Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 17, Three Gehrke Infants

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence


This is week 17 of my participation Amy Johnson Crow's, once a week challenge to blog about one ancestor a week, tell their story, biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on that one ancestor. More about the challenge can be found at her Blog, No Story Too Small.

This week I will focus on three infant children of Karl Herman "Carl or Charles" Gehrke and his wife, Charlotte Louise Gruendemann-Grunbaum Gehrke, all three were born and died in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. All records presented are from the Lihue Lutheran Church records, Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii.  (See film available from FamilySearch and the LDS library system, film number 1031194 .)  Some of the records I found in this set of records were sent to Germany for translation.  You may note some "English" printing on the records, that is the efforts of the translator.

The first child is Albert Wilhelm August Gehrke, second son and third born child.  This particular presentation of his baptism record was taken from my work on the Gehrke clan, "The Gehrke's : Descendants of Karl and Charlotte Gehrke, Emigrants from Germany 1888", which I privately published in 1997.

Albert was born November 2, 1889 at Lihue, was baptized on December 8, 1889 at Lihue. 


His death record from the Lihue Lutheran Church records, which tell us that  Albert drowned in the stream of Kapain.  Albert died on May 17, 1895 at or near Lihue.  He was buried the next day, we suggest that burial was probably at the Lihue Lutheran Church although there is no marker for him. Presented as 2 images.




The next child is Julius Gehrke, fourth son and fifth child.  Julius was given an emergency baptism on the day that he died in the home of his parents who acted as his baptismal sponsors.  Julius was born on May 2, 1894 at Lihue and was baptized on May 14, 1894 just before his death.  Note that in the far left column his death date is given with the cross and date.  Baptism presented in 2 images. 




His death record.  The reason for his death was given as "weakly since birth".  The pastor indicated in his remarks on the recording of his death that the child died and was buried during "my absence".   We suggest, that as with his brother, that Julius was probably buried at the Lihue Lutheran Church, although there is no marker for him.  Death presented in two images.




The last child is Auguste Clara Sophie Gehrke, the tenth born and third daughter.  Auguste was baptized at home in an emergency baptism.  Her baptismal sponsors were Supervisor August Braun, Mrs. Clara Schumacher, nee Braun, Sophie Schilling all of Lihue, but all absent at the emergency baptism, but represented by Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Gehrke and Hedwig Gehrke.  The emergency baptism "was given in the house of the family Gehrke, the 12th child of the couple Gehrke, she died May 5, 1903" (This translation provided by friends and family of my daughter-in-law.  Translations done in Germany.)  You will note the record states the 12th child, and I have mentioned that she is the tenth born.  Yes, we seem to be missing 2 children.  I have not found them, yet.  I hold out hope, always hope.

Augusta Clara Sophie Gehrke, born the 15th of March 1903, baptized May 1, 1903 at the family home.  Her death is noted in the far left column.





Her death record, Auguste died on May 5, 1903 and we believed was buried the same day. Again, we suggest that she was buried at the Lihue Lutheran Church, although we have no proof.





Wish list for Gehrke infants:  Newspaper articles listing place of burial.  Possibly a pipe dream there.

Over all wish list for the Gehrke family unit, find those two missing babies!



* Additional source data can be obtained by contacting me, see the right hand column for a yahoo email address.

** 52 Ancestors Weeks Button courtesy of Amy Johnson Crow.

*** I use many resources to research, FamilySearch.org is a free site.  Ancestry.com is a pay site for which I pay, no discounts, etc.  None of these sites have asked me to review them, or use them.  See my Disclaimers page for further details.

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