Michael Marks

Last updated 10 Feb 2024 in Spear–Johnson Family.

Individual

Born: 15 Feb 1856 in , , , Królestwo Polskie (Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire)

Died: 1 Jun 1941 in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota, United States

Supporting evidence for: , ,

Family

Spouse/Partner: Lottie Schmetgall (1851 – 1924)

Married: Bet 2 Jun 1876 and 1 Jun 1877

Supporting evidence for:

Child: Ferdinand Marks (? – ?)

Child: Edward K. Marks (1882 – 1963)

Child: Maria Marks (1886 – ?)

Child: Leopold Marks (1894 – 1983)

Miscellaneous Facts

Events

Burial: 4 Jun 1941 at Vergas, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States

Immigration: Bet 1 Jan 1887 and 31 May 1887 at , , , United States

Naturalization (Granted): 25 Jul 1900

Cemetery: Saint Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery at Vergas, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States

Supporting evidence for:

Attributes

Residence: at Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, United States

Residence: at , , Minnesota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at , Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at Dora, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States

Residence: at Vergas, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at , Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States

Residence: at Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota, United States

Supporting evidence for:

General Notes and Anecdotes

He was unable to read or write according to the 1910 U.S. census. It isn't known if this was true for his native language, or just a reference to a lack of fluency with English. In either case, by 1920 he was deemed to be able to able to read and write. [census-us-1910-ps-mn-ottertail-137-2b, census-us-1920-ps-mn-ottertail-123-7b]

Michael was was living with his son Leo and his family by 1935. [census-us-1940-ps-mn-clay-33-12a]

Supporting evidence for:

Research Notes (Conflicts/Spelling/Followup)

CONFLICTS

Birth Date: This database uses 15 Feb 1856. Using his age (37) on the official 1892 New York census date of of 16 Feb 1892 gives a birth date range from 17 Feb 1854 to 16 Feb 1855. [census-us-newyork-1892-kings-17-1-2]

Birth Date: This database uses 15 Feb 1856. Using his age (47) on his last birthday before the official 1900 census date of 1 June 1900 gives a birth date range from 2 June 1852 to 1 June 1853. This is consistent with the census' stated birth month and year. Note that the value of 47 appears to be a correction, replacing a value of 48. The presence of numerous such corrections on the page, including everyone in this dwelling, suggest an enumerator error. [census-us-1900-ps-mn-ottertail-156-4a]

Birth Date: This database uses 15 Feb 1856. Using his age (55) on his last birthday before the official 1910 census date of 15 Apr 1910 gives a birth date range from 16 Apr 1854 to 15 Apr 1855. [census-us-1910-ps-mn-ottertail-137-2b]

Birth Date: This database uses 15 Feb 1856. The 1920 U.S. Census gives an age of (68), which, when applied to the offical census date of 1 Jan 1920, gives a birth date range from 2 Jan 1851 to 1 Jan 1852. [census-us-1920-ps-mn-ottertail-123-7b]

Birth Date: This database uses 15 Feb 1856. Using his age (83) on his last birthday before the official 1940 census date of 1 Apr 1940 gives a birth date range from 2 Apr 1856 to 1 Apr 1857. [census-us-1940-ps-mn-clay-33-12a]

Birth Date: This database uses 15 Feb 1856. An interview with Loretta Spear provided a date of 1/3/1856[mdy]. [interview-loretta-spear-2006]

Immigration: This database uses between 1 Jan 1887 and 31 May 1887. The 1910 U.S. Census give an explicit year of 1885. [census-us-1910-ps-mn-ottertail-137-2b]

Immigration: This database uses between 1 Jan 1887 and 31 May 1887. The 1920 U.S. Census give an explicit year of 1883. [census-us-1920-ps-mn-ottertail-123-7b]

Immigration: This database uses between 1 Jan 1887 and 31 May 1887. His death certificate notes his length of time in the U.S. (52 years). Given his death date of 1 Jun 1941, this gives an immigration date range from 2 Jun 1888 to 1 Jun 1889. [death-michael-marks-1941]

Cemetery: This database uses Saint Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery. His death certificate identifies it as Loon Lake Cemetery in Vergas, MN, but there is no such cemetery in Vergas. (I did find one in Jackson County, MN, but was unable to locate any Marks buried there.) On the other hand, Saint Paul's Lutheran Cemetery is across the road from (a different) Loon Lake, and is associated with (but operates independently of) the Lutheran church, St. Paul's Loon Lake. Both are less than a mile southwest of Vergas and both have a Vergas address. This may have been a simple error on the part of the doctor who filled in the certificate. [death-michael-marks-1941]

SPELLING

Given Name: This database uses Michael. The 1892 New York Census uses Mickel. [census-us-newyork-1892-kings-17-1-2]

Given Name: This database uses Michael. The 1910 U.S. Census uses Mikel. [census-us-1910-ps-mn-ottertail-137-2b]

FOLLOWUP

His death certificate does not include Michael's parents' names (this is unfortunate, especially given the informant was Leo Marks -- presumably Michael's son, Leopold), but it does note that they were both born in "Russ, Poland," same as Michael. This presumably means Królestwo Polskie (Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire), aka Congress Poland or Russian Poland. [death-michael-marks-1941]

The issue of the immigration date conflicts may have been due to Michael coming to the United States some while leaving his wife Carlotta (Lottie), who was pregnant with Leopold and tending to sons Edward and John in Europe. John was the offspring from Carlotta's previous marrage. His purpose was to earn funds faster than he could in Europe, so he could bring the family over. According to family lore, Carlotta grew impatient. Eager to leave the old country, she set fire to her house, collected the insurance, and promptly set sail from Poland to the US. There is no evidence for this, but it is interesting nevertheless. [research-conversation-with-{private}-2011]

There is a passenger record for a Michael Marks of the right age (given as 34), having left Hamburg on 26 Feb 1887 to New York (via Glasgow). His residence was given as Lossati, Russland, and his occupation was simply "worker." The ship name was the "Prague". His only listed "household member" on the trip was Ferdinand Marks (brother?) born about two years earlier.

The 1892 New York State census includes Charlie (17) and Ludwig (26) in addition to Michael (37) and Lottie (40), and their presumed children. Charlie is listed as one of the children, coming between John and Edward. Ludwg is listed after 2-year-old Leopold, and may have been Michael's brother. Could one of the children Ferdinand and Arthur in this database, have been the first or middle given names for Charlie? What about Ludwig, who is only 14 years younger than Lottie, and almost certainly too old to be her son, let alone Michael's. [census-us-newyork-1892-kings-17-1-2]

The 1900 U.S. Census shows that Michael's son-in-law Rudolph Galkowski (born Jun 1875 in Russia, married 1 year) was also living with them. [Rudolph's wife was unnamed, but I suspect it was Mimmie Schmetgall, since Maria was only 14 at the time.] [census-us-1900-ps-mn-ottertail-156-4a]

The Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Records Index, 1854-1957 (text-only) database on Ancestry.com contains an index to Michael Marx' final papers. Although the last name is incorrect, this may be an error in the indexing. The other included information is: County (Otter Tail), Reel (6), Code (19), Volume (JS), Page (80), Years (25-July--1900), and Numbers (1-129).

The 1905 MN state census has a record for Michael Marks and Edward Marks in Winsted Township, McLeod County (sheet 27, image 288 of the Ancestry database "Minnesota, Terrirotiral and State Censuses, 1849-1905"). However, their ages are not quite the same, and the other Marks listed with them do not match Michael's family.

His death certificate notes he died in Fargo, ND and was living in the community for 5 years. This presumably includes his "usual residence" at the time, Moorhead, MN, since Fargo and Moorhead are part of the same urban area, split only by the state border, and the 1940 US Census places him in Moorhead in 1940. However, he was in Moorhead for longer than 5 years, the 1940 US census also places him there in 1935, six years before his death.

Supporting evidence for:

Sources

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