Relatively Strangers…

Spotlight Sunday – Wilhelmina Raass Schulte-Birklebach

Name:  Wilhelmina Raass

Birthday:  December 1844

Parents:  Joseph Raass & Anna Conrad

Siblings:  Magdalena (Rischert), Henry & Albert

Relationship:  married 1) August Schulte 2) Henry Birklebach

Children:  August, Edward, Charles & Albert

Hometown:  Austria

Immigration:  by 1852

Last Known Residence:  Detroit, Michigan

Education:  able to read, write & speak English

Church:  Old St. Mary’s & St. Anthony, Detroit, Michigan

Death:  January 17, 1921

Cemetery:  Mt. Elliott Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan

Relationship to Me:  3rd great-grandmother

If you have information on this person, or if you would like more information, please contact me!

Spotlight Sunday – August F. Schulte

Name:  August Schulte

Birthday:  February 14, 1840

Parents:  Franz Schulte & Elisabeth Förth

Siblings:  Elisabeth, Francis, Therese & Theodore

Relationship:  married to Wilhelmina Raass, father of 6 children

Hometown:  Deutmecke, Westphalia, Germany

Immigration:  September 9, 1847 aboard “Harvest”

Last Known Residence:  Detroit, Wayne, Michigan

Education:  able to read & write

Occupation:  upholsterer at Marcus Stevens, 4th Ward Alderman

Church:  Old St. Mary’s Church, Detroit, Michigan

Death:  September 3, 1881, drowning

Cemetery:  Mt. Elliott Cemetery – Detroit, Michigan

Relationship to Me:  3rd great-grandfather

Tombstone Tuesday – Albert Raass

Albert Raass is buried in Mt. Elliott Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.  Albert died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1873 at the young age of 17 years old.  He is the youngest child and the only child of Joseph & Anna Raass to have been born in America (the rest of the family was born in Austria.)  His family was devastated at his death, and each of his siblings named their next male child “Albert” in memory of him.

The first Albert to be born 8 months later was Albert Schulte to Wilhelmina Raass and August Schulte.  The next Albert to be born in December of 1874 was Albert Rischert to Magdelana Raass & Charles Rischert.  And the last Albert to be born was to Elisabeth Degenfelder & Henry Raass in 1875.  His memorial is posted at Find-A-Grave.