Alien Registration for Kraus

Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit for Mary Anna Kraus

The Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit for Mary Anna Kraus  (4 graphic images) – includes her picture and fingerprints. To show you what kind of information is available I abstracted the information from the online images:

22 June 1918

Anna Mary Kraus of Richmond Kansas Born June 1, 1864, Westphalia Germany

married to a “German”

Living Richmond Kansas since 1881

Maiden name Mary Anna Lohweg

Father Lou Lohweg, Germany

Mother Carolina Beck, deceased

Sister Anna Pauck, Ottawa Kansas

Farmer’s wife, arrived USA at Baltimore 1881 on Ship Kohn under name Mary Anna Lohweg

Her husband was naturalized 6 Nov. 1883 at Ottawa, Franklin E, Kansas

age 54; 5ft 7 in tall; chin regular; mouth wide; weight 175 lb; forehead high; complexion dark; eyes blue; face long; nose regular

Children:

• William A Kraus born Nov. 25, 1884
• Peter N Kraus born Mar 17, 1886
• Anna Kraus born Dec. 21, 1893
• Lena Kraus born Jan. 23, 1896
• Frank Kraus born Mar 5, 1898
• Nellie Kraus born Aug. 8, 1900
• Henry Kraus born Sept 13, 1902
• Lillie Kraus born Feb. 7, 1905
• Marie Kraus born Apr. 6, 1907
• Carrie Kraus born Aug. 9, 1910

Now What?

Let’s search for Mary Anna in the census records. After quite a bit of searching, I found her Listed as KRANS in 1910 census index. What a great example of how wrong indexes can be! The name is KRAUS on the actual census page. 

Now we learn her husband’s name – Henry. KRANS Henry52 M W GERM KS FRANKLIN RICHMOND TWP 1910 Series: T624 Roll: 439 Page: 222 

Here’s some of the information abstracted:

• Kraus, Henry, 52, married 24 yrs, b Germany, immigrated 1880, naturalized
• Mary, 45, married 24 yrs, b Germany, immigrated 1880,
• Annie, 16
• Lena, 14
• Frank, 12
• Nellie, 9
• Henry Jr., 7
• Lillie, 5
• Marie, 3

It’s interesting that the year of immigration doesn’t agree with Mary Anna’s alien registration. This is very normal, the year of immigration and naturalization is one of the most MISremembered! 

1920 Census Findings

They are listed as KRAM in 1920 census index. Another example of difficult handwriting and the transcriber doing the best they could. The census page does look like KRAM if you aren’t familiar with the family
Kram, Henry 
Age: 62 Year: 1920 
Birthplace: Prussia Roll: T625_532 
Race: White Page: 8A 
State: Kansas ED: 102 
County: Franklin Image: 987 
Township: Richmond 

Abstracted Information 1920 Census

• Kraus, Henry, 62, immigrated 1881, NA is scratched out and AL [Alien] written in, b. Prussia, parents born Germany, farmer
• Mary, 54, immigrated 1881, 
• Peter K., 24
• Frank, 20
• Nellie, 19
• Henry, 17
• Lillie, 14
• Marie, 12
• Carrie, 9

We finally have the same year of immigration that Mary Anna gave on the Alien Registration, but another puzzle crops up. Mary gave an exact date and location for her husband Henry’s naturalization (6 Nov. 1883) but in this census he is marked as an Alien. (I don’t have the answer, just the question…) To search the 1920 census on Ancestry, use this Free trials are a great way to save money on pay-to-view subscriptions. Try these free trials below to find your ancestors and start your family tree.

Ancestry.com Free Trial, Ancestry.ca Free Trial, Ancestry.UK Free Trialand Ancestry Australia Free Trial

1930 Census Findings

Henry finally makes the index to a census under his correct name – KRAUS

Kraus, Henry   
Age: 74 Year: 1930 
Birthplace: Deutschland Roll: T626_703 
Race: White Page: 4A 
State: Kansas ED: 26 
County: Franklin Image: 0449 
Township: Richmond 
Relationship: Head

Abstracted 1930 Census Information

• Kraus, Henry, 74, widower, b Germany, farmer
• Carrie, 18, daughter

Mary Anna’s death took place sometime between 1920 and 1930 but what a wealth of information we found on this family! I also saw the children in the census indexes but I only wanted to demonstrate how we could start with the Alien Registrations and find more information on Mary Anna fairly easily. 

To search the 1930 census on Ancestry, use this Free trials are a great way to save money on pay-to-view subscriptions. Try these free trials below to find your ancestors and start your family tree.

Free trials are a great way to save money on pay-to-view subscriptions. Try these free trials to find your ancestors and start your family tree. Ancestry.com Free Trial, Ancestry.ca Free Trial, Ancestry.UK Free Trial and Ancestry Australia Free Trial

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