On Sunday, April 15, 2012, I along with my mother, will be embarking on a group tour with Laverne’s Travel. Our destinations include Oklahoma City, Albuqerque, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. We will see a multitude of churches and memorials along the way as well. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and fun journey. I will keep you posted on my journey! Thank you, and happy trails!
On Sunday, April 15, 2012, I along with my mother, will be embarking on a group tour with Laverne’s Travel. Our destinations include Oklahoma City, Albuqerque, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. We will see a multitude of churches and memorials along the way as well. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and fun journey. I will keep you posted on my journey! Thank you, and happy trails!
As most people know, in the state of Minnesota, citizens have reported their ethnic backgrounds as either French, German, Norwegian, Polish, or Swedish. The top three reported ethnic backgrounds ended up as German, Norwegian, and Swedish. While I am not Norwegian or Swedish, I have a German background on both sides of my family. And, while a number of people are concerned about being a combination of Acadian and French-Canadian, it can occur, as it did in my own family history.
I do have a cousin, by the name of Darin Flansburg, that has quite diligently worked on the Flansburg family history that takes us back to Germany. So, I will add more information on that when it becomes available.
As for my mother’s paternal side of the family, it is still quite a mystery. My mother is the youngest for four children, and did not know her paternal grandmother very well. Her paternal grandfather, Albert Erdmann, died before her parents were married, and he remains rather mysterious as well. Earlier in my childhood, my mother stated that her paternal grandmother, Rozalie did not learn to speak English, but was bi-lingual in the German and Ploish languages. My maternal grandfather, Clement Erdman Sr., actually immigrated to the USA from Germany in September/October, 1901. He actually celebrated his second birthday on the ship that they sailed to Ellis Island on. The ship was called the Barbarosa, and it was manufactured in Germany, according to ship manifest records.
As I had previously reported in earlier blogs, my maternal grandfather and his family were from the village of Selgenau, Germany, Prussia. When the Albert Erdmann/Erdman Family arrived in Minnesota, they saved quite a few pictures, but only one document from the journey that they took. Since my maternal grandfather, Clement Erdman Sr. was too young to remember the journey, I did try to ask his older sister, Tress Erdman, about the journey. However, you have to remember that this was back in 1980, and Aunt Tress was in her 80′s, and I was a nosey twelve year old at the time. She just refused to talk about the past. So, unfortunately, I didn’t get very far. I am guilty of looking through their upstairs bedrooms, and found a multitude of prayers books that looked like they were written in the Polish language, and unfortunately, Aunt Tress caught me doing that. She didn’t yell at me though, which is rather ironic. I was the lucky one that got to stay overnight in my great-grandparents house on 22nd Avenue North in Minneapolis, because none of my younger siblings got to do that!:)
Fast forward to 1984, and I am 16 years old at that time. Aunt Tress was paralized from a stroke, and bedridden in a nursing home. Grandpa Clement was living on his own at my grandparents house near the corner of 28th and Knox Avenue North. He received home health care, but was able to cook for himself, as long as someone came to clean the house, bring him Holy Communion, and take him shopping. I finally got gutsy enough to write him a letter, and ask him the questions that I needed to regarding our family history. While his answers turned into a one page story, it was a start in the right direction that we needed. Because, during the month of March, 1984, Aunt Tress passed away, and Grandpa Clement passed away in May, 1984. We were about to find the treasure trove that we needed to do family history research.
The treasures that were found included a multitude of pictures and film, a document written in German, a US citizenship certificate, two address books from the years of 1912 and 1913, a violin, a dress, a broken doll, and several other unidentified pictures that my mother’s oldest brother, Bob decided to keep for himself up until he passed away. He did make copies of the German document, and the US citizenship certificate. However, no one in the family was willing to make an effort to have that German document translated!:( The trunk that my mother received from her oldest brother, sat in her bedroom for nearly twenty years, and it was a huge effort for her to even open it, and go through what was in there. At least she found coins that she could save and redeem. But still, it wasn’t until July, 1999, when I found the ship manifest and passenger list on the Ellis Island web site, and that motivated me enough to log on to GenForum, and start my genealogical research journey.
In the winter and early spring of 2002, I first logged on to do research on the DeRosier/Dupre/Corbett family tree, which is the branch that my paternal grandmother, Monica Flansburg Moran was descended from. Little did I know at the time, that it would intersect with my Dugas/Boisjolie family tree, thanks to the Arsenault/Donais and Arsenault/Dugas branches of my family trees. It wasn’t until the year of 2011, that I would finally make the discovery that not only am I French and French-Canadian, but thanks to my cousins Gerry Hebert and Lloyd Dugas, I would serendipously find out that I was Acadian as well, as I am a descendent of Pierre Arsenault and Marie Guerin, because of my great-great-great-great grandparents, Francois Pichet-Dupre and Marie Donais-Daunais. Marie Donais-Daunais was the daughter of Jean Baptiste Daunais and Archange Arsenault. So yes, that was my first acknowledgement of coming from Acadia.
It was rather nerve wrackimg to even try to start research my maternal grandfather’s family history. My uncle, Bob Erdman, sadly kept trying to tell me that I would be unable to find anything, because most of the records were destroyed during World War Two. Even my own mother tried to sadly discourage me from trying to find anything at all. However, since they could not PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would not be able to find anything at all, I took their bluff on GenForum, and I proved them all wrong!:)
In January, 2004, I took the copy of the German written document, and determined that since it had birthdates of my maternal grandfather, his older siblings, and parents, that I figured that either it was a ship manifest, a passport of some sort, or a marriage license. So, with the help of my younger brother, Matthew Moran, who scanned the document for me, and Robert Theiss, who translated the document for me, it turned out to be a Departure Certificate instead. Here is the entire translation of the said document:
> >
> >Claudette, I have received the document from your brother. First, it’s not a ship manifest at all. It’s an altogether different kind of document, one that was prepared by the local authorities in Selgenau. I can understand why you had such difficulty with it, because it’s written in the pre-1941 German script (and the document is also printed otherwise in the pre-1941 German alphabet). I not only know how to read, but also how to write the old German script. My friends in Germany have always been amused by the fact that I love the old German script. But in my history studies I of course had to know how to read it or I couldn’t have read all the old documents I had to read. But I learned how to write it back when I was in my teens. So I didn’t have to “decipher” the document at all. I simply read it. (In January 1941, Hitler ordered the German alphabet abolished.) I think there could be a rather intriguing story here. But before I go into that, I have to tell you something about life in Germany so that you can put this document into the proper context:
> >
> >In Germany, it has always been a requirement, and still is today, for everyone to be registered with their local police department. In my case, for example, when I got to Munich, I had to register with the police within five days. I lived at three different addresses while I was there, and each time I moved, I had to go to the police and give them my new address. When someone in Germany decides to move from one city or town to another, they have to go to the police in the city or town they’re leaving and tell the police where they’re moving to, they’re issued a Departure Certificate, and then when they get to the new city or town, they have five days to register with the police there. If you don’t register with the police within five days of moving, you’re subject to a fine or a few days in jail. As I said, everyone in Germany has to be registered with the local police, and that’s how it’s always been in Germany. You have to know this about Germany to be able to understand this document.
> >
> >Now to your document: As I said, it is not a ship manifest. You will note the heading: Abzugs-Attest, which is German for Departure Certificate, and that was the document anyone would have needed back at that time in Germany when planning to move from one city or town to another. It had nothing whatsoever to do with emigration. They would get the Departure Certificate from the police in the city or town they were leaving, and they would then present the Certificate to the police in the city or town they were moving to, and that’s how they would register. As mentioned above, in Germany today, people are still issued such Departure Certificates when they plan to move from one city or town to another, but of course today they come out of the computer. Anyway, this is how the document begins (the words in square brackets I have added to make things clearer to you):
> >
> >DEPARTURE CERTIFICATE
> >
> >In accordance with §21 of the Ordinance of June 19, 1837, the below-named person, who has the intention of moving from Selgenau, Administrative District (Kreis) of Kolmar, [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia] to Wulfersdorf [Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia], is hereby issed this Departure Certificate with instructions that upon arrival at the new place of residence, he is to immediately report to the local police authorities and present this Certificate. Failure to do so will result in a fine of from 1 to 15 Marks or a comparable jail sentence.
> >
> >Down in the lower right, you will see that the Departure Certificate was issued in Selgenau on September 13, 1901. In the lower left, the police authorities in Wulfersdorf noted:
> >
> >Registered and de-registered today, September 24, 1901.
> >
> >According to the ship manifest (and I am referring now to the ship manifest), just four days later, on September 28, 1901, their ship left Bremen to take them to America. So they never actually planned to move to Wulfersdorf at all. They registered and de-registered with the police there all on the same day and then left for America! This is what makes this so intriguing. For some reason or other, Albert made up a story for the authorities in Selgenau, claiming that the family was moving to Wulfersdorf, whereas in reality, they were planning to emigrate to America. So it seems to me, Claudette, that for some reason or other, Albert and Rosalia did not want the people in Selgenau to know that they were emigrating to America. That’s the only reason I can think of to explain why they went through the charade of getting this Departure Certificate. When they were packing all their belongings, as far as anyone in Selgenau knew, they were moving to Wulfersdorf in Brandenburg. When they registered and de-registered in Wulfersdorf on September 24, 1901, they of course had to tell the Wulfersdorf police that they were going up to Bremen to sail to America. But for whatever reason, they apparently did not want to tell the Selgenau police that this is what they were actually planning to do. Why they chose Wulfersdorf for their brief stopover on the way to Bremen, is anybody’s guess. Maybe there were relatives in Wulfersdorf. In any event, they obviously did not want the people in Selgenau to know that they were emigrating. You’ve told me that your family has always been so closed-mouthed about their life in Germany, and this now makes me feel, Claudette, that maybe there is some kind of an interesting story there! So your uncle was right about a town “near Berlin”, but the family was only there for a few days!
> >
> >Now to the people listed:
> >
> > 1.. Albert Erdmann tailor born 24 April 1859 in Grabau, Administrative District (Kreis) of Wirsitz, [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia], Catholic, married;
> > 2.. Rosalia Erdmann wife born 15 March 1862 in Zbyschwitz, Administrative District (Kreis) of Kolmar, [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia];
> > 3.. Martha Erdmann daughter born 20 December 1886 in Selgenau, Kreis Kolmar, [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia];
> > 4.. Maria Erdmann daughter born 8 December 1888 in Selgenau, Kreis Kolmar, [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia];
> > 5.. Agatha Erdmann daughter born 26 April 1892 in Selgenau, Kreis Kolmar [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia];
> > 6.. Franz Erdmann son born 20 May 1894 in Selgenau, Kreis Kolmar [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia];
> > 7.. Theresa Erdmann daughter born 7 May 1898 in Selgenau, Kreis Kolmar [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia];
> > 8.. Clemens Erdmann son born 5 October 1899 in Selgenau, Kreis Kolmar [Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia].
> >Just a couple of things: The administrative districts (in German: Kreise) of Kolmar and Wirsitz were adjacent to one another. Kreis Wirsitz bordered Kreis Kolmar on the northeast. Both were located in the northern part of what was until 1918 the Prussian province of Posen. Both bordered the Prussian province of West Prussia on the north.
> >
> >The town where Rosalia was born, Zbyschwitz, was also called Bischwitz, the spelling with the “Z” being slightly more Polish. I told you before that Posen’s capital, the city of Posen, is called in Polish Poznan. I also told you before that Selgenau now has the Polish name Zelgniewo and that Kolmar now has the Polish name Chodziez. Grabau now has the Polish name Grabowno. Wirsitz now has the Polish name Wyrzysk. Zbyschwitz or Bischwitz now has the Polish name Huby (with its German name already having been so Polish, why the Poles decided to call the town Huby, who knows?)
> >
> >As luck would have it, there are two towns in Brandenburg called Wulfersdorf. Unfortunately, the person in Selgenau who prepared the Departure Certificate wrote just the name of the town and did not include the administrative district (Kreis). Your uncle is mistaken about the 20km or 12 miles. Both Wulfersdorfs are a bit further from Berlin than that. One of the Wulfersdorfs is about 70 miles or 115km north-northwest of Berlin, and the other Wulfersdorf is located about 45 miles or 75km southeast of Berlin.
> >
> >So now you have a lot more of the story, Claudette. And it is rather intriguing, don’t you agree? For some reason, Albert and Rosalia did not want to let on to the authorities in Selgenau that they were emigrating.
> >
> >Now that we know for sure that the Erdmann family was from the old Prussian province of Posen, I will send you another e-mail tomorrow and tell you a bit more about Posen. Meanwhile, you can look at the three maps again. Now that you know for sure that the family was from Posen, you can pay more careful attention to just where the province of Posen was located. As I explained, the “Kreise” of Kolmar and Wirsitz were located in the northern part of the province, bordering on the Prussian province of West Prussia. When you look at the first map, the “Kreise” of Kolmar and Wirsitz were located above the letters “IA” at the end of the word “PRUSSIA”.
> >
> >http://www.rootsweb.com/~wggerman/map/germanempire.htm
> >
> >http://www.rootsweb.com/~wggerman/map/germany1920.htm
> >
> >http://www.rootsweb.com/~wggerman/state.htm
> >
> >
> >Robert
>Here is the history regarding the countries of Prussia, Germany, and Poland, along with information regarding the border changes that occured as well. I will also include a copy of the maps as well.
Claudette, I wanted to send you another e-mail with a suggestion. It’s
something I think could potentially prove to be a goldmine of
information for you.
I’ve already told you that Selgenau was too small to have a church of
its own and that the Catholics of Selgenau attended church in nearby
Schmilau. Grabau, where Albert was born, did have a Lutheran church but
no Catholic church. The Catholics of Grabau attended church in nearby
Friedheim (which today has the Polish name Miasteczko Krajenskie).
Zbyschwitz or Bischwitz, the town where Rosalia was born, was, like
Selgenau, too small to have a church of any kind. The Catholics of
Zbyschwitz or Bischwitz also attended church in Friedheim. My guess is
that that’s how Albert and Rosalia met, having attended church in the
same town.
Do you live near a Mormon Family History Center? If so, you can obtain
and view there on microfilm Friedheim’s Catholic church records covering
the years 1774 to 1932, and Schmilau’s Catholic church records covering
the years 1689 to 1945.
In the Friedheim records, you would no doubt find both Albert and
Rosalia’s baptismal records as well as the record you’ve been wanting,
namely, their marriage record. Further, you would probably find the
baptismal records of all of the brothers and sisters of both Albert and
Rosalia. In that way, you would finally know for sure how many there
were and all of their names. (If your Aunt Tressa corresponded with a
cousin in Germany, all of Albert and Rosalia’s brothers and sisters
couldn’t have emigrated.) The death records of Albert and Rosalia’s
parents would no doubt be there as well. In the Schmilau records, you
would find the baptismal records of all of Albert and Rosalia’s
children, who were born in Selgenau. It might be interesting to see who
the godparents of all the children were.
Zbyschwitz or Bischwitz, where Rosalia was born, was in Kreis Kolmar
right near the Kreis Wirsitz line. Friedheim, where the Catholic church
was located, was in Kreis Wirsitz, where Grabau was also located.
A word about marriage in Germany: Since 1875, civil ceremonies have
been mandatory. In Germany, a couple must marry in a civil ceremony in
order to be recognized as legally married. They are of course free to
have a church wedding as well later, if they so choose. Because the
Catholic Church has never recognized civil ceremonies, most German
Catholics do have a church wedding at some point after their civil
ceremony. This is why I feel you probably would find a marriage record
for Albert and Rosalia in the Friedheim Catholic church records.
All in all, Claudette, I think it would be well worth your while to go
to a Family History Center and order these microfilms. (Schmilau had
only a Catholic church. Friedheim had a Lutheran church as well, so you
would have to be sure that you order the microfilm of Friedheim’s
Catholic church records.)
I wonder why your aunt didn’t want you to know who the cousin in Germany
is. My reason for having mentioned your uncle a few times is because
you told me that he has actively been trying to thwart you in your
research. That’s why I would be curious to know what he would have to
say about what you’ve found out so far — if he’d be perturbed perhaps.
As I said on Wednesday, I’ll find out if the “Heimatkreisgemeinschaft
Kolmar” has an e-mail address, as that would of course be the simplest
way to communicate.
Robert
Well, that’s all the time that I have for today. Happy trails everyone!
As I previously reported in my last blog post, I was able to obtain the baptismal information of my maternal grandfather, Clement Erdman Sr. In October, 1899, he was born in what was then known as Selgenau, Germany, Prussia. According to Father Ptach, the priest of St. Margaret Scapular Catholic Church in what is now known as Smilowo, Poland, the baptismal certificate of my maternal grandfather stated surprising information about his mother, Rozalia Rzybazejek Erdmann/Erdman. It stated in the Polish language that she was “ewangeliczka”, which meant that she was from the Lutheran denomination.
The definition for the word “catholic” in Webster’s Dictionary states, “Universal or general;affecting mankind as a whole, or affecting what is universal in human interest.” Up until 1472, everyone that professed the Christian faith, were devoutly Catholic.
Clement Erdman Sr. was the youngest of seven children, and was baptized soon after his birth in October, 1899. The other surprising thing that I found when I received his baptismal information, was that his older siblings had not been baptized at that same church. Was the Erdman Family frequently moving at the time? Or, were they baptized at at Lutheran church instead? The other Catholic Church that I have to request information from, was originally a Lutheran church, before it changed denominations. I have not contacted them as of yet though. What I am finding though, is that other Erdman/Erdmann families that share my mother’s surname, is that they were from the Lutheran denomination instead of Catholic.
When I reported my research results to my mother regarding her paternal grandmother’s religious denomination, she did not hear me the first time that I told her the information. I had to repeat the information to her again, before she finally understood that there were more converts in her own family, than she had realized. What some of you may not know, is that my maternal grandmother, Fern Sanford Erdman, was a convert from the Baptist denomination. Ironically, as I went through my maternal grandmother’s family history, I found that a number of her ancestors stated that they came from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. Since this family history goes all the way back to England, several of the ancestors were indeed associated with Church of England, including some that came from royalty. Others reported their denominations as Huegenots, Lutherans, and Methodists, while others stated that they were Quaker and Puritan. The Coffin Family, of which I am a descendant of through the Hill-Raymond side of my family, reported their denomination as Quaker. They were abolitionists as well. Luecretia Coffin Mott, who’s father was a minister, and was a descendant of this family as well, was not only Quaker and an abolitionist, but was an educated woman at the time, and was very active in the women’s suffrage movement, which included signing the women’s Declaration of Independence in Senecca Falls, New York during the year of 1848. This was quite unheard of for women at that time, and quite controversial as well, as women were not able to vote, hold property in their name, or even obtain a divorce because of a miserable marriage. And, I must not forget the Wiliam Brewster Family, which I am a descendant of through his daughter, Patience, through the Brewster/ Prence/Hill/Raymond branch of my family tree. William was a member of the Puritan denomination, and then of course, was a member of the Separatist Movement, and sailed on the Mayflower with the rest of the Pilgrims, and landed near Plymouth Rock in 1620.
On my father’s side, only a few of the branches of my family tree were originally of the Catholic denomination. This included the DeRosier, Doucet/Doucette, Dugas’, Dupre’ and Boisjolie families that came from Canada and France. However, the Moran/Morin family was a bit more complicated than that. They were baptized as Catholic, and at various times in their lives, waited until adulthood to be baptized. I am still trying to do more research with this. When the Flansburg Family immigrated from Germany, of which I am descended from through my paternal grandmother, Monica Flansburg Moran, were actually members of the Dutch Reformed Church, which is now known as the Presbyterian denomination. Various members of that family either converted to the Catholic denomination, or decided to become Lutheran instead. On the Dupre/Corbett side of my family, I found out that my great-great-great-great grandfather, James Corbett, was not only Irish, but was a member of the Church of England when he married my great-great-great-great grandmother, Hannah Holmes. They lived in the very Catholic community of Sorel, Quebec, and I am sure that they were probably pressured into converting to the Catholic denomination after their children grew into adulthood, and were married as well.
My maternal grandmother’s younger brother, Wilbur Sanford, attended and graduated from Northwestern College, when its original campus was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was ordained as a Baptist minister, and he, along with his wife, Dorothy, who was also a graduate of Northwestern College, became Baptist missionaries for the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Not only would they come to Minnesota to visit with relatives and friends, but they would also come for fundraising and speaking engagements regarding the efforts of their missionary work. I still remember as a child, when my mother would receive letters from them that reported of their efforts of their missionary work and fundraising as well.
Many religious denominations have gone through turbulent times over the past few centuries. As I stated previously, the word “catholic” means universal. I presently attend a church that professes a universal denomination, even though it has evolved and split off into several various versions of its original denomination, thanks to Martin Luther, who was actually from Germany as well. What I need to research now about my mysterious great-grandmother Rozalie, is when she converted to the Catholic denomination, and why did she wait so long to do it. Did she do it when they were still living in Germany? Or, did she wait until they moved to Minnesota? Along with that, I still have to find out if Great-Grandpa Albert was of the Lutheran denomination as well. I do have my resources in place to do the research, but I need to research the religious history of Germany as well. Happy trails, everyone!:)
These past several months, I have worked rather diligently on the genealogy research of my ancestors. I have contacted two historical societies in Wisconsin with regards to the relatives of my maternal grandfather‘s paternal side of the family. I was also contacted by a cousin in regards to my mother’s maternal side of the family. Last, but certainly not least, I contacted another cousin with regards to my maternal grandmother’s maternal side of the family as well.
However, several years ago, during the week of the passing of my father, I logged on to GenForum to find out the names of the Catholic Churches of the village that my maternal grandfather was born in, and people were kind enough to provide me with that information. It was nice to know that not only did they survive the bombings of World War 2, but that they had also existed for several centuries! It took me another year to find out if the churches had web sites and contact information, which thankfully, they did.
One of the churches was named “St. Margaret and Scapular”, and it is located in Smilowo, Poznan, Poland, next to the village of Zelgniewo, Poznan, Poland. The village of Zelgniewo was formally known as Selgenau, Germany, Prussia, which was where my maternal grandfather, Clement Erdman Sr., was born in. Clement was the youngest of six children, and his parents were Albert and Rosalia Rzybazejek Erdmann, and was born on October 5, 1899. His father was a tailor.
As luck would have it, this family emigrated to the USA from a ship that sailed from Bremen, Germany to Ellis Island . They saved one record of their journey in 1901, but it would be years before I would have a chance to get it translated. It turned out to be a German Relocation document, which needed to be processed at the police department every time you relocated to a different town within the country of Germany. This process still takes place to this day.
In any case, this past week, I did finally contact the priest of St. Margaret and Scapular, and I received a very quick and positive response for Father Gerorge Ptach. Here was his response
- Klemens Albert Erdmann – mój dziadek po kądzieli, ur. 5.10.1899 w Selgenau, ob. zw. Zelgniewo. – znalazłem pod nr 31/1899: „Albert Klemens, rodzice: Albert Erdmann i Rozalia Rzybazejek /nie wiem, czy dobrze odczytałem imię i nazwisko matki/, ojciec – katolik, matka – ewangeliczka, chrzestni: Józef Wirobek i Elżbieta Hammling”.
Odnośnie pozostałych osób nie znalazłem w księgach żadnego śladu. Prawdopodobnie byli wyznania ewangelicko augsburskiego i byli ochrzczeni w Brodnej, gdzie w 1895 r. został poświęcony kościół. Jeżeli są jakieś akta, to w Poznaniu tegoż wyznania.
Pozdrawiam i życzę dalszych owocnych poszukiwań. Ks. Jerzy Ptach
http://malgorzata.smilowo.parafia.info/historia.htm
This was translated by my younger brother, Matthew:
>
> Here’s a quick and dirt translation from Google Translate.
> Clement Albert Erdmann – my maternal grandfather, was born. 05/10/1899
> in Selgenau, ob. zw. Zelgniewo. – Found under No. 31/1899: “Albert
> Clement, parents: Albert and Rosalie Erdmann Rzybazejek / do not know
> how well I read the name of the mother / father – a Catholic, his mother
> – ewangeliczka, godparents: Joseph and Elizabeth Hammling Wirobek.”
> Concerning other people have not found any trace in the books. Probably
> they were Evangelical Lutheran, and were baptized in Bródno, where in
> 1895 the church was dedicated. If there are any records, in Poznan, the
> same religion. I greet and wish further fruitful research.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> – Klemens Albert Erdmann – mój dziadek po kądzieli, ur. 5.10.1899 w
> Selgenau, ob. zw. Zelgniewo. – znalazłem pod nr 31/1899: “Albert
> Klemens, rodzice: Albert Erdmann i Rozalia Rzybazejek /nie wiem, czy
> dobrze odczytałem imię i nazwisko matki/, ojciec – katolik, matka -
> ewangeliczka, chrzestni: Józef Wirobek i Elżbieta Hammling”.Odnoœnie
> pozostałych osób nie znalazłem w księgach żadnego œladu. Prawdopodobnie
> byli wyznania ewangelicko augsburskiego i byli ochrzczeni w Brodnej,
> gdzie w 1895 r. został poœwięcony koœciół. Jeżeli są jakieœ akta, to w
> Poznaniu tegoż wyznania. Pozdrawiam i życzę dalszych owocnych
> poszukiwań. Ks. Jerzy Ptach
> http://malgorzata.smilowo.parafia.info/historia.htm
>
> One must ponder what one should do next. Like for example, where were my maternal grandfather’s other siblings baptized? Their names were Martha, Maria, Agatha, Frank, and Tressa/Theresa. I have some clues as to where I can find the rest of the information that I need. I will log on to GenForum for further help for sure! Happy Trails everyone !:)
I am going to fast forward my story a little bit. About twelve years ago, at the request of my mother, I made a request to receive information about the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota. My mother actually just wanted me to join the support group. While it was a good group, I did not feel comfortable about discussing whatever issues I had going on in my life. Much to the dismay of my family, I quit going. I still feel that way today though.
Anyhow, I started receiving their quarterly newsletter after joining the group. I was also working at Carlson Marketing Group at the time too. There was an announcement about the annual conference with the Brain Injury Association of America that was to be held in Washington DC in March of 2000. There would be the opportunity to hear speakers, and even visit with members of Congress, along with their legistlative aides in their offices as well. So, what do you suppose I did? Especially since transportation and housing would be paid for! That’s right! I signed up to go.
It turned out to be such a warm spring day when I took the taxi to the airport to meet up with the rest of the delegates. We got to our hotel very late in the evening, and warm cookies and a delegate’s lost luggage greeted us when we got there. At the time, I thought that I was a fairly healthy person when I took the trip. We took tours of the Lincoln and Washington Mounuments, and stood in front of the capital. We heard from a multitude of speakers that were mostly concerned about access to healthcare for those with traumatic brain injuries. We then were able to meet up with members of Congress, along with their legistlative assistants. We met up with the legistlative assistant of Senator Paul Wellstone, and had our picture taken with Representative Jim Oberstar. The whole trip made me quite motivated to find a way to enact access to healthcare for ALL people, and to even come back the next year as a delegate again. Little did I know that I would need that access to healthcare a year later.
As time went on, I was working as a CSR for a different company, and was suffering from a multitude of colds and viral infections that affected the health of my heart. While I had benefits at the time, I did not make time to see the doctor as I should have. So, I made plans for the next trip to Washington DC, in spite of suffering from shortness of breath, fluid in my lungs, and frequent coughs that never seem to go away. I became very weak and tired. My mother was stunned that I was able to hop in my car, drive to the airport, and board the plane in spite of my health issues. Unfortunately, my roomate became quite concerned about how my health issues were affecting her sleep. So, she reported the issues to our director, and he made arrangements for me to head home early. However, there was still time to hear Representative Joe Lewis from Atlanta, Georgia speak, eat at a fancy sea food restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, walk around near the White House and Metro Washington DC, and attend a private meeting with former Senator, and now our governor, Mark Dayton. We also met up with the legistlative assistant of former Senator Rod Grams, when Senator Rod Grams did meet with us at the last minute.
However, by Sunday, it was time for me to leave. I was driven to the airport, and hacking away. And it wouldn’t stop. It became so bad while the plane was still on the tarmac, that they had to call the ambulance to pick me up. They dragged me down in a stretcher, and asked me what hospital did I want to go to. They told me that George Washington University Hospital was the best option for my situation. Of course, I had completely forgot that my stay in the hospital would fall on the 20th anniversary of the asassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan. I laid in a room in the ER overnight, and was scared to death. I had to call the hotel to contact our group so that they could notify my parents about my health situation.
Within two days, the cardiologist on staff stated that I had congestive heart failure. Now that’s a scary thought for a 33 year old woman who never smoked a cigarette a day in her life. How in the world could I have contracted such a serious illness? Yes, I was overweight, and had high blood pressure! But seriously, I was in deep denial about my healthcare issues. I was more worried about obtaining a decent paying job with benefits, maintaining and driving my own car, and keeping a roof over my head, just so that I could pay off my student loans. I had already dealt with people, psychologists, and organizations that wanted to pigeonhole me into programs that would not offer me the opportunity to move up in the world. For example, the last pychologist that evaluated me, felt that I could only be able to finish one year of college, in spite of the fact that I had seven years of undergrad credits in social work and music. Granted they weren’t honor roll grade accomplishments, but I kept myself afloat in spite of my circumstances. Next, this same psychologist wanted me to participate in the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation program. However, when the “tests” that I took were completed, they felt that there was NO OPPORTUNITY for me to go back to school at all, and especially travel school! Our technology opportunities had been upgraded compared to when I graduated from high school in 1986, and learned how to type on an electric typewriter! But seriously, to DENY someone the opportunity to go back to school for SIX WEEKS of training for a career opportunity that would help me move up in the world, and see the world with my own eyes, made me realize that no matter how hard I try, all these people and organizations wanted to do was to continue to pigeohole me into something that clearly was NOT APPROPRIATE for my situation. During that two year time period in my life, a relative, who meant well, tried to get me involved with an organization entitled “Independent Lifestyles”. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is an excellent organization for those that really need it. However, one of the first tasks that they wanted me to complete, was to attend a sex education class. Just a little history on my family background, I was brought up as Catholic in my family. I am the oldest of eight children, and I was delegated to complete a multitude of chores when I was growing up. My parents were quite strict with me about who I hung out with in social activities. So, no, I was not allowed to date! I passed all of the sex education classes that I took in the middle school, and CCD as well. I even had to take yet another sex ed class for a school that I went to after graduation from high school. I tried to avoid taking the class, but they put me on restriction. I was 19 years old at the time, and I really did not feel like repeating and regurgitating redundant information that I knew backwards and forwards!UGH!
Back at George Washington University Hospital, my medical care was superb. I met with a multitude of healthcare staff that were from a mutitude of different cultures. I felt like I was in the United Nations building in NYC, even though I had never been there before. I actually felt spoiled rotten. My bill was quite huge when I left. I still had time to hop on the Metro to take a quck tour of the Holocaust Museum, and then it was off to the airport.
When I got back home, my mother and younger brother met up with me, and I was given the lecture of my life. As far as my mother was concerned, I was to NEVER travel again! Yeah right! Well, unfortunately 09/11 put those plans on hold until 2003.
There are two very important lessons that I have learned from this situation. The first one is very important to me, and that is to NOT allow anyone to pigeonhole me into a situation that is not appropriate for me. I still have people who mean well that try to do this to me even today. As far as some people are concerned, they feel that I have a huge attitude problem, along with a glacier chip on my shoulder. Okay, first off, if this offends you, then I am sorry. But you need to remember that you weren’t the one that had to fill out forms for me in order to obtain medical assistance and food support on my behalf, and navigate through the system. I know how to navigate the system backwards and forwards, and I know exactly what options are available for me. I worked for four years at Hennepin County Human Services in a call center for clients who needed to obtain these services. So, it makes me very weary when I have to hear from a well meaning person who wants to notify me once again about what services are available.
Secondly, and even more importantly, the USA NEEDS to OFFER ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE DISABLED! SO PLEASE STOP DENYING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL PEOPLE! I am sorry if this offends you! I am sorry that you feel that the GOP and TEA parties offer “better” affordable healthcare options. I still have NOT heard from Representative Michele Bachmann about WHAT those options are! She seems to be more concerned about impeaching President Obama about hiding access to his birth certificate!
I am sorry, but the only way that I can get health benefits is by working a full time job, and there are none in good old Little Falls. The Brain Injury Association of America no longer offers opportunities to speak with our legislative representatives for the continuing need to access to affordable healthcare for ALL people. I wish to this day that they still did! Happy trails everyone!
Imagine, if you will, one of your grandparents, along with one of their siblings passed away, leaving you with very few clues about their past life as an immigrant to the USA. As you go through their belongings in both of their houses, you find a treasure trove of things from the past, documents written in the German language, a letter written by a sibling of a parent who passed away, prayer books written in the Polish language, pictures of people that you don’t even know. What does one do? How overwhelming can this be?
Luckily for me, I did write to the grandparent about life from long ago, and managed to ask the questions that at least gave me a basic time frame of his life, even though he was the youngest of the family, and rarely kept in touch with extended family.
I had wrote a letter to my maternal grandfather a few months before he died in 1984.The year before, I had been told that the Albert Erdmann/Erdman family had stopped in Worthington, MN. However, my grandfather stated instead that his family stopped in Montevideo MN before moving on to Hutchinson MN in 1902. This is where their naturalization and citizenship to the USA was completed. My great-grandfather bought a house, and worked as a tailor. They paid pew holder fees to St. Anastasia’s Catholic Church. The children, or at least the four youngest, attended school in Hutchinson. My great-aunt Agatha Erdman, was a graduate of Hutchinson High School.
However, the Erdman Family decided that Minneapolis was the place to be, and relocated there in 1911.
The nice thing is, when I received photos last year from my cousins, several photos of their time spent in Hutchinson survived, including my great-aunt’s high school graduation picture, and two family photos taken outside, one with just the Albert Erdman Family, and one with people who are unidentified. The ironic thing is, that one other photo taken of my great- aunt, Tress Erdman is with a girl standing next to her, and that same girl is in the extended family picture as well. And the photos were both taken in Hutchinson. I have to find out who that young lady is.
As it turns out, the Albert Erdman family was able to meet up with a multitude of relatives and friends from St. Paul, Hutchinson, and Merrill, Wisconsin. While quite a few correspondance from the early 1900′s did not survive, one letter to the Albert Erdman Family did survive being transported from my great-grandparents house on 22nd Ave N in Minneapolis, to my parents farm in Little Falls.The letter was written by Mari Emanuel of Merrill, Wisconsin.
According to my letter from my grandfather, he stated that his mother, Rosalie Robicek Erdman, had two sisters, and one of them lived in Merrill, Wisconsin. He also stated that his mother and sister, Tress, took the train to visit them, and this particular family would do likewise as well. Unfortunately, my grandfather could not remember their names.
When I first looked at this particular letter, I did not make any connection with the surname of Emanuel, because the word “emanuel” is actually a religious term that means, “God with us”. On top of that, the letter was written in the German language, and nobody in my family could even read the old German script. Unfortunately, Adolf Hitler changed the German language structure, and I needed someone to translate the letter to figure out who this Mari Emanuel was, and how and why did she know my great grandmother. It took me until the summer of 1996 to figure out if there really was a surname of Emanuel that existed.
However, I had to backtrack even further than that in order to get a German police document translated as well, because that held the clues of where the Albert Erdman Family came from.
Thank God for the GenForum web site! This is where I had the German Police Document translated, and where I received a history lesson about the border changes between Germany and Poland.
However, I am digressing a bit.
It took me a few more years to have this particular letter translated. How sad to allow aprehension to get the best of you when you want to solve a mystery!
Anyhow, this is the written translation of the letter written to my great-grandmother. It states:
“Mari Wisconsin (I think she meant “Merrill, Wisconsin”.)
October 27, 1921
Praise to Jesus Christ. Dear brother in law and Sister and Children Be so good and come and visit us because we would be very glad because I am not very healthy and our Dad on Sunday fell into a hole and almost broke the rib he saw the doctor yesterday. Dear brother in law and sister and children our two dear daughters are already married. Martha’s dear husband’s name is Oskar Mo and Klaera’s dear husban’s name is is Wilhelm Schuster. They both have good husbands and dear daughter Mary goes to nursing* school and she learns very good.And we haven’t got many potatoes this year and we bought us 20 bushels and we paid 1 dollar per bushel are big potatoes. Dear sister brother in law and children we had here in our church the 40 hours praying and here were 10 priests and we all were in church and the church was very filled with people. What else to write I don’t know. (we) greet you all many times. Amen Mari Emanuel.”
I put an asterick by “nursing school” because according to a 1920 census, the younger Mary Emanuel is listed as 8 years old, and I think Mari meant “nursery school” instead.
Anyhow, I did finally post a query regarding this family on both the GenForum and Rootsweb web sites. And, I did get a response regarding the family, even though it was not from a relative of the family. People are nice enough to help you out when it’s requested.
It turns out that after Mari Emanuel died in 1922, her husband, who’s name was Frederick, moved with his daughter Martha and her husband Oscar Moe to Milwaukee. They are listed in the 1930 census along with Oscar and Martha’s son, Philip, and Martha’s youngest sister, Mary. I also have a birth and death date for Philip, who moved to Kewaskum Wisconsin later on in life.
Now, before I thank the person who gave me this information, I have to let you know one other thing.
Among the pictures that I received from my generous cousins, is a wedding photo taken in either the 1930′s or 1940′s, and the photo was taken by Carter Studio of Berlin, Wisconsin. Could the groom be Philip Moe, or, could the bride be the younger Mary Emanuel? 
Well, at least I have narrowed it down to which branch of the family tree that this particular picture belongs to. Now, in spite of what’s presently going on in Madison, Wisconsin, I am even more motivated to research this particular branch of my family tree! Happy trails everyone!
