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Naughty Great Grandpa Part 4

/ Gail Grunst Genealogy / Leave a comment

This is the fourth and final letter written to Rudolph Kaiser from Germany.  It is written by Gertude Pielenz as was the one in 1914.  I have spent weeks dissecting it page by page.  I researched the people in the letters and tried to compare the facts in the letter to documentation found on Ancestry.com and Familysearch.com.  The letter is in italicized text. My comments are below each page is plain text

Erfurt, 18 November 1920

Dear Father,

At last, after three months, I have managed to track down where you are. First of all, I wanted to write to you to tell you that you have two children here in Germany who also long to get to know their father. Even though you have never once been in touch, which was surely your duty as a father. It was also my intention to visit you; I had planned to travel at Easter 1913. But unfortunately, I hadn’t yet saved up the necessary money, so I had to give up my plan. As our mother was, sadly, not in a position to have us apprenticed, she had no choice but to let us grow up to be labourers. And she brought us up to be good, decent people. I shall first tell you about

This is from the first page of the letter. She tells him of his children in Germany as if he didn’t already know about them.  Their mother was not in a position to have them apprentice and no choice but to let them grow up to be laborers as if there is something wrong with being a laborer. She is writing to someone who is a laborer.  He was a brush maker in a Chicago, Illinois factory.[1]

[Page 2]

our Rudolf.

Between 1910 and 1912, Rudolf served in the infantry in Allenstein. Then he was discharged from the army and went to work for the railways, where he’d been employed before. Then the dreadful war broke out, and on the very second day our brother had to go to war – to Russia, in fact. At least that gave him the chance to get to know our mother’s homeland. On 14 November 1914, he was seriously wounded by a shot to the forearm. He was then admitted to the military hospital in Zeithain, Saxony, where he was in a very critical condition. He was then sent to Bad Elster in 1916 to recuperate, and in August he was discharged as unfit for service and returned. You can well imagine what he had to endure. In February 1917 he got engaged, and by Easter 1917 he was married. A country girl who, at least, brought something with her. On Easter Sunday, 7 April 1918, he was blessed with a little girl. He is now living a happy and contented life.

He has his good job on the railway and

I did a little research on Rudolph Otto Pielenz.  He is listed three times in the World War I Casualty Lists.  These Casualty lists consist of soldiers who were killed, wounded, missing in action, or prisoners of war.  The first time he is listed is 1 December 1914[2] and he is seriously wounded which corresponds to what she says in the letter, second time is August 5, 1915[3] and he is lightly wounded and third time is 3 December 1917[4] and he lightly wounded this time too. The date on these lists is not the date the soldier is wounded, it is the date the list is published.  Each one is a different volume. She says that he was sent to recuperate in 1916 and discharged in August.  I am assuming she means August 1916, although he is listed as being wounded in 1917. If he was still recuperating in 1916 from the original wound he received in November of 1914, how did he get lightly wounded in Aug 1915? Then the third time he is listed in December 1917.  According to Gertude he was already discharged from the military.

Rudolph Pielenz got married 7 April 1917[5] which corresponds to what Ida says in her letter. I was unable to verify that Rudolph and wife, Pauline had a baby girl born 7 April 1918 on the exact day they were married the year before. I found no records of a child born to them or to Pauline.  I thought maybe the baby girl was what the “something” that Pauline brought to the marriage.

[Page 3]

No worries about food.

As for myself, I have little to tell you. When I left school, I learnt to sew from my dear mother; after two and a half years, I went to work as a seamstress in a large ready-to-wear shop, where I was employed for ten years. Then, because of the war, I had to give up my job as there was no more work. And today I am in Erfurt. I got married in 1919 and at Whitsun, on the 24th, I gave birth to a sweet little boy.

Oh, Father! You should see him – a beaming smile would light up your face whenever your grandson wants to tell you something. I married a labourer, a good and decent man who at least knows how to look after a woman. These days, it’s of great value to find a man who’s honest. It’s just that we’re not in the best of circumstances, because with the money we had I should have received my full dowry, but as it is

Erfurt is the capital of Thuringia state in central Germany. It is located in the Thuringian Basin on the Gera River, 200 miles southwest of Berlin.[6] I have been trying to figure out the birth of her little boy.  She says she got married in 1919, but does not give the exact date.  Then she says, “at Whitsun, on the 24th, she gave birth to a sweet little boy.” The 24th of what?  Whitsun is English for the German word Pfingsten meaning Pentecost which happens 50 days after Easter or 7 Sundays after Easter.[7] Europeans celebrate it the Monday after. If he was born on Whitsun in 1919 it was the 8 June[8] two weeks after the 24 May 1919.  However, if he was born in 1920, Whitsun was 23 May 1920[9] and if they celebrate on the Monday after it would be the 24 May 1920. I am going to assume her first child was born 24 May 1920.  She is writing this letter 0n 18 November 1920 which would make her baby boy about 7 months old. I did a search for this baby boy.  I found a very basic family tree in Familysearch that starts with Ida and her husband Max Gustive Weisen and their children Karl-Heinz Weisen born in (no date) and died in 1944 in Kaunas, Lithuania.[10]  Maybe he was a soldier in WWII and that is why he died in Lithuania.  I could find no official records just this family tree with no sources attached to Karl-Heinz Wiesen and it was submitted by someone with the last name Wiesen in 2014 and 2015.  According to this family tree Ida had another boy Max Erich Wiesen was born in 1926[11]. She says she married a good and decent man who at least knows how to look after a woman.  Is that a dig at her father?  She said she should have received her full dowry.  From who? Her father in America? She is once again hinting at money like she did in the last letter.

[Page 4]

we could only afford to furnish a bedroom and a kitchen. But everything is so outrageously expensive; as I can’t work at the moment, the money is barely enough to make ends meet.

Our mother is doing quite well now, though she can no longer [?] get about on her feet. After all, in her hard life she’s done nothing but work and more work, which she still has to do today. She’s also had a hard life behind her; she fell ill just as I was due to finish school, and we thought we were seeing her for the last time. But she got through that too, and now she’s slowly slipping away.

So, after all these years of your absence, I wanted to tell you about our lives. As a girl, I often longed to get to know my father, but how could I ever be so lucky? And today I ask myself: will you reply to my letter, or will you ignore it just as you’ve done until now?

Show us that you still have a little love left for your son and daughter, who have never

In the previous page she mentions that her husband is a Laborer but leaves out exactly what kind of laborer. On this page she again mentions the lack of money.  She starts out by saying her mother is doing well and then says her mother has a hard life still today and can’t get about.  She has been ill and they thought they were going to lose her. She got through that and now is slowly slipping away. I find that a contradiction. Either she is doing well or slowly slipping away. Anna (the mother), finally slipped away in 1958 at the age 92 years, 4 months, and 24 days.[12] She outlived her husband Karl by 18 years,[13] and she outlived one daughter[14] and one son.[15] She was listed on her husband’s death record as his spouse and he was listed on her death record as her spouse.  The letters make it sound like she was no longer with him and raised the children alone.  She had to work so hard to support them. I don’t know if they were separated and just never bothered with a divorce, but I tend to think that they were together all those years.   She had to work hard, raising her children alone, and was sickly. I believe this was a sympathy play to extract money from Ruldolph Kaiser and for a way to come to America

[Page 5]

experienced a father’s love.

Whilst you belong entirely to your wife and both your sons there for the rest of your life. It’s only now, when I’m raising children of my own, that I realise even more what it is like for a child to be without a father. After all, it is through the father’s love that the child [flourishes]. I’ll give my boy double the love to make up for it.

You probably can’t imagine it, but a woman learns to never forget.

Rudolf will be 31 in February. I’ll be 29 in December.

The years! Have you ever thought of us? And how delighted we would have been to receive a sign of life from you. But you didn’t want us to disturb you in your happy marriage. Yet my longing drives me to write to you, and so here I am today, writing this letter to you.

Please don’t be angry, though; this is certainly not meant as a reproach.

So, I send you greetings from far, far away                                      (pls. turn over)

On this page she tells him, “While you belong entirely to wife and both your sons there for the rest of your life”, Rudolph’s life was not all roses in America.  In April 1919 Rudolph Kaiser’s youngest son, Hugo, dies of influenza during the Great Influenza Epidemic 1918 -1920.[16] I guess Rudolph didn’t get to spend the rest of his life with both sons like she assumed.  “I realize even more what is like for a child to be without a father. I will give my boy double the love to make up for it.” She makes it sound like she is raising her son alone, but she is not.  Proof is on next page.

[Page 6]

With grateful remembrance

Your loving, longing daughter,

along with my husband and son.

Nobody at home knows that I am writing this letter to you, only my husband and I.

My address is

Mrs Gertrud Wilsen, Erfurt/Nord

Alte-Fritz Str. 76 I.

Gertrud has been my preferred name since I was a child. Ida is my first name, the one I’m registered under.

Here she mentions her husband again and she is definitely not raising her son alone.  The first two letters she is called Ida. Then the last two were signed Gertrud.  I couldn’t read the German version; however, I could make out names and dates, and I wondered who is Gertrud?  Now I know!

In conclusion, I tend to believe that they were Rudolph’s blood children.  He had to know about the boy when he left for America in April 1891.[17] In the first letter, Anna Pielenz Wagner said that Ida was the result of their last night together.  If you do the math, it is possible that Ida born in December 1891 is Rudolph Kaiser’s daughter. There were years between the letters.  Did they only write when things were not going well for them?  The theme to all the letters is lack of money, having to work hard, mother is sickly, and the children have to be raised without a father. There are contradictions within the same paragraphs.  Example: “Mother is well” at the beginning of paragraph and by the end of the paragraph “mother is slowly fading away”. Sometimes, I think maybe they just wanted their father to acknowledge them and tell them he loves them.  I’ve been told by people from Germany that this was a common scam back them.  I try to think how you would go about perpetuating this scam.  You would have to have a son you named Rudolph Otto same first and middle name as the person you are trying to scam.  His name was Rudolph Otto Pielenz, it is on all legal documents. Then have another child and the timing of your pregnancy correspond to just before he leaves for America.  How would she find such a person in America?  Why would you keep the scam going for 10 years without any answers from him?

I sent a message to the person who put the family tree on line, but so far have not received a response.  I also checked my DNA matches and found no one with that last name or any way that I could connect them to me.  I was hoping if the person answered me and they had their DNA done we could prove it one way or the other.  Maybe they heard about this story in their family.  It was never told to me. I have no idea if my grandfather knew or not. Rudolph could have dismissed it and said it wasn’t true. I am sure that this information could cause a rift between Rudolph and his wife.  I did not know my great grandfather as he died in 1933.[18]  His wife, Wilhelmina, died in 1953,[19] and I went to her funeral when I six years old.  It was my first funeral.  I never saw her when she was alive.  My grandmother would talk about her and say that she was so mean to Grandpa Kaiser, but Grandpa Kaiser was so nice and kind. Maybe she did know about his family in Germany and that is why she was mean to him.

I would really like to connect with the descendants of Anna Pielenz Wagner. I will keep looking and keep trying to prove or disprove this relationship to my Great Grandfather, Rudolph Otto Kaiser.

Letter translated by EK Translations Elisabeth Kissel

Copyright © 2026 Gail Grunst

 

[1] Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 26, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_336; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 1523

[2] Ancestry.com. Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data: Deutsche Verlustlisten 1914 bis 1919. Berlin, Deutschland: Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt).

[3] Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2011, Lehi, UT, USA.

[4] Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919, Ancestry.com,Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2011, Lehi, UT, USA.

[5] Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874 – 1944, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, Lehi, UT, USA.

[6] Erfurt – Wikipedia

[7] WHITSUN translation in German | English-German Dictionary | Reverso

[8] Pentecost 1919 – Calendar-12.com

[9] Pentecost 1920 – Calendar-12.com

[10] Karl-Heinz Wiesen (–1944) • Person • Family Tree

[11] Memories on FamilySearch

[12] Landesarchiv Berlin; Berlin, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Todtregister.  Registration Year: 1958 (Erstregister). Source Information: Ancestry.com. Berlin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1985 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Sterberegister der Berliner Standesämter 1874-1985. Digital images. Landesarchiv, Berlin, Deutschland.

[13] Landesarchiv Berlin; Berlin, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister

Information: Ancestry.com. Berlin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1985 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Sterberegister der Berliner Standesämter 1874-1985. Digital images. Landesarchiv, Berlin, Deutschland.

[14] Landesarchiv Berlin; Berlin, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister

Information:  Ancestry.com. Berlin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1985 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Sterberegister der Berliner Standesämter 1874-1985. Digital images. Landesarchiv, Berlin, Deutschland.

[15] Landesarchiv Berlin; Berlin, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister.  Description Registration Year: 1948 (Erstregister).  Source Information:  Ancestry.com. Berlin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1985 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Sterberegister der Berliner Standesämter 1874-1985. Digital images. Landesarchiv, Berlin, Deutschland.

[16] Cook County Clerk; Chicago, IL; Cook County Genealogy Records (Deaths)

Information:  Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.  Original data: Cook County Clerk. Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records. Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago, IL: Cook County Clerk, 2008.

[17] Year: 1891; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Line: 49; List Number: 567. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957.

[18] Ancestry.com. Illinois, U.S., Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data:  “Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original records.

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

Nautghty Great-Grandpa Part 3

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It has taken me awhile to continue this story about of Naughty Great-Grandpa.  Life got in the way of having these last two letters transcribed sooner.  I tried AI but it jumbled it all up.  I will write about that another time. There were four letters in total.  The first two were translated a few years ago and published on my blog. If you would like to get caught up on this story you can read Naughty Great-Grandpa and Naughty Great-Grandpa Part 2 by clicking the links.

The third one is from his daughter, son, and their mother in Germany.  I believe it to be written by the daughter. 

Berlin, 13 July 1914

Dear Father.

I’ve finally made up my mind to writing you a few lines.

We were, after all, brought up without a father’s love. It’s already been 22 years. Our dear mother raised us to be decent people. I yearn for you so much. You should see us both now; you’d surely say, ‘These aren’t my children.’ Mum and we think of you very often. How you’re getting on over there. We’ve all got jobs. Rudolf works for the railway and I’ve been employed in a large shop for many years now. Our mum doesn’t work any longer, as she’s become too weak from all the hard work. You would

Page 2]

know that too. You wouldn’t even recognise our dear mother. We’ve known nothing but a mother’s love, and when that’s gone, it’ll be the end of us too. What would you think if I were to meet you in person one day – though that’s unlikely to happen for a long time yet. I’d really like to see America one day, and that’s why, dear Father, I’m writing you a few lines – just so I have a starting point, in case I need to get in touch; otherwise, I’ll have to pay too much money and [vog?] – and your wife and children don’t need to know anything about the fact that you’ve received this letter from Berlin.

Well, dear Father, what do you think of that? Surely you must sometimes long to see your children. You could let

[Page 3]

me know straight away. Perhaps you or your children will set foot on German soil, or do you no longer think back to the times gone by? It must be terrible to have such memories.

How are you over there? Are you happy with your family? I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart. Mother surely thought you would be by her side, but that’s all in the past now.

Perhaps I could look forward to a reply straight away.

Warm regards from here

Your daughter Gertrud, your son Rudolf, and Mother

[Page 4]

Didn’t you receive the letter Rudolf wrote to you back when he was in the army? We haven’t received a reply to it yet. Or perhaps you don’t have time to write to us.

My address is

Gertrud Pulenz

c/o Address Wagner, Berlin S[?] 33, Wrangelstr. 59

I think that she is trying to play to his sympathy reminding him that they were brought up without a father’s love yet their mother raised them to be decent people.  Both her and her brother must work, and the mother is too weak from working so hard all those years she was raising them.  Then the request comes to come to America one day.  It sounds like she is hinting for him to pay for a trip to America. She tells him his wife and children don’t need to about this letter.  I am thinking not if his wife gets to the mailbox first. Then she plays the sympathy card again, “Surely you must sometimes long to see your children.”  Too bad DNA wasn’t around then.

I think the daughter has listened to her mother bemoan the fact that her lover, Rudolph left her and started over in America.  I don’t know if they are really so upset over something that happened 22 years ago or looking for a way to come to America.  Her mother married and had three children with her husband who she claims she didn’t love.  She married two years before Rudolph married in America. She didn’t wait for beloved Rudolph.

Rudolph Kaiser never answered her letter. I did feel sorry for them in past letters, but there is something about the tone of this letter that rubs me wrong.  I feel she is trying to play on his sympathy and guilt to either acknowledge them and/or pay for them to come to America.  

My great-grandfather was not a rich man; he could not afford to send them money to help them out or pay for a trip to America. They are waiting for a reply to a letter the son wrote in 1910.  Really, they still expect an answer after four years?  Are they really his children or is this a scam?

First page of original letter. This will give you an idea of what I was working with and why it takes a professional.

Transcription done by EK Translations – Elisabeth Kissel

To be continued . . .

Copyright © 2026 Gail Grunst

The Quiet Life of Martha

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Martha is on seated on the left. Picture taken around 1960.

Not all of our Ancestors live exciting, glamourous, or dangerous lives. In fact, most of them led just quiet normal lives which makes writing a story about them difficult. Martha Treppa was one of those people who led a very quiet life. Martha is not an ancestor, but someone who was like family. She was my grand uncle’s sister-in-law.

My grandmother’s brother, Ralph Bowers, was married to Helen Treppa.  Helen had a sister Martha who lived with Ralph and Helen.  When Uncle Ralph and Aunt Helen came to holiday or Sunday dinners, Martha was usually with them.  Martha (Marty was her nickname) paid a lot of attention to me when I was a child, and I loved the attention.  I remember her as a very sweet and quiet lady.  At the time, I just enjoyed Martha’s company and attention, and never thought about her life.  So I really don’t know very much about it.  All I really know is from researching records, and there are not a lot of records on Martha.  No surprises surfaced like a secret marriage or illegitimate children.  She must have led a very normal quiet life, just like I thought. 

Martha was born to John and Helen Treppa on 4 May 1911 in Cook County, Illinois.[1] Martha was the youngest of five children.[2] The family lived at 1441 Lill Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.[3]  When I knew Martha she lived in that same house on Lill Avenue with her sister Helen and brother-in-law Ralph Bowers.  They lived on the second floor and someone else lived downstairs.  In 1940 her brother John and his family lived on the lower level[4] and sometime later they moved and then the apartment was rented out.

Martha worked as a packer for a wholesale meat company.[5]  She always seemed old-fashioned and she was the typical maiden aunt of the time.  Martha died 7 August 1992 at 81 years, 3 months and 3 days old in the state of Washington.[6]

I will always think of Martha with love and remember her kindness and quiet ways.

Week 16: A quiet life @ 52Ancestors in 52 weeks.

Copyright © 2026 Gail Grunst

1] Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.  Original data:  “Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009. Illinois. Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922. Illinois Department of Public Health. Division of Vital Records, Springfield.

[2] Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 24, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_335; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 1359

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.  Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323 (Chicago City).

[3] Ibid.

[4] Year: 1940; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-01012; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 103-2902.  Source Information:  Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.  Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.

 

Mary’s Big Decision

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Eighteen-year-old Mary Fiderius was in love with thirty-four-year-old Isidor G. Manfroid, and on 5 February 1889 they married in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] Between 1889 and 1907 they had a total of eight children of which only five lived to adulthood. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] They moved frequently and lived in Pittsburg,[8] Cleveland,[9] Toledo[10] and finally settling in Chicago[11] around 1900. Somewhere between 1908 and 1910 Isidor and Mary divorced.[12] I don’t know the reason for the divorce and have been unable to find the divorce records. Considering Mary’s religion, the only reason for divorce was desertion. I believe that George deserted Mary and she was left with the children trying to support them by herself.  In 1908 the oldest child, George was 16 followed by Christine14, Philip 12, Arthur 7 and Theordore 4. There was not enough money to support them all.  The older children were in school or could get jobs.  If Mary went to work, who was going to take care of the younger children?  She had to make a big decision, should she give up her two youngest children?  She turned to her church for help and decided to temporarily give up her two youngest sons. Arthur went to St. Mary’s Training school for boys in Des Plaines, Illinois.[13] It was a place for orphans, neglected children, and for children whose mothers could not take care of them.  It was run by the Archdiocese of Chicago.[14]  Later, St. Mary’s training school became known as Marysville.[15] Theodore went to St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum  in Chicago[16]  This was also a place for orphans, neglected children and for families who could not support their children and also run by the Archdiocese of Chicago.[17]  Mary had already lost 3 children at young ages and now she must give up two. She did not know how long before she would be able to get them back if ever.  In 1911 Mary marries Adam Beischer.[18] Adam was working as a cigar maker, and I assume sometime after she remarried, she got her children back.  In1920 Arthur now 19, and Theodore now 16, are living with Mary and Adam.[19]  Adam helped Mary raise her sons, and they considered Adam their father and Adam considered Arthur and Theodore as his sons. Arthur grew up to become a bookie and owned a tavern in Chicago.  He married twice and had no children.  Theodore married seven times and had several children by some of his seven wives. Christine was married at least three times and had children by each husband.  George and Philip married once and stayed married until their deaths.  George had two children and Philip had one child.  Mary and Adam stayed married until Adam’s death in 1962. Mary died a few months later in 1962. [20]

Week 8 A Big Decision 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Copyright © 2026 Gail Grunst

[1] Marriage record for G. Isidor Manfroid and Mary Fiderius, State of Ohio, CuyahogaCounty, SS., 5 February 1889.

[2] 1900 United States Census, State: Illinois, County: Cook, Township: WestTown, City: Chicago, Enumeration Dist: 293, Ward 10, Sheet 16B, Line 69

[3]Certificate of Birth for Arthur Anton Manfroid, 5 January 1901, State of Illinois , Department of Public Health, Division of vital Statistics registered no 72637, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

[4] [27]  Texas, Deaths, 1977 – 1986 index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-22864-3780=71?cc=M9S8-8SD:2136566208, 1978 Vol 140, Sep, Certificates69501-70000,  Harris County, Image 149 of 579 for Theodore Manfroid 8 August 1978.

[5] Department of Health: City of Chicago: Bureau of Vital Statistics: Undertakers Report of Death for Isidor Manfroid (Son of G. Isidor Manfroid) 12247, 22 March 1901.

[6] Family Search International Genealogical Index V 5.0 North America, Batch No: C748680, Year 1890, Call No. 0499282 V.  38-40 Film type.

[7] Illinois Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925 database with images, FamilySearch HY-DY93_dIV?cc+1452409&wc=M66L-STP%3A39600602 : 8 February 2017), Sacred Heart Parish (Melrose Park)> Baptisms Marriages 1893-1908 > image 22 of 26; Catholic Church parishes, Chicago Diocese, Chicago.

[8] Family Search International Genealogical Index V 5.0 North America, Batch No: C748680, Year 1890, Call No. 0499282 V.  38-40 Film type.

[9] Cleveland City Directories 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897 list George Manfroid living at 235 Herald, Cleveland, Ohio

[10] Toledo City Directories 1898, 1899, 1900 listed George Manfroid as living at 259 Caldonia and 255 Woodford, Toledo, Ohio

[11] 1900 United States Census, State: Illinois, County: Cook, Township: WestTown, City: Chicago, Enumeration Dist: 293, Ward 10, Sheet 16B, Line 69

[12]  Children Georgius Isidor was born in 1907 and Arthur and Theodore are living in institutions in 1910. I deduced that George and Mary must have divorced between 1907 and 1910.

[13] 1910 United States Census, Wheeling, Cook, Illinois; Roll T624-241, Page 21B, Enumeration District 0132; FHL microfilm 1374254.

[14] St. Mary’s Training School for boys now Marysville in Des Plaines . Home faced dark times before – Chicago Tribune

[15] Ibid.

[16] 1910 United States Census, Chicago, Ward 21, Cook, Illinois; Roll T624-264. Page 168, Enumeration District 0923; FHL microfilm 13742777.

[17]  St Vincent Infant Asylum The Catholic Charities St. Vincent Center Historical Marker

[18] Obituary for Adam Beischer, Oak Park Leaves May 17, 1962, P.76

[19] Year: 1920; Census Place: Forest Park, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625 362; Page: 20B Enumeration District: 185; Image 696.   Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line].  Provo, Utah, USA.  Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.  Images reproduced by Familysearch..  Original Data:  Fourteenth Census of the Untited States 1920; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T625, 2076 rolls)  Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington D.C.

[20] From Author, Gail Grunst’s, personal knowledge.

Featured

Sisters in Time: Helen and Fran’s Unique Journeys

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I have several favorite pictures of my ancestors, and this is one of them.

I love this picture of my grandmother, Helen Bowers and her sister Frances Bowers. There was no date on this photo, but I am guessing it was around 1904. Frances is sitting and Helen is the one standing. Helen and Frances were born 14 months apart. I think they are such cute little girls and I love them both. Helen and Fran stayed close to each other their whole lives even though they led very different lives.

Helen married at 25 years old to Fred Kaiser. They had two children Dorothy and Russell. In between Dorothy and Russell, Helen had a miscarriage and they lost a baby Richard at two weeks old. Russell was born premature and according to Helen, he was so small she could hold him in the palm of her hand. Russell survived and died at 80 years old. Fred and Helen lived in Chicago until around 1935 when they bought a house in Villa Park, Illinois. Helen stayed home and took care of the house and children while Fred went to work. She played pinochle with the same group of ladies for many years. She belonged to the sewing circle at church and they made things for charity. Her hands were always busy crocheting afghans, sweaters and many other things. She was a good cook and made everything from scratch. She canned fruits and vegetables grown in their yard. She loved gardening and had beautiful flower gardens with help from Fred. She made everyone feel welcome in their home. All holiday dinners were at her house, and she did most of the cooking. She had two stoves one in the kitchen of course and one in the basement. On holidays she would run up and down the stairs between the two stoves cooking a turkey in one and a goose in the other. She and Fred were married 58 years until his death in 1980. Helen died at a few months later at 82 years old.

Fran also married at 25 years old to William Beck and in 1932 she gave birth to a daughter Patricia. A few years later, she and William divorced. Fran lived in Chicago all her adult life. She raised in daughter alone and worked to survive. They moved every few years from one apartment to another apartment in Chicago. Fran sewed for a living, working in factories that mass produced clothing. In her later years, she worked in a bridal shop making wedding dresses and formals. Fran wasn’t much of a cook, but she sure could sew. She made many dresses for me. Fran loved to shop and she would find some unusual things. When she visited us, she would bring us things like alligator meat, rattlesnake meat, frog legs, etc. She also knew how to throw parties. She would come out for my birthday parties and bring prizes, party favors, and decorate the house. She helped with Halloween parties too. She was strong and a worker. She worked until her death at 71 years old.

Helen and Frances talked on the phone almost daily, and in her younger years Fran and her daughter Pat would visit my grandmother on weekends. They would come out to Villa Park on the train either on Friday night or Saturday morning and go back on Sunday after the family dinner. Helen lived ten years after Fran’s death. She missed their daily phone calls and her confidant. They were truly sisters forever.

Week 6 Favorite Photo 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Copyright © 2026 Gail Grunst

Favorite Picture: Three Generations 1938

/ Gail Grunst Genealogy / 2 Comments
Eva, Dorothy, Helen

I have many favorite pictures so it was hard to pick just one. This happens to be one of my favorite pictures because it is three generations of strong women.  The picture  was taken in 1938.  From the left is my great-grandmother, Eva Bowers, my mother, Dorothy Kaiser (age 14), and my grandmother, Helen Kaiser nee Bowers.  I think the picture was  probably taken in front of my great-grandmother’s place in Chicago.  By 1938 my grandparents were living in Villa Park, Illinois and this is not their home.  I wish I could have been in the picture to make it four generations, but I was not born yet and by the time I came along, Eva had already passed away.  I never knew Eva, but heard a lot about her from my mom and grandma.  Eva was born in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany to Johann Konrad Reinhardt and Anna Maria Schwebler on February 14, 1877. Eva came to the United States when she was almost two years old. Her brother John was a baby. Her first home in the United States was in Amana, Iowa.  They spent a few years in Amana and then moved to Ottawa, Illinois where Eva grew up with her brothers and sisters.  Eva grew into a young woman and sometime around 1896 she married Robert Bowers also of Ottawa, Illinois. The family story is that Robert and Eva ran off to Chicago to be married.  I have never been able to find a marriage record for them in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. According to family stories, Robert’s family never accepted Eva as his wife or acknowledged that any of the children were Roberts.  I started to wonder if they were ever really married and that is why Robert’s family didn’t want anything to do with Eva or their children.  However, when Robert’s father died, Robert and Eva as his wife signed a quit-claim deed to a piece of property to Robert’s mother.  I was told that if they were not married, Eva would not need to sign the quit-claim deed.  Perhaps they were married somewhere other than Chicago.  Robert and Eva had three children, Ralph born in 1897, Helen in 1898 and Frances in 1900.  Shortly after Frances was born Robert left Eva.  Again family stories say they were divorced, however I have never found divorce records for them.  In 1900 Eva was on her own and had to make a living for her and her three children.  She raised the three children alone in a time when there was no financial support for women. Robert did not have to pay child support and there was no welfare. Eva relied on family to babysit her children while she worked. She worked a milliner and seamstress for many years. She moved to Chicago away from her support system in Ottawa, Illinois. There were probably better job opportunities in Chicago. She had a couple of long relationships with men, but I can find no proof that she married them. She always kept the surname Bowers. Eva passed away on 23 December 1941 in Chicago, Illinois.

My grandmother married in 1923 to Fred Kaiser. Because of her upbringing with no father in her life, she was determined to have a long marriage and raise her children in a home with both a mother and father. She had my mother in 1924, a son in 1930 that lived only 11 days, another son in 1931, and a stillborn son in 1933. The son born in1931 was premature, weighed 4 lbs 2 oz and fit into the palm of her hand. She had a strong belief in God and I am sure that is what got her through those years in the 1930’s. Her premature baby boy survived and died at 80 years old. Grandma witnessed the depression during the 30’s and WWII. She was a true homemaker of the day, a good cook, seamstress, and housekeeper. She had a successful long marriage that ended in October 1980 after 57 years with the death of her husband. She only lived four months after the death of her husband and died at age 82 in February 1981.

My mother’s life was probably the easiest of the three. She married George Manfroid in 1945 and had two children. She was also a homemaker of the time. The depression of the 30’s affected my father’s family more than it did my mother’s, because of my father’s experience it made him determined that his family did not go without. He bought things that they really could not afford. My mother was the one that tried to keep things in check and watch the money. They were always living paycheck to paycheck. My mother was the worrier and this bothered her a lot. In spite of my father’s foolish spending, they were happily married. Once my brother and I were old enough she went to work. She worked part-time as a cashier for Walgreens, and went to night school to learn bookkeeping. She then found a job working as bookkeeper for Slater’s Shoe Store. This was a huge help to their financial situation. My mother was healthy during her life time, but not my father. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1967, my mother took good care of him through his treatments and worried she might lose him. He survived it and lived another 17 years. In 1984 he was diagnosed again with cancer this time with lung cancer, and he only survived a couple of weeks after diagnoses. My mother who had never been ill with more than a cold, died suddenly three years later from a brain aneurism.

All three women had their trials and tribulations and managed to stay strong and keep going in spite of them. In-between the hard times were good times too. My grandmother looks so happy in the picture above. They all had a hard life, but it was also a good life. I think for all of us life is full of those hard times, but it is our faith and family that get us through those times.

Week 3 Favorite Picture 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Copyright © 2022 Gail Grunst

The Bookie

/ Gail Grunst Genealogy / 1 Comment

My father had an uncle, Arthur Manfroid, who owned a tavern in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  My father claimed Arthur was involved with the syndicate (mob) in Chicago.  I remember my father saying that as long as Arthur didn’t cross them (the mob) he was OK.  I think that the mob may have financed his tavern and they probably owned the slot machines.  I was a kid when I heard my father talking about Arthur so I don’t remember all the details.

One time we went into Chicago to look at used cars and my father said that Arthur’s tavern was nearby consequently we stopped in at his tavern. While my parents had a beer or two, I had a coke and free snacks. 

Another time we took my great-grandmother to a shoe store in Chicago.  She was in an accident many years before that left her with one leg shorter than the other one.  She had to go to a special shoe store that built up the sole of the one shoe for her short leg.  Afterwards, she wanted to go see her son, Arthur, and by this time he was married to his second wife Josephine.  I remember there was a long flight of stairs up to their apartment, and Josephine stood at the top, while my parents helped grandma up the stairs.  I only saw Arthur and Josephine a few times and it was long ago, therefore I barely remember them.

Arthur Anton Manfroid arrived on 5 January 1901 to George I. Manfroid and Mary Fiderius.[1]  He joined his 4 siblings in their Chicago home.[2]  His father was an iron moulder while his mother kept house and raised the children.[3] Two-and-half months after Arthur was born, his brother, Isidor, died of a pneumonia at two years old.[4]  A few years later, two more boys were added to the family.  The last one born in 1907.[5]

Somewhere between 1907 when the last child was born[6] and 1910,[7] Arthur’s parents divorced.  In 1910 Arthur is found living at the St. Mary’s Training School for Boys in Des Plaines, Illinois.[8]  St. Mary’s Training school for boys housed orphans left without means of support by the death of one or both parents, and children whose parents were unable to give them the necessities of life.[9]   Arthur’s younger brother Theodore is found in 1910 living at St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum (orphanage) in Chicago, Illinois.[10]  Apparently, Mary was unable to support her two youngest children after the divorce.  There was no back up for single mothers in those days.   The father was not required to pay child support and there was no assistance from the government. It was through the charity of the Catholic Church that Mary was able to find help.  In 1911 Mary married Adam Beischer,[11] and I assume sometime after her marriage to Adam she was able to be reunited with Arthur and Theodore.   In 1920 both Arthur and Theodore are living with Mary and their step-father Adam.[12] 

Arthur had a car accident on September 27, 1923 in borrowed car.  The newspaper account reads as follows:

“Anton Manfroid, a young man living at 148 Lathrop Avenue, and until recently employed in the Ed Roos Factory, driving Clarence Troost’s car in Madison Street near Ferdinand Avenue, Thursday evening, struck and seriously injured William Kreino 510 Ferdinand Avenue, a truck driver for Standard Oil Company, was walking across the street.  Manfroid had borrowed the car a few minutes before the accident happened.  After Kreino was taken to Oak Park Hospital, Manfroid drove himself to police station and gave himself up.”[13]

William Kreino survived the accident and died in 1950.[14]  The car owner Clarence Troost was involved with local politics in Forest Park, Illinois.[15]  I was curious about the Ed Roos Factory and thought it might give me some insight to Arthur’s occupation in 1923.

“The Roos Manufacturing Co. of Chicago was established in 1871 by Edward Roos, who died in 1906 when two sons Edward and Otto took over the business.  In 1916. Edward split with his brother and started his own company, which made cedar chests.  The Ed Roos Building at 7329 Harrison in Forest Park, Illinois opened 1918 and hit its peak in the 1930’s.  The company used 3 million feet of cedar per year and produced 200 chests per day.” [16]  

Unfortunately, I still don’t know what position he might have held at this factory.

On 28 September 1929 Arthur married Isabelle Kiniec.[17]  Arthur worked as a book maker (bookie) for a sports restaurant and Isabelle worked as a telephone operator.[18]  They lived at 6256 Wabansia Ave., Chicago, Illinois.[19]  In 1942, Arthur’s draft card lists his employment as the Kildare Club at 1550 N. Kildare, Chicago, Illinois and his employer’s name as Joe Nicholson.[20]  I found a matchbook for sale on Ebay with horses racing on the cover.  It lists the address as 1550 N. Kildare at Grand and North Kildare.[21]  I’m sure it was a place where people bet on horses.

I believe that it was during the 1930’s and early 1940’s that Arthur worked as a bookie, probably at the Kildare Club and maybe other places too. 

“The Torrio-Capone organization expanded its limited gambling operations, especially after Prohibition. Mobsters took over the slot machine business. In the 1940s, the mob forcibly took over the racing wire service, and some policy operations as well, though it never achieved total dominance. Mob gambling reached Chicago Heights, Brookfield, Glenview, and other suburbs by 1940. In 1959, the Chicago Tribune reported that 10,000 employees worked at 1,000 gambling establishments in Cook County. Postwar Chicago gangsters profited from gambling in many other cities.”[22]

Arthur was short at 5’4” and weighed 120 lbs., and he is described as having a ruddy complexion and gray eyes.[23]

I have often wondered why Arthur chose book making as a way to make a living.  I wondered if his early life in a boy’s school and being separated from his mother and siblings affected him.  The other brother that was in St. Vincent’s Infant asylum had many problems.  The older boys who were probably working by the time the parents divorced seemed to lead more normal lives.  It appears the Arthur was able to stay out of trouble with the law and the mob.  His name did not come up in any of my searches through newspapers except for the accident he had in 1923. 

I don’t know what happened to his first wife Isabelle. Arthur never had any children with either wife. Arthur passed away on 19 August 1967 in Chicago, Illinois[24] and is buried at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois.[25] His wife, Josephine, passed away many years later on 10 June 1992 in Virginia.[26]

[1] Birth Certificate for Arthur Anton Manfroid, 5 January 1901, Registration number 72637, State of Illinois, Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Springfield, Illinois.

[2] 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 10, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T623 256; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 293.  Original data – United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623,

[3] Ibid.

[4] Death Certificate for Isidor Manfroid, 22 March 1901, Registration No. 12247, Department of Health, City of Chicago, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

[5] “Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925.” Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 6 April 2021. Catholic Church parishes, Chicago Diocese, Chicago.

[6] “Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925.” Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 6 April 2021. Catholic Church parishes, Chicago Diocese, Chicago.

[7] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.  Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA

[8] Ibid

[9] Maryville History https://www.maryvilleacademy.org/about/our-history/

[10] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.  Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA

[11] Oak Park Oak Leaves (Oak Park, Illinois) 17 May 1962, p. 76, “Adam Beischer dies from stroke: Services held Friday”, location Newspapers.com.

[12] 1920; Census Place: Forest Park, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625_362; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 185

[13] Forest Leaves (Forest Park, Illinois) 3 October 1923, p.12, “Borrowed car hits man”.  Location Google Books.

[14] Chicago Tribune, (Chicago, Illinois), 21 December 1950, P. 18, Obituary for William Kreino.  Location Newspapers.com.

[15] Forest Park Review, (Forest Park, Cook, Illinois), 3 March 1923, p. 4.

[16] From website: Chicagogeek https://chicagogeek.tumblr.com/post/60752283932/the-roos-manufacturing-co-of-chicago-was

[17] National Archives at Chicago; Chicago, Illinois; ARC Title: Petitions for Naturalization, 1906-1991; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: RG 21

[18] 1940; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-00994; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 103-2256

[19] Ibid.

[20] The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1117

[21] From Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/KILDARE-CLUB-1550-North-Kildare-Avenue-Chicago-IL-1940s-Front-Strike-Matchbook-/251236281701

[22] From Website Chicago History: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/496.html

[23] The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1117

[24] Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988.  Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data – Cook County Clerk. Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records. Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago, IL: Cook County Clerk, 2008.Original data: Cook County Clerk.

[25] Chicago Tribune, (Chicago, cook, Illinois), 21 August 1967, P. 6, Obituary for Arthur A. Manfroid. Location: Newspapers.com.

[26] Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Deaths, 1912-2014:  Source Information

Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.  Original data: Virginia, Deaths, 1912–2014. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.

Favorite Picture

/ Gail Grunst Genealogy / 4 Comments

Dorothy in Center, Left her grandmother (Eva) on right her mother (Helen)

The theme this week for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is favorite picture.  This fits in nicely with what I have been doing lately and that is posting pictures and telling a story to go with the picture.  I have many favorite pictures so it was hard to pick just one. This happens to be one of my favorite pictures because it is three generations of strong women.  The picture  was taken in 1938.  From the left is my great-grandmother, Eva Bowers, my mother, Dorothy Kaiser (age 14), and my grandmother, Helen Kaiser nee Bowers.  I think the picture was  probably taken in front of my great-grandmother’s place in Chicago.  By 1938 my grandparents were living in Villa Park, Illinois and this is not their home.  I wish I could have been in the picture to make it four generations, but I was not born yet and by the time I came along, Eva had already passed away.  I never knew Eva, but heard a lot about her from my mom and grandma.  Eva was born in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany to Johann Konrad Reinhardt and Anna Maria Schwebler on February 14, 1877. [1] Eva came to the United States when she was almost two years old.[2]  Her brother John was born on the boat.[3]  Her first home in the United States was in Amana, Iowa.[4]  They spent a few years in Amana and then moved to Ottawa, Illinois where Eva grew up with her brothers and sisters.[5]   Eva grew into a young woman and sometime around 1896 she married Robert Bowers also of Ottawa, Illinois.[6]  The family story is that Robert and Eva ran off to Chicago to be married.  I have never been able to find a marriage record for them in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. According to family stories, Robert’s family never accepted Eva as his wife or acknowledged that any of the children were Roberts.  I started to wonder if they were ever really married and that is why Robert’s family didn’t want anything to do with Eva or their children.  However, when Robert’s father died, Robert and Eva as his wife signed a quit-claim deed to a piece of property to Robert’s mother.[7]  I was told that if they were not married, Eva would not need to sign the quit-claim deed.  Perhaps they were married somewhere other than Chicago.  Robert and Eva had three children, Ralph born in 1897,[8] Helen in 1898[9] and Frances in 1900. [10]  Shortly after Frances was born Robert left Eva.  Again family stories say they were divorced, however I have never found divorce records for them.  In 1900 Eva was on her own and had to make a living for her and her three kids.  She raised the three kids alone and I believe this made her a strong woman.

My grandmother and mother did not have easy lives and to survive all their trials and tribulations they had to be strong.  My grandmother died at age 82 and my mother at age 62.  I believe my mother’s early death was caused by some of the problems in her life.

Copyright ©2019 Gail Grunst

________________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Certificate of Death for Eva Bowers;  State of Illinois, Department of Public health, Division of Vital Statistics, Springfield, Illinois, Registration Number 34633. Date of death: December 23, 1941; Place of death: County of Cook, City of Chicago.

[2] Ira A. Glazier and P. William Filbry, ed., Germans to America: List of passengers arriving at U.S. ports, Volume 34 October 1878 – December 1879; ( Wilmington, Delaware, Scholarly Resources,1993), Page 106.

[3] Ibid

[4] Conrad Reinhardt household, 1880 U. S. Census, Amana, Iowa; Roll 345; Family History Film 1254345; page 146D; Enumeration District 201; Image 0155.

[5] From family stories told to this author.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Quit-claim deed record from Robert Bowers and Eva Bowers, his wife to Alexena Bowers, City of Ottawa, County of LaSalle, state of Illinois; deed book 448, page 167.  LaSalle County Illinois Genealogical Guild collection.

[8] Eva Bowers household, 1900 U. S. Federal  Census, LaSalle County, Ottawa township, ED 76, line 37, page 6, dwelling 557, fmily124, National Archives film publication T623, roll 317.

[9] Delayed Record of Birth for Helen Bowers, State of Illinois, Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Statics, LaSalle County, City of Ottawa, State of Illinois, Date of Birth: December 3, 1898, Dated August  7, 1957.

[10] Eva Bowers household, 1900 U. S. Federal  Census, LaSalle County, Ottawa township, ED 76, line 37, page 6, dwelling 557, fmily124, National Archives film publication T623, roll 317.

 

Christmas 1927

/ Gail Grunst Genealogy / 1 Comment

Everyday until Christmas, I am going to try to post a picture from a past family Christmas. 

Mom on Horse with Santa 1927.jpg

Mom and Santa 1927

This is my Mom again with Santa in 1927. I don’t think I ever saw a Santa outfit quite like this one. Love the outfit my mother has on.  It looks like it would be warm.  My grandmother wrote “Howe Street” on the back.  So I am assuming that this was taken on Howe Street in Chicago.  No date on picture other than 1927, but I assume it is near Christmas and there is snow on the ground.  I wonder did Santa walk up and down the streets of Chicago to have his picture taken with children.  We are use to seeing Santa in department stores.  The picture appears to be a professional one, not just a snapshot.  

Copyright © 2019 Gail Grunst

First Son: Albert

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img164 (2)

The 316th Field Artillery 81st division boarding a train at Knotty Ash Depot to Southhampton, Liverpool, England August 14 1918.  From: httpdigital.ncdcr.govcdmrefcollectionp15012coll10id1564

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks  week 1 of 2019 the topic is “first”.  

Albert Grunst, Jr. was the first son born to Albert Grunst and Anna Schmerling.[1]  Albert was born on 5 August, 1892 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.[2]  Albert joined his older sister Alma at home and by 1900 two more siblings, Lillian and Walter, were added to the family.[3]  In 1901 the last sibling, Elmer, was born.[4]

Sometime between 1900 and 1910 the family moved from Chicago, Illinois to the suburb of Cicero, Illinois.[5]  In 1910 Albert’s occupation is a key fitter for a piano company.[6]   Twenty-two year old Albert married twenty-two year old Adeline Olsen on 12 February 1913.[7]  The age on Albert’s marriage certificate seems to be different from his birth certificate.  It lists his birth year as 1891 yet his birth certificate says 1892. I believe his birth certificate to be right.  Albert’s WWI draft card lists that he married and his address is 21 E. Van Buren St., Chicago, Illinois, however that address is crossed out and 3046 S. 48th Court, Cicero, Illinois is written in as his address.[8]   He is working as painter for a Harry Bloom in Chicago.[9]  Albert’s physical characteristics are listed as medium height, slender build, grey-blue eyes, and dark brown hair, and he is not bald.[10]  

On 5 August 1918 Albert left the Port of New York on the ship Aquitania with his fellow troops of Battery E 316th field Artillery 81st Division.[11]  “The 81st Infantry Division “Wildcats” was organized as a National Division of the United States Army in August 1917 during World War I at Camp Jackson, South Carolina. The division was originally organized with a small cadre of Regular Army officers, while the soldiers were predominantly Selective Service men drawn from the southeastern United States. After organizing and finishing training, the 81st Division deployed to Europe, arriving on the Western Front in August 1918. Elements of the 81st Division first saw limited action by defending the St. Dié sector in September and early October. After relief of mission, the 81st Division was attached to the American First Army in preparation for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In the last days of World War I, the 81st Division attacked a portion of the German Army‘s defensive line on 9 November 1918, and remained engaged in combat operations until the Armistice with Germany at 1100 hours on 11 November 1918. After the cessation of hostilities, the 81st Division remained in France until May 1919; after which the division was shipped back to the United States and inactivated on 11 June 1919.”[12]  By the account of this article, it looks like Albert may have seen some action.  Albert departed Brest, France on 28 May 1919 aboard the Minnesota, and arrived back in the United States on 9 June 1919.[13] 

In 1920 Albert is living with his parents, brothers and sister in Cicero, Illinois, and his marital status is listed as single.[14]  He is working as a house painter in 1920.[15]  I can’t seem to find out what happened to Adeline.  In 1942 Albert is living in Chicago, Illinois and works for Wiebolts Dry Goods Co. at Milwaukee and Paulina in Chicago.[16]  Albert passed away on 26 April 1952 at 59 years, 8 months, and 21 days.[17]  He is buried in Bethania Cemetery with his mother, father, and brother.[18]  I can find no evidence that Albert remarried or had any children.

Copyright © 2019 Gail Grunst

____________________________________________________________

[1] Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.  Original data:  “Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009. Illinois. Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922. Illinois Department of Public Health. Division of Vital Records, Springfield.  “Illinois. Cook County Birth Registers, 1871–1915.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah. Illinois. Cook County Birth Registers, 1871–1915. Illinois Department of Public Health. Division of Vital Records, Springfield.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 10, Cook, Illinois; Page: 17; Enumeration District: 0288; FHL microfilm: 1240256.  Source Information
Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.
[4] Year: 1910; Census Place: Cicero, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_238; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 1539; FHL microfilm: 1374251
Source Information:  Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.  Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data:  “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Illinois Department of Public Health records. “Marriage Records, 1871–present.” Division of Vital Records, Springfield, Illinois.
[8] Registration State: Illinois; Registration County: Cook; Roll: 1452380; Draft Board: 01.  Source Information:  Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.  Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 377.  Source Information:  Ancestry.com. U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
[12] From Wikipedia Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/81st_Infantry_Division_(United_States)
[13] The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 204.  Source Information:  Ancestry.com. U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
[14] Year: 1920; Census Place: Cicero, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625_359; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 54.  Source Information:  Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323 (Chicago City).
[15] Ibid.
[16] The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration), for The State of Illinois; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M2097.  Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.  Original data:  United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147. National Archives and Records Administration.
[17] Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.  Original data: Cook County Clerk. Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records. Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago, IL: Cook County Clerk, 2008.
[18] 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.