Theodore Ziel was one of 8 children born to German (Prussian) immigrants.
He built his cigar business from the ground up. Raised 7 children.Outlived
two wives and one son.(First wife died in childbirth in 1896 or so. Second
wife, my great-grandmother, died of pancreatic cancer in 1927. Son, Willie,
drowned in the Mississippi River at 9 or 10) Ted and his children (my Grandma
amoung them) survived small pox, thyphoid fever, diphtheria and the "normal"
childhood diseases. Two of his children are still living. My Grandma and
Uncle Ted, his namesake. Grandma will be 95 in November, Uncle Ted is the
baby, he was just 82. We just lost Uncle Clarence a few weeks ago. He was
93. Except for Willie, all his children lived to be in their 80's. It is
ironic that, in spite of the fact that he made cigars for a living, none
of them ever smoked. |
