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Old 06-04-2009, 10:24 PM
Tom Hufford Tom Hufford is offline
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 158
Default The Breitensteins weren't brothers

As best as I can determine, Ted Breitenstein (the major leaguer) and William Breitenstein (T210 Columbia) were not brothers.

Ted was born and died in St. Louis. He was the son of Louis and Elizabeth (Moore) Breitenstein. His wife Ida died of bladder cancer on April 25, 1935, and Ted died eight days later - May 3, 1935.

The 1910 US Census for Columbia, Richland Co., SC lists William Breitenstein, age 29, "ball player, league team." It lists Kentucky as the birthplace of him and his parents. His wife, Helen, was age 26, born in Ohio. (I just love it when a T210 player shows up in the 1910 census, listed as "ballplayer" in the city where he is playing - with a clue to where he was from!)

His World War I draft registration card shows William Gerald Breitenstein, b. April 23, 1881, with wife Helen W., living at 950 Richmond, Cincinnati, OH in 1917. His place of employment was listed as "YWCA Hospital - Camp Jackson, SC" . Fort Jackson still exists - right outside Columbia, SC.

William and Helen are listed in the 1920 Ohio census, living in Cincinnati. His occupation was "armor work - US govt."

William G. Breitenstein, welfare worker, shows up in the 1924 San Diego, CA voter registration list. William G. and wife Helen M. are listed there on the 1928 voter list.

Helen M. Breitenstein is listed in the 1930 San Diego, CA census as "head of household" and I can find no trace of William in the 1930 census.

William is listed in the 1900 Census living with his parents William and Alice in Dayton, Campbell Co., KY - right across the river from the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. William and his parents were both listed as born in Ohio, but the younger children in the family were listed as born in Kentucky.

So, I'm guessing that William G. Breitenstein, the ballplayer, was born in Ohio (probably in Cincinnati) in 1881, then moved across the river and grew up in Dayton, KY. After his ballplaying days, he worked for the government, lived in Cincinnati, and moved to San Diego between 1920 and 1924. He probably died (or left for parts unknown) between 1928 and 1930.
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