Louis (Alöis ) Waldner
My paternal grandparents were Adolph Schlatter and Emma Waldner; they came to the US in October 1910 and settled in Shaw, MS, where they raised three sons -- John, Joseph (my father), and Fred. Adolph was a baker and the family operated a bakery in Shaw.
In 1930 (?) Adolph suffered a stroke; he died in November 1930. Family legend says that Emma's brother, Louis, was a chef in the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, and he came to Shaw to help run the family business after Adolph's stroke. We know that Louis married a lady from Shaw -- Mary Danna, born 1906, died 1944.
Here's a photo of Louis -- do not know the date of this photo.
Alöis (Louis) Waldner; date unknown
This table shows the facts we have about Louis.
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 16 March 1889 | Alois (Louis) Waldner born; Austria |
Father -- Alöis Waldner; Mother -- Maria Ostermann |
| 29 April 1911 | Louis arrives, Ellis Island |
-- According to ship manifest, Louis arrived on
the steamship La Lorraine. -- My mother told me that Louis and Emma's father Alois Waldner was a Swiss civil engineer who worked in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. Louis must have been born in Austria when his father was working there. |
| 1930 ?? | Louis comes to Shaw, MS | Family legend says Louis came to Shaw, MS, from Washington, DC,
to help with the Schlatter family bakery business after Adolph
Schlatter suffered a stroke. 1930 census lists Louis as living with Adolph Schlatter, Emma, and their three sons John Joseph, and Freddie. |
| ??? | Louis marries Mary Danna | |
| 1940 | Census lists Emma, John (son), Freddie (son), Louis Waldner (brother) living in Shaw, MS | |
| 3 August 1944 | Mary Danna Waldner dies | See headstone photo, below. |
| 195? | Louis returns to Switzerland | |
| July 1954 | Louis dies in St. Gallen, Switzerland | See letter from attorney in St. Gallen, below. |
My mother was our family historian. In her collection of family "stuff" were photos that I believe show members of the Waldner family in Switzerland -- here's a link to the first of two Waldner family photo pages.
Here's another photo of Louis. Louis is on the left. On the right is my father's younger brother, Fred Schlatter (b. 1921, d. 2010). The photo was taken in Coney Island, obviously staged at a souvenir photo booth, during or after WW II. Fred enlisted in August 1942 and was discharged in February 1946 at Ft. Devens, MA. Louis' wife in Shaw, MS, died in August 1944. Thus, it's possible this photo was made sometime between Louis' wife's death and Fred's discharge.
Most of the information we have about the Waldner family comes from a letter written to my father after Louis' death in 1954. Louis returned home to Switzerland sometime in the early 1950's; possibly the late 1940's. He died in July 1954 and, when his estate was settled, an attorney in Switzerland sent a letter to all family members. My father and his brothers, John and Fred, were Louis' nephews -- sons of Louis' sister Emma. We lived in Knoxville, TN, when this letter arrived -- my father is the "Herrn Josef Schlatter" to whom the letter is addressed. The following photos are of the letter; the letter lists:
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Louis' date of birth;
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His parents' names;
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Names of Louis' sisters and brother; their dates of birth, names of their spouses, and their current (1954) addresses.
The last page is Louis' will in which he leaves all his possessions to his brother Otto and Otto's wife, Pauly.
IMPORTANT UPDATE
In March 2026, one of Adolph and Emma's great-granddaughters ran the German language letter through an AI (Artificial Intelligence) translation application that translated the July 1954 letter from the Swiss attorney into English. Here is the translation.
| WALZENHAUSEN PARISH OFFICE
Estate of Louis Waldner: Opening of the Will In accordance with Art. 558 of the Swiss Civil Code, we are sending you a copy of the will of the late Mr. Louis Waldner and a copy of the minutes of the opening of the will. We request that you inform us within one month, in accordance with Art. 559 of the Swiss Civil Code, whether you accept or contest the will. If you accept it or do not wish to contest it, we ask that you return the enclosed certificate, dated and signed, as soon as possible, but no later than within one month. You must co-sign the certificate of non-contestation. With highest regards, Walzenhausen Municipal Office The Municipal Clerk: Lang WALZENHAUSEN MUNICIPAL OFFICE — PHONE 4 46 31 Opening of the Will Waldner Alois, known as Louis, born March 16, 1889, North American citizen. Son of Alois and Maria (née Ostermann), unmarried, formerly residing in Walzenhausen. Conducted by the members of the Distribution Commission: Werner Hohl, Mayor; Ernst Vitsthum, Municipal Councilor; and Alfred Hongler, Municipal Clerk, in the presence of the heirs listed below as present. The legal heirs, according to the sworn statements of the heirs listed below, are:
Mr. Otto Waldner will obtain these addresses as soon as possible.
In accordance with Art. 557 of the Swiss Civil Code, the Mayor opens the will, which had been deposited in the municipal archives, after confirming in the presence of those present that the envelope was sealed and intact. The will, read aloud in its entirety, contains the following: The entire estate shall pass to the brother Otto Waldner, born 1908, insurance inspector, and his wife Paulina Waldner, née Lüthi, born 1906, of Walzenhausen. A copy of these minutes and of the will shall be served upon the heirs, setting forth the time limit for filing a claim. The accuracy of these minutes is attested by, Walzenhausen, July 12, 1954. The Partition Commission: signed Hohl — signed B. Vitzthum — signed A. Hongler Walzenhausen, July 15, 1954. The heirs present: signed Mrs. Kühne — signed Mrs. Gahler — signed Mrs. R. Büsser — signed O. Waldner Certified true copy according to Teilungsstrasse Vol. 11, pp. 28–30: Municipal Office of Walzenhausen The Municipal Clerk: A. Hongler MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF WALZENHAUSEN — TELEPHONE 4 46 31 Transcript Everything I leave behind belongs to my brother Otto and his wife Pauly Waldner. Louis Waldner Walzenhausen, July 15, 1954. Certified true copy in accordance with the original will: Municipal Office Walzenhausen — The Municipal Clerk A Statement of Intent In addition, a will was drawn up on July 5, 1954, at the cantonal hospital in St. Gallen. The deceased Louis Waldner, born in 1889 in Walzenhausen, a citizen of the state, hereby declares that the will of the deceased has been duly opened and read, a copy of which has been provided to him, and that he will not file any action for invalidity or annulment against it. Signature: Joseph Augustus Schlatter Annie Richards Schlatter Note: The original document contains several passages that appear to be corrupted or damaged (likely due to scanning or age), which made certain portions difficult to reconstruct with full accuracy. The translation above reflects the best interpretation of the legible text. |
We have no details on Louis' marriage to Mary Danna. The Danna family lived in Shaw, MS, and family members are still in the area.
Headstone in Shaw,
MS, town cemetery.
Photo made October 2007
UPDATE: 9 July 2011
On 8 July 2011 I discovered a new document about Louis Waldner, my paternal grandmother's brother. I discovered that Ancestry.com now has an index titled Swiss Overseas Emigration, 1910-1953. The database is in German and is searchable.
I found this document -- a registration of Louis Waldner's passage to the US in April 1911.
Most of this document is self-explanatory, even if you don't read German. Alois Waldner departed Havre (France) in April 1911 on the vessel La Lorraine bound for New York. His passage cost 333 francs. He was born in Bozen, Tirol (Austria) and lives now in the town of Tablok (?) in St. Gallen (a Canton of Switzerland). His marital status (Civilstand) is Single (Ledig). His occupation is listed as Bookbinder -- something that we did not know. He was born in 1889.
My paternal grandparents -- Adolph Schlatter and Emma Waldner -- arrived in the US in October 1910. I searched the database for them using their names and variations on their names but found no records, I assume because the records may not be complete, or, may start after October 1910.