Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl.
That would be my great-grandmother Apolonia Luján.
But his taste for adventure didn’t end once he settled down in the exotic town of El Paso with Apolonia. His employment history was, shall we say, diverse. Somewhere he had learned the butcher’s trade, but he tried many different jobs, including those involving cigars and pool. And at one time he even tried his own business in candy making. Did he enlist my grandmother Consuelo, a skilled worker in that field, in his venture? His daughter Viola was listed as the clerk at the store.

Token from J. F. Primm & Co. Cigars and Billiard Parlor, 207 E. San Antonio, where Louis Stoltz worked
Here is a list of my great-grandfather’s various jobs, dreams and schemes, as recorded by El Paso city directories and U. S Census records. Note that at times during the Depression there is no employer listed; we know there were times then when he could not find work.
Year | Job | Company/Address | Residence |
---|---|---|---|
1902 | Butcher | J. H. Nations Meat & Supply Co., 214 San Antonio | 518 Tays |
1903 | Butcher | Myles Meat Co. | 518 Tays |
1905 | Butcher | Ardoin & Robinson | 518 Tays |
1907 | Clerk | J.W. Eckman Cigars & Billiard Parlor, 223 San Antonio | 518 Tays |
1908 | Clerk | J. W. Eckman | 518 Tays |
1910 | Salesman | Cigar Store | 518 Tays |
1912 | Royal Pool Hall, 408 San Antonio | 518 Tays | |
1913 | Butcher | Refugio Soto | 518 Tays |
1914 | Driver | Daniel Payne | 518 Tays |
1915 | Butcher | Ardoin’s Market, 218 San Antonio | 518 Tays |
1916 | Manager | Mrs. Augustina Dietenberger | 518 Tays |
1917 | Butcher | 518 Tays | |
1918 | Clerk | J. F. Primm & Co. Cigars and Billiard Parlor, 207 E. San Antonio | 518 Tays |
1919 | Clerk | J. F. Primm & Co. Cigars and Billiard Parlor | 518 Tays |
1920 | Butcher | Meat Market | 518 Tays |
1921 | Butcher | S. S. Carpenter | 518 Tays |
1922 | 518 Tays | ||
1923 | Proprietor/td> | Alamo Confectionary (Jennie is clerk), 1205 E. Fourth | 518 Tays |
1924 | Meat Cutter | Golden Rule Market, 3529 Hueco | 518 Tays |
1925 | Meat Cutter | 1205 E. Fourth | |
1927 | 518 Tays | ||
1928 | Meat Cutter | White Grocery & Market | 518 Tays |
1929 | Meat Cutter | 518 Tays | |
1930 | Meat Cutter | Meat Market | 518 Tays |
1930 | Meat Cutter | 2321 Copper | |
1931 | Meat Cutter | 403 S. St. Vrain | |
1932 | 3416 Rivera | ||
1934 | Butcher | 3416 Rivera | |
1935 | Meat Cutter | 3416 Rivera | |
1937 | Meat Cutter | 3416 Rivera | |
1938 | Meat Cutter | Piggly Wiggly No. 3, 901 N. Piedras | 3416 Rivera |
1939 | 3416 Rivera | ||
1940 | Manager | El Paso Billiard Club, 317 Mills | 3212 Alamagordo |
1941 | 3212 Alamagordo | ||
1954 | 3231 Missouri | ||
1958 | 424 Pecos |
The last entry, for 1958, is from his death certificate, where his occupation was noted as “retired meat cutter,” self-employed.
At some of the addresses above Louis was living with other family members:
- 1925, 1205 E. Fourth, with Peter and Consuelo
- 1930, 2321 Copper, with Jennie, Maybelle, and Ralph
- 1931, 403 S. St. Vrain, with Jennie, Charles, Maybelle, and Viola
- 1932, 3416 Rivera, with Charles, Maybelle, Ralph, and Viola
- 1934-1937, 3416 Rivera, with Ralph and Viola
- 1938-39, 3416 Rivera, with Ralph and Amalia
- 1940, 3212 Alamagordo, with Felix and Maybelle
I love your writing! The photos are wonderful, and here again you’ve found newspaper clippings. Brava!