[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Untangling a Welke mystery.

[Joyce Guasch]

What is likely to have happened to Adolf? What are the possible situations? 

 

My father, one of eight children, had an older brother, Adolf. There are
several stories of what happened to Adolf before the last four children
immigrated in 1920 from Dubeczno, Poland. These are stories told to them by
their parents, siblings of my father, about Adolf's death. 

 

1.    Adolf was a train conductor or engineer and died in a train wreck

2.    He was shot as a spy

3.    He died in a ditch while hiding

4.    Last but not least: This came from my sister who said that she had
gone out to a nice dinner with our parents in their later years and dad had
a drink with dinner. As a rule, dad didn't drink. For whatever reason, he
brought up his brother Adolf. He said that the Bolsheviks came into their
home and took Adolf away. Quite some time passed before they found out he
was dead (quite some time could mean anything, a week to a year). My sister
was shaken as Dad became emotional and if more was said my sister doesn't
remember. But she does remember something about "The Freedom Train."

 

This would have happened between 1917 or 18 to early 1920. My aunt has an
entry in her Bible that says Adolf died in 1920 (or is that when they
learned of his death).  Adolf was born in 1901, so he would have been 17-19
when this occurred. My dad was nine years younger. Their father may or may
not have been alive when Adolf was taken as he died in 1919.

 

Joyce Welke Guasch

of Springfield, OR

Researching: Welke, Gurke, Beniamin

Ratz, Lentz, Zimmerman of East Poland

Haner, Lindley, Wisbey, Bailey,

of the US and Germany