My Family Tree Project

Discovering our American and European Ancestors

Living

Living

Female

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Generation: 1

  1. 1.  Living

    Living Living. [Group Sheet]

    Children:
    1. Living
    2. Living

Generation: 2

  1. 2.  Richard Earl WEISENBERGER

    Richard Margaret Jean WALLACE [Group Sheet]


  2. 3.  Margaret Jean WALLACE
    Children:
    1. Living
    2. Living
    3. Living
    4. 1. Living
    5. Living
    6. Living
    7. Living


Generation: 3

  1. 4.  Edgar Lewis WEISENBERGER
    Children:
    1. 2. Richard Earl WEISENBERGER

  2. 6.  Lee Clark WALLACE 03 Dec 1893 Ada, Kent County, Michigan; 01 Nov 1962Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California; Probably Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California.

    Other Events:

    • Reference Number: 3178
    • Reference Number: 33
    • Census: 1930, Lived at 110 Buena Vista Blvd., Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan

    Notes:

    Played slide trombone in Saranac Concert Band
    Married Rae Frost
    373030453

    1930 Federal Census for Highland Park, Wayne County, MI, Roll T626_1074, p. 17B, Image 0387, Enumeration District #987, Enumeration Date 15 April 1930

    Information as entered by census taker on lines 95-100

    Dwelling #378, Family #410
    Kunze, MargaretF/W/55WidowHeadOwns HouseValue $15,000
    Had a Radio Set b. Ohio
    RaymondM/W/27b. OHSonSalesmanAutomobile Industry No Military Service
    RolandM/W/25b. OHSonSalesmanAutomobile IndustryNo Military Service
    Wallace,LeeM/W/36b. MI Son-in-LawSalesmanAdvertising IndustryServed in WWAge at marriage 27
    Dorothy MF/W/30b. OHDaughterAge at marriage 20
    Margaruite* JF/W/3&11/12b. MI

    *Note spelling of Margaret

    Lee Dorothy Maebelle KUNZE [Group Sheet]


  3. 7.  Dorothy Maebelle KUNZE
    Children:
    1. 3. Margaret Jean WALLACE


Generation: 4

  1. 14.  John KUNZE 05 Feb 1875 Saxony, Germany; after 1933Probably Michigan.

    Other Events:

    • Reference Number: 3180
    • Reference Number: 35
    • Immigration: 05 Aug 1886
    • Residence: 1920, 110 W. Buena Vista, Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan

    Notes:

    One of the "Coal Dust Twins" of Detroit, Michigan
    I am more and more confused about John Kunze. According to the 1900 Federal Census for Ohio, John, Margaret, and Dorothy Kunze lived at 61 Delaware, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. John's birth date is given as February 1875, not 05 March 1869 as originally believed. He came to the U.S. in 1879 and had not been naturalized at the time of the census. I cannot find Mom's copy of the naturalization papers that she believed were her grandfather's and the researcher I hired to check this out found no record of a John Kunze being naturalized in Cleveland.

    There was another John Kunze, married to Margaret Parks in October 1899 who was approximately the same age as our great grandfather. This John Kunze was also a machinist. Perhaps this is the cause of the confusion.

    **********
    The 1910 Ohio Census Miracode Index (NARA; acceessed through on 09 March 2007) shows John Kunze, age 35, white, born Germany, living in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, enumeration district 0185, visit 0183, head of household. No other residents are listed.

    The 1920 Census for Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan gives John's age as 43. This would give him a birth year of 1877, assuming his birthday was actually in March as believed. Margaret's age was also given as 43 but we all know she lied about her age until the day she died. Perhaps they both did. If John was not born until 1875 or 1877, as some of these findings suggest, Margaret would have even more cause to lie about her age since she certainly would not have wanted people to know she was almost 10 years older than John.

    Other information from the 1920 Census:
    John's birthplace is listed as Germany - Saxony, mother tongue as German, both parents born in Germany, speaks English. His occupation was a steel broker "working on his on account." I interpret this to mean he was self-employed. He is listed as immigrating to the U.S. in 1899 and being naturalized, year unknown. However, he and Margaret McMann were married in 1898 so this is in error. Perhaps he was naturalized that year. Margaret's birth place is given as Illinois. All four of John and Margaret's children were living with them at the time of the census.

    Margaret Kunze told the 1930 Census taker that she was a widow (see notes for Margaret McMann and Lee Wallace).

    **********
    The 1930 Census yields the following possible clues about "our" John Kunze:

    1930 Federal Census Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Roll #T626_1037, p. 4B, E.D. #1079, Image 0911, Enumeration Date 5 April 1930

    Line 81 Dwelling # 22, Family #36 1442 Lawrence Avenue

    Kunze, JohnHeadOwned HomeValue $12,000 Had a Radio SetM/W/55 Age at First Marriage 25Not EmployedNo Military Serviceb. GermanyImmigration 1880Both parents b. Germany
    FrancesWifeF/W/33Married at Age 26b. MIBoth parents b. Canada, English
    Mary E.DautF/W/4&6/12
    William F. SonM/W/2&6/12

    If this John Kunze was 25 when he married, it was not to this woman as she would have been only 3 years old at that time. This John has a birth year of about 1875 which corresponds more directly with the age he gave in the 1920 Census. Also, his son has the same name as "our" John's father.

    13 March 2004
    Finally! Proof that the above John Kunze and our great grandfather, John Kunze, are one and the same.
    State of Michigan Marriage Records, Microfilm #173, Return of Marriages in the County of Wayne, 1923:

    December 5, 1923
    #260920John Kunze 48/whtResidence: Detroit, Mich.Born: GermanyOccupation: brokerParents Names: Wm./Agusta Previous Marriages: One
    Frances W. Adams 26/whtResidence: Detroit, Mich.Born: Mich.
    Occupation: NoneParents Names: Richard/Hannah E. Allen
    No Previous Marriages
    The marriage took place in Detroit, Michigan on 5 December 1923, Corwin B. Westfall, Clergyman. Witnesses were Mrs. D. Hager and Mrs. C. B. Westfall, all residents of Detroit, Mich.

    **********
    From The City Directories for Detroit:

    19321422 Lawrence, John Kunze (Frances), Mechanic, House
    19331422 Lawrence, John Kunze (Frances), Mechanic
    19341422 Lawrence, Kunze, Mrs. Frances W.
    19361422 Lawrence, Kunze, Mrs. Frances W.
    19371422 Lawrence Ave., Kunze, Frances W. (wid of John)
    19381422 Lawrence Ave., Frances Kunze, Widow of John
    19391422 Lawrence Ave., Frances Kunze, Widow of John

    By 1940 John E. Andracke was living at 1422 Lawrence Avenue. No wife is listed with him. Frances Kunze does not appear in any available Detroit City Directory after 1939.

    John Kunze does not appear in the Detroit Death Index between 1930-39.

    **********
    I am more and more convinced that the correct birth year for John Kunze is 1875, not 1869 as my mother believed. There are too many many official records consistent with the 1875 birth year to totally disregard it. Also, I do not know on what information my mother based her 1869 birth year.

    **********
    1 March 2007: The most conclusive proof I have found to date for John Kunze's birth date is in his draft registration card for World War I. His sworn testimony for the card gives the date as 05 February 1875. His address was 110 W. Buena Vista, Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan and his spouse was Margaret. There is no doubt that this card is for "our" John Kunze because all of the other facts fit. He is listed as being of medium height and build with blue eyes and light hair.

    **********
    6 March 2007: "Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Genealogy and History," Naturalization Records 1818 - 1931

    Kujanek to Kurka from the Naturalization card files at the Cuyahoga County Archives
    a volunteer project of CAGG

    Kunze John
    Address: 36 Edgwood, Cleveland, Ohio
    Petition No. 8836 Court of Common Pleas, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Oh
    Born: Germany March 5, 1870
    Date and Port: Aug. 5, 1886
    Naturalized: Sept. 18, 1896
    Witnesses: Wm. Rott, 50 Hillman Ave.
    Notes: Soundex: K520

    Kunze R. B.
    Address: 36 Edgwood, Cleveland, Ohio
    Petition No. 8826 Court of Common Pleas, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Oh
    Born: Germany June 20, 1873
    Date and Port: May 8, 1891
    Naturalized: Sept. 18, 1896
    Witnesses: Wm. Rott, 50 Hillman Ave.
    Notes: Soundex: K520

    Kunze William
    Address: 87 Millford, Cleveland, Ohio
    Petition No. 15335 Court of Common Pleas, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Ohio
    Born: Germany Dec. 27, 1845
    Date and Port: May 22, 1891
    Naturalized: March 28, 1899
    Witnesses:
    Notes: Soundex: K520

    Based on the first two entries in the above cited information, I do not believe that my mother had the Naturalization Record for the right John Kunze. As we now have deduced from available records, great-grandfather John was born in 1875, not 1870. Also, to our knowledge, there was no family member with the initials "R. B." who resided with great-grandfather's family. The above John Kunze and R. B. Kunze had the same residence, were naturalized on the same date, and had the same witness. This leads me to believe that these two were related.

    I can find no other John Kunze in either Ohio or Michigan available naturalization records. However, information for John Kunze contained in the 1920 census caused me to speculate that he may have been naturalized in 1899 (see above census information). Therefore, it is possible (stress on possible) that the information on the naturalization of William Kunze is for our 2nd great-grandfather. The age is about right and the 1899 naturalization year could have been the cause of confusion in the 1920 census. However, IF the immigration year is correct, and IF this is our 2nd great-grandfather, then Harriet was not born in Ohio as stated on her marriage license.

    **********

    John Margaret Amelia McMANN 31 Aug 1898Huron County, Ohio, before 05 Dec 1923 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Margaret (daughter of Jeremiah McMANN and Julia Lown) 28 Dec 1868 Illinois; 20 Oct 1946Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan; 23 Oct 1946Probably Wayne County, Michigan. [Group Sheet]


  2. 15.  Margaret Amelia McMANN 28 Dec 1868 Illinois (daughter of Jeremiah McMANN and Julia Lown); 20 Oct 1946Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan; 23 Oct 1946Probably Wayne County, Michigan.

    Other Events:

    • Reference Number: 3181

    Notes:

    Margaret Kunze told the census taker she was a widow in 1930. However, Margaret Wallace met her grandfather on several occasions long after this date. See1930 Census information for Lee Wallace.

    Notes:

    Married:
    divorce

    Children:
    1. 7. Dorothy Maebelle KUNZE
    2. John Raymond Kunze
    3. Roland Paul Kunze 15 Mar 1903 Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio; 14 Jan 1965Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan; about 18 Jan 1965Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan.
    4. Donald Leslie Kunze