Lou Gehrig

Gehrig in 1937, Harris & Ewing, Library of Congress

Birth Name: Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig

Date of Birth: June 19, 1903

Place of Birth: Yorkville, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: June 2, 1941

Place of Death: Riverdale, Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.

Ethnicity: German

Lou Gehrig was an American professional baseball player. He was a first baseman, and was nicknamed “The Iron Horse.” He played his professional career, 17 seasons, in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1923 until 1939. He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable neuromuscular illness, now known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

His parents, Christina Annie (Foch) and Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig, were German, his father from Adelsheim, Mosbach, Baden and his mother from Schleswig-Holstein.

Lou was married to Eleanor Twitchell, until his death. Her father was Chicago Parks Commissioner Frank Twitchell.

Lou’s paternal grandfather was Johann Phillip Gehrig (the son of Nikolaus Gehrig and Johanna Katharina Zaun). Johann was born in Widdern, Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg.

Lou’s paternal grandmother was Sophia Johanna Pfeiffer (the daughter of Franz Jakob Friedrich Pfeiffer and Rosina Katharina Barbara Welk). Sophia was born in Adelsheim, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg. Franz was the son of Georg Jakob Pfeiffer and Eva Magdalena Henselmann.

Source: Genealogy of Lou Gehrig (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

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