Prior Family Research
15
While the “Three Cousins” were not able to determine much about the relatives and ancestors of their grandmother, Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse and did not compile a report of their findings, they did make notes and identify records about Barbara. Included below are letters and notes by Helen, Julius and Norma that summarize the state of knowledge about Barbara Kraus in 2004.
Helen’s Letter
Helen sent the following letter in response to the many questions I had asked her about the Kraus family. She notes that she has no documents relating to Barbara and in the letter she summarizes what she knew from family lore about Barbara and the Kraus/Krauss family.
June 8
Dear Dale,
I will send you the information I have on grandpa. If you want to write a history of them you like to have them. Just remember I have no papers of any kind on grandma{Barbara Kraus]. Just remember some things that I was told by Aunt Martha [Martha (Kassel) Kirmse]. She apparently spent time with grandma in her last days. She said she came from the Kulmback area which was famous for its beer. (She may have lived in a town near Kulmback. She had a brother Adam, a sister that was married to a Krause and a sister that was married to a Schuetz. Those were things that your Dad, Norma and I were trying to figure out.
On census it has George & Renode Krauss children Johanna & Catherine which we thought were the ones. There is a Renorde Krauss buried in Longtown cemetery in 1910 but no tombstone. Cousin Amanda said that George went to an “Alten heime” old folks home in St. Louis, died and was buried there. George was a casket maker & undertaker which he did for grandpa in 1915.
Not sure but thought the Schuetz name was Annie. Amanda remembers her Dad (August Karl) going to some Schuetz funeral when she was a little girl in the worst weather with horse & buggy and after she got old wondered why it was so urgent for him to go to that funeral. I think Norma tried find Kraus information but with exact names, birthdates & originality of where they were born it is hard to do.
Your Dad wondered if her name was Kraus why her husband’s name was Kraus but seems like Dad said one Kraus had another spelling (Krauss or Krause). I never heard where she landed or when. I have a picture of her taken in St. Louis so she must have been up there! Don’t know how J&B [Julius and Barbara] met either.
Thought George and Renata were married at Hutschdorf according to some memos written down by Hildegarde. Later came to America with a child. Saw a picture of Adam in front of his house in Germany but can’t find the picture now (found it !) I have no clue on the Schuetz sister.
There is a George Krauss that was a charter member at Longtown yet in the Friedenburg history book is says his wife was Wilhelmina Wirth & daughter Johanna born 1864 & Catherine born 1867. Also an Adam Krauss born Jan. 11- 1865 in Zersitz Bavaria Immigrated 1886 so there may be others with the same names.
I remember they