August Wenkel #NotMyWenkel

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) ·  Thu, Apr 11, 1895 ·  Page 3
downloaded March 2017 from Newspapers.com

St Louis, Missouri?  #NotMyWenkel

Dance Hall, McHenry Illinois

This might by my August Wenkel, since the area is the same, McHenry Illinois.  I never knew that August and Grace Wenkel had a dance hall, and that they had a license to serve alcohol.   Wonder where this dance hall was?  What was it called?

The McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, Illinois) ·  Thu, Apr 26, 1934 ·  Page 11
downloaded February 2017 from Newspapers.com

The McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, Illinois)
Apr 23, 1936 ·  Page 11
downloaded March 2017 from
Newspapers.com

I've done several searches for dance hall in McHenry Illinois with and without the name Wenkel in the search field.  I've found several German results, some in Texas, but none that I've been able to find.  If you know the whereabouts of this business, please let me know.  I'm sure I am not the only one curious.

August Ten Wenkel #Not My Wenkel

Death of Mrs August F. Wenkel, April 1914
Arlington Heights Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
Thu, Apr 8, 1954 ·  Page 25
downloaded February 2017 from
Newspapers.com

I don't know who this might be.  My information from Ancestry.com is that Sophia Rohrsen Wenkel died in 1948 in Standish Michigan.  MyHeritage.com shows a death date of February or August 1948.  

If this is your August F. Wenkel whose wife died in Arlington Heights Illinois in April of 1914, this clipping's for you!

Arlington Heights Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
Thu, Apr 8, 1954 ·  Page 25
downloaded March 2017 from
Newspapers.com

An unusual name, if this entry is correct.  August Ten Wenkel of Minneapolis Minnesota invented a concentrator of some kind.  Wonder what it concentrated?  Is there a way to find out?  Anyway, this is not a relative of my Wenkel Clan.

#NotMyWenkel

UPDATED to add --
my lawyer friend who looks at patents for a living searched this one for me.  She found the patent, and it looks like a separator for dirt or rocks.  His name is Ten Wenkel, and it sounds Dutch, similar to Corrie Ten Boom.  

August and Sophia Wenkel family, photos and miscellany

August and Sophia Rohrsen Wenkel family, about 1910
permission granted from Christi Adams

August and Sophia Rohrsen Wenkel family
Standish Michigan, original photo

August and Sophia Rohrsen Wenkel Family about 1900
used with permission from Christi Adams

Original photo

August and Sophia Rohrsen Wenkel, about 1920?
used with permission from Christi Adams

1947 August and Sophia Wenkel family reunion

1929 Ship manifest including August Wenkel

I don't know if this August Wenkel is my August Wenkel.  Historically, German immigrants often made several trips back to the homeland, but this seems a bit late for my August.  so, #NotMyWenkel

Travel Tuesday -- August Wenkel 1861-1954

1887 Immigration Card for August, Sophie and Lina Wenkel

I found this really cool immigration document.  It is cool because of the information this document provides.  Yes, I have already posted about August, Sophia and Lena's immigration using the Ship's manifest for the proof.  That is cool, too, and you can see it here.  Images of those documents are found in these following links:

• 1887 Immigration Manifest Part 1
• 1887 Immigration Manifest Part 2
• 1887 Passenger Ship Donau from http://fdpiech.tripod.com/ships/ssdonau.htm

But now I include this 1887 Immigration card.   Some information I can glean from this card is that it was filled out much later, sometime after 1937.  How can I tell that?  Good question.  See the very tippy top left where it says "Stand, Paint. & Litho. Co. Balto.?  Right after that is the date.  About this time, as part of the Conservation Corps program during or after the Great Depression, people were hired to index and categorize historical documents.  Someone who was grateful for a paying job read all the ship manifests and put the names down on cards, which were then alphabetized.  This is the most efficient method when there are no computers.

So, what else can we find?  Not much more than we already know.  August Wenkel age 26, male, Farmer from Germany, destined for the United States.  He came with Sofie age 23 and Lina age 10 months.  How difficult would it be to have an infant in a crowded ship for a month?  Was the ship crowded?  Did they get enough food and sunlight?  Did they get sick?

They entered through Baltimore Maryland on 24 May 1887, disembarking the ship Donau.

Is this your Wenkel?  Be sure to follow this blog to get the new blogs as they come out.  It may not be regular, but you don't want to miss a single one.

Wedding Wednesday -- William and Dora Wenkel Hohlfelder

3 generation pedigree Dora Wenkel Hohlfelder
from Ancestry.com

Dora Wenkel was the sixth child born to August and Sophia Rohrsen Wenkel.  Sixth child, fourth daughter.  She was born in February 1893 in Standish Michigan, and was 27 years old when she married William Hohlfelder.

William and Dora Wenkel Hohlfelder wedding
June 1920, Standish Michigan
photo used by permission of Christi Adams

Above is the clan gathered at their wedding.  I would love to be able to identify everyone else, because my grandfather must be included.  After all, he would have been a young man of 22.

June 1920 Marriage Record
William and Dora Wenkel Hohlfelder

Notice, if you will, William's occupation as Dairyman.  When August P. Wenkel was drafted in 1918 for World War I, he listed his occupation as a Milk Hauler for Bay Buttery.  Perhaps these two young men were friends, and August introduced William to his older sister?

1920 Marriage Record, Arenac County

William and Dora Wenkel Hohlfelder Wedding party
1920, Standish Michigan
photo used by permission of Christi Adams

Miscellaneous Monday -- August F.A. Wenkel died 100 years ago

On this day in history!

1917 ad for John Deer Corn Planter
Franklin County Tribune (Union, Missouri)
Fri, May 4, 1917 ·  Page 1
Downloaded on Mar 13, 2017
from Newspapers.com

According to my Legacy Software program -- on which I keep my personal family tree -- August F.A. Wenkel died 100 years ago.
Wow, that was a long time.

30 May 1917

August Friederich Andreas Wenkel [657] died 100 years ago

Census Sunday -- August and Sophia Wenkel 1910

August and Sophia Wenkel mini pedigree
from Ancestry.com

1910 Census, Gibson Township, Bay, Michigan
from Ancestry.com

This image of the 1910 census for Gibson Township in Bay County, Michigan shows the not-so-little Wenkel family on their farm.  This was information obtained for 30 April 1910.

On line 57 we start with August (FA) Wenkel.  I'll transcribe the census in a moment, but lets take a look at some things first, shall we?

The Wenkels are the 138th family visited.  There is no street and no house number, indicating this is farm country.  Most of this community were either Germans themselves, or descendants of Germans.  Most likely they spoke German fluently.  

{Whoa, nellie.  This census lists only 10 children.  August Jr (the first), Lena, and Barbara are missing.  August, we know, died while still an infant in Germany.  Lena was most likely working as a domestic.  Barbara died as an infant in 1895.  I wonder why she did not include her two dead children in the count?  I cannot believe she'd forgotten about them.  But, why were they not included in her children?}

It looks like the enumerator got the order of the children mixed up, if we look at the ages.  One thing to remember...just because the wife is listed as having no job, that does not mean she didn't take in laundry, sell eggs, sew clothing or anything else to earn a penny or three.

57.  August Wenkel, Head, white male.  Age 49, first marriage, married for 25 years.  Born Germany, parents born Germany.  Immigrated 1876 and is naturalized.  Speaks English.  Occupation Farmer on General Farm.   Able to read/write, does not attend school.  

58.  Sophia Wenkel, wife, white female.  Age 46, first marriage, married 25 years, 12 children born, 12 still living {see note above}.    Born Germany, parents born Germany.  Immigrated 1876.  Speaks English.  No occupation.  Able to read/write, does not attend school.  

59.  Fred Wenkel, son, white male.  age 23, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  Farmer on Home Land.  Able to read/write, does not attend school.  

60.  Anna, daughter, white female.  Age 19, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.   Clerk in General Store.  Able to read/write, does not attend school.  

61.  Vena, daughter, white female.  age 21, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.   Domestic with Housework.  Able to read/write, does not attend school.  

62.  Bertha, daughter, white female.  Age 16, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  None.  Able to read/write, attends school.  

63.  Dora, daughter, white female.  Age 17, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  Domestic, Housework.  Able to read/write, does not attend school.  

64.  Frieda, daughter, white female.  Age 14, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  None.  Able to read/write, does attend school.  

65.  Celia, daughter, white female..  Age 13, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  None.  Able to read/write, does attend school.  

66.  August, son, white male.  Age 11, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  None.  Able to read/write, does attend school.  

67.  Andrew, son, white male.  age 10, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  None.  Able to read/write, does attend school.  

68.  Sophia, daughter, white female.  Age 7, single, born Michigan.  Speaks English.  None.  Able to read/write, does attend school.  

69.  William, son, white male.  Age 6, single, born Michigan.  None.  Able to read/not write, does attend school.

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