Peter Köhl-Neukomm (1879-†1928) - city utility manager,

Peter Köhl, verh. ~1905 with Johanna Louise Neukomm (1879-†1962)
Son of Christian Köhl-Riedi (1837-†1922)

Peter Köhl was born on November 27, 1879 at home at Rabengasse 10 in the house "Zur Turteltaube". He grew up there with his siblings and went to school in Chur. After finishing school, he learned the trade of carpenter in the business on Sägenstrasse, like his brother Christian. In 1883 the family moved to Storchengasse 18. Peter continued to live with his parents and worked in Chur as a carpenter.

In 1899, at the age of 20, he moved abroad. Several times he worked and lived outside of Chur. Only from 1903 he lived again for several years with his parents at the Storchengasse.

Employment at the building authority Chur

In 1905, he found a permanent position at the construction office of the city of Chur. Shortly afterwards, Johanna Luisa Neukomm, who came from Wil near Rafz and lived in St. Gallen, became pregnant by him. He moved to St. Gallen and married Johanna Luisa in the same year. Her father, Tobias Neukomm (1853-†1889) came from Wil Zurich, where his family had resided for generations. Her mother, Louise Gegenschatz (1853-†1891), had grown up in St. Gallen. Johanna Luisa's father died when she was 10 years old. Her mother married Albert Bänziger, a native of Teufen AR, shortly thereafter. Johanna Luisa probably then lived with her mother, brother Jean, stepfather Albert and half-brother Albert Bänziger in St. Gallen. After the 2nd secondary class she attended the girls' secondary school Talhof in St. Gallen for 3 years which she completed around 1896.

At the beginning of 1906 the first son, Erwin Johann Peter (Hans), was born in St. Gallen. The family now lived in St. Gallen. It is not known whether Peter continued to be employed at the construction office in Chur during this time.

When Johanna became pregnant again, the family decided to move to Chur. Their daughter Marie Luisa (Lisi) was then born in the Kreuzspital Chur. The family first lived with his parents at Storchengasse 18 and a year later moved into their own apartment at Süsswinkelgasse 9.

Peter worked as a master carpenter for the building authority of the city of Chur. In the fall of 1907, he can be seen in a picture at the opening ceremony of the new sewer system in Obere Gasse.

With diligence and competence he worked his way up to become a master carpenter and city works foreman. According to a certificate dated 19.7.1909^[90]: "Since 1.3.1905 foreman of the carpenter's workshop and deputy foreman at the building authority of the city of Chur".

Another daughter, Helene, was born and the family moved to a larger apartment on Lindenquai, near the customs house on the Plessur River. After 5 years, the family moved to Herrengasse 7, in the middle of Chur's old town. Another son, Walter, completed the family. 10 years later, in 1925, the family moved from Herrengasse 7 to Plessurquai and 2 years later to Untere Gasse.

At the end of 1927 the first grandson was born. Lisi was the mother, but the father was unknown. The mother moved with the child to her parents at Untere Gasse. The older children were all working in the meantime and lived outside of Chur for a time, but always returned to their home in Chur.

Early death

In 1928, Peter was 49 years old, he continued to work for the Chur building authority as deputy master builder. The eldest son, Hans, was now 22 years old, had learned the bricklaying trade. Luise was 21 and took care of and little Walter, Helene was 19 years old. Walter was 13 years old and still in school. That year Peter fell ill with influenza and died unexpectedly. He was buried in Daleu Cemetery.

The children became half-orphans and the youngest son Walter, since he was not yet of age, was placed under guardianship and sent to Flawil. Johanna Luisa applied for a widow's pension ^[91]. The application was granted and she received an annual pension in the amount of the last drawn annual salary of 5700.--. Thus she did not have to worry financially. A few weeks after the death of her husband, the widow Johanna Luisa Köhl returned to St. Gallen with the children and stayed there. She fell ill with dementia shortly before her death and lived for a short time with her son Hans in Chur. She died in St. Gallen in 1962 at the age of 83.