Our Families Matter - Past and Present: Feb 4th – Happy Birthday – Otillie Kujawski (Gerke) Schoenewald

In honor of my Great Grandmother’s birthday - Today, Feb 4^th, 1873

She is the Mother of my Grandfather (John Schoenewald) on my Mother’s (Pat Kurtz) side. I did not get to meet her as she died before I was born.

You can find more information on her Journey to America here: (LINK)

Otillie's journey to America

At this time, I have not yet researched any of the German Records so Otillie’s birth information has not been verified. Otillie’s death certificate which was filled out by one of her daughters, who Otillie had been living with for several years, states her birth date was February 4, 1873. Yes, this information is indirect. However, based on my experience of providing my own mother’s birth information all the time while taking care of her, I am going to go with this date for now.

Otillie was the oldest of 5 children. She was 3 when her baby sister finally arrived. Was she excited to have a little sister? Or did she resent having the attention taken from her? At 3 years old you never know how they are going to react.

Based on what little information I have to go on, her birth place may have been Thorn, West Prussia (Germany). Also known as Torun.

Happy Birthday Great Grandma!!

Here is some history I found on Wikipedia:

Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland, with the first settlement dated back to the 8th century and later having been expanded in 1233 by the Teutonic Knights.^[6] Over centuries, it was the home for people of diverse backgrounds and religions. From 1264 until 1411 Toruń was part of the Hanseatic League and by the 17th century it was one of the elite trading points, which greatly affected the city's architecture ranging from Brick Gothic to Mannerism and Baroque. In the early-modern age, Toruń was a royal city of Poland and it was one of the four largest cities in the country at the time.^[7] After the partitions of Poland it was part of Prussia and later the German Empire. After Poland regained independence in 1918, Toruń was reincorporated into Polish territory, and during World War II was spared from bombing and destruction. This allowed the Old Town to be fully preserved with its iconic central marketplace.^[8]

Believed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe,^[9] Toruń is renowned for the Museum of Gingerbread, whose baking tradition dates back nearly a millennium, and its large Cathedral. Toruń is noted for its very high standard of living and quality of life.^[10] In 1997 the medieval part of the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2007 the Old Town in Toruń was added to the list of Seven Wonders of Poland.

The 1st Map shows an overview of Prussia and where West Prussia is located. And it also gives you an idea how far away her birth town was to Hamburg where she sailed from when she came to America.