Dorothea Schochenmaier (1858-1944)

 After I presented to you Charlotta Schochenmaier (1868-1911), sister of Jacob and Michael, we are moving on to the next lady - Dorothea Schochenmaier, their cousin. 

As you may conclude, if she was a cousin of Michael (1859-1937), Jacob (1861-1924) and Charlotta (1868-1911), Dorothea does belong to my bloodline! And you are absolutely right. But, the most interesting is the fact that she had emigrated to the United States, too. That is why, we got a picture of her family. Besides that, I would even claim that Dorothy might be "migration influencer" or "relocation trend-setter". Just have a look and compare: 

3) Michael Schochenmaier immigrated to US in October 1887. 

2) Jacob Schochenmaier came over to the New World in May 1886.

1) But Dorothea Schochenmaier reached America in June 1885.  At this time, she was officially not Schochenmaier anymore, but Ellwanger, because in 1876 she got married to Wilhelm Ellwanger (1848-1934). 

What if she came first over and then she gave a sign to others that it was OK. Of course, we do not know precisely, maybe the time gaps can be explained by various family conditions and depends on how fast they could get ready for relocation, sell their houses and farms, collect money, etc. I am sure they all kept in touch because after a couple of years in Nebraska (1885-1894), just like Jacob Schochenmaier, her family settled down in Burke (South Dakota), relatively close to the farm of Michael Schochenmaier in Bonesteel. So, she stayed in Gregory County up to 1944. 

When Dora was born on 18 July 1858, in Rohrbach (but it belonged to the Parish of Worms (!), Beresan Colony, Odessa area, South Russia), her father, Gottlieb Schochenmaier (1828), was about 30 years old and her mother, Elisabeth Korb (1834), was 23. She married Wilhelm Ellwanger in 1876e. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 2 daughters. She lived in Rosebud Indian Reservation, Gregory, South Dakota, United States in 1900. She died on 15 August 1944, in Gregory, Gregory, South Dakota, United States, at the age of 86, and was buried in Gregory, Gregory, South Dakota, United States (see newspaper).

On the Ancestry website, she is noticed as Dora Dorathea Schackenmeyl and in the Obituary as Shouckmier what is absolutely WRONG!

As for her husband, Wilhelm Ellawanger was born in Worms (village next to Rohrbach, Beresan Colony, Odessa area, South Russia) on 17 Dec 1848 to Johannes Georg Ellwanger (1804-1876) and Elisabetha Englehardt (1814-1903). 

Wilhelm Ellwanger married Dora and had 3 children. He passed away on 10 Aug 1934 in Gregory County, South Dakota, USA. 

His grandfather Andreas Ellwanger (1763-1820) emigrated to Russia from Grossheppach, literally "big Heppach", that is today a district within the town of Weinstadt ("Wine City") in Baden-Württemberg. It is located in the Rems Valley approximately 15 km east of Stuttgart, where the Schochenmaiers did a military service in the 18th century. 

Enjoy some pictures of Großheppach: 

   

Even today, the Ellwangers are producing wine in Germany (see the photo to the right). 

I am not sure if the Schochenmaiers are keeping in touch with the Ellwangers, that is why I decided to introduce some of the Dora's descendants: 

1. Wilhelmina "Minnie" Ellwanger (1880-1960), married Fred Hoffer (1876), they lived in Gregory County. No children. 

2.  Wilhelm Jacob Ellwanger (1882-1974), married Lydia Hartmann, moved to Lodi (California). Their children are: 

    a) Edna Elma (1910-2009), elementary school teacher, married Bernard L. Harris.

    b) Herbert Erdman (1911-1996), not married. 

    c) Leona Freda (1913-2011, see the photo), married Edwin Hanson.  

    d) Olga Sarah (1915-2008), married Archie Theisen (1920-1993), relocated to Minnesota. 

    e) Viola A. (1917-2009), married Albert Smith.

    f) Martha B. (1918-2017), Lieutenant (Junior Grade) of the United States Navy.

    g) John Elmer (1927), still alive in Shasta Lake, he is 94, married Carmen Randazzo.

    h) Juanita Naida (1927), married a person named Green. 

 3. Christian Ellwanger (1885-1934), born in Nebraska, died in South Dakota.

 4.  Andreas Ellwanger (1890-1918), called Andrew

 5.  Jacob Ellwanger (1892-1973), married Christina Gall (1904-1993), stayed in NE. 

   a) Henry Jacob (1924-1993, see the photo), married Dorothy Voorhies (1927-2014), moved to Utah. His daughter Frances Ellwanger (1954) helped me in filling in some gaps in my research.

  b) Harold Reinhold (1930-2011), stayed in Nebraska. He graduated from Bible School in Ottumwa, Iowa as an ordained minister. He later graduated from Scottsbluff Junior College with a degree in elementary education. Harold taught in several rural Nebraska schools.

 c) Cora Bernetta (1932-2019, see the photo). She worked as a clerk and assistant manager at Hested’s Five and Dime in Gering and at the Business Farmer Printing Company in Scottsbluff. She returned to her parents’ home in Morrill to care for them.

 d) George Edward (1934), living in Des Moines, married Rosemarie Stapp (1937). 

 e) Marvin Bernard (1936-2017, see the photo), married Ellen Jane Prickett (1940). He graduated from the Platte Valley Bible College. In 1961, they moved to Litchfield, Nebraska to begin a fulltime ministry that lasted for the next 45 years; serving twelve congregations in Nebraska, Montana and Iowa.

 f) Dora Christina (1937), married James Sinner (1940).

 g) Bill John (1944), married Reatha White (1944). 

6. Edward Ellwanger (1893-1950), military veteran.

7. Frederick Ellwanger (1897-1948), married Freda Schamber (1897-1975).

  a) Hilda Pauline (1917-2008, see the photo), moved to Idaho. 

  b) Fredrick Robert (1920-1993), married Ethel Blanchard (1922) 

  c) William (1920-2015, see the photo), married Isabella Stickler. They made their home in Pierre where he worked as a carpenter for several different people eventually starting his own construction company. Bill was a member of the VFW and American Legion. 

 d) Rudy (1922-2013), married LaVern Schroeder, no children, stayed in South Dakota. 

 e) Esther (1926-2012), finished high school and enough college to teach in a country school until she was married to Ted (Theodore A.) Witt. Relocated to Idaho. Esther was a member of The Grace Lutheran Church. Some of her favorite memories are of teaching the children's Bible studies during the summers.

 f) Arthur (1933-2005), served in the Army from 1951 to 1954. He was a part of the atomic tests in Nevada and the Korean War. United in marriage to Ella L. Roush at the Methodist Church in Draper. Art went to work for Francis Plumbing before starting his own business, Art's Ditching, in the 1960s.