Hubert Kohlgraf (1814-1899)

KOHLGRAF, KOLEGRAFF, GROSS

Posted By: Jane Kolegraff Wendell (email)
Date: 4/6/2011 at 11:03:29

Hubert Kohlgraf
(1814-1899)
Source: “The Kohlgraf Family History” by Jane Kolegraff Wendell, 2008.

Hubert Kohlgraf was born on 17 May 1814 in Sinsteden (Germany), to Mathias Kohlgraf and Maria Catharina Könen. He was baptized on 18 May 1814; his baptism is recorded in the records of the Catholic Church of Rommerskirchen. His godfather was Lambert Kohlgraf, his grandfather.
Limited information is available for Hubert’s childhood years. His father, Mathias, died between 1817 and 1822; Hubert would have been between three and eight years old when he lost his father. It is not yet known what caused the death of Mathias. He was a Tagelöhner; perhaps he died in a work-related accident. He may have succumbed to the cholera pandemic of 1817-1823. This pandemic threatened people of all ages
Daily life must have been full of challenges. Growing up in a single parent household, Hubert most likely went to work at a young age. He apparently never learned to write his name, because subsequent documents are signed with an "X" and labeled "His Mark." It is likely that he did not have the opportunity to attend school. Interestingly, his uncles and at least some of his first cousins could sign their names on documents.
Hubert married Anna Maria Brüggen in Freimersdorf on 04 Feb 1843. The civil marriage record states that Hubert was 28 years old, he lived at Widdersdorf, and his occupation was listed as "Knecht," a farm worker. Anna Maria was 26 years old, living in Stommeln. Their church marriage was recorded in the Catholic Church of Stommeln on 07 Feb 1843. After their marriage they lived in Sinsteden, and had seven children.
Their first child, Catharina Hubertina, was born on 22 Dec 1843, in Sinsteden. Hubert was 29 years old, and his occupation was Tagelöhner, day laborer; Anna Maria was also a day laborer at this time. Elisabeth, their second child, was born 04 Oct 1845. Hubert was 32 years old, and was a Kleinhändler, a trader, dealer, or shopkeeper. Elisabeth died on 12 Jul 1848, at the age of two years and nine months. Hubert and Anna Maria’s third child was a son named Wilhelm who was born 30 Nov 1847; Wilhelm died at the age of seven days, 06 Dec 1847.
Poor harvests during the 1840’s led to food shortages and economic problems. Hubert and his family must have been directly impacted by the potato blight that struck central Europe in 1846-1847. This blight caused crop failures, and resulted in malnutrition, potential starvation, and starvation-related disease.
On 22 Feb 1849, Gerhard was born. Hubert was thirty five years old and was again identified as a Kleinhändler. Christina was born 28 Sep 1852. Christina later married Joseph Gross, and they moved to Cascade, Iowa, in 1892 and lived there for the remainder of their lives. Philipp was born 11 Feb 1855, when Hubert was 40 years old. Hubert was identified as a Krämer, a businessman or merchant, at this time. Adam, the youngest child of the family, was born on 26 April 1857. Hubert’s occupation is listed as “farmer.”
On 15 July 1857, Hubert Kohlgraf obtained documents to enable his family to travel to America. In the fall of 1857, Hubert, his family, and his mother traveled to Antwerp, Belgium. They boarded a ship called the "David Hoadley" and sailed to the United States of America. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean may have taken between six and nine weeks.
Hubert Kohlgraf and his family arrived in New York on 18 Nov 1857. They entered the USA at Castle Garden, the main port of New York at that time.
Kohlgraf family members are listed on the ship’s manifest: Hubert and Anna Maria are included, along with their children: Anna, 13; Gerhardt, 7; Christina, 5; Philipp, 3, and Adam, who was 6 months old. Hubert’s mother, Maria, is also listed. Hubert’s name on the manifest was written as “Lambert Kohlgraf.” It is possible that his name was copied from the family’s emigration papers. On these documents, his name was handwritten in a script that forms the capital “H” in a way that could be read as an “L.” Another explanation may be that when information was given orally, spelling errors or variations and misunderstandings were common.
From New York, the Kohlgrafs traveled to Chicago, Illinois. On 16 Dec 1857, Hubert Kohlgraf filed a Declaration of Intent in Cook County, the first step toward becoming a citizen of the United States. The family traveled on to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and settled in Monroe County, Wisconsin, where they lived near the settlement of St. Mary's Ridge. They joined a number of other settlers there; most were from the Stommeln and Rommerskirchen areas.
With hopes of starting a new life in this new land, the newly arrived settlers faced a barren, bleak place. They were 14 miles from the nearest settlement, and had no provisions, no livestock, and no farm implements. In addition, those who arrived in the winter of 1857 were greeted by a winter with three feet of snow.
They persevered, however, and when spring came, they built houses and started clearing land for crops. The thick underbrush was difficult to clear, and the crops were poor for the next two years. Unfortunately, there were few, if any, other opportunities available to earn money. Some men were able to do farm labor for established farmers near Sparta.
Peter Hemmersbach, one of these early settlers, wrote about those days: “Whoever had buckwheat made buckwheat pancakes, whoever had no buckwheat had to be satisfied with cornbread. But this was not the cornmeal that we know today, but a simple bread, that consisted of cornmeal and water with some salt. One had nothing else. There was no fat and butter and meat only then, when one had luck on the hunt. The wild game was too shy and for the most part gunpowder and lead were lacking. The oak tree provided coffee. The oaks were dried and ground. One could find enough in the brush. The oak coffee was good and we remained healthy and cheerful thereby. Some ate and drank better as long as the money reached, but afterwards were the poorest. It is hardly believable how an old man of 80 years, who could live well in Germany and was used to his tobacco, that he could buy no more tobacco and minced old lumber and leaves, that was his tobacco. It was hardly believable, but it is fact. But had the wishes of some old people been realized, so would America have long ago disappeared from the earth.”
The people came together and established a Catholic parish. They built the first church in the spring of 1858. The church was built of logs, and was 20 x 48 feet. There was no heat for this building. According to Peter Hemmersbach, the logs were gathered in the fall and winter, and the building began in the spring. It took a month to build the church. At this point, the people asked for a priest to come, at least on occasion. This request was honored, and a priest came to minister to the people of this new parish once each month.
Finally, in 1860, the crops were good, and the people and the community began to prosper. In September of 1860, Hubert purchased 40 acres of land in Ridgeville Township; his name on these land documents is spelled "Kuhlgraf.” The family settled on this land on 15 November 1860. Hubert built a small house and broke land for crops. The house was 14 x 20 feet, with two windows and one door. It had a board roof and a board floor. He also built a stable, and ploughed and fenced 8 acres.
Hubert and his family are included in the 1860 Federal Census for Ridgeville. His name is written as "Robert Colgrave,” age 46 years. On 15 Jun 1863, Hubert purchased and settled on land in Jefferson Township, Monroe County. He built a frame house, 18 x 12 feet, with a shingle roof and two floors. This house had two windows, and one outside door. He also built a stable and a granary and continued to earn a living as a farmer.
In March of 1869, Hubert received his Certificate of Naturalization at Sparta, Wisconsin, prior to applying for the patent on his land in June 1869. He received the patent, Certificate #600, on 02 May 1870.
In 1875, a census was taken for the state of Wisconsin. In Monroe County, Jefferson Township, there is an entry for “Kohlgraf.” This household included three males and one female. These family members were most likely Hubert, Anna Maria, Philip, and Adam.
The 1880 Federal Census of Monroe County, Wisconsin, includes Hubert, age 66, his wife, Anna Maria, age 63, and their son, Adam Kohlgraf, 23 years old.
In the spring of 1882, Hubert and Anna Maria, along with their youngest son Adam, left Wisconsin and relocated to Spink County, Dakota Territory. Hubert was 68 years old at this time. They were among a number of people who relocated farther west during that time, looking for greater opportunity. For example, the Northern Pacific Railroad enticed farmers with ads that proclaimed the area of Dakota and Minnesota to be “as healthy a country as there is in the world.” This land was also said to be the best available for growing spring wheat, and farmers could expect to make a fortune.
The area around Zell was settled by a group of immigrants from Stiermark, Austria, Bohemia and Luxemburg. One of these settlers, Matt Heppler, owned much of the land in the settlement of Zell. Tradition says Mr. Heppler hoped to establish a Catholic, German-speaking community. He would meet the train in nearby Redfield and greet prospective settlers, “Bist du Katholischer?” If the new arrivals understood the question and showed interest, he would try to persuade them to settle in Zell. Perhaps Hubert and Anna Maria were greeted by this question when they arrived in Dakota Territory. In any event, they became part of this growing community.
Through the land office at Huron, Hubert and Adam obtained land near the recently established settlement of Zell. Land documents state that Hubert and Anna Maria first settled on their claim, NW ¼ of Section 8, Township 116, Range 65, on 23 May 1882. The land was about two miles southeast of the settlement of Zell. Hubert built a house, stable, and dug two wells on this land. All lumber used in building had to be hauled by horse and wagon from the city of Redfield, a distance of about 10 miles.
The settlers in this newly settled area had to be self-sufficient in order to survive. They dug wells for water, and cows provided meat, milk, cream and butter. Vegetables were grown in gardens, and eggs were gathered from chickens. Farmers plowed their fields with horses or oxen hitched to a single lay plow. The farmer, carrying a bag of seed, sowed his crop by hand.
On 15 Apr 1883, a group of pioneers gathered together to organize a Catholic parish in the village of Zell. They decided to build a convent to serve as a school and church. The parish was established, and Hubert and Adam are included in a list of the first members of St. Mary’s Parish. Priests from Aberdeen came to Zell on occasion to minister to the new parish.
The 1885 Dakota Territory Census includes Hubert, living in Township 116-117 Range 65. His name is recorded as “Hobert Colegraff. The winters of 1883-1888 were probably somewhat colder than normal. In August of 1883, the volcano Krakatoa erupted on what is now an island of Indonesia. The blast was said to be heard more than 3,000 miles away. The massive volume of dust and ash obscured the sun, and as a result, global temperatures were below normal for the next 5 years.
In spite of this, the Zell Silver Anniversary book notes that the summer of 1886 was extrememly hot and dry. The grass was parched and brown by the 4th of July. The heat lasted into September.
Anna Maria died on 24 Oct 1886. She was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Zell, South Dakota, where a large white headstone marks her grave.
In the weeks or months after Anna Maria’s death, Hubert went to Durand, Wisconsin, where he lived with his daughter Christina Gross and her family. In 1892, he moved to Cascade, Iowa, when Christina’s husband, Joseph, was transferred by the railroad. Hubert is included in the 1895 Iowa State Census, under the name “Hubbard Calcraft.”
Hubert died on 7 Jun 1899 at the age of 85 years. His internment is recorded in the church records of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cascade. He was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Section D, Row 5, Lot 13. If there was an original headstone, it is now gone. “Hubert Kolegraff 1814-1899” is engraved on the back of Joseph and Christina’s headstone, which was placed in the 1930’s.
Hubert’s obituary appeared on 09 Jun 1899 in the Cascade Pioneer. It is interesting to note the spelling of his name, “Hubbard Kolegraff.”. Also, Hubert’s obituary contains some discrepancies in the dates and places mentioned. Research has shown that Hubert was born in Sinsteden, and he and Anna Maria were married in 1843. They came to the USA in 1857. His obituary is reprinted here:
AN AGED CITIZEN
Mr. Hubbard Kolegraff Passes Away At The Age Of Eighty-Five.

Wednesday, June 7, at 10:55 p.m., the spirit of Hubbard Kolegraff winged its silent flight from its tenement of clay to the realms of eternity. The infirmities of age and the weight of his eighty-five years was the cause of his death.

Hubbard Kolegraff was born in Kellendorf, Prussia, in 1814. In 1841 he was married to Miss Mary Briggen, and in 1853 husband and wife came to America to better their fortunes in the great western hemisphere. They settled in St. Mary's Ridge, Wisconsin, and followed the occupation of farming. Following the tide of western emigration they moved to South Dakota, settling on a farm near Zells Station. At this place Mrs. Kolegraff died 14 years ago, and since then the subject of this sketch has made his home in Cascade with his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Gross. Two sons and two daughters survive their aged father, viz: Philip Kolegraff, Zells Station, S.D.; Adam Kolegraff, Hopesdale, N. Dak.; Mrs. Christina Gross, Cascade, and Mrs. Kate Filber, Watertown, S.D.

Funeral services will be held this morning at 9 o'clock in St. Mary's church, of which deceased was a consistent member, Rev. Father John B. Albers officiating.