[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Krause/Silberman of Bobrowo (Konin)

[Jerry Frank]

Dave,

You have some good information to provide you 
with a start to your search.  Though Bobrowo is 
in the Konin district, it was actually closer to 
the Lutheran Parish centres of Grodziec and 
Zagarow.  You can check for available records for 
these locations on this page 
http://www.sggee.org/church_parishes/LutheransInRusPoland.html

The microfilmed records for Grodziec apparently 
stop in 1884 so this may be a problem for 
you.  You could try to find the birth records of 
older siblings since you do have the parent 
names.  Zagarow records go later.  Keep in mind 
that all records after 1868 are in Russian 
Cyrillic handwriting.  Later records for Grodziec 
are available in Polish Archives.  Check our Archives page for more info.

Because of the difficulty in reading Russian 
records, much of the extracted data in our 
databases is pre1868.  We have over 1000 Krause 
entries in our database though none recorded 
specifically as living in Bobrowo.  Silbermann is 
much less common.  There was one such family 
living at Lazinsk(a) about 10 km west of Bobrowo.

You are in the right place for your research but 
you still have some hard work ahead of you to 
obtain specific data.  Be sure to browse around 
the website to check the resources and consider membership to access more.


Jerry Frank - Calgary, Alberta
FranklySpeaking at shaw.ca




At 05:41 PM 06/04/2008, Dave Krause wrote:
>Hi;
>
>I was directed to this web site from the Polish web site.
>
>I'm new to genealogy research so I need help ­ and some direction.  I'm
>researching my father and his roots.  When I was 13, I asked my dad (age 66)
>to tell me about Germany.  He showed irritation and told me that the subject
>was a closed book and to leave it that way.  He died the next year.  Needless
>to say, I haven't left the closed book closed!
>
>
>
>*What I know:*  Dad (Edward Krause) was born in Boberfeld, Russia
>(misspelled as Boverfeld according to his ship manifest record) which is now
>Bobrowo, Poland on March 9, 1888 (or 1889) to a Wilhelm Krause ­ a German
>farmer.  He immigrated to the U.S. on September 24, 1909 aboard the
>Lusitania.  He had an older brother, Ernest Krause.  This brother sponsored
>him by purchasing ship and rail passage to Montana.  Dad's WWI draft
>registration indicated he was born in Cunian (Curyn?), Poland, Russia.  I
>think dad didn't let the truth get in the way of a good story ­ since his
>first wife helped him fill out the WWI draft registration.  He and his first
>wife became naturalized U.S. citizens in 1915 in Vaughn, Cascade County,
>Montana.
>
>
>
>*What I've been told:*  Dad's mother died in child birth ­ possibly his or a
>next birth event.  He had his left foot (arch) crushed in a farming accident
>when he was about 6 yrs. old.  His step mother told him if he couldn't work
>he couldn't stay on the farm.  He told my mother (dad's second wife) that he
>was taken in by a brew master.  His job was to sweep up and replace the
>sawdust on the floor of the beer hall associated with the brewery.  I think
>the reference to Cunian (WWI draft registration) may be where the brewery
>was.  Curyn is about 225 miles from Bobrowo.  He seemed to have been raised
>in the Lutheran faith.
>
>
>
>*Research I've done:*  Ellis Island ­ ship manifest.  His first name was
>misspelled as Edwardt and the last name was misspelled as Kraose; WWI draft
>registration (June 5, 1917); Social Security Account Number Application
>(1939) ­ listed his mothers first name as Pauline and her last name as
>Unknown; LDS library searches for information on Polish churches; Jewish
>Genweb searches.  I was given a marriage application and license to his
>first wife in Montana by a researcher in Montana and the divorce decree for
>his first marriage.  The marriage application listed his parents as Wilhelm
>Krause and Pauline Silverman.  Census records indicate that the parents of
>my dad were Russian citizens of German decent also.
>
>
>
>*Where I'm stuck: *
>
>*1.  *The LDS library has only a microfilm from a Catholic church in the
>Konin area so I can't determine a Lutheran church for the area.
>
>2.  A death record for my grandmother.
>
>3.  My grandmother's name.  On his first marriage license, dad stated his
>mother's name was Pauline Silverman.  A handwritten document found in a
>cousin's personal effects stated the mother's maiden name was Ponta
>Silberman.  Silverman is the Anglicized version of Silberman but what of the
>Ponta VS Pauline?  Could Ponta be a "pet" name or an affectionate one (like
>"sweetie")?
>
>4.  The Jewish web site acknowledged the town of Bobrowo was formerly
>Boberfeld but it doesn't appear that any one else is researching in this
>area.
>
>5.  Dad was possibly apprenticed to the brewery ­ any apprenticeship records
>available?
>
>
>
>*How can I proceed?*
>
>Dave Krause
>**