New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-08-18
GOLDEN WEDDING Of
ENGELS ON sept. 2
Ex-Councilman and Wife and
Cupid Are Chums Fifty Years
EARLY GERMAN SETTLERS

ried at Center Church by Rev. DIR.
Pcrrian.
The completion of fifty years of
happy married life viii De observed
in a quiet manner on September by
e&-Councilman and Mrs. Fred Engel
Of III Hartford avenue. The couple
VIII receive immediate members of
the family on the occasion, but other
than this no celebration of any nature
Will mark the anniversary.
The couple are among the first Ger
man settlers of the city, having ar
rived here in the early mites. After
courtship which was interrupted by
the Civil war, they were married on
September 2, 1855, at the Center
church by the Rev. DR.. Perrian, then
pastor of that congregation.
Mrs. Engel was Miss Elizabeth
Neibling prior to her marriage. She
was born in Briencelbon, Germany, in
1914. With her parents she immi-
grated to this country and settled in
this city. She became an immediate
favorite with residents of the city on
account of her pleasing personality.
She Joined Thusnelda locgr, D. of H,
when the lodge was organized here
and has been an enthusiastic mem
Der since.
Young Immigrant Becomes Soldier.
Mr.. Engel is a native Of Goebel-
born, Prussia. When young man he
came to this country and located in
this city. During the Civil war ne
Joined the sixteenth Connecticut in
fantry. He fought in several impor-
tant battles below the Mason and
Dixon line, and was taken prisoner
and lodged in the prison at Ander-
sonNille Georgia, and was later
| moved to Florence, South Carolina
! where he spent ten months and ten
| days At the close of the war he
! with other prisoners, was taken &c
| Richmond, Virginia, where he was re-
| leased The regiment under Whlcf
| MIR. Engel served was in command OF
! Colonel Frank w. Cheney of Soutf
/ Manchester.
/ The wear previous to EngePs enlist
nent the Sixteenth Connecric>lt wa!
almost wiped out at Antietam, Md.
where a monument now stands to the
. memory of the martyrs of that regl-
;1ent It Was with the second call for
volunteers that he was assigned tC
the Inflated regiment.
At the close of the war Mr.. Engel
returned to this city and entered the
employ of the Russell & Erwin COM
pany as a machinist where he worked
for long time, later entering the en-
ploy of the Stanley Works.
On retiring from the factory he
opened a saloon on Main street. which
he conducted for twenty years and
then retired from active business to
devote his time to the large number
of property holdings he had acquired.
Active in FraternaI Life.
In fraternal life Mr.. Engel has been
very prominent. He joined the New
Britain Turner society forty eight
wears ago and has always manifested
an active interest in it's welfare. He
is one of the charter members of
Eintracht lodge, o. D. H. s., and was
for a number of years a member of
the grand lodge of that order. He is
also member of Water jain lodge,
D. of H. Mr.. Engel was at one time
nresident of the State Order of Ger
man Rifle clubs and also president of
the local club. other organizations in
which he is affiliated are Ger
Stacker lodge, l. o. O. F.; Stanley
most. G. A. r., and the Leimseder
club. He is also a veteran fireman.
Was in City Government.
Mr.. Engel was at one time one of
the most prominent members of the
democratic party in the city. He was
q councilman from 1876 to 1877 and
later. was a member of the board of
relief from 1891 to 1892. He has not
taken much active part in politics in
the past few, years but still retains his
allegiance to democracy.
Five children have blessed the
union, three of whom are living.
They are: Henry Engel, manager of
the Middlesex theater. MiddletoWn;
Frederick z. Engel, employed at the
Russell & Erwin company, and Mrs.
De Witt Hancock. The couple have
three grandchildren
On the occasion of the observance
of their twenty-fifth wedding annivor-
sary, the couple entertained about oOo
of their friends and relatives in Turner
hall.