This was, of course, written by a clerk at the county courthouse; the clerk obviously made a mistake in writing the birthplace and attempted to correct it by writing over it. What could it be?
Compare the 3rd and 4th letters with the r and u in "Prussia" just below; it could be ru (or rw).
Compare the 3rd and 4th letters with the r and i in "American" just above; it could be ri with the dot over the i missing. My
guess is Marwalde.
There is a Marwalde in East Prussia, but just across the border from West Prussia. I have searched LDS films for all of the Evangelical (Protestant) churches in the immediate vicinty; no Kottke.
In West Prussia there is a Maxwalde and several towns named Marienfelde. There are several named Marienwalde, but none in West Prussia.
There are many families with the name Kottke in the area around the Netze river, just north and east of Bromberg (Polish Bydgoszcz). This seems like the most likely location to me, but I have found no town matching Marwalde in this area.
Micke is obviously a nickname. Michael?
Retina doesn't seem likely. Possibly Eva Rosina?
He lived in the neighborhood of George, Iowa; a heavily Ostfriesen community. His wife was Ostfriesen. His obituary was signed by the pastor of the First German Baptist Church (of mostly Ostfriesen membership) and published in Ostfriesische Nachrichten (Breda, Iowa). An attempt at translation:
Julius Koetcke was born on June 26, 1860 in Westpreussen. In 1884 he immigrated to this country. In 1891 he entered into marriage with Lauke Hayinga, his now sorrowing widow. This marriage was blessed with 7 children, 2 of whom preceded the father in death. His wife, 3 sons and 2 daughters, a son in law and a grandchild are left to lead his body to the grave. After the family had lived in various places, they moved some 6 years ago to Rock Rapids, Iowa. Here he died from a lung illness on July 9, 1915 at the age of 55 years and 13 days. The funeral service was lead by Pastors H. Kruse, E. Swyter and J. Jordan on July 13. The burial took place at the cemetery of the First German Baptist Church near George, Iowa. May the Lord comfort the survivors!
J. Jordan, Pastor
George, Iowa
His daughter Nettie (now, unfortunately, deceased) told me that the name was originally Kottke and that a schoolteacher had persuaded him that the pronunciation of the name by English-speakers would be closer to the original if he spelled it with an "a." His signature on his declaration of intent for naturalization does indeed look like Kottke.
She also said that he had used his half-brother's papers to leave Germany, since his half-brother had completed his military service but he had not.
She refused to tell me more; she said "Don't stir that up again." Apparently he had been in trouble of some kind and she thought that "the government" would cause difficulty for his descendants if I researched his past.
The KOTTKE name, as mentioned earlier, seems to originate in southern West Prussia and northern Posen, in the neighborhood of the Netze river. I have researched many of the church records that have been filmed by the LDS for this region without finding him. I have also checked the Hamburg departure records and passenger arrival records for all of the US ports for 1883-1885.
I recently found (on the Ancestry website) a Julius Klottke (Ancestry, unfortunately, indexes it as Klothke) in the passenger list of the Werra, arriving at New York from Bremen on January 26, 1885. His obit said that he came to the US in 1884, but this is close. He was 24 years old (correct), a farmer, from Prussia, going to Illinois. The name is frequently mangled even today, so the presence of the extra L is not troublesome. But just below his name on the list is Hulda, 17, female, ditto marks for everything else. Who is this? A wife? If so, this is the wrong Julius. A sister? I can not find her in census or marriage records.
From the Sheldon "Mail" Thursday, 12 Feb 1891 p5 col 2 (Iowa State Historical Society):
A DUTCH WEDDING
There was a wedding at John Hayenga's yesterday in which his daughter was the bride. Jurgen Renken and Jerry Hartenbower were the only invited guests at the wedding from town. We understand the wedding beverage was imported and that the casks containing it bore the suggestive inscription: "Sic semper Schlitz Milwaukee." The wedding was a happy affair, and if congratulations are in order we wish the bride and groom many years of wedded bliss.
Gayle Wagenaar (caretaker of the cemetery at First Baptist Church, George, Iowa) told me in a telephone conversation on Jan 11, 1988 that two children of Julius Kattke were buried together in a gravesite at the north end of the cemetery (he thought the same site where Jan and Harmka Hayenga are buried).
From the Rock Rapids Review, Thursday July 15, 1915 p5, column 3: "Klaus (sic) Kattke, who has lived on the E. C. Fitzgerald farm, known as the old A. R. Hamlin homestead, north of town, for the past five years, died last Friday, after an illness of more than a year duration. He was afflicted with what is known in medical science as leukemia, a very rare blood disease, and for which no remedy has yet been found. It is probably the only case of the kind that has ever been known in this county. It is the direct opposite of anemia which destroys the red corpuscles of the blood. At the time of his death it was almost impossible to secure enough blood from his body to analyze in an experiment to determine the cause of the disease. Mr. Kattke was 75 (sic) years of age and leaves a wife and family of five children, three sons and two daughters all living at home except one daughter who is married and lives at Ash Creek. The funeral was held Monday, interment being made in the German Baptist cemetery near George. Mr. Kattke was highly esteemed by all who knew him. The family has the sympathy of the community in their bereavement."
From the Rock Rapids Reporter, July 15, 1915 (Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines): "Claus (sic) Kattke died at his home on the old Fitzgerald farm northwest of town last Friday. The cause of his death was leukemia, a rare disease of the blood, this being perhaps the first case of its kind in this section of the country for a long time. About five years ago he moved from a farm near George to the farm he had recently occupied. He leaves a wife and family. Mr. Kattke was a good man, congenial neighbor, and his friends were numbered by his acquaintances, who grieve to hear of the demise of the gentleman, just in the prime of life. The funeral services were held from the home and interment was made in a cemetery south (sic) of George. The sympathy of all is extended to the bereaved family."
From the "George News" (George, Iowa) July 15, 1915: page 4, column 1 - Rev. Mr. Jordan and Peter G. Kruger were called to Rock Rapids Saturday on account of the death of Julius Koether (sic), a member of the First Baptist church who lives near Rock Rapids. Mr. Koether died Friday.
I have researched many other KOTTKE families, both in the US and in Germany, looking for a connection, but have not found it. I am happy to share the data I have collected; get in touch.
Jerry Kattke
324 Green Valley Drive
Naperville, IL 60540
