(Bio updated on January 18, 2021)
Emilie Purath was born on December 21, 1871 in the village of Czarne, Poland (south of the city of Lipno). Her parents were Stephen Purath and Elisabeth Kratzke, who were married 6 years earlier, in 1865. The Purath family was part of the large German diaspora that was living in Poland at that time. The family attended the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Lipno, Poland.
Emilie had three full brothers - Adolf (born & died in 1869), Rudolf Daniel (born in 1874), and Michael Gustav (born in 1877). Sometime after Emilie was born, the Purath family moved slightly east to the village of Marianki in the Sierpc Lutheran parish. Emilie's father Stephan died there in March 1877, just 2.5 months before youngest brother Michael Gustav was born. Emilie's mother Elisabeth quickly re-married in January 1878 to a younger man named Ferdinand Tober. They had 4 more children - Bertha Otillie Tober in 1879, a stillborn girl in 1882, Christian Friedrich Tober in 1883, and another stillborn child in January of 1886.
Emilie's mother Elisabeth Kratzke Purath Tober died on January 20, 1886, likely due to complications from childbirth, and her 2nd husband Ferdinand re-married in September of that year. The 3 Purath children (Emilie, Rudolf and Michael Gustav) were apparently sent back to live with family members/guardians in the Lipno parish, because this is where Emilie was living when she married in 1889. Both of her younger brothers eventually emigrated to the United States. Sadly, there seems to have been very little contact between the Purath and Tober siblings after their mother's death.
Emilie was married at the age of 17 (one month before her 18th birthday) to an older unmarried man named Christoph Bensel (age 33) - on November 26, 1889, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie and Christoph lived in the village of Betlewo, Poland, and had 3 living children:
1890 - Olga
1893 - Adolf
1895 - Julius (died in infancy)
1897 - Hugo
On August 23, 1898, husband Christoph Bensel died in a farm accident. One story tells of how he fell from the hayloft onto a pitchfork...but there is no way to know if this is accurate. Not able to raise her 3 children on her own, Emilie re-married the following year to the widower August Ludwig Harbart. Although August was previously married, he had no living children. August and Emilie were married on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They lived in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (a few miles north of Betlewo), and went on to have 9 more children:
1900 - Ludwig
1902 - Rudolf
1904 - Hulda
1906 - Emma
1908 - Ewald (twin) (died in infancy)
1908 - Lydia (twin)
1910 - Julius (died in infancy)
1913 - Emil (twin)
1913 - Ewald (twin)
As the oldest son from her 2nd marriage, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. Her 2nd husband August Ludwig Harbart died 5 years later, in 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
Emilie Purath was born on December 21, 1871 in the village of Czarne, Poland (south of the city of Lipno). Her parents were Stephen Purath and Elisabeth Kratzke, who were married 6 years earlier, in 1865. The Purath family was part of the large German diaspora that was living in Poland at that time. The family attended the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Lipno, Poland.
Emilie had three full brothers - Adolf (born & died in 1869), Rudolf Daniel (born in 1874), and Michael Gustav (born in 1877). Sometime after Emilie was born, the Purath family moved slightly east to the village of Marianki in the Sierpc Lutheran parish. Emilie's father Stephan died there in March 1877, just 2.5 months before youngest brother Michael Gustav was born. Emilie's mother Elisabeth quickly re-married in January 1878 to a younger man named Ferdinand Tober. They had 4 more children - Bertha Otillie Tober in 1879, a stillborn girl in 1882, Christian Friedrich Tober in 1883, and another stillborn child in January of 1886.
Emilie's mother Elisabeth Kratzke Purath Tober died on January 20, 1886, likely due to complications from childbirth, and her 2nd husband Ferdinand re-married in September of that year. The 3 Purath children (Emilie, Rudolf and Michael Gustav) were apparently sent back to live with family members/guardians in the Lipno parish, because this is where Emilie was living when she married in 1889. Both of her younger brothers eventually emigrated to the United States. Sadly, there seems to have been very little contact between the Purath and Tober siblings after their mother's death.
Emilie was married at the age of 17 (one month before her 18th birthday) to an older unmarried man named Christoph Bensel (age 33) - on November 26, 1889, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie and Christoph lived in the village of Betlewo, Poland, and had 3 living children:
1890 - Olga
1893 - Adolf
1895 - Julius (died in infancy)
1897 - Hugo
On August 23, 1898, husband Christoph Bensel died in a farm accident. One story tells of how he fell from the hayloft onto a pitchfork...but there is no way to know if this is accurate. Not able to raise her 3 children on her own, Emilie re-married the following year to the widower August Ludwig Harbart. Although August was previously married, he had no living children. August and Emilie were married on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They lived in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (a few miles north of Betlewo), and went on to have 9 more children:
1900 - Ludwig
1902 - Rudolf
1904 - Hulda
1906 - Emma
1908 - Ewald (twin) (died in infancy)
1908 - Lydia (twin)
1910 - Julius (died in infancy)
1913 - Emil (twin)
1913 - Ewald (twin)
As the oldest son from her 2nd marriage, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. Her 2nd husband August Ludwig Harbart died 5 years later, in 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
(Bio updated on January 18, 2021)
Emilie Purath was born on December 21, 1871 in the village of Czarne, Poland (south of the city of Lipno). Her parents were Stephen Purath and Elisabeth Kratzke, who were married 6 years earlier, in 1865. The Purath family was part of the large German diaspora that was living in Poland at that time. The family attended the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Lipno, Poland.
Emilie had three full brothers - Adolf (born & died in 1869), Rudolf Daniel (born in 1874), and Michael Gustav (born in 1877). Sometime after Emilie was born, the Purath family moved slightly east to the village of Marianki in the Sierpc Lutheran parish. Emilie's father Stephan died there in March 1877, just 2.5 months before youngest brother Michael Gustav was born. Emilie's mother Elisabeth quickly re-married in January 1878 to a younger man named Ferdinand Tober. They had 4 more children - Bertha Otillie Tober in 1879, a stillborn girl in 1882, Christian Friedrich Tober in 1883, and another stillborn child in January of 1886.
Emilie's mother Elisabeth Kratzke Purath Tober died on January 20, 1886, likely due to complications from childbirth, and her 2nd husband Ferdinand re-married in September of that year. The 3 Purath children (Emilie, Rudolf and Michael Gustav) were apparently sent back to live with family members/guardians in the Lipno parish, because this is where Emilie was living when she married in 1889. Both of her younger brothers eventually emigrated to the United States. Sadly, there seems to have been very little contact between the Purath and Tober siblings after their mother's death.
Emilie was married at the age of 17 (one month before her 18th birthday) to an older unmarried man named Christoph Bensel (age 33) - on November 26, 1889, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie and Christoph lived in the village of Betlewo, Poland, and had 3 living children:
1890 - Olga
1893 - Adolf
1895 - Julius (died in infancy)
1897 - Hugo
On August 23, 1898, husband Christoph Bensel died in a farm accident. One story tells of how he fell from the hayloft onto a pitchfork...but there is no way to know if this is accurate. Not able to raise her 3 children on her own, Emilie re-married the following year to the widower August Ludwig Harbart. Although August was previously married, he had no living children. August and Emilie were married on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They lived in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (a few miles north of Betlewo), and went on to have 9 more children:
1900 - Ludwig
1902 - Rudolf
1904 - Hulda
1906 - Emma
1908 - Ewald (twin) (died in infancy)
1908 - Lydia (twin)
1910 - Julius (died in infancy)
1913 - Emil (twin)
1913 - Ewald (twin)
As the oldest son from her 2nd marriage, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. Her 2nd husband August Ludwig Harbart died 5 years later, in 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
Emilie Purath was born on December 21, 1871 in the village of Czarne, Poland (south of the city of Lipno). Her parents were Stephen Purath and Elisabeth Kratzke, who were married 6 years earlier, in 1865. The Purath family was part of the large German diaspora that was living in Poland at that time. The family attended the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Lipno, Poland.
Emilie had three full brothers - Adolf (born & died in 1869), Rudolf Daniel (born in 1874), and Michael Gustav (born in 1877). Sometime after Emilie was born, the Purath family moved slightly east to the village of Marianki in the Sierpc Lutheran parish. Emilie's father Stephan died there in March 1877, just 2.5 months before youngest brother Michael Gustav was born. Emilie's mother Elisabeth quickly re-married in January 1878 to a younger man named Ferdinand Tober. They had 4 more children - Bertha Otillie Tober in 1879, a stillborn girl in 1882, Christian Friedrich Tober in 1883, and another stillborn child in January of 1886.
Emilie's mother Elisabeth Kratzke Purath Tober died on January 20, 1886, likely due to complications from childbirth, and her 2nd husband Ferdinand re-married in September of that year. The 3 Purath children (Emilie, Rudolf and Michael Gustav) were apparently sent back to live with family members/guardians in the Lipno parish, because this is where Emilie was living when she married in 1889. Both of her younger brothers eventually emigrated to the United States. Sadly, there seems to have been very little contact between the Purath and Tober siblings after their mother's death.
Emilie was married at the age of 17 (one month before her 18th birthday) to an older unmarried man named Christoph Bensel (age 33) - on November 26, 1889, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie and Christoph lived in the village of Betlewo, Poland, and had 3 living children:
1890 - Olga
1893 - Adolf
1895 - Julius (died in infancy)
1897 - Hugo
On August 23, 1898, husband Christoph Bensel died in a farm accident. One story tells of how he fell from the hayloft onto a pitchfork...but there is no way to know if this is accurate. Not able to raise her 3 children on her own, Emilie re-married the following year to the widower August Ludwig Harbart. Although August was previously married, he had no living children. August and Emilie were married on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They lived in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (a few miles north of Betlewo), and went on to have 9 more children:
1900 - Ludwig
1902 - Rudolf
1904 - Hulda
1906 - Emma
1908 - Ewald (twin) (died in infancy)
1908 - Lydia (twin)
1910 - Julius (died in infancy)
1913 - Emil (twin)
1913 - Ewald (twin)
As the oldest son from her 2nd marriage, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. Her 2nd husband August Ludwig Harbart died 5 years later, in 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
