The Frederick Kubbernuss Family
of
Buffalo NY, Detroit Lakes MN, and Camrose County Canada

If you are looking for your connection, using the Find function on your browser do a search on each page. If you want to make corrections or contribute data please contact the webmaster by sending an e-mail to: gkobernus or to a Kubbernuss family historian at: hess

Background
There is no known record of the birth of Fred Kubbernuss Sr. However, he was probably born about 1834 in Mecklenburg Germany. He probably married Mary Kubbernuss, Sr. (b. August 1836)  about 1857 in Germany.

John Kubbernuss, son of Fred Sr. and Mary stated that the family lived in the Berlin area of Germany prior to their emigration to the US. Although the greatest concentration of families with the Kubbernuss name existed in Kuesserow and surrounding villages in Mecklenburg, a great deal of movement of German peasant families occurred after 1820 when the traditional serf-landowner relationship ended. Although we have not encountered any Kubbernuss families in the Berlin area, this is not far from Mecklenburg and it is possible  that people migrated from the Malchin area to areas further south.

Immigration to Buffalo, New York
Fred Kubbernuss Sr. is not listed among any of the 30 families we've researched who emigrated to the US between 1853-1888. He may be listed in our records under another name; however, at this point, how and exactly when he arrived in the US still unknown. Although many families from Northern Germany emigrated from the port of Hamburg, it is possible that he departed from Bremen or entered the US through a port other than New York. The Bremen records have been destroyed; this may be a reason we have not uncovered any record of his immigration. In addition, the New York Port records are very difficult sources to work with and provide almost no data other than the ages and names of the passengers. A summary of what we know about the 30 plus known Kobernuss/Kubbernuss immigrant families is provided in the Kobernuss/Kubbernuss family our immigration database.

Buffalo was a popular immigration point for Mecklenburg families. There were at least four Kobernuss families from Mecklenburg who lived in the Buffalo/Tonawanda area at the same time as the Fred Kubbernuss Sr. family. The Christian Cobernuss family was from Bolz, Mecklenburg, Germany (1863) and the other three were the Kobernuss brothers and a first cousin from Alt-Gaarz, Mecklenburg who emigrated in 1869, 1870, and 1873 to Buffalo.

The evidence available to us suggests that Fred Sr. and Mary emigrated to the US abut 1870  with four children; John, Fred, Wilhelmina and Sophie. A family members believes Fred immigrated in 1868; the 1900 census for Detroit Lakes (Detroit Twp) indicates his daughter immigrated in 1870. The latter date seems more likely as Sophie apparently was born in Germany in 1869. The family moved to from Buffalo New York to Detroit Lakes, Becker County Minnesota, sometime after the birth of youngest children Fred (1872) and Mary in 1874. We have found no known record of the family in Buffalo, but this is probably where son Fred Jr., and daughter Mary . John Kubbernuss, son of Fred Sr., may have met and or married in New York; however, most if not all of his children were born in Minnesota. There appears to be little additional data on the daughters. Mary married Oscar Ramstad in Detroit Lakes and died in Ferry Point, Alberta Canada; Sophie married Mr. Knuth in Detroit Lakes; Minnie married Hermann  (Schontiech) Schoenteich.

The Move to Becker County Minnesota
The first official documentation of Fred Kubbernuss' residence in Minnesota is a Becker County homestead land patent for 97 acres 9 10 The next mention of the family is in the 1900 US Census for Detroit Lakes,
Becker County Minnesota where a Mary Kubbernus is listed as living with head of household Fred Kubbernuss (b. Sept. 1861) and Mary (b. Dec 1873). We assume that by this time Mary Sr. was a widow.

Also listed in the 1900 census for Detroit Lakes are two other families that are probably the sons of Fred & Mary  A John "Cuberness" (b. Apr 1860 in Ger.) , is listed with wife Minnie (b. Oct 1869 in NY) and eight children born in Minnesota between 1889-1900. 11 Another probable son, Fred Kubbernuss, Jr. is listed with wife Minnie and three children born in Minnesota between 1893 and 1899. Sophie is listed in the 1900 census with her husband Charles Knuth and five children.

The move to Camrose County, Alberta Canada
There is no mention of the Kubbernuss family in Becker County Minnesota in the 1910 and 1920 US Census. Oral tradition and other sources indicate both Fred Jr. and his uncle John Kubbernuss moved to Camrose, Alberta Canada about 1900. 14 One family member believes that Fred Sr. went back to Germany for a visit either before or after the family move to Camrose Alberta about 1900. It is possible that he did not return; however, it is more likely that Fred Sr. and Mary are buried in Becker County Minnesota.

The exact date of emigration of the Kubbernuss family to Canada is uncertain but it could have been as early as 1900. John, his son Charles and nephew Fred Jr. all homesteaded in Alberta but Fred Jr. may have returned to Detroit Lakes some time later. This tradition is partially supported by homestead records in the National Archives of Canada. 15

We consulted Barry Halverson the GenWeb coordinator and local historian with expertise on Camrose County who confirmed that John Kubbernuss and his family were well known in Camrose at the turn of the century. In the early years in Camrose, John Kubbernuss operated a dairy business. John and his son Herbert Kubbernuss are mentioned in the Camrose local history book Footprints Along the Stony.  16 .

Naming of the Baldenstein School and the search for the Kubbernuss home village
Nothing is known of the German home village of the Fred Kubbernuss Sr. family except that his son John was to have said he was born near Berlin. Family tradition and other sources indicate John Kubbernuss was asked to name the school in Camrose Alberta. He stated he chose the name Baldenstein after his home region/village. This may be an important clue to the German home village of the Kubbernuss family. However, there is no record of a Baldenstein village or parish in Mecklenburg or greater Germany. Virtually all Kubbernuss families we've researched came from central and northern Mecklenburg.  The closest match is Baldenstein, a village in Rheinland-Pfalz near Koblenz, quite some distance from Mecklenburg where many Kubbernuss families lived, or Berlin which is located some distance to the south in the state of Brandenburg.

None of the data we've collected provide much detail regarding the origin of the name Baldenstein.  John Kubbernuss probably named the school for a place he was familiar with, admired, or wanted to link the future with. Maybe Baldenstein is not a village but a school, family lineage, or even a farm?

For more information on the Kubbernuss families in Camrose check Heather Hess' homepage on the Kubbernuss families.

Other mention of the Kubbernuss family in Camrose
There may also be a mention of John Kubbernus in the local history The Golden Trails (which we have not read); however, there is no index, and it might take awhile to review. This book is a history of write-ups taken from the Camrose Canadian newspaper, in regard to areas of the county of Camrose, and a historical review of the area from these write-ups. If anyone has access to a copy of this book we'd like to hear from you. It may provide a clue regarding the Kubbernuss family home village in Germany. The Kubbernuss family is also mentioned in Footsteps along the Stony in a narrative written by Inga Henrietta Kubbernuss (nee Jerde), wife of Herbert. 19 20

Summary:
More research is needed.  The data contained in this narrative is subject to change as we uncover more facts about this family. Little is known about the origins of Fred Kubbernuss Sr. other than he probably was born in Mecklenburg or Brandenburg Germany about 1836, married about 1857, and immigrated to New York before 1872. He moved to Detroit Lakes Minnesota between 1873 and 1885. His descendants then emigrated to Camrose, Alberta Canada about 1900. There is no known link between Fred Kubbernuss Sr. and any other family named Kubbernus we have studied.

NOTES

1900 Minnesota Census, V2, E7, Sh 17, Ln 50 Becker Country, Detroit Lakes
KUBBERNUSS, FRED, b.  Sept. 1861 in Germany. Age 38
Mary . b. Aug 1836 in Germany
Mary   b. Dec 1873 in New York
Note: Fred Kubbernuss is listed as head of household. Could be son of Mary Sr. and/or child from
previous marriage of Fred Sr.

One of the Kobernuss brothers, Carl Kobernuss used the name KUBBERNUSS in several German and
US emigration documents in 1873. He lived in the Buffalo/Tonawanda area from 1873-1875 or so.

A Minnesota land grant was assigned to a Fred "Kubbernntz" on March 10 1885. Source pre 1808 homestead
and cash entry land patents in Becker county, MN, US Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
(Vol 528, Sect 30, Twp 139N, Range 41W, Meridian 5). This homestead could be for either Fred Sr. or Fred Kubbernuss born Sept 1861

1900 Minnesota Census, Detroit, Becker county. V2, E7, Sh19, Ln2.
CUBERNESS, JOHN, b. April 1860, b. Germany
Minnie, b. Oct 1869 New York
Charles, b. Sept 1889, Minn.
Emil, b. Dec 1890 Minn.
Helen, b. Apr 1892 Minn.
Martha, b. June 1893 Minn.
John, b. May 1896 Minn.
Herbert, b. Dec 1894 Minn.
George, b. Aug 1897 Minn.
Esther, b. Oct 1900 Minn.

1900 Minnesota Census, V2, E7, Sh 10, Ln 65  Becker, Detroit Lakes
KUBBERNUS, FRED, b. Sept 1872 Age 27 b. NY
Minnie, b. June 1874, Age 25, b. Wis.
Eva, b. Oct 1893, Age 6 b. Minn.
Mary, b. Dec 1896, Age 3, b. Minn.
Arthur, b. Apr 1899, Age 1, b. Minn.

Some comments about this census data are needed here. There are three Freds in this narrative so it
becomes confusing.  The eleven year gap between the children born in Germany and the children born in
New York may indicate Fred Sr. may have had two wives. The 1900 Census indicates Mary Sr. was born
in Germany, This marriage may have occurred after his first wife died sometime before 1872. We don't
know if Fred Sr. died in New York or moved to Becker County with the rest of the family. In 1900, Mary
Sr. and Mary Jr. were living with Fred born 1861 who is listed as head of family. This Fred may have
actually been a cousin rather than a son.  The 1900 Census is the only mention of Fred b. 1861. He is
probably a son of Fred and Mary because the 1900 Census gives quite different data on the two people;
Fred(2) (Age 38, b. Sept. 1861 in Germany) vs Fred(3) (Age 27, b. 1872  in New York). A closer
examination of the census or information provided by other researchers may settle this question. See 1900
US Minnesota Census: V2, E7, Sh17, Ln50; V2, E7, Sh19, Ln2; V2, E7, Sh10, Ln 65.

The Camrose County GenWeb homepage by Berry Halverson, GenWeb coordinator for Camrose
County, < http://www.rootsweb.com/~abcamros/default.htm >provides an excellent overview of the of the
efforts of the US and Canadian Government's to attract farmers to central and northern regions of North
America. Further information on this subject is found at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~abcamros/Immigration2.htm >
A summary of that narrative is provided below.

The Canadian and US Governments competed for homesteaders to open the interior to farming and
commerce. Both countries aggressively marketed cheap or free land to new citizens from Europe as well
as earlier arrivals who had settled in cities such as Buffalo and Chicago. Prior to the early 1900's the US
government attracted a majority of new settlers, but a change in Government in Canada around the turn of
the century resulted in policy changes that had more success in attracting farmers to the Canadian
interior. Many farmers failed to prosper in the US northern states of Iowa, North and South Dakota and
the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the railway belt of British Columbia.
This was a cold brutal land. Where previous settlers in the middle 1800's who settled in the West had to
contend with hostile Indians and lawlessness, the new generation found the best land was already taken.
The land being marketed gave up its bounty only with significant effort. Some people gave up and
returned to Germany where social and economic conditions had improved after 1880, and some returned
to the cities where work was readily available. However, many also prospered and a few of their
descendants still farm the land homesteaded by their ancestors at the turn of the century.

Charles, John and Fred Jr. Kubbernuss were all issued Letters of Patent by the Lands Patent Branch of
the Department of the Interior. The records refer to grants issued in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and
the railway belt of British Columbia, c. 1870-1930. Readers can obtain copies of these documents by
contacting the National Archives of Canada.
Refer to <  http://www.archives.ca/exec/naweb.dll?fs&02011101&e&top&0  > for more information on how to
obtain copies of these land grants.

More Notes on Canadian Land Grants:
Name: John Kubbernus
4 NE 10 47 20 W4
Part Section Township Range Meridian
Reference:
Liber: 203
Folio: 94
File reel number: C-6093

Name: Fred Kubbernus
5 NE 14 47 20 W4
Part Section Township Range Meridian
Reference:
Liber: 210
Folio: 201
File reel number: C-6099

Name: Charles Kubbernus
8 SW 10 63 23 W4
Part Section Township Range Meridian
Reference:
Liber: 1002
Folio: 279
File reel number: C-6745

"Footsteps along the Stony" states that John Kubbernus was born near Berlin, Germany and immigrated
to Detroit Lakes , Minnesota. He filed on a homestead in 1900, two miles north of what later became
Camrose . According to this account, in 1901 he came to Camrose, Alberta with his family of nine
children. Four more children were born here, one dying in infancy. Included with a narrative about son
Herbert Kubbernuss, there is picture of the family with Leon, Vernon, Virgil, Inga, Herb, Lorna, and
Donald

"Footprints Along the Stony" confirms the story regarding John Kubbernuss' association with the
Baldenstein school. In June 1905, he was elected to the first Board of Trustees of School District #1315 in
the village of Sparling, which later became Camrose. . A Portion of this narrative is quoted below:
"The earliest settlers north and west of the town limits realized the need of a school for their families.
John Kubbernus and Charlie Erickson were the two men most instrumental in organizing the school. The
Baldenstein School was named by John Kubbernus in 1901. He had earlier immigrated to the United
States from Berlin, Germany, coming to Camrose in 1900 to settle on a homestead north of Camrose. The
proposed site for the school was to be located on the SW 1/4 of Section 16-47-20-W4, but, before any
construction was started, the town annexed the Kubbernus and Erickson land and they became rate payers
in the town school system. About the year 1908, the school boundaries were redefined and a site two miles
north of the original location was chosen. The school was built on a two acre plot on the NW 1/4 of
Section 21-47-20-W4, owned by John Olson. One acre was sold and one acre was donated by John Olson."
More information is provided in another reference,  The history of Baldenstein School District #677

The answer we are looking for regarding the location of the German home village of the Kubbernuss
family may lie in the definition of the term itself, Baldenstein . There is little information on the surname
Baldenstein. The earliest mention was in 1527 where Hans Rink von Baldenstein and his father Jorge
borrowed 300 guilders from Rudolf Wychser, citizen and officer of Glarus Switzerland, More recent
mention is of a Thomas Conrad von Baldenstein (1784-1878) a well-known natural scientist, who made a
name for himself as an entomologist and apiarist. He was renowned as an ornithologist, and his scientific
works on the bird-life of the Alps were recognized by various societies in Switzerland, Germany and other
countries. The only possible connection here is that John Kubbernuss lived in Germany when this
Baldenstein was alive. A more likely but just as obscure connection is a mention of a Knight of Malta, and
last Grand Prior of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim, Ignaz-Balthasar (Baron) Rinck von Baldenstein,
1721-1807. Born in Delsburg in Switzerland he was elected in 1796 to succeed Johann-Josef-Benedict
(Count) of Reinach. However Heitersheim is near Freiburg, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg close to
the Swiss border -- quite a distance from Berlin or Mecklenburg. There is also mention of two Baldenstein
Castles, one in Gammertingen/Baden-Wuerttemberg also close to the Swiss border. The other is in Sils im
Domleschg Switzerland that has been in existence since 1246 and is still in use today. Finally, there also
is a Pathfinder group, a Boy Scouts type organization, in the German state of Brandenburg near Berlin.
Our guess is that despite the apparent Swiss connection, we'll find a small burg, school or area near Berlin
named Baldenstein that has some association in the past with Ignaz-Balthasar Rinck von Baldenstein.

More mentions of Baldenstein:
Balduinstein GKZ : 07 1 41 503
County : | | +---- Rhein-Lahn-Kreis(Bad Ems) {}
RegBez : | +------- Koblenz
Land : +--------- Rheinland-Pfalz
ZIP : 65558
Popul : 606
Locate : (Bad Ems) 50d20m N 7d43m E
Maps : TK25 5612 Bad Ems
TK50 L5712 Bad Ems
Euro He47"

Still more on Baldenstein
Bird named after Conrad Von Baldenstein
Willow Tit Parus montanus http://www.interaktv.com/PARUS/Pmontanus.html
Willow Tit Parus montanus Conrad von Baldenstein 1827; subspecies ;montanus Willow Tit
songarus Severtzov 1873 Songar Tit Habitat: variable; Range: central Palearctic
More on the Rinck Vol Baldenstein
The Knights of Saint John in Germany Guy Stair Sainty. At the fall of Malta the last Grand Prior of
Germany and Prince of Heitersheim was Frair Ignaz-Balthasar (Baron) Rinck von Baldenstein, elected in
1796 in succession to Fra Johann-Josef-Benedict (Count) of Reinach, and until the German Associations
produce a sufficient number of professed knights of Justice (there is presently only one professed German
knight), the Catholic Grand Priory cannot be revived.

A portion of this narrative is quoted here: "...Herbert (Herb) Kubbernus was born in Detroit Lakes,
Minnesota and came to Canada in 1901 at the age of six years. He attended the first school in Camrose.
His teacher was Miss Signe Spokeli, the first teacher in Camrose. In 1927 he married Inge Gjerde of
Ryley, Alberta. They farmed two miles north of Camrose until 1929 when the land was sold to Charles
Duggan. In 1930, in they lived on Nordstrom's place and spent that year brushing and breaking land for
various farmers. In 1937 they bought the S1/2 Section 20-47-20-W4 from Mr. Shaw who lived in the U.S.
It was virgin land that had earlier been homesteaded by the Junkeit Brothers . According to Inga, their
social life centered around the Baldenstein School concerts, picnics, and other activities."

More narrative by Inga Kubbernuss in "Footsteps along the Stony"
"We have five children: Lorna worked in drug stores and also took a nursing Aide Course and worked in
the Royal Alexander Hospital in Edmonton and in the Inuvik Hospital , in North West Territory. She is
married to R.C.M.P. Doug Harrison , and they live in Sherwood Park , Alberta . They have four children.
Vernon married Vera Felzien. He took up sheet metal work and was Branch manager in Calgary for J.K.
Campbell and Associates until he retired to live in Enderby B.C. They have three sons. Leon is married to
Kathryn Sjoblom. They live in Calgary and he is Field Supervisor for the same company as Vernon.
Donald married Solveig Tews. They also live in Calgary where he is one of the foreman for the same
company. Virgil married Betty Stevens and works for the Ford Company at Fort St. John B.C. They live
in Hudson Hope B.C. and have four children. The farm was sold in 1960: the southwest 1/4 to Lyseng
Brothers and the south east 1/4 to Ray Frankson . We then bought a home in Wetaskiwin and Herb
worked for the Imperial Lumber Company for several years . We spent a few years in Calgary but have
now returned to Wetaskiwin to reside."