Week 38 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Unusual Source

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 38

Prompt – Unusual Source

I have found interesting information from cemetery documentation. This is especially the case of those infants who were stillborn or died in infancy.

I discovered that my grandmother, Mary McLaughlin had a child who died in infancy, I wanted to find out where he was buried. As it turns out he was buried at the same place as Mary which was Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon. I stopped by the cemetery office to find out where he was buried. I knew when he died and that his last name was Sullivan. The office found his site and more. They photocopied his City of Saskatoon Interment Order and The Funeral Director's Burial report. 

Burial Report For George Windsworth Sullivan in Woodlawn Cemetery

The burial report gave me his full name – George Windsworth Sullivan. I learned that he died January 8 1924 of “sposinophillia – 2months, Influenza and Convulsions for 10 days.” I have not found out what sposinophillia is but if I was to guess it would be something to do with spasms which could mean convulsions perhaps like seizures. George died at 3 months, 11 days of age. His father was listed as Patrick W. Sullivan living at Colonial Apartments. George was buried the day after he died.  His grave number was 4470 and he had a marked grave with a flat stone marker with 4470 on it.

Interment Report For George Windsworth Sullivan

The Interment Order gave me pretty much the same information. It says he died of “influenza – convulsions.” His father was listed as P. Sullivan living at Colonial Apartments and his occupation was cook. It cost $11.00 to bury him. 

George Windsworth Sullivan Flat Stone Marker For Grave Site.

In the case of mom and dad's two children stillborn, I was also given a copy of their Interment Order. Benjamin Peters was a stillborn born May 20, 1939 at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon. Jake Peters is listed as the father and his occupation was laborer. Their address was listed as 512 Ave K. S. In Saskatoon. That address is Mary McLaughlin's (mother in law of Jake Peters) and I wondered if at the time they were living with her. The cost for this interment was $3.00. Benjamin was buried in and Children's area without any marker in place.

Interment Order for Benjamin Peters

On September 20, 1960, Vivian and Jake Peters had another stillborn child. Once again I was able to receive copies of The Interment Order and Burial Report for this babe. 

He was listed as an Unnamed Peters. I do know that in mom's bible he is named Mark. This babe was born at St. Paul's Hospital and the Doctor was Dr. Brand. He died of “asphyxia (anoxia)”. His age is listed as S.B. Which stands for stillborn. Jake Peters was listed as father living at 442 Witney Avenue in Saskatoon and employed by Intercontinental Packer's Ltd. The babe was buried September 23, 1960 and dad was charged $3.00. Mark was buried in the Infant's area notably for stillborn children.  It was a mass grave site. 

Mass Grave Site in Woodlawn Where Mark Peters Would Be Buried

I learn that there was a service in the chapel at 4 pm by Pastor Guebert on September 22, 1960.  And the casket went to the cemetery (by ourselves – meaning funeral home) for burial on September 23, 1960. 

I remember this service. I was 6 years old. My grandmother, Mary McLaughlin, would not allow me to look into the casket.  As the family walked past she covered my eyes with her hand and pushing me onward with her other.  I was confused and for many years to come I assumed it was a monster who was in that casket.   

Interment Order for Unnamed Peters (Mark)

I'm not sure this is the most unusual source for information, but sadly I learned more by having these documents than just being told my mother had two stillborns and Grandma Mary McLaughlin had an infant that died.  

 Wendy

Week 37 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Birthday Closest To Yours

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 37

Prompt – Birthday Closest To Yours

My children's birthday filled me with dread every year. The planning, the themes, the special event, the cake, the friend invites and goodie bags were all overwhelming. The pressure to get it right and be a success was pretty high.

Growing up I can not remember many parties that I had. I vaguely remember a shared birthday party with my brother Don. His birthday, April 8, was two weeks after mine. We got to invite a few friends. We played games such as the one where you go around chairs with one less chair than the number of kids and when the music stopped everyone had to take a seat and the one left standing was out. It was played until there was one winner. I can still visualize the chaos, excitement and laughing that went on during this game. I'm not sure who won but it wasn't me. Our shared birthday cake had pennies baked into it. A huge thing at the time. That was before we were worried about germs.  It was considered lucky to get a penny in your cake piece. I think in its hay day many kids swallowed pennies. Besides all that getting presents was pretty cool too.

Several reasons come to mind when I ponder why we didn't have parties. Firstly it was costly for my parents who could barely make ends meet. Secondly my mom worked outside of the home. Not many mothers worked in the 1960's. Thirdly I had six siblings and that made a party all by itself. In fact every meal was a party! 

Wendy and Her Father's Shared Birthday Cake. Wendy's 6th Birthday

What I do remember is sharing a birthday cake with my father. His birthday was 3 days after mine on March 28^th. I liked it. It was that one little thing that I got to share with my dad and no one else could. It was very special. My quiet father did not like a fuss to be made over him. Although we shared the cake, it was put in front of me to blow out the candles. 

Some 20 years ago my first grandchild, Alanna, was born just 3 days before my birthday on March 22^nd. What a coincidence that our birthdays are also 3 days apart. Several of our family parties have been shared but Alanna has had her own special day as well. On those shared birthdays I would rather it be just about Alanna because just like my father I am not so keen on all the fuss. I hope that one day she can look back with fond memories of a shared birthday in the same way that I look back on my father and my shared birthday. 

2002 Alanna's 4th Birthday Sharing With Grandma

2017 Alanna's 19th Birthday, Sharing With Grandma

Wendy

Week 36 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Work

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 36

Prompt - Work

Isn't he handsome? I believe this picture is from his U. S. Naturalization Declaration of Intention papers which he signed in April of 1932. That would have made him about 53 years of age.

Mary Krikau, my grandmother and his daughter left us an oral history which was kept. Originally she was responding to her nephew's request for more family information. It was 1987 when my sister took and recorded this from grandmother in order that it may be typed up and sent to her nephew. Thank goodness she kept a copy. Thanks Bonnie. 

He was a miller!?  I am wondering if the windmill was to power the mill?  As I understand it, a mill is a building that has the equipment to grind hard grains into flour.

The Volga Germans farmed their new land with winter hardy wheat. Milling in the 1860's became the fasted growing industry of the Volga German area. Almost every village had a mill of some kind. Saratov was home to the largest steam driven mill in Russia in 1870.

I have to wonder if Andreas had some farming experience as well. His cousin Philip Krikau was established in Rosthern, Saskatchewan and wrote to Andreas.

However as grandmother said, her father, Andreas did not like farming. In fact we realize through family stories and other sources that he was doing carpentry work in Rosthern. Probably he did both.

There is a family story of why Andreas and family left Rosthern besides his dislike for farming. The cousin who sponsored them, Philip Krikau married a Catherine Kinzel. The Rosthern Kinzel family had hired Andreas to build two houses for them in Rosthern. I wonder if this is his first time building a home or had he experience in Russia that made family ask him to build a home?  Upon completion it is said that the Kinzel family never paid Andreas. Or as it was told to us “he was swindled out his money.”

In June of 2009 I connected with Charles Krikau of Rosthern. He is the grandson of the Philip Krikau who sponsored Andreas and family. Charles took us to meet his aunt Esther - a daughter of Philip Krikau. Esther had memories of Andreas and family and Mary. She did mention that she did not see Vivian (my mom) at the farm very often. “She was angry and did her own thing. We accepted her as she was. That was who she was!” But I digress!

After a bit I finally asked Esther and Charles about the home - building / swindle story we had been told. Together they didn't know whose homes they were specifically, but thought that “it could have some merit.”

Thus in anger Andreas and family left Rosthern and was headed to California. From a previous blog you might remember they were joining a gentlemen who Andreas had saved in God's name (redeemed him), and sent Andreas passenger fare to join him in Sangar, California. This was 1913 and they were turned away because he did not have the money to pay the whole family head tax of a $100.00 per person. Upon being turned back at the border they settled in Winnipeg.

The 1916 Canada Census states that Andreas is “a laborer doing odd jobs.” The next Canada Census was done 1n 1921. Andreas and family is living at 609 Herbert Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba and listed as a carpenter who earned $1600.00 that year and worked through the year without being unemployed.

The family left Winnipeg in 1924 to move to the States. My grandmother did not join them as she was married already and stayed behind. I found a 1926 City Directory for Oshkosh, Wisconsin where Andreas Krikau and family was living. The 1926 City Directory lists him as an employee of a lumber company. 

The 1930 U.S. Census lists him as a carpenter for a steel mill. That kind of helps me figure out a newspaper article from mom's scrapbook. There is no description of when or where the article was printed. I do think it was a local work newspaper. It says he has just completed 15 years of service in a “machine shop”. However I still believe he worked as a carpenter in this particular place.

We know that according to the 1926 City Directory he was living in Wisconsin. However the 1928 City Directory lists him as renting in Chicago and employed as a carpenter. According to John Krikau, the grandson of Andreas who lived in Chicago, he stated in his letter to me that the family lived in Chicago since 1926. Thus with some simple math, the newspaper article was probably printed about 1941. The occasion of a trip to Canada could have been to visit his new granddaughter, Betty who was born and baptized in the spring of 1941. 

The 1940 U.S. Census lists 60 year old Andreas Krikau as a carpenter of a local Steel Company and he worked full time earning about $1950.00 the previous year.

By all accounts Andreas was a carpenter. I want to know if the homes in Rosthern are still standing. I have a vague recollection from somewhere that I can't put my finger on at this moment that he built his own Chicago home. Is it still standing?

I am not sure of where he learned his trade of carpentry. Did he do carpentry work in Russia? Did his father teach him? Or was it in his nature to be handy and a natural woodworker?

Wendy

Week 35 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Back To School

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 35

Prompt - Back To School

Vivian and Jake Peters

My father is reading instructions on how to put together a new piece of furniture.  As simplistic as it seems, a picture like this has always told me a story of Jake Peters that many people did not know. My father was illiterate. On his attestation papers, it is written that Jake left his public school at the age of 16 in 1932 with a grade 4 level. In his post war papers he was assessed as a grade two level schooling. Jake had enough school to know how to  write his name and read the most basic of words and do arithmetic.

Part of Jake Peters Attestation Papers

Let's look into the history of Mennonites and Education that could possibly shed light on dad's education.

My great grandfather, David Peters & his wife, Katharina Mueller immigrated to Canada in 1874 along with about 4000 (some sources say 7000) other Mennonites. In 1870 Russia announced its plan for Russification by 1880. This included taking away their exemption from military service, but even a bigger issue was that their schools had to be taught in Russian. Mennonites tie their German language to their culture. This assimilation was not tolerated and thus they emigrated to Canada who promised them the privilege to teach their children in their German language and in their own schools.
David and Katharina settled in the West Reserve of Manitoba often considered to be “Old Colony”. Old Colony referred to the first settlers of Russia in 1789 and the settlement was called Chortitza Mennonite Colony.  In 1803 a new wave of Prussians emigrated to Russia and became known as the Molotschna Settlement. In these times the Old Colony was considered poorer, less educated and more conservative than the new settlement. The old colonists were concerned about preservation of their culture through language, education, self governance, mutual aid and the layout of their villages. Dealing with the world outside of their settlement was rarely allowed. Within 20 years land in their Manitoba settlement became scarcer and the old colony looked for land in the Hague – Osler Area where the government had just set aside land for the Mennonites. Once again the old colony was on the move to set up a conservative Mennonite Settlement. According to GRANDMA online David Peters helped organize the village of Blumenthal having arrived there in 1898. His son, my grandfather Franz Peters was 22 years old. Franz married Elisabeth Dueck in Blumenthal in 1902.

The conservative settlements set up its schools as soon as they were established. All boys from the ages of 6 to 13 and girls 6 to 12 were required to attend the school from October to seeding time in the spring. Their teachers were usually from the village and had no training other than attending school. The books that they were taught from was a primer, the catechism, the old and new testament. They were taught the basics of arithmetic, reading and writing in German.

 

 Some examples of the types of books used in the Old Colony Schools.
 Quite possible the type that my great grandfather, David Peters and his son Franz Peters (my grandfather) would have been schooled in.



 
 












There was however a small group of “progressive Mennonites” in the Hague / Osler area who wanted their children to attend the English public schools to get a better education. The Old Colony did not approve and as a result those who did send their children to the public schools were excommunicated and their business shunned by the Old Colony Mennonites. The progressive Mennonites requested the help of the Saskatchewan government which set up a Royal Commission on the matter and was held in Warman in December, 1908. Nothing really became of it and this disappointed the excommunicated who had hoped to force the old colony to stop with the excommunications and banning of their businesses.

Less than ten years later the subject of private school (Mennonite German Speaking instruction) vs public school (English instruction school) came up again due to the post WWI sentiment. The premier of Saskatchewan forced the issue by banning all German Schools and mandating compulsory enrollment in Provincial Schools. The Old Colony was unhappy and did what it did best and that was to emigrate to Mexico who once again gave the promise of right to educate their own children in their own schools in their own language.

This is the background to which my father, Jake Peters came upon his education. His family did not move to Mexico thus I think they were considered the progressive sect of Mennonites. Jake was able to attend the public school. Due to compulsory attendance he stayed until 16 years, but achieving only grade 4.

According to my sister dad was taken out of school to work on the farm. His father had injured his back and needed the help of his sons.

Dad did what he had to do to survive in an increasingly literate world. I recall the change from a cash based economy to the world of chequing accounts. It was one of the stumbling block of dad. I stood beside him at the grocery store and when it came time to write the cheque he had the cashier fill it in “ because he forgot his glasses at home”. Something that I came to recognize in one of my patients on a nursing ward who asked for help to fill out his menu selections. My co worker belittled him as lazy and I saw it for what I grew up with - literacy difficulty.

Post war dad got three job offers.  A farm start program, Bessborough Hotel Cook and Ham boner at Olympic Meat Packing House.  He decided to try out for a cook at the hotel.  It apparently only lasted one week because he couldn't read the recipes and he would not tell them that he couldn't read.  According to my brother it ended with the chef throwing knives at him because he got the recipe wrong.  Yikes!

Bessborough Hotel

Olympic Meat Plant

He moved on to the meat packing plant (Olympic) where he worked out the rest of his working life.  At one point, he wanted to take on another job within Olympics that required reading recipes.  Apparently he brought the recipes home so mom could read them to him and he could memorize them.   I don't know how that story ends.  By the way he was known as Jack Peters at Olympics. Dad didn't write his name clearly and they read his name as Jack.  Dad never corrected them.

Signature on Attestation Papers.  I can clearly read his name.

Dad did attempt to go back to school through at home lesson by a tutor. This was after I left home. He was embarrassed and told very few people of this. I'm not sure but I think that lasted only one year.

Maybe my family can help fill in the details of this.

In spite of all of these challenges, I am incredibly proud of my father and all that he did in his life time.

Wendy 

Week 34 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Non Population

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 34

Prompt - Non Population

Census is the backbone of genealogy. They are also known as Population Schedules. However in the United States between the years of 1850 – 1885 additional information was collected and these were called Non Population Schedules. This information was collected for the government that they could see more specifically what resources were needed and where they were needed. Also they looked into the social issues of the day. The 6 types of non population schedules were; Agriculture, Manufacturing / Industry, mortality, slaves, social statistics and the last was Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent (also known as DDD).

The DDD put them into the following headings; insane, idiots, deaf – mutes, blind, paupers & indigent people, homeless children, and prisoners. The information one can gain from this schedule is astounding. However in my case I have not discovered any relatives in these schedules. My maternal side arrived in 1911 and my paternal side arrived in Canada in 1876. Both settled in Canada. My research is unable to find similar non population schedules for Canada. It was only done in USA. Maybe one day I will discover and American extended family member in the schedule.

It occurs to me that just like the DDD Schedule collected information for government to appropriately discover economic need and where best to disperse it, the Mennonites had done this in the latter part of the 17^th century. You may recall my blog on Census (Week 5). I spoke of my 3^rd great grandfather, Aaron Peters born in 1746. In the period between 1772 to 1795 Poland was divided among Austrians, Prussians, and Russians. Most of the Polish Mennonites became Prussians under King Fredrick The Great. The king wanted to know how many Mennonites he now ruled. In this 1785 census to find out the number of Mennonites I found Aaron Peters had a wife and one daughter, and no servants. He owned his own land and was considered low class.

In his compilation of the 1789 Census, A. Goertz explained 1789 census situation as this; “after his ( King Fredrick The Great) death in 1786, his successor and nephew King Frederick William II was not nearly as tolerant as his great uncle. Since the Prussian army was based on the landowners and their resources in manpower and horsepower and since the Mennonites were granted religious freedom and exemption from military service, it became increasingly worrisome to the military that Mennonites kept increasing their land holdings and, thus, would decrease the military land base which was called the canton system. The new king agreed to the suggestion that land holdings of Mennonites be frozen and issued the Edict of 1789 which regulated and limited Mennonite land ownership. Each land acquisition from non-Mennonites was made dependent on a special permit (Consens). A Consens was not necessary for transfer Mennonite-to-Mennonite or if the Mennonite purchaser would relinquish his military exemption Privilegium. Whether Consens was granted or refused depended largely on local government recommendation and on how much land was sold by Mennonites to non-Mennonites. “

In order to track land ownership by Mennonites they had another census in 1789 whereby they needed to know who owned land and how much. I discover that my third great grandfather owns 12 morgen of land. A morgen of land is a unit which varies but is anywhere between 1/2 to 2 1/2 acres.

It occurs to me that this census may have been a non population census in that it was taken to determine how much land Mennonites owned. Thus they could quantify specifically how much the Prussian Army suffered at the hands of Mennonite land ownership. The result was that an edict was made to limit the sale and distribution of new land to the Mennonites. And in that same year my third great grandfather moved to Russia where land was abundant and exemption from military service was promised.

Wendy