Children of Jacob Ratzlaff

After the Jacob Ratzlaff family settled in Marion County, the children soon went their own ways.  GRANDMA tells us the following about the children:

Henry emigrated in 1893 with wife Katharine (Base) and children Tobias and Carolina.  The couple had eight more children who were born in Galva, Lehigh, Burrton and Halstead, KS.  Henry died in 1916 and is buried in Burrton, KS.  Katherine died in 1947 and is buried in Hesston, KS.  Henry felt it to be more appropriate to spell the family last name with an “O”, therefore his descendants’ last name is spelled Ratzloff.  Father Jacob, never having learned to read or write English, accepted the spelling as it was given to him by immigration officials.

Eva did not emigrate with the family in 1893.  She had married Johann Nachtigal in 1885 in Leeleva and stayed there with her family.  Johann died in 1904 and was buried in Volhynia.  Of the couple’s eleven children, only five survived.  Eva, with the five children, emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1909.  They arrived in Galveston, TX and settled near Durham, KS.  In 1910, in Major County, OK, she married Tobias Unruh who was also originally from Antonovka, Volhynia but had come to America in 1874.  Tobias died in 1937 and is buried in Halstead, KS.  Eva moved to California after Tobias’ death and in 1949 was buried in Winton, CA.

Andreas also did not emigrate with the family in 1893.  At the time, Andreas was fulfilling Russian Government obligations with the Mennonite Forestry Service.  Much more on Andreas later.

Bernard emigrated in 1893 with his wife Maria (Schultz).  Their first seven children were born near Durham and Hillsboro, KS.  Later, the family moved to Copeland and then Protection, KS, where they had two more children.  Bernard and Maria are buried in Montezuma, KS; Bernard in 1952 and Maria in 1963.  Maria’s parents were Cornelius and Leona (Jantz) Schultz.  Leona’s brother, Bernard Jantz of Durham, KS, loaned the Jacob Ratzlaff family money for their voyage to America.  Bernard and his siblings worked for many years to pay off the loan.

Adam was with the family aboard the Polaria in 1893 and lived in Marion County until at least 1905.  Adam’s first marriage ended in divorce.  In 1943 he married Dena Koehn, originally of Durham, KS, in Merced, CA.  Adam and Dena were both buried in Winton, CA; Adam in 1950 and Dena in 1976.

Helena travelled with the family in 1893 and was married to Andreas Becker of Moundridge, KS, in 1903.  Conflicting data from GRANDMA and the 1905 Marion County census shows that their first child was born either in Major County, OK, or Durham, KS.  Regardless, Andreas passed away in Meno, OK, in 1912 after the couple had four children.  Helena remarried to Bernhard Becker, also of Moundridge, KS, in 1913.  The couple had five children, all in Meno, OK.  It appears that at some point in the 1920s the Beckers lived in Halstead, KS, where one of their children, Juanita, as well as Father Jacob, passed away.  Helena died in 1927 but I don’t know where she’s buried.  Bernhard died in 1976 and is buried in Newton, KS.

John was only three years old during the voyage in 1893.  He married Amanda Unruh in 1915.  GRANDMA tells us very little about his family, but they must have moved around a bit between Major County, OK and Protection, KS.  The couple had five children.  John died in 1954 and is buried in the Lone Tree Church Cemetary in McPherson County, KS.  GRANDMA does not indicate details about Amanda’s death or burial.

The Green Jacob J Ratzlaff book also tells us of four other children.  Three babies died in infancy in Volhynia.  Unfortunately, we don't know anything further about these babies.  In addition, a daughter named Elizabeth passed away due to small pox at the age 15 years.  Elizabeth's name does not appear on the Polaria's manifest, therefore she must have passed away prior to 1893.  Therefore, she was born between 1863 and 1878 in either Zabara, Menziliski or Leeleva.  She was probably buried in a cemetery near Menziliski or Leeleva.