There probably have been many turning points in our ancestor’s lives.  The main one was most likely when they made the decision to come to America.  They all came for various reasons such as economic, religion, political, avoiding military service, and some came against their will.

The turning point for one ancestor, Elizabetha Schuh, was coming to America at the young age of 16 against her will.[1] Elizabetha was born in Nussloch near Heidelberg, Baden, Germany on 26 May 1831.[2] Her parents sent her to America with family friends the Bortz family because they disapproved of her relationship with a boy.[3] She departed Le Harve, France and arrived at the Port of New York on 9 September 1847 on the ship Harve.[4] Above her name are the names of the Bortz Family, Adam (57), Margaret (47), Catherine (22), Susanna (19), Elizabeth (17), Philippina (12).[5]  Elizabetha and the Bortz family arrived at the Ebenezer Colonies in September 1847.[6]  The Ebenezer Colonies was a settlement founded by the Community of True Inspiration in what is now the town of West Seneca, New York. A congregation of Inspirationists emigrated to the site from Germany in 1843. In 1854, the Ebenezer Colonies bought land in Iowa and began relocating to Iowa in 1855 and the by 1865 all had moved away and established the Amana Colonies in Iowa.[7] Elizabetha arrived in the Amana Colonies in 1863 now age 32.[8] Maybe this was the second turning point in her life.  She continues to live in the Amana Colonies and was a housekeeper throughout her life.[9] [10]  The Inspirations history reports that she is a person of size and strength.[11] I never found any proof that she married, maybe the boy back in Germany was her one and only true love. 

Elizabeth’s nephew Conrad Reinhardt and his family settled in Amana after coming to America in 1880.[12] They only stayed a few years before leaving the Amana Colonies and moving to Ottawa, Illinois.[13]  At least for a few years, she had family there.  It seems to me that she led a lonely life, but maybe the community there was her family. 

She died on 25 May 1908 one day shy of her 77^th birthday,[14] and she is buried in the Amana Cemetery.[15]  In her will dated 2 March 1900, she leaves all her property to George Bernhart residing in Amana, Iowa County, Iowa. [16]  I could not find what the relationship was between Elizabetha and George Bernhart.  It was a very simple will, and I can’t imagine that she had a lot of property as everything was communal property in the Amana Colonies.  I hope one day to find out more about Elizabetha’s life in Amana, Iowa.

Copyright © 2026 Gail Grunst

Week 11: A turning point 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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[1] Email from the Amana Heritage Society to Gail Grunst dated Friday October 13, 2017.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Year: 1847; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 069; Line: 15; List Number: 677

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] From website: Ebenezer Colonies – Wikipedia

[8] Email from the Amana Heritage Society to Gail Grunst dated Friday October 13, 2017.

[9] Year: 1870; Census Place: Amana, Iowa, Iowa; Roll: M593_396; Page: 131B; Family History Library Film: 545895

[10] Ancestry.com. Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

[11] Email from the Amana Heritage Society to Gail Grunst dated Friday October 13, 2017.

[12] Amana Church Membership Records, in archive collection of the Amana Heritage Museum, Amana, Iowa.

[13] Ottawa Illinois City Directories, Ottawa, Illinois1888, 1891, 1894,1895,1898, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1906,1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1912, at LaSalle County Genealogy Guild, 115 W. Glover Street, Ottawa, Illinois 61350

[14] Email from the Amana Heritage Society to Gail Grunst dated Friday October 13, 2017.

[15] Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

[16] Will Records, 1853-1929; Author: Iowa. District Court (Iowa County). Source Information

Ancestry.com. Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.  Original data: Iowa, County, District and Probate Courts.