52 Ancestors - week 7 Immigration

 This week, a short post. I've been wanting to create a list of my immigrant ancestors so I took this weeks theme as the chance to do that.

Maternal

Eleanora Radekopf, My 2 times great grandmother born 1870 in Germany. Arrived between 1882-1885. She married in the US in 1900...

Robert Schiefelbein born 1873 in Germany. Arrived between 1887-1888.

Anna Blaesing. My 2 times great grandmother born 1880 in Tommem Germany. She arrived before 1887 as her brother was born in the US that year. She married in 1898...

Paul Kampfert born 1873 in Germany. Arrived between 1888-1893.

Greta Naland. My 2 times great grandmother born 1862 in Germany. While still in Germany she married...

Thomas Poppinga born 1864. They arrived between 1889-1891. Their daughter Carrie was born in the US in 1891.

Anna Zoss. My 2 times great grandmother born 1853 in Switzerland. While still in Switzerland she married...

Godfrey Bill born 1846. They arrived between 1878-1883. Their daughter died in the Switzerland in 1878 and their first child in the US was born in 1883.

Paternal

Catherine Ganey. My 2 times great grandmother born 1841 in Newmarket, Cork, Ireland. While still in Ireland she married....

Charles Curtin born 1840 in County Kerry. They arrived after a daughter was born in Ireland in 1874 and their next daughter born in 1878 in the US.

Thomas Donovan my great grandfather born 1880 in Drimoleague, County Cork, Ireland. His brother was born in Ireland in 1884 and his father died in the US in 1885 so they arrived between 1884-1885.

Wilfred DeGrace. My 2 times great grandfather born 1861 in Canada arrived between 1866-1868. His sister was born in Canada in 1866 and his next sister was born in the US in 1868.

The line of Lena Godfrey, my 2 times great grandmother is not complete to the immigrant ancestors except 1 line. My 6 times great grandfather Bartholomew Brogan was born about 1727 in Ireland. His son was born in the US in 1768. 

Laurence Liden. My great grandfather born 1885 in what is now Castro Total and a Sweden. He traveled with his parents in April 1887 to Hull, England aboard the Romeo and then to the US.

Any tips or further information? Feel free to share!

52 Ancestors - Week 5 Influencer Week 6 Earning a Living

 I had to skip posting last week but conveniently this week's featured person fits both themes. Arthur Kampfert was born May 22, 1899, the oldest child of Paul and Anna (Blaesing). We learn in the 1950 census that he only completed 7th grade.

Arthur spent his entire working life working in jobs related to the Chicago Stockyards. He started as a butcher in 1914 before moving on to positions in the union. In 1937 he became Chicago director of the CIO Packinghouse Workers Organizing Committee, national director in 1939 and international director in 1943. The June 9, 1948 Chicago Daily Tribune summarizes this on the heals of him announcing he would be a candidate for the union's presidency. It was thought the current president would not seek reelection as he had refused to sign a non-communist affidavit. Something changed and Ralph Helstein ran and won reelection according to the June 30, 1948 Chicago Daily Tribune. 

The 1918 WWI draft record showed him working as a butcher at Wilson & Co. at 42nd & Ashland. In 1920 and 1930 he was listed as working as a butcher. However Rick Halpern in his book RACE, ETHNICITY, AND UNION IN THE CHICAGO STOCKYARDS, 1917–1922 says that Arthur gave an account of leading a work stoppage in the spring of 1916 at the Sulzberger & Sons pork trimming department. So early on he had shown his labor fight leanings.

A small article in the September 20, 1938 Chicago Daily Tribune mentions that the hall at 4758 South Marshfield used by the CIO unions was bombed. A night watchman fired 3 shots at a man who escaped. Investigating the motive, the police sergeant stated he would question Arthur Kampfert. Fortunately the family that lived in the back of the building were not hurt.

March 5, 1941 the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that Strike pay loss was $400,000 a week at Harvester Co. Police were present to escort workers who wanted to cross pickets. Arthur was named as one of the four unionists present to "persuade" workers to join the union or pay up their dues.

In September of 1945 Kingan & Co. of Indianapolis fired 3 men for not being at work the prior Saturday. The union demanded reinstatement with 1 week layoff for the absenteeism. By 9:30 that Tuesday work stopped in various departments and that afternoon the plant superintendent ordered the plant clear of employees.  Arthur Kampfert as special representative for the union was brought in to assist in negotiations. As reported in the Indianapolis Recorder on September 15, 1945.

Arthur also wrote his own account of the union activity. The unpublished manuscript is held at the University of Wisconsin.

He passed away November 3, 1951. I hope to someday revisit and expand on this post. Perhaps including a review of his manuscript.

I have PDFs of the newspaper articles mentioned above. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any comments or questions! melanie0971 at gmail dot com.