Gustave Depppermann

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Gustave Deppermann (b. June 23, 1845 Hamburg, Germany; d. February 19, 1920 in Hamburg) was a merchant(2) who married William Steinway's niece, Louisa (Lizzie) Vogel in Berlin on December 7, 1872. Gustave and his wife spent most of their adult lives living in Germany.(1)

It is likely that Deppermann met Louisa Vogel in Germany. She was the daughter of William’s sister Wilhelmina and her husband Theodore Vogel. Lizzie made her first trip to Germany at age 16, accompanie, d by her Uncle Theo and his wife.(Diary, 1869-07-08) Word of her engagement to Gustave Deppermann reached William Steinway in New York in March of 1872 and was celebrated by the family with Lizzie as guest of honor.(Diary1872-03-03, 03-27) It is certain that the couple had one child, William Deppermann, born July 19, 1879, in Hamburg.(Diary, 1879-07-21) They may have had another child as early as November of 1873, as William mentions going to see the “Deppermann baby” in his diary(Diary, 1873-11-30). This child may have died at an early age as there is no further mention of him/her in the diary or documentary evidence.

Gustave stayed in touch with other Steinway family members both in New York and in Germany. During an 1880 European trip, William spent some time mediating a dispute between Gustave Deppermann and William Candidus, Wilhelmina’s second husband, meeting individually with the men(Diary, 1880-07-30), ironing out the settlement between the two(Diary, 1880-08-01), and delivering what appears to be the settlement to each of them.(Diary. 1880-08-02) William wrote of the settlement being “finally completed” nearly two years later.(Diary, 1882-07-10) The Deppermanns bought the furniture that had belonged to William’s first wife, Regina Roos, following her death in Nancy, France.(Diary, 1882-09-21). William last mentioned seeing the Deppermanns in Germany in 1890.(Diary, 1890-10-04)
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Sources:

1. Maniha, Ken, Steinway Family Genealogy
2. N.Y. Passenger Lists 1820-1957, Passenger List of the Bavaria, Arrival New York December 7, 1864 from Hamburg, Germany. Ancestry.com