Ancestry Chapter 21
1904 -
Antonia Leaves Dirschau, Goes to her Uncle Michael and Aunt Helena
(click photos/documents to see details)
Photograph of the famous Dirschau bridge over the Vistula River.
The bridge, seen on the right, was an engineering marvel at the time of its completion.
Dirschau, West Prussia.
The Eastern European town that has been home to three generations of the Tybus
family. Antonia leaves leaves this ancient town and her large family there for
the unknown awaiting her in Chicago.
Antonia Tibus, Departs Dirschau October 5, 1904, Arrives New York October 20,
1904.
On about October 5, 1904, Antonia boards the train at Dirschau. She is still 15. She arrives in Danzig, 40 miles north/north-west, and there boards a boat that takes her across the Baltic to Hamburg, Germany.
At Hamburg she boards a ship named the Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania leaves Hamburg on October 8, 1904, and arrives in New York 12 days later, on October 20th.
The ship's manifest of foreign passengers. Can be viewed at
www.ellisisland.org.
Antonia is traveling alone. She is listed in the ship's manifest as being 16. She will not be 16 until October 31st. She is listed as a (race, people) German, from (country of which citizen or subject) Germany, who can read and write. Has no occupation. Her last residence is Dirschau. She is carrying $5. Her passage was paid by "uncle" and her destination ("going to relative" column) is "yes, uncle Michael Norek, 176 W. 22nd Place, Chicago, Illinois." Also recorded is that she has a ticket for her destination (Chicago) and she will take a bus to the RR.
She is not the only girl traveling alone on the ship. On that same page is listed a Johanna Briert from Berlin who is headed to her brother in Minnesota. Johanna is only carrying 5 cents.
Antonia Tibus Arrives Chicago October 21, 1904
Presuming Antonia reached Chicago by train the next day. The home of her Aunt Helena. Aunt, uncle and cousins who Antonia couldn't possibly remember. She was only 3 when the Norek family left West Prussia.
Antonia's cousin Lucy is has just turned 16. Antonia's 16th birthday will come in 10 more days. These two girls, who started life as cousins with close family ties, will later have a relationship described as "chilly to downright cold."
Helena is 47 and Michael is 40. Lucy 16, Cecilia 14, Mary 10, Stephen 9, Anton 8 and Anna 7.
Why is Antonia here? Is she a nanny? Is Helena already ill? I think Helena is already ill, although the records indicate that her terminal illness did not start until the following July. Otherwise six children are not overwhelming, particularly since Lucy is as old as Antonia, and Cecilia is only two years younger. That leaves only four younger children.
Possibly a combination, a need in the Norek family and an opportunity for Antonia to come to the U.S.
I presume Antonia, who can read and write, and who speaks high German, knows no English. That's okay. The Noreks speak German at home.
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