The Rev. Peter Unrau Genealogy 1824 - 1969 THE REV. PETER. UNRAU GENEALOGY 1824 - 1969 Compiled by Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. Goertzen and Katie Wedel TABLE OF CONTENTS • • Preface • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11 • • • Introduction • • ~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .11.1 • How to Detennine Relationship and Ancestry • • • • • • • • iv Historical Background • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Map of Molotschnaer Mennoniten Bezirke • • • • • • • • . • 6 Our Great-Grandparents • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • 7 Picture of Grandparents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 Picture 0£ the Peter Unrau- Family • .. • • • • • • • • • 11 The Rev. Peter Unrau • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .. 12 Passenger List of the Peter Unrau Family • • • • • • • • • 15 Family Records • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17 Anna Unrau Schmidt Family • • • • • • • • • • • . · 17 Peter s. Unrau Family • • • • • • • • • .. • • • • 39 Maria Unrau Unruh Family • • • • • • • • • • • • • 55 Wilhelm B. Unrau Family • • • • • • • • • • • • • 63 Katharina Unrau Wedel Family • • • • • • • • • • • 71 Elisabeth Unrau Wedel Family • • • • • • • • • • • 77 Jacob B. Unrau Family· • • • • • • • • • • • • • . 89 Henry B. Unrau • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •· .101 PREFACE This is the Rev. Peter Unrau Family, so called Genealogy. It has been written to provide a record of his descendants. At one of our Unrau family reunions the motion was made and accepted that we should write a genealogy. May we look back to see what sacrifices our-Grandfather made when he left Russia with his family, left· a nice home and other property, rela­ tives and friends, to go to· America for religious freed-om and freedom rrom military training. It was due to Divine guidance as a fruit of his simple faith in God's. Word and in Him in whom we have our eternal life, that our Grandfather was willing to make these sacrifices. May we give God all praise and honor for the heritage that is ourso INTRODUCTION This .Genealogy o:f the Rev. Peter Unrau :f ~_ly has been divided into eight p_arts;- a section :for each o:f the married children o:f Petez: _Unrau: Section I, The .Anna -Unrau Schmidt :family; Sectio.n III, The Peter S. Unrau :family; Section VII, The Maria Unrau Unruh :family; Section XI, The Wilhelm B. Unrau £amily; Section XII, The Katharina Unrau Wede·l :family; Section XIII, The Elizabeth Unrau Wedel £amily;-Section XV, The Jacob B. Unrau :family; Section XVII, The Henry B_. Unrau :family. Each section is a record o:f one o:f the married children o:f Peter Unrau. Nine children passsd away. There are pictures, a brier biog~aphical sketch, £allowed by the lineage o:f the descendants. We are grate£ul to Mrs. J. J. Voth who gave us permission to. follow her design 0£ the Heinrich Balzer Genealogy o:f which she is ~he author. We thank each :family £or submitting the necessary in:formation asked of them £or this book. Sincere acknowledgement goes to the various individuals who assisted in gathering in£ormation o:f the :families and those who wrote the biograph­ ical sketches: Mrs. J. A. Duerksen, Washingt_on, D.C.; Dave Unrau, Newton, Kansas; _Mrs. Katherine Stewart, Topeka, Kansas; and ·Mrs. P._ P. Unruh, Goessel, Kansas; D. C. Wedel, North Newton, Kansas; Rufus Unrau, Lehigh, Kansas; Mrs. Henry S. Goertzen, Newton, Kansas; Clarence Unrau., Wichita, Kansas; and Mrs. Melvin G~eddert, typist. We thank P. U. Schmidt, ~essel, Kansas; and J. A. Duerksen, Wash­ ington, D.C., who contributed valuable and interesting in:formation. l..l..l.. HQW TO DETERMINE RELATIONSHIP AND ANCESTRY The following symbols have been used in setting up the list of descen­ dants: -the capital letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, Hare used to designate --- the children o:f Heinrich and Anna (Jantz) Unrau, known as the firstgener- ation. This book gives the genealogy of the Rev. Peter Unrau :family, a sec­ tion :for each o:f the married Unrau children. What little is kriown about Pete·r Unrau's brothers and sisters is taken :from notes he (Peter Unrau)· made and from letters o:f relatives. This information is given in the Appendi·x .. Grand:father Peter Unrau has the letter B, since he is the second old­ est in the Heinrich Unrau family. The Roman numerals I, II, III, IV, etc. are used to designate the second generation. I£ individuals listed appear under- the same higher symbol, they are brothers and sisters. "(Example: I, II, III, IV under Bare brothers and sisters but they are cousins to I, II, III, IV under C in.the Appendixo)" For the third generation the Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, are used. Individuals are brothers and sisters if' they come under the same higher Symbol Band under the same Roman numeral I, but they are cousins to 1, 2, 3, 4, under III-B, and second cousins to 1, 2, 3, 4, under I-C (in the Appendix). In the :fourth generation the Arabic numerals in parentheses (1), (2), (3), (4) are used. In the fifth generation the lower case letters a, b, c, are used. It is suggested ·that :for succeeding generations the follow­ ing scheme be used: 6th generation, (a);_ 7th, (l); 8th, (a'). iv HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The story of the Mennonites, our fo·rerathers had its beginning in the 1 "Netherlands or Holland and in Zurich, Switzerland. "As early as the mid- d·1e of the 16th century; if not earlier Mennonite refugees from Holland found their way to the deltas of the Vistula and Nogat in Polish Prussia." They wer·e invited by clergymen as ~ell as lay noblemen, who wanted indus~ trious farmers for their swampy lowlands because the Mennonites of Holland knew how to reclaim swampy lands by means of dikes and canals. "Both Dutch factions, Flemish and Frisian, were represented among the congrega- tions." It seems the Unraus were Frisian rather than Flemish Mennonites. In his book "The Coming 0£ the Russian Mennonites," Dr. C •· Henry Smith men- tions names of Frisians: "The fourth group is found principally in the upper Vistula congregations: Adrian, Bal?er, Bartel, Ewert, Franz, Kliewer, Kerber, Schroeder, Stobbe, Unrau, Voth." "The2 .fact that our earliest known ancestors were Bartel, Janz, Wich­ ert, all typically Frisian names, is a strong argume·nt that our Unraus were Frisian. The names Wichert and Bartel never occur in Flemish church­ es in the early days." "The~ Fl.em.ish were more conservative in their practices and were found largely in the country churches. A certain elder Wiebe writing in 1790 says that in the congregation about Culm some conservatives still 1. The Coming of the Mennonites, C. Henry Smith, Ph.D.,. p._ 1 2. Information from J. A.· Duerksen, Washington, D.C. 3. The Coming 0£ the Mennonite~, C. Henry Smith, Ph.D. , p. 18 wore hooks an9 eyes instead of buttons, and shoestrings instead of buckles; and the men wore beards. · Marriage with outsiders was strictly :forbidden even with the Frisian branch of the church. Later in Russia this dis~ tinction became less and- less noti-ceable. -Even the -more 1iberal Frisians, however, maintained a ri~id discipline. Dancing, card playing and d~unk­ enness were punished_ with -excommunication. Young people were hardly ad­ mitted to membership under twenty,.- and required one or two adults to spon­ sor them at the time they applied for membership." 4 "According to all indications the Unraus did nClt come f;I"om the Przechovko Church in Prussia. They did· not change their name to Unruh as all the Przechovko pecple did.. The Unraus lived in Liebenau in Russia, and att_erxied the Rudnerweide church. Rudnerweide was a Frisian Mennonite church while Alexanderwohl was. a Flemish Mennonite church. Many people from the Rudnerweide church of which our great-grandfather Heinrich Unrau was a member, came from Frisian churches in Prussia, Tr'~gheimerweide, Montau and possibly Schoensee. This church had quite a :few Unraus. It seems the earliest reference to an Unrau in a Frisian church is 5 an Andreas Unrau who lived in the village of Montau in 1568. His name is mentioned in connection with an agreement (Pachtvertrag)_to rent land. The Montau church was the oldest Frisian church in Prussia founded in 1568. In 16396 we :find an Heinrich Unrau and David Unrau living in Montau. Our great-grandfather, Heinrich Unrau, born in 1795 is not .found in the Montau church book, however, one or several Unr~us lived in Montau in 1795. Our Unraus may have lived in the Schoensee area where there also 4. Information from J.Ao Duerksen, 3134 Monroe St., Washington, D.C. 5. Das Siedlungswerk Niederlgndischer Mennoniten-Herbert Wiebe, p .. 19. 6. Das Siedlungsi.'lerk Niederl~ndischer Mennoni ten-Herbert Wiebe, p. 79. 2 was a Fr1sian church. For about·2so year~ the congregations enjoyed growth and freedom from mil1tary service. Fredrick the Great conf'irmed the privilege in 1780 but added that a fee ·had to be paid for it. The order- compelling the Mennonite- churches to pay annually a lump sum 0£ 5,000 thaler, about $3,500 · in our money £or the ·support 0£ the military academy at Culm. It became evident that· both State and Church were dete:rmined to stop the :further growth 0£ the Mennonites. Heavy taxes and being unable tq se­ cure- new homes £or their young people and £ear 0£ the-£uture led the~ to accept the special invitation 0£ Catherine 0£ Russia in 1786 to come and ._ settle in South Russia. So the Mennonites moved to the Molotschna region in South Russia where they lived £or 100 years. 7 "When the new defense law was worlced out in St. Petersburg in 1870 there was again serious apprehension because of our conression of faith. The reports 0£ the delegates mo were sent to St. Petersburg on account of' this matter showed that the special privileges 0£ the Mennonites in Russia regarding military duties were going to end. The question of emi­ gration came up and was considered .