Anna (Fritzler) Repp (1912 - 1966)

Born 8 Jan 1912 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Ancestors

Wife of Herman Heinrich Repp — married 18 Jun 1937 in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Died 10 Jul 1966 at age 54 in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Julie Mangano [send private message]

Biography

Anna (Fritzler) Repp was a Volga German.

Anna (Fritzler) Repp has German Roots.

Anna (Fritzler) Repp migrated from Russia (German) to Wisconsin, USA.

mtDNA Haplogroup H1af

Birth Date and Place

• 08 January 1912
• Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Parents

• Karl Fritzler
• Eva Kraft (Schott) Fritzler

Marriage

• Herman Heinrich Repp
• by 1938
• Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Children

• Ronald R. Repp
• Thomas Repp
• Guy Repp

Death Date and Place

• 10 July 1966
• Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin

Anna Fritzler Repp was my great aunt, my grandmother's sister. She was born in Grimm, Saratov, Russia, and immigrated to the United States when she was a young girl.

Anna's father Karl Fritzler was a fourth generation Volga German, born in Grimm on February 28, 1880 to Johann Jakob Fritzler and Katharina Elisabeth Schaefer. The Fritzlers were descendants of Hanns Jakob Bauer Fritzler, born in 1688 in Kleingartach, Neckarkreis, Wurttemberg, Germany. His son Hannß [Hannss] Jakob Fritzler and his wife Franziska Catherina Eurich and their children were among the original settlers of Grimm in 1767. Both families were considered Evangelical, as opposed to Catholic, although the Colony of Grimm was considered a Reformed Protestant settlement.

Anna's mother was Eva Kraft Schott, born September 18, 1886, also in Grimm, to Johann Friedrich Schott and Eva Katharina Kraft. She was descended from Jakob Schott and Anna Margaretha Becker, and Adam and Susannah Kraft, four of the first settlers of Grimm. The Krafts were also Evangelical from Mittelbrunn, Pflaz, Bayern,Germany, while the origin of the Schotts has not yet been confirmed.

Volga Germans lived a difficult life which did not resemble the original descriptions and promises of Catherine the Great. By the late 1800s, Volga German families began to immigrate to the United States and Canada, looking for a better life. Encouraged by the safe travels and good fortune of friends and relatives who immigrated, Ann's father Karl began to plan a move for his own family. His plans were delayed when he was drafted into the Tsar's Army, which, in turn, only made his urge to leave Russia stronger. Volga Germans were pacifists and had been promised no conscription by Catherine the Great. A century later, the ruling Russians backed out of that promise and regularly called up Volga Germans into their Army. Somehow Karl managed to get a plum job as a guard for the Tsar, avoiding the dangerous battle fronts. At the conclusion of his service, he began to finalize his plans to leave Russia.

Anna and her family, along with her aunt Mollie Fritzler Schneider and the Schneider family, left Russia at the end of 1912. First they traveled by train from Saratov to Libau, Latvia, which at the time was territory of Russia. The trip to Libau took about two weeks. From there, a small ship took them on the first part of their ocean voyage from the European mainland to England. About two weeks later, they traveled from Liverpool, England, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on the S.S. Canada. The passenger manifest for their ship confirms the families travel along with other relatives and friends. (See a copy of the passenger manifest attached to this profile.)

Years later, Anna's uncle Phillip Schneider recalled their journey to America for his granddaughter Janelle Zimmermann, who documented the conversation. A DNA match between the two families introduced us and led to her generously sharing the information she had from her mother and grandparents. One note from Janelle's conversation with Phillip read, "He came to America leaving Grimm, Russia on November 27, 1912 and reached America January 13, 1913. They left by railroad to Libau, Finland." ^[1] Karl's daughter Mollie, the oldest of the children, was just five years old at the time they embarked on their journey, and she had two younger sisters, Amelia and Ann. According to the passenger manifest, Ann was an infant.

Libau is a Latvian city. I double checked to make sure there wasn't another Libau in Finland; there was not. If they traveled to Libau, they traveled to Western Latvia. It was curious that Phillip mentioned Finland at all, since the country is in an entirely different direction from Latvia.

From Libau, the families took a small ship to Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England, commonly referred to as Hull. This was the first time I had heard the town mentioned in connection with my family's history, so I decided to find out what ships sailed there from European ports. There were two shipping lines that provided passenger service:

• The Wilson Line of Hull, England
• F.A.A., an acronym for the Finnish Steamship Company

The Wilson Line mainly transported passengers between Norway and England. F.A.A. transported passengers from Helsinki and Libau to Hull. Because Phillip Schneider clearly mentioned Finland in his story about his journey to America, he probably meant they boarded a Finnish ship, not that they actually traveled to Finland before heading south and west.

Wikipedia shows the Finnish Steamship Company, Finska Ångfartygs Aktiebolag, was also known as F.A.A. ^[2] Their ship, the S.S. Titania, was primarily used to transport emigres from Finland to Hull. It made stops along the way in Libau and Copenhagen, picking up and transporting Russians and Jewish Latvians. ^[3] I searched for a copy of the F.A.A. passenger lists from 1912. Copies of the passenger lists up to 1910 and after 1918 exist; the lists for passengers traveling between those years are either not available or were destroyed. ^{[3] [4]} According to the Genealogical Society of Finland, while some ships traveled from Helsinki to Hull, some ships carried Russians directly from Libau to Hull.

"Apart from Finns, the volumes record thousands of Russians, a number of Estonians, Latvians and Livonians. Many of the Russians have Jewish names, but even German names are common...It is unclear whether all Russian emigrants travelled by way of Hanko, since F.Å.A. boats carried Russian emigrants from Libau to Hull without calling at a Finnish port."^[3] (emphasis added)

According to Phillip Schneider, the journey on the S.S. Titania from Libau to Hull took four days, which means the two families arrived in England on December 15-18, 1912. ^[1] The ship docked at the Riverside Quay, a dock built specifically to handle quick turnaround ocean vessel traffic at the port. A rail station adjoined the quay, allowing European travelers to conveniently board a train that took them to Liverpool where they would board larger ocean liners that headed to America.

The Fritzlers and the Schneiders spent 17-19 days in England prior to boarding the S.S. Canada. Some of that time may have been spent traveling. The families likely boarded a train that took them to Liverpool after several stops along the way. According to Norway Heritage:

"Most of the emigrants entering Hull travelled via the Paragon Railway Station and from there travelled to Liverpool via Leeds, Huddersfield and Stalybridge (just outside Manchester). The train tickets were part of a package that included the steamship ticket to Hull, a train ticket to Liverpool and then the steamship ticket to their final destination - mainly America. Sometimes so many emigrants arrived at one time that there would be up to 17 carriages being pulled by one steam engine. All the baggage was stored in the rear 4 carriages, with the passengers filling the carriages nearer the front of the train. The trains took precedence over all other train services because of their length and usually left Hull on a Monday morning around 11.00 a.m., arriving in Liverpool between 2.00 and 3.00 pm." ^[5]

According to historical records, once the passengers arrived in Liverpool, they were not allowed to board outbound ships until the day before or the day of departure. ^[6] If they arrived earlier than that, they were forced to stay in a lodging house. Historically, the lodging houses had a reputation for being crowded and unsanitary. By the turn of the 20th century, often the steamship companies looked after the emigrants during their stay, putting them up in company-owned lodges. ^[6] Although conditions in the early 1900s were better than those 30-50 years earlier, there were still complaints. It's difficult to imagine which was worse: lodging accommodations in the port city or steerage class on board a ship. Knowing this makes it clear how horrible the conditions in their homeland must have been, for all the Volga Germans to be willing to uproot their families and endure the long, uncomfortable journey to America.

After the families spent more a couple of weeks in a lodging house, they boarded their ship and departed for America on January 4, 1913. The voyage across the Atlantic normally took 10-11 days. Some ships traveling across the Atlantic made a stop in Ireland to pick up additional passengers. Since the S.S. Canada made the voyage in only 9 days, they probably bypassed Ireland and headed straight to America, reaching Nova Scotia, Canada on January 13, 1913.

Anna's uncle remembered what the families paid for tickets on the steamers: $150 per adult, $75 per child, and $8 for an infant son under two years of age. ^[1] Most likely they traveled 2nd class or steerage, and they brought plenty of black bread and sausage from home for the journey. Phillip recalled that the ship meals included bear meat and fish, among other things, and that, frankly, the food wasn't very tasty.^[1] Even with dipping in to their personal food supply, the families still managed to make their bread and sausage last more than a month, until shortly before they arrived in Chicago.^[1]

The ship landed in Nova Scotia, Canada. ^[7] Passengers going to the United States were transported over the border where they were processed in Portland, Maine. ^[8] From there the families took a train to Chicago where they stayed with two different families. Anna and her family stayed with the Ahlbrandts, and the Schneiders stayed with Herman Schuette, Phillip's cousin.^[1]

Anna's family eventually made their way to Colorado where they lived for several years.

By 1920, however, the family had moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where she and her parents would remain for the rest of their lives. ^[9]

Her father took a job in the local Reuping Leather Factory, an employer for many Volga Germans who had come to Fond du Lac.

Anna married Herman Repp and had three sons. She was the first of her siblings to pass away, in 1966 from breast cancer. It is interesting to note that she and her two sisters all suffered from some form of cancer. Their two younger brothers, however, avoided that fate and lived into their 90s.

Canada Passenger Lists ^[7]

Name Anna Fritzler

Event Type Immigration

Event Date Jan 1913

Event Place Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Gender Female

Age 0

Birth Year (Estimated) 1913

Birthplace Russia

Ship Name Canada

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 ^[8]

Name: Anna Fritzler

Gender: Female

Age: 10/12

Birth Year: abt 1912

Birth Country: Russia

Date of Arrival: 14 Jan 1913

Vessel: Canada

Search Ship Database: Search for the Canada in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database

Port of Arrival: Portland, Maine, USA

Port of Departure: Liverpool, England

1920 United States Federal Census ^[9]

Name: Anna Fretzler [sic]

Age: 8

Birth Year: abt 1912

Birthplace: Russia

Home in 1920: Fond du Lac Ward 14, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Street: W Aindt St

Residence Date: 1920

Race: White

Gender: Female

Immigration Year: 1913

Relation to Head of House: Daughter

Marital Status: Single

Father's name: Carl Fretzler

Father's Birthplace: Russia

Mother's name: Eva Fretzler

Mother's Birthplace: Russia

Native Tongue: German

Able to Speak English: Yes

Naturalization Status: Alien

Attended School: No

Able to Read: No

Able to Write: No

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members: Name Age

Carl Fretzler 40

Eva Fretzler 34

Mollie Fretzler 12

Amelia Fretzler 10

Anna Fretzler 8

Carl Fretzler 5

Edward Fretzler 1

1930 United States Federal Census ^[10]

Name: Anna Fritzler

Birth Year: abt 1912

Gender: Female

Race: White

Birthplace: Russia

Marital Status: Single

Relation to Head of House: Daughter

Home in 1930: Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA

Map of Home: View Map

Street address: Doty

Ward of City: 13

House Number: 180

Dwelling Number: 226

Family Number: 368

Attended School: Yes

Able to Read and Write: Yes

Father's Birthplace: Russia

Mother's Birthplace: Russia

Language Spoken: German

Immigration Year: 1913

Naturalization: Naturalized

Able to Speak English: Yes

Household Members: Name Age

Carl Fritzler 50

Eva Fritzler 43

Amelia Fritzler 20

Anna Fritzler 18

Carl Fritzler 15

Edward Fritzler 11

1940 United States Federal Census ^[11]

Name: Anna Repp

Respondent: Yes

Age: 28

Estimated birth year: abt 1912

Gender: Female

Race: White

Birthplace: Russia

Marital Status: Married

Relation to Head of House: Wife

Home in 1940: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Map of Home in 1940: View Map

Street: No Lincoln

House Number: 225

Inferred Residence in 1935: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Residence in 1935: Same Place

Citizenship: Naturalized

Sheet Number: 15B

Attended School or College: No

Highest Grade Completed: High School, 4th year

Weeks Worked in 1939: 0

Income: 0

Income Other Sources: No

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members: Name Age

Hernyan H Repp 24 [soc] should be Herman

Anna Repp 28

Ronald R Repp 11/12

Find A Grave Burial Record ^[12]

Name Anna Fritzler Repp

Birth 1912

Death 1966

Burial Estabrooks Cemetery Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, USA

Memorial ID 25367653

Obituary from Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter ^{[13] [14]}

MRS. HERMAN H. REPP

Mrs. Herman H. Repp, 54, of 234 N Lincoln Ave, died at 4:45 a.m. Sunday at St. Agnes Hospital following a six-week illness.

The former Anna Fritzler was born Jan. 8, 1912, in Grimm, Russia, the daughter of Carl and Eva Schott Fritzler. She was married to Mr. Repp June 18, 1938. A clerk-typist in production control at the Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool co., she was a member of Redeemer Lutheran church.

Survivors include her widower; three sons, Ronald and Thomas, city, and Guy serving on the USS Bennington as an electronics technician second class; three grandchildren two brothers, Carl, city and Edward, Milwaukee; and two sisters, Mrs. Walter Wischnewski, city, and Mrs. Alex Kaiser, Milwaukee.

Friends may call after 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Zacherl Funeral Home until 11 a.m. Wednesday when the body will be moved to the Redeemer Lutheran Church and lie in state from 11:30 a.m. until the 1:30 p.m. funeral service, Rev. G. L. Meyer officiating. Burial will be in Estabrooks Cemetery.

Wisconsin Death Index ^[15]

Name: Anna Repp

Age: 54

Sex: F (Female)

Birth Date: abt 1912

Death Date: 10 Jul 1966

Location: Fodu (May be abbreviated)

Certificate: 020686

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Notes and family papers from Phillip Schneider, Mollie Fritzler Schneider, and their daughter Frieda Schneider Grotegut. Original copies are with Frieda's daughter Janelle Zimmermann.
2. ↑ Wikipedia, online encyclopedia, Findland, Steampship Company, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_Steamship_Company.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Genealogical Society of Finland, Research, The F.Å.A. Line's Passenger Lists.
4. ↑ The Ships List, Ships, Lines, Finland, see: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/finland.shtml.
5. ↑ http://www.norwayheritage.com/articles/templates/voyages.asp?articleid=28&zoneid=6.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} LiverpoolMuseums.org, Emigration-Liverpool and Emigration no64, see: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/archive/sheet/64.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HL4-XQ1 : 27 December 2014), Anna Fritzler, Jan 1913; citing Immigration, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, T-4745, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Ancestry.com. Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Original data: Passenger Lists, 1865–1935. Microfilm Publications T-479 to T-520, T-4689 to T-4874, T-14700 to T-14939, C-4511 to C-4542. Library and Archives Canada, n.d. RG 76-C. Department of Employment and Immigration fonds. Library and Archives Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. See: http://ancstry.me/2EhIoc4.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} 1920 United States Federal Census, Year: 1920; Census Place: Fond du Lac Ward 14, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: T625_1986; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 43; Image: 961; Author: Ancestry.com; Publisher: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, UT, USA; Publisher Date: 2010. see: http://ancstry.me/2EfHDQx.
10. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census, Year: 1930; Census Place: Fond du Lac, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: 2572; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0026; Image: 973.0; FHL microfilm: 2342306; Author: Ancestry.com; Publisher: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, UT, USA; Publisher Date: 2002. See: http://ancstry.me/2EWnEaZ.
11. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census, Year: 1940; Census Place: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: T627_4479; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 20-14, Anna Repp, age 28, born in Russia; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 27 July 2023.
12. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 9 February 2018), memorial page for Anna Fritzler Repp (1912–1966), Find A Grave: Memorial #25367653, citing Estabrooks Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, USA ; Maintained by Henry Arthur Gaugert (contributor 46561276).
13. ↑ Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, Obituaries, Monday, July 11, 1966, page 17.
14. ↑ "United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVSM-YRFS : 31 July 2014), Mrs Anna Fritzler Repp, ; citing Obituary, in "Fond Du Lac Reporter"; American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska.
15. ↑ Wisconsin Death Index, 1959-1997; Author: Ancestry.com; Publisher: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, UT, USA; Publisher Date: 2007. See: http://ancstry.me/2Bl1Eqf.

See also:

• Personal records of Ruth Virginia Kaiser Miller, niece of Anna Fritzler Repp, daughter of Alex and Mollie Fritzler Kaiser, and granddaughter of Karl and Eva Schott Fritzler; Pflugerville, Texas.