Julius and Matilde Koberstein

This is the story of one of the smallest Koberstein families that immigrated to America. I have found a Julius and Matilde Koberstein that immigrated to the United States via New York and finally settled in Gillette, Oconto, Wisconsin and stayed there till he died and was buried in the local cemetery. As far as I can tell no family came with them. What would motivate a couple to travel so far, away from every thing they knew, to an unknown land for the rest of their lives?

The earliest record I have of this couple is two entries in the Hamburg emigration passenger lists.

Hamburg emigration list for Julius

Here is the extracted information for Julius, apparently the first to emigrate. I can only guess that he went first to find a location and perhaps earn money for his wife to follow.

The details of this passenger list give much information. He was 44 years old and the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Census' indicate both he and Matilde were 19 when married. The list states he had been a resident of Nawrybice, Russia. I have been unable to locate this city; one has to wonder if the handwriting transcription is correct. The U.S. census records consistently have them give their nationality as Polish. The time from marriage to emigration was 25 years. This is plenty of time to have a family and raise them but I have not found any connection to family so far. No children came with them to the U.S. or were listed in the 1920 or 1930 census, nor have I found any Koberstein's living in or around Gillett, Wisconsin. It is not outside the realm of possibility that Matilde was beyond child bearing age when they came to America.

Effects of World War I

Julius was a late emigrant, compared to the bulk of American immigration, with a departure date of May 6, 1909. However by comparing the dates of the beginning of friction prior to WWI it is apparent they might have left due to the military drum beating going on.

Wikipedia states, "The causes of the military conflict, which began in central Europe in August 1914, included many intertwined factors, such as the conflicts and antagonisms of the four decades leading up to the war. Militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism played major roles in the conflict as well. However, the immediate origins of the war lay in the decisions taken by statesmen and generals during the July Crisis of 1914, the spark (or casus belli) for which was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip, an irredentist Serb. However, the crisis did not exist in a void; it came after a long series of diplomatic clashes between the Great Powers over European and colonial issues in the decade prior to 1914 which had left tensions high. In turn these diplomatic clashes can be traced to changes in the balance of power in Europe since 1867.

The most immediate spark for the war was tensions over territory in the Balkans. Austria-Hungary competed with Serbia and Russia for territory and influence in the region and they pulled the rest of the Great Powers into the conflict through their various (secret) alliances and treaties. The topic of the causes of, or guilt for, the First World War is one of the most studied in all of world history. Scholars have differed significantly in their interpretations of the event.

In November 1912 Russia, humiliated by its inability to support Serbia during the Bosnian crisis of 1908 or the First Balkan War, announced a major reconstruction of its military.

On November 28, in partial reaction to the Russian move, German Foreign Secretary Gottlieb von Jagow told the Reichstag, the German parliament, that "If Austria is forced, for whatever reason, to fight for its position as a Great Power, then we must stand by her". As a result, British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey responded by warning Prince Karl Lichnowsky, the German Ambassador in London, that if Germany offered Austria a "blank cheque" for war in the Balkans, then "the consequences of such a policy would be incalculable". To reinforce this point, R. B. Haldane, the Germanophile Lord Chancellor, met with Prince Lichnowsky to offer an explicit warning that if Germany were to upset the balance of power in Europe by trying to destroy either France or Russia as powers, Britain would have no other choice but to fight the Reich."

The Russian announcement of a major reconstruction of the military in 1908, might have been a primary cause for the emigration to America, in May 1909.

Entry in New York for Julius' first trip

Here is the extraction of the Ellis Island passenger list on arrival in New York.

Looking at the details of the passenger list (ship manifest) you see that Julius is 44 and listed as a Farm laborer or Day laborer. He is listed with Russian Nationality, but German race. The last permanent residence was at Lublin, Russia. It is not surprising that he gave a specific village/city in Hamburg, but once in America he gave a larger city that might be more familiar. What is great about Lublin is I know where it is. One has to believe that the village of Nawrybice is close to Lublin, Russia, now in Poland. The closest relative listed in the place he emigrated from is his wife, Matilde Koberstein, also with residence at Lublin, Russia. Also, the destination this first time is for Chicago, Illinois not Wisconsin.

Julius' trip back to Russia

Interestingly, Julius must have traveled back to assist his wife with her emigration. Julius is listed twice on the Ellis Island passenger lists, the first in 1909 and then the same year, but not the same month, as Matilde in 1912 and not even the same port of embarkation. Julius arrived in New York the second time from debarkation in Bremen arriving on April 27th, 1912. Whereas, Matilde left from Hamburg on October 18, 1912. Why was there a gap of six months?

Julius's New York passenger list:

Hamburg Emigration for Matilde

Here is the Hamburg emigration passenger list for Matilde:

Where did they come from?

Of great interest is the residence given in these emigration lists:

Image of entry in list

For Julius it is	For Matilde it is
Nawrybice	Nadribya

The transcription above is from ancestry.com. However I could easily transcribe it differently. It seems clear that there are two different locations. No amount of imagination allows the hand writing to be the same spelling. I would guess they lived together at Nawrybice when Julius left. Perhaps they disposed of this location and Matilde moved to another location pending her emigration, maybe a relative. Since he departed on May 6, 1909 and she on October 18, 1912, there is a gap of 3 years and 4 months. Although the final spark for World War I didn't occur until July 1914, I suspect things were looking bad in October 1912 only a month before Russia announced the major reconstruction of their military.

Matilde's New York passenger list:

The New York passenger lists give a clearer entry for the residence city prior to emigration. Interestingly the nearest relative living in the county Julius was from was his wife, Matilde Koberstein, with the residency also of Vodays but when she actually emigrated the residence changed to Mabribya. I have no doubt when all these residency villages and birth villages are compiled it will tell a detailed story of how their immigration to America proceeded. We may never have enough records to figure it all out, though. This time Julus' destination was directly to Gillett, Wisconsin not Chicago as in the first time.

Image of entry in list

Julius resident of:	Matilde resident of:
Vadays	Mabribya

Just for comparison this is how they wrote the residency city for Julius' wife in his passenger list. Looks identical!

Now to look at Matilde's New York passenger list in detail. She was listed as 48 and married, with last residence of Mabribya, Russia. The closest friend in Russia was Julius Llurmer also of Mabribya written as given here.

Other information on Julius' list is that he had previously been in the United States in 1909 in Leona. We already knew that from his Hamburg emigration list information. I determined that this is Laona, Wisconsin which is about 58 miles north of Gillett, WI (which is 36 miles north of Green Bay, WI) where Julius and Matilde finally settled. Laona is on the shores of Scattered Rice Lake. I have to believe they had a friend that they stayed with at Laona, Wisconsin. However, Julius was listed as going to join a friend Ludwig Freitag, whose address was Gillet, Wisconsin.

Birth Locations given

The Ellis Island records also give the place of birth in Russia:

Image of entry in list

Julius birth location	Matilde birth location
nadrgb	Warschow

Wow, these handwritten city names are hard to transcribe!

In America

Her final destination is Laona (Wisconsin). She is listed as going to join her husband in Laona also.

Ultimately they settled in Gillett, Wisconsin. The Village of Gillett was incorporated in 1900 with a population of about 400. Although the downtown area of Gillett was platted in 1884, it continued to be just a settlement, a part of the Town of Gillett until the turn of the century when it was incorporated into a Village.

This is the new village hall built in 1905, only four years before the first arrival of Julius Koberstein. The population at that time was over 500. The population by 1920 had reached over 1000 inhabitants. Two those inhabitants were Koberstein's.

Here are two scenes from main street, Gillett, Wisconsin.

Still horse and buggy days, wasn't it! For more details see:

Both Julius and Matilde are listed in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Federal Census records as living in Gillett, Wisconsin.

In the 1920 census the house number is listed as 'X' with no street name. I don't know what that means except it is probably not a typical house location. They are both listed as 55 years old. The place of birth is Russian Poland and the language is German and their parents are the same. He worked as a laborer at the saw mill.

Gillett history indicates, "The Woodenware Company manufactured early pails and for a short time made cheese boxes. The original mill burned in about 1913, but was rebuilt and named the Great Northern Pail Company, and was owned by Mr. J. P. Smith of Green Bay, who was no relation to Mr. Smith. Walter W. Smith was manager of the factory." Could this company had a saw mill for its pails and boxes?

Here is the ancestry.com transcription for the 1930 census.

In this record their address is indicated as Wis. S.T.H. #22. Wis. S.T.H. stands for Wisconsin State Trunk Highway #22 which is the main highway that runs through Gillett. This means they probably lived on a non-city street on the State Highway 22. Again the birth location of both them and their parents is Russian Poland, but this time the language is indicated as Polish. Occupation is none (probably retired).

Turn on earth is complete

Ultimately every ones turn on earth is over and Julius was laid to rest in the local cemetery in 1936.

Wanderer's Rest Cemetery

Gillett, Oconto County, Wisconsin

Page 7

LOT NAME BORN - DIED DATA

110 KOBERSTEIN, Julius 1864- 1936 Funeral Home marker

Here is a modern street view from Google maps of this cemetery.

And a map of the modern village.

You will see Wanders Rest Cemetery in the lower left corner.

Appendix

Here is a compilation of the extracted locations that Julius and Matilde gave as residence, and birth.

Person Type From/To place date Going to

Julius Birth - Nadrgb 1864 -

Matilde Birth - Warschow 1864 -

Julius Emigration residence Hamburg Nawrybice May 6, 1909 U.S.

" Immigration residence New York Lublin May 16, 1909 Chicago

" Immigration residence Bremen Vodays Apr. 27, 1912 Gillett, WI

" Wife's residence - Vodays " -

Matilde Emigration residence Hamburg Nadribya Oct. 18, 1912 U.S.

Immigration New York Nabribya Oct. 18, 1912 Laona, WI

Julius & Matilde 1920 Census - Gillett, Wis. Feb 2, 1920 -

" 1930 Census - Gillett, Wis. Apr. 24, 1930 -

Birth found in Immigration record at Ellis Island

Now the challenge is to find where these locations are. Lublin is clearly located and it was apparently Julius' attempt to provide a larger, more familiar name to New York authorities. I have to think the other villages, that I can't find are near to Lublin, such as Nawrybice and Nadribya. I have no idea what the birth place (Nadrgb) of Julius is. It seems like an odd spelling with only one vowel. I wonder if Wasrschow could be Warsaw.