52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 9 Prompt - Multiple

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 9

Prompt – Multiple

 I find and use multiple sources for my ancestors in my tree.  However sometimes that can be more of an hindrance than help.  In the case of my maternal great grandmother, Maria Krikau, I have found several sources that were listed on Ancestry.com.  Ancestry often includes the image with the transcription of the record.  More than once I have to peruse the actual image to make out what is actually written and not what was transcribed by another person.   Although it could be transcribed correctly but the recorder of the event wrote down what he heard which does not translate to correct information or spelling.

I have included partial transcriptions from some of Maria Krikau's sources below.

Her name is Maria Katherine Krikau; nee: Kraft.  In the first 3 sources below she is transcribed as Maria Krikan.  I have blogged about this before and that is the written “u” looks very much like a “n”. By 1916 she is going by Marie and not the more formal Maria.  The 1921 Canadian Census transcribes her name as Mary Krikow and in the 1930 U.S. Census, she is Mary Krikaw.  The Naturalization source seems to have the most accurate information.   In the sources like Find a Grave and in her obituary she is listed as Maria Krikau Hartwig.  It was not until I first laid eyes on her obituary (60 years after the fact) that I knew she had remarried after Andreas Krikau died.

Maria Krikau seems to have a complicated nationality / race history.   To be fair, they were Germans living in Russia.  Her nationality is listed as German, Austrian, and Russian.  Her race is Russian.  In the two U.S. Census her race is listed as “white”.   Her “mother tongue” is listed as Russian.  This is an assumption one could make seeing how her birth place is Russia.  In fact her mother tongue would be German as listed in the 1930 US census.  As for speaking English, she could speak English in the 1916 Census and couldn't speak English in the 1921 Census.  In the 1930 Census she can speak English. Interestingly, the 1940 US Census the question of ability to speak English is not included.

The question of schooling is interesting too. In the 1916 and 1921 Canadian Census and 1930 US Census, she is able to read and write. I am sure that she could in her German language.  In the 1930 and 1940 Census it says she did not attend school.  But then the 1940 Census goes on to say that her highest grade completed is Grade 8 in elementary school.   How does that work?

Maria Krikau Hartwig's birth date is somewhat inconsistent as well.  In most of the sources it asks for a estimate of birth year.  It is listed as 1879 or 1880.  Her naturalization papers list her correct birth date as August 27, 1879.  It was not until this past week while working on sourcing Maria Krikau's birth date that I noticed the discrepancy of her birth dates.  In both her obituary and Find a Grave her birth date is listed as August 27, 1878 ! 

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

Maria Krikan

Birth Year--------------1879

New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

Maria Krikan

Birth Date----------------1879

Ethnicity/ Nationality----German

U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1825-1960 (1913)

Maria Krikan

1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

Marie Krikan

Birth Year---------------------------1880

Racial or Tribal Origin------------Russian

Nationality--------------------------Austrian

Can Speak English-----------------Yes

Can Speak French------------------No

Mother Tongue----------------------Russian

Can Read-----------------------------Yes

Can Write-----------------------------Yes

  

1921 Census of Canada

Mary Krikow

Racial or Tribal Origin------------------Russian

Nationality--------------------------------Russia

Birth Year---------------------------------1880

Birth Place--------------------------------North Russia

Can Speak English?----------------------No

Can Speak French?-----------------------No

Other Language---------------------------Russian

Can Read?---------------------------------Yes

Can Write?---------------------------------Yes

 

1930 United States Federal Census 

 

Mary Krikaw

Birth Year-------------------------------1880

Race-------------------------------------White

Birthplace-------------------------------Russia

Attended School-----------------------No

Able to Read and Write---------------Yes

Language Spoken----------------------German

Able to Speak English-----------------Yes 

 

1940 United States Federal Census

Mary Krikan

Estimated Birth Year------------------1880

Birthplace-------------------------------Russia

Race-------------------------------------White

Attended School or College----------No

Highest Grade Completed------------Elementary school, 8th grade 

 

Illinois, Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991

 

Maria Krikau

Birth Date---------------------------------27 Aug 1879

Birth Place-------------------------------Privalnoje, Russia 

 

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Name--------------------------------Maria Krikau Hartwig

Birth Date---------------------------27 Aug 1878

Birth Place--------------------------Russia

Death Date--------------------------21 Jul 1953

Obituary of Maria Krikau Hartwig

Multiple sources are recommended for our ancestors in our trees.  In the case of my great grandmother, Maria Krikau, that involves multiple interpretations of her events and the facts that lay within them. 

 

Wendy