Gazlay Family History
 

Family HistoryFamily History - Martin Karl Steffen


Key:1.“+” before a child’s name indicates the child has their own entry in the next generation.
 2.“born xxxx” indicates the child is under 18 years of age so the birth date is not shown.
This family history features Martin Karl Steffen and one of his descendants down to the second generation.


First Generation
1. Martin Karl Steffen,1 born 1879 (parents not determined).1 Martin married Johanna D. _____ (born 1875, parents not determined;1 Johanna died 19501). Martin and Johanna are buried in Fairmount Cemetery, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.1

+2i. Karl Steffen, born 29 January 1904 in Hamburg, Germany; died 21 January 1981 in Lake Worth, Florida. Married Effie Philp Patterson.

  1. Headstone, Fairmount Cemetery, Newark, New Jersey, Steffen: Martin 1879-19?? Johanna D. 1875-1950
Second Generation
2. Karl Steffen2 (Martin1), born 29 January 1904 in Hamburg, Germany;1 died 21 January 1981 in Lake Worth, Florida.1, 2 Karl married, 14 February 1940 in Evangelical Baptist Church, Newark, New Jersey, Effie Philp Patterson2 (born 12 June 1910 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, the daughter of John Philp Patterson and Ida May Hauch;3 Effie died 18 January 2003 in Lake Worth, Florida3).

Karl immigrated to the U.S. on 31 October 1927. Karl worked for many years as a foreign representative to Sherwin Williams Co., a paint manufacturer, in Panama, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. He was also a sales manager for Schenly Liquor International. He eventually made himself an independent salesman, handling construction materials, paints, electrical and plumbing supplies in Central America, Venezuela, and Columbia. In 1954 he opened a paint store as agent for John Lucas Paint Co., along with his brother-in-law, John Patterson. In 1959, Karl and Effie went to Panama to help a friend while they went to Europe, and they stayed there until 1964. Karl enjoyed golf and fishing, and he was an avid sports fan. He also invested in the stock market.2

Effie attended Robert Trent Junior High School, and she also took comptroller courses in business school. During her working life, Effie was the head of the billing department for Sherwin Williams Paint Co. She and Karl spent 25 years traveling and living in Central and South America and also traveling in Europe, Canada and the U.S. She enjoyed knitting, reading, sports, dancing, sewing and traveling. Effie and Karl lived in Lake Worth, Florida after returning from South America.2


  1. Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Rootsweb (website). Karl Steffen, no. 145-03-1926
  2. Record of visit with Ida V. (Patterson) Johnston at her Florida home in 1996 by Lee Gazlay.
  3. Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Rootsweb (website). Effie Steffen, no. 136-05-1019