|
a.
|
Note: John Knechtges was the 7th of 12 children born to his parents, Jacob and Margaret (Steffes) Knechtges. He was born June 27, 1878, in Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan. In about 1895, John began working for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. This was a copper mining company, and at that time this area was the center of the copper mining industry in North America. This was the company that his father Jacob and uncle Peter had worked for since about 1874. Also, his older brother Theodore and several of his cousins also worked for this company. It appears that John initially was a laborer for the company, but he eventually learned electrical work and became an electrician. Apparently, for the most part he worked in the Electric Light station, and he never actually worked in the mines. On May 15, 1902, John married Christie Anna "Annie" McLeod, in nearby Calumet. They were apparently initially living in a house at 429 Hecla Street in Laurium. By 1907 they had moved to a house at 412 Kearsarge in Laurium, and they lived there at least until 1910. I have been unable to find the family in the 1910 census. In 1912 they are listed as living at 310 Osceola, which would have been just down the block from the home of his widowed mother and family at 228 Osceola. In 1916-1917, they are listed as living at 146 Kearsarge. On his draft card dated September 1918, he is listed as living at 147 Tamarack. There was a massive mining strike in 1913, which seemed to be the beginning of the end for copper mining in this area. In about 1916-1917, John received an award by the company for 21 years of service. This was apparently part of some kind of celebration for the 50th anniversary of the mine. Sometime between May and November of 1919, John, Annie, and family moved to Detroit, Michigan. My mother says that her mother Margaret, had told her that she moved to Detroit after she finished high school. In the 1920 Census they are living near to the households of Anna's brothers, William John and Harry Roderick McLeod. Both of them were listed in Detroit on their draft cards in 1918, so no doubt they had at least encouraged John and Anna to join them there. It appears this move to Detroit must have been motivated by a combination of factors; the copper mining industry was on the decline and Detroit was in the middle of a major industrial boom. My mother recalls that John worked in a factory in Detroit. She believes that it was the Ford Motor Company factory in Highland Park and that John's son Bud also worked there. John Knechtges confirms that his father worked in this factory, but he does not know if his grandfather John did also. This was the original Ford factory. It seems pretty logical that this was the case, because this is where the family was living and this is essentially where Annie lived after John died. When Henry Ford began to offer a minimum wage of $5 a day in 1914, many former miners were drawn there. John died on November 17, 1935. My mother recalls that he was working on the house that her parents were living in, apparently installing a bathroom for them, when he apparently took ill. She said that he died within a week. John is buried with Christie Anna in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan. Rick Waggener =========== From Michigan Births 1867-1902, posted on-line by the LDS: Name: John Knechtges Birth date: 27 Jun 1878 Birth place: Calumet, Houghton, Michigan Gender: Male Race or color (on document): white Father name: Jacob Knechtges Father birth place: Germany Father's occupation: fireman Mother name: Annie M. Knechtges Film number: 2320565 Digital GS number: 4206453 Image number: 714: Reference number: item 3 p 328 rn 6986 Collection: Michigan Births 1867-1902 =========== From the 1880 Federal Census of Houghton County, Michigan, Calumet 2nd Precinct, page 26 B, (no date written, probably June or July of 1880), ancestry.com, Houghton County, district #10, image 26 of 82. John is listed in the household of his parents: ----- Johnny; male, age- 2, son, single, born- Michigan, father born- Prussia, mother born- Wisconsin =========== From a file card found by John Knechtges, which seems to be from the Calumet and Hecla company, and seems to be some kind of work record for John's father Jacob. The entered information is a group of brief, hand written notes. This is apparently the mining company which Jacob began working at, shorty after arriving in Calumet in about 1872, and before John was born. It seems to have been filled out in about 1896, and seems to show that John was working for the company at that time.: ***** "Names of relatives working for Calumet and Hecla: "Bro= Peter 5667 Sons= 929 Theodore & John #2631a " There was questionnaire from the same company, filled out by John's older brother Theodore in about 1894. The questionnaire also asks the name of relatives working for the company, and Theodore did not mention his brother John's name. This apparently indicates that John began working for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, some time between 1894 and 1896. John would have been 17 years old in 1895. -RW =========== From the Polk's Directory 1898 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, John, lampman, bds 228 Osceola ============ From the Polk's Directory 1899-1900 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, John, miner, bds 228 Osceola ============ From Federal Census of 1900; Village of Laurium, Houghton County, Calumet Township, Michigan; district #175, page 10A, taken June 6, 1900, the house number does not seem to be given but the street is Osceola, household #194; from ancestry.com, district 175, image 19 of 57. John is living in the household of his mother: ----- John; son, male, born- June 1878, age- 21, single, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- day laborer, not unemployed last year, r/w's ============ From the Polk's Directory 1901 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ******* Knechtges, John, lab, bds 228 Osceola ============ From the Michigan Department of Health, given to my by Robert Sturman: Certificate of Marriage (#2-194) County: Houghton Record number: 233 Date of license: May 15, 1902 Name of bridegroom: John Knechtges Age: 24 Birthplace: Calumet Residence: Laurium Previous marriages: 0 Father's name: Jacob Knechtges Mother's name: Margaret Steffes Name of bride: Christa A. McLeod Age- 25 Birthplace: Canada Residence: Calumet Previous marriages: 0 Father's name: Alexander McLeod Mother's name: Hannah McKenzie Date of marriage: May 17, 1902 Place of marriage: Calumet Person by whom married: Sigismund Pirron, Priest Witnesses to marriage: Alexander Landol (Laurium) and Kate McLeod (Calumet) Date recorded: July 15, 1902 ============ This slightly different record came from a page of marriage records, from the State of Michigan, also given to me by Robert Sturman: Page 134, record 233; Date of license: May 15, 1902 Name of bridegroom: John Knechtges Age: 24 Residence: Laurium Birthplace: Calumet Occupation- Electrician Father's name: Jacob Knechtges Mother's name: Margaret Steffes Previously married: no Name of bride: Christa A. McLeod Age: 25 Residence: Calumet Birthplace: Canada Occupation: At home Father's name: Alexander McLeod Mother's name: Hannah McKenzie Previously married: no Date of marriage: May 17, 1902 Place of marriage: Calumet Name of official: Sigismund Pirron, Priest Witnesses to marriage: Alexander Lanctot (Laurium), Kate McLeod (Calumet) (John is listed here for the first time as an electrician.- RW) ============ From the Polk's Directory of Laurium, from 1903-4 lists, sent to me by Pam Welles: "Knechtges, John, lab C & H Electric Light Station, res 429 Hecla" (John is married at this point and is the head of the household at this address. Also listed in the directory are his widowed mother Margaret, sisters Emma and Ottilia, and brother Jacob, all still living at the family residence of 228 Osceola. John's older brother Theodore is listed at 412 Kearsarge, which is the address where John and family seem to be living in 1907 and 1910. John is listed as a laborer at the C & H Electric Light Station at this time. This is the same Calumet and Hecla Mining Company that he was working for in 1896. According to John Knechtges, his father told him that this John worked as an electrician for the mine company. My mother Gloria Waggener says that her mother also told her that John was an electrician. She also reports that she has a medallion that was given to John for 21 years of service with the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. Assuming that he started working there about 1895, then he apparently worked there at least until 1916. -RW) ============ From John Knechtges: On the birth certificate of John's son, John Paul "Bud" Knechtges, is listed the address of 412 Kearsarge, Laurium, Michigan. Bud was born in 1907. ============ From the Polk's Directory 1907-08 of Laurium, from the Houghton County Historical Museum Library, given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, John, lab, res 412 Kearsarge =========== From the Polk's directory from 1910, sent to me by Pam Welles: "Knechtges, John, lab, res 412 Kearsarge" (This would seem to confirm the above entry, that this was the location of the home of John and family. -RW) =========== From Polk's Directory 1912 of Laurium, from the Sutro Library, San Francisco, CA: ****** Knechtges, John, electn, res 310 Osceola (John and family seems to have moved. This house must have been just down the street from the home of his mother and several siblings still living with her, at 228 Osceola. - RW) =============== From the probate file in June of 1913, for John's mother, Margaret (Steffes) Knechtges, listing the names, ages and locations of all surviving heirs: Name Relationship Age Residence John Knechtges son 34 Laurium, Michigan =============== John Knechtges sent me Abstract of Conveyances for a particular piece of property, namely Lot 8, in Block 3 of the Village of Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan. This was apparently the property at 228 Osceola Street in what became Laurium, and on which the family house was built for Jacob and family. The document contains all transactions involving this piece of property, from it's inception in about 1877, until 1966. After the death of John's father Jacob in 1898, the estate was transferred to the heirs, listed as John and all the apparently living siblings. The heirs transferred the property to their mother, then after she died in 1913, to their sister Emma. "John Knechtges and Annie Knechtges, his wife" are listed as transferring their claim in the entries dated 1911 and 1914. - Rick Waggener =============== From Polk's Directory 1916-1917 in Calumet, Houghton Public Library; given to me by Bruce Dunn: ****** Knechtges, John (Anna), electrn, res 146 Kearsarge --------------- On page 339 of the directory, John Knechtges is listed as the Secretary of the Laurium Fire Department. The Engine house was listed at 308 Hecla. They had one steam engine, one hook and ladder, and one hose care, with 18 paid members, which apparently included John. -RW =============== From Ancestry.com. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-18 [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2002. National Archives and Records Administration. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. M1509, 4,277 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.: Serial Number: 2310; Order Number: A3288 Name: John Knechtges Address: 147 Tamarack, Laurium, Houghton, Mich. Age: 40 Date of birth: January 27, 1878 Race: white Citizenship: native born Occupation: Electrician Employer's name: Calumet and Hecla Mine Co. Place of employment: Calumet, Houghton, Mich. Nearest relative: Anna Knechtges (wife) Height: tall 5' 11" Build: medium Color of eyes: blue Color of hair: brown Date of registration: September 12, 1918 (This record verifies that the family was still in Houghton County as late as 1918. This address is around the block from the earlier address. John apparently worked for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company for at least 23 years. - RW) =============== My mother Gloria Waggener gave me an envelope addressed to John at 1360 Vermont Ave., Detroit, Michigan, postmarked November 20, 1919. John Charles Knechtges has received information that his father, John Paul Knechtges, was confirmed at the Sacred Heart Church in Calumet, Michigan, on May 4, 1919. This further narrows the the period during which the family moved from Houghton County to Detroit, to between the May 4, 1919 and November 20, 1919. - Rick Waggener =============== From the 1920 Federal Census of Detroit City, Wayne County, district 260, sheet 2a, taken January 2-3, 1920, household 24, address- 1360 Vermont St.; from ancestry.com, image 3 of 28: Knechtges, John; head of household, rents home, male, age- 42, married, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- electrician/ general ------ Annie C.; wife, female, age- 43, married, immigrated to U.S.- unknown/ naturalized citizen, r/w's, born- Canada, parents born- Scotland, occupation- sorter/ laundry ------ Margaret E.; daughter, female, age- 17, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada, occupation- telephone operator/ M.C.R.A. ------Bernadette A.; daughter, female, age- 14, in school, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada ------ John Paul; son, male, age- 12, in school, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada ------ Hiram B.; son, male, age- 8, in school, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada DeRosia, Effie; sister, female, age- 45, widowed, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- seamstress/ factory MacLeod, Archie A.; brother-in-law, male, age- 39, widowed, r/w's, immigrated to U.S.- unknown/ citizenship- unknown, born- Canada, parents born- Scotland, occupation- general work/ motor co. (Listed next door to John and Anna is the household of Anna's brother, William John "Jack" McLeod. I believe that they might have actually been living in the upstairs half of the same house. Listed four households down the block is the household of Anna's brother Harry R. McLeod. The address that John and Anna are listed in was the same address that Anna's brother Harry listed on his draft card two years earlier in 1918. I believe that this address was changed to 6002 Vermont, by 1930, and that it is close to the intersection of Vermont Ave. and McGraw Ave. in downtown Detroit. -RW) =============== From the 1930 Federal Census of Detroit City, ward 1, precinct 39, district-80-39, sheet 3b, taken April 5, 1930, household 18, address- 629 Brentwood Ave. West; from ancestry.com, image 6 of 40: Knechtges, John; head of household, rents home/ $70 a month, radio in home, male, age- 52, married, 22 years old at 1st marriage, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Germany, mother born- Wisconsin, occupation- Electrician/ Auto Plant, wage worker, currently employed ------ Anna C.; wife/ head, female, age- 53, married, 23 years old at 1st marriage, r/w's, born- Canada/ English, father born- Scotland, mother born- Canada/ English, immigrated to U.S. in 1887, naturalized citizen, occupation- none ------ Anna B.; daughter, female, age- 24, single, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada/ English, occupation- Stenographer/ Auto Plant, wage earner, not currently employed ------ John H.; son, male, age- 22, single, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada/ English, occupation- Stock Clerk/ Auto Plant, wage worker ------ Benedict H.; son, male, age- 19, single, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada/ English, occupation- Time Keeper/ Freight Office, wage worker, currently employed ============= My mother Gloria Waggener gave me couple of newspaper clippings of an obituaries for John. This first one is dated only 1935, and was apparently from a Houghton County, Michigan newspaper: Former Resident Passes in Detroit Funeral services were held in Detroit this week for the late John Knechtges, 58, formerly widely known Calumet resident who died suddenly in that city Friday. He left here 15 yeas ago, previous to which he had been employed as an electrician by the Calumet and Hecla Consolidated Copper company. He was also fire alarm inspector for the village of Laurium. Surviving are the widow and four children, Paul, Mrs. Margaret Sturbenz, Burnadette and Hiram, all of Detroit. A brother, Theodore, of Detroit, and five sisters, Miss Emma Knechtges of Laurium, and Mrs. Mary LeBarge, Rose, Mrs. Matilda Perrion and Mrs. Effie Derosier, all of Detroit, also survive. Miss Emma Knechtges went to Detroit to attend the funeral. She was accompanied by Mrs. Joseph Wilmers, of Laurium, a sister-in-law of the deceased. ---------------------- This second one is also only dated 1935, and is apparently from a Detroit area newspaper: Knechtgtes- November 15, John, at residence, 12632 Stoepel, beloved husband of Anna, dear father of Mrs. R.C. Sturman, Bernadette, J. Paul, Hiram B., brother or Theodore, Emma, Mrs. Frank Braun, Effie de Rosier, Mrs. Mary La Barge, Mrs. Tillie Pirron and Mary La Barge, Mrs. Tillie Pirron and Miss Rose Knechtges. Prayers at the home Monday morning, 8:30; services from St. Cecelia's Church at 9 o'clock. ============= The following is John's death certificate, from the State of Michigan, Dept. of Health, Registrar No. 12493: Place of death: 12632 Stoepel Ave., City of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Full name: John Knechtges Residence No.: 12632 Stoepel Length of residence in city of death: 15 years Sex: male Race: white Marital status: married Spouse: Anna McLeod Date of birth: 1-27-1878 Age- 57 years, 9 months, 19 days Occupation- electrician Business: Gen. Motors Truck Birthplace: Calumet, Mich. Father's name: Jacob Knechtges Father's birthplace: Germany Mother's maiden name: Margaret Steffes Birthplace: Jerico, Wisc. Informant: J. Paul Knechtges Address: 12632 Stoepel Burial: Holy Sepulchre Date: Nov. 18, 1935 Undertaker: Harper & Mulligan; 177 W. Davison Date of death: Nov. 15, 1935 Cause of death: Coronary Occlusion Duration: 5 days Contributory causes: artesia sclerosis impocarditis Dated: October 24, 1984 ============= John is buried with his wife Christie Anna Knechtges in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, located at 25800 W. 10 Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan. They are buried in Section 27, lot 195, graves 11 and 12. Their daughter, Bernadette Knechtges, their son, John Paul Knechtges, and John Paul's wife Lorraine, are buried nearby in Section 20. His headstone reads: FATHER JOHN KNECHTGES 1878 - 1935
|