The Spiraling Chains - The Spiraling Chains: Kowalski - Bellan Family Trees

Church Record Sunday: First Communion of Anthony Schroeder

8/6/2016

This is the First Holy Communion certificate of my husband's great-grandfather, Anthony Schroeder. Isn't it beautiful?

Church Record Sunday: First Communion of Anthony Schroeder - The Spiraling Chains

First Holy Communion Certificate of Anthony Schroeder

Here is a close-up of the written section of the certificate. The writing is faint, but still legible (thank goodness!). He received his first communion on May 31, 1908 in St. Patrick's Church in St. Patrick (Shelby Co.), Ohio. The presiding priest was Rev. J. H. Metzdorf.

Church Record Sunday: Anthony Schroeder First Communion - The Spiraling Chains

Here is a newspaper clipping from The Minster Post listing the small group of first communicants that day. Anton Schroeder is named first in the list.

The Minster Post, 5 Jun 1908, Page 6, Column 2

©2016 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Happy Birthday, Grandpa Schroeder

2/2/2015

On this date in 1925, my husband's paternal grandfather, Walter Schroeder was born. He is the only son of Anthony and Leona (Knob) Schroeder and he was born in the very small rural community of St. Patricks in Shelby County, Ohio. Here is his short birth announcement from the 13 Feb 1925 edition of The Minster Post:

Walter Schroeder Birth Announcement (25 Feb 1925, The Minster Post)

Walter, who acquired the nickname 'Chub' early on in his life, was the third of five children born to Anthony and Leona. He had four sisters, all of whom have passed away. On 26 Aug 1944 in the nearby town of McCartyville, he married Naomi Grilliot, daughter of Bernard O. Grilliot and Frances Drees. They have six children together, an Naomi also celebrated her 90th birthday this past December.

Here are a few of photos from his 90th birthday celebration. His love of cake hasn't diminished with age!

Walter's birthday cake

Loves the cake! (Who doesn't?)

Walter and Naomi with their daughter, Nancy

Walter's parents, Anthony and Leona, were both grandchildren of German immigrants who settled in western Ohio in the mid-19th century. To learn more about Walter's ancestors, click on the links below.

Walter's paternal line: SCHROEDER
Walter's maternal line: KNOB

©2015, Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma!

12/11/2014

Today, December 11, is the 90th birthday of my husband's paternal grandmother, Naomi Grilliot Schroeder. She was born December 11, 1924 near the small rural community of McCartyville, Ohio in Shelby County. Her birth was announced in The Minster Post on December 19, 1924.

Birth Announcement of Naomi Grillio(t); The Minster Post, 19 Dec 1924

Naomi's parents were Bernard Otto Grilliot, son of Nicholas Grilliot and Amelia Magoto, and Frances Drees, daughter of J.M. "Mike" Drees and Mary Wilkens. She was the third of ten children born to Bernard and Frances. Bernard sold farming equipment and machinery in McCartyville.

Naomi married Walter Schroeder on August 26, 1944 in McCartyville. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past August. Walter and Naomi have six children - five daughters and a son - and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The family came together last weekend to celebrate at Walter and Naomi's community home.

The birthday gal wearing a crown.

No, she didn't have to blow out 90 candles!

With their six children

Married 70+ years!

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

A 70th Wedding Anniversary

8/26/2014

Today, my husband's paternal grandparents, Walter and Naomi (Grilliot) Schroeder are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary. They were married 26 Aug 1944 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McCartyville, Shelby County, Ohio. Both the bride and groom were 19 years old.

The following is an account of the ceremony from the September 1st issue of The Minster Post:

The matron of honor listed, Mrs. Lawrence Jones, was Norma Mary Schroeder, Walter's sister. The maid of honor was Naomi's sister Ruth, and Norma's husband was the best man. (Walter, who had acquired the nickname 'Chub,' didn't have any brothers.) Here is a photo; it's a copy of a copy, so the quality isn't great, but I love using the descriptions in the newspaper article to get a better mental image of the clothing and flowers.

The weather nerd that I am, I went to the National Climatic Data Center online and looked up what the weather was like at the nearest observation location, which was just north of Sidney, Ohio. It looks like it was a relatively "cool" day for late August; The high temperature was 74F and the low temperature was all the way down to 44F, which makes me believe that it was likely mostly clear and sunny. There was no rain.

Walter and Naomi have lived in Sidney, Ohio during their entire marriage. They have six children; five girls and one boy. Grandpa is a WWII Army veteran and Grandma still makes the best cookies and enjoys crocheting blankets for her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

They probably won't see this blog post, but I just wanted to let the world know that all of us in the family feel blessed to be a part of the family that they started 70 years ago.

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Tombstone Tuesday: Frank and Bernadina (Hut) Schroeder

8/18/2014

Frank and Bernadina (Hut) Schroeder were my husbands 3x great-grandparents. They were both German Catholic immigrants that came to America and settled in western Ohio in the mid-19th century. They met in the town of Minster.

Frank, who also went by Franz, passed away in 1888 at the age of 66, and is buried in St. Patrick Cemetery in Shelby County, Ohio. Bernadina, whose full name was Joanna Bernadina, lived quite a while longer than her husband, and passed away in 1921 at the age of about 86. (Her birth year is listed as 1833 on her stone and in her obituary, but is listed as 1834 on her death certificate.) At the time of his death, Frank owned a farm in Turtle Creek Twp in Shelby County and the family attended nearby St. Patrick's Catholic Church. After Frank's death, Bernadina went to live with her son Joseph and his family, and, not long before her death, they moved to Minster, which is why she is buried in St. Augustine's Cemetery. (Click on images for larger views.)

Frank Schroeder

Gravestone of Frank Schroeder, St. Patrick's Cemetery, Shelby Co, Ohio

Bernadina Hut Schroeder

Gravestone of Bernadina Hut Schroeder, St. Augustine's Cemetery, Minster, Ohio

Photo Sources:
Frank Schroeder: FindAGrave.com, photographed by A. Chronicler
Bernadina Schroeder: FindAGrave.com, photographed by Crashlan

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Sunday's Obituary: Bernadina Hut Schroeder

6/28/2014

Johanna Bernadina Hut Schroeder was my husband's 3x great-grandmother through his paternal grandfather's line. As mentioned (although misspelled) in her obituary below, she was born in Löningen, Cloppenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany, a fact that actually agrees with the place of origin on her family's passenger list. Her year of birth varies depending upon which source is consulted, but she was born sometime between 1833 and 1834.

Johanna Bernadina, who usually went Bernadine or Bernadina, came to America as a young child with parents and her older brother, Theodore, in 1837. The family's surname is spelled 'Huth' on the passenger list, but once in America, they used the name 'Hut' regularly. The family settled in Minster, Auglaize County, Ohio, which was, at that time, a new community of mostly German immigrants.

Obituary of Bernadina Hut Schroeder, The Minster Post

Bernadina's father, Ludwig, passed away in 1839, and her mother, Adelheide, remarried a man named Lucas Clement or Clemens. Bernadina married Franz ('Frank' or 'Fred') Schroeder in 1852. The couple had nine children. Her husband's year of death is incorrect as stated in her obituary; according to Shelby County probate death records, he passed away in 1888.

Bernadina's death certificate can be seen below. She passed away 15 January 1921 and the (supposed) age of 86 years. The informant, her son, Joseph Schroeder, incorrectly listed her father's first name as 'John,' but considering that he passed away when Bernadina was still a child, that's an understandable error. Her mother is listed as 'Adline Frozenbusch.' I'm not entirely sure where that surname came from; a family history written by Bernadina's brother, Theodore, states that their mother's maiden name was 'Brant,' and St. Augustine Cemetery records indicate a maiden name of 'Brand' for Adelheide.

Bernadina Hut Schroeder Ohio Death Certificate

Bernadina is buried in St. Augustine Cemetery in Minster, Ohio.

Obituary Source: The Minster Post, 21 Jan 1921
Death Certificate Source: FamilySearch.org, Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953, FHL microfilm 1991394, digital folder number 4017669, image 327

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Anthony Schroeder, Born February 14th (Probably)

2/14/2014

On this date in 1895, my husband's great-grandfather, Anthony A. Schroeder was born in Shelby County, Ohio. At least, I'm pretty sure he was born on February 14th. It is listed on as his date of birth on his death certificate and both his WWI and WWII draft registration cards. What makes me wonder is this probate birth record from Shelby County. (The red arrows point to Anthony's name and to his parents' names. Click on image for larger view.)

Probate Birth Record for Anthony Schroeder

This birth record lists his date of birth as March 2, 1895. It is definitely the correct Anthony Schroeder - both parent names are correct, as is the location. Nineteenth century probate birth and death records are often very interesting and, sometimes, not always that accurate. If you look at the far left side of the record, you will find the date on which the birth was reported, in this case May 14, 1895 - at least a couple of months after Anthony's birth. Then, if you look to the far right of the record, you will find the name of the person who reported the birth, in this case, W. H. Pellman, Assessor. Very often, the birth was NOT reported by a parent or even a relative, and sometimes it took several months for the birth to be officially recorded. So, the date could possibly be due to an assessor error. (Anthony was his parents' fourth child, so there isn't any possibility that the 'official' date would have been moved back, which did sometimes happen with first-born children if the parents' had not been married long enough, if you know what I mean.)

The way to get to the bottom of this would be for me to find his baptismal record, if it exists. Babies at this time were usually baptized within a week of birth, so that would surely confirm whether or not the February or the March birth date is truly correct. Unfortunately, the archives for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are currently closed, so there is little chance of me finding that record any time soon.

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!

1/20/2014

Today, January 20, is Penguin Awareness Day. Well, what does that have to do with family history, you say? It just so happens that on Thanksgiving Day 2011, our son was chosen to be a Grand Marshal of the Penguin Parade at the Newport Aquarium. He had just turned four and LOVED every minute of it. There was lots of dancing before the penguins came out, and then he got to put on a sparkly black vest and lead the penguins on their parade. Our daughter, who was 15 months old, wasn't too sure of the whole thing, especially the big overgrown stuffed penguin. (She is almost three and a half now and she STILL doesn't like people dressed in full animal costumes.) Anyway, here are some photos of the event:

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Kindergarten Photos

10/11/2013

My son brought home his Kindergarten photos today, so, of course, I had to find mine in my box of old photos. His came out all right. I can tell that this isn't his 'natural' smile, but he looks happy and he's not making some weird face or anything. My Kindergarten photo, on the other hand, wasn't very good. Ok, so I was shy - really shy - and I'm five years old and this complete stranger is trying to make me laugh and smile? I wasn't buying it. (I remember I did LOVE that dress - purple was my favorite color.)

©2013, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Tombstone Tuesday: Anthony and Leona (Knob) Schroeder

6/24/2013

Gravestone of Anthony and Leona Schroeder, Graceland Cemetery, Sidney, Ohio

This week's gravestone is that of Anthony and Leona Schroeder, who are two of my husband's paternal great-grandparents. My husband was actually named after this great-grandfather and he also goes by 'Tony,' just as Great-Grandpa did. Anthony was born in 1895 in Shelby County, Ohio to Joseph Schroeder and Anna Bernhold Schroeder. He was Joseph and Anna's only son who lived past infancy. Tony married Leona Knob on May 6, 1919. She was the daughter of William Bernard Knob and Mary Watercutter, also residents of Shelby County, Ohio. Anthony and Leona had five children; four girls - Norma, Dorothy, Carol, and Barbara - and one son, Walter, who is my husband's paternal grandfather. The family lived in Sidney, Ohio, and Anthony worked as a molder for the Wagner Manufacturing Company.

Photo Source: FindaGrave.com, image owned by Matthew Patterson

©2013, text copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder