  Msk1953 Member Username: Msk1953 Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2008 |
My great-grandfather was Ernst Kraft b. 1855 in Germany, he married Caroline Engel b. 1863 in Michigan. They had 4 sons: Charles, Albert, Louis, and Paul b. 1887. I am not sure of their birth order. Paul Julius Kraft was my grandfather. Here is a photo of the Ernst Kraft family (Paul is standing far right) and one of my grandfather, Paul.   | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3298 Registered: 01-2005 |
Can't locate the family in the 1900 census, unfortunately, but I've found them in 1910. Ernst Kraft and his wife, Lena (Short for Caroline) are found at 375 Division St., Detroit, with two sons: Paul, age 23 and single, and Louis, age 21 and single. Across the street at 376 Division is Albert J. Kraft, age 24, and his wife, Lizzie, age 21. They have a 1 month old daughter, but I can't make out the name. Might be Pearl. Ernst Kraft is a cooper in a cooperage (barrel making). Paul is a "Machinist, gas engines", and Louis and Albert both state they are house painters. Little more searching turns up the fourth brother, Charles Kraft, age 26 (now you have the sequence of their births). He lives with his wife, 25 year old Anna, at 342 Division street. The address appears to be an apartment, as others are also listed at that address. Charles shows his occupation as a Teamster. Good looking family, and your grandfather was an impressive looking gentleman. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1689 Registered: 12-2005 |
I have a Francis X. Kraft who married Catherine Brohl in my family tree. The had a son, also named Francis X. Kraft, who was born on 12 June 1904. The son married my great aunt on 20 June 1928. I have no other information about the senior Kraft, so I don't know if there is any connection to the Ernst Kraft family. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3303 Registered: 01-2005 |
From the Social Security death index: Paul KRAFT Birth Date: 31 May 1887 Death Date: Aug 1965 Social Security Number: 372-34-xxxx State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Michigan Death Residence Localities ZIP Code: 48039 Localities: Cottrellville, Saint Clair, Michigan Cottrellville Township, Saint Clair, Michigan Cottrellville Twp, Saint Clair, Michigan Marine City, Saint Clair, Michigan | ||
Pgn421 Member Username: Pgn421 Post Number: 661 Registered: 02-2005 |
ray- where did you get the info for that? | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3306 Registered: 01-2005 |
The United States Census Reports are indexed and digitized by Ancestry.com. However, it's a pay (and expensive) service. They have all the census reports from 1790 to 1930. The 1940 report won't be released until 2012. Fortunately, my local library has paid for access, so I get it for free with my tax bucks. You might check with yours to see if they do also. The Social Security Death Index is available through a number of sources. I use the LDS (Mormon) website at www.familysearch.org. Any person who every RECEIVED social security benefits and who has died between 1961 and today will be listed. Deaths prior to 1961 are not on line. Anyone who died AFTER 1961 but did NOT receive SS benefits will not be listed. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3307 Registered: 01-2005 |
Footnote: The 1890 census does not exist. A fire in the Commerce Building in 1922 resulted in the basement being flooded, completely destroying that decade's census reports (save for a very tiny sliver in some southern states). The fire had a great benefit, though. Because of that disaster, the Nation Archives Building was built and today houses the original copies of the census reports, along with a lifetime of other valuable documents. | ||
Frankg Member Username: Frankg Post Number: 339 Registered: 08-2007 |
From the 1879 city directory: Kreft Ernst, cooper, bds 450 Wilkins. bds means that he boards at 450 Wilkins. | ||
Mashugruskie Member Username: Mashugruskie Post Number: 11 Registered: 09-2006 |
HELLO, Msk. I pretty much spit my coffee at the screen when I saw your post. Could you contact me offline? Also, you need to read the thread posted by CT regarding her post on Detroit genealogical history. She is your relative. At the same time, I am the descendant of John KREFT. Your family name was originally KREFT and it is believed that they were brothers and that Ernst sponsored John numerous times before deciding to live here. Xavier Kreft is known in the Kreft family. He is buried across the street from my John Kreft in Detroit. | ||
Mashugruskie Member Username: Mashugruskie Post Number: 12 Registered: 09-2006 |
Msk, I forgot to mention that someone has posted your family genealogy on Ancestry.com. Their only problem was showing that Ernst and Caroline never came to America because the ancestry they've posted is from Germany. So this is a German family searching for whatever happened to YOUR family. M. | ||
Mashugruskie Member Username: Mashugruskie Post Number: 13 Registered: 09-2006 |
Whoops. So excited I forgot to post my email. mc1r at mac dot com. Mikeg, I think you need to contact me, too. M. | ||
Mashugruskie Member Username: Mashugruskie Post Number: 14 Registered: 09-2006 |
Mikeg, Your family genealogy is also online at Ancestry.com. There were actually TWO Francis Xavier Kraft/Kreft's listed. Your line, unfortunately, doesn't list who his father was. The other genealogy lists that he was born in MI in 1896 and lists parents but no spouse. There is a possibility that these two could be the same person and if so, you are from a different line of Kreft Detroiters that I've never seen before. This Kraft line is German royalty. M. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3315 Registered: 01-2005 |
Mashugruskie just solved why I couldn't find them in the 1900 census. The name that year appears as "Kreft" as he indicates! Here's the lineup at the change of the century: Ernst Kreft b. Jan 1855 Occupation: Cooper Caroline, wife b. May 1863 Carl, son, b. Aug 1882 Albert, son, b. Mar 1886 Paul, son b. May 1887 Louis, son b. Aug 1889 Address is 378 Division St., Detroit. Uh..."Carl" is "Charles" in German, if you were confused. | ||
Msk1953 Member Username: Msk1953 Post Number: 3 Registered: 06-2008 |
First, I want to thank you all for your interest and information!! This site is awesome. By the way, CT4438, is my daughter and the pictures she posted belong to me. I am working on our family tree at ancestry.com Mashugruskie.....I'll be contacting you. I hoped you would respond and you did just the way I expected. I have more old family photos, too. | ||
Msk1953 Member Username: Msk1953 Post Number: 4 Registered: 06-2008 |
Just a few words about ancestry.com. Yes it is a bit costly to be a member, but you will have access to a lot of good resources. I found it most valuable for finding records of my family that immigrated from Canada to the U.S. Plus, you can print copies of most of the records you find. I have had distant family members find and contact me through their site too, because I have created my family tree there and it is a public tree (anyone can view it - not the information about living family members). |
