Schoulte, Katherine (Struckoff) 1821 - 1910

SCHOULTE, STRUCKOFF, SCHMIDT, URIELL, FRANK

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 3/23/2020 at 10:05:18

Elkader Register & Argus, Thur., 31 Mar. 1910. Garnavillo column.

Mrs. Katherine Schoulte, nee Struckoff died at her old home in Garnavillo township March 19th, 1910. She was born in Oldenberg, Germany, in 1821, and in 1837, at the age of sixteen years, she left her old home, father, mother, sister and three brothers and started out alone to find a home for herself. Her destination was the new world across the ocean. Without a friend as a companion and with no relative or acquaintance to meet her at the end of her journey, she commenced her wanderings. at that time here say was all that was known of the wonders of the new world. She took passage from Bremen to New Orleans on a sailing vessel, it taking fourteen weeks to make the voyage across the ocean. Remaining in New Orleans during the year 1838 she continued her journey to St. Louis. Her stay here was but a year, and hearing of the possibilities of Dubuque and the great territory of Iowa in which to acquire a home, she started in the spring of 1839 by boat from St. Louis for Dubuque. Upon her arrival in Dubuque she secured employment. On November 16th, 1840, she was united in marriage to Wm. Schoulte, with whom she lived a long and happy married life extending over a period of thirty-seven years. Eleven children, two daughters and nine sons, were born to this union, five of whom preceded the mother in death. Those left to mourn the death of a loving mother are: Katherine Schmidt, of Richmond, Minn.; Sarah Uriell, of Elkader; J. E. Schoulte, of Casper, Wyo.; Herman, of Read township; Henry, living on the old homestead; and S. H. Frank, of Farmersburg township, besides forty grandchildren and thirty-nine great-grandchildren.

In January, 1841, they moved from Dubuque to Kosell's Mill (Durango), ten miles northwest of Dubuque, and remained here until February, 1842, when they moved to Clayton County, to where later Jacksonville (now Garnavillo) was located. They rented a farm, known as the Kosell farm, from Wm. Gilett, upon which they resided for two years. In the meantime they had purchased a tract of land west of town, upon which they had built a cabin. This has been her home until the time of her death.

In 1846 the deceased had arranged for her parents, brothers and sisters to come to America, but they, too, had passed away.

In her late illness she received every care and attention that loving hands could do for her. On March 23rd, followed by a goodly number of friends and relatives, who came to pay their tribute to the pioneer and friend, from the home to the church and then to the Catholic cemetery, on the old homestead, her remains were laid to rest by the side of her husband and children who had preceded her in death. Mrs. Schoulte was a good Christian, a kind friend, and was always willing to lend a helping hand and kind words to the needy and afflicted.