WILHELM, 2nd Generation
BACKROW: Karl, Emelia, Emma, & Katharina (children of Wilhelm's 1st wife Emilia Kraft) FRONTROW: Katharina Nelde (2nd wife), Jean (being held), Lydia & Wilhelm.
Wilhelm was one of Andreas' eight children. He was married twice and had a total of sisteen children.This picture was taken on the same occasion that Andreas, Katharina and the grandchildren posed for their picture, seen on previous page.
There was apparently some friction between Wilhelm's 2nd wife Katharina and his four children from 1st wife Emilia Kraft. Karl, Katie, Emelia, and Emma spent alot of time with their grandparents.Katie remembered much of the life in, various villages, in south Russia. it was during many interviews by Carl Buehler with Katie and her cousin Clara Ulmer (Wurtz), that he learned about the Russian farmers coming to their home in the night (Russians didn't want the Germans on their land) to rob and murder them.
Katie and others were hiding in the barn, watching. Andreas had heard a rumor these people were coming, and since he was managing a Russian Lord's Estate, he was friendly with some of the local Cossacks. They came out of the barn and cut down the looters. This incident encouraged the Ulmers to speed up plans to leave the country.
Wilhelm, brother Heinrich, and their families arrived in Canada, Feb. 1907. They joined Andreas and the family members be brought.
Wilhelm's oldest, Karl and Katie were teenagers and were required to work very hard to help the family survive.
-Andreas, 1st Generation