John Martin Steinfeldt

I am John M. Steinfeldt. I was born 25 August 1865 in Ankum, Germany to Henry and Marie Zimmerman Steinfeldt. I moved to America in 1874. My father Henry came first, then my step-mother Sophie with me and my siblings. We came on the ship Hohenzollern from Bremen, Germany. (1,2) We lived in Cincinnati, Ohio after we arrived. (1880 census). I was a gifted child, taking on many of my genius father attributes, especially his musical ones. I strove to learn more and more about the art of the piano and eventually became known internationally for my skill and musical abilities. I moved form Cincinnati to San Antonio, Texas because of my health and work available at several churches and synagogues. I love the out of doors and visited parks and other places where I hunted and fished. I loved to visit with people and take in my environment. I loved to smoke cigars!

I met and married the love and muse of my life in San Antonio. My marriage to Viva May Ripley was in 1893. We had 4 children together, all are talented in their own ways. She and I, we started the San Antonio School of Music in the early 1920's. The School produced many fine musicians. In 1924 I completed a 2 year project where I wrote the dedication mass for St. Mary's Catholic Church in San Antonio called Missa Maria Immaculata. I worked constantly. I had my own studio to practice and compose in at the school. Our daughter Cecile and son John performed together frequently at the school and gave recitals to the public, as did I.

I traveled all over the world performing. I obtained a passport in 1900. One trip was in 1911 where I arrived in London in June and returned through the port of New York in August. I traveled for recreation too. I took Cecile, my daughter to Europe in 1913 on the ship Mauretania starting in London. We visited my birth place as well as many other places. There we took pictures of the Ankum Church and its Interior. I later took Vivia my wife to Europe on the ship Paris. We arrived back in New York 26 August 1925

I sold several compositions to the Oliver Ditson Company of Boston, New York, and Chicago and other publication house for publication though out my career.

A brief biography of me and my work is included in the Texas Handbook (and many other places) because of my accomplishments.

I lost my beloved wife to liver cancer in 1936. It was a dark period of my life. Our daughter Cecile tried her best to help me, but she had her own family and problems to deal with. I joined Vivia on 28 February 1946 and was interred next to her in the cemetery for St. Mary's Catholic church in San Antonio, Texas.

Images with utsa in the file name are from the John M. Steinfeldt Family Papers, 1819-1993, MS 35, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library. Other photos in possession of family members. Other documents obtained from Court Records, digital images on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and microfilmed records.

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Research and website done by Tresa Tatyrek. This site was last updated 03/28/09