Carolyn Morado

Research question: Find information about Paul Roberts, my grandmother’s 5th husband

Primary questions: Where did Paul go after marriage with my grandmother broke up in 1921. When/where did he die? Other questions: To whom and how many times did he marry? Did he ever divorce anyone? Inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

Let’s follow his parents, sisters and brothers. See if any of their records gives information about Paul. Specifically, let’s look for their obituaries, which will often name next of kin. And if any of them died unmarried, a probate record for that sibling.

Add to what we already have this FindAGrave information, which I found when looking at the burial records of August and Ernestine.

Carolyn Morado

CHRONOLOGY of the Robbert/Robberts/Roberts family

1845 birth of Ernestina/ Austina ____ in Germany.

1847 birth of August Robbert Pomerein, Germany

Sometime before 1874 August Robbert marries he mother of these children

ca 1874 birth of Carl Robbert, Germany

ca 1878 birth of Hubert Robbert, Germany

ca 1876 birth of Gustav Robert

Ca 1882 birth of Willy Robert, who is listed as age 8 on 1890 passenger list

Nov. 8, 1879-1883 birth of Paul Robbert, Germany (draft card says 1879, 1900 says Nov. 1881) -- note he is listed as age 7 on ship passenger list in 1890. This is inconsistent with later records.

Ca 1883 August Robert marries Ernestina (they are married 17 years in 1900) Ernestina, then is the mother of only Fritz. If she had 7 children, they were evidently from a prior marriage. [ I suspect that they were married 27 years, not 17 in 1900 and there is one mother, but at this point we don’t know]

Ca 1889 birth of Fritz, the infant on the 1890 passenger list and presumably one of Ernestina’s seven children.

16 June 1890, arrival at New York. Passenger list, steerage class, German Steamer Polynesia, all in family (and most on list) b. Prussia. List of steerage passengers Sailed from port of Stettin

Carolyn Morado

"New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR3-H8J5 : accessed 20 April 2015), August Robert, 1890; citing NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm

Chronology

1890 16 Jun, 1890, Immigration (from Germany) Arrived Port of New York; Ship – PolynesiaAugust Robert, 39Ernestina, 43Carl 16; Hubert 12; Gustav 11; Willy 8; Paul 7; Fritz 1

1893 Ottillie Robert marries F.W. Paul Sattler in Norfolk, Madison Co., NebraskaThe FindAGrave record asserts she is a sister.

Carolyn Morado

1900 US Census, June 21,Dewey Precinct, Stanton, NE, June 21

Paul Robert, w; m; Nov 1881; 18; single; Germany; fa/mo Germany; farm laborer Year of immigration and naturalization status left blank. (enumerated w/ Wax family) (I’m assuming this is “my” P.R. as family is nearby)

Also in 1900 census, Norfolk, Madison, NEAugust Robert; 52; DOB Sep 1847; born Germany, fa/mo Germany; married 17 years; Immigration 1890; US 10 years; day laborer, read and write – no; English yesErnestina Robert; 54; wife DOB Jan 1845; married 17 mother of 7 children, 7 living; Germany, fa/mo Germany; immigration 1890; US 10 years; read and write – no; English yesGustave Wenrick; 25; son DOB Nov 1874; single; Germany, fa/mo Germany; immigration 1890; US 10 years; read and write – no; English yes (assume sister Hattie in prison records is the 7th child of family, apparently born in US)The Wenrick name is crossed out. It seems likely that this is the son Gustave.

If they have really been married only 17 years, Ernestina is not the mother of all his children. It is also possible that they had been married 27 years, not 17, and it was an arithmetic error. We will see what 1910 tells us.

This census gives rise to other questions. It indicates all 7 children are living. Where is Fritz, who would be only about 11? Where are the other children?

Carolyn Morado

1901 November 26Paul is committed to Anamosa reformatory in Iowa for burglary (20 yrs old; resident of Woodbury County; sentenced to 1 yr in prison; born in Germany, waiter, unmarried; date of expiration of term was 10/22/1902; expiration of sentence 8/18/1903) (it’s called a reformatory but was essentially the men’s penitentiary)

1910 US Census, April 20, Buffalo City-part of (Erie) NYPaul Roberts, 28, boarding; born NY, fa/mo NY, porter, hotel (enumerated with other hotel staff) (again, assuming this is “my” PR as family is nearby)

Also in 1910 census, April 23, North Tonawanda (Niagara) New YorkAugust Robert; m; w; 60 yrs; m2; 26 yrs present marriage; born Germany; fa/mo Germany; immigration 1989; naturalized; (?) mill; can read/writeAustina Robert; f; w; 64 yrs; m1; 26 yrs; 7 children, 6 living; born Germany; fa/mo Germany; immigration 1889; naturalized; can read/write

And this census repeats the later date of marriage between August and Austina/Ernestina and confirms an earlier marriage for August. M2 =married more than once. M1=married once. It makes no sense that this is Ernestina’s only marriage, occurring when she was in her late 30’s, yet she is the mother of 7 children. Paul Roberts ancestry is not a concern in this investigation, but I don’t think we can rely on 7 being the exact number of children. Note one child has died. Might this be Fritz, who probably was Ernestina’s son and was not in the 1900 census.

1914 April 3, entered prison in Nebraska , horse stealing, 1-10 yr sentence; (convictedin March 1914); paroled 5-15-15 (or possibly 1916 – writing hard to decipher),Alias = Wallace; born NY, laborer, complexion: dark; hair: black; eyes: blueRelatives: wife Etta Roberts, Sioux City, Iowa

Father: Augustus Roberts, Pierce NEBrother: Hubert Roberts, Tecumseh, NESister: Hattie Swarts, Pierce, NEFriend: Gustave Mansh (or Maush), Pierce NE

Paul enters NE penitentiary (alias Wallace); Inmate # 6289; Pierce County; horse stealing; sentenced 1-10; term when convicted March 14; lived in NE 17 yrs; born NY; religion none; guilty no; age 30; laborer; 5’7” 117 ½ lb; complexion dark; hair black; eyes blue; 4 vaccination scars, 3 scars on back from 606 treatment

1915 May (could be 1916 as copy is hard to read but think it’s probably 1915)paroled/discharged from NE penitentiary

1916 Sep. 2 or Oct. 7Paul Robbert and Jennie Tate marry in Dakota City, NE; both of Sioux City, Iowa, both divorced; Paul is photographer, P’s father is August Robbert, birthplace given as NY

Carolyn Morado

1918 September 12Paul registers for draft; 38 years; 431 W Kemp, Watertown; (DOB given as 11/8/1879) self employed as junk dealer; nearest relative Jennie Roberts wifw

1918 ca. October My mother is brought to Watertown, SD and given to Paul & Jennie. (thefamily story gave her an arrival in August but court papers indicate late October)

1920 US Census, January 15, Watertown, SDPaul Roberts; 38; renting; born NY, fa/mo NY NY; manager (wrecking co?)Genevieve; wife; 38; born MI, fa/mo MI MIKenneth Roberts; son; 18; born Iowa; fa Ohio mo MI (actually stepson; father’s birthplace is given as Ohio which doesn’t fit Paul nor does it fit individual thought to be Kenneth’s actual father ), Viviene; daughter; born SD, fa NY mo MI (consistent with Paul and Genevieve); no indication of adoption

Also in 1920 census, Jan 10, Pierce, Pierce, NEAugust Robbert, home owned free; m; w; 69; married; immigration 1889; naturalized; born Pomerain Germany; fa/ma Pomerain Germany; speak English no; laborerErnestina Robbert, f; w; 72; married; immigration 1889; pa, born Pomerain Germany, fa/ma Pomerain Germany; speak English no

Note: August Robbert died 13 Dec 1920 (Find a Grave – August Robbert)Pierce, Pierce, Nebraska, burial Prospect View Cemetery

1921 Sioux Falls City Directory – Paul Roberts listed as a “houseman” living in a roominghouse This may or may not be “my” PR as the timing is a little off. The guardianshiphearing that Paul instigated to take mom away from my grandmother was in October 1921. Not sure what happened w/ him after that.

Carolyn Morado

So now let’s look at all the potential brothers and sisters to try to determine how we might find out when and where they died, so we can get obituaries for them. We are looking for

1. Ottelea (Robbert) Sattler2. Hattie (Robbert) Schwartz3. Carl b. ca 1874 Germany;4. Hubert b. ca 1878 Germany5. Gustav b. ca 1879 Germany6. Will[iam?] b. ca 1882 Germany7. Fritz b. ca 1889 Germany

Start with the person for whom we have death information… Ottlea Sattler. We know where she was died and where she was buried. Newspapers in both towns might provide an obituary. With any luck, that information might also help us trace other brothers and sisters. Hattie: In 1914 Hattie lived in Pierce, Nebraska and we find her there in 1930

She is also there in 1940. So I went to FindAGrave to find Gustav Schwarz and from that we have another death date – a year at least. Her name was Hedwig Robbert and she died in 1956.

Carolyn Morado

Hidden in the website of the Pierce County (Nebraska) Public Library page is information about their Genealogy Help Group. Here is the URL for that page… http://www.piercepubliclibrary.org/Genealogy.html I would contact them for assistance in finding obituaries and other information from the newspapers. Hubert Robbert was also relatively easy to trace as he kept the Robbert spelling and became a minister. Some newspaper notices on him can be found in Chronicling America. Here is is marriage record.

and here is his Find A Grave site. Find newspapers from Fremont and get microfilm copy on interlibrary loan. Or you can request it directly from the Fremont library, but note that if they can’t find it in a half hour their fee goes up another $15. http://www.fremontne.gov/index.aspx?nid=119 I’ll bet he also has a Pierce obit.

Carolyn Morado

2 more tidbits that could be followed up on if necessary.

1. Could this be Willie?

2. Could this be Paul Roberts in 1940?