I am stuck. Rochus Wolf of Dickinson, North Dakota 1860's-1950's. I want to know everything.

Question

I can't get past his immigration. He came over from Germany, but all information given by him states that he was born in Blumenfeld, Russia.  I found him on the Ellis Island website. Nothing before. Blumenfeld seems to be a German settlement.

I'm hitting a huge wall with the Russian research. No idea how to find his parents. Where do I even start? How the heck will I find out his "Russian name"? What if he's actually German? How do I know? So intimidating!

And then, there's the 1911 Passport Application. What did he do with that?!

I'm so frazzled with Rochus Wolf. But at the same time I've got this nagging feeling in my stomach that has to know more. I have to know everything about this man, who at 88 was hit by a train.  What can YOU find?

Comments

Hello,

Try www.birkenhoerdt.net/getperson.php?personID=1351226&tree=1

It tells a bit about my great-grandpa Wolf.  He gave his son Adam a copy of his immigration paper, Adam gave to my dad, Daniel, and now I have that copy.

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Hi Kayla,

When Rochus came to Dickinson with his 4 sons and 4 daughters, son Adam became my grandpa, Adam's son was my dad, Daniel.  When my dad entered the Dickinson school system, he didn't really speak English.  It was all German speaking on the farm and with the load of relatives he was around. So I don't think our family has a Russian name.  It was sad that Adam Wolf crashed a new pickup on a test drive 2 days after his 33rd birthday.  It left my dad (3 years old) fatherless and dad's brother George. My dad did remember some things about Adam, even just 3 years old.

Answer 1

http://www.grhs.org/vr/vc-other.htm lists a total of 24 German towns in Russia with the name of Blumenfeld. That list also contains the predominant religion for the village (protestant, catholic, Mennonite). Knowing Rochus' religion would help narrowing it down.

Comments

Not sure on religion. My grandmother was pretty adamant that they were Jewish, and that was why they had immigtated. But she was raised Catholic. Her mother is the son of Rochus, but she left before my grandmother was in grade school.

http://www.willistonherald.com/obituaries/anna-marie-black/article_1b4be1fd-7117-5e3c-9144-43f8a295f663.html
This is one daughter's obituary, the most useful. It says that until she left North Dakota, her church stuff was done through a St. Joseph's Parish. Catholic. Rochus was a member when he died.

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• Blumenfeld, Region: Dongebiet, near Alexandrowka, Parish Gruental, founded 1875, catholic, (From Catherine to Khrushchev: The Story of Russia's Germans, Adam Giesinger, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1974, page 133), aka Mook Chutor.
• Blumenfeld, Region: Kherson/Odessa, near Anatoljewka, founded 1862, catholic.

Those would be two villages which were catholic. https://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/ has some general references. http://www.rollintl.com/roll/beresanmap.htm has some maps of the Ukrainian area. http://chort.square7.ch/Pis/Leibb.pdf has some info but is in German.

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I remember visiting great-aunt Ann Black a couple times when I was little.  Was always impressed that she managed her own house in Spokane at her age!

Answer 2

You might already have this:

United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKNT-FYR7 : accessed 16 March 2016), Rochus Wolf, 1911; citing Passport Application, North Dakota, United States, source certificate #62259, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 148, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,509,861.

 

"United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVSS-FFTF : accessed 16 March 2016), Rochus Wolf in entry for Mrs Mary Wolf Hertz, 23 Jul 1992; citing Obituary, in "Glen Ullin Times"; American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln.

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3ARochus~%20%2Bsurname%3AWolf~%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1858-1862~

Hope this helps.  

Answer 3

Rochus was my great grandfather, why are you interested in him?

Comments

He was my great great grandfather! His daughter  Elizabeth was my grandma's mother. The Wolf branch is the one I've been stuck on the longest. I'm excited to hear from you! I would love to go into more detail in an email!

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You can email me at dwolfofrc@aol.com

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Elizbeth (betty) was from SpoKane, I meet her a few times, but do not remember much.I was raised in Yakima after being born in Dickinson. John was my grandfather.Ihave a death certificate for Rochus and a copy of the ship manifest.I have some other info onthe Wolfs but at this time I cannot fine it.

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Hi Dennis,

Any chance you would share a copy of the ships manifest and copy of Rochus Wolf's death certificate? Rochus was a grandfather to me? Please email at TDWalkerDavis@gmail.com.