Edward J. M. Poth (1874 - 1956), engraver in Des Moines and Denver , Steve Poth's paternal grandfather

 Edward John Michael Poth ( Sept 30, 1874 - Sept 28, 1956) 

This is Stephen D. Poth's paternal grandfather 

Youth:  

Edward was born in Buffalo, New York, and we know that when he was a baby, his mother (Mary E. Poth/ Maria Clemens/ Anna Maria Clements)  was raising her large family alone, as a laborer in a German immigrant neighborhood, in Buffalo New York. 

We do not know anything else about Edward's youth, but we know that he overcame his difficult early childhood to become a successful engraver and raise a family. 

Beginning engraver: 

In 1900 at 25 years old, he was living in Chicago with his older sister Elizabeth and her husband Charles.  Both Edward and Charles were engravers.  

Marriage and family: 

In 1905 he married Amaryl Ann Crane in Chicago.  We are so lucky to have this wonderful photograph of the young couple: 

The Poths had two children, Amaryllis and Edward Marshall, in Chicago.

Move from Chicago to Des Moines: 

Sometime before 1915,  the family moved to Des Moines Iowa.  

We see in the 1915 Iowa state census that Edward had had an 8th grade education, is currently working as an engraver, earned $1500 the previous year, etc.  

In Iowa their youngest child, Charles Douglas Poth, was born in 1917. 

Here is Edward's WW1 Draft card, 1918: 

Edward worked for the Iowa Lithography Company, about 2.5 miles from his home.  

Edward sustained a head injury in November 1919 and spent several weeks in the hospital.  Des Moines Tribune article, Dec. 10, 1919: 

Newspaper clips show Edward was on a "crack bowling team" in 1916, played golf in 1919, and played bridge with his wife and other couples in 1920. 

I love this photo of the family camping: 

Move from Des Moines to Denver: 

Sometime between 1925 and 1930, the family moved to Denver.   

At least from 1933, and up through at least 1945, Edward worked for the Rocky Mountain Bank Note Company in Denver.

Edward died in 1956, in Scottsdale, Arizona,  two days shy of his 82nd birthday, having survived the death of his wife in 1952 and his daughter in 1953. 

  

See also: Amarylis Ann Crane

Sources:

Denver City Directories 

New York State Census, 1875

1900, 1910, 1920. 1930. 1940 federal census 

https://history.denverlibrary.org/rocky-mountain-bank-note-company

newspapers dot com - clippings from Des Moines Tribune 

Cynthia Poth Nanto family tree on Ancestry dot com 

photos from Frances Hoart Poth's (Grandma Frances) scrapbooks.