Franz Albert Krüger

Today I thought I would share some basic information about my 4th great uncle Franz Albert Krüger.

Franz Albert Krüger

Photo of the family provided by Craig Hacker

Albert was born on the 11th of August 1844 in the Pomerania region of Germany. He died on the 22nd of June, 1902 and was buried the 24th of June in the Concordia Pickerel Lake cemetery. His burial record shows the exact location of his birth, although since it would be far too easy if it was readable it was written in a way such that it is possible to read it several different ways including "Krienun" or "Krienin". I also find that in a lot of German records in the United States the names were spelled creatively. I can't find any location in Pommerania by that name so if anyone has any guesses as to what this says, please comment below (the record is in German):

He married his wife, Ernestine Wilhelmine Warner, on the 10th of October, 1870, in Güntersberg, Germany. You can see here he is listed on the certificate as an "instmann":

According to the book The Evolution of Modern Germany The Instmann were farmers in Germany who were far too poor to own their own land so they would work for a landowner. While the contracts were different for each Instmann, it was common for the Instmann to recieve free lodging as well as a small amount of money every year. The book provides an example of an instmann with a wife and 6 children you earned about 31 dollars per year. The wife and children are expected to work as well as part of Instmann contracts.

Instmann were different from the equivalent poor farmers in other countries because they would hire workers as well. They would be responsible for these other farmer's lodging and the landowner would pay them a small amount for the work of the other farmers they hired.

The marriage certificate also mentions that it was indeed his first marriage and that he was 26 years old while his wife was 24 years old.

At the time of their marriage Ernestine already had one child, Johanna Louise (my 3rd great grandmother) who had been born 2 years prior to the brother of my 4th great uncle, Auguste Ferdinand Krüger who died when Louise was young.. By the time they immigrated to the US, they had 4 children.

Records from the USA show they were members of the German Lutheran Church. All of the 5 additional children they had in the USA were baptized in a German Lutheran church in Minnesota. They had 10 children total (that I know of), but only 6 of those children made it to adulthood.

The names of their children were:

•  (Daughter of only Ernestine) Johanna Louise Krüger born on the 13th of July, 1868 in Güntersberg, Pomerania, Germany and died 26th of January, 1953 in Freeborn Minnesota. She married Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt (he mostly went by William).
• (Daughter of only Ernestine) Emma Emilie Krüger born on the 14th of May 1870 and died on the 17th of July 1870.
• Franz Eduard Krüger (A.K.A. Frank) born 22 October 1871 Güntersberg, Germany and died 12 January 1959 in Freeborn Minnesota. He married Mathilde L.
• Albert Frank Krüger born 16 May 1875 in Germany and died 14 Aug 1936 in Iowa, USA. He married Martha Petznick.
• Gustav Adolph Krüger born on the 26 Feb 1879 Güntersberg, Germany and died 30 Mar 1962 in Freeborn Minnesota. He married Clara Steele
• Emma Emilie Krüger born 6 Sep 1883 in Minnesota and died at the age of 3 mos old on Dec 26 1883 in Pickerel Lake, Freeborn, Minnesota just a day after Christmas.
• William Earnst Krüger born 2 January 1885 in Pickerel Lake Minnesota, died 16 July 1967 in Freeborn Minnesota. He married Johanna Schewe. 
• Ernestine Wilhelmine Krüger, born 6 May 1887 and died 6 Dec 1968. She married Wilhelm F. Brüne
• August Ferdinand Krüger born 28 Dec 1888 and died 30 Mar 1889. He was buried on the 2nd April 1889.
• Heinrich Ludwig Hermann Krüger 27 Apr 1890. I think he was born healthy; they waited to baptize him until the 25th may 1890, showing that they were in no rush. However, he must have succumbed to sickness because he died on the 27 Aug. 1890.

Albert died just a few years after immigrating, at the age of 57. Because of this he appears in no U.S. censuses.