THE MUENCH-KUHN CONNECTION

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."

[Read Ottillie's memories by going to the Muench Home Page: http://emilmuenchancestry.blogspot.com/ In the left panel Archives, scroll to 2012/February.]

 

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."