Under The Tall Grass!
by Frederick Andrew Kuhn
Preface
We are about to embark upon a journey through time. As we proceed along our
journey, we will
find that certain events seem quite clouded. We will have to use our
recollection of the past and
on occasion a little imagination simply to present the events of the past in a
more meaningful perspective.
In your travel brochure you will find that we have not included what can be
construed as rumour
to be factual, however there will be times and events (valid recollections of
our family members
and friends) inserted which may add to validation of actual provable facts.
As our journey takes us through the winding sometimes hazy corridors of time we
will meet
some extremely interesting and outstanding people. We must bear in mind that as
they are
introduced to us, their lifestyles and values, like our own, have often been
determined by
circumstances which were beyond anyone's control. Nobody enters this world with
an instruction booklet tucked under their arm.
For some, lifestyles and personal values have been dictated by the sole desire
to survive under
conditions that we cannot even fathom. For others their lifestyles have been
somewhat like
our own, the occasional heartache, many moments of happiness and when reviewed
as a whole, a very enjoyable experience.
The purpose of our journey is to guarantee a small part of our past history and
present
undertakings are recorded for some young Grand-son or Grand-daughter who may
someday come across the marker over our bones, be it large or small - Under The Tall Grass!
******
Frederick Andrew Kuhn subsequently provided the following information about the
Muench-Khun Connection:
The Kuhn family appears to have lived in four villages:
- The main one being the village of Lazinsk Poland, located 4 miles south of Zagorow and north of Grodziec, now [2016] called Poznan, in Zagorow Parish Poland.
- Village of Huta Trabczynska, a few miles to the south of Lazinsk.
- City of Chernovtsky Russia, eastern Ukraine just north of the Romanian border.
- Village of Kurgany, maybe a hundred miles north of Chernovtsky.
Andreus Kuhn registered his marriage in a place called Lazinsk and filed a document in the Konin district office.
When the Russian army arrived, the Kuhn family appears to have fled in
two directions - east and west. Not really so much that the Russian army
was looking for soldiers. The agreement with the Russians was that Germans
and Jews were welcome to come into the country and settle it - however
it was decided later that they were supposed to give up their language,
speak Russian, give up their customs, become Russian and maybe the men
if fit to join the Russian army when needed. There were many cases where
the Russians found that Germans were not speaking mainly Russian or
becoming Russian so some Germans were actually given money to help
pay for them to get out of the country - and of course the Russian army robbed
the Germans of the money when they tried to flee - so it apparently was with
the Kuhn family.
Andreus Kuhn had to take his two sons,
Frederick William Kuhn and August Kuhn, and flee western Russia, travelling to
the west part of Poland where Frederick William Kuhn had been born in Lublin.
Andreus left his sons there during his flight, and it could very well have been at the home of Julius and Henrieatta Muench. Andreus went back for the rest of family.
Julius and Henrieatta [nee Zichlke] Muench had four children: August, William, Emil [born in 1877], and Julianne, born in 1880 in Posen Poland.
Henrieatta Muench died in 1882, when Emil was 5-years-old. The
youngsters were raised by foster parents.
The Kuhn family was living in Lublin, Poland, when Mrs. Muench died. They lived nearby, and the families were close friends. When 25-year-old Friedrick Wilhelm Kuhn and his 32-year-old wife, Wilhemena, immigrated
to Canada, it appears Emil's young daughter, Julianne, may have been with them.
Frederick William and his brother August where in Winnipeg as early as
1885. Directories did not list women so I do not know about Wilhelmina
(Minnie), but I suspect she was in also in Winnipeg.
Emil Muench remained in Europe until 1904. His wife, Roselie and her Herr family were also there.
Wilhemena Kuhn died in March of 1903, and is buried in
Elmwood Cemetery in Winnipeg, [Manitoba, Canada].
Julianne 'Julia' Muench married Friedrick William
Kuhn July 04, 1903 in Winnipeg. They resided in a big house (probably rented)
at 364 Ross Ave. Friedrick Wilhelm Kuhn was baptized in the church he helped
found - 1st Baptist church on July 03, 1903. Julianna [nee Muench] Kuhn
was baptized in the church on Sept. 04 1904. Their first child was a baby girl
born March 15, 1904, but died April 30, 1904 at approximately 6 weeks of age,
She was buried May 02 1904 in Elmwood Cemetery Sec. 9, #255.
After Julianne was married, with the Kuhn's encouragement and assistance, Emil Muench emigrated from
Poland and joined his sister and brother-in-law in Winnipeg, in the fall of
1904. His wife, Rosalia [nee Herr] Muench and baby daughter, Martha, would join
him later.
Friedrick William Kuhn helped Emil get his first job
with, Gallagher, Holman, LaFrance Company, a meat packing plant and also an
animal hide warehouse. Both men worked there. Frederick was a hideman, and Emil
was a labourer.
Emil and his brother, William, lived at 773 Alexander
Ave. William worked as a carpenter. Emil moved to 1211 Alexander Ave., living
with his brother, August, when Emil worked as pickle maker at Dyson Pickle
Company. Later the Muench family - ies moved to 280 Salter Ave.
Friedrick and Julianne's next daughter, Olga Kuhn, was
born there March 05, 1905.
*Note: Record of Olga Baird/nee Kuhn's death is located at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLLP-XPN
In the mean time I believe Frederick William owned
vacant property at 456 Sherbrooke St. and that this is where Emil (or somebody,
maybe William or August Muench - both carpenters ) built the two room shack
mentioned in Emil Muench's daughter, Ottilie [nee Muench] Leeson's memories.
Ottilie was probably conceived there, and born there May 24, 1906. William and
August Muench were probably living with them also. Things were probably getting
cramped because they all moved to 773 Alexander Ave. (big house but no longer
there).
Sometime after the Muenchs moved out, Friedrick William Kuhn, Julianne, and
daughter Olga move into the two room shack, their son Frederick William was
born there Oct. 05, 1906, their son Henry Albert was born there Jun. 08, 1908.
That two room shack is still there with people living in it [at the time of
this posting].
It appears that in 1907 William, August, Emil and family move to 1211 Alexander
Ave., and live there until 1910. The big house is still there [at the time of
this posting]. There was a slaughter house just to the south, where Emil had worked when they lived there, and a stock yard to the north. Not the best place
to be in summer!!!
In 1911 Emil and family moved to 280 Salter Ave and later that year the family
move to Swift Current Saskatchewan.
One of Julianne and Friedrick's five sons, Henry Kuhn, was
an uncle to their grandson, Fredrick Andrew Kuhn, who lives in Winnipeg [at the
time of this posting] and provided this information.
Frederick Andrew Kuhn wrote that he has quite a history
file on Julianna Muench if anyone is interested. She had good times and hard
times - Friedrick Wilhelm Kuhn wasn't the kindest man there was - but better
than most - millionaire twice and died broke. Julianne and Friedrick's children
are all deceased:
-
Baby Kuhn (Girl) died May 1904 1-1/2 months old
Olga Olive Kuhn
Frederick William Kuhn
Henry Albert Kuhn
Reginald Julius Kuhn
Robert Ronald "Bob" Kuhn
Elsie Kuhn
Valerie Lillian Kuhn
David "George" Kuhn
Frederick Andrew Kuhn is a stickler for accuracy whose research is
awesome ~ turning up documented facts plus a lot of confusing data. For
instance,
"Ottilie Muench said her mother Roselie Muench and baby daughter
Martha Muench came by Ellis Island but I found nothing in New York. In another
record I found that Roselie said she came to Canada via Halifax."
Frederick wrote, "It
is my hope that the Emil Muench family can help me with the early life of Emil
Muench's sister, Julianne Muench - even rumours and folklore would be
helpful."
He will especially welcome information on William and August
Muench.
"It could be that William and August were married in Winnipeg -
somebody should know!! What I really need is for one of these siblings to say
my father was ?? years old when he came to Canada or my father died when I was
6 years old or my mom was 24 when she got married in 1908, etc.etc.”
For the last number of months I have been tidy up my files and at the same time trying to confirm the old country connection between the Muench family and the Kuhn family. I think I have 1771 to 1840 [files] done.
I have found cases of inter-marriage between the Kuhn family, Merk family, Milke family and the Munk family.
Frederick confided, "THIS
WHOLE EXERCISE HAS BEEN LIKE PUTTING A JIG-SAW PUZZLE TOGETHER WITH THE PICTURE
FACING DOWN."
