52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 24 Prompt - Hard Times

2024 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 

Week 24 

Prompt – Hard Times 

Rochus Hoffart and Marianna Gross are Bill's paternal grandparents. 

Oct. 29, 1934 - Rochus and Marianna Hoffart

Rochus Hoffart was born August 14, 1891 in Malcoci, Tulcea District, Romania. He immigrated to Canada when he was 24 years old. We do not know when he left Romania but we do know that he arrived in St. John, New Brunswick on February 11, 1914. Rochus travelled to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland aboard the ship called Cassandra. The ship departed from Glasgow on January 31, 1914. He then travelled by train to Estevan, Saskatchewan where he met his family. His parents, Jacob and Eva Hoffart immigrated to Canada in the spring of 1913. Apparently Rochus and his two sibling had contracted Measles and could not board the ship at the time his parents and family left. 

Marion Gross was born on July 2, 1892 in Emmental, Tighina, Romania. Her parents were Peter and Barbara Gross. She immigrated from Libau, Russia and arrived in Canada aboard the ship, Dwinsk on April 7, 1914. Marion was 21 when she came to Canada. She came alone without any family. On the ship's list manifest she stated that she was going to work as a domestic for her brother on his farm in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Marion had two sisters and one brother. The brother did not immigrate to Canada until 1948! 

This marriage took place just a few months after Marianna arrived. They married on July 22, 1914. It may have been an arranged marriage but I am not sure on this point. 

During the early years of their marriage there was much movement back and forth across the U.S. Border and North Dakota or Montana. Rochus was not sure about farming because of the many failed farms he saw upon his arrival. He found work in Brown, North Dakota working for the railroad building roundhouses. 

Between 1917 and 1918 there was a compulsory WWI draft registration in the United States. Rochus filled his out on June 5, 1917. Rochus had served his compulsory 3 years in the Romanian Army plus 5 years in the militia. It is surmised that shortly after this time when the war in Romania was imminent that Rochus decided to immigrate to Canada. The family said that after filling out the U.S. Draft card he decided to move to Canada permanently. 

Two years later on June 7, 1919 that Rochus filled out his application for his homestead in Saskatchewan. On June 24, 1919 Rochus and family crossed the border at Big Muddy Crossing to take up residence in Canada. 

He homesteaded in Saskatchewan around Big Muddy Lake (NE 27-2-21- W2) . He gave up this homestead because part of this land was in the lake. In 1929 he got his second homestead (NW 34-2-21- W2). It was further north and according to the family, mostly arable. 

Rochus and Marion had eight children; Eva, Peter, Jacob, Barbara, Anton (Bill's father), John, Regina and Henry. Eva and Peter were born in the United States. 

1951 - Rochus and Marianna Hoffart and Adult Children

 

In 2017 Bill and I met with his first cousin once removed – John Hoffart. He lived in Regina and had been working on Hoffart family genealogy. Through meetings and further emails we slowly got some family stories we never heard about. John was the one who told us the story of Rochus' two homesteads and the reason why he took a second one. 

In 2015 John Hoffart visited Rochus and Marion's only living child – Regina (Reg). It was Reg who filled him in on how they ended up on a farm in Neudorf, Saskatchewan. Reg told John that the drought on the homestead was so bad in in the early 1930's that their cattle were dying due to lack of feed. Rochus sent out his two sons, Peter and Anton to search for good pasture lands and winter feed for the cattle. They searched in The Qu'Applle Valley. They found a farm that they could rent just 5 miles south of Neudorf, Saskatchewan. Reg remembers that she was 10 years old when they moved to that farm. That means 1937. 

Six years later in 1943 Marion experienced health problems and the family moved to Regina and purchased a house at 2325 Cornwall Street. And in 1947 they moved to 2118 Halifax Avenue. In Regina, Rochus was employed by the city and worked building new cement sidewalks and repairing old ones when needed. 

Marion Hoffart died on Dec 3, 1957 in Regina, Saskatchewan at the age of 65. 

Easter 1959 - Bill, Grandpa Rochus and Elaine Hoffart

Rochus Hoffart remarried on April 2, 1960 in Regina. His new wife was Agatha Margaret Miller. 

Circa 1962 - Agatha, Elaine, Bill and Rochus Hoffart

Agatha Hoffart died on November 5, 1966 in Regina at the age of 76. Rochus was now twice widowed. He died on April 8, 1970 in Regina, Saskatchewan at the age of 80. 

This history of Bill's paternal grandparents is not unlike all of our other family immigrants. They all worked hard to live in the new country called Canada. Was the hardship of starting over worth it? Rochus Hoffart was leaving because of the imminent outbreak of war in Romania. Then less than  4 years later he left the United States because of their draft registration to WWI and its imminent outbreak of war. 

Wendy