The Stenzel Family

From Jeanette Bias: Jacob was a farmer near Furstl (or Furstlich), Neudorf, County Gross Wartenberg, Silesia, Prussia. Jacob was said to be a "well-to-do" man, as his son inherited enough money for the emigration and the farms they built up. From 1984 Stenzel reunion: Paul and Julia lived in Furstl Neudorf, Germany after they married. They also lived in Nowa Wiese Neudorf, Germany. Paul, Julia and their children: Mary, Joseph, John, Anton, Frank and Elizabeth came to America in 1884. They came from Trebocrow (Trembolshow) Poland or Furstlich Neudorf, Germany. They bought their tickets at Kempno, Poland (Kempen, Germany) and boarded the steamship Philadelphia, Amonea or Amonea on June 1, 1884, at Hamburg, Germany. The name of the steamship line was Red Spoor. It took about two weeks to make the voyage to New York City, New York. At the time, it cost $54.00 per person from Hamburg to St Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota in third class cabin. Some ship lines had fare wars, trying to get the most people to travel via their ship lines. Some of the children were given passage for as little as $.50. They landed on Castle Garden, not Ellis Island, famous for processing immigrants, which hadn't been built yet. They joined their oldest two sons Vincent and Thomas (came to America in 1882) in Minnesota Lake, Minnesota. Julia said that she would not have her family divided by the Atlantic Ocean, so they joined their sons in America. They lived with Vincent and his wife, Johanna, until 1887 when they purchased a farm in the Wells, Faribault, Minnesota, USA area. Paul bought the 80 acre farm with John Staloch in Section 25 of Dunbar Twp., Faribault County, Minnesota for $800. On March 15, 1892, John Staloch sold his 40 to Thomas Stenzel, Paul's son for $1500 which was the west half of the original 80 acres. Paul retired in 1910 and sold his 40 acres on November 15 1910 to Frank Stenzel (his son) for $2000. Frank farmed until his death when Simon Stenzel bought the farm from Fank's estate. Simon is the son of Frank Stenzel. The south side of the house that still remains on the farm is part of the original house. The shed is the original barn. John Staloch's mother was Josephin Stenzel. Se married Frank Staloch. They never came to America. Paul made a snuff snifter out of a cow's horn and would suck the snuff up through his nose. Julia had a fattal stroke while in Wells and fell on the street. This was the third stroke she had and it left her in very critical condition. The funeral was on August 22, 1902 at St Casimir Catholic Church in Wells, Faribault, Minnesota, USA by Rev. Father Cieszynski. Paul lived on the farm for a short time after Julia's death. Frank and his wife Mary moved from Waseca County, Minnesota to the farm for a short time to live with Paul. Paul left the farm and moved in with his son Thomas and his wife Mqry. It is told that Paul would go to church to have his confession heard. Before he would enter the confessional, he would sing all of his prays out loud in Polish. Paul loved to sing in Polish and he would sing Polish hymns at home one after another, as many as he knew until finally Thomas would get so sick of it, he would have to tell him that's enough and he would quit. The first cemetery in Wells for Catholics was behind the church where the pastor's garage is now located. This is where Julia was first buried. As the church needed more room for a cemetery, they bought the present site and moved the graves. Anton, her son, designed and built the first grave monument used for Julia's grave. It was made of tin, the cross and pedestal are still part of the Stenzel farm. After Paul died, Julia's grave marker was made to match Paul's.

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