Muellhaupt Family

Father Otto (John Herman) Muellhaupt and mother Maggie May Ramp Muellhaupt of Donald Muelhaupt in a horse drawn buggy. 2008.021.0010

The story of the Muellhaupt Family begins in San Joaquin, California on October 23, 1873 with the union of Reverend Jacob Muellhaupt (1846-1907)and Margaretha Schindler (1851-1891).  The Muellhaupts, 1866 immigrants from Switzerland, were bound for Salem, Oregon where Jacob would found the German Lutheran Reform church. Seven children were born to this union before Margaretha’s death on March 6, 1891.  Their names were:

Theophil 1874 – 1949
Lydia (Leta) 1877 – 1927
Otto (John Herman)  1878 – 1959*
Oscar W.T.   1881 – 1935
Martha  1882 – 1886
Frieda A  1885 – 1966
Walter 1888 – 1928

The Reverend Jacob did not re-marry after his wife’s death and chose to raise the children himself.

Otto (John Herman Otto) Muellhaupt, the third child of Jacob and Margaretha would begin his own family in 1903, with his marriage to Maggie May Ramp of Independence, Oregon.  She bore him three children:

Marlin OTTO     1907 – 1946
Donald          1908 –1979*
Mildred Eloise   1912 – 1976

By the 1920 census, Maggie has re-married a man by the name of J.B. Stevenson and is living in Condon, Oregon.  Her two sons by Otto remain in Salem.  Her daughter Mildred resides with her.  Maggie has an additional child named:

Jack David Stevenson       1918 – 1979

She marries a third time by the 1940 census, to a man named Earl Robinson.  Her two sons by Otto remain in Salem, daughter Mildred remains with her mother Maggie, and son Jack David is living in California with an aunt and uncle.  Otto (John Herman Otto) passes away suddenly of a heart attack on Feb. 5, 1959 at the age of 80.

Son Donald lives with and cares for his father up until the 1940 census when he is listed with a wife, Beryl, and son, Donald Jr.  He is a farmer by trade.  He dies August 26, 1979 and is buried in Restlawn cemetery, Polk County, Oregon.

Sources:
US Census Records 1900, 1910, 1930, 1940. City View Cemetery Records. Belcrest Cemetery Records. Riverview Abbey Mausoleum and Crematory Record, lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery Records, Restlawn Memorial Garden. Willamette National Cemetery Records.

Obituary of Jacob Muellhaupt as published in the Sunday Oregonian, March 3, 1907

Obituary of Rev. Jacob Muellhaupt
Tribute to the Life of a Good Man and Faithful Clergyman

SALEM, Or., Feb. 28. (To the Editor. Rev. Jacob Muellhaupt has passed to his eternal home, and again we are most forcibly reminded of those old and solemn, but so true, words: “Man born of woman is of but few days and full of trouble. He cometh up like the grass and is cut down.” Notwithstanding the comforting declaration or thought that: ‘Though a man die, yet shall he live again,” the death of so good and useful a man as Rev. Mr. Muellhaupt casts a dense gloom over the spirits of his family and friends that even our bright hopes of his future cannot easily dispel.

We grieve not that he should die, for it is the common lot of man; but that he should die in the midst of his usefulness. He was young, rosy-cheeked, active in mind and body and full of energy at 80; and with his robust constitution and temperate habits, he might, under ordinary circumstances, have easily worked on intelligently to the age of 80 or 90 years. But this was not to be.

He was born in one of the rural cantons of Switzerland, and though an only child of a widowed mother in affluent circumstances, instead of growing up a selfish, spoiled young man, he became a magnanimous philanthropist and early decided to devote his life to the ministry, and spent many years educating himself for that calling. How he loved and reverenced his calling and how earnestly and enthusiastically and devotedly and patiently he followed it only those who knew him well can ever know.

He had importuned his mother to let him have money to help this deserving young student through college, or that struggling young minister on his way, etc.. until their fortune was well nigh exhausted before his mother’s death.

All his actions through life were controlled by a very fine sense of justice and duty. If he contemplated doing anything, the question with him was not; “Will it pay a monetary dividend, but is it right?” His last words, spoken in a loud voice, but a few moments before death silenced it forever, were: “Right is right and wrong is wrong!”

In training his children he strove incessantly to instill into their minds this same high and conscientious standard of action. Though a gentleman of culture and letters himself, like Christ, he preferred to labor among the lowly and unlearned; and was also, like Christ, often misunderstood and not fully appreciated by them. So he often felt the need of saying, with the psalmist: “My soul, wait thou upon God; my expectation is from him.” Yet he bravely obeyed the mandate of the apostle: “Give thyself, wholly to them. Make full proof of thy ministry.” Do all the work of an evangelist.

For 28 years he labored continuously and faithfully for one German Reformed Evangelical Church here in Salem, “without money and without price,” and raised his family of six children; he and the little ones, as they grew old enough to work, earning their bread by the sweat of their brows; but he never complained.

He was a hard student at school, acquiring a thorough knowledge of German, English, French, and Latin, and continued his studies to the time of his last illness.

Rev. Mr. Muellhaupt was called upon to carry through life, perhaps more and heavier burdens than fall to the lot of the average man, yet always with the same uncomplaining spirit and the same open, benevolent and kindly face. He was ever ready to sacrifice his own comfort for the welfare of others; always ready to assist the weak and fallen ones with words of encouragement, but very mild and sparing were his words of reproof.

But death has removed his beloved face and society from among us and in the beautiful words of the song so well sung at his funeral services, we say he will be remembered for what he has done. But Rev. Mr. Liesman’s question asked in his excellent sermon in “Deutch”: “Bruder Muellhaupt bist du sufrieden?” (Brother, are you satisfied?”) can not be answered until all the scrolls of heaven are unrolled and we shall all be known as we are. And are we satisfied? We know that God doeth all things well; and so, we are able to say, with our suffering Saviour “Thy will, oh, God; not mine, be done.”

We do not forget, in our grief, to thank God that he so mercifully prolonged Rev. Mr. Muellhaupt’s life until he could go attend the last general synod of the German Reformed Evangelical Church, which was held in Indiana; nor to be thankful that, though seriously ill before starting home, he was able to reach his destination and die surrounded by all his loving children, efficient nurses, kind friends and a good physician, Dr. Hollister, who had learned, during his long treatment of the unusual case, to love him with almost a filial affection. Thankful that though the waters were high, his children were able to bring him home and give him a beautiful burial at the place where he had lived and labored so long. He had lived to see the example and training he had given his family justified; for his children had all grown up to be good and useful men and women, filling positions of honor and trust, and their daily conduct bringing credit to his name.

The funeral services were held in the First Presbyterian Church: the officiating clergymen, Rev. Mr. Bowersox and Rev. Mr. Liesman being old friends of Rev. Mr. Muellhaupt and family.

His grave, which was made on a high knoll overlooking all Salem and surrounding country, in City View Cemetery, was lined with white and bordered round the edge with smilax, with long sprays of smilax reaching from the border almost to the bottom. The grave was thickly covered with rare and lovely flowers and surrounded by a multitude of sorrowing friends and relatives.

We have loved him in life, respected him in death, and from our hearts we now at last say: Requiescat in peace!
M.A. Parrish