2938 GOLDEN AVE. - THE KOTTIG HOMESTEAD

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The house at 2938 Golden Ave. was built by George Kottig I in 1891. Immediately next door was the Sieber's house which was built at the same time. The Sieber's and Kottig's friendship started years earlier in the small town of Epe, Germany where they were born and raised. In 1882, both families decided to leave their homeland behind and travel together to America to find a better life. 

At first, the families lived together in a house they rented in the East End of Cincinnati. They worked hard, saved their money and eventually were able to buy land "up on Nanny Goat  Hill" and build homes next to one another.

George and his wife Maria Francisca were very prolific, having ten children in twenty years. Sadly, their infant son John died of typhoid at 6 years old. Another son, Will, would die of consumption at the age of 25. 

Tragically in 1904, Maria Francisca, the matriarch of the family died while giving birth to their tenth child. Now, without a mother, the eldest daughter, Teresa Anna Kottig, assumed the monumental task of raising the remaining seven Kottig children. She was just 19 years old.

On December 16, 1919, George Kottig passed away at the age of 58. In his life he achieved exactly what he set out to do in 1882. He truly lived the American dream. As was the tradition, George's visitation was at the family home on Golden Avenue. The funeral mass took place at St. Rose Church. George Kottig was laid to rest next to his wife Mary Frances at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Cincinnati. 

After George Kottig's death, the Golden Avenue house was deeded to his daughter Teresa Anna Kottig, my great Aunt Nanny. I spent a big part of my childhood there visiting her along with my great Uncle George (II) and my grandparents, Francis Patrick and Cecilia Kottig Corcoran. They were all wonderful people in my life. 

I also remember that at the rear of the properties there was an adjoining sidewalk between the two homes. I never really understood why that was there until the time of this writing. It's certainly symbolic of the strong friendship that the Kottig's and Sieber's had. They had gone through a lot together in their lives.

The Sieber house would eventually be sold several times. First to the Sacks Family. Tragically their son Frank, a good friend at the time of young Jerry Kanis's, was struck and killed by a car. He was on his way home from school and was attempting to cross Columbia Parkway. 

The Sacks Family then sold the house to a British gentlemen who only lived there for just a short period of time before returning to England to run for Parliament. 

In 1963, the Sieber house was purchased by a middle aged couple, Maurice and Nell Jacobs. Maury, was a well known Cincinnati attorney and quite the character. They had no children. Sadly, not too many years after moving there, Nell passed away. 

Maurice Jacobs was a quite the man about town, an avid symphony concert goer and drank the same brand of scotch as me... any! He became very close friends with several generations of the family. Maury lived in that same house until the time of his death in 1998, at the ripe old age of 92. Maury Jacobs was another great person I met along the path of life and certainly deserves his own page on KANIS.US. Someday, before my own passing, I hope to get to that.

In 1978, with total disregard to it's historic significance, the Golden Avenue house was sold out of the family. Over the years, the property and the area became very desirable. Around the year 2000, with both the properties still in very good condition, the Kottig and Sieber houses were razed. Only the garage that my great Uncle George (II) built in 1937 remains 

Still to this day, Golden Avenue is a beautiful and idyllic place, tucked away from the city overlooking the Ohio River. It holds a lot of memories for me and will always have a special place in my heart.

John Kanis III