Registration of German Alien Enemies

1918

Newton, Kansas

Harvey County, Kansas

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A presidential proclamation of 16 November 1917, pursuant to section 4067 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, required "all natives, citizens, denizens or subjects of the German Empire" age 14 and older who were "within the United States" to register as "alien enemies." The actual registration was conducted by various marshals designated by the regulations; in Newton, the chief of police carried out the registration. Each "alien enemy" was issued a registration card, which he was required to have on his person at all times. He also needed permission from the local registrar to travel or change place of residence. The initial registration included only men; the regulations stated "females are not alien enemies." An act of Congress of 16 April 1918 changed the definition of "alien enemy" to include women age 14 and older, and a presidential proclamation followed on 19 April 1918.

The list below was compiled from a set of registration affidavits held at the Mennonite Library and Archives, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas. Also used as sources were a few registration cards, and a few letters granting permission to travel or change place of residence.

The registration affidavits are all from residents of the city of Newton or of Harvey County. It is unknown how complete this set of affidavits is.

Each affidavit includes quite complete information, including birth date and place, parents' names, maiden names in the case of married women, photographs, and fingerprints.

In compiling the following list, we did the best we could in reading the handwriting. Spellings of both personal names and place names varied, sometimes even within the same family. In general, we spelled place names as they appeared on the form. For married women, maiden names are given in parentheses where they were recorded on the form.

Name                               Birthdate     Birthplace
Behrendt, Frieda                   2 July 1902   Elbing, West Prussia
Boehnke, Anna (Trampnau)          24 July 1870   Bomgardt, Germany
Boehnke, Augusta                  26 Mar 1900    Bomgardt, Germany
Boehnke, Elisabeth                10 Dec 1903    Bomgardt, Germany
Boehnke, Herman                    3 Feb 1869    West Prussia
Boehnke, Herman H., Jr.           10 June 1891   West Prussia
Boehnke, Karl August               1 Mar 1892    West Prussia
Brucks, Dietrich                  21 June 1857   Neuteich, Germany
Brucks, Maria                      4 Nov 1847    Neuteich, West        
                                                 Prussia
Burkowsky, John                   14 Mar 1839    Marienburg, Germany

Dambrowsky, Francis (Winarsky)     6 June 1881   Grinkagen, West       
                                                 Prussia
Dambrowsky, John M.               20 June 1882   Marienburgh, West     
                                                 Prussia
Dambrowsky, Mary (Elerwood)       23 Feb 1854    Marienburg, Germany
Dambrowsky, Mary (Widowski)        5 July 1877   Brodsack, Germany
Dambrowsky, Michael                8 Oct 1856    Marienburgh, West     
                                                 Prussia
Dambrowsky, Robert J.              9 Nov 1884    Marienburg, West      
                                                 Prussia

Eichhorn, August                  23 Feb 1900    Ganeshein, Germany
Eichhorn, Fred, Sr.               26 May 1870    Hirschfeld, Germany
Eichhorn, Fred, Jr.               30 May 1898    Geeresheim, Germany
Eichhorn, Maria (Kater)            4 Apr 1870    Bamgardt, West        
                                                 Prussia
Enz, Catharine (Bartel)           19 Sept 1860   Monterbert, West      
                                                 Prussia

Fischer, August                   11 Dec 1890    Baumgarth, Germany
Fischer, Marie (Boehnke)          18 Oct 1894    Bangardt, Germany
Fleischauer, Carl F.              11 Jan 1879    Elbing, Germany
Fleischauer, Henrietta (Coleman)  27 Jan 1882    Florence, Marion      
                                                 County, Kansas

Grapengeter, Henry A.              3 Oct 1879    Oldenburg, Germany
Grapengeter, Mary (Nicoll)        27 May 1889    Carnira, Ellsworth    
                                                 County, Kansas
Grochowsky, Andrew James          14 Sept 1880   Marienburg, Germany
Grochowsky, John J.               18 Sept 1877   Marienburg, Germany
Grochowsky, Mary Ellen (Anderson)  9 July 1886   Climax, Greenwood     
                                                 County, Kansas
Grochowsky, Paul A.               30 Aug 1882    Marienburg, Germany
Grochowsky, Selma (Krueger)       11 Nov 1880    Tiegenhoff, Germany
Guentert, Bertold                 26 Jan 1887    Freiburg, Baden,      
                                                 Germany
Guentert, Lena (Bolt)             28 Mar 1882    Basel, Switzerland
Gunther, Rudolf George            18 June 1880   Zwickau, Sachsen,     
                                                 Germany

Hoyer, Mary                       19 Oct 1859    Hanover, Germany
Huebert, John M.                  24 June 1869   Tiegenhof, Germany
Huebert, Maria (Andres)            7 Apr 1875    Samara, Russia
Henry, Theodore (is he Theodore Henry or Henry Theodore; only a letter 
   in file; no affidavit)
Hensy, Christian                  17 Aug 1844    Hanover, Germany
Herzog, Mrs. M. H. (Shaw)          3 July 1886   Bloomville, Mo.

Iserhardt, Frederick William      15 Aug 1886    Duesseldorf,          
                                                 Oberkassell, Germany
Iserhardt, Maria (Nellissen)      10 July 1884   Germany

Kater, August (letter only; no affidavit)
Kater, Elizabeth (registration card only; no affidavit)
Klaassen, Carl                    13 Sept 1874   Marienburg, Germany
Klaassen, Fred                    10 Aug 1902    Höntrap, Germany
Klaassen, Henrietta (Winkler)     25 Oct 1879    Horntrop, Germany
Klaassen, Herman                   1 June 1879   Schloss Kalthof, West 
                                                 Prussia
Klaassen, Herman, Jr.             23 Mar 1900    Eppendorf, Germany
Klaassen, Lizzie (Gardner)        27 Mar 1893    Marienburg, Germany
Klabau, Jacob                     16 Oct 1880    Neidick, Germany
Klabau, Mattie (Green)            17 Oct 1880    Sterling, Kansas
Kliewer, Eva (Wett)               22 Mar 1860    Scharrau, West        
                                                 Prussia
Kristofory, Andy                  10 Oct 1876    Rechtiza, Austria-    
                                                 Hungary
Kusnofsky, Josephine (Hoffman)    31 Oct 1852    Kalve, West Prussia
Kusnofsky, Peter                  26 Feb 1850    Greenfield, West      
                                                 Prussia

Lingnau, Gertrude                  9 Feb 1902    Dusseldorf, Germany

Mull, Anna (Herrtum)              24 May 1879    Lichtheim, Bayern
Mull, Charlotte (Kasitz)          23 Oct 1869    Bomgardt, West        
                                                 Prussia
Mull, Ferdinand                   17 Oct 1893    Dekhart, Germany
Mull, Frank                        1 July 1902   Fofbruch, Germany
Mull, George                       4 Dec 1902    Dusseldorf, Germany
Mull, Gottlieb                     5 Aug 1877    Baumgarht, Germany
Mull, Maria                       28 Apr 1900    Doseldorf, Germany
Mull, Samuel, Jr.                 14 Aug 1867    Baumgart, Germany
Mull, William                      4 July 1898   Dusseldorf, Germany

Nellissen, John                   28 Feb 1903    Erkrath, Germany
Nellissen, Karl T.                16 Oct 1878    Süchteln, Rhine       
                                                 Prov., Germany
Nikel, Albert                     14 Oct 1868    Plahnen, Germany

Oser, Elsia (Ludwig)              28 Aug 1895    Great Bend, Kansas
Oser, Otto (letters only; no affidavit)

Pasemann, Margaretha              29 Feb 1904    Lingnau, Germany
Pasemann, Marie (Pimpler)          4 June 1880   Landsberg, Germany
Pasemann, William                  7 June 1874   Vorsfelde, Germany
Pappe, Charles (letter only; no affidavit)
Pollackowski, Elizabeth (Widowsky) 5 June 1863   Brodsack, Germany
Pollackowski, Jacob               10 June 1858   Highboden, West       
                                                 Prussia
Pries, August                     20 Oct 1856    Segerberg, Germany
Pries, Minnie (Wagner)            31 Dec 1862    Hichingberg, Germany

Rauber, Adolph                    19 Jan 1885    Hamburg, Germany
Rauber, Ella Mae (Brown)          11 Aug 1883    Eldorado, Kansas
Regier, Anna (Claassen)           14 Dec 1861    Marienburg, West      
                                                 Prussia
Regier, Cornelius R.              27 Mar 1878    Marienburg, Germany
Regier, Jacob H.                  19 Jan 1844    Marienburg, West      
                                                 Prussia
Ritter, Allie (Strain)             2 Oct 1882    Mattoon, Illinois
Ritter, Herman                     9 Jan 1880    Pomberberg, Germany
Ritter, Minnie (Roveck)           10 Dec 1847    Pomberberg, Germany
Rogalsky, Mary (Fast)             26 Feb 1846    South Russia
Rosenkranz, Hilda                  6 Dec 1885    Dresden, Saxony

Schiewe-Schiff, Sam (no affidavit; just change of residence form and   
   letter)
Schill, Andy                      11 Dec 1889    Grosender, Germany
Schill, Flora (Kasshinski)        24 Nov 1892    Grosinder, Germany
Schlensky, Anne (Grolewsky)        3 June 1856   Trampenau, Germany
Schlensky, John Peter             27 June 1881   Echwald, Germany
Schlensky, Rosa (Babinsky)        14 Mar 1889    Newton, Kansas
Schoenhoff, Amelia (Goerke)        3 Oct 1880    Lichtenau, West       
                                                 Prussia
Schoenhoff, August                17 Jan 1878    Prangenau, Germany
Schroeder, Florentine (Schultz)    2 Apr 1868    West Prussia
Schroeder, Henry D.               23 Oct 1859    Holstine, Germany
Sieg, Jacob                       14 Apr 1880    West Prussia
Sieg, Mary H. (Sadowsky)          14 Oct 1888    Newton, Kansas
Sorg, Christopher Ludwig          22 Sept 1876   Kuenzelsau,           
                                                 Wuerttemberg
Sorg, Wayne V.                    20 Nov 1878    Deerfield, Illinois
Stark, Anna (Bauer)               17 Aug 1870    Zscharlow, Germany
Stark, Herman                     26 Dec 1861    Neustadtel, Germany
Stark, Fred                        2 Feb 1869    Bochum, Germany
Sturd, Lizzie (Safe)              26 Dec 1879    West Prussia

Toews, Wilhelm                     6 Sept 1837   Orloff, West Prussia

Walters, Gus Adolph               21 Dec 1882    Alt Mersau, West      
                                                 Prussia
Walters, Helen (Zarnowski)        17 May 1886    Newton, Kansas
Wagner, Carrie D. (registration card only; no affidavit)
Wagner, Christ                     9 Dec 1872    Smilisdorf, Germany
Wechensky, John                   19 Oct 1873    Laske, Germany
Wechensky, Thresa (Dombrowsky)    23 Aug 1880    West Prussia
Wetchensky, Frank                 21 Nov 1875    Trampnau, Germany
Wetchensky, Katherina (Schlowsky) 23 Dec 1883    Warenburg, Germany
Wetchensky, Mary (Schervensky)    14 Jan 1846    West Prussia
Widowski, Martin                                 Brodsk, Germany
Wiebe, Ernest                      3 May 1880    Marienburg, Germany
Wiechert, Peter                   17 Sept 1847   Schenberg, Germany
Wormeck, Gus                       2 June 1877   Montauerweide,        
                                                 Germany
Wunderlich, Anna (Nichols)         4 June 1872   Elbing, West Prussia
Wunderlich, Fred                  26 Feb 1901    Dortmund, Germany
Wunderlich, Hellen                23 Aug 1896    Elbing, West Prussia
Wunderlich, Jacob                 18 Oct 1867    Elbing, West Prussia
Wunderlich, Karl                   1 Mar 1899    Dortmund, Germany

Zarnowski, Frank W.               17 Nov 1882    Marienburg, Germany
Zarnowski, John, Jr.               4 Mar 1881    Marienburg, Germany
Zarnowski, Minnie (Rodenbaugh)     8 Mar 1891    Newton, Kansas