Emil Dombrowe, Caroline Gammer, and their children

Emil Dombrowe and Caroline (Gammer) Dombrowe were my great-great-great-grandparents. Their daughter Augusta (Dombrowe) Stacke was my great-great-grandmother, her daughter Lydia (Stacke) Revie was my great-grandmother, and her biological daughter Mary (Gotsche) Thielen was my grandmother.

Emil Dombrowe

born January 23, 1855 in Wembowitz, Prussia (modern-day Wąbnice, Gmina Krośnice, Milicz County, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, Poland)

died November 26, 1924 in Abbotsford, Clark County, Wisconsin

Caroline (Gammer) Dombrowe Brenner

born February 3, 1857 in Liatkawe, Prussia (modern-day Latkowa, Gmina Milicz, Milicz County, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, Poland)

died January 4, 1938 in Abbotsford, Clark County, Wisconsin

Caroline Gammer was the eighth of nine children born to her parents Christoph and Johanna (Brüche) Jammer. Her birth name was Johanna Christiane Karoline Jammer, but she later dropped the first two names and Americanized the last two. She was baptized on February 15, 1857, at the Lutheran church in Gontkowitz, Prussia (modern-day Gądkowice, Gmina Milicz, Milicz County, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, Poland). Emil Dombrowe was born to Wilhelm and Johanna Christiane (Tilgner) Dombrowe in the nearby town of Wembowitz. The area of Prussia where Emil and Caroline were born later became part of the German Empire and today is in Poland.

They were married on April 20, 1881 and had six children together before immigrating to the United States. Emil arrived in New York City, New York County, New York, on September 30, 1891, along with his future son-in-law Carl Frederick Stacke. Caroline and the six children followed, arriving in Baltimore, Maryland on May 19, 1892. After settling on a farm in Pine Valley, Clark County, Wisconsin, outside of Neillsville, Clark County, Wisconsin, they had two more children. The family briefly moved to Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, before moving to Colby, Clark County, Wisconsin, and then in 1912 to Abbotsford. Emil suffered a “stroke of paralysis” several years before his death, and died at his home.

On July 25, 1932, Caroline married Christian Brenner, who was also widowed, in the Lutheran parsonage in Dorchester, Clark County, Wisconsin. Christian previously lived in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana and had six children with his first wife. This marriage doesn't seem to have lasted, because when Caroline died of “old age complications” in her home less than six years later, there was no mention of her second husband in either of her published obituaries. Christian moved back to Lafayette and died there on March 24, 1947. Christian was buried with his first wife at the Asbury Cemetery in Shelby, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Caroline and Emil are buried at Abbotsford Cemetery.

Their eight children:

1. Augusta Martha (Dombrowe) Stacke (1880-1976)
2. Frederick Reinhard “Fred” Dombrowe (1882-1960)
3. Louise P. (Dombrowe) Allar (1884-1967)
4. Otto Adolph Dombrowe (1886-1917)
5. Paul Charles Dombrowe (1888-1965)
6. Rudolph Herman “Rudy” Dombrowe (1891-1982)
7. Oscar Willard Dombrowe (1894-1992)
8. Edith Hulda (Dombrowe) Ingersoll (1897-1975)

1. Augusta Martha (Dombrowe) Stacke

born August 14, 1880 in Breslawitz, German Empire (modern-day Wrocławice, Gmina Milicz, Milicz County, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, Poland)

died April 30, 1976 in Neillsville, Clark County, Wisconsin

Augusta immigrated to the United States with her mother and siblings in 1892. Her future husband, Carl Frederick Stacke, had arrived with Augusta's father in 1891. Augusta and Carl were married on January 10, 1897 at First Saint John's Lutheran Church in Neillsville. They lived and farmed in Pine Valley until about 1909, when they moved to rural Colby, where they had a dairy farm and raised their eleven children: Martha, Lydia, Herman, Emma, Adolph, Louise, William, Frieda, Walter, Adeline, and Ethel.

Carl developed stomach cancer in 1930, and died at a hospital in Marshfield, Wood County, Wisconsin, on December 13, 1930. In 1940, Augusta was living with her son Adolph and his family in Colby. She later moved to Curtiss, Clark County, Wisconsin, and Abbotsford before moving to the Memorial Nursing Home in Neillsville on April 6, 1966, living there until her death ten years later. Carl and Augusta are buried in the Colby Memorial Cemetery in Colby.

2. Frederick Reinhard “Fred” Dombrowe

born July 16, 1882 in Breslawitz, German Empire (modern-day Wrocławice, Gmina Milicz, Milicz County, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, Poland)

died October 23, 1960 in Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota

Fred immigrated with his parents to Pine Valley, Wisconsin when he was not quite ten years old. He moved to Groton, Brown County, South Dakota sometime between 1900 and 1904, where he lived and worked as a painter until his death. His younger brothers Otto, Paul, and Oscar lived in nearby towns. On October 18, 1920, he married Eda Marie Smeenk in Groton. Eda worked as a seamstress, and they had two sons, Donald and Robert. Fred died in a hospital in Aberdeen, and Eda died on September 25, 1989 at Mother Joseph Manor, a retirement home in Aberdeen. Fred and Eda are buried together at the Groton Cemetery.

3. Louise P. (Dombrowe) Allar

born April 1884 in Germany

died 1967

Louise came to the United States with her family in 1892, and lived on the family farm in Pine Valley, Wisconsin. She married Jacob Edward “Jake” Allar on November 16, 1909 at Saint Louis Catholic Church in Dorchester. They lived together in Colby and Abbotsford before moving to Dorchester by 1920. Louise and Jake had six children: James, George, Jacob, Raymond, Lillian, and one other child. Jake was a prominent man in their community. He owned a general store and several farms, was a member of the board of supervisors for Dorchester, and was village president for eight years. Jake died in Dorchester on November 18, 1938, of a coronary embolism. Two years after his death, Louise's occupation was listed as “administrator, husband's estate.” Louise died in 1967, and she is buried with Jake and two of their children at Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Colby.

4. Otto Adolph Dombrowe

born May 16, 1886 in Germany

died August 8, 1917 in Clark County, Wisconsin

Otto grew up on the family farm in Pine Valley after his family immigrated to the United States. In about 1907, he moved to Groton, South Dakota, where he worked as a farmer. He married Ollie Rebecca McMillan on March 5, 1914 in Lodgepole, Perkins County, South Dakota. They had a son. Otto died young and was buried at Abbotsford Cemetery in Abbotsford, Wisconsin, next to his parents' eventual burial sites. Ollie died October 22, 1969 in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon and is buried with her second husband at Lane Memorial Gardens in Eugene.

5. Paul Charles Dombrowe

born August 5, 1888 in Berlin, Germany

died December 23, 1965 in Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota

Paul immigrated to the United States with the rest of his family in 1892. He grew up in Pine Valley, Wisconsin, and moved to Claremont, Brown County, South Dakota by 1910. In 1913, he was living in Aberdeen and working as a clothes cleaner. He later farmed in North Dakota. On June 29, 1917, he enlisted in Company I, 2nd Infantry, North Dakota National Guard. His younger brother Oscar joined the same unit on the same date. Within a month of enlisting, their unit was called into federal service and sent to France to fight in World War I. Paul served until his discharge on June 24, 1919. He worked as a farmer until his retirement in 1960, first in Claremont, and after 1949 in Aberdeen. He married Agnes Rose Hansen on September 1, 1925 in Aberdeen, and they had two children, Pauline and an unnamed infant daughter. Paul died at an Aberdeen hospital in 1965, and Agnes died in Aberdeen on August 17, 1987. They are buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Aberdeen.

6. Rudolph Herman “Rudy” Dombrowe

born June 8, 1891 in Berlin, Germany

died September 20, 1982 in King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin

Rudy immigrated to Pine Valley, Wisconsin with the rest of his family when he was less than a year old. He grew up in Pine Valley and later farmed in Colby and North Dakota. Rudy served in Battery A, 339th Field Artillery, U.S. Army from June 28, 1918 until February 5, 1919. He returned to Wisconsin and married Goldie S. Martin in about 1920. Rudy and Goldie lived in Fenwood, Marathon County, Wisconsin, where Rudy worked as the proprietor of a “hotel & soft drink parlor” during Prohibition. Goldie died on May 3, 1940 in Wood County, Wisconsin. Rudy remarried on September 21, 1940 in Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa, to Martha Maria Louisa (Scheel) Schmoeckel Elson, who was also recently widowed. Rudy and Martha lived together in Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin. Rudy did not have any children, but Martha had one son prior to their marriage. Martha died on February 1, 1979 in Wausau and Rudy died in 1982. Rudy is buried with his first wife Goldie at Dorchester Memorial Cemetery in Dorchester, while Martha is buried at Restlawn Memorial Park in the village of Maine, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

7. Oscar Willard Dombrowe

born July 12, 1894 in Neillsville, Clark County, Wisconsin

died February 29, 1992 in Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota

Oscar was the first of his siblings to be born in the United States. He grew up on the family farms in Pine Valley and Colby, Wisconsin before moving to Tappen, Kidder County, North Dakota by 1917. On June 29, 1917, he enlisted in the North Dakota National Guard along with his older brother Paul. Oscar served in Europe during World War I in the 161st Ambulance Company, 116th Sanitary Train, 41st Division until he was discharged on May 22, 1919. He moved to Claremont, South Dakota and married Katherine Elizabeth Worthy on November 3, 1921 in Aberdeen. They had one child and they lived on a farm in Claremont. Katherine died on July 13, 1984 in Groton and Oscar died in 1992. Both are buried at Huffton Cemetery in Huffton, Brown County, South Dakota.

8. Edith Hulda (Dombrowe) Ingersoll

born August 20, 1897 in Wisconsin

died November 26, 1975 in Abbotsford, Marathon County, Wisconsin

Edith was the youngest Dombrowe child. She grew up with the rest of her family and on November 12, 1923 she married Kenneth Ingersoll in Owen, Clark County, Wisconsin. They lived in Abbotsford and Holton, Marathon County, Wisconsin, while Kenneth worked at various jobs, including farming, road construction, and as a teamster. Edith and Kenneth had nine children: Gladys, Donald, Jeanette, Arlene, Robert, Harold, Neal, and two others. Kenneth died on April 7, 1975 in Abbotsford, and Edith died later that year. They are buried at the Abbotsford Cemetery.