The Frederick
Kubbernuss Family
of
Buffalo NY, Detroit Lakes MN,
and Camrose County Canada
If you are looking for your connection, using the Find function on your browser do a search on each page. If you want to make corrections or contribute data please contact the webmaster by sending an e-mail to: gkobernus or to a Kubbernuss family historian at: hess
Background
There is no known record of the birth of Fred
Kubbernuss Sr. However, he was probably born about
1834 in Mecklenburg Germany. He probably married
Mary Kubbernuss, Sr. (b. August 1836) about
1857 in Germany.
John Kubbernuss, son of Fred
Sr. and Mary stated that the family lived in the
Berlin area of Germany prior to their emigration
to the US. Although the greatest concentration of
families with the Kubbernuss name existed in Kuesserow and
surrounding villages in Mecklenburg, a great
deal of movement of German peasant families
occurred after 1820 when the traditional
serf-landowner relationship ended. Although we
have not encountered any Kubbernuss families in
the Berlin area, this is not far from Mecklenburg
and it is possible that people migrated from
the Malchin area to areas further south.
Immigration to Buffalo, New York
Fred Kubbernuss Sr. is not listed among any of
the 30 families we've researched who emigrated to
the US between 1853-1888. He may be listed in our
records under another name; however, at this
point, how and exactly when he arrived in the US
still unknown. Although many families from
Northern Germany emigrated from the port of
Hamburg, it is possible that he departed from
Bremen or entered the US through a port other than
New York. The Bremen records have been destroyed;
this may be a reason we have not uncovered any
record of his immigration. In addition, the New
York Port records are very difficult sources to
work with and provide almost no data other than
the ages and names of the passengers. A summary of
what we know about the 30 plus known
Kobernuss/Kubbernuss immigrant families is
provided in the Kobernuss/Kubbernuss family our
immigration database.
Buffalo was a popular immigration point for Mecklenburg families. There were at least four Kobernuss families from Mecklenburg who lived in the Buffalo/Tonawanda area at the same time as the Fred Kubbernuss Sr. family. The Christian Cobernuss family was from Bolz, Mecklenburg, Germany (1863) and the other three were the Kobernuss brothers and a first cousin from Alt-Gaarz, Mecklenburg who emigrated in 1869, 1870, and 1873 to Buffalo.
The evidence available to us suggests that Fred Sr. and Mary emigrated to the US abut 1870 with four children; John, Fred, Wilhelmina and Sophie. A family members believes Fred immigrated in 1868; the 1900 census for Detroit Lakes (Detroit Twp) indicates his daughter immigrated in 1870. The latter date seems more likely as Sophie apparently was born in Germany in 1869. The family moved to from Buffalo New York to Detroit Lakes, Becker County Minnesota, sometime after the birth of youngest children Fred (1872) and Mary in 1874. We have found no known record of the family in Buffalo, but this is probably where son Fred Jr., and daughter Mary . John Kubbernuss, son of Fred Sr., may have met and or married in New York; however, most if not all of his children were born in Minnesota. There appears to be little additional data on the daughters. Mary married Oscar Ramstad in Detroit Lakes and died in Ferry Point, Alberta Canada; Sophie married Mr. Knuth in Detroit Lakes; Minnie married Hermann (Schontiech) Schoenteich.
The Move to Becker
County Minnesota
The first official documentation of Fred
Kubbernuss' residence in Minnesota is a Becker
County homestead land patent for 97 acres 9 10 The
next mention of the family is in the 1900 US
Census for Detroit Lakes,
Becker County Minnesota where a Mary Kubbernus
is listed as living with head of household Fred
Kubbernuss (b. Sept. 1861) and Mary (b. Dec 1873).
We assume that by this time Mary Sr. was a widow.
Also listed in the 1900 census for Detroit Lakes are two other families that are probably the sons of Fred & Mary A John "Cuberness" (b. Apr 1860 in Ger.) , is listed with wife Minnie (b. Oct 1869 in NY) and eight children born in Minnesota between 1889-1900. 11 Another probable son, Fred Kubbernuss, Jr. is listed with wife Minnie and three children born in Minnesota between 1893 and 1899. Sophie is listed in the 1900 census with her husband Charles Knuth and five children.
The move to Camrose
County, Alberta Canada
There is no mention of the Kubbernuss family
in Becker County Minnesota in the 1910 and 1920 US
Census. Oral tradition and other sources indicate
both Fred Jr. and his uncle John Kubbernuss moved
to Camrose, Alberta Canada about 1900. 14 One
family member believes that Fred Sr. went back to
Germany for a visit either before or after the
family move to Camrose Alberta about 1900. It is
possible that he did not return; however, it is
more likely that Fred Sr. and Mary are buried in
Becker County Minnesota.
The exact date of emigration of the Kubbernuss family to Canada is uncertain but it could have been as early as 1900. John, his son Charles and nephew Fred Jr. all homesteaded in Alberta but Fred Jr. may have returned to Detroit Lakes some time later. This tradition is partially supported by homestead records in the National Archives of Canada. 15
We consulted Barry Halverson the GenWeb coordinator and local historian with expertise on Camrose County who confirmed that John Kubbernuss and his family were well known in Camrose at the turn of the century. In the early years in Camrose, John Kubbernuss operated a dairy business. John and his son Herbert Kubbernuss are mentioned in the Camrose local history book Footprints Along the Stony. 16 .
Naming of the
Baldenstein School and the search for the
Kubbernuss home village
Nothing is known of the German home village of
the Fred Kubbernuss Sr. family except that his son
John was to have said he was born near Berlin.
Family tradition and other sources indicate John
Kubbernuss was asked to name the school in Camrose
Alberta. He stated he chose the name Baldenstein
after his home region/village. This may be an
important clue to the German home village of the
Kubbernuss family. However, there is no record of
a Baldenstein village or parish in Mecklenburg or
greater Germany. Virtually all Kubbernuss families
we've researched came from central and northern
Mecklenburg. The closest match is
Baldenstein, a village in Rheinland-Pfalz near
Koblenz, quite some distance from Mecklenburg
where many Kubbernuss families lived, or Berlin
which is located some distance to the south in the
state of Brandenburg.
None of the data we've collected provide much detail regarding the origin of the name Baldenstein. John Kubbernuss probably named the school for a place he was familiar with, admired, or wanted to link the future with. Maybe Baldenstein is not a village but a school, family lineage, or even a farm?
For more information on the Kubbernuss families in Camrose check Heather Hess' homepage on the Kubbernuss families.
Other mention of the
Kubbernuss family in Camrose
There may also be a mention of John Kubbernus
in the local history The Golden Trails
(which we have not read); however, there is no
index, and it might take awhile to review. This
book is a history of write-ups taken from the
Camrose Canadian newspaper, in regard to areas of
the county of Camrose, and a historical review of
the area from these write-ups. If anyone has
access to a copy of this book we'd like to hear
from you. It may provide a clue regarding the
Kubbernuss family home village in Germany. The
Kubbernuss family is also mentioned in Footsteps
along the Stony in a narrative written by Inga
Henrietta Kubbernuss (nee Jerde), wife of Herbert.
19 20
Summary:
More research is needed. The data
contained in this narrative is subject to change
as we uncover more facts about this family. Little
is known about the origins of Fred Kubbernuss Sr.
other than he probably was born in Mecklenburg or
Brandenburg Germany about 1836, married about
1857, and immigrated to New York before 1872. He
moved to Detroit Lakes Minnesota between 1873 and
1885. His descendants then emigrated to Camrose,
Alberta Canada about 1900. There is no known link
between Fred Kubbernuss Sr. and any other family
named Kubbernus we have studied.
NOTES
1900
Minnesota Census, V2, E7, Sh 17, Ln 50 Becker
Country, Detroit Lakes
KUBBERNUSS, FRED, b. Sept. 1861 in
Germany. Age 38
Mary . b. Aug 1836 in Germany
Mary b. Dec 1873 in New York
Note: Fred Kubbernuss is listed as head of
household. Could be son of Mary Sr. and/or child
from
previous marriage of Fred Sr.
One
of the Kobernuss brothers, Carl Kobernuss used the
name KUBBERNUSS in several German and
US emigration documents in 1873. He lived
in the Buffalo/Tonawanda area from 1873-1875 or
so.
A
Minnesota land grant was assigned to a Fred
"Kubbernntz" on March 10 1885. Source
pre 1808 homestead
and cash entry land patents in Becker
county, MN, US Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management.
(Vol 528, Sect 30, Twp 139N, Range 41W,
Meridian 5). This homestead could be for either
Fred Sr. or Fred Kubbernuss born Sept 1861
1900
Minnesota Census, Detroit, Becker county. V2, E7,
Sh19, Ln2.
CUBERNESS, JOHN, b. April 1860, b. Germany
Minnie, b. Oct 1869 New York
Charles, b. Sept 1889, Minn.
Emil, b. Dec 1890 Minn.
Helen, b. Apr 1892 Minn.
Martha, b. June 1893 Minn.
John, b. May 1896 Minn.
Herbert, b. Dec 1894 Minn.
George, b. Aug 1897 Minn.
Esther, b. Oct 1900 Minn.
1900
Minnesota Census, V2, E7, Sh 10, Ln 65
Becker, Detroit Lakes
KUBBERNUS, FRED, b. Sept 1872 Age 27 b. NY
Minnie, b. June 1874, Age 25, b. Wis.
Eva, b. Oct 1893, Age 6 b. Minn.
Mary, b. Dec 1896, Age 3, b. Minn.
Arthur, b. Apr 1899, Age 1, b. Minn.
Some
comments about this census data are needed here.
There are three Freds in this narrative so it
becomes confusing. The eleven year
gap between the children born in Germany and the
children born in
New York may indicate Fred Sr. may have had
two wives. The 1900 Census indicates Mary Sr. was
born
in Germany, This marriage may have occurred
after his first wife died sometime before 1872. We
don't
know if Fred Sr. died in New York or moved
to Becker County with the rest of the family. In
1900, Mary
Sr. and Mary Jr. were living with Fred born
1861 who is listed as head of family. This Fred
may have
actually been a cousin rather than a
son. The 1900 Census is the only mention of
Fred b. 1861. He is
probably a son of Fred and Mary because the
1900 Census gives quite different data on the two
people;
Fred(2) (Age 38, b. Sept. 1861 in Germany)
vs Fred(3) (Age 27, b. 1872 in New York). A
closer
examination of the census or information
provided by other researchers may settle this
question. See 1900
US Minnesota Census: V2, E7, Sh17, Ln50;
V2, E7, Sh19, Ln2; V2, E7, Sh10, Ln 65.
The
Camrose County GenWeb homepage by Berry Halverson,
GenWeb coordinator for Camrose
County, < http://www.rootsweb.com/~abcamros/default.htm
>provides an excellent overview of the of the
efforts of the US and Canadian Government's
to attract farmers to central and northern regions
of North
America. Further information on this
subject is found at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~abcamros/Immigration2.htm
>
A summary of that narrative is provided
below.
The
Canadian and US Governments competed for
homesteaders to open the interior to farming and
commerce. Both countries aggressively
marketed cheap or free land to new citizens from
Europe as well
as earlier arrivals who had settled in
cities such as Buffalo and Chicago. Prior to the
early 1900's the US
government attracted a majority of new
settlers, but a change in Government in Canada
around the turn of
the century resulted in policy changes that
had more success in attracting farmers to the
Canadian
interior. Many farmers failed to prosper in
the US northern states of Iowa, North and South
Dakota and
the Canadian provinces of Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Alberta and the railway belt of
British Columbia.
This was a cold brutal land. Where previous
settlers in the middle 1800's who settled in the
West had to
contend with hostile Indians and
lawlessness, the new generation found the best
land was already taken.
The land being marketed gave up its bounty
only with significant effort. Some people gave up
and
returned to Germany where social and
economic conditions had improved after 1880, and
some returned
to the cities where work was readily
available. However, many also prospered and a few
of their
descendants still farm the land homesteaded
by their ancestors at the turn of the century.
Charles,
John and Fred Jr. Kubbernuss were all issued
Letters of Patent by the Lands Patent Branch of
the Department of the Interior. The records
refer to grants issued in Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta and
the railway belt of British Columbia, c.
1870-1930. Readers can obtain copies of these
documents by
contacting the National Archives of Canada.
Refer to < http://www.archives.ca/exec/naweb.dll?fs&02011101&e&top&0
> for more information on how to
obtain copies of these land grants.
More
Notes on Canadian Land Grants:
Name: John Kubbernus
4 NE 10 47 20 W4
Part Section Township Range Meridian
Reference:
Liber: 203
Folio: 94
File reel number: C-6093
Name:
Fred Kubbernus
5 NE 14 47 20 W4
Part Section Township Range Meridian
Reference:
Liber: 210
Folio: 201
File reel number: C-6099
Name:
Charles Kubbernus
8 SW 10 63 23 W4
Part Section Township Range Meridian
Reference:
Liber: 1002
Folio: 279
File reel number: C-6745
"Footsteps
along the Stony" states that John Kubbernus
was born near Berlin, Germany and immigrated
to Detroit Lakes , Minnesota. He filed on a
homestead in 1900, two miles north of what later
became
Camrose . According to this account, in
1901 he came to Camrose, Alberta with his family
of nine
children. Four more children were born
here, one dying in infancy. Included with a
narrative about son
Herbert Kubbernuss, there is picture of the
family with Leon, Vernon, Virgil, Inga, Herb,
Lorna, and
Donald
"Footprints
Along the Stony" confirms the story regarding
John Kubbernuss' association with the
Baldenstein school. In June 1905, he was
elected to the first Board of Trustees of School
District #1315 in
the village of Sparling, which later became
Camrose. . A Portion of this narrative is quoted
below:
"The earliest settlers north and west
of the town limits realized the need of a school
for their families.
John Kubbernus and Charlie Erickson were
the two men most instrumental in organizing the
school. The
Baldenstein School was named by John
Kubbernus in 1901. He had earlier immigrated to
the United
States from Berlin, Germany, coming to
Camrose in 1900 to settle on a homestead north of
Camrose. The
proposed site for the school was to be
located on the SW 1/4 of Section 16-47-20-W4, but,
before any
construction was started, the town annexed
the Kubbernus and Erickson land and they became
rate payers
in the town school system. About the year
1908, the school boundaries were redefined and a
site two miles
north of the original location was chosen.
The school was built on a two acre plot on the NW
1/4 of
Section 21-47-20-W4, owned by John Olson.
One acre was sold and one acre was donated by John
Olson."
More information is provided in another
reference, The history of Baldenstein School
District #677
The
answer we are looking for regarding the location
of the German home village of the Kubbernuss
family may lie in the definition of the
term itself, Baldenstein . There is little
information on the surname
Baldenstein. The earliest mention was in
1527 where Hans Rink von Baldenstein and his
father Jorge
borrowed 300 guilders from Rudolf Wychser,
citizen and officer of Glarus Switzerland, More
recent
mention is of a Thomas Conrad von
Baldenstein (1784-1878) a well-known natural
scientist, who made a
name for himself as an entomologist and
apiarist. He was renowned as an ornithologist, and
his scientific
works on the bird-life of the Alps were
recognized by various societies in Switzerland,
Germany and other
countries. The only possible connection
here is that John Kubbernuss lived in Germany when
this
Baldenstein was alive. A more likely but
just as obscure connection is a mention of a
Knight of Malta, and
last Grand Prior of Germany and Prince of
Heitersheim, Ignaz-Balthasar (Baron) Rinck von
Baldenstein,
1721-1807. Born in Delsburg in Switzerland
he was elected in 1796 to succeed
Johann-Josef-Benedict
(Count) of Reinach. However Heitersheim is
near Freiburg, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg
close to
the Swiss border -- quite a distance from
Berlin or Mecklenburg. There is also mention of
two Baldenstein
Castles, one in
Gammertingen/Baden-Wuerttemberg also close to the
Swiss border. The other is in Sils im
Domleschg Switzerland that has been in
existence since 1246 and is still in use today.
Finally, there also
is a Pathfinder group, a Boy Scouts type
organization, in the German state of Brandenburg
near Berlin.
Our guess is that despite the apparent
Swiss connection, we'll find a small burg, school
or area near Berlin
named Baldenstein that has some association
in the past with Ignaz-Balthasar Rinck von
Baldenstein.
More
mentions of Baldenstein:
Balduinstein GKZ : 07 1 41 503
County : | | +---- Rhein-Lahn-Kreis(Bad
Ems) {}
RegBez : | +------- Koblenz
Land : +--------- Rheinland-Pfalz
ZIP : 65558
Popul : 606
Locate : (Bad Ems) 50d20m N 7d43m E
Maps : TK25 5612 Bad Ems
TK50 L5712 Bad Ems
Euro He47"
Still
more on Baldenstein
Bird named after Conrad Von Baldenstein
Willow Tit Parus montanus
http://www.interaktv.com/PARUS/Pmontanus.html
Willow Tit Parus montanus Conrad von
Baldenstein 1827; subspecies ;montanus Willow Tit
songarus Severtzov 1873 Songar Tit Habitat:
variable; Range: central Palearctic
More on the Rinck Vol Baldenstein
The Knights of Saint John in Germany Guy
Stair Sainty. At the fall of Malta the last Grand
Prior of
Germany and Prince of Heitersheim was Frair
Ignaz-Balthasar (Baron) Rinck von Baldenstein,
elected in
1796 in succession to Fra
Johann-Josef-Benedict (Count) of Reinach, and
until the German Associations
produce a sufficient number of professed
knights of Justice (there is presently only one
professed German
knight), the Catholic Grand Priory cannot
be revived.
A
portion of this narrative is quoted here:
"...Herbert (Herb) Kubbernus was born in
Detroit Lakes,
Minnesota and came to Canada in 1901 at the
age of six years. He attended the first school in
Camrose.
His teacher was Miss Signe Spokeli, the
first teacher in Camrose. In 1927 he married Inge
Gjerde of
Ryley, Alberta. They farmed two miles north
of Camrose until 1929 when the land was sold to
Charles
Duggan. In 1930, in they lived on
Nordstrom's place and spent that year brushing and
breaking land for
various farmers. In 1937 they bought the
S1/2 Section 20-47-20-W4 from Mr. Shaw who lived
in the U.S.
It was virgin land that had earlier been
homesteaded by the Junkeit Brothers . According to
Inga, their
social life centered around the Baldenstein
School concerts, picnics, and other
activities."
More
narrative by Inga Kubbernuss in "Footsteps
along the Stony"
"We have five children: Lorna worked
in drug stores and also took a nursing Aide Course
and worked in
the Royal Alexander Hospital in Edmonton
and in the Inuvik Hospital , in North West
Territory. She is
married to R.C.M.P. Doug Harrison , and
they live in Sherwood Park , Alberta . They have
four children.
Vernon married Vera Felzien. He took up
sheet metal work and was Branch manager in Calgary
for J.K.
Campbell and Associates until he retired to
live in Enderby B.C. They have three sons. Leon is
married to
Kathryn Sjoblom. They live in Calgary and
he is Field Supervisor for the same company as
Vernon.
Donald married Solveig Tews. They also live
in Calgary where he is one of the foreman for the
same
company. Virgil married Betty Stevens and
works for the Ford Company at Fort St. John B.C.
They live
in Hudson Hope B.C. and have four children.
The farm was sold in 1960: the southwest 1/4 to
Lyseng
Brothers and the south east 1/4 to Ray
Frankson . We then bought a home in Wetaskiwin and
Herb
worked for the Imperial Lumber Company for
several years . We spent a few years in Calgary
but have
now returned to Wetaskiwin to reside."