For a second today it seemed that the microfilm might win. If it wasn't falling off the reel as I scrolled through the archived issues of Champaign News-Gazette, it threatened to make me go blind with its tiny font. However, I prevailed and wasn't kicked out of the Library for nearly destroying what they've tried so hard to perserve.
Anyways, I got a ton of good information from the obits for John and Frederika Munds. Combine this with the information from Sunday and I might just have an essay to write. I know their hometown in Germany. The name of the ship they travelled on when the moved to the US. As well as the fact that they rented a farm near Bondsville. John's obit had a list of the jobs he'd held since moving from Germany. Frederika's death was bit on the mysterious side. She suddenly became ill two hours before her death. The cause of death on her death certificate was impossible to read. Why can't all of these documents be typed instead of handwritten.
I'd given up on their children because I wasn't finding anything, so of course today I discover that one of them had gone insane and spent sometime in a mental institution. This information came out in a court case over some disputed property. I wanted more info about her illness, but the case only wanted to deal with deeds and property value. Still, some great info.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Nice work, BK! Did you find anything else out about what traveling in "steerage" entails?
Too bad about not being able to read anything more about the daughter (?) going insane... I wonder what that's all about?
I'm still searching for steerage details. I know the trip took 2-3 weeks from Hamburg, which must have been awful especially since they were traveling with a few little kids.
Post a Comment