacher of New York. That marriage
lasted two years and ended in an 1886 divorce. According to Superior Court Case #2624, George filed for divorce on grounds
that Clara abandoned him and returned to New York.
Minnie Noerteman (or Noertemann) Wittenbrock (1862-1929) – From St. Louis, Missouri. Both of Minnie's parents (Christine and
Louis Noerteman) were born in Germany. Wife of George F. Wittenbrock. Mother to Alvin, George R., Violet, Ione, and Bernice.
Sister to Harry and William of St. Louis, and Edward Noerteman of Los Angeles. Minnie died at age 66 while recovering from
being struck by a car at 16th and J Streets in Sacramento.
Laura Wittenbrock Gessner (1862-1956) – Married John P. Gessner. Gessner worked for the Buffalo Brewing Company.
Emma Wittenbrock Heavener (1864-1941)– Married William Heavener. At the time of her death, Emma was a widow and lived at 1815
K Street. Her daughter's name was Mrs. David Barry Jr. of Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Wittenbrock Martine (1867-1939) – Husband, J.G. Martine was an Adjutant General of CA.
Ida Wittenbrock (1869-1877) – Ida died January 12, 1877 at age 7 of typhoid fever. She was initially buried at the Old City
Cemetery but was reinterred at East Lawn in 1907.
Minnie Wittenbrock Weil (1871-1958) – Like her father before her, Minnie died at 1800 J St. of a heart attack. She had lived
in the house with her sister, Kate Kleinsorge since 1939. Minnie's husband, Edward Weil, was the head of the IRS Office in
Sacramento.
Kate Wittenbrock Kleinsorge (1873-1961)– Married Henry E. Kleinsorge in 1896. Kleinsorge was involved in real estate and was
president of the Western Fruit Company. At one point Kate owned the Willis & Martin Drug Company at 1235 K Street.
Alvin Harrison Wittenbrock (1889- 1971) – Son of George F. Wittenbrock. Brother of George R., Violet, Ione, and Bernice. Alvin
was a professional musician who per his obituary, conducted the first dance band in Memorial Auditorium. He was a Mason, Shriner,
member of the Knights Templar, and Eagle. He advertised in the December 23, 1914 Sacramento Union as a violin teacher. Per
his 1933 wedding announcement in a Woodland newspaper, Alvin owned Andy's Lunch Stand on Main Street. Per the 1940 Census,
the couple was still running a restaurant in Woodland. They adopted a son, Alvin L. Wittenbrock as a baby ca. 1938. Alvin
also served as Secretary for the Sacramento Musician's Union.
Annette "Nettie" Hinsdale Wittenbrock (1905-1967) – Wife of Alvin. Divorced Vernon Hinsdale sighting extreme cruelty in 1932.
George Rudolph Wittenbrock (1890-1956) – Son of George F. Wittenbrock. Brother of Alvin, Violet (twin), Ione, and Bernice.
George R. spent 37 years with the Standard Oil Company, working at the office in Sacramento. Per the 1930 and 1940 Census,
George was employed with the company as a bookkeeper. At the time of his death, George lived at 951 El Dorado Way in Sacramento.
Like his brother, Alvin, George was a Mason and an Eagle.
Stella Lee Slater Wittenbrock (1891-1966) – Wife of George R. Wittenbrock, mother of Thelma and Jack.
Thelma Wittenbrock Allen Smith (1915-1964) –Daughter of George R. and Stella. Mother of Jacquelyn Allen. As a child, Thelma
served as flower girl in her Aunt Bernice's 1922 wedding. Thelma graduated from Sacramento High School in 1933 and married
Jack Cleveland Allen in 1936. She was active in the Delta Beta Sigma Sorority and worked for the State Board of Equalization
for 18 years. At the time of her death, Thelma owned Dick & Eddie's Restaurant in Sacramento (21st & P) with her 2nd husband,
Eddie Smith.
Jack Cleveland Allen (1913-1939) – First husband of Thelma Wittenbrock. They were married in 1936. Jack was born in Utah and
graduated from Sacramento High School in 1933. He is listed as a salesman in the 1939 City Directory and died that year at
age 25. According to the Coroner's Register, Jack died suddenly of chronic myocarditis while visiting his mother.
Jack R. Wittenbrock (1918-1976) – Son of George R. Wittenbrock and Stella Slater Wittenbrock. Brother of Thelma. Jack served
in the Army Air Corps from 1941-1945. In the 1976 City Directory, he is listed as a plumber, married to Doris, and living
at 951 El Dorado Way in Sacramento.
Jacquelyn Allen Hill (1937-?) – Likely donor of collection to Sutter's Fort. Jacquelyn was the only child of Thelma Wittenbrock
Allen Smith. She graduated from Sacramento State University in 1959. Jacquelyn received a secondary Sac State Diploma in Homemaking
and married Edmund Clarence Hill in 1965. She received a Vocational Education Certificate in Clothing & Textiles (Tailoring)
from the State of Washington in 1968.
Edmund Clarence Hill – The first husband of Jacquelyn Allen Hill. They were married in 1965 and divorced in Los Angeles in
1972.
Violet Christine Wittenbrock Gay (1890-1956) – Wife of Charles Volquards (from 1916-1928) and William Gay (from 1936-1950).
No Children. Sister to Alvin, George R. (twin), Ione, and Bernice. In young adult photos, Violet bears a very strong resemblance
to her sister, Bernice. In the 1930 Census, Violet is listed as widowed and living in the family home at 1808 J Street with
her father, brother Alvin, and sister, Ione. In the 1940 Census, Violet lived in San Francisco with her second husband, William
Gay at 2090 Mission Street. Her highest level of education completed is listed as 8th grade. At the time of her 1956 death,
Violet lived in the San Francisco area and died within two weeks of her twin brother, George R.
Charles Volquards (ca. 1872-1928) – First husband of Violet Wittenbrock. He was 40 when he first married Violet, age 25. In
1928, Charles committed suicide by gunshot at his home at 1717 K Street in Sacramento. At the time, Charles worked for the
CA Transportation Company. A note to Violet is transcribed in County Coroner's Inquest #1127 dated January 25, 1928.
William Gay (died 1950) – Second husband of Violet Wittenbrock. No further history known. Newspaper clippings of Gay relatives
were included in Violet's Bible. Charles Joseph Gay, a 46-year-old volunteer firefighter, died in a fire at the Earl Oil Co.
in Sacramento. Charles "Old Pop" Gay (1843-1927) was a San Francisco plumber and champion long-distance walker. Relationship
of both Charles and "Old Pop" to William is unknown.
Ione Minnie Wittenbrock Jovovich (1895-1967) – Wife of Andrew Jovovich, mother of Richard. Sister to Alvin, George R., Violet,
and Bernice. Several of Ione's drawings and watercolors are in the collection.
Andrew Gligo Jovovich (ca. 1887-1955) – Husband of Ione, father of Richard. Andrew was a native of Serbia and raised in Fresno.
He was a well-known concert baritone and waiter at the Rosemount Grill from 1918 to 1950. In the 1920s, he toured with the
Count Zeda Concert Company and performed as the Three Pillars Masonic Lodge soloist for many years. At the time of his death,
Andrew lived at 1808 J Street.
Richard Andrew Jovovich (1922-1999) – Only child of Ione Wittenbrock Jovovich and Andrew Jovovich. Multiple photos of Richard
as a child exist in the collection in addition to several childhood drawings. Richard is listed as serving in the Army from
1943-1944 and per a Bee wedding announcement, married JoAn Delyte Rogers in September of 1951. By 1963, Richard was living
at 2322 Capitol Ave with his mother, Ione. In 1972, he was arrested and charged with setting off a bomb at Sutter's Fort and
delivering another bomb with Ronald Reagan's name on it to a well-known Sacramento protester. Results of a trial and any jail
time served are at this point, unknown. At his death, Richard was unmarried and had no children.
Bernice Gladys Wittenbrock George (1901-1991) – Youngest sister of Alvin, George R., Violet, and Ione. In young adult photos,
Bernice bears a very strong resemblance to her sister, Violet. Multiple images of a young girl posing with a violin are likely
Bernice. Bernice graduated from Sacramento High School in 1919 and worked for the California Department of Agriculture for
over twenty-five years. She was active in the Gamma Sigma Chapter of the Delta Theta Tau Sorority, the Pan-Hellenic Association,
and the Land Park Women's Golf Club.
James J. Wogan – First husband of Bernice Wittenbrock. Bernice divorced him in 1924 after two years of marriage. Per Superior
Court Case 32903, James was "extremely cruel and violent" toward Bernice. At the time of their divorce, James worked for the
Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Thomas Martin George (1902-1978) – Second husband of Bernice Wittenbrock. Tom served in the air corps radio division during
WWII, worked for the Sacramento Union, and was a Mason. At the time of the 1930 Census, he and Bernice lived in Tucson, Arizona.
They later moved to 900 El Dorado Way in Sacramento.
Harry Noerteman (1877-1951)– Brother of Minnie Noerteman Wittenbrock. Uncle to Alvin, George R., Violet, Ione, and Bernice.
According to a 1949 letter to Bernice, Harry was present at a 1911 post office air mail stunt in St. Louis. At the time, he
was a photographer for the St. Louis Times and an employee of the Post Office. Copies of Harry's photographs were sent to
Bernice and Tom in 1949 and are included in this collection. Uncle Harry lived in St. Louis, Missouri.
Places:
220 17th Street, Pacific Grove, CA –Beach cottage visited by the George F. Wittenbrock family. Reference librarian at the
Pacific Grove Library could not establish any ownership connection between the house and the Wittenbrock family. Numerous
society entries in the Sacramento Union document family members traveling to and from Pacific Grove in the 1910s.
Fresh Pond – Multiple photos in the collection depict Wittenbrock family members at a cabin in Fresh Pond, El Dorado County.
1800 J Street- Home of Rudolph and Elizabeth Wittenbrock, built in 1873. It was owned by family members until 1971 and has
served as a hippie commune, political campaign headquarters, and art gallery. As of 2018, this house is still standing.
1808 J Street- Home of the George F. and Minnie Wittenbrock Family. Childhood home of Alvin, George R., Violet, Ione, and
Bernice Wittenbrock. This home is no longer standing.
900 El Dorado Way – Home of Bernice and Tom George
951 El Dorado Way – Home of the George R. Wittenbrock and Stella Slater Wittenbrock Family
The collection consists of 4.83 linear feet of personal archival material as well as artifacts from different members of the
Wittenbrock family. The material dates from circa 1840 to 1999. This collection is comprised mostly of photographs ranging
from mid 1800s cabinet cards and tin types to 1980s prints of members of the Wittenbrock Family as well as some nitrate negatives.
Also included are six scrapbooks/photo albums, one large Employee Recognition certificate, three large framed oval pastel
portraits, a framed 1887 marriage certificate, various Sacramento High School diplomas, a folio of 27 Ione Wittenbrock drawings,
a series of late 1880s letters, and wedding memorabilia from Jacquelyn Allen Hill's (Wittenbrock granddaughter) 1965 Sacramento
wedding. The collection also includes Bernice (Wittenbrock) and Tom George's Buffalo Brewing stock certificate from 1939.
The collection is arranged into series designated by the person depicted in the photograph or named on documents. Some subjects
in the photos have yet to be identified or bear such a strong resemblance to their siblings as to make identification difficult.
57 color photographs of lanscape shots labeled "Panama Canal/Playa del Carmen 2/1/80" were deaccessioned due to being outside
of the collecting scope.
[Identification of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], Wittenbrock family collection, MS0177, Center for Sacramento
History.
Related materials at the Center for Sacramento History can be found in the Lois Stone collection (1999/056/006) and a photo
of Standard Oil Company staff that may include George R. Wittenbrock; the Yearbooks from Sacramento County schools (MS0113)
and a Sacramento High Yearbook from 1913 with a photo of Ione Wittenbrock in Orchestra on pg. 86.
Artifacts have been separated from the archival material. These include a wedding dress, a slip, evening gloves, wedding veil,
two strands of beads, lace, two pastel portraits of Minnie Noerteman Wittenbrock, a pastel portrait of George F. Wittenbrock,
two partial bolts of cloth, picture frame that originally held 2017/049/001/030. They have been assigned object numbers (2017/049/002-013).
Artifacts related to the Wittenbrock family can also be found in accession 2022/003/001-013. These include George F. Wittenbrock's
top hat, an accordion, works of art, Bernice Wittenbrock's sketch book, a paper print, and Jardinière.
The collection is arranged into 11 series:
Series 1. Rudolph and Elizabeth Wittenbrock, ca. 1860; 1885
Series 2. George F. Wittenbrock and Minnie (Noerteman) Wittenbrock, ca. 1867-1939
Series 3. Alvin Harrison Wittenbrock, ca. 1899-1971
Series 4. George Rudolph Wittenbrock, ca. 1890-1956
Series 5. Violet Christine (Wittenbrock) Volquards Gay, ca. 1890-1956
Series 6. Ione (Wittenbrock) Jovovich, ca. 1895-1967
Series 7. Bernice Gladys (Wittenbrock) Wogan George, ca. 1901-1983
Series 8. Harry "Uncle Harry" Noerteman, ca. 1877-1951
Series 9. Thelma (Wittenbrock) Allen Smith, ca. 1915-1964
Series 10. Jacquelyn (Allen) Hill, ca. 1937-1999
Series 11. Wittenbrock family unidentified photos and documents, ca. 1860-1999
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California Gold Rush, 1848-1852
Business enterprises--California--Sacramento Metropolitan Area
Land and property
Sacramento (Calif.) -- Social life and customs