52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 26 Prompt - Middle

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 26

Prompt – Middle

Middle names!  Most of us knew we should run for our lives when a parent yelled out our first, second and last name in one breath.  It was never good. 

My father had no middle name; he was Jacob Peters.   As I worked on my Mennonite family tree I soon saw a pattern emerge in their names.  The men and sometimes the women would all have the same initial as a middle name.  I have not found a specific legal document that includes the middle initial of the Mennonites. The middle initial is usually the first letter of their mother's maiden name.  It was an easy way of distinguishing which person we were actually talking about.  The given names were often those of their fathers in the case of the first born son or uncles in subsequent boys.   It was pretty easy to see how a common name such as Jacob Peters needed some identifier. In this example it does not show a "D" next to his name.

The Initial "D" for Dueck as Middle Name for  Peters Family

Middle names were an invention added at the end of the middle ages.   Children were given a “baptism name” along with their given and last name.  Today it would be rare to see a newborn babe who did not have a middle name.   Middle names now are more of personal fancy.

Then there are those individuals who use their middle name as their primary name.  My mother's legal name was Lydia Vivian Peters.   She went by Vivian or Viv.  My sister, Mary Elizabeth Peters is known by her nickname Betty.   My sister's four children use their middle name as their primary name.  I could not tell you what their first names are – well I could if I went to my family tree.  I'm sure that they are plagued with name problems throughout their lives.  Which name do they use to fill out paperwork?   I suppose, the more official the paperwork, the more likely the real first name would be used.  However for the less official paperwork the middle name is probably used as their primary. This surely must cause some kind of identity crisis when receiving mail and bills.  How about when someone asks what their name is?  Then there is the whole passport / airline tickets and that the names do not match and you can't fly.  First day of school was where we usually found out that our school chums had a different name when called by a teacher in roll call.

Using the middle name as your first name has put me off track in many of my genealogy quests.  But similarly, unusual middle name has helped me figure out if the hint I am focusing on could be for the person I am working on.   For example my maternal grandfather, my notorious brick wall, my bigamist grandfather has the most unusual middle name – Windsworth or Wentworth.

Bill's maternal 2nd Great Grandfather was known to the family as August Bachmann.  I believe his real name given him in Germany where he was born was actually Friedrich Wilhelm August Bachmann.  As of yet I have not found any legal documents where August Bachmann listed this full name. More than likely after he immigrated, he dropped all of the first names. 

Bill's Maternal 2nd Great Grandfather; Friedrich Wilhelm August Bachmann

Now this Bachmann Family takes first and middle names to a whole new level!

August Bachmann's Parents

The firstborn son is Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Bachmann after his father.  The next two boys who died in childhood has some combination of their father's name.  The last 3 boys have Heinrich dropped from their first names but continue with Friedrich Wilhelm Carl or Emil or August which are the names that they go by. 

 I am not sure that all the names make it an easy identifier.

Middle names can be good, bad or just indifferent to a genealogist searching for the right ancestor.  I never discount them.

Wendy

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 25 Prompt - Unexpected

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 25

Prompt – Unexpected

I was going through my genealogy scanned photos looking at photos of dad.  It was father's day!  I came upon these pictures and smiled knowing what I did about these photos.  Twelve years ago I wrote the story that belonged to these photos.  Sometimes the most unexpected things happen which make the saddest of times, so happy.  My father was a man of very few words.  It is his actions that spoke volumes to me in this story.

The Story of Jake Peters and Baby Jackie.  

January 14, 2008

I found these two photographs when I was organizing my genealogy files.  These two photographs were tucked into my father's memorial card from his funeral in September of 1983.  As unusual as that sounds there is a story that goes along with these photographs.  These photos were taken the week after our youngest daughter, Jackie, was born.  She would have been 6 or 7 days old.  They were taken in our Regina home on Seymour Crescent.

At this time mom was not speaking to me.  I am not really sure why.  However, I can guess that it was because my mother-in-law, Clara, was with me for the first few days after Jackie was born.  Jackie was almost two weeks overdue.  I had some blood pressure issues and was ordered by my doctor to go on bed rest.   Now how is that possible with a very active 26 month old child – Jill .  Mom could not make it because she was working at this time.   However Clara could come and help me.  I believe this is why my mother was so mad at me.

Clara was such a huge help.  She cooked meals and baked.  She washed my floors and vacuumed the whole house. She cleaned the bathrooms and did my laundry.  She was with us for 10 days and incredibly I did not have the baby yet.  Clara had to go back to Saskatoon to take care of her husband and daughter (Tony and Norma).

Of course it was shortly after she left that I went into labor and had Jackie on March 8, 1981.  While I was still in the hospital and in those days they kept you in for about 5 days, Clara came back to help Bill at home with Jill.  She stayed for a week after I got home from the hospital to get us settled.  In that time she potty trained Jill.  She was a wonder women who worked above and beyond her pay grade.

My mother was upset and wouldn't talk to me because as she said; it was her “right” to be there for me – her daughter!

Anyway dad wanted to see his newest granddaughter despite how mom felt.   My mom and dad lived in Saskatoon and as I said before we lived in Regina.  Dad was no fool; he knew you were either on mom's side in arguments or you caught hell and paid for it later.  So dad waited for mom to go to work the next Saturday morning and then drove down to Regina by himself to see Jackie.  He was only there for a couple of hours because he had to get home before mom did.  His plan worked.  He saw Jackie and mom never knew that dad saw her first before her!!  And as far as I know mom never ever found out.  It was dad and my secret forever.

We took photos.  When I developed them I took them out of the packet of pictures and tucked them away in a drawer.

Dad loved kids. He had seven of his own. He loved nothing better than having a baby on his lap. This did not make him feel uncomfortable in the least.

Looking at the photo of him I feel he is less bald than I remember he was.  His button up shirts, sweater vest and polyester pants was the way he dressed.  Look at his crooked left brow.   He wore trendy glasses.  I often see dad's resemblance in my brother Don's appearance.

I see my darling ten pound baby wrapped up in her blanket asleep on grandpa's lap.   Dad could always quiet a baby; he was the “baby whisperer”.  This picture was taken at the kitchen table.

The second picture is of Jill coyly smiling cuddled up next to grandpa in his chair.  She loved getting next to grandpa and dad loved having her snuggle in.

It was a beautiful day.   Dad defied his wife, all be it, without her knowledge.  He came to give me a hug and see his granddaughters

These pictures will always play this story in my head. 

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 24 Prompt - Handed Down

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 24

Prompt – Handed Down

In the past I have posted the story of the special china cup and saucer that my grandmother McLaughlin gave me and that I had to return it because she thought I took it from her without her permission.  This is what I think of when I think of things being handed down.

In August of 2010, I received a parcel from my Aunt Phyllis.  She was married to my Uncle Wally. Uncle Wally was Grandma McLaughlin's third child.  

1987 -Wendy, Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Wally, Jill and Jackie

He was born May 5, 1927 in Calgary, Alberta.  Shortly after he was born, Wallace, my mother, Vivian, and Grandmother moved back to Saskatoon.  My mother(Vivian) was 5 years older than Uncle Wally and the two never got along.  Uncle Wally received his degree in engineering from University of Saskatchewan,  He got his doctorate in Engineering in Purdue University and then moved to Ontario in 1961.  He taught at the University of Waterloo Engineering until 1992.   He also was the Waterloo University Dean of Engineering from 1974 to 1982.  They had 5 children, my cousins. I believe I may have seen them twice in my life.  We were not close to them physically and thus we never got to know this side of the family.

My mother, Vivian predeceased her mother (Grandma Mary McLaughlin).  Grandma predeceased her son Uncle Wally.  When grandmother died, Uncle Wally and Aunt Phyllis came to Saskatoon from Ontario to take care of grandma's estate.  There were many things that were packed up and taken back to Ontario.  Sadly some of those things were promised to various Peters Grandchildren who never seen them again.

Uncle Wally died of cancer on July 5, 2009 in the Kincardine Hospital.

Before Uncle Wally died I had the chance to correspond via mail several times about any family history he knew.  He really had very few stories about his family.

After he died I maintained contact with Aunt Phyllis who over the next several years shared many stories, good and bad, on Uncle Wally and my mother's family.  However more importantly she had a small box of grandma's photos and “Krikau old stuff” and wondered if I would want them because no one in Ontario wanted them.  If I didn't want them they would probably throw them out.   Well of course I wanted them.

When the parcel arrived I could hardly believe the treasure trove of “things” in that small parcel.

It had two small leather bound books that were books given to grandma McLaughlin on her confirmation in 1917.  They were written in German.  One had an inscription inside of it; “From Mother and Father Krikau on my confirmation. April 1917 at Holy Cross Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba.”  There was original certificates for Uncle Wally's Baptism, Mary and Bob Sullivan Wedding Certificate from 1921, and Mary and Benjamin's Wedding Certificate from 1932.  These were the fancy church ones.  They were scrolled up into tight tubes for protection. 

Rolled Tubes with Various Certificates and Leather Confirmation Books

There was a reproduction on photograph paper of a Parochialfchein. This is family information that the Russian church pastor wrote out for those immigrating families and sent along with the family to present to the minister in their new country as a means of introduction and that they were in "good Christian standing" in the church.  Dated in 1911 from Privalnoje Russia.  On the back of this is written; “Mary this is your birth certificate from the Old Country. Henry” 

Grandma's McKague Funeral Home booklet was included.  Inside there was several loose papers such as; a letter dated from June 10, 1977 of grandmother's wish to be buried with her second husband, Benjamin McLaughlin.  There was a church bulletin of Vivian Peters Funeral, a newspaper clipping of Mary's Obituary, and the church bulletin from Grandma McLaughlin's funeral..

There was also a legal size envelope, fan folded manila colored wallet tied together with ribbon. Inside the wallet was 8 pockets with various papers. 

The 1st pocket held Grandma McLaughlin's Certificate of Death.

The 2nd pocket had an envelope named “Naturalization Papers and Passport” dated June 7, 1929.

Mary Sullivan Naturalization Certificate

The 3rd pocket had her original will dated October 4, 1960. 

The 4th pocket had a legal size envelope with “ Krakau-Sullivan-Papers scrolled on the outside.  The papers included "A Certificate of Changed Name" dated August 19, 1957. Also in this same pocket is an official letter; “Declaration To Be Made By Person Whose Birth is Desired to Be Registered:”. Benjamin McLaughlin was a foundling baby and he needed to fill out this paperwork to get an official birth date – this paper work was dated June 8, 1939. The Krikau-Sullivan papers had to do with Uncle Wally making his last name officially McLaughlin which he thought was officially done while Ben McLaughlin was alive, but it wasn't .

The 5th pocket was a Province of Saskatchewan Death Certificate for Mary McLaughlin; also a memorial card for G. Fred Krikau (her brother); and an obituary for Vivian Peters.

The 6th pocket was empty- what was missing I wondered and still am wondering!!

The 7th pocket had a small envelope and written on the outside is “My Brother's Grave No. In Winnipeg, Man.”  This was Willhelm Krikau which at that time I did not know about.   Inside was an official paper from the Winnipeg cemetery.

Also in this pocket there was a Certificate of Registration for Grandmother's middle child who was born Sept 28, 1924 that was dated Oct 27, 1924.

The 8th pocket had grandma's Inspection Card for Maria Krikau. It was the card given to each traveler who landed at Ellis Island in New York. Date was October 3, 1911. 

The box was filled with many many family photos.  Most were photographs that we had given grandma of our own growing families.  Some I had never seen before such as two Black and White photos of Mary and Pat, her first husband.  A photo of Pat's car and I didn't know he had one.  A photo of Grandma with my mother Vivian as an infant.  A 1933 photo of Wally and Vivian, two photos of Vivian at confirmation in 1937.  A shopping photo of grandmother Mary and her mother. The portrait picture of Andreas and Maria Krikau (my great-grandparents). I recall this one sitting on my grandmother's dresser in her bedroom.  A wedding portrait of Benjamin and Mary McLaughlin. Many small photographs of Ben and Mary during their married life.  Several photos of her brothers and sisters and their families.   A few 4 generation photos of Great Grandmother Krikau, Grandmother McLaughlin, Vivian and Betty.

Pat Sullivan's Car

Mary Sullivan Holding Infant Vivian; 1922

Mary McLaughlin Shopping With Mother Maria Krikau; 1940

Back Lt to Rt: Vivian Peters, Mary McLaughlin. Front Row Lt to Rt Betty Peters and Maria Krikau; 1951

 I only vaguely knew about some of this information and now I have the documents to prove these events happened.  Some of it I never knew about like the existence of her baby brother born in Winnipeg or for that matter that my grandmother had a second child who died at 3 months of age.

This “stuff” as Aunt Phyllis called it, was handed down to me.  I feel it was more of me being at the right place at the right time.  I shudder to think that they may have thrown any of these century old papers of my ancestors out in the garbage.  If you are in possession of such significant papers and don't want them; please don't throw them away – find that family member who loves genealogy.

Wendy

  I only vaguely knew about some of this information, but now I have the documents to prove these events. Some of it I never knew about like her the existence of her baby brother born in Winnipeg or for that matter that my grandmother had a second child' who died at 3 months of age.

This “stuff” as Aunt Phyllis called it, was handed down to me. I feel it was more of me being at the right place at the right time. I shudder to think that they may have thrown any of these century old papers of my ancestors out in the garbage. If you are in possession of such significant papers and don't want them; please don't throw them away – find that family member who loves genealogy.

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 23 Prompt - Wedding

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 23

Prompt – Wedding

I interviewed Bill's mother, Clara Hoffart, on March 16, 2008 and again in August 28, 2017.  I was trying to piece together Clara and Tony's story and in particular how they met, their courtship and their wedding.

She sets the scene.

Tony's first job was pumping gas at the "Katepwa Service Station".  Katepwa is about 95 kilometers NE of Regina. 

For some time after his first job he worked on a very large farm run by the Novak Family which was south of Regina.  He helped with their harvest.

In the fall of 1944 or 1945 Tony and 3 buddies went to St Catharine's, Ontario to do some factory work.  Clara did not know the specifics of his type of work.  She did know that he really hated it because the job was so repetitive. 

Tony and 3 Buddies somewhere in Ontario. Tony is 2nd From The Left

Sometime after his factory work he returned to Regina and worked as an apprentice in Litz Electric Shop owned by Clara's cousin, Art Jahnke (not her father). Thus Tony knew a Jahnke before he met Clara Jahnke.  In the fall of 1945 Tony came to Killaly to work at Zaleski's Garage. 

Adam Zaleski opened a combined garage, dealership for Ford and Massey Ferguson.  Mr. Zaleski heard about Tony and offered him a job.

Clara said she met him at a dance.  I asked her whether she knew of him before the dance. She laughed and said; "you saw Killaly, if someone new came into town everyone knew!"

Killaly had dances most every Saturday night. There would be no dances from November 25 till Christmas and no dances during lent. Clara said the bands were four to five piece orchestras. Some were local and others were from afar.

Clara said, Tony and her relationship was on again and off again over the next 6 years. In fact she gave her ring back to Tony once.

Religion played a big part in this tension.   Clara was Lutheran and Tony was Catholic or as Clara said a "staunch Catholic" and Tony's family were “devout Catholics”. 

Plans for their wedding were begun and at least one big decision had to be made and that was where to have their wedding.  

Clara was told since she was not Catholic they could not marry at the altar of the Catholic Church but Priest Schneider said he could marry them in the narthex.  For those who may not know, a narthex is the entrance way or lobby space just before the entrance to a church.  After that comment, Clara did not want to marry in the Catholic Church and in fact she refused to be married there.  However if Tony got married in a Lutheran Church, he would be excommunicated and in the end he was.  Clara said at that point she knew that Tony was serious about their relationship when he was willing to part from the Catholic church and thus his family.

They set the date for October 6, 1952 in the Killaly St.John's Lutheran Church. 

Tony's parents, Rochus and Marian Hoffart and his siblings and family were not happy about the wedding being held in the Lutheran church.  In fact months after the wedding, Clara was told by her wedding singer who was a Catholic what the priest said in the Catholic church service the day before their wedding.  Priest Schneider announced in church that "it would be a 'mortal sin' to attend that wedding".   As a result most of Tony's family did not come to the wedding ceremony however some did come to the party afterwards.  Sadly, Tony's parents, and his oldest sister, husband and family were not their for either ceremony or party.

Further Clara remembers that this also affected the choice of their orchestra that her parents wanted for the wedding dance.  That orchestra refused to play for them.  One of the band members was a cousin of the Zaletski Garage workers.  Mrs Zaletski did not approve of this Catholic - Lutheran union and forbade them to play at the wedding.

Reverend Riekert was the Lutheran pastor who married them.

The wedding did go forward and no one died in its wake.  However Tony's relationship with his parents and some siblings would never be the same. 

 

As I mentioned before, the wedding was on October 6, 1952 which was a Monday.   I asked Clara why they chose to get married on a Monday.

Clara said that Tony was working in Saskatoon already and had to work until Saturday evening.  The drive to Killaly was quite far from Saskatoon.  Besides if the wedding was on Saturday, the party after the wedding would end right at midnight because it would be Sunday and liquor laws were strictly enforced at that time.

According to the newspaper write up, their wedding dance was attended by about 400 people.  That is one heck of a lot of guests. Tony and Clara met on the dance floor and started their married life dancing. 

Tony and Clara Leading to The First Dance.

Wendy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week 22. Prompt - Uncertainty

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 22

Prompt – Uncertain

The prompts for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks are made before the beginning of the year.  I find it eerily coincidental that this is a prompt in the midst of COVID-19.  Uncertainty is up there with other new catch phrases such as; unprecedented times and new normal.  I have noticed how this uncertainty is straining family and friends.

In isolation, surrounded by a mountain of uncertainty about the future, I find myself being more absorbed and comforted with my laptop and the genealogy in it.  It has a purpose.  It has easily achieved outcomes and a sense of satisfaction upon completion..  However it is also so easy to become unfocused or maybe it is undisciplined in the direction I want to go.  At times I feel like I am bouncing around like a pinball – that is reacting to pieces of information that I found that had nothing to do with whom I was searching for.  It is during these times that I become somewhat overwhelmed with my family tree.  I am uncertain where to go next and what to work on. 

So in total randomness I have chosen a great uncle of Bill's to investigate.  Frederick Hoffarth.  This is the oldest sibling of Bill's paternal grandfather – Rochus Hoffart.  Their parents were Jacob and Eva Hoffart who immigrated to Canada from Malcoci, Romania in 1914.  Within the 10 siblings in the family their last name takes on different spellings.   Hoffarth, Hoffort, and Hoffart.  I guess when you start over in a new country you can change your name quite easily.  Thus when I see a “Hoffarth” in my tree I am pretty sure that Frederick was the progenitor of that version of the name.

Frederick was born September 27, 1886 in Malcoci, Romania.  He married his wife, Rosa A. Melle on September 11, 1911 in Malcoci.  They immigrated to Canada arriving in Quebec on May 11, 1913. They joined their families in Bergfield, Saskatchewan.  Frederick took out a homestead.  They started their new life on this farm working hard and starting a family.

For reasons unknown to me, Frederick decided to move to Outlook, Montana from Bergfield, Saskatchewan.  The border crossing card states that they crossed over on June 15, 1923.  Frederick, Rosa, and their 5 children, Barbara, Roy, Mary, Cecilia and Louis started over as farmers in Outlook,Montana. 

On June 24, 1924, Frederick filed his “Declaration of Intention” for naturalization in the state of Montana of the United States.  Although I do not have the paperwork, I presume he was naturalized. His physical description, according to the Montana Naturalization Paper, is described as 'White' in color, Complexion Dark, 5 Foot 10 Inches, 210 Pounds, Brown Hair and Eyes.

Frederick and Rosa went on to have more children.  According to Rosa's Obituary she had two sets of triplets. My information only shows one set of twins. Elizabeth and Frank are the twins born in 1924, Jacob was born in 1925 and Evelyn born in 1929.

Unfortunately, Frederick Hoffarth died in June, 1936 – just a few months shy of his 50^th birthday.  His wife Rosa lived on to 1985 dying at 91 years of age.  Frederick and Rosa had at least 10 children, but probably more.   Her obituary said she 44 grandchildren, 82 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

That is a wonderful legacy for Frederick and Rosa Hoffarth. 

Wendy