From Whence I Came - Emilie Auguste Christina Schluessler

EMILIE AUGUSTE CHRISTINA SCHLUESSLER

Emilie Auguste Christina Schluessler (known as Amelia) was born November 25, 1876 in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan to Christian Friedrich-Wilhelm Schluessler and Ernestine Emilie Auguste Werner (aka Emilie Schauer).  She would one day become my paternal great-grandmother, mother of my grandmother, Ella Wellhausen Schulte.  Amelia was the 5th and final child of Wilhelm and Emilie Schluessler, however, hers was a special birth in that she appeared with a twin brother, Albert.

She would be the only great-grandparent that I actually knew as she did not pass away until I was 16 and I remember her well.

On December 3, 1876, Amelia was baptized in the Lutheran faith at St. John's Lutheran Church in Fraser, Michigan.

I don't have much information about her childhood or school years but I do have a photo of my great-grandmother in a school play.  This photo was a tin type and scanned very well.  The young man with her in the boat is unknown.  Despite knowing my great-grandmother, I naturally knew her as an elderly person and seeing her as a young girl in approximately 1890 was very interesting:

On February 14, 1895, again at St. John's Lutheran Church in Fraser, Michigan, Amelia married George Wellhausen.  They had a wedding party of three couples and began their married life in Sterling Township, later moving to Utica, Michigan.

George and Amelia had two daughters - Gertrude and my grandmother, Ella, followed 10 years after Ella's birth by a son, George, Jr.

Here is a photo of mother and daughter, Amelia Schluessler Wellhausen and Ella Wellhausen Schulte in approximately 1925:

George and Amelia Wellhausen with grandson, Lynwood Wellhausen, in approximately 1935:

While Amelia's husband, George, passed away in 1938 at a young age, she continued to live in Utica and later lived with her daughter, Gertrude in Detroit.  She was very social and enjoyed being with friends and family though one of her favorite things to do was to visit the cemetery where her husband was buried, sit there and eat lunch.  Hmm, sounds spooky to me but it was known that "great grandma loved to go sit in the cemetery".  Too bad she didn't utilize that time in the cemetery for genealogy research which she could have documented and shared with her great-granddaughter!

Here is a photo of Amelia in approximately 1942 with her three children, left to right, Gertrude Wellhausen Kolberg, George Wellhausen, Jr. and Ella Wellhausen Schulte:

Here she is again with her children in approximately 1955.  This is the great-grandma that I remember:

On May 25, 1963 in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Amelia Wellhausen passed away at the age of 86 and she was buried with her husband, George, in Utica Cemetery, Utica, Michigan.

My memories of my great-grandmother are of her babysitting my brother and I at different times and as an always pleasant and smiling person.  She had a good long life, financial security and her grandchildren gave her pleasure.  One could not ask for more.  

Today I am thinking of her on this 145th anniversary of her birth.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte

From Whence I Came - August Gottlieb Kolberg

AUGUST GOTTLIEB KOLBERG

My maternal great-grandfather, August Gottlieb Colberg (Kolberg) was born on November 24, 1854 in Klein Tuchen, Kreis Bütow, Pommern, Germany.  He was christened the following day, November 25, 1854, at the Evangelical Church in Groß Tuchen, Kreis Bütow, Pommern.  His sponsors were listed as (1) August Colberg (likely the brother of his father), (2) August Goll, (3) Helene Litwinke.

It should be noted that at this time, in 2021, the former Evangelical Church in Groß Tuchen, Pommern, Germany is now a Roman Catholic Church in the renamed village of Tuchomie, Poland.  This explains why the birth/baptismal certificate I received is in a Polish format though the Catholic Church in Tuchomie does have the original churchbooks from when the area was a part of Germany.

August was the third son of Friedrich Wilhelm Colberg, Sr. and Henriette Amalie Kautz of Klein Tuchen.  This couple would eventually have 12 children with 11 sons and 1 daughter.  Four sons and the one daughter died in childhood with 7 sons living to adulthood.  These 7 sons were Friedrich-Wilhelm, Jr., August, Heinrich, Johann, Otto, Paul and Ferdinand Colberg/Kolberg (surname is shown with either spelling in the early churchbooks).

In 2008 when I visited the descendants of brother, Johann Colberg, in Berlin I was able to see Johann's journal in which he documented important dates of his parents and brothers.  Here is August's entry, written by his brother, Johann showing that August was born on November 24, 1854 and that he later went to "Amerika":

On October 4, 1878 in Groß Tuchen, August was married to Bertha Kramp at the above named Evangelical Church:

They had at least three children while still living in Germany with two of the children dying in infancy.

August, Bertha and their three year old daughter, Hedwig, immigrated to America on the ship Lessing arriving at the port of Castle Garden in New York on November 28, 1883.  They had traveled from the port of Hamburg in Germany, on to the port of Havre in France and then on to the US.  Their name was spelled "Colberg" on the ship passenger list.  Bertha's sister, Emilie Kramp, and Emilie's future husband, Friedrich Skibbe, also traveled with them on the same ship.  Upon arriving in New York, they traveled on to Lincoln Township in Berrien County, Michigan to join August's younger brother, Heinrich, who had arrived a few years earlier.

Over the course of their years in the US, August and Bertha had a total of 6 more known children with one son dying in infancy.  Times were hard, farming did not produce much income but the family still grew.  Here is a photo of August and Bertha with their oldest daughter, Hedwig, sitting and their daughter, Amelia, standing:

In 1903, August owned 17 acres of land in Lincoln Township according to a plat book in the St. Joseph Public Library in St. Joseph, Michigan.  The farm, home and property were located on Cleveland Avenue between what is now Rockey Weed and Linco Roads in Lincoln Township (Stevensville).  I have searched for this property and located it by going out Cleveland Avenue, towards the town of Baroda, and found the property on the left side of Cleveland Avenue, the third farm before Linco Road.

By 1917, August was a laborer and tenant farmer with a house and lot on St. Joseph Avenue in Stevensville.

Besides farming, August was a cabinetmaker and he made such items as coffins.

While I don't have much definitive information on his life, the facts that I do have don't display a very happy lifestyle for August and Bertha.  While August and his four brothers all became farmers in Berrien County, August's farm was probably the least productive.  His wife, Bertha, had to supplement the income by picking berries on farms of the other brothers and then selling them for additional income.  It also did not help that August had a propensity for alcohol and his wife, Bertha, certainly did not have a happy life.

Bertha Kolberg passed away first on February 26, 1915 and, interestingly, each of the 5 Kolberg brothers in the US lost their wives at early ages.  It would appear that the hard work of farming alongside their husbands, coupled with the enormous number of children that they had, made the lives of the Kolberg spouses difficult and short.

In later years, August lived with his daughter, Amelia Mielke, and her family in Stevensville, Michigan

until his death on April 24, 1920 in Stevensville.  He and Bertha are buried in City Cemetery in St. Joseph, Michigan.

When I was growing up, my grandmother, Ella Kolberg Kijak, never shared any information with me on either of her parents.  While she was the baby of their family and was undoubtedly special to her mother, it just was something she never discussed.  I only have the two above photos of August and only the one of Bertha but I am pleased to have what items I do possess and to have the limited knowledge of my great-grandfather that has been shared with me.

Today I am thinking of him on this 167th anniversary of his birth.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 47 "Thankful"

THANKSGIVING PHOTO MEMORIES

When thinking of Thanksgivings in the past I remember all the holiday celebrations with my paternal family.  It became tradition that each Thanksgiving my father's family would gather at my paternal grandparent's home to celebrate.  The group would include my grandparents, my father's brother and his family, his sister and her family and my grandmother's brother and his family.  It was an every year occurrence and something we looked forward to.

In going through some old photos I came across seven different photos of myself as an infant at the Thanksgiving celebration in 1948 when I was just 2 months old and the Thanksgiving celebration in 1949 when I was 14 months old.  

Here are some of those photos with the various members of my father's family: 

1948:

My mother, Eloris Kijak Schulte, with me:

My father, Mylen Schulte, with me:

My uncle/godfather, Melbourne Schulte, with me:

My grandfather, Elmer Schulte, with me:

1949:

My grandmother, Ella Wellhausen Schulte, with me:

My grandparents, Elmer and Ella (Wellhausen) Schulte, with me:

My aunt, Virginia (Reske) Schulte, with me:

My parents had lost their first child, Kathy, in 1947 at just 6 weeks old, and I was born 11 months later.  I was to be the only niece and granddaughter in my grandparent's family and obviously photos were a big thing at that time. 

I am pleased that my connection with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle remained for their entire lives and I think of them often, not just at Thanksgiving but at all other times as well.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte

From Whence I Came - Ella Anna Helene Wellhausen

ELLA ANNA HELENE WELLHAUSEN

Ella Anna Helene Wellhausen was my paternal grandmother, born on November 15, 1896 in Detroit, Michigan to George Wellhausen and Amelia Schluessler.  She was their second daughter and a son followed 10 years later.  While the family had originally lived in Sterling Township in Macomb County, Michigan where their first daughter was born, they had moved temporarily to Detroit to live with Amelia's sister and that is where my grandmother was born.

Interestingly, I don't know if my grandmother was even aware of being born in Detroit.  She always swore to me that she was born in Sterling Township and was baptized at St. John's Lutheran Church in Fraser, Michigan.  She sent me on a good number of wild goose chases when I began my genealogy research.  Quite by accident while researching my Feucht family and THEIR connection with Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit, I came upon the baptismal record of my grandmother showing she was indeed born in Detroit and baptized there as well.  When I informed her of this she said she was never aware of it.  She told me that she could remember her mother speaking of the brief time the family had lived in Detroit with her mother's sister but she didn't realize that she was actually born there as well.

As young girls Ella and her sister, Gertrude, took part in a dancing competition and were named the "Dancing Darlings of Macomb County".  They certainly did look darling and their sisterly relationship lasted for Gertrude's entire life with Ella assuming caregiver duties when sister Gertrude's health declined:

Ella did grow up in Sterling Township with her older sister and younger brother.  She attended St. John's Lutheran Church where she was confirmed but I have no idea where she actually went to school.  Here she is on her confirmation day:

I also do not know how she met my grandfather, Elmer Schulte. I am guessing that they met through her aunt, Helena Schluessler Herz, whose sons were friends of Elmer but I don't know that for certain.

Ella and Elmer were married on Christmas Eve, 1917 in Waco, Texas before my grandfather shipped out to the war in Europe.  Here is a wedding photo of Elmer and Ella:

When Elmer returned from WWI, several years later, they began their family life in Detroit.  Together they had three children - sons, Melbourne and Mylen (my father) and daughter, Marilyn.  Their life was rather affluent.  Both my grandparents inherited money from their parents and my grandmother never had to work outside her home.  Here are Elmer and Ella with their oldest son, Melbourne, ca 1922:

Ella raised her children, belonged to several clubs and activities with other women friends and socialized with family frequently.  She and Elmer had several very nice homes in various areas of Detroit.

Here is a photo of Elmer, Mylen and Ella Schulte ca 1942 in Detroit:

Another photo of Elmer and Ella with their oldest son, Melbourne, and daughter, Marilyn, ca 1942 at Marilyn's confirmation in Detroit:

In later years they built a home on Springer Avenue in what was East Detroit, Michigan and is now called Eastpointe.  The home is still standing today in the same pristine condition I remember it though it was unusually designed in that the living room faced the backyard with a large picture window overlooking a long balcony:

When Ella's sister, Gertrude, needed assistance due to failing health, Ella and Elmer moved back to Detroit to Gertrude's home on Engleside Drive.  While living there my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 24, 1967:

They were living in Detroit when my grandfather passed away on January 21, 1968.  Following his death my grandmother continued to care for her sister until Gertrude had to be placed in a nursing facility.  At this time my grandmother rekindled a childhood relationship with a man who had also lost his wife.  Within a few years of my grandfather's death, my grandmother remarried to Robert Bloss who she had known since they were 5 year old children. Their marriage was short lived as Robert was not in the best of health and he passed away soon after their marriage.

Ella continued her independent life in several apartments after the death of Robert.  She maintained her own home, did her own cooking and cleaning and continued her activities with family and friends.  She lived independently until the age of 90 when her fading memory forced her to enter a nursing home.  On December 28, 1989, at the age of 93, my grandmother passed away and she is buried with my grandfather in Gethsemane Cemetery in Detroit.  Both her sister, Gertrude, and her much younger brother, George, had predeceased her.

I was fortunate to have known all four of my grandparents.  My grandmother, Ella Schulte, I knew the best as I grew up in East Detroit and she and my grandfather lived there as well.  While she was a good Christian person she was not what I would characterize as a loving grandmother.  I really think that children annoyed her.  She didn't like having children in her home and she complained royally about crumbs or disarray.  My grandfather, on the other hand, was a wonderful loving person.  Memories of my grandmother are many but they are memories more of a gruff, unsmiling person who my grandfather tried at all times to soften up.  I can remember the times he would grab her in a hug and kiss her only to have her gruffly push him away.  It was something he never minded and his humor and good nature lasted his whole life.  My grandmother's aloof, gruff ways continued through her entire life as well.

The one thing that she did do for me, though, was to initiate my love for genealogy.  I can remember in 1977 that she showed me an onyx ring with a small diamond in the center.  She told me that she had worn a diamond necklace on her wedding day in 1917 and that necklace had 3 diamonds in it.  Over the years the necklace broke and she had the 3 diamonds set in 3 different black onyx rings.  

This conversation led to questions from me about her childhood, extended family, etc. and I was off and running on research.  I was fortunate that she remembered not only her parents but her grandparents and great grandparents as well and her memory was sharp.  She did share much information with me over the years though she tempered it with quite a bit of false information that had me running down false leads.  Her comments at those times were "you don't need to know the truth" or "just let sleeping dogs lie".  Luckily I was able to discern the truth from the fiction and when confronted with my facts she would confirm my data.  I do have to give her the credit for my love of genealogy and she did give me all my grandfather's war medals as well as the medals of my great-grandfather.  She also gave me funeral home guest books, photos, cemetery deeds and burial records.  Initially she told me she was saving all these items for one of her grandsons but as none of them had any interest she did finally allow me to take possession of the memorabilia and I am grateful for that.

When all is said and done, while she was not a loving, affectionate grandmother, she was a good person and she led a very good life.  Her health was good, she had no undue financial problems and she was able to build a life that suited her.  

Today I am thinking of her on this 125th anniversary of her birth.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 46 "Birthdays"

HAPPY 125th BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA

Today, November 15, 2021, would be my paternal grandmother's 125th birthday.  How appropriate that the topic for today's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge is "Birthdays".

My paternal grandmother, Ella Anna Helene Wellhausen, had a long and productive life, living to the age of 93.  During her lifetime she was photographed 3 different times in 4 generation photos at 3 different stages in her life.

Today for her birthday I will present photos of her as a granddaughter, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Here is Ella Wellhausen Schulte in 1921 holding her oldest son, Melbourne M. Schulte.  Sitting next to her is her grandfather, Wilhelm Schluessler, and on the far right is her mother, Amelia Schluessler Wellhausen.  This is a special photo of mine as not too many photos exist of her grandfather, Wilhelm:

In 1948, 27 years later, my grandmother is again pictured in a 4 generation photo this time as the grandmother in the photo.  She is on the far left with her mother, Amelia Schluessler Wellhausen, in the center and my mother, Eloris Kijak Schulte, holding me as a 2 month old baby.  To make this a "true" 4 generation photo my father should be holding me in the photo instead of my mother as my grandmother and great grandmother are really my father's mother and grandmother.  But I can take creative license in my blogging and it is a 4 generation photo in my opinion!

In 1983, 35 years later, my grandmother again appeared in a 4 generation photo.  This time she is the great-grandmother in the photo at the age of 87 with my brother, Jeffrey Schulte, in the center holding his daughter, Diane Schulte, and my father, Mylen Schulte, on the far right:

A humorous sideline to this photo is that my father showed this photo to a casual friend who asked him if the woman on the left was his "wife".  My father was insulted and remarked "that is my MOTHER".  He felt that he must look old enough to be married to the woman who was his mother but perhaps the friend thought his mother looked young enough to be his wife!  In any case it was the cause for much laughter in the family.

My grandmother was indeed blessed with a long life as evidenced by these 2 photos.  The first shows her with her older sister, Gertrude, when she was 3 years old and the second shows her at age 87 holding her great-granddaughter, Diane:

 

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte