Karl Altwasser and Christine Frieske

Karl Altwasser is The Fourth Child of Johann Friedrich Altwasser and Anna Wiesner.

Information about Johann Friedrich Altwasser and Anna Wiesner.

Where they lived in Central Poland

Karl (Karol) Altwasser was born November 4, 1820 Czepow Dolney, Poland. He married Anna Christine Frieske on October 26, 1840 in the Evangelical Church in Dabie, Poland. Destination: Yellow Grass evolved from the stories written about three of his sons and their descendents. The Frieske spelling is the oldest of the German spellings that researcher Karl Lenz found for this family. The later Polish records generally spell the name Friske, Fryske or Frisske.

Karl Altwasser, like his two older brothers and his father, was also a miller. His first job as a miller other than when he worked at home in Czepow Dolney, was at Dabrowa, Rozniatow. It was here that his wife's family lived. Their oldest child Johann August was born in Dabrowa in 1841 and sometime after this date the family moved to Chwalborzyce. Three children, Johann Wilhelm who died as a baby, Anna Julianna and Friedrich Wilhelm were born there. Around 1848 the family again moved to Czepow Dolney where Karl continued working as a miller. In 1849 the family was living in Ladawy, which is about seven kilometres south and east of Czepow dolney. The remaining four children, Karl Julius, Gottlieb, Justine Caroline and Emilie Teofilie were all born at Ladawy.

On March 15, 1855, within three weeks of the birth of their daughter Emilie, Karl died at the young age of 34. The records don't list the cause of death, but it must have been tragic to lose a husband and father with seven children ranging in age from one month to thirteen years of age.

Christine married her second husband, Daniel Hiller on May 18, 1857 in Dabrowa, Rozniatow, Poland. They had three girls, all born in Poland. There is a possibility Christine and Daniel later immigrated to Volhynia because one of their girls, Louise Hiller, married Michael Weber in Shitomir Parish on October 14, 1876. Louise and Michael later came to Canada and settled in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan.

Three sons of Karl (Karol) Altwasser and Anna Christine Frieske moved from Poland to the Russian controlled Province of Volhynia in the 1870's and early 1880's. Two sons, Friedrich Wilhelm Altwasser and his brother Gottlieb emigrated from Volhynia, Russia, to Canada in 1894 and 1905 respectively.

The Children of Karl Altwasser and Christine Frieske

Johann August Altwasser was born on October 13, 1841 in Rozniatov, Dabie, Poland and became a miller like his father and grandfather before him. He married Anna Hiller on August 14, 1863. August remained in Europe and his story appears in these web pages. Johann Wilhelm Altwasser was born on February 27, 1843 and died on November 8, 1843 in Chwalborzyce, Poland. Anna Julianne Altwasser was born on October 15, 1844 in Chwalborzyce, Dabie, Poland. It is not known when or where her death took place. She married Gottlieb Betcher on November 15, 1860 in Dabrowa, Rozniatow, Poland. Gottlieb and Julianne lived in the Czyste and Zagaj area south and east of Turek in Russian Poland. They had three children, Friedrich Gustav, Johann and Emilie. No further information has been found about this family. Friedrich Wilhelm (Fred Sr.) Altwasser was born on February 2, 1847 in Chwalborzyce, Poland. He married Wilhelmine Wilde on February 2, 1866 in Dzierzazny, Poland. Fred was the first in his family to move from Poland to Volhynia and also the first of two brothers to emigrate from Volhynia to Canada. He died in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan on October 6, 1935. His story appears in these web pages. Karl Julius Altwasser was born on June 5, 1849 in Czepow dolney, Dabie, Poland. On April 13, 1869, Karl Julius was married to Anna Caroline Hunker in the Lutheran Church in Dabie. He did not become a miller, rather he became a teacher and cantor first in Dabrowa, then in Gorki and later in Nowa Zawadka, all in the Dabie area. The church records for the Dabie Parish have only been microfilmed to 1884. As a result we have been unable to identify all the children in this family. To October 1883, there were seven children born to Karl and Anna Caroline. Of these, three were boys and four were girls. Based on information handed down through the family and more recent documentation, Karl and his family did not migrate to Volhynia like his brothers, but stayed behind in Central Poland. Cantor Historical Note Most people lived in villages with each village having an appointed teacher and Lutheran lay preacher (Kantor in German). Kantor means the lay preacher who was appointed to lead Sunday church services and perform church duties in the absence of an ordained pastor. He did not have the authority to marry couples, but could perform baptisms and funerals, teach the catechism and prepare the children for confirmation.   Gottlieb Altwasser was born November 22, 1851 in Ladawy, Province of Kalish, Poland. He married Euphrosine Beyer on November 23, 1872 in the Lutheran Church at Dabie, Poland. At the time of their marriage, Gottlieb was living in Osiny, which is located northeast of Dabie and north of Grabov, and his occupation was listed as a teacher and cantor. Gottlieb emigrated to Canada from Volhynia with his wife and four of his children in 1905. Their story appears in these web pages. Justine Caroline Altwasser was born on July 22, 1853 in Ladawy, Poland and died on January 23, 1856 in Dabrowa, Poland. Emilie Teofilie Altwasser was born on February 28, 1855 in Ladawy, Poland and died on March 27, 1857 in Rozniatow, Poland.

The tree below has hot spots which are high lighted in green. Click on the hot spots for links to the other stories.