52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 7 Prompt - Favourite Discovery

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 7

Prompt – Favourite Discovery

It is my Grandmother McLaughlin's oral history.

I can't remember when I fist saw it or read it. I do know that it was the beginning of my passion for family history. This oral history was done in response to my grandmother's nephew letter asking about Krikau family history. 

Circa 1978 - Mary McLaughlin

Grandmother McLaughlin (Maria Katherina Krikau) also known as Mary, was the third child of seven. She was born in Warenburg, Volga Valley, Russia in 1903. She was about 8 years of age when they immigrated to Canada. 

Circa 1930 - John and Mary (nee Bell) Krikau

Mary's second youngest sibling was Johannes Krikau (John). He was born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan in 1913. John married a Maria Bell in 1933 in Riverdale, Illinois. They had three children. The oldest one was John Richard Krikau whom was born in 1935. John Richard was the person writing to Mary wanting Krikau family history. 

1999 - John Richard & Barbara Krikau With Grandchildren

It is a typed two page letter. At the bottom of the letter my sister, Bonnie writes this. “This info was a verbal / oral history taken by Bonnie Cuthbertson in 1987 in listening to Mary McLaughlin telling her story with clarification from Fred Ready (her long time boarder).”

Again I thank my sister for the foresight to write and keep a copy for us. I like to lovingly call it Grandma's Dear John letter.

"DEAR JOHN,

IN REGARD TO YOUR LETTER: WE CAME TO RUSSIA IN THE TIME OF CATHERlNE THE GREAT, FROM SAXONY, GERMANY, SO WE ARE SAXONS.

THEN WE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY. WE LANDED IN NEW YORK IN SEPTEMBER OF 1911. THEN WE CAME TO CANADA IN OCTOBER OF THAT SAME YEAR.

WE WENT TO ROSTHERN, SASKATCHEWAN AND STAYED THERE FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS. THIS WAS WHERE YOUR FATHER WAS BORN. HE WAS ALSO BAPTIZED THERE IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH. YES WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LUTHERAN

EVER SINCE MARTIN LUTHER BROKE AWAY FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

AFTER OUR STAY IN ROSTHERN WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO CALIFORNIA, BUT WERE STOPPED IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA AS GRANDPA DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE HEAD TAX FOR THE EIGHT OF US. THE REASON WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO CALIFORNIA WAS A YOUNG STOWAWAY ON THE BOAT THAT BROUGHT US FROM RUSSIA WAS REDEEMED BY GRAMPA AND HE REPAYED GRAMPA BY SENDING HIM TICKETS FOR US TO GO TO CALIFORNIA. GRAMPA DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF AN HUNDRED DOLLARS A HEAD FOR US TO GO TO THE STATES.  AS A RESULT WE SPENT THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS IN WINNIPEG.

TO GET BACK TO HOW WE GOT TO RUSSIA. WHEN WE CAME TO RUSSIA. WE SETTLED IN THE VOLGA VALLEY IN A PLACE CALLED WARENBURGH, ACROSS THE RIVER FROM SARATOFF, WHICH WAS A MAIN CITY THERE. GRANDPA WAS A MILLER BY TRADE. WE HAD A BIG WINDMILL IN RUSSIA AND WE ALSO HAD A BEAUTIFUL BIG ORCHARD THERE. WE CAME FROM A PLACE CALLED WITTENBURGH IN SAXONY, WHERE LUTHER WAS BORN.

WE SPENT OUR TIME IN WINNIPEG UNTIL 1924. THEN THE FAMILY MOVED TO THE U.S.A. AND I STAYED BECAUSE I MARRIED AND MOVED WITH MY HUSBAND TO SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN AND I HAVE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE THAT TIME.

THE REASON GRANDPA CAME TO ROSTHERN WHEN WE LEFT RUSSIA WAS WE HAVE OUR COUSINS HERE, THE KRIKAU'S OF ROSTHERN. THEY USE TO WRITE US IN RUSSIA OF THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES HERE. IT WAS THESE LETTERS ALONG WITH THE IDEA OF A FREE COUNTRY THAT BROUGHT FATHER OUT HERE. IT TURNED OUT THAT HE DID NOT LIKE FARMING AND SO WE LEFT ROSTHERN.

YOUR GRANDMA'S NAME WAS MARIA KRAFT, AND GRANDPA'S MOTHER WAS A DEARING (IT IS NOT SPELLED RIGHT, BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT SOUNDS). YOUR GREAT GRANDMA LIVED TO BE 81 AND DIED OF STARVATION BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION. GREAT GRANDMA KRAFT DIED OF CANCER OF THE BREAST.

YOUR GRANDPA WAS NOT A PACIFIST. ALSO HE WAS NOT A DOUKABOUR AS THEY WERE RUSSIAN PEOPLE. WE ARE SAXONY GERMAN PEOPLE. 

THE HOUSE THAT GRANDPA BUILT IN ROSTHERN IS STILL STANDING THERE AS WELL AS THE CHURCH THAT YOUR FATHER WAS BAPTIZED IN.

I HOPE THIS INFORMATION HELPS YOU TO UNDERSTAND MORE OF THE FAMILY BACKGROUND. IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS I WILL BE PLEASED TO ANWSER THEM AS BEST AS I CAN. “

My Aunt and Uncle McLaughlin put me in touch with this John that had asked my grandmother about the Krikau history. In February of 2007 I wrote a letter introducing myself to John. I told him I was also in search of my Krikau story. To my surprise he emailed back about the work he and his cousins paid for and the research that they had. Even more surprising is that he shared this work with me. It was incredible. John Krikau and family's research traced the Krikau line back to 1723. At the time it was amazing to me that there was information that could be gotten that far back in my family.

My grandmother's letter to her nephew was the start of my passion in genealogy. However I wanted more than the facts; I also wanted the stories behind those facts not unlike my grandmother's letter. 

Wendy