Of the 10 Meier family interments in this mausoleum, we could find the most information on family patriarch Henry N. Meier, a German immigrant who had fought on the Confederate side in the Civil War.
We found his obituary on Find-A-Grave: (
visit link)
"HENRY N. MEIER
Birth: 1816, Germany
Death: Mar. 28, 1905
"The funeral of H. N. Meier, who died Sunday night, will be held at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon at the residence of Edward Lehman, 305 Junius Street, interment to follow at Oakland Cemetery.
Mr. Meier had been living in Dallas since 1874, and was for several years engaged in the manufacture of furniture. He came to this country from Germany, when but a boy and settled in New York. In 1849 he removed to La Grange, Ga., where he was married to Miss Francis L. Thompson. Later he moved to Mississippi and had acquired a small fortune when the war between the States broke out and he became impoverished Through the war he served with Parson's Brigade, and at its close he settled at Trenton, La. After he had built up his fortune the second time it was swept away by a flood which devastated that country. In 1874 he came to Dallas and has lived here ever since. He was one of the oldest readers of The News and had been a subscriber to it for thirty-four years."
Dallas News, 03-28-1905
Family links: Spouse: Frances Louisa Meier (1827 - 1898)
Burial: Oakland Cemetery, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA"
This mausoleum is inscribed "Meier-Lehman," but we could only find Meiers here. There had to have been a connection between these families, since Meier family patriarch Henry Meier died at the home of Edward Lehman. Meier wa
On Ancestry, we were able to find a death certificate (certificate #9754) for Edward Lehman who lived on Junius Street. Edward Lehman was born on 1 Oct 1850 and died on 2 Mar 1920. He is listed as a retired merchant. Perhaps he was a business partner of Henry Meier? The death certificate says he was buried at Oakland Cemetery, but there is no listing for him on Find-A-Grave. It may very well be that Lehman family members are also in this mausoleum, and that Find-A-Grave missed them.
In 1920, we found Edward Lehman in the US Census living at 3927 Junius Street, aged 75, born in MO, father b Germany, Mother b Germany, occupation is "retired capitalist."
He was living with his wife Emma, aged 56, born OH, father b Germany, Mother b Germany; and a 60 year old black servant named Jim Moss.
In 1910 Edward Lehman was living at 305 Junius St (where Henry Meier died) in Dallas with his wife and 2 black servants. His occupation was listed as "none" (since he was retired).
In 1900 Edward Lehman was living at 305 Junius with his wife Emma (b OH, married 19 years), Henry Meier (b Germany), and Meier's 2 nieces, Amanda and Emma Hesterberg, both of whom are born in OH. Lehman is working as a harness dealer (his shop was at 245 Elm street downtown), and Meier (b Feb 1815 in Germany, who immigrated in 1848 and became a naturalized US citizen in 1852) is working as a Capitalist. Meier is renting space in the house from Lehman.
Investigating Emma Lehman, since she and Henry Meier's nieces are all born in OH, we found her death certificate: Emma Hesterberg Lehman, daughter of Henry Hesterberg and Teresa Meier, both of Hanover, Germany. Emma died 19 Oct 1926, and was buried at Oakland Cemetery, presumably in the Meier-Lehman mausoleum.
Amanda and Emma's father is Robert Hesterberg, of Cincinnati OH. Robert Hesterberg is Theresa Meier Hesterberg's son, therefore he is Emma Hesterberg Lehman's's brother. In 1890 Theresa Meier Hesterberg is living with Robert Hesterberg in Cincinnati --
So there's the connection between the Lehman and Meier families: Henry Meier and Theresa Meier Hesterberg are siblings. Interesting fact: Theresa Meier's husband Henry hesterberg was a Union Soldier who fought in the US Army in an Ohio regiment.