Georg Adam Riedmann Family

The following is a short history of Georg Adam Riedmann, or Adam as he was called. At the bottom is also a list of his and his wife Elizabeth Gall’s descendants.

Adam was born in Stetten Germany on Oct. 5, 1875. He was the fifth of the thirteen children Georg & Maria Magdalena Riedmann had in Germany. He arrived in America at Ellis Island on June 31, 1902. The ship’s passenger record states he was Austrian, however, it also says he came from Stetten Germany. He arrived on the Furst Bismark via Hamburg as many other Germans did. Adam and Elizabeth were married in St. Joseph’s Church at 16th and Center St. on October 10th, 1904. Their first known Omaha residence was 1717-1/2 Lincoln Ave. Their first child, Andrew, was born on August 3, 1905. They must have had a very fast courtship, or they met each other in Germany before coming over.

According to their marriage license Elizabeth was born in Hungary. Elizabeth’s parents were Andrew and Susan (Seifert) Gall, he was from Hungary and she was from Germany. It is not known when Elizabeth came to America. The spelling of her last name is a mystery as all the Ellis Island records show that the Galls came from Great Britain. However, Gaal is a common name from Hungary. It could be it was changed when her name was officially recorded upon her arrival. Elizabeth had 2 sisters and a brother that we know of, however, their names are unknown.

Adam, as he was called so he would not be confused with his older brother Georg Michael, worked selling carriages in Germany before he emigrated to America. After he came over he lived in South Dakota for a short while but moved to Omaha because it was too cold. He worked in the packing houses as many of his ancestors did. It was a rough job and the company was ruthless. It had many similarities to the sweatshops we hear about in Asia today. Employees had to put up with such issues as not being permitted to take bathroom breaks, or having to pay the foreman half their wages each payday in order to keep their job. Smoking was not allowed, so the men would chew instead. The inspectors didn’t like that and made them use spittoons. Then they found that the spittoons were never cleaned so that was the end of that too. On top of this, the working conditions inside the packing plants were atrocious. Nothing like the plants of today. Eventually, the unions stepped in and improved many of their working conditions.

Around 1907 Adam left there and went to work at Metz Brewery. He would also use his brew-making skills like many other German immigrants and brew his own beer at home. Adam’s brother Georg also worked in the breweries in Omaha, including Metz.

Adam became a citizen of the United States on January 27th, 1914. He passed away on October 20, 1957.

The picture to the right is of Adam, his wife Elizabeth and six of his eight children. Madeline (Mel) is not in the picture as she passed away before the picture was taken. Another child, presumed to be named Adam as the death records show only an A for the first name, was born on Feb. 3rd, 1907, but passed away July 28th, 1907.

The family list below is broken down by each of Adam and Elizabeth’s children. Their children are listed first, spouse second. The grandchildren are listed under their parents and may not be in chronological order. This list is not complete and generally covers only two generations, with some exceptions. (Any help from the family to fill out the list will be appreciated.)