Family Traditions

Ernst August Suthoff (1851-1941)

                     Ernst was born Oct. 7th, 1851, and passed away in 1941. He was the son of Wilhelm Suthoff and Elisabeth Herbs.  Wilhelm, his dad, worked closely with the King of Hanover and was a mercantile owner.  Ernst was named after the King of Hanover because of this close relationship.  The King even held him during his christening and gave young Ernst his many blessings.  Ernst was the second son of three boys.  The oldest son usually followed his father in his line of work. The second son usually went into the military. Ernst had finished college but knew he did not want to serve in the military.  So, two of Ernst friends and Ernst found work on a Merchant Marine.  One of the boys became seasick most of the way to America, so he got off when the ship docked in New York. Ernst and his friend stayed with the ship on its journey to South America. On the return trip when the ship docked in Mobile, the two of them jumped ship and ran from the Harbor Master. They lived in a tent by the river, hiding for a number of months and peddling what they had or what they could find. Eventually they bought children's books to learn the English language. Ernst later moved across the state line to Escatawpa and worked for a ship building company. He was very business savvy and responsible for several patents that the company applied for and for which they received. However, he never lost his love for German food and Beer. He married Elvira (Ella) Roberts on 6 Aug 1878, and they had seven children. Sophia Augustus Suthoff was one of the children and my great grandmother. At some point they moved across the river to Moss Point becoming mercantile owners.  Ernst became very successful in his mercantile business, selling to the locals. They lived the rest of their lives out in the Moss Point and Escatawpa area. The love for German food was then passed on to my grandmother, Juanita Nelson, who at 13 learned to cook from her grandfather, Ernst. Finally, those cooking skills were then passed on to me from my grandmother. Ernst and his family are buried in a small cemetery just northeast of the bridge (first road to the right after you cross the bridge).