Our Families Matter - Past and Present: Ida Kujawski Willi

Today's story is about my Great Grand Aunt on my Mother's paternal side. I was able to find her passenger list dated in 1897 when she came to America but I was not able to find her again until she married in 1905. She was not listed on the 1900 census as living in the same household with her parents at the age of 17. Either they just missed her name on the form or she was living somewhere else. That is for another day to research. I would probably start in Spokane where she got married in 1905. Based on the information I have uncovered, Ida and her family lead a life full of sorrow as well as creating a successful business. Grab your drink of choice and lets get started.

Ida (1883-1963), a daughter of John (1848-1913) and Mary Kujawski (1848-1916) sister to my Great Grandmother, Otillie Schoenewald.

Siblings: Otillie (1873-1953) Emelia (1876-1944) Adolph (1882-1885) Emma (1886-1958)

Husband: Phillip Willi (1881-1930)

Children: Anna (1906-2010) Elsie (1907-1920) Ida F (1908- ?) Philip Jr. (1910-1975) Joseph Frank (1921-1925)

The Beginning – the marriage The thirty first of August 1905 was an exciting day for Ida. She was getting married! The ceremony was held in Spokane Washington where both she and her new husband, Phillip Willi, were living. Ida’s life started out with such hope. At the age of fourteen, she came to America with her parents in 1897 for a new beginning and to meet the man of her dreams. Phillip was working as a Butcher at the age of twenty-four, Ida was a dressmaker as the age of twenty-two.

Her Journey to America Ida Kujawski was born in Germany/Prussia about 1883 and immigrated to America with her parents, John and Mary Kujawski and her little sister, Emma in 1897. Sailing out of Hamburg, Germany; one of the two most popular ports that people used and arrived in New York at Ellis Island on the ship called “Pennsylvania” with Captain Kopff at the helm. The Kujawski Family was one of many on this ship. Their accommodations were on the Zwischendeck. Ida was only fourteen and her little sister, Emma, was only ten. Both of their older sisters, Otillie and Emelia, had already made the journey in 1894. What an exciting trip for two little girls, though Ida at fourteen was almost considered an adult in those days. Once the family arrived in New York, they made the journey to Minnesota where Otillie and Emelia were living.

The Move Ida and Phil were co-owners with Henry Arnold in the meat industry around the 1906 timeframe and moved to Sandpoint, in northern Idaho from Spokane Washington. This area was primary agricultural in the later 1800- early 1900, mainly Hay which was suited to the short growing season. Also, the timber companies would purchase large quantities of hay to feed the horses they used in the logging industry. By 1902 the north part of Idaho had more miles of railroad than other parts of the state.

A Full House By the end of 1910, Ida and Phillp were running a successful meat company in a brand-new building about a block from their house on Lake Street in Sandpoint, Idaho. The name of their business was the Bonner Meat Company. They also had four children and her parents (John and Mary Kujawski) living with them. Philip’s brother, Joseph Willi, came to America in 1909 and helping in the Meat Market as a Sausage Maker as well as another employee, Benjamin Boke. Both Joseph and Benjamin were living with Ida and Phillip too. That’s four Children and six adults living under the same roof. Yes, a full house!

Tragic Strikes Several tragic events started to happen. Ida’s father, John Kujawski, died in February of 1913 and her sister, Otillie Schoenewald and family moved to Sandpoint to help Ida out with their mother, Mary Kujawski who was 65. In 1916, Mary died. Ida’s, daughter, Elsie who was thirteen in 1920, died of heart trouble from the aftermath of the persistent attack of the Influenza. Could this be the “Spanish Flu”? The year of 1921, they had another child, Joseph Frank, who they called Joe. Among the grief was a shining star – a baby. But then Joe contacted a very contagious disease – Scarlet Fever and died at the age of five. The loss of two children within five years after losing both parents! How sad! But it didn’t end there, on February 11, 1930 the president and general manager of the M. L. Bruce Company and Philip Willi (Ida’s husband) was driving back to Sandpoint from a cottage owned by Mr. Bruce in his Cord automobile, as they drove over a wooden bridge, some 10,000 feet long, that crossed part of the Pend Oreille Lake in Sandpoint, the car swerved from the roadway, crashed through the guard-rails, and fell in the ice some 20 feet below, killing both Mr. Bruce and Mr. Willi. At least he did get to see both his daughters get married before his death. The youngest daughter, Ida F, who was only eighteen, married William Brown of Spokane, Washington in 1926. He was listed as a Butcher. And their eldest daughter, Anna, married Richard Leaf in 1929. The marriage license listed Richard as a Butcher too. After Phillip’s death in February, the 1930 census which is dated on the second of April, shows Philip Jr living with his mother, Ida. He was nineteen years old with an occupation listed as none. Ida’s occupation is listed as proprietor for the meat market industry. They are still living at their 115 Lake Street House. Even though his occupation is listed as none, it’s could be assumed he is helping his mother out in the meat market. 1935 brought joy and sorrow for the family. Philip Jr. met Muriel Barker from Spokane, Washington. They were married on the sixth of February 1935 and living in Sandpoint, working at the Bonner Meat Company. By the sixth of July of that same year (1935), Muriel had developed Stomach Cancer and died three days before her thirty second birthday.

Retirement The 1940 Census shows Ida at fifty-seven-years-old and retired from the Meat Company as no occupation is listed. Philip Jr is still living with his mother at the age of twenty-nine, not married. His occupation is showing that he owns his business and working as a Butcher. Philip Jr’s Registration Card for WWII, dated 1940, states his place of employment is at Dick’s Market that he owns at First and Pine Street in Sandpoint, Idaho. What happened to the Bonner Meat Company they owned? Somewhere along the line, all three children ended up in Seattle. Were they all still in the Meat Industry? Ida Willi lived to be eight-three. She died on a Wednesday in 1963 in Seattle, where she lived since 1955. She is buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Sandpoint, Idaho with her husband, Phillip Willi.

Things to Research:

Journey to America – Ellis Island Where was Ida between 1897 when she came to America and her marriage in 1905?
The story around Phil and Henry’s start in the meat industry as butchers.
What happened to Bonner Meat Company? Was it sold and Philip Jr. bought another business or did he change the name of the Company after his father passed away?
The details around their move to Seattle Tax Records Deed Records

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