Henry Koepke

Wilhem's other sister came here and stayed with him in 1910. Her name was Wilhelmina and she had been married to William Lorenz in Germany. She was the mother of Marie Schnell who came to America after her husband died and married Herman Koepke. At that time Wilhelm and family lived at Dry Fork about 100 yeards away from his son Henry and family. My darest Aunt Ida Koepke-Schultz, who was only six at the time, told me that whenever Wilhelmina would come for a visit, she and her sister, Ellen, would always say, "Her comes Deutschland" (Germany). Ida said that after about a year in the staes, Wilhelmina became so homesick, that whe went back to Germany to live out her life. (See Below)

Koepkes to America

On or about the 18thof April 1869, Wilhelm Christian Kopke, 28, and his wife , Augusta Albertine, (neee Brlesch), 22, boarded the ship, N.G Bark, St. Bernard, leaving Bremen, Germany for the United States.

They were traveling with their two young sons, Albert, 4 years, 3 months, and Wilhelm, 2 years, 7 months old. They were also accompanied by Augusta's parents, Johann 57 and Caroline 54. Two sisters of Augusta's also traveled with them, they were Emilie 7, and Johanne 24. Augusta was also with child at the time of their departure.

The space they occupied on the ship was in what was called steerage. This was set up like a dormitory below the main deck. The passengers helped prepare their own meals and did all their own chores, washing cloths, etc. They had no privacy to speak of, this was not a Princess Cruise Lines.

The trip was not without peril, four adults died on the passage and one baby born at sea, died immediately, although in the partial ships log there was no mention of smallpox, which I had heard rumored. On May 26, Augusta gaave birth to a third son. They named him Herman Bernard, after the ship.

Finally, after 53 days at sea, on June 10, 1869, the ship landed in the Port of New York. the ships passenger list, dated June 12, 1869, and written in New York, shows Wilhelm Kupke, shoemaker from Prussia. Kupkea, is how it sounded to the person making the list. Augusta and her two sons used her maiden name, we can only speculate why, but when Herman was born he was listed as Kupke, born at sea, under the heading "Sucklings under one year." From New York we don't know what form of transportation they used to get to Missouri.

STory has it that they lived with the Nicoles Young family when they got to Woollam, Mo. When the 1870 census was taken on the 15th of August, Wilhelm was the head of his own household in the town of Woollam, Third Creek Township, Gasconade County, Mo. On Feb. 17, 1872, Wilem bought the 40 acre farm of Nicolas Yound for the sum of $200. This is the same farm he traded to his son Gus when he moved to Dry Fork in Feb. 1904, where he lived until his passing on Nov. 29, 1924, just two days after his 60th wedding anniversary to Augusta. The farm in Woollam, is where Gus was kicked by a horse and died on June 26, 1919. Gus' son George later owned the farm and finally sold it to the Peth Brothers.

Wilhelm had a brother and two sister that also came to America. Theodore came in 1882 with his wife Johanna and six children. So far not too much is know about Theo. He was a stone mason by trade and died in 1896 at the age of 49. Johanna remarried to a man named Fritz Pasch, who was a widower. He died in1922, and is buried with Theo in the St. Peter's UCC Cemetery in Ownesville. They had three sons and three daughters. One daughter, Augusta D., married William Peth, they are buried at Leduc Cemetery. Adeline (Lena), married Henry Buchholz. They are buried at the same cemetery as theo and Hanna. Last daughter was Hermine (Minnie) and married Albert Czeschin, they are in Old Woollam St. John Cemetery. Theo's son, Herman died, in1968 at the nursing home in Hermann, Mo., and is buried in Hermann City Cemetery. Nothing else is know at this time of the other two sones, Willie and Richard.

Wilhelm's sister Caroline Wilhelmina came to U.S. in 1883. She stayed with Wilhelm for the first year she was here. In 1884 she married Ferdinand Paasch. She had four children of whom three died as young children. The fourth child, Lydia, married Leo Schlottach. They lived at Dry Fork for awhile and some of the family elders probably rember her (Lydia).

Wilhem's other sister came here and stayed with him in 1910. Her name was Wilhelmina and she had been married to William Lorenz in Germany. She was the mother of Marie Schnell who came to America after her husband died and married Herman Koepke. At that time Wilhelm and family lived at Dry Fork about 100 yeards away from his son Henry and family. My darest Aunt Ida Koepke-Schultz, who was only six at the time, told me that whenever Wilhelmina would come for a visit, she and her sister, Ellen, would always say, "Her comes Deutschland" (Germany). Ida said that after about a year in the staes, Wilhelmina became so homesick, that whe went back to Germany to live out her life.

Notes:

1. When Wilhem came to America, his last neame wwas spelled Kopke, in the family Bible, and on his application to become a citizen of the Untied States.

2. New York Times shows arrival date of June 10, and Ships Passenger List shows June 12. They processed several thoughsand people every day at the Port of New York, so the ships had to wait theri turn to unload passengers.

3. Several German people have said the name was pronounced, Koup-keh or also Koup-ka, the e was added later.

Documents support all major information in this story, and I'm still looking for more, so share your family updates and stories with me.

Your Cousin,

Ralph Koepke