52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 45 Prompt - Colourful

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 45

Prompt – Colourful

My Heritage added to it's website the ability to take our photographs and have them enhanced, colourized and animated or some combination of the three edits. I have played with this for the past few years. I do not like the “animate” edit. It takes still portrait and allows the head to turn slowly from one side to the other. It really creeps me out. Enhanced has been very helpful for most of my old photographs. It really takes the old photographs and clears them up, removes wrinkle lines etc, The colourizing is pretty cool. Most of my photographs that I have done this to is quite nice. However I do realize that the original photograph is always the best for genealogy. I will give examples of my colourizing efforts in some of my photographs. 

 

 1918 Photo of Bill's Great-Grandparents, Grandma and Great Aunts.

Lt to Right: The Bachmann Family

Dorothea, August, Ida (Bill's grandmother),Wilhelmina and in front in white dress is Carolina. 

August and Wilhelmina are Bill's great-grandparents.

 

Colourized Photograph of Bachmann Family.

1944 - Jahnke Family

Back Row: Clara (Bill's Mother), Herb, and Elsie

Seated: Arthur and Ida Jahnke (Bill's Grandparents).

1940's - My paternal grandparents.

1935 circa: My maternal great-grandparents. Andreas and Maria Krikau.

 

My Parents on Their Wedding Day. 

Jake and Vivian Peters

November 1938.

 Wendy

 

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 44 Prompt - Granduncle

 2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 44

Prompt - Granduncle

I don't believe that I have ever met this granduncle. Andreas Krikau is my maternal Grandmother McLaughlin's older brother.  I recall my grandmother speaking of him.  However I do not have any specific stories.  This is his story that I pieced together using documents, passenger lists, my grandmother's photographs, Canadian and American census records, border crossing records, city directories and his United States Naturalization Papers.  

Andreas (Andrew / Andy) Krikau Jr.
10 Mar 1901 – Aug 1968

Andreas Krikau is the oldest child of Andreas and Maria (nee Kraft) Krikau.  He was born March 10, 1901 in Warenburg, Samara Province, Volga Valley, Russia. His birth date is mentioned in the 1916 and 1921 Canada Census and the 1930 & 1940 U. S. Census. His birth date is also written up in his US Illinois Federal Naturalization papers filed on July 12, 1939. The Michigan marriage index has him born "about 1901". His 1924 border crossing from Winnipeg to Detroit at 22 years of age has his birth as "about 1902". Andreas' September, 1923 record of Aliens pre-examined in Canada for the U.S. states his birth date as "about 1901". The Krikau Parochial Certificate from Warenburg, Russia lists his birth date as March 10, 1901. This is the most accurate account of his date and place of birth. His name was listed as Andrew Krikau on all of his American and Canadian documents.
Andreas was 10 years old when he and his family left Russia. They immigrated to Canada under the sponsorship of Phillip Krikau, a cousin of Andreas Krikau Sr. Their destination was Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada. The sailed from Libau to New York aboard the ship, Birma. They went through Ellis Island before taking the train on to Saskatchewan, Canada. According to the Ellis Island document the address in Rosthern was Box 111, Rosthern, Saskatchewan.
On 29 August 1913 Andreas and family attempted entry to the US with the intended destination of Sanger, CA. where they were joining "friend" Jacob Smith. The family was denied entry by American authorities upon examination in Winnipeg. Documentation shows that while tickets to Sanger had been paid for by Smith, Andreas did not have sufficient cash to satisfy US requirements. They stayed in Winnipeg after that.
Andreas Jr. was the first of the family to go to the United States, entering the United States in April 1924. According to the crossing his occupation was auto mechanic. He was single. He was joining an Uncle ? in Detroit, Michigan who lived on 6069 Widewood Ave. Detroit, Michigan. In this particular crossing documentation it indicates that his home was Rosthern, Saskatchewan and his father's address was also Rosthern. However the 1916 &1921 Census has the Krikau family including Andrew Krikau Jr. living at 107 Eaton Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
In his Petition for Naturalization it states that he entered the United States for the purpose of permanent residence on September 15, 1923 at Noyes, Minnesota from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.
On September 15, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan he married Tillie Clara Ellen Trudell.
In a 1926 U.S. City Directory we have Andrew Krikau Jr living at 814 Pearl, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. His recorded occupation at this time is "salesman". His spouse is Clara Krikau.

Ca. 1932 - Tillie and Andy Krikau

The 1930 US Federal Census lists him as living in Riverdale, Cook, Illinois, USA in a rented home at 13831 Edgebrook Avenue. We learn from this census that he is a white Russian-born male who was first married at the age of 24 and is still married to the same spouse. They have 3 children; Clara, Andrew, and John. He never attended school but can read and write. His language was German. He did not own a radio set. His occupation was automobile mechanic working in a garage and he was employed at the time of the census. He had also filed his first papers for naturalization.

 

Ca. 1932 - Maria, Clara (daughter of Tillie and Andy), Tillie and Andy, Andreas Krikau Sr.

On July 12, 1939 he received his naturalization.
In the 1940 United States Federal Census, Andreas Krikau is a white male Russian-born head of the house in 14706 Spaulding, Dolton Cook Illinois where he was also living in 1935. The house was rented and he pays 23 dollars monthly. He is naturalized citizen. He did not attend a school or college but has attained Grade 4 education. He worked as a auto mechanic in a private work site earning 1536 in 1939 where he worked a total of 40 weeks that year. He now has 4 children and the fourth child is Richard. Incidentally the transcription for his last name in this US census is "Krikav".
On September 28 1953, Andreas Krikau was remarried to Rose J Cairo at Cook County, Illinois. I have no records of a divorce from Tillie. I do not have a photograph of Rose and Andy Krikau.
In a US City directory of 1955 Andreas and Rose Krikau reside in Orlando, Florida, USA. His
occupation is still mechanic.
On 5 August 1968 he died in Orange, Florida, USA.

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 43 Prompt - Lost Contact

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 43

Prompt – Lost Contact

My mother's brother was Wallace Alvin McLaughlin who was born May 5, 1927. My mother was 5 years older than her brother. They were never close to each other. In fact I would say that they were indifferent to each other. My mother married when she was 16 years old and Uncle Wally was only 11years old. 

Vivian Sullivan and Brother Wally Sullivan ca. 1933

Uncle Wally went to university and got his Civil Engineering degree. Uncle Wally and Aunt Phyllis married in 1950. They had 5 children over the years. They lived in many different places within Saskatchewan, Illinois, California, Brazil and eventually settled in Waterloo, Ontario. I feel because of this we rarely visited with them. As a child I remember maybe two times that they came to visit us in Saskatoon. As cousins we really had very little in common. None the less they were our aunt and uncle and cousins. Uncle Wally and Aunt Phyllis did visit Bill and me and the kids while we lived in Regina. I think about 1987. Their mother, my grandmother, Mary McLaughlin died on August 1,1989. They came for the funeral where once again we reconnected. 

The next time I heard from them was when my cousin, Debbie contacted me in fall of 2000. She was organizing a Golden Anniversary party for her parents and had invited me and my siblings to come out to Waterloo to celebrate. Unfortunately none of us was able to make the trip.

Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Wally wintered in Arizona every year. In 2006 we travelled down to Casa Grande to visit them. This was my sister Betty and her husband John, my sister Bonnie and myself. We actually had a pretty good time together. I told them about my beginning work on our family tree and asked Uncle Wally if he could add any stories of him and our mother when they were kids. There were a few but in the end he said he really didn't remember much about that time with his sister. Fair enough.

April 2006 - Uncle Wally and Aunt Phyllis

 

April 2007 - Bonnie, Betty, Aunt Phyllis, Wendy and Uncle Wally

After this Aunt Phyllis and I shared some letters back and forth. Maybe one or two during a year. She would let me know how they were getting on and about her kids. She kept me in the loop when Uncle Wally needed his heart bypass surgery. And when they discovered he had lung cancer. Then a few years later in July 2009 she called me to tell me that Uncle Wally had passed away. It was a two and 1/2 hour conversation about his illness, decline and death. She felt the health system let him down by not allowing him to take radiation or chemotherapy or operate on the tumours. I listened and she poured her heart out about everything.

Shortly after that she sent me a parcel that she boxed up for me which was all grandma McLaughlin's photos, documents and certificates that Uncle Wally had. She said since I was doing genealogy that some of the things might be of interest to me. Other wise she would just throw them out. Oh goodness me the items were birth certificates, marriage certificates, naturalization papers, a letter about grandma's second husband being a “foundling” and other equally impressive family heirlooms. 

My Grandmother's Documents, Bound Leather Books and Envelope with Letters

 Over the next few years Aunt Phyllis and I had a few phone chats which were never less than an hour or two. I always wrote notes on the conversation and then sat afterwards writing it out. She did eventually tell me family things that I had not heard before but long suspected. He was really my half-uncle. None the less over the next decade our phone chats were less and less. She developed macular degeneration and couldn't write or read very well. Eventually she moved closer to her daughter, Debbie who could assist her. I did not have Debbie's address or phone number so I really lost contact with them. After a decade I started looking for her obituary in newspaper.com. And for many years I did not find one. Oddly enough as I was preparing for this blog I thought of how I had lost contact with Aunt Phyllis. I checked one more time and found her obituary. I was saddened by this but deep down knew she must be gone. 

The sadder part was that in the obituary she mentioned that she was predeceased by her eldest daughter, Dawn (born 1952). I definitely was not expecting this. I have spent the past few days checking on line for an obituary for Dawn. I only found a possible grave site in Ontario which had no birth date or death date on it and thus can't verify it. I did track down another person's family tree that included Dawn and all that was written was 2021. That is all I know for now. Since Aunt Phyllis died November 10, 2021 she must have died just before in that year. I wonder if it was related to COVID? I will continue to look into it.

Sadly I lost contact with my aunt who had given me so many family insights over the past 20 years or so.

Wendy

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 42 Prompt - Family Gatherings

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 42

Prompt – Family Gathering

This past summer while visiting in Saskatoon, my sister, Bonnie invited us to a barbecue at their home. She said she would invite her kids so they could catch up with their Aunt Wendy and Uncle Bill. It had been sometime since we have been together with their kids. Sounded like a great idea.

Bonnie and Doug have four children. Murray (b.1981), Matthew (b.1983), Lynn (b.1987) and Michael (b.1989). Her three sons live in Saskatoon however her daughter, Lynn lives in New Zealand with her husband and two children. I knew that Lynn and her family would not be at the barbecue. It would have been so much fun to add another 4 family members to this gathering. Sadly we  missed you Lynn, Steve and kids.

August 2024 - Cuthbertson Family Barbecue

 Lt to Rt Around the table: Doug and Bonnie Cuthbertson, Marie-Louise M.(Michael's significant other), Erin Lindsay C. and  Matthew C., Julian C (Michael's son) ., Michael C., Vanessa L and Murray C., Wendy H. 

I was surprised that Bonnie had two tables set up in the dining room for a sit-down supper. This brought back all the memories of our Peters family gatherings in mom and dad's small home. And by small I mean 900 square feet, 3 bedroom and 1 bathroom. It was usually at Christmastime. 7 kids and their spouses, 5 or so grandchildren depending on the year, mom, dad, grandmother and sometimes her border. So many conversations at the same time. It was happy chaos. I look back at those gatherings as a happy time.

At the barbecue there was 11 of us sitting together, passing the food around the table. It was listening to conversations. Bonnie and Doug's sons and their significant others were full on adults. Our conversations were enlightening, fascinating and it was such a wonderful gathering with them all together. I was catching up on their lives. And I guess vice versa for them. Although goodness only knows what young adults would find interesting in their 70 year old aunt and uncle. Bill was so happy that he had a few of them interested in seeing the Tesla. He even took them for a short ride. It made his day. 

December 25, 2023 - The Cuthbertson Family

Lt to Rt

Back Row: Erin Lindsay C, Emily M., Matthew C., Vanessa L, Murray C., Steve M., Doug C., Michael C., Marie-Louise M.,

Front Row: Bonnie C., Jonathan (Jonty) M., Julian C., Lynn M.  

Please forgive me if I have misspelled any names. 

Family gatherings come in many sizes and shapes, some happy and some not so happy. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays and funerals are some of the family gatherings I think back on. It is during these times that we reunite with our old selves and reconcile them with our present self. And pray that we can have one more gathering in the near future. 

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Weeks 40 & 41 Prompt - Least and Most

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 40 & 41

Prompt – Least and Most

Lately I have been looking at my Ancestry DNA results. I still do not fully understand some of the results I have. Or maybe, more specifically, I do not understand DNA. According to my DNA results I have 6 ancestral regions. They are as follows. 

63% of my DNA is from the Germanic European Region. Although I am told this could range from 48 to 70%. It is a region from the Dutch and German Lowlands along the North Sea through to the forested uplands to the Austrian Alps. The people in this region are primarily located in: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland. But also can be found in Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovenia.

Of the 63% DNA from the Germanic European Region,  I received 38% from my father and 25% from my mother side of my family tree. 

I always thought there would be some Irish in my DNA.   After all my mother's biological father was apparently Irish whose parents immigrated from Ireland.  I understand that this still could be possible seeing how random DNA is passed down from your parents.  50% from your father and 50% from your mother. The 50% from my mother could mean that I inherited everything except her Irish DNA.  

The totals that I received from each parent are as follows.

Of the England and Northwestern European region my mother contributed 17 % of the 19% DNA from that region. My mother contributed nothing from the Sweden region however my entire 6% came from my paternal side.  Similarly, I received all 6% of Scotland from my mother's side and nothing from my father's side for Scotland. The 4% from Central and Eastern European region came from my father. The 2% of my DNA from The Netherlands came from my father's side and nothing from my mother's side. Mennonites were thought to have originated from The Netherlands - Anabaptist. 

When you put this all together it does seem to match some of my research of my ancestors.  So I guess that I am going in the right direction in my family tree's ancestors. 

Wendy

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 39 Prompt - In The Newspaper

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 39

Prompt – In the Newspaper

Elmer Elvin Hack Ca. 1960

 Elmer Elvin Hack is Bill's maternal first cousin. Elmer Hack was born on 22 Nov 1943 in Melville, Saskatchewan. On 30 Aug 1970 he married Joyce Louise West. They were married at Peace Garden Chapel, International Peace Gardens, Manitoba.

They had two daughters; Tiffany Louise Hack born in 1975 in Brandon, Manitoba, Tamelyn Joy Hack born in 1979 in San Benardino, California.

Unfortunately Elmer Hack died young on 28 Mar 1982 in Palm Springs, California at the age of 38. The family was told he died in a motorcycle accident.

I was looking for his obituary in my newspaper database to complete his information on his family tree. I was looking specifically for the date of his death and where and when he was buried. I came across this article.

Printed on 29 Mar 1982 in The Desert Sun on Page 2.  

I never expected to come across the article describing his accident. I am pretty sure that Bill and his parents did not know of the circumstances of the accident. Elmer Hack was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I never did find a newspaper obituary however Bill's mother did have the funeral card bulletin that her sister (Elmer's mother) sent to her for her keepsakes. I was able to scan it into my genealogy photographs and thus able to complete Elmer Hack's death and burial dates on his family tree. 

 

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 38 Prompt - Census

2024

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 38

Prompt – Census

The seventh Canadian Census was taken on 1 Jun 1931. This was released to the public on 1 Jun 2023.

Census is taken every 10 years. Most censuses contain questions about location, family members, names, sex, age, marital status, relation to head, religion, education, occupation, country or province of birth of the individual and their parents. In the 1931 Census additional questions such as did they have a radio was added. Since this was taken during the depression questions about unemployment, periods of unemployment and cause of unemployment.

I have just started to look at this census for my genealogy family. I chose the results of the 1931 Canada Census for Elizabeth (sic) and Frank Peters. My paternal grandparents.

1931 Canada Census for Frank Peters and Household

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As censuses go this was recorded neatly and is quite legible. All of the information is transcribed by some group of people that do their best to put the right information in typed format. Often this information can be wrong or missing. Therefore I have learned to cross reference the transcribed information with the original image. 

  \

 Frank (not listed as Franz) Peters is a 65 year old married male who is head of his household. His nationality is Canadian. He was born in Manitoba, Canada. His racial origin is German. The place of birth for his parents and Elisabeth Peters' parents is listed as Russia. The parents had lived in Chortitza Mennonite Colonies in South Russia. Frank Peters birthday is estimated as 1866. Frank gives his age to the recorder as 65 and since this was taken in 1931, simple math makes birth year as 1866. Frank Peters was born in 1876. Frank then goes on to say his immigration year was 1871. First of all he never immigrated from Russia since he was born one year after his family immigrated to Manitoba, Canada in 1876. His parents and older siblings immigrated in 1875. The next question was when was he naturalized. He answered 1900. I would think since he was born in Canada there was no need to naturalize.

Frank Peters tells the census taker that he and his family's religion is Lutheran. I'm a bit confused about this since they came from a Mennonite town and background. The family story is that Frank Peters was upset when the Mennonite Colony split. Half the colony decided to move to Mexico. Those that did go took all of the money leaving the remaining families (Frank and Elisabeth Peters) broke and poor.

In the 1926 Prairie Provinces Census we know that his family lives in Rosthern. In the 1931 he is now located in Saskatoon. His address is 240 3^rd Street. Frank Peters' obituary stated that he lived in the city of Saskatoon for 23 years. He died in April 1952 meaning he probably moved into the city in 1929. The census states he rents a single home made of wood with 4 rooms for 12 dollars per month.

We then note that Frank can speak English but not French however German is their primary language. When asked if he could read and write he answered he could write (in any language) but not read in English.

According to this census he worked as a labourer on road construction. I did not know this before the census. He earned 150.00 salary in the past 12 months. He also was at work on “Monday, June 1, 1931” - a very specific question asked of all employed persons in this census year. Frank Peters was unemployed 36 weeks in the past year and the cause was “no job”.

If we look at the transcribed information it states that he earned 550.00 in the past year. Also he was not at work on 1 Jun 1931. Also he was only unemployed for 3 weeks of the last year and apparently 31 weeks was due to no job. I do not know where these numbers were transcribed from and further they do not make any sense. 

This is just one example how careful one should look over their sources. The 1931 Canada Census is the primary source and not the transcribed information.  The census is only as reliable as the head of the household reported to the census taker's questions.  

Wendy