Frederick Wilhelm Schultz and Christina Sophia Dorothea Brockman Story

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Groß Ridsenow, Güstrow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Surnames/tags: Schultz Brockman

This short history was written about Frederick Schultz and his wife, Christina Sophia Dorothea Brockman. It reportedly was written by their daughter-in-law, Fredericka (Miller) Schultz. It was taken from an original handwritten document, which was not always legible, and shared publicly on Ancestry by Jilyn Schultz in 2011.

"Mother Schultz (née Brockman) was born in Germany on Februay 11,1847 in Beckendorf Mecklenberg Schwerine.

"Father was born in Grossritznow Mecklenberg Schwerine on Sept. second- 1842.

"In 1867 Father and Mother, together with his Sisters left Germany and came to this country. They came across the Ocean in a Sail Boat which was a long and tiresome Journey. they was on the Ocean thirteen weeks. They left Germany the latter part of September and landed in New York on the twenty fifth of December. They stayed at the home of an Uncle, Carl Picher.

"On January first 1868, they were Married and lived near Buffalo New York where Father worked. Oct. 10, 1868 they came to Dundee [Michigan] and Father work for Cap. Ingersoll by the year. They lived in a Little lodge on the Farm and in Dec.12th there [sic] son Henry was born , the same year 1868. Then in April 18th 1871 another son William was born, they lived on the Dick Clark Farm. in 1872 Father bought a Farm of 40 acres which they called the Bear swamp [near Rea.] hH then build a Log cabin on the Farm. There the rest of us were born, Charley Em Herman Albert and Fred -- those were the happiest days of our life we did not know what trouble meant. those days were happy days.

Then in 1892 they build a new home which is still on the old Farm. The new home did not mean so much to us for we left it one by one, but we Loved it just the same as long as Mother and Father was there. In 1900 our family circle was broken Herman was taken searsley [sic] ill with Typhus Pneumonia and passed on March 1, 1900. Then Father's health began to fail,he had two operations for cancer. Two years latter dropsy of the heart set in. He past [sic] on November 23, 1907. Mother and Fred lived on the Farm two years then Fred was Married - in 1909.

Mother sold the Farm to Mr. Shiple. She went to live with Brother Will and family where she Lived for nineteen years.

Then in 1922, Albert was stricken with Infection of the lungs in spite of all the most skilled medical and surgical attention could do he past [sic] on May 2nd, 1923.

In the year 1929 Mother was stricken searsley [sic] ill with the Flu. On January 8th she too past [sic]on to the grate [sic] beyond.

Mother had a good home and good care when the infirmities of old age came on. the Children are all Married and have homes and Families. [At the time of this writing} there are 19 grand Children and grate [sec] grandchildren 21.

Further Notes from Jilyn Schultz

The town of Gross Ridsenow is in northeastern Germany in an area that was known as Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the mid-1800's. The church records from the parish of Polchow includ the births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths of th persons from Gross Ridsenow and other nearby towns. These church records confirm that the passengers named Christian, Sophia, Wilhelmina, Maria, Frederick, and Fredericka "Schult" on the ship Humboldt in 1867 were brothers and sisters. The records give their complete names, exact dates of birth, birthplace, and the names of their parents.

Their father was Johann Friedrich Schult, who died on 31 January 1854 in Gross Ridsenow at the age of 45 (birth about 1809 in the nearby town of Stierow.) His father was Friedrich Schult, a day laborer from Stierow and his mother was Sabine Stube.

Their mother was Sophia Dorothea Petschow who died on 8 October 1865 in Gross Ridsenow at the age of 65 (born about 1810 in Jahmen). Her father was Joachim Petschow, a day laborer from Jahmen. Her mother's name was Dorothea.

Johann Friedrich and Sophia Dorothea were living in Jahmen when their first child was born. All others were born in Gross Ridsenow. Variation on the Petschow name may be: Petsch, Petscher, Picher.

When Frederick Schultz and Christina Brockman emigrated in 1867, with them on the ship was every living member of Frederick's family from Gross Ridsenow... his brother and four sisters. Christina's entire family would follow in 1870 and would also settle in Dundee, Michigan.

U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880

1900 United States Federal Census

Information taken from a family genealogy compiled by Burt and Karen Bordine and transcribed by Jillyn Schultz.