Second Generation

3. Johanna Louisa Albrecht was born on 16 Sep 1846 in Germany, died on 30 Jul 1888 in Palmer The Gap, South Aust. Australia, at age 41, and was buried on 1 Aug 1888 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia. The cause of her death was Dropsy.

I know little about Louisa's early life except she was born in 1846, probably in the Züllichau area. She arrived in South Australia with her parents in September 1857 at the age of 11 and lived first at Blumberg and then in the Mannum area with her family. It appears that like her brothers she had some education as she could read an write. At the age of 24 she married Gustav Wegener at Palmer on 16 of February 1871. She gave her residence at the time as being near Palmer one of the witness's was her brother Heinrich who at the time was a labourer also resided near Palmer.
It is thought that Gustav Wegener lived at the Gap Palmer from the time of his marriage or before, and that he and his brother leased land from The Australian Mining Company. Louisa and Gustav had 6 children the first of which were born at Milendella Tungkillo near Palmer and the rest just stated Palmer as their place of birth. She would have spent her days looking after her young family as well as busying herself with work on the farm, their life seemed to be a happy and successful one.
Tragedy struck when Louisa at the age of 42 became sick with rheumatic fever. After some weeks of being bedridden she passed away at Palmer on the 30th of July 1888. She was buried at the Palmer cemetery.

Johanna married Gustav August Adolph Franz Wegener , son of Gottfried Conrad Wilhelm Wegener and Dorothea Auguste Puseman , on 16 Feb 1871 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia. Gustav was born on 4 Apr 1848 in Klemzig, South Australia, Australia, died on 8 Nov 1920 in Palmer The Gap, South Aust. Australia, at age 72,and was buried in Milendella , South Australia, Australia. The cause of his death was Cancer of the cheek.

The oldest child Alwine was 16 and she took over the main responsibility of caring for the family.
Two years later Gustav was married to Dorothea Klare of Loberthal. She had children from a previous marriage, but only the youngest Hedwig came to live with her at Palmer. Hedwig later married Enos Male of Mannum, a brother of Levi (who we will hear of later). Dorothea was harsh on Gustav's children, especially the youngest Arthur and Arnold.
The first record of land bought by Gustav was section 84 consisting of 203 acres at Sanderson in 1896.
Gustav was a successful farmer, he was well liked and sometimes refered to as the "gentleman farmer". He helped plant the olive grove at Palmer oval and was an active member at St.Pauls Palmer and later Milendella Lutheran Churches. He also liked music and at some stage was church organist at Palmer. Gustav always kept his place neat and tidy and was also a keen gardener. He was an ambitious farmer, always a little ahead of others and was one of the first to use super phosphate which resulted in better crops.
At the age of 66 Dorothea suffered a stroke and could neither walk or talk and was confined to bed, so Gustav had a young 16 year old girl, Helene Ortel come and help to look after his wife and the house. In January 1906 he purchased, section 960 block 2 at The Gap Palmer consisting of 1113 acres for 2783 pounds from The Australian Mining Company. He was 57 years of age at the time. His second wife Dorothea passed away in the same month.
Helene stayed on to keep house for Gustav, she milked cows and even killed a sheep when Gustav could no longer do it. She remained with Gustav for some 15 years until his death.
He helped establish his children Gush, Arnold and Alwine who had married Fred Loechel on farms in the area. He bought Arthur a blacksmith at Eden Valley. The other daughters Martha married Levi Male and lived on a farm nearby, and Hulda had moved to Murray Bridge.
On his death in 1920 the property at the Gap was left to Alwine on the western side, Gush on the east and Helene Oertel the homestead which Gush later bought.

Children from this marriage were:

   6 F    i. Alwine Bertha Almanda Wegener was born on 14 Dec 1871 in Milendella Tungkillo, South Australia, was christened on 1 Jan 1872 in Palmer The Gap, South Aust. Australia, and died on 15 Apr 1956 in Woodville, South Australia, Australia, at age 84.

A was the first child of Gustav and Louise. She was born at The Gap Palmer on 14 Dec. 1871 and baptized on new year's day in St. Paul's Lutheran Church Palmer. A was 16 years old when her mother died and she had to help care for her father, two sisters and three brothers. She baked bread, cooked, made butter, milked cows and did many other family chores. After her father remarried she went to work at Murray Bridge Railway Station and later in Adelaide for Mrs. Neumann as cook and general house maid in their Hotel.
It was while working at the Hotel that Alwine met Fredrich Wilhelm Loechel. She married Fred on April 20 1893 at Palmer, at the age of 22. Their first home was on a small farm at Eden Valley next to the Bartholomaeus family. In 1896 her father Gustav bought 203 acres at Sanderston and Alwine and Fred moved there. Soon after her brother Gush was married and also wanted to live there, so they moved to another of her father's farms at Milendella. This property was later owned by Gush and then his son Oscar. It was in the Milendella house that Ruby the fifth child was born in 1901 and the sixth child Ollie in 1904.

Alwine married Fredrich Wilhelm Loechel on 20 Apr 1893 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia. Fredrich was born on 4 Aug 1871 and died on 31 Jan 1923 in Milendella , South Australia, Australia, at age 51.

From here they moved back to The Gap and lived in a small three roomed pine and pug thatched roof house just west of Gustav's homestead on the creek. Here Alwine grew all her own vegetables as well as corn maize for her cows. One evening there was a cloud burst, six inches of rain fell and the creek flooded destroying the garden and the new hand pump recently installed. Fred worked mainly for Gustav but he also went shearing as well as keeping a few sheep of his own. He paid 24 pounds a year rent for the property. At one stage he grubbed stumps with Otto Wegener for the Maxwells at Sanderston. Aiwine's children attended school at Milendella walking about five miles morning and night across country.
In 1912 Fred and Alwine bought a farm at Bow Hill from Albert Wegener. They loaded up their belongings and with seven children and about ten cows, plus farming equipment went to Bow Hill. The cows swam across the river Murray and in the process one was lost, it turned up alive weeks later. The second year was the 1914 drought which caused severe hardships. Alwine cried because her cows were starving and the young calves had to be killed. Her youngest daughter Norma hid all the knives. However one calf, Daisy, survived and fed among the horses. Her father could not bear to kill it.
When Aiwine's father died in 1920 he left a part of The Gap farm to her. The council had served notice to control the rabbit pest so Alwine and Fred, with the youngest children returned. Fred developed a lump on his neck which led to blood poisoning and death on the 31st of January 1923. He was buried at the Milendella cemetery aged 52 years.
Alwine sold her inheritance to her brother Arthur, who built a new house beside the old one and shortly after sold it to Eddy Rathjen. Alwine returned to Bow Hill and with her nine children continued farming. Her oldest son Arnold took over the farm and later his son Norm continued to farm until he sold the property in March 1985.
Alwine in later years moved to Adelaide and she died in 1956 at her home in Woodville.

   7 M    ii. Carl Wilhelm Gustav (Gush) Wegener was born on 18 Aug 1874 in Milendella Tungkillo, South Australia, was christened on 30 Aug 1874 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, died on 23 May 1962 in Milendella , South Australia, Australia, at age 87, and was buried in Milendella , South Australia, Australia.

Gustav was the second child of Gustav and Louise, he was born at The Gap, Palmer on 18 August 1874. He was called Gush to avoid confusing him with his father. On 30 August he was baptized in St. Paul's Lutheran Church Palmer. His schooling was at the new Milendella School where he was one of the first pupils when it was opened on the 5th. February 1883.
Gush grew up on the farm at The Gap and became a good horseman and sheep shearer.

Carl married Hulda Elizabeth Bartholomaeus , daughter of Wilhelm Bartholomaeus and Ernstine , on 30 Jun 1895 in Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia. Hulda was born on 30 Jun 1876 in Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia, died on 10 Oct 1947, at age 71,and was buried in Milendella , South Australia, Australia.

At the age of 24 he married Elizabeth Bartholomaeus at Eden Valley. Their first home was on a small property section 84 at Sanderston consisting of 203 acres owned by his father. Their three children were all born at Sanderston. In early 1907 his father sold the farm and he moved to another of his father's farms at Milendella, sections 39 and 42 consisting of 270 acres. This property was previously occupied by his sister Alwine and Fredrich Loechel. Gush spent the rest of his life there.
The house at Milendella was very small and after a few years a new house was built next to the old one. In 1930 his son Oscar married and occupied the old house which then had the large kitchen added to it. His other son Victor farmed sections 58 and 59 north of Milendella. Gush retired from active farming at an early age, but he helped his two sons especially Victor who suffered poor health.
In his retirement he spent many hours mending his grandchildren's shoes and playing cards with his neighbour Otto Wegener. He held a drivers license and drove his Desoto car well into his eighties even though he was handicapped by poor hearing. His presence was often made known by the familiar smell of the cigars or pipe he smoked. His wife Elizabeth died in 1947 aged 71. He lived another fifteen years to reach the age of 88 years.
Gush is buried close to his father Gustav in the Milendella cemetery.

   8 F    iii. Johanna Emilie Hulda Wegener was born on 13 Aug 1876 in Palmer The Gap, South Aust. Australia, was christened on 20 Aug 1876 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, died on 26 Jun 1940, at age 63, and was buried in West Terrace, Adeliade, South Australia.

Hulda was the third child of Gustav and Louise, born at The Gap Palmer on August 13th 1876 and baptized on August 20th in St.Pauls Lutheran Church Palmer. Her schooling was at Palmer and she grew up on the family farm at The Gap.
On the 18th January 1894 at the age of 17 she married Franz Heinrich Rathmann aged 28 a gardener from Caloote. They first lived with Franz's parents, who owned the Hotel at Caloote. Later they moved to Murray Bridge and lived near the railway station.

Johanna married Franz Heinrich Rathmann , son of Carl Christian Rathmann and Unknown , on 18 Jan 1894 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia. Franz was born in 1867, died on 17 Oct 1947, at age 80,and was buried in West Terrace, Adeliade, South Australia.

Little is known about Franz except that he did not spend much time at home with Hulda and the children. By this time she could not manage to care for her children so her father took two of her children, Sissy and Frank to live with him at The Gap until they grew up. Hulda later moved to a small house at Milendella, south of her brother Gush's farm, from there she moved to a house owned by her father about 2 miles north of The Gap homestead. While there she depended on Gustav to help support her large family of 12 children, most of whom were brought up elsewhere with some becoming wards of the state.
When Gustav died Hulda moved to Adelaide and, with the six hundred pounds inheritance money she had received, bought a house in Dragon Street, Bowden. Later she moved to a small cottage in Sussex Street North Adelaide. By this time her children had married or moved elsewhere to live and we know little of their movements. Three of her sons enlisted in the army and served in World War 1. Arthur was killed in action. Her fourth child Frank followed his grandfather's occupation and owned or leased hotels, the Crown Inn at Truro, the Taminga at Clare, the Launceston at Waymouth Street and the well known Gambier in Light Square Adelaide.
Hulda had a hard life. She died at the age of 64 and was buried in the West Terrace cemetery. Her husband Franz in his later life served the Salvation Army. A photo was found of him in uniform with his hand on the Bible. He died in 1947 aged 80 and was buried in the West Terrace cemetery, which occurred without the knowledge of his family. His grave was discovered accidentally by a grandson playing in the cemetery some years later.

   9 F    iv. Caroline Mathilde Martha Wegener was born on 6 Jun 1879 in Nr Palmer, South Australia, was christened on 6 Jul 1879 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, died on 2 Oct 1962 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, at age 83, and was buried in Barellan, New South Wales, Australia.

Martha, the fourth child of Gustav and Louise, was born at The Gap Palmer on 6th June 1879 and baptized in St. Paul's Lutheran Church Palmer on 6th July. She grew up on the farm at The Gap and attended school at Milendella. When she was nine years old her mother died.

Caroline married Levi John Male , son of William Male and F C Julianna Stenel , on 11 May 1900 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia. Levi was born on 14 Dec 1874 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia and died on 12 Aug 1947 in Griffith, at age 72.

On the 11th May 1900 at the age of 21 she married Levi Mate. They lived on a small farm of 200 acres south of The Gap homestead. Thirteen years later Levi decided to take up land in Binya near Griffith N.S.W. for which he paid 3 pounds per acre. Leaving his wife and the youngest members of the family to make the trip by train, he set out on the 7th Oct.1913 to travel overland with two wagons and six horses. Levi was accompanied on the trip by his eldest son Victor, his brother in-law Arnold Wegener, his nephew Arnold Loechel and Bill Stapels. It was an arduous journey as there were no roads so they had to find their way through the bush. It was very hot, and if it were not for a dam they found near Hay their horses could have perished.
They arrived at the new farm named “Plain View” after traveling three weeks and one day. Levi had brought four bags of “Bluey” wheat from Palmer to plant his first crop but it failed to come up. It was the 1914 drought and they had to cart water and contend with dust storms and bush fires. When Martha and her six young children arrived by train from Melbourne the house was not completed. Surrounded by bush it was possible to hang the tea towels on a tree branch out the kitchen window. Her eldest daughter Beaty found it difficult and often cried, having moved from friends and relatives to a new area taking only a few essential belongings.
Levi sold his farm at Palmer and soon paid off his new farm. As the family grew up and the sons helped on the farm they expanded and became successful farmers.
Martha and Levi were also keen gardeners and prominent in local sporting activities. Their home was noted for its friendly hospitality. In 1943 they retired from farming and moved into Barellan. A few years later Levi's health began to fail and in 1947 at the age of 72 he died from a stroke. Martha survived him by 15 years and died at the age of 88 at her daughter's residence in Wagga.

   10 M    v. Johann Heinrich Arthur Wegener was born on 29 Dec 1881 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, died on 12 Jun 1966 in Mannum, South Australia, Australia, at age 84, and was buried in Mannum, South Australia, Australia.

Arthur the fifth child of Gustav and Louise was born at The Gap Palmer on 26th December 1882. He attended school at Milendella and grew up on the farm and at some stage learnt the trade of blacksmith.

Johann married Clara Auguste (Tot) Vinall , daughter of Thomas Vinall and Louisa , on 9 Oct 1906 in Springton, Sth.Austl., Australia. Clara was born on 6 Jul 1886 in Springton, Sth.Austl., Australia, died on 25 May 1983 in Mannum, South Australia, Australia, at age 96,and was buried in Mannum, South Australia, Australia.

On the 6th July 1906 at the age of 23 he married Clara (Tot) Vinall of Springton. Their first home was at Hamley Bridge and after a few years they moved to Eden Valley where his father had bought him a blacksmith shop. Arthur worked as local blacksmith and wheelwright, at one stage he employed seven men. While living at Eden Valley their second child Glenmore died at the age of three months. In 1913 Arthur moved to Milendella to take over the farm which his brother Arnold was working, as it was at this time Arnold moved to N.S.W. with his brother-in-law Levi Male. This farm is situated east of the Milendella cemetery and in recent times was owned by Mrs. Liz Zadow and her daughters. In about 1923-24 Arthur's nephew Eddy Schubert bought the property and Arthur moved to a farm north of Birdwood. After a short time he moved once again and repurchased the Milendella farm from the Schuberts. Next he purchased the western section of the original homestead farm at The Gap from his sister Alwine, who had inherited it after their father's death. Arthur built a new house on this property but shortly after sold it to Eddy Rathjen, the reason being that the dampness of the new house was affecting the health of their daughter Beulah, who was suffering from tuberculosis. They bought a property at Punthari where nine months later Beulah died.
In later life Arthur retired from farming and moved to a house at Appamurra near Palmer where he was a small blacksmith making hedge shears, bag hooks and other farm items. His last move was to Mannum where he retired in the town and even there he had a small workshop in which he still used his blacksmith skills.
Tragedy once again struck the family in 1958 when their son Ray drowned in the River Murray on New Year's Day. Arthur died in 1966 aged 84 his wife Tot lived another 17 years and reached the age of 96 years.

   11 M    vi. Theodore Berthold Arnold Wegener was born on 30 Apr 1884 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, died on 17 Aug 1926 in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, at age 42, and was buried in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia.

Arnold was the sixth and youngest child of Gustav and Louise, he was born at Milendella on 30 April 1884. His mother died when he was four years old. He grew up on the family farm at the Gap and was cared for by his older sister A and Gustav's second wife Dorothea.
At the age of 22 he married Franziska Rosenberg from Hildersheim later known as Punthari. They lived at Milendella on a small farm known today as Liz Zadow's farm. As well as farming he ran a butcher business with deliveries once a week to Palmer and Mannum.

Theodore married Franziska Adelheid Rosenberg on 4 Oct 1906 in Milendella , South Australia, Australia. Franziska was born on 29 Sep 1886, died on 29 Apr 1967 in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia, at age 80,and was buried in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia.

In October 1913 he moved with his brother in-law Levi Male to take up land at Binya near Griffith in NSW. His brother Arthur took over the Milendella farm which was owned by their father. It was at this time that Arnold received his inheritance of six hundred pounds to help him in his new farming venture.
The details of the trip to NSW are written in the history of his sister Martha. Arnold took his workman Bill Stapels to help build a house which was completed by the time the family arrived. Franziska and her three children traveled to Barellan by train via Melbourne. Roy was six years old, Rita almost three and Cliff nine months. At first the children attended school in Martha's home and later a new school named Birdwood, was built next to the farm. Roy recalls not being able to speak a word of English when he arrived in NSW as only the German language was spoken in the home.
The first years were very difficult. In 1914 war broke out and there was also a very severe drought. The first summer Arnold had to cart water and with no harvest it was a poor start in a new district. Because of the poor seasons and his wife's poor health Arnold sold the farm in early 1920 and moved to Wodonga in Victoria where he bought 150 acres at Wodonga West. It was while cutting wood on his small farm Arnold became very ill and died shortly after from a twisted bowel. He was aged 42 and left behind a wife and four young children the youngest Phyllis only 2 years of age. Franziska lived another 40 years and died in Hamilton Victoria aged 80, she lived there with her daughter Phyllis.

4. Carl Heinrich Albrecht was born on 25 Dec 1848 in Germany, died on 13 Mar 1922, at age 73, and was buried on 13 Mar 1922 in Kingston On Murray, South Australia, Australia. The cause of his death was peritonitis.

Born in Prussia on Monday the 25th of December 1848 Heinrich was 8 years of age when he arrived in South Australia with his parents in 1857. He spend time in the Blumberg area where he probably recieved some education as a boy it appears that in his youth he worked as a labourer in the Mannum, Palmer area before taking up farming.
On the 29th of October 1879 at the age of 30 he married Johanna Helene Kowald at Palmer his younger brother Reinhold was a witness.
It is not known with certainty as to where they settled, but perhaps it was somewhere near Palmer since their first child Theodore Gustav Friedrich was baptised at Palmer.
Later Heinrich and Helene settled at Angas Valley and it was there that their other five children were born.
Up until a few years ago the remains of their old home could be seen (part of a fireplace and chimney), near the road to Sanderson, and close by the old cemetery at Angas Valley.
Heinz (as he was probably called) along with his step father Wilhelm Bretag were founding members of the St. Martins Lutheran church in Mannum which was built and dedicated on 2nd of July 1882 with Pastor J.M.R.Ey of Lobethal organising services. This building was also used as a school.
I have also come across records of Heinz using the services of Shearer Brothers Engineers of Mannum where on the 5 th of August 1885 there is a reciept for the sharpening of a pick for the sum of 1 schilling 9 pence.
Some years later probably in the mid to late 1890's the family sold the farm at Angas Valley and purchased a fruit block at Blanchetown further upstream on the River Murray.
In September 1911 tragedy struck the family, when their eldest son Ted died of peritonitis aged 31.
I have been unable to find any record of Heinz being naturalised and do not know how the family faired when the Great War broke out, many Germans in the area were rounded up and put into internment camps, whether Heinz shared this fate is unknown.
Heinz died of peritonitis on 13th March 1922 aged 73. His funeral service was conducted in the St. Peter's Lutheran Church Moorook and he was buried in the Kingston-on-Murray Cemetery.

Carl married Johanna Helene Kowald , daughter of Frederick Kowald and Johanne Helene Egel , on 28 Oct 1879 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia. Johanna was born on 18 Apr 1859 in Blumberg, South Australia, Australia, christened on 25 Apr 1859 in Blumberg, South Australia, Australia, died on 8 Feb 1942 in Renmark, South Australia, Australia, at age 82,and was buried on 9 Feb 1942 in Renmark, South Australia, Australia.

Helene is remembered by her many grandchildren as a kind and loving grandmother who used to play games of hide and seek with them. She often let the small ones hide under the full long black skirt that she frequently wore. She used to keep a supply of clock faced lollies to distribute to visiting grandchildren. At the time of her death on the 8th of February 1942 she was living with her oldest daughter Clara Drogemuller at Renmark.

Children from this marriage were:

   12 M    i. Theodore (Ted) Gustav Friedrich Albrecht was born on 21 Jun 1880 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, was christened on 11 Jul 1881 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia, died on 14 Sep 1911 in Loxton, Sth. Austl., Australia, at age 31, and was buried in Kingston On Murray, South Australia, Australia. The cause of his death was Peritonitis.

Theodore married Clara Mary Ann Downs Maddocks , daughter of Joseph William Maddocks and Annie Maria Doble , on 17 Feb 1909 in Res Of Brides Parents Kingston On Murray, South Australia. Clara was born on 27 Nov 1889 in Brompton, South Australia, Australia and died on 15 Mar 1977 in Mallala, South Australia, Australia, at age 87.

Her Granson Brenton Jury remembers her as a wonderful feisty and very kind woman who was highly regarded in her community. In her later years she was awarded life membership of the CWA for services rendered, such as many years teaching stitchery, crochet and the like. Her scones were fabulous!

   13 F    ii. Helena Adeline Clara Albrecht was born on 20 Mar 1885 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia, was christened on 12 Apr 1885 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia, and was buried on 18 Jan 1960 in Renmark, South Australia, Australia.

Helena married Reinhold Gustav Theodore Drogemuller , son of Friedrich Drogemuller and Unknown , on 6 Aug 1907 in Launch Etona Chapel River Murray, South Australi, Australia. Reinhold was born on 13 Mar 1876 in Palmer, South Australia, Australia and died on 23 Mar 1934, at age 58.

   14 M    iii. August Gottfried Heinrich Albrecht was born on 30 Jan 1887 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia, was christened on 20 Mar 1887 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia, died on 1 Oct 1965 in Berri/ Barmera, South Australia, Australia, at age 78, and was buried on 4 Oct 1965 in Berri, Sth.Austlalia, Australia.

August married Lottie Maud Harrington , daughter of John Harrington and Maryann Thompson , on 19 Dec 1912 in Schoolhouse Kingston On Murray, South Australia. Lottie was born in 1893, died on 20 Jul 1962, at age 69,and was buried on 31 Jul 1962 in Barmera, Sth.Austlalia, Australia.

   15 F    iv. Emma Johanne Lina Albrecht was born on 5 Jun 1888 in Sanderson, South Australia, Australia, was christened on 15 Jul 1888 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia, and died on 11 Apr 1961 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, at age 72.

Emma married Walter Micheal Loxton , son of Alfred Loxton and Unknown , on 19 Apr 1911 in Schoolhouse Kingston On Murray, South Australia. Walter was born on 21 Apr 1885 and died on 11 Jul 1967, at age 82.

   16 F    v. Ida Pauline Alma Albrecht was born on 30 Aug 1890 in Sanderson, South Australia, Australia and was christened on 28 Sep 1890 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia.

Ida married Thomas Henry Pope , son of Samuel Pope and Unknown , on 23 Oct 1913 in Schoolhouse Kingston On Murray, South Australia. Thomas was born on 12 Apr 1895 and died on 18 Oct 1922, at age 27.

   17 F    vi. Martha Elizabeth Ida Albrecht was born on 1 Mar 1892 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia and was christened on 10 Apr 1892 in Angas Valley, South Australia, Australia.

Martha married Victor Merritt , son of John Merritt and Unknown , on 19 Nov 1919 in Res Of Brides Parents Kingston On Murray, South Australia. Victor was born on 27 Jan 1896 in Mannum, South Australia, Australia.

   18 F    vii. Emma Leymann .

Raised as a foster child by Hienrich and Helene. Details of her life are unknown.

5. Gustav Reinhold Albrecht was born on 31 May 1855 in Glogsen District Of Zuellichau, Province Of Brandenburg, died on 12 Apr 1939 in Nhill, Victoria, Australia, at age 83, and was buried on 14 Apr 1939 in Kiata, Victoria, Australia. The cause of his death was Broncho pneumonia.

Reinhold was probably born in Glogsen District of Zuellichau, Province Of Brandenburg, Prussia on Thursday the 31st of May 1855. I cannot find record of his christening as I have been unable to trace the church records of the nearest village Kay as it seems these records like most in the area have been lost or destroyed during World War 2.
I also noticed that when Reinhold applied for Naturalization in 1914 that he put his birthplace as unknown.
He would have had no memory of his country of birth leaving it for the new colony of South Australia in 1857 with his parents.
Within 18 months of arriving in Australia Reinhold had lost both his father and eldest sister. His mother remarried a widower Wilhelm Bretag and the family now including the younger of Wilhelm's 6 children settled near Mannum. It was here that Reinhold was to grow up and it appears that he and Friedrich, (Wilhelm's youngest son) became good mates.
Reinhold started farming in the area after a period of schooling leasing ground around Mannum.He purchased from the goverment in the County of Sturt; Hd Finniss; Sect 394; total area 406 acres; £406 on th18th of January 1879.
Reinhold began courting Maria Elisabeth Strauss a young girl from Shepherds Flats some 5 Km's north of Mannum.
He attempted to elope one night with Maria who was aged 16 at the time, but her parents heard the horse and buggy approaching and Reinhold was warned off.
Mary (as Maria was known by her family) left home shortly afterwards and worked as a house maid for a wealthy family in Adelaide. Even from an early age Mary seemed to have a strong will and mind of her own and she eventually got her way and married Reinhold in 1882 in Adelaide. They returned to Mannum apparently reconciled with her parents.
They lived on a three to four hundred acre farm a mile from Mannum at Long Gully; it was hear that all their family except their youngest son was to be born. Their farm was situated about two miles from Mary's parents at Shepherds Flat also known as Millindilla Creek. It is believed that Reinhold's mother and stepfather lived on a block nearby on the other side of Long Gully. On the 12th October 1884 the couple opened their first bank account with the Bank of Adelaide at Mannum with a £150.
Reinhold replaced the old mud brick house with a new home (this still stands today). The couple continued farming in the Mannum area as their family grew in 1893 he leased 39 acres nearby for cropping and grazing this was transferred to his brother-in-law Bill Strauss in 1903, and then in 1895 he took a graving lease of a forest reserve 1673 acres (Vol 289 Fol 2) situated in the county of Sturt transferred from Herman Dannonberg. But it seems that the family struggled with the average rainfall in the area of only 10 inches crops failed as often as not, and running stock would have been the best source of income. The family like most at that time produced most of their own food with cows for milk, chucks and other poultry, a vegetable garden and fruit trees all taken care of by the women of the family. The men of the family would have done the ploughing with the horse team in the hope of growing wheat for sale as well as to make hay for the livestock, which included cattle, sheep and pigs.
However in the late 1890's early 1900's the seasons around Mannum were poor, with the country in the grip of a depression and in 1902 their was a severe drought.
It was at this time that Fred Bretag, Reinholds stepbrother returned to Mannum. He had been farming country which had been opened up across the border in Victoria. Fred had cancer of the throat, he had never married and when he became ill he returned to Mannum where he was looked after by Reinhold and Mary. Fred became to ill to work his farm so in 1903 it seems Reinhold decided to take his oldest son Fred and daughter Martha and work Fred's block which was situated south of Nhill at Gerang Gerung in Victoria. Meanwhile Mary and the rest of the family remained at Mannum. Fred Bretags health continued to deteriorate until his death on the 30th of January, 1904. He was buried in the Mannum cemetery close by Mary's two brothers and near where parents were to be buried.
Reinhold must have liked what he saw at Gerang Gerung because he and Mary decided to move to whole family to Victoria. With their family growing up the prospects for the future seemed better in this area with good soil and better rainfall (the area having a rainfall of 20.24 inches in 1903) and also room to expand and acquire land. The land at Mannum was sold for £ 2 per acre, and on the 29th of March, 1904, Reinhold & Mary bought Friedrich Bretags farm Allotments 16 &32 - Gerang Gerung - Parish of Lowan a total of 640 acres at auction. At this time I am not sure the price they paid for the property but records show they paid the sum of £500 on the 20th of April, which was the amount of the mortgage that Ellen Walker had over allotment 16 in Friedrich Bretag's probate documents, his Will also shows that he left Reinhold some money, probably about £75.
On the same date they also opened a bank account at the Commercial Bank of Australia at Nhill with a deposit of £504 - 3 - 8.
In 1905 the last of the couples children Ted, was born. Mary was 42 years old at the time, her eldest daughters would have helped their mother look after the young infant.
Things appeared to look up for the family as on the 23rd of April 1906 they purchased 800 acres pt.allot. 105 from Haines Bros. for £1578.
It was also about this time in 1907 that Reinhold's aged mother moved to Victoria to live with them, probably after the death of her husband Wilhelm.
In 1907 the family again grew with the arrival of their first grandchild. From then onward, Reinhold and Mary were to have many grandchildren, they would all come and on Sundays with their parents after church. Mary looked forward to these Sunday family days, and also when her brothers and sister came from Rainbow and Jeparit with their families to visit.
On the 22nd of April 1908 Reinhold & Mary donated £50 to help buy an unused Methodist Church at Kiata East, for the Lutheran church and were foundation members of this congregation. It is said that they went to every church service held at Kiata East. The church was closed soon after Mary's death in 1949.
On the 31st of March 1911 they purchased allot. 34, 106 acres & allot.35, 320 acres for £2060. They also purchased allot. 39, a block of 114 acres for £648 on 11th of April 1911. All were owned by William Smyth. This took their farm size up to 1874 acres in a matter of seven years.
It seems that Mary was the driving force behind the family's rapid expansion consulting with her younger brother Dolph who had become a successful businessman in the nearby town of Rainbow, however with a drought in 1914 the family finances were severely stretched and it took some years to recover.
1914 was also the year that the Great War in Europe broke out, anti German sentiment in Australia was running high and Germans across the border in South Australia were being put in internment camps classed as enemy aliens. German schools were closed and German town names changed. Reinhold who had always considered himself to be a British subject (as all Australians considered themselves at the time) now found himself in the position of being an enemy alien in the country be had come to as an infant. So in September 1914 he applied for citizenship. In the Statutory declaration Reinhold stated that he did not know his place of birth only saying he was born in Germany, it also stated that before coming to Victoria he had been a resident in the Mt. Pleasant, Monato and Mannum area. His application was submitted for approval executive in July 1915. The police report stated that he was a respectable, industrious, law abiding person with grown up children and a wife who was a native of South Australia.
In December 1918 Reinhold's mother, Rosina passes away and is buried at the Kiata Cemetery. It is believed that she had suffered from dementure for many years having been confined to her bed for sometime before her death.
The family since their arrival in Victoria had lived in a mud brick house situated on allotment 32. As the years passed their children began to marry and move from the family home. When in 1922, Reinhold built a new brick home constructed by A. Coulson & Keneally on allotment 35, which they called Morning View only their three younger sons remained with them. But in 1926 two of their sons married and moved to farms of their own. This left Ted as the only son at home. Throughout this period the eldest of their grandsons would come and help during the busy seasons of the year on the farm. Reinhold now aged 71 also employed Alf Hall as a working man. It wasn't long and Alf was like one of the family, he would do anything for Mary and she thought the world of him, and he was in later years to marry their eldest granddaughter who had been widowed. In 1929 Ted married and the young couple moved in with Reinhold and Mary.
With the passing of the years more grandchildren arrived and in 1925 the first of their great grandchildren. Sad times were to come however when their second son Eddie died suddenly of a stroke on the 4th of December, 1937, at the age of 43. It is said that a portrait of Eddie taken as a child took pride of place on the mantelpiece from that time.
Reinhold's health too, was deteriorating and he passed away at the age of 83, on the 12th of April, 1939.
Over his life time Reinhold had seen many changes from the days where most things were either done by man or horse power, land clearing was done with an axe, wheat harvested with a sieve and thrashed by hand to the introduction of the first reapers pulled by horse teams and then in later years the introduction of tractors. He is remembered as being a quiet considered man who his grandchildren remember him with his King George beard sitting by the fire smoking his pipe, talking for hours with friends and relatives.
1939 also saw the outbreak of World War 2 which saw several of Mary's grandsons serving in the armed forces in Australia and overseas during the war years.
Tragedy again struck on the 19th of March, 1940 Mary's granddaughter Norma was killed in a horse and gig accident while on her way to school she was only 6 years of age. She was buried at Kiata cemetery beside her father Eddie.
As the war years dragged on Mary remained as Matriarch of the family, still very much in control of the families' affairs. As her sight began to fail her daughter-in-law Violet would read letters from her grandsons Mick Streeter and Don Eldridge and also Alf Hall fighting in the Middle East and she was always happy to hear that they were alright. When ever there was a drive in the area to sell war bonds or to raise money for the troops Mary was always keen to help as much as she could and was a keen donor to these causes.
When the Japanese entered the war Mick, Don and Alf returned to Australia to help with the war effort in the pacific, her grandsons Len and Clarrie Albrecht, Ron Streeter, and great grandson Ron Smith also joined the armed forces.
In the final months of the war Carrie, Fred and Toni's son was killed at Bouganville all were devastated with sorrow at the loss.
Mary at the age of 82 was still working around the house gardening and gather eggs, but as the years went by she became weaker and died at home on the 28th of May 1949 aged 86 years.

Gustav married Maria Elizabeth (Mary) Strauss , daughter of Carl Wilhelm Strauss and Maria Elizabeth Neumann , on 26 Apr 1882 in Lutheran Church Flinders St, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Maria was born on 16 Jul 1863 in Blumberg, South Australia, Australia, died on 28 May 1949 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 85,and was buried in 1949 in Kiata, Victoria, Australia.

Children from this marriage were:

   19 F    i. Martha Matilda Albrecht was born on 2 Mar 1883 in Long Gully Near Mannum, South Australia, died on 30 Jun 1964 in Horsham, Victoria, Australia, at age 81, and was buried in 1964.

Martha Mathilde the first child of Reinhold & Maria was born at their home at Long Gully just outside Mannum in South Australia on Saturday the 3rd of Febuary 1883. She was christened at the Luthern church Mannum her godparents being Maria's younger sister Mathilde Blondine and Freidrich Bretag son of Reinhold's step-father Wilhelm Bretag (Reinhold and Freidrich spent their boyhood together and appeared to be fairly close).
She grew up on the family farm at Long Gully probably walking to school in Mannum and helping her mother with the milking looking after her younger brothers and sisters and other tasks on the farm. In her late teens the family was struggling like most of the others in the area through a period of draught which occurred in the late 1890's early 1900's in southern Australia.
At about this time she is believed to have travelled with her father and eldest brother Fred, to Gerang Gerung in Victoria to keep house for them while they worked the block her dying godfather Freidrich Bretag who had been farming in the district for sometime.
With the death of her godfather Friedrich Bretag, the whole family settled on the block and she settled into community and family life in the area.
She it is here she met Charles Waltrowicz, a son of a Gerang Gerung farming family who lived nearby whom she married in 1911.They had two sons Harold and Norman while they farmed in the area for a time but left there in a drought year and went to Quantong, near Horsham, in Victoria and settled on a fruit block. Quantong was a big fruit growing district in those days and boasted a school and two churches. Martha took an interest in the social life of the district and helped the Hall Committee in particular. The state school teachers used to board with Martha and Charles. Martha was a keen gardener and was known to have "green fingers." Everything she planted grew. She hated housework and always preferred to be outside. She started a grocery store and sold fruit and vegetables. She also milked cows.
Martha and Charles' sons, Harold and Norman, both worked for their parents. At this time the family also included Ella Miles who was a ward of the state placed in the families care. When in 1938, Harold married Ruth Kuhne Martha and Charles left Harold to work their block and they, with Norman, moved to a bigger block with fruit trees.
The new block Martha and Charles moved to was a very good piece of land with a creek and they had water all year round to water their tomatoes etc.
With the sudden death of charles in 1942 she continued working the block with the help of her son Norman who returned from the army and Evelyn who was another ward of the state who was placed in her care at that time.
She worked the block with Norman until approximately 1960 when they decided to sell out and moved to Horsham to live.
Martha lived a short time in Horsham but became ill and died on the 30th of June, 1964 and was buried at Natimuk, Victoria with her husband, Charles.

Martha married Carl Wilhelm (Charles) Waltrowicz in 1911 in Victoria, Australia. Carl was born on 5 Dec 1873 in Hahndorf, South Australia, Australia, died on 16 Nov 1942, at age 68,and was buried in 1942 in Natimuk, Victoria, Australia.

   20 F    ii. Clara Maria Albrecht was born on 16 Aug 1884 in Long Gully Near Mannum, South Australia, died on 15 Aug 1965, at age 80, and was buried in 1965 in Stawell Victoria Australia.

Clara Maria the second child of Reinhold & Maria was born at home at Long Gully on Saturday, August 16 1884. She was christened at Mannum her Godparents being her uncle Gustav Wegener and her aunty Mathilde Blondine Schake nee Strauss.
 Her early life was spent on the family farm at Mannum where she would have attended school and gone to church on Sundays and also helped out on the farm.
 When she was about 20 she came with her parents when they moved to Victoria and settled on the family farm with them.
 There is some evidence that she may have returned to Mannum to visit the family there or maybe to care for her elderly grandparents for awhile.
 

Clara married Johan Albert Randel .

Clara then moved down to around the Stawell area where she worked as a cook for the gangs of men that were clearing scrub on farming land in the area. It was here that she met George Streeter.

Clara next married George Streeter , son of Joseph Streeter and Louisa Hampton , on 8 Jul 1909 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. George was born on 31 Dec 1863 in Stuart Mill Near St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia, died on 20 Apr 1951 in Stawell Victoria Australia, at age 87,and was buried on 23 Apr 1951 in Stawell Victoria Australia. The cause of his death was Cerebral Embolism.

The 4th child of Joseph and Louisa Streeter he was born at Stuart Mill near St Arnaud on the 31st of December 1863.
He told his family he left his parents home at twelve years of age. His father had a store at Stuarts Mill at the time. He headed east working in shearing sheds and rounding up stock for landholders around Euroa. It is believed that at this time he became friendly with Ned Kelly and family. He always told his family he had danced with Ned's sister Kate. The family when visiting the Ned Kelly display at Glenrowan some years ago was told that George rode with Ned and would scout for them informing them what was going on and where the police were.
When it got too hot with the police, he and Dan Kelly took off and escaped into New South Wales and did boundary riding on large holdings in the high country, the owners would send supplies out to them and they would not see anyone for months at a time
George finally returned home at 17 years of age coincidently the same year which Ned Kelly was hung. George only ever admitted to dancing with Kate and going in NSW with Dan Kelly.
In 1880 he purchased a few acres of land at Nattie Yallock near Avoca but by 1894 had disposed of the land.
Nothing is known of George's life between 1894 and 1909 when he married Clara.
Apparently George had been gone for just two years when his mother Loiusa died, George and his brother Henry were to inherit her estate a search was put out for George and the only information the family got was that he had contracted Tetanus and was very ill the last he was seen. The family presumed him dead and his brother proceeded to claim his inheritance.
It is believed that in about 1900's he turned his hand to clearing land for farmers around the Callawadda area North of Stawell. He had a gang of men clearing land in the area when Clara, his wife to be, was employed as a cook for the group who lived in tents on site.
George and Clara married and The family lived for a short time at Callawadda with the eldest child Clara Olga (Ollie), before deciding, in 1908, to buy a house in Stawell. The house they chose still stands on the corner of Jennings and Ord Streets, just across the road from the 502 State School. It had a separate bathroom and laundry, a kitchen, family room, lounge and three bedrooms, which increased to five as the family arrived.
The next three children, Loma, Percy and Mick were born at home and, shortly after the children started school, Clara became ill and needed medical attention for some time.
The children were split up, with the eldest, Ollie, being sent to her grandparents at Gerang Gerung where she continued her schooling.
Lorna, Percy and Mick stayed with their father out on the job at Callawadda until Clara had recovered enough to be with them again.
Mick stayed on the job with his father, attending school at Callawadda, Wallaloo East and Morl Morrl, sometimes walking up to three miles each way until after completing fourth grade. He then returned to Stawell to complete his schooling.
Even though Clara had recovered from her illness, Ollie stayed at Gerang Gerung, where she attended the Kiata East State School and remained with her grandparents until she had completed her schooling.
Clara and George's fifth child, Ron was born at home in 1918.
George enjoyed constant employment, sometimes employing up to three men depending on his work load. In the summer the timber and scrub was stacked in heaps around old stumps and logs, then all were burnt during the fire burning period. It was hard work with just a horse, cross-cut saw, trawallajack, mattock and axe.
George spent most of his working days living on the job. He would leave Stawell, usually late Sunday and come home late Friday night or Saturday morning.
As the Great Depression began, the Streeter family was solidly settled in their home in Stawell. Since they had a double home site, they used the land to grow their own vegetables, grapes, cherries, plums, apples, apricots and quinces. They also ran poultry for eggs and meat therefore their diet was a full and varied one.
Eggs were preserved, plums, apricots and cherries were also preserved. Vegetables of various types were also grown all year round which also meant ground had to be dug and vegetable beds prepared. Flowers were also grown and sold.
Different family members would go up to Gerang Gerung to Clara's parents place to lend a hand with the harvesting or shearing and other busy times of the year.
About 1931, they bought their first wireless and 3LK began transmitting from Lubeck. 3LK was a sub-station for 3DB in Melbourne. As the family began the day, "Day Break Dan" was listened to with great attention.
One of the family's major sources of entertainment was cards. They played euchre, 500 and crib and many a "sheep station" hung on the balance of a card. The competition was fiercely waged.
Clara went to her Saturday card evening without fail at the Railway Institute and also some midweek evenings at the Fire Brigade building.
Clara was a member of the Fire Brigade Ladies Auxiliary and she was the first lady to become a life member of the Swifts Football Club ladies auxiliary.
Clara was confirmed in the Lutheran Church and, as there was no Lutheran Church in Stawell, she became a member of the Holy Trinity Church of England and attended church regularly. All the children were christened, attended Sunday School and were confirmed in Stawell except Ollie, who was confirmed at the Lutheran Church at Kiata East.
As the family grew older and began to leave home and rooms became vacant, Clara had a number of young lads, who wished to finish their education at the Stawell Technical School; stay with her and her influence on the character of these young men was of a lasting and high standard.
Clara also filled her house at Easter time with people who wished to attend the Stawell Easter Gift. It was always a very busy time for Clara and her helpers and she treated her guests very well indeed. The same people came back for decades and became firm friends as it was her wish to make all welcome and did so until she became unable to cope in the last few years of her life.
In later years he was a keen gardener and grew a great array of vegetables on his block in town. People who passed by would recall him out amongst the vegies with his hoe even in his twilight years.
George and Clara successfully raised five children - two daughters and three sons.
For more information on the Streeter family go to
http://burge.id.au/jamesjosephhenrygeorge.html

   21 M    iii. Friedrick Wilhelm Albrecht was born on 3 Jan 1887 in Long Gully Near Mannum, South Australia, died on 11 Jan 1968, at age 81, and was buried in 1968 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

Freidrick Wilhelm (Fred) was born in South Australia in 1887 and was the first son of Gustav and Maria. Fred and Antonia Clare Marie Speher (Toni) started farming their 1000 acres at Gerang Gerung after their marriage in 1914.They had six children - four boys and two girls. As 1914 was a drought year, they found it hard to make ends meet. Toni milked a lot of cows by hand, selling cream and butter together with eggs to help meet the cost of day to day living. The separated milk would go towards feeding pigs and calves which was also a big help. Fred didn't have a very good farming plant and his horse team was not of top quality, but he battled on under tough conditions as a lot of the farm was only semi cleared. A lot of Mallee bushes had to be cut and stumps ploughed out and picked by hand. The bushes stood as high as the horses. As things improved they upgraded horses and plant. Later, Fred and his brother, Ted bought a Clydesdale stallion "Stud Book" and bred their own horses.
In the early 1920's Fred and Toni started building a new concrete house which they moved into in 1925.
Fred was a fairly progressive chap and when underground water was becoming essential a lot of water boring was being done by a Mr. Fred Bethune, but Fred bought his own boring plant and drilled his own bore and one for his parents. These bores are still working today.
Fred was also mechanically minded and bought a Twin City tractor, the first tractor in the district. As tractors improved he upgraded with the times.
Fred also had an Avance tractor like his parents. The steel wheels on the tractors had a habit of clogging wet soil between the grips, so Fred designed a different type of wheel on which he secured a patent. His brother-in-law, Bill Eldridge, built the wheel which was a great success. It was called the A & E. Wheel and was put on Fred's and his parent's Avance tractors as photographs will show.
The house and property was named "Crimsondale" because it and some of the sheds had red roofs. The house is now owned by one of their grandson, Ian Albrecht.
Toni was a Natimuk girl and when Fred was courting her, he would ride on horseback from Gerang Gerung to Natimuk to see her.
Years later Fred and Toni, with the family, would go visiting relatives at Natimuk in a buggy drawn by two horses. This was before the car period.
Fred also had one of the first cars, a T Model Ford, which he said had brass headlamps similar to the old buggy lamps.
After the T Model Ford they upgraded cars. Along the way they had three Buicks and Three Chevs as well as others.
About 1930, Fred bought another 628 acres adjoining his home block. He didn't have this block long and the depression struck. It took him many more years than he had anticipated paying for it, but, with hard work and help from his sons and more modern machinery, he came through okay.
During the depression there were a lot of swaggies walking the roads. The swagmen would camp in the buildings on the Gerang football ground which was across the road from Crimsondale homestead. These fellows would arrive in twos and threes and ask for food. Although battling depressed prices and a large family to keep, not one of these men were refused food. Toni had a saying, "You can't let them go hungry." Such was her nature.
Fred and Toni worked hard all their lives always thinking of their family.
Toni was a very loving person and when son Clarence was killed in action in Bouganville in 1945 the whole family was devastated. Toni never recovered from the loss of her third son, Clarrie.
But life had to go on and Fred as his parents before him, started his remaining three sons on the land.
His two surviving sons are still on the land doing as Fred did and have started their own sons on the land.
Fred and Toni did it hard. They worked and saved and, with perseverance, through good times and bad, reaped the benefits in later life.
Toni passed away in 1957 aged 65 years.
Fred passed away in 1968 aged 81 years.

Friedrick married Antonia Clara Marie Speher , daughter of Heinrich Christian Speher and Maria Louisa Waltrowicz , on 25 Feb 1914 in Victoria, Australia. Antonia was born on 15 Jul 1891 in Natimuk, Victoria, Australia, died on 20 Jun 1957 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 65,and was buried in 1957 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

   22 M    iv. Adolph Edwin (Eddie) Albrecht was born on 13 Aug 1894 in Long Gully Near Mannum, South Australia, died on 4 Dec 1937 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 43, and was buried on 5 Dec 1937 in Kiata, Victoria, Australia. The cause of his death was Cerebral Haemorrhage.

Adolph Edwin (Eddie) was born in South Australia in 1894 and was the second son of Reinhold and Maria.
It is believed that he was a fairly sickly child and that the doctors believed he would not survive long. The story goes that after having been told this Maria went out and bought a coffin for her sick infant. And this may also explain why they had a portrait of him taken as a child which they didn't have done with any of the other children.
Eddie however survived his childhood but it was said that he suffered from ill health for most of his life.
He spent his early years at the farm at Long Gully probably getting the early part of his education at Mannum, until when he was about ten years old he came to Victoria with his parents.
It is thought that he attended school at Kiata East which is the same school that his brother Bert and his sister Ella attended.
Later, when he left school, he worked for parents on the farm until the time of his marriage.
Eddie married Alvina Emily Hermann from Antwerp in 1926.
They settled on the farm at Gerang his parents bought from Haines Bros. in 1906, loving the farm life especially the animals.
Eddie and Alvina had four sons and two daughters.
They had to build a house on the farm in their early married life and they would
have found it tough going at the start.
Eddie worked horses on the farm and later bought a Case tractor in the middle thirties, but the tractor was of little help to him, for he was a sick man and he died of a stroke on the 4th of December, 1937.

Adolph married Alvina Emily Hermann , daughter of Johannes Julius Hermann and Auguste Emilie Trohlenberg , on 16 Dec 1926 in Arkona, Victoria, Australia. Alvina was born on 8 Jul 1900 in Lyndoch, South Australia, Australia, christened on 12 Aug 1900 in Lyndoch, South Australia, Australia, died on 12 Jul 2003 in Jeparit, Victoria, Australia, at age 103,and was buried on 16 Jul 2003 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

Alvina was born 8th July 1900 at Lyndoch, SA, the youngest daughter of Johann Julius Hermann and Emilie nee Tralenburg. She was baptised at St. Jakobi Luthern Church, Lyndoch 12th August 1900 by Pastor E. Ey and confirmed on 1st November 1914, by Pastor J. Georg.
Her years at school were at Lyndoch and at the age of 22 she came to the Wimmera and kept house for her brother Ben and worked also in the Arkona, Antwerp area. There she met Eddie Albrecht whom she married at Arkona on 16th December 1926, Pastor E. Starick officiating. They settled on the farm at Gerang his parents bought from Haines Bros. in 1906, loving the farm life especially the animals.
Eddie and Alvina had four sons and two daughters.
They had to build a house on the farm in their early married life and they would
have found it tough going at the start.
Eddie worked horses on the farm and later bought a Case tractor in the middle thirties, but the tractor was of little help to him, for he was a sick man and he died of a stroke on the 4th of December, 1937.
Regrettably she was widowed at the age of 36 with 6 children to care for. Alvina and the older children worked very hard after Eddie’s death, together with a working man, Gus Nitschke.
Her second marriage was to Gus Nitschke on May 6, 1939 at Nhill, Pastor R. Eckermann officiating. Their only child was a daughter, Gladys. Sadness hit the family again in March 1940, this time the youngest daughter, Norma, was killed in a horse and gig accident. Norma was only six years of age.
Sadly she was widowed again in 1975 and soon after retired to Jeparit where she cared for herself until the age of 97. She had a fall and went to the Jeparit Hospital and then in the Nursing Home section of the Hospital until her death on Saturday 12th July 2003 at the age of 103 years and 4 days.

   23 F    v. Ella Irene Albrecht was born on 24 Jun 1897 in Long Gully Near Mannum, South Australia, died on 14 Sep 1978 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 81, and was buried in 1978 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

Ella married William Eldridge , son of William Ernest Eldridge and Cecilia Hodges , on 13 Mar 1916 in Victoria, Australia. William was born on 3 Jun 1883 in Ararat, Victoria, Australia, died on 2 Sep 1972, at age 89,and was buried in 1972 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

   24 M    vi. Arthur Berthold (Bert) Albrecht was born on 18 Aug 1901 in Mannum, South Australia, Australia, died on 11 Jun 1992 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 90, and was buried in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

Arthur Berthold (Bert) was born in South Australia in 1901 and was the third son of Reinhold and Mary.
Bert said he could remember going down the Murray River from Mannum on a river boat to Murray Bridge and on to Nhill by train with his mother and older sisters.
Bert and Theodore (Ted) were four years apart in age and went to school together, played football together for Kiata and Bert helped on his father's farm until 1926 when he married Freida Bertha Nitschke.
Bert bought 640 acres of Freida's father's farm at Antwerp and part of Mr. C. Block's land. Mr Block moved to Dimboola.
Freida's parents lived in Antwerp, some two hundred yards from Bert's farmhouse which was just over the Antwerp bridge on the left hand side.
Freida and Bert had one son, Kenneth Gordon who was born in 1927 and soon after his birth, Freida started to became crippled by muscular dystrophy and, later in life, she was to be confined to a wheel chair. Regardless of her disability Freida still continued to do her housework until late in life.
Their son, Ken, at the age of 14, developed the same illness and he too was later to be confined to a wheel chair.
In the early part of Bert and Freida's married life, their nephew Charlie Nitschke came to live with them. He became a tower of strength to the family. He helped Bert work the farm and was like a nurse in the house. He was indispensable to the family.
Bert and Charlie were noted for breeding pigs. It was common for them to top the pig market at Ballarat. They also had a lot of fowls and sold eggs. They were noted for killing pigs and smoking bacon and making all kinds of sausages.
Bert was a keen sportsman. He played football and, in 1926, was in the Antwerp premiership side. He also played cricket for many years with Antwerp.
After the Antwerp football club disbanded, Bert became a staunch supporter of the Dimboola football club.
In 1953, Bert built a new house with all modem conveniences so that Freida and Ken could move around more freely in their wheel chairs.
Bert was on many committees and was always there to help with any functions and he was always prepared to play the leading roll.
As time went by, Ken became weak and, on the 13th of May, 1980, he passed away.
This proved to be a turning point in Freida's life as she found it hard to cope with the loss of their son. She spent some weeks in the Dimboola Hospital and died the night before she was to go home.
Freida died just 18 months after Ken.
Bert lived on his farm with Charlie for two years after Freida died. He then went into the Allambi Elderly Peoples Home for the Aged in Dimboola. He was there until 1989. He was then moved to the Alister Hinchley Geriatric Wing of the Dimboola Hospital.
Bert died on the 11th of June, 1992 aged 90 years.

Arthur married Freida Bertha Nitschke , daughter of Carl Friedrich Adolph Nitschke and Mary Emilie Gogol , on 22 Apr 1926 in Victoria, Australia. Freida was born on 22 Dec 1906 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, died on 28 Nov 1981 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 74,and was buried in 1981 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

   25 M    vii. Theodore Gothilf (Ted) Albrecht was born on 13 Sep 1905 in Nhill, Victoria, Australia, died on 9 Aug 1976 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 70, and was buried in 1976 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.

Theodore Gothilf (Ted) was born in Victoria in 1905 and was the fourth son of Gustav and Maria.
Ted was the only child of Gustav and Maria to be born in Victoria, all the others having been born in South Australia.
He was christened Theodore Gothilf after his mother's brother, Theodore Gottilf Strauss, who was killed four years earlier a tree falling onto the wagon he was driving.
Ted, with his brother Arthur (Bert), went to the Kiata East School which stood next to the Lutheran Church. The school closed before Ted and Bert had finished their schooling so, after its closure, they went to the Gerang Gerung State School, No. 2618.
On leaving school, Ted stayed home and worked on the family farm and enjoyed playing football with Kiata.
In 1929, Ted married Violet May Leith of Mitre, near Natimuk.
It can be noted that Ted had a strong bond with his brother Freidrick (Fred) and they worked together for years with sheep and carting hay. When cropping and harvesting came in they would always help each other. The two brothers leased a big acreage of the Little Desert which is now known as the National Park. They would put sheep in the “scrub as it was called at that time (the early thirties). The sheep would be put out there to graze from autumn to spring and then be brought back to the farms at Gerang where there would then be on good grass feed and shearing would start.
Sometimes they would have drovers move the sheep as far as the South Australian border and to Warracknabeal the next year.
The two brothers, with their working men, loved every minute of mustering in the “scrub' and one might think it was their annual holiday. This mustering started in the early thirties and continued to the late sixties with their two sons Bert and Harold.
In later years the National Park has named their camp sites “Albrecht's Bore”, “McCabe's Hut”, etc.
There was also a Cobb and Co. coach track through their part of the desert and a track that led to Natimuk.
Ted and Violet lived with Teds parents and worked the farm with them.
After the death of his father in 1939, and then his mother in 1949, Ted inherited the farm at Gerang Gerung which he worked very successfully.
During the years between 1932 and 1946, Ted purchased three 320 acre farms known as Ghrimes, Rauerts and Thieles. Then in 1955 he purchased 636 acres of ground at Kiata which belonged to the George Argall family.
Ted and Violet had four children, Harold, Norman, Theo and Gleniss.
Ted and Violet bought a house at 8 Victoria Street, Dimboola in 1956 and their daughter, Gleniss moved to Diinboola with them. The three sons stayed at Gerang to work on their farms.
Ted would drive out from Dimboola each day to look after his sheep and cattle on his Gerang and Kiata farms.
In 1966 he purchased another 360 acres of ground known as Deans. This land adjoined the homestead.
In 1972, Violet had a stroke which affected her eyesight and speech. She spent some time in the Nhill Hospital and was later transferred to the Epworth Hospital in Melbourne for further treatment. She recovered enough that she was able to do her work and look after her garden.
In 1975, Ted gave up working. It was plain to see that he was not well. Six months later, he was diagnosed as having lung cancer. Ted died on the 9th of August, 1976 aged 71 years.
Violet then lived on her own, looking after herself until 1984 when she decided she could not do it any longer.
She went into the Allambi Elderly Peoples Home for the Aged in Dimboola.
In 1990, she was moved to the Alister Hinchley Geriatric Centre in Dimboola.
She passed away on the 19th of August 1993.

Theodore married Violet May Leith on 12 Sep 1929 in Victoria, Australia. Violet was born on 17 Feb 1908 in Natimuk, Victoria, Australia, died on 19 Aug 1993 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, at age 85,and was buried in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia.