52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019 Week 13 Prompt - In The Paper

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
2019
Week 13 
Prompt - In The Paper

I haven't received a daily newspaper since we moved from a house to a downtown condo in Calgary. It was my choice to stop getting them because so many left the house the same way they came in. That is not read. Computers and TV newscasts seem to cover the highlights in the news world. I do not miss getting the paper.

However newspapers are a gold mine to genealogists. At one time you could find birth announcements, wedding announcements, local items of interest, and of course the obituaries. Today obituaries are predominantly the only announcements that one can find in a newspaper.  I find that obituaries provide a wide range of family information or even misinformation

Franz Peters Newspaper Obituary

 In my mother's scrapbook of mementos was the above obituary for my grandfather, Frank (Franz) Peters. He died April 16, 1952 in Saskatoon. I believe it was put in the Saskatoon newspaper but like so many saved paper obits, there is rarely the name of the paper or the date it was published.  I have a problem with the heading “Here since 1907...”  because in an 1901 Canada census Frank was 24 and living with his parents in Hague, NWT Aka; Saskatchewan. Despite the discrepancy the obituary helped me figure out when Frank and his family moved into Saskatoon. 1952 – 23 years in the city means he moved into Saskatoon in 1929 or so. However I have two Voters' Lists from 1935 and 1940 which list Frank as a Farmer in Hague. Again more questions than answers. Frank's obituary also list his last known address in Saskatoon which is more of an item of interest for me. Interestingly it tells me where my aunts and uncles (Frank's siblings) lived in 1952. From that I get an answer to a question from my Bachelor Blog. That was why I had Abe living in Clark's Crossing in 1952. It came from his father's obituary. The obituary also tells me where Frank Peters was buried - had I not known.

The Mennonite Rundschau Newspaper Obituary

Staying with my grandfather, Frank Peters their is another source for his baptism, marriage, death and burial. I found this source listed in GRANDMA ( Genealogical Registry and Database for Mennonite Ancestry) and that is The Mennonite Rundschau (MR) which was the longest running Mennonite German language paper in North America. From June 1880 to January 2007. It was made as a forum for Mennonites to share their life's events with other Mennonites across the provinces, States and indeed Russia and Germany. In GRANDMA it sources his death and burial in the following index stating that Franz Peters - 1876 - 1952 can be found in MR 1952 May 7 - page 11. On a trip to Saskatoon Mennonite Historical Society, I searched for it and found it quite easily and was able to photocopy it. Again it is too bad that I do not know German. One day I will have patience and google help me translate this page.

Newspaper Obituary for Jake Peters

My father, Jake Peters, died September 22, 1983. His obituary is full of information important to me as a genealogist. Firstly I now see where the idea of my bachelor Uncle Abe being listed as dying after 1983. He is listed in dad's obituary as surviving Jake's death. In Jake's obituary we find out where he died and when. The funeral date and place is listed giving the specific address of the church. A complete list of surviving children, spouses, and his siblings and their cities. The obituary lists his 4 1/2 years in service in WWII and his lifelong employment with Intercontinental Packing Ltd. It tells me a story of Jake Peters.

Newspaper Item for Tragic Death of Dennis Jahnke

Bill's little cousin, Dennis Arthur Jahnke died tragically July 7, 1952 at two years of age. Surprisingly in the Killaly newspaper, the above article lists the specific details of his death. I am not sure that this is an obituary as much as it is a news article.

Full Newspaper Page Where W.R.A. Jahnke Was Listed As a Casualty of War

The Enlarged Section of Newspaper Where Casualties Are Listed

Bill's first cousin once removed died in WWII. Walter Robert Albert Jahnke died in a plane accident. In the Lethbridge Herald on September 23, 1942 among many articles of the war, he is listed as dying while on active duty. The information listed is no more than his name, rank, his father and address of father. There is no more information. I can only guess that there is so many casualties daily in WWII that lists is the only way to put them out there. 

While digging a little deeper and just as a matter of closure,  I found the story of Mr. Jahnke's tragic death and the place he was buried in England from the website "Find a Grave".  I had always imagined that his plane was shot down by enemy fire.  But alas he and his crew were on a two hour oil consumption test when the plane went into a 45 degree dive and it crashed. All were killed. 

W.R.A. Jahnke Gravestone in St. Nikolas Churchyard in Rutland, England.

Obituaries are a good source of family information. However remember it is usually distressed family members who author the obituaries and some times it may be just a best guess.  Newspapers are slowly coming on line and for a cost you can access them.  While looking up obituaries in newspaper of years gone by, make sure to read the entire paper as a good fun read.

Wendy