Christina Arndt (1840 - 1886)

Born 24 Dec 1840 in Danzig, Westpreußen, Preußen, Deutschland

Wife of Johann David Trabant — married 10 Feb 1856 in Mariensee, Karthaus, Westpreussen, Polen

Descendants

Died 14 Apr 1886 at age 45 in Rice, Benton, Minnesota, United States of America

Problems/Questions Profile manager: L Montgomery [send private message]

Biography

Christina and daughter Mary were killed in a tornado while attending a wedding near Rice Minnesota. She is not mentioned as a casulty on all of the media reports at the time. The youngest children in the family were at a babysitter. My great grandmother and the youngest child, my GAunt Rose were among those not at the wedding. I was in my teens when Martha Trabant Hosler Bishop, and her sister Rose Trabant Root died. I knew them personally. <Montgomery-15651>

Christina was born Dec 24, 1840 in Danzig, Westprussian, Prussia. She was the daughter of Christian and Constantine Ahrendt. The name Ahrendt can also be spelled as Arndt or Arend. Danzig was a "free city" a government district and a Kreis (county) under German rule. It was considered part of the province of Westpreussen, Germany. Today it's name is Gdansk, Poland.

Christina and Johann were married at Mariensee, Karthaus, Westpreussen. Johann age 27, Christina age 15. Married in the Evangelische Kirche (Evangelical Church, aka German Lutheran).

The Trabants lived in Alberta township of Benton County. They were attending a wedding in Langola township, 14 miles to the west of them. The tornado hit the wedding party late afternoon on April 14, 1886, killing 9 people as it lifted the house and slammed it back to the ground. Five others died within two weeks later. The groom died 6 hours after he was married. All the injured and dead were taken to the village of Rice's Station (aka Rice, MN). The dead were buried just west of the village in Langola Cemetery, now called Rice Cemetery. Today the cemetery is west of Hwy 10 and at the edge of town.

Their 14 children were: 1. Edward Ferdinand Trabant 1858-1936. 2. Johann Gottfried Trabant 1860-1928. 3. Caroline Wilhelmine Trabant 1862-1863. 4. Fred W. Trabant 1863-1942. 5. Charles D. Trabant 1867-1940. 6. Ida Jane Trabant 1869-1906. 7. Ernest C. Trabant 1870-1954. 8. Augusta Trabant 1873-1875. 9, George L. Trabant 1874-1962. 10. Laura B. Trabant 1879-1928. 11. Mary A. Trabant 1878-1886. 12. Bertha M. Trabant 1879-1928. 13. Minnie M. Trabant 1881-1973. and 14. Hilda Rose Root 1883-1984 (100 years old).

Christina Trabant and daughter Mary were buried in the Langola township cemetery, now called Rice Cemetery at Rice, Benton, Minnesota. John and some of the other children are also buried in that cemetery. (I have visited her grave, Sears-3618)

Sources

Marriage: "Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1971" citing Marriage, Mariensee, Karthaus, Westpreußen, Preußen, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany. FamilySearch Record: QPXZ-N5SL (accessed 27 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSZT-V9YD-N Image number 00487 Johann David Trabant (27) marriage to Christine Ahrendt (15) on 10 Feb 1856 in Mariensee, Karthaus, Westpreußen, Preußen, Deutschland.

Immigration: "United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897" citing Germans to America Passenger Data file, 1850-1897, Ship Bavaria, departed from Hamburg, arrived in New York, New York, New York, United States, NAID identifier 1746067, National Archives at College Park, Maryland. FamilySearch Record: KDW6-D8N (accessed 27 March 2023) Name: Johann Trabant; Occupation: Laborer; Immigration Date: 17 May 1869; Immigration Place: New York, New York, New York, United States; Birth Date: 1828; Birth Place: Germany; Age: 41; Arc Number: 1746067; Event Type: Immigration; Last Residence Orig: UNKNOWN; Manifest Id: 00031161; Port Of Departure: Hamburg.

1875 Census: "Minnesota State Census, 1875" citing p. 2, line 27, volume B - 1, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565717. FamilySearch Record: MKNH-9XV (accessed 27 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HY-61T3-9XF John Trabant in Alberta, Benton, Minnesota. Born in Prussia.

• United States Federal Census 1880 United States Federal Census 1880, Alberta Township, Benton County, Minnesota. John and Christina plus 8 children.

• Minnesota Territorial and State Censuses, 1885, for Alberta township, Benton county. Post Office was Gilman village.

• Minnesota, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908. This was John's Homestead entry at the land office in St Cloud, Stearns County, MN. HIs land was in Alberta township of Benton County, MN. 80 acres, the south half of the NE quarter of Section 32, twp 38, range 29.

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 (1869). Arrival in New York, NY, USA, May 17, 1869. From last residence, Scholar, Germany.

Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934. Written in German. Johann 44, Christe age 29 wife, Edward 7, Johann 6, Fredrik 4, Carl 2. SS Bavaria to New York. Traveled by steerage. Departed Hamburg May 1, 1869.

• German Cities and places in Prussia era at www.meyersgaz.org

For information on Danzig and the other German placenames in this bio.

• Newspaper articles about the tornado or Cyclone of 1886, April 14 are found in multiple papers in the Digital Newspaper Library at the Minnesota Historical Society at www.mnhs.org. Christine and daughter Mary were listed in there somewhere, but she might have been misnamed as many victims were.
• Additions from my research on Jan 25, 2024 by Sears-3618