52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 5 "Memories"

MEMORIES:

Today, January 29, 2025, is the 29th anniversary of my father's death.  Looking back it certainly doesn't seem like it has been that long but time does move quickly.

Mylen Elmer Schulte was born March 29, 1923 in Detroit, Michigan to Elmer Meyer Schulte and Ella Anna Helene Wellhausen.  He was their second child and second son.

Mylen Schulte in 1923:

He was baptized on April 15, 1923 at First English Lutheran Church in Detroit and confirmed on April 5, 1936, also at First English Lutheran Church, by Rev. Walter O. Hauck.

Here are random photos from over the years.

Mylen Schulte at confirmation on April 5, 1936:

My father is on the bottom row, far right.  He looks rather unhappy or bored.  I like to think he wanted to get home and listen to the Detroit Tigers on the radio!

Melbourne and Mylen Schulte, ushers at the Rialto Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, 1939:

Melbourne Schulte, US Navy and Mylen Schulte, US Army Air Corps, 1942:

My parents, Mylen Schulte and Eloris Kijak, marriage, June 15, 1946:

Mylen Schulte, champion bowler, back row, center, 1965:

Mylen Schulte, career barber, 1969:

Mylen Schulte with mother, son and granddaughter (4 generations), 1983:

Mylen Schulte, church photo, 1994:

Though it has been 29 years now since he passed away, I have many memories of my 47 years with my father that will never leave me.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 4 "Overlooked"

 OVERLOOKED:

Great-grandpa - where were you born?  

Despite over 40 years of genealogical research, I have been unable to find proof of the birthplace of my paternal great-grandfather, Rudolph Myer Schulte.  I have researched and discovered more documents and information on him than most of my other ancestors but none of the records confirm his birthplace.  This is definitely a mystery.

This is what I have been able to confirm:

Rudolph Myer Schulte was born on October 24, 1869 in Germany.  His father was Joseph Meyer Schulte, who was born in Beckum, Westfalen, Preußen in 1843 and his mother was Alvina (Alwina) Tobien (Tobian) who was born in 1848 in Pommern, Preußen.

On April 10, 1872, Joseph, Alvina and Rudolph immigrated from Hamburg, Germany to America, settling in Detroit, Michigan.  The Hamburg passenger list indicated that their place of residence at the time of departure was Goldikow, Pommern.  Recent in-depth research has shown that there is not, nor has there ever been, a village named Goldikow in Pommern.  With assistance from a cousin in Poland, whose help has been fantastic, it is believed the name of the village was actually Zoldekow which now, in Polish, is Sulikowo.  This has proven to be undoubtedly accurate with recent research I have been undertaking on the Tobien family (which will be discussed in another blog post).

At the time of arrival in America, Alvina gave birth to their second child, a daughter Elizabeth on June 28,1872.  A third child, Ida, was born on November 23, 1874.

Here is a photo of the Joseph and Alvina Schulte family in approximately 1875-1876 in Detroit:

Joseph and Alvina Schulte with Rudolph standing, Ida sitting on mother's lap and Elizabeth standing by father:

The 1880 United States census for Detroit, Michigan showed the Joseph Schulte family with Rudolph listed as having been born in "Germany" as was also listed for his parents.  This gave me no new information.

On October 7,1891 Rudolph married Julie Feucht.  Again the marriage record(s) indicated Rudolph was born in Germany.

In 1892 Rudolph joined the Detroit Fire Department, a career that would see him joining the US Navy to serve in the Spanish American War in 1898, where he served on the USS Yosemite.

Rudolph Schulte as a Detroit City Fireman:

Rudolph in the US Navy during the Spanish American War (he is with his younger brother, Theodore, in this photo):

I decided to contact the National Archives in hope of obtaining Rudolph's Spanish American War military records.  Some months later a thick package arrived in the mail for me.  In his own handwriting Rudolph had written "I was born in Germany and came to America with my parents when I was 2 years old".  

Why, oh why, couldn't he have been more specific as to where he was born - did he even know?  He was only 2 when he immigrated with  his parents and did they ever discuss where in Germany he had been born?  It was impossible to know.  Another roadblock!

The 1900 US census for Detroit, Michigan was even more confusing as it showed Rudolph being born in Michigan which, of course, was incorrect.  Did the census taker get this information from his wife, Julie?  She certainly knew her husband was born in Germany.  It would be impossible to know.  Another roadblock!

The 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 US censuses for Detroit, Michigan all showed Rudolph Schulte as having been born in "Germany".

On January 14, 1907, Rudolph's wife, Julie, passed away.  Just 5 weeks later, Rudolph married her sister, Elizabeth Feucht, who had been widowed twice previously and had 4 children.  Again, their marriage record indicated Rudolph had been born in "Germany".

Elizabeth passed away on February 17,1937, and on March 5,1938, Rudolph married for the 3rd time to Mary Bender.  Their marriage certificate didn't shed any new light on Rudolph's birth place.

Marriage record of Rudolph Schulte and Mary Bender:

Rudolph passed away on April 1,1940 in Detroit, Michigan and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit in the Bender Family Plot - the cemetery plot of his 3rd wife's family.  His death certificate had a bit more information regarding his place of birth listing Westphalia, Germany and his obituary stated the same.  Beckum, Westphalia, Germany was the birthplace of Rudolph's parents, grandparents, great grandparents and several earlier generations all leading to my belief that Rudolph himself had been born there.

Rudolph Schulte's death certificate and obituary:

With all my research, and the amount of documentation I had, I still had no idea and no positive proof of where my great-grandfather had been born.  I was very close to my grandfather, Rudolph's only child, and yet my grandfather told me he only knew his father had been from Germany.  Obviously families never discussed these things.  My grandfather shared with me all the military medals of his father and all the photos that my grandparents had.  In with the photos were a few of Rudolph in the Masonic fraternal organization clothing.

Rudolph Schulte as a member of the Masonic fraternal organization:

 Armed with this information I wrote to the headquarters of the Masons in Detroit.  After many back and forth letters (this was before computers), I received copies of Rudolph's application and other paperwork from his time as a member of the Masons.  In that application was, in Rudolph's own handwriting, his place of birth as Beckum, Westphalia, Germany!

At last I had confirmation that Rudolph was indeed born in the place of his Schulte ancestors.  I was ecstatic...

Until I began searching for absolute proof of this,  hopefully, with documentation from Beckum.

That has not happened despite many years of research.  While the Catholic church records of Saint Stephan Katholische Kirche are microfilmed by the LDS and Family Search, and while myself and another Schulte cousin, have thoroughly gone through the records, giving us information on our Schulte line back to the 1600's, no record of the birth of Rudolph Schulte has been found nor a marriage record of his parents.

I even hired a professional German researcher in 2021 who visited the church and viewed the vital records for Beckum and other nearby villages that were all part of the Saint Stephan Catholic Church parish.  The professional genealogist informed me there was no record of either Rudolph's birth or the marriage of his parents.  Using the assumption that Rudolph's mother could have been Evangelical (Lutheran), as the family became when they arrived in America, the professional genealogist checked the Evangelical records as well and nothing was found.

Now in 2025, I am back to square 1.  While my Schulte ancestors - from my 2nd great grandfather, Joseph Schulte, back to the 1600's were all members of the Catholic Church in Beckum, Westphalia, it is still a mystery where Rudolph was born and where his parents were married.

I love a good mystery but 40 plus years of research has frustrated me.  I'm not giving up; there is always something new to investigate and I am turning my research to Rudolph's mother, Alvina Tobien, to see if that will open up some avenues.

Despite the topic of this post being "overlooked", I feel that I have not overlooked any available records or information that has been available to me - up to this point!

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 3 "Nicknames"

WHAT NAME DO YOU USE:

In my genealogical research I have often found interesting naming patterns in specific families.  While it was common to name children after a grandparent or a sponsor, in one of my lines I found patterns that could not be linked to a specific reason.

I did learn after much research, that in the 19th century, German children were often given multiple first names, including biblical names, names of saints and old family names.  Common names for boys were Johann, Friedrich, Wilhelm, while common girls names were Anna, Maria, Elisabeth.  Typically only one of the names was used throughout the person's life.

In my paternal Feucht family this was certainly true and many times the chosen name was substituted for another of the two or three names making research very difficult.

My second great grandparents, Johann Jacob Feucht and Magdalena Helena Bauer, were both born in Germany.  Johann Feucht was born in Tamm, Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, Germany and Magdalena was born in Schwarzenbach by Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.

They both immigrated to Detroit, Michigan at separate times, and married in Detroit on February 20,1859 at Trinity Lutheran Church. 

Ten children were born to them as follows:

 Johann Georg Feucht - born February 25,1860 and died July 25,1860.

Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Feucht - born July 12, 1861 and died February 17,1937.  She was known as Elizabeth or Liz throughout her life

Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Feucht:

Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa Feucht - born January 12,1864 and died November 11,1908.  She was known alternately as Rosa, Rose and even Kunigunde on various documents throughout her life.

Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa Feucht:

Johann Conrad Feucht - born June 29,1866 and died after November 1908. Documents over the years have noted him listed as Johann, John and Conrad.  He disappeared from records after November, 1908 and he is still a brick wall for me.

Karoline Margarethe Mary Feucht - born August 2, 1868 and died May 7,1869.  Documents in her brief life have shown her listed as Karoline and Mary.

Christine Katharine Juliane Feucht - born February 16,1870 and died January 14,1907.  This was my great-grandmother and throughout her 37 year life she was known as Julia, Julie, Juliane and Julia Anna.

Christine Katharine Juliane Feucht:

Margarethe Feucht - born July 4,1872 and died January 1,1936.  The multiple naming pattern seemed to stop with her though she was known alternately through her life as Margaret, Maggie, Meg.

Margarethe Feucht:

Helene Feucht - born March 6,1875 and died June 3, 1957. She was mainly known as Lena or Helene throughout her life.  She lived the longest of the Feucht siblings.  She was also the only one of the daughters that was actually named after her parent.

Helene Feucht:

Johann Georg Feucht - Another child given the same name as their firstborn son.  This son was born October 20,1877 and died January 7,1933.  Documents over his lifetime indicated he was using the name George.

Charles Henry Feucht - The last of the children of Jacob and Helena Feucht.  He was born January 15, 1881 and he died October 6,1945.  He used the name Charles throughout his life.  He was only 4 when his mother died and 11 when his father died.

There were 4 sons with 3 of them given the first name of their father - Johann and 1 daughter named after her mother.

Every one of the 10 children had multiple baptismal sponsors but none could be connected to any known relatives - aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc even after I was able to trace both the Feucht line back many generations in Tamm, Württemberg, Germany and trace the Bauer line back 15 generations! in villages surrounding Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.

Despite the various names chosen for my great-grandmother and her 9 siblings, I am pleased that I have been very successful in tracing both lines of my family back in Germany and to have connected by DNA matches with 3 different "cousins" still living in various parts of Germany.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 2 "Favorite Photo"

FAVORITE PHOTO(S):

Over the 47 years of my genealogical research I have acquired thousands of photos of ancestors from family members who have willingly allowed me to scan and return their photos to them.  Naturally there are many that I would deem "favorites" and I have chosen two such photos to feature today.  

These two photos are from both my father's side and my mother's side, they are from different countries and different periods of time but it is amazing how the two photos tie together.

Over the last several years I have had amazing success with DNA matches via the My Heritage website.  While I use the Ancestry site exclusively for my research, I ventured into My Heritage five years ago hoping to make connections with European cousins.  I had been informed that more people in Germany and Poland (my areas of interest) use My Heritage so I downloaded my family tree to My Heritage hoping to have some matches.

It took over a year but then the results started coming in with amazing DNA matches that have allowed me to grow my family lines back many generations.

One such DNA match came to me a few years ago from a young gentleman in Warsaw, Poland.  This match was on the line of my second great-grandmother, Balbina Korcz, who was my mother's great-grandmother.  I had very little information on my Korcz ancestors and was just fortunate to find US records originally that indicated her name.  In the decades since then I had never had any luck learning anything more about her.

With this DNA match though I found a correspondent who was willing to share his records and the information he had uncovered.  He turned out to be my fourth cousin, two times removed which was amazing since we actually had high numbers of shared DNA.

One of the photos he shared with me were of his second great-grandparents, Melchior Korcz and Katarzyna Neumann.  Melchior was the grand-nephew of my second great-grandmother, the above Balbina Korcz.

Melchior was born December 28, 1878 in Trzek, Poland and Katarzyna was born May 4,1877 in Ługowiny, Poland.  They were married approximately April 1,1901 in Poland.  Melchior passed away in 1952 in Swarzędz, Poland and Katarzyna passed away in 1955 also in Swarzędz, Poland.  Both are buried in the Cmentarz Parafialny w Swarzędz (Municipal cemetery in Swarzędz, Poland). Melchior was my second cousin, two times removed.  Here is a photo of the two of them taken in Poland.  I would estimate this photo was taken in the later years of their marriage.  I fell in love with this photo and the way they were posed.

Melchior and Katarzyna Korcz:

While going through my multitudes of photos I came across another one that caught my eye showing another interesting way of posing a couple.  

This photo is of my great-grandfather, Rudolph Myer Schulte, and his second wife, Elizabeth Feucht.  Rudolph was my father's grandfather.  While I never knew this great-grandfather I had enormous amounts of genealogical information on him and his three wives that I had acquired over the years from my paternal grandparents.  Rudolph's first wife, Juliana Feucht, was my great-grandmother and she unfortunately passed away at the young age of 36.  Two months after her death, Rudolph married her sister, Elizabeth, and they combined their families.

Rudolph had been born on October 24,1869 in Germany.  US records show he was born in Beckum, Westfalen, Germany but research has not found positive evidence of that (YET)!  Elizabeth Feucht was born July 12,1861 in Detroit, Michigan.  Rudolph and Elizabeth were married February 20, 1907 in Detroit.  Rudolph passed away on April 1, 1940 in Detroit and Elizabeth passed away on February 17, 1937 also in Detroit.

This photo of Rudolph and Elizabeth was taken, I believe, at Riverview Park in Detroit, Michigan in approximately 1912.  

Rudolph and Elizabeth Schulte:

What a fun experience this must have been.

These are just two of my favorite ancestral photos but I feel they are well suited to this blog post.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 1 "In The Beginning"

47 YEARS OF RESEARCH:

In the beginning of my research, 47 years ago, I never would have expected the discoveries I would uncover with the advent of the Internet, DNA, foreign translation apps, professional researchers, etc.

Over the course of the next 52 weeks I will be writing about the discoveries I have made that have taken me "across the ocean" to the actual birthplaces of my second great-grandparents where I have obtained vital records and connected with cousins from those lines.  In many instances, I have been able to go back beyond the second great-grandparents to, in a few families, my tenth and above great-grandparents. 

I truly believe there is no end to what one can discover and we will never reach the "end" of our research. 

Don't get discouraged. The possibilities are endless.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

From Whence I Came - George William Wellhausen

GEORGE WILLIAM WELLHAUSEN

Here I am with my final post in the "From Whence I Came" series that I began at the beginning of this year.  Over this year I have posted on each of my four grandparents and seven of my great-grandparents.  This post, today, will complete the series when I post about my eighth great-grandparent.

George William Wellhausen was born December 28, 1869 in Detroit, Michigan to Charles Ernst Wellhausen and Christina Graumann.  He was their fifth child and first son with daughters Bertha, Augusta, Caroline and Anna born prior to his birth.  Two additional sons, Edward and Charles, would be born after George's birth.  In later years, George would become the father of my paternal grandmother, Ella Wellhausen Schulte.

While George was born in Detroit the family soon relocated to Clinton Township, Michigan in Macomb County where he met his future wife, Amelia Schluessler.  They were married on February 14, 1895.  This was Valentine's day which makes me wonder if he was a romantic man!

Together George and Amelia had three children - daughters Gertrude and Ella and son, George, Jr.

I do know that my great-grandfather enjoyed hunting and fishing as my uncle, Melbourne Schulte, relates that his grandfather taught him both sports which were activities that my father was definitely not interested in.  Obviously George enjoyed his hunting with his younger brother, Edward, as well as these photos depict:

Over the years George tried farming but it proved too strenuous for his health conditions.  He later ran a General Store which was more suited to his health.  He was also civic minded and served as the Clerk of Utica, Michigan from 1917-1918 and as Mayor of Utica from 1920-1921.

George was particularly fond of his granddaughter, Alvis Jean, who was born to his son, George, Jr. and wife, Eleanor.  I have several photos showing Alvis with her grandpa and it is obvious that he loved having her around as this photo taken July 1, 1935 shows:

Anolther photo taken in 1935 shows George Wellhausen, Jr. holding his son, Lynwood with Alvis Jean standing in front of her grandpa, George Wellhausen, Sr.  What the dog's name was is anyone's guess but I am betting it was the hunting dog!

Tragically, Alvis would pass away at the age of 5 after an accident.  Her death greatly affected George perhaps contributing to his own death a few years later.

George Wellhausen passed away on April 8, 1938 in Utica, Michigan and he is buried with his wife, Amelia, in Utica Cemetery.

Following George's death my uncle, Mel Schulte, asked his grandmother Wellhausen if he could have his grandfather, George's, car which he desperately wanted.  George had taught his grandson how to drive and had let him drive this car around their property on different occasions.  Amelia agreed to sell the car to Mel for $300 but not until Mel had proved to her that he had the money readily available.  We have had some good laughs about that remarking "that definitely sounds like great-grandma" who was known for her frugal ways.

A few years ago my uncle Mel submitted the story about the purchase of his first car along with a photo to Reminisce Magazine who selected the story and photo for their yearly calendar.  He was mighty proud of this selection and the memories of his grandfather that this evoked:

While I never knew my great-grandfather, George Wellhausen, I have been thinking of him on this the 152nd anniversary of his birth.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte

From Whence I Came - Marianna Rubis

MARIANNA RUBIS

My decision to write a 12-post series on my four grandparents and eight great-grandparents was an exciting challenge.  To date, the ten posts I have written were enjoyable to write and not very difficult due to the materials and photos, information and identifiable data that I had on these ancestors.  I derived pleasure in doing these posts and feel that I did these ancestors justice as I personally remembered them or as others have spoken about them to me.

Today's post, though, is going to be the most challenging of all.  While all of the previous ten ancestors lived lives that were not perfection, had financial and personal challenges, I am confident that they all had happy lives that overshadowed the down times.  In all that I have learned about my great-grandmother Marianna Rubis, though, I don't know if I can safely say that her life was at all happy and pleasant.  I hope that I can do her justice in my tribute to her.

Marianna Rubis at her marriage on October 26, 1891:

The Polish birth certificate that I received on my great-grandmother states:

"No. 29

Komorowo on December 29th, 1874 before the undersigned Civil Registrar appeared today the laborer Lorenz Rubisch, who is known to us in person residing in Jeziorzany of the catholic religion and announced that a female child was born to Anna Rubisch nee Nowak, his wife of the catholic religion residing with him in Jezierzany on December 24 - twenty fourth of the year one thousand eight hundred seventy four at one AM at his apartment in Jeziorzany who received the given name Marianna.  Read, approved, and since the declarant doesn't know how to write, undersigned with his hand-sign XXX   The Registrar Sellentin."

Lorenz and Anna Rubis had two older children, Andrej Rubis (Andrew), born in 1861 and Jozefa Rubis (Josephine), born in 1867.  In April of 1878 they had another son named Stanislaus (Stanley).  Father, Lorenz Rubis, passed away on March 16, 1887 in Rzegnowo, Poland from tuberculosis.

Over the years in my research I have seen the surname spelled in a variety of ways but the spelling used in the US was Rubis and that is the spelling I have used in my records.

In 1888, following the death of her husband, Lorenz, Anna Rubis immigrated to the US to Bay City, Michigan with her two youngest children, Marianna and Stanley.  Despite extensive research I have still been unable to find a passenger list showing their immigration though the 1900 Bay City, Michigan US census shows the date of 1888.  

Anna's son, Andreas Rubis, and his wife, Marianna Wierzbicki, were married in Gnesen, Germany on February 17, 1884 and also immigrated to Bay City, Michigan.  

In addition, Anna's daughter, Josefa Rubis, and her husband, Thomas Krzwoszynski, also married in Gnesen, Germany on June 21, 1885 and also immigrated to Bay City, Michigan.  

While I have received the Polish birth and marriage records for Andreas and Josefa I am still unable to also locate passenger list information showing their immigration to the US.  However, by 1900 the Rubis family were all living in Bay City, Michigan.  I do not know what prompted their choice of Bay City but there was a large Polish community there and perhaps they had other friends from their home village already living in this town in Michigan.

I have no further information on my great-grandmother, Marianna, from the time she arrived in the US until her marriage on October 26, 1891 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bay City to John Albert Kijak.

They would have four children in the next nine years - Joseph born in 1892, Anna born in 1894, Martha born in 1896 and Rozalie (Rosa) born in 1898.  All four children were born in Bay City.

On Marianna and John Kijak's marriage record that I received from St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bay City it indicated that Marianna had been born in Zczierzany, Gniemenski, Poland.  A vigorous search for any village in Poland resembling this spelling was never found.  When I did finally receive her birth record I saw that the village was called Jeziorzany, Poland which phonetically resembled the spelling on the marriage record.  It is likely that Marianna's pronunciation of her birth place to the recorder of her marriage was spelled the way the clerk understood it.  In any event, her birth record is definitive proof of her birth place of Jeziorzany, Poland.

Once I had received birth records from Poland on both Marianna Rubis and her husband, John Albert Kijak, I could see that Marianna was only 16 when she married John Kijak and he was 30 1/2 years old.  Even though this was a common practice at this time with younger women marrying older men I had to feel sorry for Marianna, a young girl who could not read, write or speak English, coming to a strange country and being married to a man near 15 years older than herself.  

Was Marianna's family life a happy one?  Was it moderately happy? Were the four Kijak children growing up in a loving family atmosphere?  From all indications that I have found and after numerous discussions with cousins it would appear that they were not a happy family.  John Kijak was obviously not destined to be a family man.  Each time Marianna was expecting a new baby John would take a hiatus and leave the family home, go off and stay with other family members and be gone for months at a time.  He would return eventually, stay for a while and when Marianna was again expecting another child, he would be off and running again.  This has been shared with me by more than one older cousin who were old enough to remember "Uncle John" staying at their home for months at a time.  After the fourth such incident, Marianna had had enough.

BUT...divorce was unheard of for a Roman Catholic young woman of only 24 with four young children.  John Kijak again left the family home and went to live with other cousins; it would appear there were no lack of relatives willing to take him into their home.  And what about Marianna and her four children who were just 2, 4, 6 and 8 years of age?

Records indicate that in 1900 Marianna, her brother, Stanley Rubisz, and her four Kijak children, Joseph, Anna, Martha and Rosa moved to South Bend, Indiana.  They moved with a man named Frank Banner, Sr. who had been living also in Bay City.  In South Bend, Marianna entered into a common law relationship with Frank Banner.  I doubt that was acceptable in the Catholic church either but Marianna was determined not to get a divorce from John Kijak.

In short order, Marianna and Frank had at least five children - Emma, Frank, Jr., Anthony, George and James Banner.  The 1910 US census for South Bend, Indiana indicated that Marianna was the mother of 11 children of which 9 were living in 1910.  I later learned that Marianna and Frank had another two children who died in infancy.

This photo shows Marianna with her children Emma, Frank, Jr and Anthony Banner taken in approximately 1906:

Am I able to assume that life in Indiana was better than in Michigan for Marianna?  Was her relationship with Frank Banner happier than her marriage to John Kijak?  It would appear that the answer to both of these questions would be "No".

Marianna's daughter, Anna Kijak, told my mother that Marianna had a very sad and unhappy life without any kind of caring or sharing in her two relationships.  Both men were unkind, cold and mentally abusive.  I can only hope that neither was physically abusive to her but Anna never mentioned that.

In late 1917 Marianna became ill in South Bend.  Rather than caring for her himself, Frank Banner called her daughter, Anna, in Detroit where Anna and her husband were living.  He told her that her mother was ill and made the command "come and get her".  Anna and her husband did make the trip to South Bend from Detroit and Anna brought her mother back to Detroit to care for her.

Marianna Kijak passed away at the home of her daughter at 500 Piper in Detroit on April 25, 1918.  She was buried in Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery on East McNichols and Van Dyke on the east side of Detroit.

Following her death, her children with Frank Banner, who were 4, 6, 8 10 and 12 at the time, were placed in a children's home.  In short order Marianna's daughters with John Kijak, Anna and Rosa, rescued the children from the children's home and each took a few to raise themselves.

When I began my research on my great-grandmother, Marianna Rubis, I struggled to find her death certificate.  I had assumed she would be listed as Mary Banner and would have passed away in South Bend, Indiana.  It was only after receiving information from Marianna's daughter, Anna Kijak, who in later years lived in Florida (she lived to be 101 years old), I was able to learn the true facts:

Marianna had not been married to Frank Banner so her name at death was Marianna Kijak.

She had passed away in Detroit and was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Detroit.

The family had never put down a gravestone for Marianna.

This bothered me and I could not get past the fact that my great-grandmother was lying in a single grave, far removed from her family members and that nobody still living even knew she was there.  I made a trip to the cemetery and learned the exact location of Marianna's burial site, then went to a local monument shop and selected a gravestone to be placed on her grave though at the time I did not have the accurate birth date to use; that date would be found many years later when I received the birth record from Poland:

I can only hope that my great-grandmother is truly resting in peace in heaven and that she somehow knows that her great-granddaughter thinks often of her on this the 147th anniversary of her birth.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte