Katharina Margaretha (Ehler) Brester (1887 - 1948)

Born 9 Aug 1887 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Ancestors

Wife of Jakob Brester — married about 1910 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Died 1948 at about age 60 in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Julie Mangano [send private message]

Biography

Margaret (Ehler) Brester was a Volga German.

Margaret (Ehler) Brester has German Roots.

1897 Grimm Census ^[1]

Family # 289

Head of the Household Jacob Ehler, age 60

Wife Louisa Ehler age 61

Child #1 Johann Jakob Ehler, age 34, resides at Panfilovo station, city of Tsaritsin, Railroad

Wife of Child #1 Katharina Elisabeth Ehler, age 35

Grandchild #1 Katharina Elisabeth Ehler, age 11

Grandchild #2 Margaretha Ehler, age 9

Grandchild #3 Louisa Ehler, age 7

Grandchild #4 Katharina Ehler, age 5

Grandchild #5 Amalia Ehler, age 3

Grandchild #6 Jakob Ehler, age 10 months

Child #2 Johann Georg Ehler, age 32

Wife of Child #2 Katharina Margaretha Ehler, age 25

Grandchild #7 Christina Ehler, age 2

Grandchild #8 Katharina Margaretha Ehler, age 9 months

Child #3 Konrad Ehler, age 24

Child #4 Philipp Ehler, age 20

Grandchild #9 Jakob Ehler, orphan, age 9 months, resides at Panfilovo station

Passenger Manifest ^[2]

Name: Margaretha Brester

Gender: Female

Nationality: German

Arrival Age: 25

Birth Date: abt 1888

Birth Place: Krim, Russia [sic] Grimm, Russia

Last Residence: Russia

Departure Place: Liverpool, England

Arrival Date: 20 Mar 1913

Arrival Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Ship: Merion

Also traveling with:

Jakob Brester, husband, age 25

August Brester, son, age 2

Karl Brester, son, age 8 months

1920 United States Federal Census ^[3]

Name: Jake Brester

Age: 32

Birth Year: abt 1888

Birthplace: Russia

Home in 1920: Windsor, Weld, Colorado

Street: Lake Side

House Number: X

Residence Date: 1920

Race: White

Gender: Male

Immigration Year: 1913

Relation to Head of House: Head

Marital status: Married

Spouse's name: Margrett Brester

Father's name: Pete Brester

Father's Birthplace:Russia

Mother's name: Katrine Brester

Mother's Birthplace: Russia

Native Tongue: German

Able to Speak English: Yes

Occupation: Beet Laborer

Industry: Farm

Employment Field: Wage or Salary

Home Owned or Rented: Owned

Home Free or Mortgaged: Mortgaged

Naturalization Status: Alien

Able to Write: No

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members: Name Age

Jake Brester 32

Margrett Brester 32

August Brester 8

Carl Brester 7

Molly Brester 5

Mary Brester 3

Jake Brester 1

Pete Brester 59

Katrine Brester 56

1930 United States Federal Census ^[4]

Name: Jacob Brester

Birth Year: abt 1888

Gender: Male

Race: White

Birthplace: Russia

Marital status: Married

Relation to Head of House: Head

Home in 1930: Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA

Map of Home: View Map

Street address: Doty St

Ward of City: 15

House Number: 326

Dwelling Number: 147

Family Number: 152

Home Owned or Rented: Rented

Home Value: 25.00

Radio Set: No

Lives on Farm: No

Age at first Marriage: 21

Attended School: No

Able to Read and Write: Yes

Father's Birthplace: Russia

Mother's Birthplace: Russia

Language Spoken: Un

Immigration Year: 1909

Naturalization: Naturalized

Able to Speak English: Yes

Occupation: Laborer

Industry: Store Grocery

Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker

Employment: Yes

Household Members: Name Age

Jacob Brester 42

Margaret Brester 42

August Brester 18

Carl Brester 17

Mollie Brester 15

Mary Brester 13

Jacob Brester 11

Emma Brester 9

Peter Brester 6

Edward Brester 4

1940 United States Federal Census ^[5]

Name: Jacob Brester

Age: 52

Estimated birth year: abt 1888

Gender: Male

Race: White

Birthplace: Russia

Marital status: Married

Relation to Head of House: Head

Home in 1940: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Map of Home in 1940: View Map

House Number: 326

Farm: No

Inferred Residence in 1935: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Residence in 1935: Same Place

Citizenship: Alien

Sheet Number: 11B

Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 248

Occupation: Leather Colorer

House Owned or Rented: Rented

Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 23

Attended School or College: No

Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 6th grade

Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 32

Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work

Weeks Worked in 1939: 51

Income: 1312

Income Other Sources: No

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members: Name Age

Jacob Brester 52

Margaret Brester 52

Mary Brester 24

Emma Brester 19

Peter Brester 16

Edward Brester 14

Naturalization Record ^[6]

Name: Katharine Margaret Brester

Birth Date: 9 Aug 1887

Birth Place: Russia

Age at event: 55

Court District: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa

Year of Arrival: 1913

Date of Action: 10 May 1943

Residence: 326 Doty Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

This next record gives a corrupted spelling of her last name at birth: Ehler.

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index ^[7]

Name: Margaret Oehler

Gender: Female

Spouse: Jacob Brester

Child: Jacob Brester

Find A Grave Burial Record ^[8]

Name: Margaret Brester-Popp

Birth Date: 1887

Death Date: 1948

Cemetery: Estabrooks Cemetery

Burial or Cremation Place: Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States of America

Has Bio?: N

Spouse: Jacob Brester

Children: Edward R. Brester

Research Notes

There was only one Ehler family who originally settled in Grimm. All Ehlers born and raised in Grimm likely descend from this family, with few, if any, exceptions.

According to the 1897 census, her grandfather was Jakob Ehler, born about 1837. This means he would be about 19 or 20 at the time of the 1857 census. Typically the name Jacob was coupled with another name, even though only one name was used regularly. This means that all men with Jacob as one of their names must be considered.

A search of the 1857 census reveals 3 Ehler families who were living in Grimm. These men were brothers, the sons of Friedrich Ernst Ehler.

• #85 Georg Ludwig Ehler family, age 72
• #186 Gottfried Ehler family, born 1827, deceased 1850
• #188 Jakob Ehler family, age 67

According to the 1897 census, her father was not born until 1863 or 1864, so he won't appear in the 1857 census. Her grandfather, however, would have been a young adult at the time. In 1897, his wife's name was Louisa, but she may or may not have been his first wife. It was also possible he was unmarried in 1857. Here's a rundown on the possible families of Margaretha's grandfather Jakob, born about 1837.

Georg Ludwig Ehler Family

Georg Ludwig Ehler was 72. He has no documented son named Jakob that was living with the family in 1857.

His son Konrad Ehler was 44 years old. He had a 20 year old son named Georg Jakob. Perfect match for Margaretha's grandfather based on his age. In the 1857 census, this Georg Jakob was married to a woman named Katharina Margaretha, not Louisa, but Louisa may have been his second wife.

Gottfried Ehler Family

Gottfried Ehler had no sons born in or around 1837. But also living with him was his brother Johann Jakob Ehler. Although Johann Jakob passed away in 1857, he had two sons with Jakob as part of their name: George Jakob, born in 1835, and Heinrich Jakob, born in 1839. If Jakob Ehler's age was off in the 1897 census, he could have been one of these men.

Jakob Ehler Family

Jakob Ehler had two sons with Jakob as part of their names, but they were at least 10 years older than the age range we are looking at. Neither of those men can be a match.

Sources

1. ↑ 1897 Grimm (Lesnoi Karamysh), Russia Census List, Translated by Richard Rye, Compiled and Edited by John Groh, Contributor Henry Schmick; American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Published 2017; page 50-51, family #289, Jacob Ehler family.
2. ↑ The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series: T840. Margaretha Brester, age 25, German, born in Grimm, Russia, departed Liverpool England, arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 20 March 1913. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1800-1962 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006.
3. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census, Jake Brester, age 32, born in Russia, Year: 1920; Census Place: Windsor, Weld, Colorado; Roll: T625_172; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 230, Jake Brester, born 1888 in Russia; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 02 July 2023.
4. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census, Jacob Brester, born 1888 in Russia, Year: 1930; Census Place: Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0028; FHL microfilm: 2342306, Jacob Brester, born 1888 in Russia; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 02 July 2023.
5. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census, Jacob Brester, age 52, born in Russia, Year: 1940; Census Place: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: m-t0627-04479; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 20-17, Jacob Brester, age 52, born in Russia; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 02 July 2023.
6. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Soundex Index to Naturalization Petitions for the United States District and Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois and Immigration and Naturalization Service District 9, 1840-1950 (M1285); Microfilm Serial: M1285; Microfilm Roll: 21. Katharine Margaret Brester, born 09 August 1887 in Russia. Ancestry.com. U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
7. ↑ U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA, Margaret Oehler [sic], wife of Jacob Brester; Ancestry.com online database, accessed 02 July 2023.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 11 May 2020), memorial page for Margaret Brester-Popp (1887–1948), Find A Grave: Memorial #140905088, citing Estabrooks Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, USA ; Maintained by Betty Thurk Babler (contributor 47501219).