Bio-Pen Pictures
Surnames: Greeninger, Heim, Noonan
Adolph Greeninger, proprietor of the Globe Carriage Factory, 32 to 36 San Fernando Street, San Jose, has been a resident of California since 1864, and of San Jose since 1865. He was born in 1842 in Wirtemburg, Germany, of which place his parents, Joachim and Katrina (Heim) Greeninger, were also natives. His father died in Germany in 1876, and his mother in Philadalphia in 1880.
His brother, Matheus Greeninger, is one of the professors of the gymnasium in Reutlingen, and has been identified, since his graduation at the University of Heidelberg, with the cause of education, having taught since that time in the schools and colleges of various cities of Germany.
The subject of this sketch attended the schools in Reutlingen, and also the gymnasium. He then learned the trade of carriage painting in Reutlingen, and left home for America a 1859. He worked at his trade in Baltimore two years, in Washington eighteen months, and in New York for one year, with Park & Brewster, the celebrated buggy and carriage manufacturers.
In 1864 he came to California, working for one year at his trade in San Francisco. In 1865 he established himself in business in San Jose, where he added to his branch that of carriage and wagon-making, blacksmithing, and all the requisites of a first-class establishment of that kind.
For about sixteen years he was associated in the carriage business with Hugh Young, purchasing Mr. Young’s interest in 1887. He owns the property on which his business is carried on, as well as his home and other real estate. He at one time associated himself with his brother, Frederick W., in the tanning business, but that not proving a financial success he closed it. He is now interested in the stock business, and a ranch in Tulare County. Mr. Greeninger has always been a consistent Republican, but a man of very liberal and broad-gauged views. The esteem in which he is held is evidenced by the fact that he now represents a Democratic district, and has done so several times in the City Council, receiving a large majority over the others on the ticket. Coming to San Jose practically without means, he has by hard work, untiring energy, perseverance, and strictly square dealing, achieved an enviable position financially, politically, and socially.
On his arrival in San Jose he joined the fire department and remained as long as the force was a volunteer one, occupying the different positions up to that of President of the Board of Delegates. Has been a member of the City Council for six years, having been re-elected three times. He was elected in 1884 a member of the County Board of Supervisors, which place he still holds. He isa member and Past Master of Mount Hamilton Lodge, of A.O.U.W., and member of the San Jose Turn Verein, of which organization he has been several times President.
He was married, in 1866, to Miss Maggie Noonan, a native of Pennsylvania. They have five living children: Adolph, Katie, Minnie, Lewis, and Reuben. An elder daughter, Ellen, died in 1886.(SEE OBITS BELOW)
Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated.
Edited by H.S. Foote, Published, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company 1888. Pages 636
contributed by jchavnar
FAMILY OBITUARIES: by jch
RUBEN GREENINGER- 1918
GREENINGER - In San Jose, Cal., September 18, 1918, Reuben Greeninger,
beloved husband of Rose M. Greeninger, beloved husband of Adolph, Dorothy,
Albert and Edward Greeninger, son of the late Adolph and Maggie Greeninger,
brother of Mrs. William Koeberle of Los Angeles, a native of San Jose,
Cal., aged 38 years, 3 months and 23 days.
Friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral tomorrow (Wednesday),
September 25, 1918, at 9 o'clock a.m. from the "Funeral Home" of Curry
& Gripenstraw, 48-50 North Third street, thence to St. Joseph's Church;
where a requiem high mass will be celebrated for the repose of his soul,
commencing at 9:30 a.m. Interment Oak Hill Cemetery.
San Jose Mercury Herald, September 24, 1918, Tuesday, page 10
ADOLPH J GREENINGER- 1945
GREENINGER - Entered into rest, San Jose, June 15, 1945, Adolph J.
Greeninger, devoted husband of Ruby C. Greeninger; beloved father of
Adolph Joseph and Michael Girard Greeninger, loving brother of Albert Greeninger,
Mrs. Dorothy Bell and Edward Greeening, U.S. Army; loving uncle of Marshall
Edward Greeninger and James Edward Bell; a native of San Jose, Calif.;
age 35 years and 2 months.
Friends are invited to attend the funeral
Monday, June 18, at 8:30 o'clock a.m. from "The Funeral Home" of Curry
and Gripenstraw, 48-50 N. Third St., thence to St. Joseph's Church, where
requiem mass will be celebrated for the repose of his soul, commencing
at 9 o'clock a.m.
Rosary will be recited at the above Funeral
Home Sunday evening at 8 o'clock.
San Jose Mercury Herald, June 16, 1945, Saturday
ACCIDENT PROVES FATAL TO LEWIS GREENINGER
Popular Young Man Dies as Result of Injuries Received Saturday Night
Near Gilroy
Lewis Greeninger, one of the members of the firm of A. Greeninger
and Sons, the pioneer carriage works of the valley, died shortly after
4 a.m. yesterday at the Belvadere Hospital on North Third street as a result
of injuries received in an automobile accident just south of Morgan Hill,
on the Monterey road. Greeninger was one of a party of four consisting
besides himself of Eugene Prindiveille, Eugene Cooper and Charles Kenyon.
The machine is a Buick, the property of Cooper, who was at the wheel.
The party was proceeding south toward the ranch of A. Greeninger at a good
rate of speed when the machine ran onto a culvert. One side of the
roadway over the culvert is high and on the other there is a rut.
Greeninger was dozing in his seat and the lurch of the machine when the
wheels on his side of the auto went into the rut threw him over the side
into the roadway. He was picked up partially stunned but soon recovered
sufficiently to be able to assure his companions that he was not badly
hurt. He was, however, taken back immediately to Dr. Clark's sanitarium
at Gilroy, where he was treated. Feeling certain that his injuries
would not prove fatal or even serious, the other members of the party then
proceeded on to Greeninger's ranch. On Sunday night they returned
to San Jose through Gilroy, and visited the hospital where they found Greeninger
apparently on the road to recovery. He gave some verbal messages
to Mr. Kenyon to be delivered to his brother Reuben, in this city, after
having asked to be brought back in the automobile with his friends.
This step was not taken for the reason that his friends did not care to
risk bringing him home in the machine in such cold weather.
Brought to San Jose
Monday morning Mr. Kenyon received a telephone message from Gilroy
to meet an afternoon train as Lewis was returning to San Jose, but Reuben
Greeninger, when told, decided to go to Gilroy in a machine to bring the
injured man home. This was done and he was taken immediately to the
Belvedere Hospital. Mr. Kenyon visited him there on Monday and found
him delirious and was told that he had been so practically ever since his
return.
Dr. Brown attended him here. His skull between the temples was
fractured and he had sustained internal injuries.
A particularly sad feature of the case is that both A. Greening, father
of the young man, and the mother, are seriously ill at their home at the
corner of Orchard and Balbach streets, and that the news of the death of
their son may proved a serious shock to either of them.
Kenyon's Statement
Charles Kenyon, who was occupying the rear seat of the automobile with
Greeninger when the accident occurred is with the other members of the
party, almost beside himself with grief over the tragedy. He made
a statement to the Mercury yesterday describing the accident. He
said: "We were going to the elder Greeninger's ranch on the Watsonville
road south of Madrone and struck a culvert which is high on one side with
a chuck-hole in the other. Lew was dozing in his seat and the shock
threw him over the side. We tried to grab his clothing but all of
us failed. We were on a quail hunt and had our guns and ammunition
in the bottom of the auto raising the flooring on which our feet rested
and making it more difficult for one to hold a position in the car when
the jolt came. Lew struck on his head, but when we picked him up
seemed to rally from a temporary stunning and told us that he was all right.
He was bleeding profusely, however, about his head and we decided the best
t!
hing to do was to take him back to Gilroy as quickly as possible.
There we left him at Dr. Clark's sanitarium and when it appeared that he
would not prove badly hurt we continued on to the ranch and returned Sunday
night. He gave me some messages for Reuben and then we came on to
San Jose. Monday I received a message from the hospital to meet him
at the train as he was coming home and late Rube told me that he would
go down and bring his brother home in a machine.
"This was done and they took him to the Belvadere Hospital where I
saw him Monday and where he quickly went into delirium after having recognized
me. He asked him how I was and then seemed to lose his head.
I asked how long he had been delirious and was told ever since he had been
brought home."
The dead man is exceptionally well known in San Jose, having lived
here all his life. He was a member of Garden City Parlor, Native
Sons.
The funeral will be held Friday morning at 9:30 from the home, 496
Orchard street, thence to St. Joseph's Church.
GREENINGER - In San Jose, October 13, 1909, Lewis M. Greeninger,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Greeninger, brother of Mrs. William Koeberle
of Los Angeles and Reuben Greeninger of San Jose, a native of San Jose,
Cal., aged 32 years, 1 month and 11 days.
Friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral tomorrow (Friday),
October 15, 1909, at 9:30 o'clock a.m. from the family residence, 496 Orchard
street, thence to St. Joseph's Church, where mass will be said commencing
at 10 a.m. Interment at Oak Hill.
San Jose Daily Mercury, October 14, 1909, Thursday
NATIVE SONS PAY MARKED TRIBUTE TO L. GREENINGER
Large Number of Members of the Order Attend Services at St. Joseph's
Decedent Was Victim of Auto Accident Near Gilroy Saturday Night
The funeral of Lewis M. Greeninger, who died at the Belvedere
Hospital here as the result of a regrettable auto accident near Gilroy
on Saturday night, was held from the family residence yesterday morning
at 9:30. There was a large attendance of sorrowing friends of decedent
and the family and the Native Sons paid a marked tribute to the memory
of their late brother in the large number of members who formed an escort
for the hearse from the home to St. Josephs Church, where a requiem mass
was celebrated, and from the church to the cemetery.
The services at the home were brief on account of the health of Mr.
and Mrs. A. Greeninger, parents of the dead man.
At 10 o'clock the services began in the church and the Native Sons
then escorted the hearse at First and San Salvador streets, where special
cars were in waiting to take them to Oak Hill Cemetery.
At the grave simple services were held by members of the clergy of
St. Joseph's Church.
A wealth of floral offerings told of the love and esteem in which the
late Mr. Greeninger was held in San Jose. Flowers literally covered
the plot of the family in Oak Hill Cemetery, where interment was made.
The funeral cortege was exceptionally large, hundred of acquaintances of
decedent following the remains to the cemetery.
The active pall bearers were Charles Kenyon, William Moore, Barney
Kell, Louis Dosse, Arthur Murphy and George K. Edwards. The honorary
pall-bearers were all members of Garden City parlor, Native Sons of the
Golden West, with which the late Mr. Greeninger was affiliated. They
were W.J. Benson, Fred M. Stern, W.H. Carmichael, Ed Wiabel, T.F. Sourisseau,
and W.H. McComas.
Decedent leaves to mourn his loss his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. Greeninger,
a sister, Mrs. William Koeberle of Los Angeles, and a brother, Reuben Greening
of San Jose. He was 32 years of age and a native of this city.
Business was stilled at most of the offices of the City Hall yesterday
morning. Mayor and Councilmen and heads of various departments attending
the funeral as a mark of esteem both to decedent and his father.
San Jose Daily Mercury, October 16, 1909, Saturday
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT