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Anton Koschmeder 
 
Anton Koschmeder 
24 May 1829 – 18 May 1913 • LRWP-JKY 
Names in Bold Italic Underlined direct genealogy line) 
1.0 Anton Koschmeder 
  Male - 1829–1913 • LRWP-JKY 
1.1 Female - Balemer Maria Bollever 
      1835–1917 • KZPX-WJH 
    1.1.1 Male - Frank Koschmider 
        1862–1950 • LRWP-L4J 
        1.1.1.1 Female - Julia A Roguszka 
          1883–Deceased • LRWP-27J 
    1.1.2 Male - Henry Koschmeder 
        1864–1929 • LRWT-JF5 
        1.1.2.1 Female - Rose Schoenbucher 
        1864–1900 • LDXH-K13 
        1.1.2.2 Female - Viola Mellisa Porter 
        1875–1955 • 9NQY-475 
    1.1.3 Male - Herman Koschmeder 
        1866–1938 • KCNL-PJY 
          1.1.3.1 Female - Caroline C 
          1876–Deceased • GHFT-KV9 
    1.1.4 Male - Charles Koschmeder 
        1869–1950 • KHJN-ZY7 
        1.1.4.1 Female - Emma Louise Scharnberg  
          1877–1914 • MWYW-T9Y 
    1.1.5 Female - Mary Koschmeder 
        1872–1944 • LVZN-C3X 
        1.1.5 Male - Frank Maurer 
          1858–1923 • LVZN-4Y8 
    1.1.6 Male - John Koschmeder 
        1875–1961 • K4F2-J75 
        1.1.6.1 Female - Maria Freitag 
        1881–1926 • KCV8-9XT 
        1.1.6.2 Female - Minna Blume 
        1878–1968 • KCLV-YPZ 
    1.1.7 Female - Emma Koschmeder 
        1878–1952 • KHG2-H92 
          1.1.7.1 Male - Frederick "Fred" Tiedt 
        1875–1948 • K889-3Z9 
    1.1.8 Female - Minnie Koschmider 
        1881–1961 • LRWP-K6H 
        1.1.8.1 Male - Oliver Cressie Sheldon 
        1877–1944 • LCZX-B35 

Anton Koschmeder

Birth • Age 0

24 May 1829

Germany

Anton Koschmeder, born May 24, 1829 the son of Koshmeder and Mary Balerar,

was an altar boy in Europe. When he told the Priest a story about stealing two

geese his family became so upset he left his country for New York arriving May

14, 1858 at the age of 29. (Anecdote from family Bible and

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/.)

That’s where our story begins, Breslau, Schlesia (Silesia), Prussia, Anton the

cobbler.

Breslau, Schlesia (Silesia), Prussia. The German form of Schlesia is Schleswig and

Silesia is the Yiddish form. Breslau, Silesia - now called Wroclaw, is a region

of Central Europe now located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts in the Czech

Republic and Germany. In the 14th century it became a constituent part of

the Bohemian Crown Lands under the Holy Roman Empire, which passed to the

Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in 1526. Most of Silesia was conquered

by Prussia in 1742, later becoming part of the German Empire, and the Weimar

Republic.

Immigration • Age 28

14 May 1858

Recorded destination for Anton was Danville, NY with Transit or Travel as

Staying in the USA (Transit). Recorded destination, Danville, NY, could not be

found however Dayan, NY which later became New Bremen, NY was the area

where Mary Boliver lived at the time. Anton’s obituary states he settled near

Grogan, NY about five miles from then Dayan, NY and 300 from arrival port in

New York City. The area was mostly settled by German speaking immigrants.

There is no documentation to confirm where he settled in New York.

Anton sailed from the port of Bremen, Germany on the Bark (a ship with three or

more masts) Nord Amerika (Nordamerika). To put some of this into perspective

Anton would travel alone from Breslau to Bremen some 465 miles to sail to America.

Once an immigrant reached the port of departure he or she may have waited several

days, weeks, months or even years before actually boarding a ship to America.

Anton’s recorded accommodations onboard the ship were in steerage or between

decks in the lowest part of the ship as many immigrants of lesser means did.

(Historical information from

Wikipedia)

Anton Koschmeder

The Hamburg bark NORD-AMERICA was launched on 9 October 1848. The wooden

ship was weighed in at 419 tons with a length of 122.6 ft x width of 32 ft x a depth of

hold of 17 ft accommodating on this trip five 1

Class Passengers, 56 2

Class

Passengers and some 200 passengers in steerage along with a crew of 16. This was

not a very large or luxurious ship to travel the 3,774 odd miles from Breman to New

York taking at the time an average of eight weeks.

Anton’s documented destination according to the ship passenger manifest was

Danville, NY as shown below. Family records state his destination as Grogan, NY.

Original from ship manifest:

Transcription from original ship manifest:

Passenger Passenger Origin Final

Number Name Age Country Destination Accommodation Sex Occupation

131 Anton Koschmider 29 Schlesia Prussia Danville N.Y. Between Deck Man Shoemaker

Steerage (between decks) Passengers on an Emigrant Ship (1847)

From the start of the great migration from Europe to American to the time Anton

made the crossing laws were passed making the journey safer and more comfortable

Anton Koschmeder

although not without peril or risk of disease or even death from a range of causes on

wooden ships such as the Nord-America the risk of fire given pitch or tar was used to

seal cracks, holes and such. In September 1858, the same year Anton sailed, a fire

started on a ship of the Hapag Company called “Austria” when tar in the holes of the

deck caught fire. Of the 567 passengers only 67 were rescued and 500 died. On the

first of February 1851 a ship called “City of Glasgow” sailed from Liverpool with

1,480 passengers of which none were ever been seen again. While this was not the

norm it points to some of the dangers. Steerage for this type of ship was divided into

compartments of 20 bed racks which were only 2 feet wide and in three levels

(bunked) one on top of another. Between the beds were tables and chairs at which the

immigrants spent most of their time on ship. The trip was not a dry one. Water

seeped into the steerage through holes that were supposedly for ventilation. Most

passengers were sea sick the first few days out and in rough weather. It was

impossible to come on deck in bad weather as the hatches would be battened down

and passengers in steerage would have to remain below in the dark and rocking ship.

There was on average one toilet for every one hundred passengers. Frequently the

toilet was on deck where they could not be reached in rough weather. Because of the

close quarters in which they lived passengers often suffered from illnesses like trench

mouth, body ulcers, and lice. Conditions were frightful and immigrant ships were

recognized by their smell.

By the 1850’s German shipping companies provided meals for their steerage

passengers while French and English shipping companies made steerage passengers

cook their own. The menu: Sunday---salt meat, meal pudding and prunes. Monday---

salt bacon, pea soup and potatoes. Tuesday---salt meat, rice and prunes. Wednesday---

smoked bacon, sauerkraut, and potatoes. Thursday---salt meat, potatoes and bean

soup. Friday---Herring, meal and prunes. Saturday---salt bacon, pea soup and

potatoes. In the morning and in the evening coffee or tea was offered with biscuits

but for the rest of the day there was only water to drink.

The space for each person was measured to 20 square feet; the passengers had

the right to a cargo box with a measurement of 3.28 ft x 5.45 ft). The passengers

had to provide their own blankets and bedrolls in steerage as well as their own

pots and utensils for food, drink and washing.

Immediately upon arrival the immigrant was besieged by all sort of scam artists

and thieves who robbed luggage, sold phony tickets

to points west and generally made life miserable

for the immigrant. WELCOME TO AMERICA

Marriage • Age 30

Mary Boliver 20 February 1860

Lewis, Lewis, New York, United States

Birth of Child • Age 33

Frank Koschmider December 1862

New York, United States

Anton Koschmeder

Birth of Child • Age 35

Henry Lee Koschmeder 30 October 1864

Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States

Birth of Child • Age 36

Herman Koschmeder 1866

Cedar Falls, Blackhawk, Iowa, United States

Birth of Child • Age 39

Charles Koschmeder February 1869

Cedar Falls, Blackhawk, Iowa, United States

1870 US Census • Age 40

Cedar Falls Township, Cedar Falls, Ward 2, Black Hawk County, Iowa Antonie

Cushmeter (recorded spelling) age 40 male white head of family birthplace

Prussia and trade working in shoe shop. Family members included in census are

Mary Cushmeter age 35 female white birthplace France. Frank Cushmeter male

white age 8 birthplace New York. Henry age 6 male white birthplace Iowa.

Hermon age 4 male white birthplace Iowa. Charles age 1 male white birthplace

Iowa. The census recorded value of Antonie Cushmeter real estate $500 and of

personal estate $150.

Land Purchase • Age 43

Anton Koschmeder 11 August 1870

Anton Koschmeder purchased two plots of land where the Home Place is to be

built. The land was purchased from John & Margaret Graff consisting of one 80

acre plot and one 4 acre plot both plus or minus. The legal description can be

Anton Koschmeder

found in Bremer County, Iowa Deeds Book T page 196 located at the Bremer

County, Iowa Auditors Office. Anton paid a sum of $1,300 for both plots.

Birth of Child • Age 43

Mary Koschmeder 29 July 1872

Maxwell Township, Bremer, Iowa, United States bottom page 8 this document,

record under column heading. Census question - If born in Iowa what county the

record shows Bremer. Various old documents would record location by

city/town or if rural then by township, county, state. Knittel, Maxfield is the

township in Bremer Counter where Anton and family rented while building a

house and outbuildings just south of there. The Home Place was built on land

purchased in 1870 prior to the birth of daughter Mary Koschmeder.

Anton Koschmeder

Naturalization • Age 44

"Nebraska, Naturalization Records, 1855-1989" 20 February 1874

Waverly, Bremer, Iowa, United States

Anton Koschmider became a naturalized citizen in Waverly, Bremer, Iowa,

United States on 20 February 1874 at the age of 44.

Anton was naturalized a United States citizen in Waverly, Bremer County, Iowa

in 1874.

The naturalization laws are somewhat complicated however the basic facts and

how they affected most immigrants were simple.

One of the most relevant laws was the immigration act of 1802 which specified

that "free, white aliens" could be admitted to citizenship if:

• They declared their intention to become citizens in a state, territorial, or

federal court at least three years before becoming a citizen.

• Took an oath of allegiance to the United States.

• Had lived for at least 5 years in the United States and at least one year in

the state in which they were applying for citizenship.

• Renounced allegiance to the foreign government they had left.

Anton Koschmeder

• Satisfied the court they were of good moral character and were willing to

follow the principles set forth in the constitution.

One could become a citizen in any court in the United States, county, state, or

federal. The alien filled out a Certificate of Intention to become a citizen any time

after he entered the United States. After the time requirement for residency was

met he could fill out the Petition for Naturalization. The last step was to receive

the Certificate of Naturalization which could occur anywhere from a day or two

to several weeks after the Petition for Naturalization. Under this act all foreign

born children became citizens with their father. This did not require the father

listing the names, ages and places of birth of his children. Woman's citizenship

was more complicated and her citizenship could be determined by either her

father or her husband, depending on various criteria and where she lived.

Aliens, male and female, were allowed to own property in many parts of the

United States. In some areas alien males were given the right to vote after they

had completed the Declaration of Intention even though they were not citizens.

Although women and children were citizens they could not vote. Many

immigrants came from countries where they had no citizen rights such as Irish

Catholics or Germans from Kingdoms and Duchies. By an Act of February 10,

1855 wives of alien citizens were granted citizenship with their husbands. This

did not require the husband listing any information about his spouse. Women

could not vote until the 19th amendment of the Constitution was ratified in

1920.

Birth of Child • Age 45

John Koschmeder 1 April 1875

Maxfield Township, Bremer, Iowa, United States

Birth of Child • Age 48

Emma Koschmeder 4 January 1878

Maxfield Township, Bremer, Iowa, United States

1880 US Census

Maxfield Township, Bremer, Iowa, United State

The census records Anton’s surname as Koschmider age 53 white, male farmer

married born in Prussia and parents born in Prussia. Wife Balemer Koschmider

age 47 white female keeping house married born in Fransh (recorded spelling)

and parents born in Fransh (recorded spelling). Children recorded living with

Anton and Balemer are Herman white male age 14 son at school. Charls

(recorded spelling) white male age 11 son at school. John white male age 5 son

at school. Mary white female age 8 daughter and at school. Emme (recorded

spelling) white female age 3 daughter.

Anton Koschmeder

Birth of Child • Age 51

Minnie Koschmider 1881

Iowa, United States

1885 Iowa Census

Maxfield Township, Bremer County, Iowa (Township 91 Range 12 Section 16)

The census records Anton’s surname as Koschmiden. Residence is recorded as

Maxfield Township, Bremer County, Iowa. Among those columns with no

response at all are Color, Cannot read or write, over 10 years old, Can read but

not write, over 10 years old, and Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic. Anton

is 54 years of age male married born in Germany as are both of his parents a

farmer and is eligible to vote. Mary is 50 female married and keeping house was

born in France as were both of her parents. Frank 22 male single farmer born in

NY and is eligible for the draft and to vote. Herman 18 male single born in

Blackhawk Co and is eligible for the draft. Carl 16 male and born in Blackhawk

Co. Mary 12 female and born in Bremer County. John Koschmiden (surname