Leoke family
Elmar Oswald Leoke
1896–1972 · Research ID L-016
In the family history: How the two families connect · The Leokes of Viljandi · Peter Leoke, the family’s anchor in America · Elmar Oswald, Hilda and their daughters · Leaving Estonia, 1944 · Germany, 1944–1948 · To America, 1947–1952 · Places connected with the families · Family and record details
Vital facts
| Born | 27 Jul 1896 O.S. (8 Aug 1896 N.S.), Groß-Keppo Luisenhütte ("Великое Кеппо Луизенхютте") |
|---|---|
| Baptised | 1 Sep 1896 O.S.; entered in the Köppo (Kõpu) section of the Viljandi book; father "overseer" Hans Leoke; sponsors Uko Toorts, Rudolf Gaas, Gustav Vaga, Mrs Anna Hesse, Miss Anna Tellasep (EAA.1290.1.338 img 44 (p. 43), births No. 45; SL-52) |
| Died | 26 Feb 1972, Los Angeles (Album Academicum; Death Master File gives Feb 1972) |
| Buried | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Enduring Faith, Map D05, Lot 1235 (Find a Grave 85906083, as "Elmar Osvald Leoke") |
| Occupation | Bank of Estonia official; chief accountant and deputy director (Räpina paper mill); brewery manager (Windsheim); budget official, Sierra Army Depot; "economist" (1948) |
Family
ParentsHans Leoke 1853–1919, Mari Leoke, née Tõllasepp 1867–1954
SpouseHilda Wilhelmine Leoke, née Meomüttel 1896–1988 married 12 Jan 1919, Viljandi; divorced 10 May 1933 (Tallinn–Haapsalu court); together again by 1944
ChildrenVirve (Wirwe) Helje Leoke 1919–1945, Pilvi Laine Koik, née Leoke b. 1921
Brothers and sistersJaan Leoke 1886–1959, Hans Leoke (the younger) 1888–1945, Peter (Peeter) Leoke 1892–1973, Adolf Jakob Leoke 1901–1901
See Elmar Oswald Leoke in the family tree →
Life events
| Date | Event | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Confirmed | Viljandi | L101–L113 |
| 1918–1920 | Took part in the War of Independence | Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database | |
| 1919–1933 | Co-owner, with Jaan, of the Viljandi lending library after his father's death; a 1933 sale agreement between Elmar Leoke and Taavet Mutsu sold it (EKLA f. 224, m. 92:10) | Viljandi | Sarapuu 2007, p. 206 and source list |
| 12 Jan 1919 | Married Hilda Wilhelmine Meomüttel | Viljandi | L201; L114 |
| 7 Dec 1919 – 12 Jan 1920 | In Tallinn: daughter Virve born and baptised (Tallinn Jaani III), the family still registered in Viljandi Pauluse | Tallinn | TLA.1358.2.59 img 23 (SL-107) |
| 1921–1925 | Communion in Viljandi each year; address Tartu 11 | Viljandi | L101–L113 |
| 27 Nov 1921 – 12 Jan 1922 | In Tartu: daughter Pilvi born and baptised (Tartu Pauluse) | Tartu | EAA.5357.1.101 img 258 (SL-106) |
| 27 Jan – 3 Feb 1925 | Tallinn address sheet: Elmar Leoke, university student ("üliõpilane"), at Viru 22-3; came from Viljandi, left for Tartu | Tallinn | TLA.1376.1.134, sheet 312796 (WEB-11) |
| 10 May 1933 | Marriage dissolved; children stay with mother | Tallinn | L101–L113 (household book note) |
| from 1935 | Accountant of AS "Eesti Kunstsarve Tehased" (Estonian Artificial Horn Works) | Tallinn | Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database |
| 1944–1948 | Windsheim, Bavaria; manager of a brewery there. Address on his exile card: Oberntiefer(?) Str. 562, Bad Windsheim (district Neustadt a. d. Aisch) | Bad Windsheim | L201–L209; L214; Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database |
| later 1930s–1944 | Deputy director and chief accountant of the Räpina paper mill; also taught at the Räpina Horticultural School | Räpina | Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database |
| to Sep 1944 | Last address in Estonia: Paldiski mnt. 42, Tallinn | Tallinn | Eesti NSV Teataja Lisa 1945 no. 2 (11 Dec 1945), p. 9, DIGAR 232025 |
| 22 Sep 1944 | Entered Germany via Gotenhafen with family | Gotenhafen | L204 |
| 12 Oct 1945 | Declared missing from 22 Sep 1944 by Tallinn 1st State Notary Office (with Hilda, Virve and Pilvi); certificates issued to "Mari Jaani t. Leoke" | Tallinn | Eesti NSV Teataja Lisa 1945 no. 2 (11 Dec 1945), p. 9, DIGAR 232025 |
| 1948– | Los Angeles, with Peter | Los Angeles | L212 |
| 24 Jul 1948 | To Warner-Kaserne DP camp, Munich | Munich | L208 |
| 21–30 Oct 1948 | Bremerhaven–New York on USAT General W. M. Black, manifest no. 16, line 2: "LEOKE Elmar O.", 51, to 138 Witmer St | US05; US08 | |
| 1950 | Los Angeles; card notes "Los Angeles, Eesti Selts(?) 1950" and "844 N. Normandie(?) Ave" (low confidence) | Los Angeles | L214 |
| Apr 1950 | At 138 Witmer St with brother Peter: aged 53, married, born Estonia, not naturalised; janitor at a savings bank, 40 hours | Los Angeles | 1950 US census, Los Angeles, ED 66-1226, sheets 12–13 (1950census.archives.gov images 14–15), enumerated 10–11 Apr 1950 |
| 1956–1965 | Assistant head of the budget section, Sierra Army Depot, Herlong, California; retired 1965 | Herlong, CA | Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database |
| 26 Feb 1972 | Died, Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database; WWII refugees database, 2024.wwii-refugees.ee (the compiler, 19 Oct 2026; screenshots R24–R28); sortedbyname.com (Death Master File) |
| 1920s | Secondary-school teacher in Tartu and Tallinn ("Kk-õp" = keskkooli õpetaja); official of the Bank of Estonia in Tallinn and Viljandi | Tartu, Tallinn, Viljandi | Album Academicum Universitatis Tartuensis 1918–1944, via the WWII refugees database |
| — | Naturalised in California (a federal naturalisation record is indexed on Ancestry; not yet seen) | California | the research notes |
Dates before 1918 are Old Style (Julian) unless marked; see conventions.
Photographs and illustrations
Records
Scans of the records cited above. Select one to see it full size.
![Emigration list pp181-182: Elmer Oswald and Hilda Leoke, sponsor Peter Leoke; pencilled "[number withheld] Chicago 7-1-55" between lines 378 and 379](../media/rec/f/US09.jpg)
Archive pages
Further pages in the National Archives of Estonia’s Saaga viewer. Saaga asks for a free sign-in.
- 1896 church book, image 44 (p. 43) · EAA.1290.1.338
- household book 1877–1899, image 625 (pp. 1332–1333) · EAA.1290.1.532
- Tartu Pauluse births 1914–1925, image 258 · EAA.5357.1.101
- Tallinn Jaani III births 1918–1926, image 23 (p. 20) · TLA.1358.2.59
Open questions
- LB-04Elmar Oswald's education and service, 1913–1920Partly answered
- LC-03Where the family lived, 1919–1940, and why Tartu and TallinnPartly answered
- LC-04The 1933 divorce and what followedOpen
- LD-01The Leokes in Tallinn, 1940–1944Open
- LD-02The voyage out, September 1944Partly answered
- LE-03Elmar Oswald and Hilda in America; their deathsPartly answered
- LE-05US immigration and naturalisation filesOpen
Research notes
- Confidence: Good.
- The 1933 divorce (Tallinn–Haapsalu court) is not in Saaga: the court records there do not include that Republic-era court. A draft enquiry to the National Archives is in the research notes.
- Family registers: Kõo vald vol. 3 p. 331; Viljandi town vol. 7 p. 14 (from the refugees database). The family's registers (Elmar p. 331/14, Hilda 332/15, Pilvi 334/17) suggest Virve is on p. 333/16.
- Album Academicum entry in Estonian: "Võttis osa Vabadussõjast. Kk-õp Tartus ja Tln-s, Eesti Panga ametnik Tln-s ja Viljandis. A-st 35 ASi Eesti Kunstsarve Tehased raamatupidaja Tln-s, hiljem Räpina paberivabriku abidir ja pearaamatupidaja, ühtlasi Räpina Aianduskeskkooli õp. 44 Sksm-le, õllevabriku juh Windsheimis (Baieri). 48 USAsse, 51 elas Los Angeleses, 56-65 Sierra Army Depot eelarveosak abijuh Herlongis. 65 pensionile."