What's New
October 2008
BLESSED MARIANNE COPE FAMILY
Many devotees of Mother Marianne have expressed interest in her family. We are including some facts that may be of interest. We will begin with naming her family when she was at home. For an updating, since a number of descendants of Mother's siblings plan to attend the anniversary of the Hawaiian Mission in November, you might want to know their relationship to her.
So as not to overwhelm, we will treat the family in sections, which means that there will be a general description of who was who in Mother's immediate family and then particular descriptions of those with descendants will be handled one at a time during the month. This also will allow more photos to be included.
Mother Marianne's Parents: Peter Koob (Cope) and Barbara Witzenbacher
Background - Brothers and sisters of Mother Marianne
Peter Koob's first wife, Elizabeth Frank, had nine children before she died, only two of whom reached adulthood. Both these children remained in Germany and if there were contact with the family in the USA, there is no record of it.
With his second wife, Peter Koob had five children in Germany, and five in the United States. In 1839, the year following Barbara's (Mother Marianne's) birth, the family emigrated to the United States on the Ariosto.
We know there were ten children in all in Peter's second marriage because Barbara Witzenbacher Koob, MM's mother, reported this number for the census of 1855. We can name nine of them: Born in Germany: Eva (married and lived in Utica); Leonhard (died at age 20); Mathias (moved to Chicago as a teenager to find work); Maryanne (died as an infant); Barbara (Mother Marianne). Born in the United States: Elizabeth, Catherine, Adam (died as an infant) and John (moved to New Jersey).
Mother Marianne's younger sisters, Elizabeth (Liz) and Catherine (Kate), both married but we do not know if they had children. We do know from an obituary that Kate died at St. Joseph Home in Beverly, New Jersey, a home for the aged once under the charge of the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse. A check up of Beverly's records gave little information.
Mother's Older Sister - Eva Cope Lehrscholl
Eva, nearly eight years older than Mother Marianne, married Francis Lehrscholl in Utica, NY. Eight children were born to them and they adopted one more girl: Eva's first two daughters, Barbara* and Elizabeth, were both Godchildren of their aunt, Barbara Cope (Mother Marianne). *Interesting is that Sr. Bonaventure Rothenberg knew Barbara Lehrscholl (MM niece) and left us a chart of her family connection to the Lehrscholls. Sister did not claim to be related directly to MM but said that the husband of Barbara Lehrscholl had a sister Mary who married a Rothenberg. Sister also knew John Lehrscholl well (Fr. Alphonse). |
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Son John Lehrscholl became, a Franciscan Friar, OMC, taking the name Father Alphonse.In 1895, when pastor of the Assumption Church in Syracuse, he is credited with bringing interior improvements to the church including commissioning the series of twelve stained glass windows from the Tyrolese Art Glass Company of Innsbruck, Austria. In his role of Asst. Provincial in 1905 he accompanied the Provincial to Molokai where he visited his aunt. Greater Love written by Mother Carmela Prandoni gives credit to Rev. Alphonse, Rector of Assumption Church in 1896, for encouraging and helping the Franciscan sisters in building their current Motherhouse. In 1897 a Fair sponsored by the clergy and people of the Assumption parish was held for the benefit of the Motherhouse. Mother Carmela does not mention the pastor's relationship to Mother Marianne and there is doubt she knew about it. |
Mother Marianne was in the convent three years when her nephew John was born. Being in the area, she must have known him well including the time he was in the Franciscan novitiate at the Assumption in Syracuse in 1882, the year before she went to Hawaii.
Son Charlie Lehrscholl, was a clothing manager at Nick Peters in Syracuse, a prominent clothing factory once across the street from Assumption School in Syracuse. Charlie was a well respected gentleman. It can be recalled that older German ladies on the Northside, who reminisced of their work at the store in their youth, spoke very highly of the special genteel personality of their former boss. Charlie and his wife lived on Lilac Street. They had no children. The other children of Eva and Francis Lehrscholl were Anne Marie, Catherine, Josephine, Francis (died at age 2) and Mamie. Nothing is known of their descendants. |
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Moving on to the Present Descendants of Eva Cope Lehrscholl
Relatives of Eva Cope Lehrscholl who are in contact with us:
Eva's first daughter, Barbara Lehrscholl, (MM niece) married Henry Stetter. One daughter of this relationship was Theresa Stetter (MM great niece) who married George Ruff. Four daughters were born to them (all deceased): Helen, Margaret, Marion and Elizabeth Ruff (MM great, great nieces). Only one daughter married, Elizabeth; her husband's name was Arthur DeMare (died 2008).
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 Arthur and Elizabeth DeMare |
 Helen and Marion Ruff with nephew, E.J. DeMare |
| Two children were born of this marriage: Paul DeMare (Dr.) (photo on right) and EJ DeMare, (photo above-right) (MM great, great, great nephews), both of whom are in contact with the Cause. Paul is a physician in Honolulu and EJ is a high tech engineer in Washington State. Both have families. |  Dr. Paul DeMare at the Beatification |
 Photo on left:Barbara Ames (MM great, great, great niece) has much contact with the Cause. Barbara Ames at Dedication of Shrine in Utica, NY. Oct. 2007. |
Fred Stetter, (MM great nephew) a son of Barbara Lehrscholl and Henry Stetter, had a daughter Margaret Stetter Ames, (great, great niece). She had three children, all living, Bernard, Barbara and Bernice. |
| Henry Stetter (MM great nephew) had a son Henry who had two daughters. One daughter, Barbara Martinelli, lives in Rome, NY, and attends Blessed Marianne functions in Utica, NY. |  Barbara Martinelli (left), 4th great niece with Colleen Cangialosi, 5th great niece of Blessed Marianne. (Photo by Michael Doherty, Utica Observer-Dispatch, Jan. 24, 2007) |
Compiler: Sr. Mary Laurence Hanley
Arranger: Darlene Yamrose, Office Asst.