52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 31 Prompt - Brother

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 31

Prompt – Brother

My maternal grandmother, Mary McLaughlin; nee Krikau had 2 sisters and 7 brothers. Her youngest sibling was her brother, Wilhelm Krikau. 

After my Uncle Wally who was Grandmother McLaughlin's last surviving child died I received a box of documents, pictures and papers from Aunt Phyllis (Uncle Wally's wife). Aunt Phyllis said she had no need for them and was considering throwing them away until I coincidentally contacted her regarding family genealogy. I was ecstatic that she sent them my way. That box contained some of my family's oldest documents along with many incidental pictures and random papers. It was a treasure trove to me. 

In that box I found an envelope. In my grandmother's handwriting is written; “ My brother's grave no. In Winnipeg Man.” 

Inside the envelope was this; 

I received this in 2009 just as I was beginning to put together my family tree. I didn't think much about it until years later when I realized that there was no Krikau brother in my family tree named Wilhelm Krikau. The clues on the note said it was “baby” Krikau who was buried May 20, 1918. On Ancestry the only hit closest to the above information was this;

I have seen this variation of this last name; that is Krikan instead of Krikau. The first name matched. The city matched. The death was several months before the May 20, 1918 burial. It was probably a match. I decided to dig a little deeper and looked on the Government of Manitoba Vital Statistics website.

The information was again quite vague but I noted his age as 4 months and not 4 years.

The obvious next step was to order the death certificate from Manitoba Vital Statistics. For $12.00 I received the genealogical copy and it filled in many blanks and gave more detail.

Wilhelm died at home of lobar pneumonia at 4 months and 7 days of age. It said the contributing factor was indigestion. I would have thought it was related to the pandemic flu of the time. The address was 613 Talbot Avenue Winnipeg. They listed his birth date as 25 October 1917. The Medical Certificate states his doctor knew him from February 15, 1918 to March 1, 1918. Wilhelm died March 2, 1918 at 5 A.M. The undertaker from Brookside Cemetery stated the date of burial or “removal” was March 2^nd.

Knowing the date of death I have to believe that his interment was March 20 and not May 20 as I interpreted and assumed it was.

When I look up the Brookside Cemetery and search for Wilhelm Krikau and various spellings I can't find him.

However I know from Grandmother's document that he is buried at Brookside Cemetery in Section 74 at Lot 167.

Someday when I get to Winnipeg, I will visit Brookside and see where Wilhelm Krikau is buried.

Wendy