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Scharfenberger - the surname
SCHARFENBERGER
a surname on our maternal side

Scharfenberger is a Bavarian family. Many families, in particular many with the given name Joseph, are found in the Pfalz region of Bavaria. Sometime you see it spelled with double "f". Sometimes you see the surname without the "er" at the end. The Scharfenberger name probably means sharp (pointed) mountain traveler (climber).

A Coat of Arms

The people in the table below lived in St. Louis in the second half of the 19th century and first part of the 20th century. I am not certain that Josephine was the daughter of Joseph. Joseph died in 1877 and Josephine was born somewhat before 1875 in Missouri. She was later orphaned and taken into the Gruen household. Later she married my maternal grandfather. These people are part of our Thake Family Group.

The (-3G), etc., indicates the number of generations before Erven Thoma and his siblings. Bold-faced names have their own page. The asterisk marks a direct-line ancestor.

People With This Surname On This Site
Josephine (Scharfenberger)* (-2G) - her page Joseph Scharfenberger(*?) (-3G) - his page
Joseph H. Scharfenberger (-2G) - father's page Emma Scharfenberger (-2G) - father's page

Other St. Louis Area Scharfenberger Families

A Valentine Scharffenberger married Francisca Scheffer on 22 Sep. 1840 in St. Louis, MO

Clara Scharfenberger married Jacob Rueff in St. Louis on 11 May 1844. Clara Scharfenberger married John Adam Vrieseling in St. Louis on 16 Jul. 1846. Clara Scharffenberger married Sauretius Kenzi in St. Louis on 5 Apr. 1847.

A Josephine Scharffenberger married Adam Marerander in St. Louis on 8 Oct. 1844.

Catherine Scharfenberger married Justus Meisel in St. Louis on 26 Apr. 1853.

The 1860 Missouri Census Index has no Scharfenberger.

A Mathias Scharfenberger married Hedwig E. Frey on 3 July 1866 in St. Louis or St. Louis County. (Marriage Records of St. Louis and St. Louis Co. 1806-1965)

The South Illinois Census Index for 1870 has two Scharfenberger people. The St. Louis Census Index for 1870 has no Scharfenberger people, but Joseph's name is misspelled as Schearfenberger.

A William Scharfenberger (35 years old, born in Baden) is found in the 1870 Census in Jackson Township, St. Genevieve County, Missouri (p. 520). There is a William Scharffenberger (note different spelling) with a saloon at 2720 Laclede Ave in the 1874 St. Louis Directory. In the same year there is also a Wm. Scharffenberger who is a butcher on Crittenden near the corner of James. William is found in the 1875 St. Louis Directory with a saloon at 2720 Market. William the butcher is also in the 1875 Directory living on James near Crittenden. William, laborer, is also found in the 1877 St. Louis Directory as a laborer living on Biddle. He is the only Scharfenberger in that year. The 1881 Directory has a William, laborer, listed living at 1123 N. 10th.

The 1876 Directory has a George Scharfenberger who is a cooper (maker of pots and pans) living on Randolf near 18th St.. The 1878 Directory has no Scharfenberger people.

Regina Scharfenberger is listed in the St. Louis City Directory ca 1879. She was a widow of Anton G. Scharfenberger and was living at 1503 S. 7th St.

The 1880 Directory has a Leonhard Scharfenberger, a cooper, living on the south side of Pestalozzi, near 8th St.

The 1881 St. Louis City Directory lists a Harry (Henry) Scharfenberger, a clerk, with his wife Maggie, a grocer, living at 2736 Manchester Rd., but the parents of Josephine Scharfenberger would have to have died before the 1880 Census because Josephine is living with the Gruen family by then.

In 1881 there is also a Julia Scharfenberger who is a widow of Henry living at 2736 Manchester Rd. This is confusing--see the above paragraph.

A Margareth Scharfenberger of St. Louis died on 26 Aug. 1895 at age 50. She was born in Germany and was living at 1811 Iowa. She was buried in Bethany Cemetery.

There were some Scharfenberger families in Gasconade, MO; Belleville, IL; and Richland, IL.

An Elizabeth Scharfenberger died on 06 Aug. and was buried in Bethany UCC Cemetery (section F, lot 58) in St. Louis on 08 Aug. 1892. She was 17 years and 4 months of age. Although our Joseph Scharfenberger was also buried there, I do not know if Elizabeth was related to him (perhaps a daughter?). Elizabeth appears in the St. Louis City Death Records, 1850-1908, vol. 27, p. 235 (St. Louis County Lib. RDSL 36, SLGS roll 324, MO Archives C 10392). She lived at 1907 Rutger.

Last revised on 08 Jun. 2005 by Erven Thoma