Our Families Matter - Past and Present: Adam Schoenewald and Otillie Kujawski

Adam Schoenewald and Otillie Kujawski

Life Story in America

1899 – 1953

The parents of Johann Herman Schoenewald (1900-1988), my Grandfather

By Bobbie Jean Kurtz - My Great Grandparents (September 2020)

Married: May 1899

Children:

Tillman (1894-1981)

Carl (1897-1965)

Johann (1900-1988) *

Mary (1902-1994)

Ida (1904-2002)

Emma Margrete (1908-2001)

Fred (1910-1988)

Both Adam and Otillie were born in Prussia, now known as Germany. Otillie’s birth year is 1873 and Adam’s birth year is 1869 according to their death certificates.

Otillie was 18 when she immigrated to America with her sister, Emelie, in 1897. Otillie was engaged to Robert Gehrke and came to America to start a new life. Otillie’s sister was the chaperon on the trip since a young woman engaged should not travel alone. You can read more about her journey to America and her deceased husband, Robert Gehrke here: LINK Otillie's Journey

Adam came to the states with his five-year-old son, Tillman, in 1899. At this time, I do not know the story behind Tillman’s mother, Adam’s first wife, but the theory is she either died sometime before their trip or on the way over to America. That theory needs to be researched. You can read more about his journey to America here: LINK Adam's Journey

Adam and Otille were married in 1899, not long after Adam arrived. “My” theory is that his first wife had died while they were still living in Prussia. His brother, Johann, was living in Minnesota and knew Otillie needed a husband to help take care of her and her little boy, Carl. Adam needed a wife to help him and Tillman. A matchmaker. This theory may never be proven but it makes for a good story.

The Records show that Adam arrived in Maryland from Prussia/German in March 1899. The passenger list states his destination was his brother’s location. The Church Records located in Sibley Minnesota provides the date they got their marriage license as 29 May 1899 and they were married on the 31^st of May, 1899 as indicated on the marriage license. The witnesses on the marriage license is Johann Schoenewald and Emelie Hartung.

The start of a new life for both Adam and Otillie. They settled in New Aubrun, Minnesota where Adam’s brother, Johann, and Otillie’s sister, Emelia, both lived.

Between the two of them, they had 7 children by the end of 1911. Tillman, the oldest, was born in Prussia by Adam’s first wife in 1894. Carl was Otillie’s son by her first husband born in 1897. The year after the marriage of Otillie and Adam, John Herman (my Grandfather) was born in 1900. Three girls followed, Mary in 1902, Ida in 1904, Emma Margrete in 1908 and then three years later, Fred was born in 1911. All the children were born in Sibley, Minnesota except Tillman.

In February 1900, Adam bought some land from Herman Hunscull (not sure of the spelling). This information is documented in a Deed Record Book that only has one line item with no address indicated. More research on this will be done.

On the 1900 census dated in June, Adam and Otillie were living next door to Adam’s brother, Johann and Amelia Schoenewald. Not far away was Otillie’s sister, Emilie (Kujawski) Hartung and family. Otillie’s parents (John and Mary Kujawski) were living with Emilie Hartung at this time. The census recorder did not supply the address for the locations that were being documented.

Adam started his naturalization paperwork in October 1901 and received the final approval on 14 November 1904. I do not have the naturalization date for Otillie but the 1930 census indicated that she was.

Minnesota was a state that created a 1905 census, this gave us additional information to Adam and Otillie’s address at that time of R #2 Arlington in New Aubrun, Sibley County in Minnesota. A starting point to research where their farm may have been located. This census also shows Otillie’s parents were living with them. They are John and Mary Kujawski, both age 57. I have a picture dated 1978 of the farm my Grandfather, John, took when he went back for a visit. However, he did say it looked different.

By 1910, several members of Otillie’s family had moved out west to Idaho and Washington as well as Adam’s brother, Johann. So, when Otillie’s father (John Kujawski) passed away while living in Idaho in 1913, Adam and Otillie decided to make the move to be closer to family. They settled in Sandpoint, Idaho where her mother lived with one of Otillie’s sisters, Ida Willi. Her mother, Mary Kujawski, passed away three years later in 1916.

The 1930 Census shows Fred as the only child still living at home at the age of 18. My Grandfather, John (Adam and Otillie’s son), was living only a few farms away and had been married since 1928 to Emmeline Hollingsworth. The parents of Emmeline were living on a farm not far from them.

In 1931 my mother, Patricia Schoenewald, was born to John and Emmeline Schoenewald in Sandpoint. A granddaughter to Adam and Otillie Schoenewald. Patricia has a vague memory of her grandparents; she was 5 when she moved from Sandpoint but remembers them as being a little scary since they did not speak English and the German language can sound gruff to a young girl. She does remember sitting on her grandfather’s lap. And later when she was still pretty young, she made the trip back to Sandpoint with her parents to help Adam and Otillie move their stuff out of the house on Fourth Ave because of a flood from the Lake nearby.

By 1940, Adam was 71 years old and Otillie was 66 years old. The census is showing them living at 504 S. Fourth Ave in Sandpoint, Idaho which they owned. When did they sell the farm and buy this house?

Adam passed away on 9 November 1945 in the hospital at 514 N 2^nd with Myocarditis, basically a heart attack. This cardiovascular disease is caused by inflammation of the heart muscle, which weakens the organ. This causes scar tissue and forces the heart to work even harder to circulate blood and oxygen through the body. He is buried in Pinecrest Memorial Park in Sandpoint, Idaho. His death certificate shows his home address as 405 S. 4^th Ave, however; based on this location, my guess is that the number was transposed from 504 S. 4^th Ave. Of course, the deed of the house needs to be researched to know exactly which address is the correct one.

At some point after the death of her husband, Otillie moved in with her daughter, Mary, and son-in-law, Merton Moran on 602 S. Ella Street in Sandpoint. On the 28^th of February in 1953, Otillie passed away at home from Cerebral Thrombosis which is a type of stroke. She had been diagnosed with Arteriosclerosis for the last 15 years. Arteriosclerosis is a build up of plaque in the artery walls. Otillie is also buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park alongside her husband, Adam.

Stay tuned for a brief history on each of their Children in future stories.

Sources:

· 1899 Passenger List

· 1899 Church Records

· 1899 Marriage License

· 1900 Deed Record

· 1900 Census - Minnesota

· 1904 Naturalization Paperwork for Adam

· 1905 Census - Minnesota

· 1910 Census – Minnesota

· 1920 Census – Idaho

· 1930 Census – Idaho