I thought I would begin with our first Strand(t) ancestor to come to America: Carl Friedrich Theodor Strandt. Carl was born March 27, 1834 in Teschendorf, Mecklenburg, Prussia. His parents were Christian Friedrich Strandt and Caroline Friederike Elisabeth Gley. This is in present day north eastern Germany. It would have been part of East Germany after World War 2. At some point he marries his first wife, Dorothea Schroeder. Dorothea has a daughter from a prior relationship. Whether a marriage or born out of wedlock, we're not quite sure yet. Carl and Dorothea have a child together. Carl Friedrich Strandt is born in January 1861. Dorothea dies soon after. On December 6, 1861 Carl marries for a second time. This time to Wilhelmine Marie Friederike Gley. Carl is 27 years old and Wilhelmine is 20. Wilhelmine was born in 1841 and also lived in Teschendorf Mecklenburg. Her parents were Johann Friederich Gley and Adolphina Carolina Friederica Ahrndt. Carl and Wilhelmine have 2 daughters: Caroline is born in 1864 and Wilhelmine Johanna Dorothea Strandt born February 8, 1868. The family lives in Teschendorf, Mecklenburg.
On October 27, 1871 the family begins their journey to America. They sail from Hamburg to Liverpool England. They sail on the ship "Hansa" and are in steerage, the cheapest class available. It is Carl, Wilhelmine, Carl F, Carolina and Wilhelmine. Also with the family is Dorothea's daughter from the previous relationship. She is listed as a servant. She's about 13 years old. From Liverpool the family transfers to another ship, the Minnesota. Carl lists Farmer as occupation. The ship stops in Queenstown, Ireland and then sails to America, landing in New York City on November 17, 1871. Almost a months' journey from leaving Hamburg.
The family settles in Chicago, Illinois. On February 15, 1876 William Strandt is born. William is the father to Carl Strand, our grandfather. The 1880 census finds the family living in Downer's Grove, DuPaige, Illinois. William and Carl are still at home. Dorothea's daughter has moved out, and there is no trace of daughters Carolina and wilhelmine. I can only guess that they died sometime after arriving in Chicago. I also can't find proof of their deaths either. Whatever happened to the two daughters is a mystery.
In 1898 William moves to Allegan and marries Mary Pulsipher. Mary's uncle gives the couple land upon which they built their house and raised their children. A farm that became very important to their son Carl Strand later in life.
I'm not sure why William came to Allegan from Chicago but I discovered his aunt was living in Allegan with her family. His mother Wilhelmine had a sister who lived in Allegan with her family. They actually came to America first, before Carl and Wilhelmine. I'm guessing on one of his visits to see his aunt is when he met Mary and decided to stay and marry her.
After William marries, Carl and Wilhelmine move to Allegan too. In 1910 Wilhelmine dies at the age of 69 from chronic bronchitis. Carl follows and dies in 1914 at the age of 79 of bronchial pneumonia. His occupation was listed as Farmer.
Carl's oldest son Carl F. stayed in Chicago where he went on to raise his family and Strandts live in the area still. Aunt Joyce says she remembers the Chicago relatives coming to visit sometimes when she was little. I also found a bit in an Illinois newspaper mentioning Carl and Wilhelmine traveling to Illinois from Michigan to visit family and friends.
One interesting note on the Strandts. It was always assumed that the Strandts were German. However, when DNA tests came back there was actually very little German DNA but a whole lot of Scandinavian DNA. I assumed the Scandinavian DNA came from the Henrickson side, but there was just SO MUCH of it, and so very little German. Especially if William had been full German. Aunt Joyce was gracious enough to take a DNA test and her results came back a lot for German but also for Sweden and Norway. I've traced Mary Pulispher's ancestry back to England and Ireland. Mildred Bellingar's ancestry goes back to Germany and England. That leaves the Strandts for being Scandinavian and not so much German. The area that they lived in at one time was controlled by Sweden. It was very close to the Baltic Sea. Also, "Strandt" is a very popular and common name in Norway and Sweden. I'm guessing that at some point the Strandt's came from Norway or Sweden and settled in Germany. Carl was born in Germany but I'm guessing his parents were born in Norway or Sweden. Of course, there could also be Scandinavian ancestry from Wilhelmine's side too. Or both of them could have been more Scandinavian than German. It's definitely a mystery and one I plan on doing more research on.
