Ottilie (Ottilia) Altwasser

Information about Friedrich Altwasser and Wilhelmine Wilde

Ottilie (Altwasser) and Gustav Domes
Married February 6, 1890.

Children of Ottilie Altwasser and Gustav Domes

Ottilie (Ottilia) Altwasser and Gustav Domes

Gustav Domes was born on April 14, 1866. Ottilie Altwasser was born on October 12, 1873. They were married on February 6, 1890 in Volhynia, Russia. Mother's parents Mr. and Mrs. Altwasser, came to Canada in May of 1894. Then in 1900, Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Domes with their three children decided to come to Canada. They landed in Buffalo, New York and stayed there fore a short time to earn some money to continue their journey. Then they came to Pheasant Forks, a small town in the Indian Head district, where they stayed until coming to Lang, Saskatchewan.

On October 13, 1902 Gustav Domes filed a claim to homestead, made by an agent, Neil B. Pollack for SW 1/4 -10-11-18-W2. The following year, in May 1903, Gustav Domes built their house, 14 ' x 18'. It was valued at $160.00. The stable was also built in the same year, it was 16' x 32' and was valued at $50.00. It was mostly put up with ties from the railroad where Gustav Domes worked on the CPR

I remember when Dad talked about those days. He would tell us that Mr. John Barmby was the foreman and what a good foreman he was.

The information I got from the Saskatoon Archives tells of the progress Dad made during the first three years in the homestead. In 1903 he had two horses, six head of cattle and four pigs. In 1904 he had two horses, nine head of cattle and six pigs. Then in 1906 he had five horses, twelve head of cattle and six pigs.

During the time from 1903 to 1906 Dad broke 14 acres the first year and cropped none. The second year Dad broke none and cropped 14 acres. By the end of the third year Dad had sixty-six acres broken and cropped twenty-four acres. This being the end of the three years of homesteading, Dad received the title for his homestead on May 17, 1906.

The oldest son, Archie, was twelve years of age; he looked after the livestock, hauled water by barrel on a stoneboat from the lake (that was a two-mile trip). I remember mother telling us about the horses being young and frisky. She was often very worried about him. School was seldom thought of. Archie only went to school one winter.

During the winter snow and ice was melted for washing clothes and that was done on a washboard and tub. The melted snow and ice was also used for drinking and cooking.

In 1908 Dad decided to get more land. He bought the NE 1/4 - 3-11-18-W2. Dad moved their house and stable from the homestead to the NE quarter which was located two miles south of Lang. This quarter section of land was bought for $23.00 an acre. I'm sure a lot of hard work went into breaking the land and trying to get established. In 1912 Dad bought the SE 1/4 - 3-11-18 for $75.00 an acre from Mr. Steidel.

Mother was a very good homemaker. She sewed most of our clothes. She made lots of butter, taking it to the store and exchanging it for food. I remember well, she always bought plenty of lace to pretty up our dresses. She sewed for all of us girls, and there were always ribbons for our hair.

I also remember Mother always raised geese. She made lots of feather pillows and feather quilts. We were always warm in our beds during the cold winter nights. When we married and left home she would see that each one of us got a pair of beautiful feather pillows and a feather quilt.

After several years Dad bought another quarter section of land from Sam Hannah and paid $35.00 an acre for it. In the year 1920 Dad decided to move to Lang. He bought the house from Bill Wollenberg. Two years later Dad rebuilt the house. Dad continued to farm from town with the help of Adolph Rossine working for him at this time.

Shortly after rebuilding the house, the "dirty thirties" came. Everyone who lived through the thirties knows what it was like. It was something that our "now generation" will never understand or imagine how horrible it really was.

In 1938 Dad's health was failing. He complained about his eyesight and later in 1939 it was discovered he had diabetes. Dad passed away on May 29, 1940 at the age of seventy-four years.

After Dad's death Mother continued farming for another two years, with the help of her daughter and son-in-law, Olga and Otto Lautenslager. Then her daughter and son-in-law, Elsie and Peter Lautenslager, helped mother for one year. In 1944 her son, Rudolph Domes farmed the home place for fourteen years. Mother died of a heart condition in 1957, at the age of eighty-four years.

After Mother's death the farm was sold. Son Rudolph inherited one quarter section. Lydia (Domes) Karras, a daughter bought the homestead quarter and William Missal, a son-in-law bought the home half section where the big barn is still in use. On this half section is where Ernest Missel, a grandson, has made his home. He had made it into a lovely farm. We can say with a lot of pride, "This is the farm where we all grew up".

Mother raised a family of nine children and three grandchildren.

Ottilie (Ottilia) Altwasser and Gustav Domes

Ottilie was the first of the children to be born in Volhynia, Russia to Friedrich W. Altwasser and Wilhelmine Wilde. Based on the St. Petersburg Lutheran Church records, she was born on September 24, 1873 in the Rovno District and was baptized at Tomaschew (Tomaszowo). Tomaschew is located 4 km northeast of Dombrowka, which is located 4 km northeast of Derazno.

In the Lang History Book and the Dohms Family Book, Ottilie's birth date was listed as October 12, 1873 and in the 1901 census the date was listed as September 30, 1873. Since the Russians were still using the Julian calendar, a correction of 12 days is necessary to convert to the Gregorian calendar that is in use in other parts of Europe and in North America. For example, Ottilie's birth date from the St. Petersburg Lutheran Church records would be September 24, 1873 based on the Julian calendar and October 6, 1873 based on the Gregorian calendar.

On February 6, 1890, Ottilie married Gustav Domes, and a translated copy of the marriage certificate is contained in the Dohms History Book. The marriage is recorded in the Rozyazce Lutheran Parish, Province of Volhynia, in the Lutzk Municipality License Office. It lists the groom as Gustav Doms, age 23, bachelor, son of Ludwik Doms and Ernestyna (born) Hein and the bride as Ottilie Altwasser age 16, maiden, daughter of Friedrich Altwasser and Tephilia (born) Wilde. The marriage certificate was issued on April 21, 1900, just before the family left for Canada.

In the spring of 1900, the family consisting of Gustav and Ottilie and children Adolph, Friedrich and Hilda, immigrated to Western Canada and rented land near the place that Ottilie's parents and Gustav's brother, Wilhelm and his family lived near present day Lemberg.

In 1902 the family filed a claim to a homestead on the SW 1/4-10-11-18-W2. This land was near Lang, NWT and was 10 to 12 miles north and west of where the Altwasser and Krieger families lived. The Wilhelm Domes family lived another 12 or more miles further east still. In 1903, Gustav built a house 14 by 18 feet. It was valued at $160. The stable was built the same year and was made mostly with ties from the railroad where Gustav worked. By May 1906 with 66 acres broke, Gustav received title to his homestead.

In 1908, Gustav bought additional land, the NE1/4-3-11-18-W2. This land was located about two miles south of the town of Lang, SK and it was here the family set up permanent residence. The southeast quarter of the same section of land was purchased in 1912. An additional quarter section was purchased at a later date, and in 1920, the Gustav Domes family moved into Lang and continued to farm from town. The Domes family consisted of three boys and six girls, all of whom lived to adulthood and married.

The children were:  Archie (Adolph), married Emma Karras;  Friedrich, married 1) Maud Domes of Yellow Grass, daughter of Wilhelm and Julianne Altwasser, and after her death, married 2) Elsie Ostheim of Lang;  Hulda, married William Missal;  Rudolph, married 1) Martha Kurtz and after her death, married 2)Minnie Hanson of Bright Sand, SK:  Emma, married Martin Eberhardt of Lang;  Melita Lydia, married Rudolph Karras of Yellow Grass;  Elsie married Peter Lautenslager of Lang;  Olga, married Otto Lautenslager of Lang ;  and Bertha, married Ken Craig of Regina.

Toward the end of the thirties, Gustav's health started to fail, and he passed away on May 29, 1940 at the age of 74 years. Ottilie continued to farm the land with the help of her family. In 1957 she died of a heart condition at the age of 84 years. She had raised nine children and three grandchildren.

1901 Canadian Census

In April 1901, the Canadian census gives the following information on this family living in th School District of Carlsruhe: Gustav Domes, male, white, Lodger, married, born May 10, 1864 in Russia, age 36, immigrated to Canada in 1900, Russian racial origin, citizen of Russia, Lutheran, farm labourer, living on own means, employed three months in trade earning $84, can read, can speak English, German Mother tongue, living on SW 1/4-30-20-9 W2: inhabiting a house with three rooms, one family, land consisting of 480 acres, one extra house, one barn, leasing one storage building and a barn, enumerated on April 24, 1901. Ottilia Domes, female, white, wife of head, married, born Sept. 30, 1873 in Russia, Age 27, immigrated to Canada in 1900, German racial origin, nationality is Russian, Lutheran, can read and write, German Mother tongue. Adolph Domes, male, born August 6, 1891 in Russia, age nine, in school. Fredrich Domes male, born March 6, 1893 in Russia, age eight, in school. Hilda Domes, female, born April 20, 1899 in Russia,age one.

1906 Canadian Census
Source: Qu'Appelle District 15, Sub-district 21.

Land Location: S10-11-18-W2 Family living at home: Gustav Doms, 40, Delia (Ottilie) 32, Fred 12, Hilda 9, Rudolph 4 and Emma 2. Livestock: 7 horses, 5 milk cows, 14 other cows and 12 hogs.

Personal Glimpses - August 25, 2010

E-mail from Joan (Teske) Meyer to Jack Milner

I have enjoyed reading your summary of your family history. I grew up at Lang and my grandfather, William Teske, homesteaded at Yellow Grass before moving to Lang. Looking at the picture of Fred Alwasser and Wilhelmine Wilde, these are some of my relatives: August Teske, brother of my grandfather, and Frank Banman, my great grandfather. This September I will be going to visit Emma Eberhardt (Domes) who is now 107 years old. She still lives at Lang and is doing surprisingly well. I knew Elsie and Olga Domes as well. The last two listed - Gladys and Marion Domes - are half sisters to my grandfather, Joseph Oschefski. (They are my mother's half aunts) Their father, Frank Kurtz, married my grandmother, Katherine Oschefski, after she immigrated to Southey, Sask, with her 5 children. Hulda Domes married Bill Missal and their son, Ernie, lived across the road from our farm at Lang. Rudolph Domes lived on this farm before Ernie Missal. His first wife was Martha Kurtz a half aunt to my mother. I went to school with his son Leroy. Ella Domes and Peter Lautenslager were good friends of my parents. They have both passed away. They farmed around Lang. >Olga Domes and Otto Lautenslager farmed around Lang. They have both passed away. Bertha Domes has passed away. So has Idella. Gladys and Marion Domes were raised by Grandma Domes when their mother, Martha Kurtz passed away. Their brother, Gordon, was raised by Archie Domes. Thanks again for sharing your story. Joan (Teske) Meyer