My Corner Online

 

 

Johann Winkler & Wilhelmine Christine Caroline Stark | John Ehmler & Ida Elsa Winkler | Caroline Christine Ehmler & Albert F. Grunke |

Ferdinand Grunke & Caroline Rohlof | Albert F. Grunke & Caroline Christine Ehmler | Erna M. Grunke & John Finlay

Grunke Locations | Grunke Notes | Grunke Genealogy |

THIS IS MY WORKING GENEALOGY BIOGRAPHIES, PLEASE DO NOT COPY AS FACT. Some photos are personal and should not be copied and republished; other images are okay. Documentation I collected as proof to support facts (i.e. dates, relationships, etc.) are available for your use. I share freely, but please do not abuse copyright or perpetuate any information without supporting facts that may or may not be in error. I try to mark in red my questions or documents I need to look for, so your assistance in making this a complete collection is always appreciated.

 

Grunke Genealogy

John and Erna (Grunke) Finlay are my great-grandparents. These pages wrap around the family of John Finlay & Erna (Grunke) Finlay and their ancestors.

Erna's parents were Albert Grunke & Caroline (Ehmler) Grunke.

Baptism photo of Erna. Erna's baptism scroll is in Minna's lap.

Standing - Edward (Erich) & Anna Zuehr
Seated left to right
Mama Geppert [Mrs. (Minna) Goffried Geppert]
Erna (child between them)
Grandma Zuehr [Ida Auguste Caroline Sophie (nee Winkler) (formerly Ehmler) Zuehr]

 

Relationships (see earlier generations)

Erna's Grandmother is Ida Auguste Caroline Sophie Zuehr, formerly Ehmler. (Erna's grandfather had passed away and Ida remarried Karl Zuehr)

Ida Zuehr's sister was Minna (nee Winkler) Geppert.

Edward is Erna's brother.

Anna is Erna's Aunt (Anna's father is Karl Zuehr; Anna is Erna's mother's half-sister)

 

A special thanks to Andreas Zühr in Germany for helping me determine the relationships in this photo.


Why is Erna not with her family? Elsie Holland wrote, "I wondered why Mother (Caroline Ehmler) wasn't in the photo, but when Erna was a baby they left West Point to live on the farm in the Indian Reservation near Bancroft, NE. It would have been hard for Mother to be away any length of time, so apparently Ed and Erna were staying with Grandma Zuehr at the time. Erna and my oldest brother Arthur spent a lot of time with Grandma Zuehr. I remember Mother telling me about a frightening incident at the Reservation home, which must have happened at about the time the photo was taken. They were about 20 miles from Bancroft and my Father had to go there at intervals. Going via horse and wagon meant he was gone over night. Mother told of being along with Arthur at this time. A tramp came to the place and asked for work. Mother turned him away, but apparently he didn't leave the place, or came back, because that evening their dog (Nipsy) barked continuously. He was a good watch dog so Mother suspected the tramp was about, probably in the barn. She was frightened and stayed up all night. Art (Mother said he was such a good boy) insisted on staying up with her. They planned to run from the house and hide, if need be. However, apparently the man just wanted to sleep in the barn, as he was gone the next day."

 

Notes: Erna looks to be about 4 years old. That would place the photo at about 1898. This Edward in the photo did not have a last name listed. Erna has a brother Edward who is two years older than her. However, the Edward looks more than two years older than Erna? Unless she is 5 and he is 7?

 

A huge acknowledgment to Elsie Holland and Hilda Doten for collecting stories and family information.

 

Copyright Cheryl Rutledge-Brennecke
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