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Threads of Life

27 April 2013  - Weekend Writing Warriors

I continue to write about the family of August Schumann and Auguste Freimann, his wife. These are my great grandparents. In this writing, both are deceased and the children are on their way to Canada with their maternal grandmother. This week it is from the POV of Emma, oldest living sister of my grandmother. She is 14 years old at this time. Above is a button from one of the coats.

“Mother always said that I was her very best helper in the very best family.  I needed to begin helping her a lot when my father was dying, seven years ago when I was only seven.  The last couple of years I have needed to do many of her jobs as she became more and more ill from consumption. Last fall, she managed to make new coats for all of us of thick woven wool. Of course they were much too large for us because she “wanted them to last more than one year." I sewed the buttons on for her and made our dinner. She was so worn out when she came home from work in the mill."


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Threads of Life

Weekend Writing Warriors

20 April 2013

I am continuing to write of my maternal grandmother’s family. Today I am writing as if it is a memoir of my grandmother, Minna Schumann (daughter of August Schumann and Auguste Freimann) after her parents have died.

“Oh how I missed dear sweet Mama., who sang to us and told us stories! I was eight years old when MaMa died. I could not even remember Papa who died when I was two years old. Grandma Caroline (Freimann) took charge of us after Mama’s death. Grandma decided to take us on to our uncles in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. My uncles left West Prussia to go to Canada in 1895, the same year that Papa died. They were strangers to me and I worried that they would not be happy to see four more children to feed.  It was a long and difficult trip, finding our way by trains and sea tossed ships.”


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Threads of Life
Weekend Writing Warriors
13 April 2013

I am still writing of the family of August Schumann and his wife, Auguste Freimann. Details of this family are obscure from 1888 until autumn of 1902. I will be traveling to this area in September of 2013 to attempt to discover more about this time.


"After the birth of Emma, proof of the family living in Boguslawka disappears. Three more children were born: Ida 12 Dec 1889, Gustav in 1891, and Minna supposedly born in Eichfier, West Prussia the 30th of October 1893. Word of mouth says that August died 3 January 1895 and then Auguste died 20 March 1902. These four children are on the ship, Lake Champlain, traveling from Liverpool to Canada with their maternal grandmother when Minna has her ninth birthday on the ship. Obviously, the grandmother or someone else had cared for the children for seven months and correspondence had occurred regarding their future. Two of grandmother, Caroline Freimann's sons, Friedrich and Carl, the brothers of Auguste were living in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. Arriving in Canada, they traveled by train across the country to Wetaskiwin. Once there, the uncles found employment for all of the children."


Both parents were 37 years of age at time of death. Above photo is confirmation in Canada of Minna Schumann.

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Threads of Life

6 April 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors is a fun group of writers who add 8 sentences every  Saturday evening so that we can comment on each others' writing. I have taken this opportunity to write about my great grandparents in Boguslawka, Volhynia.  This week I will also suggest that you check Teresa's blog about farm life at http://dreamersloversandstarvoyagers.blogspot.com. It is about a later time, but carries the spirit of the farm.

"It is tough living in Boguslawka. They are constantly being asked for more money for the land that they farm. This was not supposed to be when they were urged to come to this area. The Russian Army wants all of the young men in the army also, which takes a lot of the workforce from the fields. August and the other men his age wonder how long they should stay.  Ludwig is in his 60’s now and unable to take over the farming for more than one or two of sons and sons-in-law. Spring of 1889, August is wondering if he can afford to buy an ox to plow his fields rather than needing to borrow from his father every year.  Emma seems to be a healthy daughter, but young children are very vulnerable here."

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Threads of Life
Weekend Writing Warriors 30 March 2013

Again I am writing of my great grandparents, August Schumann and Auguste Freimann Schumann. This time it is written in the voice of Auguste.

"It has been one year since my children died. At first, I did not want another, but when Emma gave her to August and he placed her at my breast, I knew the joy of a new birth. We named her Emma, for the sister of August who was there at the time of birth. We are so thankful for the parents of August, for Ludwig being the leader of this colony. It was he who did the prayers when we buried the children and comforted us in the days that followed. Life is so hard here, but being surrounded by family helps us all to endure. August has been my rock; he is so strong. Sometimes he, I, and Emma go to visit the graves of our other children."

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Weekend Writing Warriors
23 March 2013

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August has gone to get his sister; it seems so long ago. The straw mat is on the floor to catch the fluid from birthing and there is a sharp, clean knife to cut the cord plus string to tie it off. Auguste is sitting on the very edge of a wooden chair as the forces of birth are bearing down on her with the weight of the world. She’s had four previous children, all born fine, but Emma had a child who could not be born alive after many hours. Things do go wrong with births and she has had four children already die.  The baby’s head is pushing out as she leans back in the chair, yet trying to catch it.  The baby pushes out as Emma and August burst through the door. As Emma takes over, Auguste can hear the cry of a baby.

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Threads of Life

3/16/2013 Weekend Writing Warrior
I am continuing my family story of my great-grandparents, August and Auguste Schumann. They lost 3 children to Diphtheria this past summer. It has been a hard year.

"The year-end passed in the blustery cold. November, December….no gifts for Christmas this year but Auguste did a special job of patching the shirt of August.  She sewed a tiny heart on it in a place that would not be seen by others, but he would see it every time he buttoned the shirt.  He was her special sunshine of life when little of her life had any sunshine. He, in turn, wove a lovely little grass basket for her sewing.  January came with the wind whipping the snow. February had Auguste feeling that life dragged her down with every step. The little one inside her was moving a lot now and keeping her awake at night. She had made arrangements with the sister of August to help her at the time of birth, but could she make it here through the deep snow?"

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