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Sources
1. Title:   1930 United States Federal Census
Page:   Year: 1930; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: 1033; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 39; Image: 8.0; FHL microfilm: 2340768
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;
2. Title:   1920 United States Federal Census
Page:   Year: 1920; Census Place: Detroit Ward 8, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_809; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 260; Image: 54
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;
3. Title:   1940 United States Federal Census
Page:   Year: 1940; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T627_1860; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 84-637
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;
4. Title:   Web: Michigan, Find A Grave Index, 1805-2012
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;
5. Title:   U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Page:   Number: 367-07-4321; Issue State: Michigan; Issue Date: Before 1951
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;
6. Title:   U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;

Notes
a. Note:   John Paul Knechtges, known as "Bud," was the third of four children born to his parents, John Knechtges and Christie Anna McLeod. He was born on December 26, 1907, in Laurium, Houghton County, Michigan. Bud spent his early youth in Laurium with his family and a number of other Knechtges and McLeod family relatives. His father was an electrician who worked for one of the copper mining companies. In 1919, Bud and his family left Houghton County and moved to Detroit, Michigan. Bud was 11 years old at the time. Detroit was involved in a major economic boom at the time, spurned on by the relatively new auto industry. He attended St. Leo's High School and St. Agnes High School and reportedly finished at the age of 15. Then he attended the St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio where he apparntly finished his high school studies. His goal was to become a Franciscan Priest. His religious name was Manfred or Friar Manfred. On August 15, 1925 he received his Franciscan habit and entered the one year Novitiate program at St. Anthony's Firary in Cincinnati. On August 16, 1926 he entered the Simple Profession, a three year period before he makes a permanent commitment. After two years in 1928, Bud decided that this was not for him, and he returned to his parents home in Detroit. Bud worked a number of different jobs throughout his career, starting with the S.S. Kresge store in downtown Detroit, then the Ford Motor Company in Highland Park. After Ford, he worked for W. F. McGraw, an auto parts supply company. He went on to work for the Absco Inc. company in Detroit, where he worked until he eventually retired. On October 15, 1937, Bud married Lorraine McKay at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Highland Park. Lorraine and Bud raised two sons, Paul Thomas Knechtges born in 1939, and John Charles Knechtges born in 1948. Bud died on March 8, 1977, while visiting his son Paul in Rochester, New York. Lorraine died on May 20, 1984, in Fraser, Macomb County, Michigan. They are buried together in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan, near to the graves of Bud's parents and his sister Bern.- 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. John Paul is listed in the household of his parents: ------ John Paul; son, male, age- 12 in school, r/w's, born- Michigan, father born- Michigan, mother born- Canada ============= John Charles Knechtges contacted Ron of the Franciscan Archives, who provided the following information about Bud: - Baptismal name is John Paul Knechtges. Son of John and Anna McLeod Knechtges. Born on December 26, 1907 in Laurium, Michigan. Baptized at Sacred Heart Church, Calumet, Michigan on December 29, 1907. Confirmed on May 4, 1919 at Sacred Heart Church, Calumet, Michigan. - Attended Sacred Heart School, Laurium, Michigan, St. Leo High School, Detroit, Michigan, and St. Agnes High School, Detroit, Michigan. - Applied to St. Francis Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio on August 6, 1920. Home address on seminary application is: 1360 Vermont Ave., Detroit, Michigan. - Entered the Seminary with the new school year in the Fall of 1921 - Religious name was Manfred - Investiture (received the Franciscan habit) on August 15, 1925 at St. Anthony Friary, Cincinnati (Mt. Airy), Ohio and attended the Novitiate at St. Anthony Friary. - Simple Profession on August 16, 1926 at St. Anthony Friary, Cincinnati (Mt. Airy), Ohio. - Sought and received dispensation from Simple Profession in 1928. (In your email you make reference to you father being as being known as “Fr. Manfred.” “Fr. Manfred” would be understood as Friar Manfred.) Ron went on to explain a little more about what Bud's involvement was: - Your dad did not, at least while with the Franciscans, do any further education than his high school work at St. Francis Seminary. The time (one year) he spent at St. Anthony Friary after finishing at St. Francis Seminary was his time at/in the Novitiate. There is no formal academic education during the Novitiate. The education that is done is better described as formation. The formation consist of the novice being taught and his learning about living/embracing the Gospel of Christ, learning about the person and life of St. Francis, and how to live the charisms that are part of the life of a Franciscan Friar. The Novitiate is best understood as a time of spiritual formation and enrichment. (Please note that today there is an academic aspect to the Novitiate, but still the spiritual enrichment/formation of the novice is the primary purpose of the Novitiate.) - Your dad did not progress in the formation process pass the initial phase. Following high school, one would enter the Novitiate. The Novitiate lasted for one year. At the end of the Novitiate year, the individual would make Simple Profession (your dad did this on August 16, 1926). The friar would live his religious life for a period of (usually) three years as a simply professed friar before making Solemn Profession. Your father made Simple Profession and lived as a simply professed friar for about two years. It was at that time that he obviously felt not called to continue to live the religious life. He left on good terms. I do not know what he did during the two years he lived as a simply professed friar. Using today’s terminology, I would say that he did fraternal and pastoral ministry. Fraternal ministry being that which would be of help to the lives of other friars and pastoral ministry, that speaks for itself. Ron added a bit more information: - I was just refiling your dad’s photo and it dawned on me that I should pass onto you that when your dad was in St. Francis Seminary the official name of the seminary at that time was: Collegium Franciscanum. It was located in downtown Cincinnati near the Motherhouse, St. Francis Seraph Friary and Church, which is at 1655 Vine Street. In the late 1920s, a new seminary was built in Mt. Healthy, Ohio which is, today, a suburb of Cincinnati. The new seminary did not use the Latin name and from that time onward was called St. Francis Seminary. St. Francis Seminary closed at the end of the 1980 school year. Collegium Franciscanum of course is Latin. It is loosely translated as Franciscan College. It was also known as St. Francis Collegium or St. Francis Gymnasium. The German roots of Cincinnati made use of the European understanding of further education with the term “Gymnasium.” It is important, as well, to understand that back in the 1920s most formal education concluded at the end of the 8th grade. The studies that your dad had when he was in the seminary would be equivalent today to our high school (9-12) grades not college studies as one might assume with the “collegium” term. ============= 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. John is listed in the household of his parents: ------ 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 ============= From the 1940 Federal Census of Detroit City, Wayne County, Michigan, district 84-637, sheet 4a, taken April 5, 1940, address- 2969 Gladstone Ave: Knechtges, John P.; head of household, male, age- 32, married, highest school grade completed- 2nd year college, born- Michigan, residence in 1935- same place, worked last week of March/ 40 hours, plastic molder/ auto??, worked 52 weeks in 1939, wages and salary- $1800 ------ Lorraine; wife, female, age- 32, married, highest grade completed- 4th year of high school, born- New York, residence in 1935- same place, not working/ working housework ------ Paul T.; son, male, age- 4/12, born- Michigan (Bud and Lorraine are living next door to the household of Lorraine's mother Catherine and her mother.- RW) ============= From the Social Security Death Index; ancestry.com: Name: John Knechtges SSN: 367-07-4321 Last Residence: 48057 Auburn Heights, Oakland, Michigan, United States of America Born: 26 Dec 1907 Died: Mar 1977 State (Year) SSN issued: Michigan (Before 1951 ) ============ Gloria Waggener gave me the following newspaper obituary for John. It is apparently from an Oakland County, Michigan newspaper, although the name of the paper and the date are not listed: John P. Knechtges A funeral mass for John P. Knechtges will be celebrated at 11 AM, Saturday, at the Sacred Heart Church, Auburn Heights. Prayers will be said at 10:15 AM, at the A. J. Desmond and Sons Funeral Home, 2600 Crooks, Troy. A rosary will be said a 7:30 PM Friday, at the funeral home. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield. Mr. Knechtges, age 69, of Auburn Heights, a purchasing agent for Absco Inc., Detroit, died Tuesday in Highland Hospital, Rochester (NY). He was born on Dec. 26, 1907, in Michigan. Surviving are his wife, Mary Lorraine; two sons, Paul Thomas of Churchville, N. Y., and John D. of Royal Oak; two sisters, Miss Bernadette Knechtges of Royal Oak and Mrs. Margaret Sturman of Auburn Heights; and one grandson. The family suggest memorial contributions to the Capuchin Seminary, Detroit. =========== John Paul is buried with his wife Lorraine in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, located at 25800 W. 10 Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan. They are buried in Section 20, lot 195, next to the grave his sister Bernadette Knechtges. The graves of his parents, John and Christie Knechtges, are also in this cemetery, in Section 27. His headstone reads: J. PAUL KNECHTGES 1907 - 1977


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