This week’s theme for the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks challenge
by Amy Johnson Crow is: I’d like to meet….
I decided to write about Otillie Kujawski Schoenewald, my
Great Grandmother on my mother’s side.
If I was able to meet her, I would have so many questions to ask
her. What was her life like growing up
in Prussia? What was her travels like
coming to America with her sister, Emelia?
The life she led after her husband had a terrific drowning accident not
long after they were married? Having to raise a son alone after the death of
her husband, what was that like in that era?
Oh, so many questions. My “to do”
is to research the history of this timeframe to better understand what her life
could have been like during the first few years in America.
Otillie was born in Prussia on February 4, 1873 to John and
Mary Kujawsky. She was the oldest of 5 children.
Siblings:
Emelia (1873-1953)
Adolph (1882-1885)
Ida (1883-1963)
Emma (1886-1958)
It would be interesting to know what her childhood was
like. That research is for another time. This story is starting when she immigrated to America.
Otillie was approximately 20 years old when she and her
sister, Emelia at 17, embarked on a journey to America. They traveled on the ship called Stuttgart, landing
in the Baltimore, Maryland port on May 9, 1894 from Prussia. Emelia joined Otillie
as a chaperon; Otillie was engaged to get married to Robert Gekre and didn’t
want to travel alone. Robert was already
in America, most likely preparing for their home. They were wed on the first of
June in 1894 in Silby County, Minnesota. The witnesses were Emilie Kujawsky,
her sister, and Carl Gehrke who may have been his father. Since they were
married only 22 days from her arrival to America, did they have a simple
ceremony or did Robert’s family put together a bigger celebration for them
given that they lived in the area.
Her sister, Emelia had planned to go back home to Prussia
after the wedding; however, she met Carl Hartung and they were married 2 years
later in 1896 and remained in America.
Emelie and Carl Hartung
By April of 1897, their first child was born, named Carl probably
after Robert’s father. A month before
Carl was born, Otillie’s parents and younger sisters relocated from Prussia to
Minnesota. They were living with Emelie
and Carl.
Otillie and son, Carl
At the age of 25, Otillie found herself alone with a small
child. Robert’s death, only four years
after they were married had to have been devastating. The Church Record located
in Arlington, Minnesota, stated he died in a drowning accident presumably while
fishing at Buffalo Creek in New Auburn, Minnesota on June 19, 1898 at the age
of 28. His will is on file at the Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records naming Otillie
and their 15-month-old son as the petitioners.
Robert
owned land in township of Waterville, LeSueur County, Minnesota in 1898 at the
time of his death, about 60 miles from Robert’s family. Luckily Otillie had family living nearby and the
Church family is known to be a great support system.
In May of 1899 she married my Great Grandfather, Adam
Schoenewald. They lived in New Auburn, Selby County, Minnesota for the first
thirteen years of their marriage.
Sometime during the year of 1913 when my Grandfather, Johann, was 13
they moved to Sandpoint Idaho where her parents were living. Her father had died that year; my guess is that she wanted to be near her mother.
Both Otillie and Adam died in Sandpoint after living a full life in a
farmer occupation.
Her story with Adam will be told at a later date.
Stay tuned for more stories of their life……
