They came to America in December 1899 from Saranov, Russia, on the ship, Southwark, to New York. And from there by train to Pawnee Rock, Kansas, where they were welcomed by relatives and provided homes.Jacob and Eva (Birig) Kindsvater, their three children, Lydia, Jake and Mattie, and his parents, David and Marie Elizabeth Kindsvater. Also Eva's parents, a Seventh's Day Adventist preacher, Jacob and Sophia Birig.
Jacob Kindsvater was so proud that he owed no man money for their passage to these United States, and had five dollars left over. He went to work on the railroad, and later farmed for four years, when a land agent told him about land for sale in Comanche County. After buying two quarters of land, they put up a small house, where they could sleep and eat, when they came down to work the land.
In March 1912, their son Jake and friend, Ostwalt Huck, were moving the horses down to pasture and were caught in a snowstorm south of Greensburg. They had to stay in a near farm house until the storm ended.
Then in July they loaded up their possessions on header barges, with the children, Lydia, Jake, Mattie, Martha, Eddie, Sarah, and Edith, and began the trip to their land south of Coldwater.
The land agent rented them his house just east of their land (But, they had to make their small house do until the tenant moved out). Living there until their pre-cut Gordon Van Tile house was ready for them.
In December of 1912, Lydia married John Huck. Later on, Mattie married Ostwalt Huck, Sarah married George Huck, Edith married Manuel Huck, and Martha married Henry E. Howland from Arkansas, Jake married Helen E. Boese from Colorado, and Eddie married Rose Novlan at Midvale, Utah. Eddie and Rose moved to Eveleth, Minnesota with their two sons, James and Robert and their families, they were all listed among the suvivors when Eddie died November 3, 1970. In July of 1926, Jacob Kindsvater was in the hospital at Wichita, and died there at the age of 55 years and eleven months. During this time the barn on his farm burned.
On Sunday May 1, 1938, a tornado struck the home place, destroying the barn and the large machine shed, also making scrap iron out of George W. Hall's threshing machine parked nearby. In 1945, the farm land was sold, Mattie and Ostwalt Huck, bought the home place, and Jake and Helen Kindsvater bought the land near the Oklahoma state line.
And the Mother, Eva Kindsvater moved to Coldwater, where she enjoyed her work of making quilts and gardening until her death in September 1953, at the age of 79.
Ostwalt and Mattie remodeled the Gordon Van Tile house and lived there until Ostwalt died, the house was moved to east main in Coldwater, where Mattie lived until her death August 4, 1980. Edith alone remains to help fill in the history, of a family that came to America, to be free to buy land and make their living working for themselves.
Comanche County History, p. 483, Comanche County Historical Society, 1981
The Western Star, September 25, 1953.
Services Held Sunday For Eva Kindsvater
Had Been a Resident of Comanche County Since 1912
Funeral services for Mrs. Eva Kindsvater, who passed away in the Comanche County Hospital on Thursday, September 17, were held in the Methodist church in this city last Sunday afternoon at 2:30 and were in charge of Elder Williams of the Wellington Seventh Day Adventist church, assisted by Rev. H. C. Atkins, pastor of the Coldwater Methodist church.
Mr. and Mrs. Gurney T. Hadley sang "Abide With Me," "Rock of Ages" and "Near to the Heart of God," accompanied on the organ by George Wolf. The active pallbearers were Wayne Kindsvater, Delmar Huck, Leon Howland, Vernon Huck, Kenneth Huck and Eugene Huck, grandsons of the deceased.
The honorary pallbearers were John Unruh, Walter Harness, G. G. Haas, Nick Pepperd, L. W. McCulla and Vernon Pepperd. Interment was in Crown Hill cemetery by the side of her husband.
Obituary. Eva Catherine Birig was born to Mary Elizabeth and Jacob Birig in South Russia on June 14, 1874, and died in the Comanche County Hospital on September 17, 1953, at the age of 78 years, 3 months and 3 days.
On December 3, 1892, she was united in marriage with Jacob Kindsvater. To this union were born nine children - seven daughters and two sons. Two daughters died in infancy.
In December, 1899, she, with her husband and three children, came to America, settling at Pawnee Rock, Kans. In 1912 the family moved to Comanche county and lived on a farm south of Coldwater.
Mrs. Kindsvater's husband preceded her in death on July 8, 1926. She continued to live on the farm until 1945, when she moved to Coldwater.
As a young girl she became a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church and remained faithful to her belief until death.
She is survived by seven children, as follows: Lydia Huck of Ashland, Jake Kindsvater and Mattie and Edith Huck of Coldwater, Martha Howland of Meade, Eddie Kindsvater of Eveleth, Minn., and Sarah Huck of Chase, Kans., 25 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Mary Bachm, of Bazine, Kans., and by a host of friends.
Mrs. Kindsvater was a kind and loving wife and mother and will be greatly missed by her loved ones and friends.
Related links:
Search for Kindsvater at the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia
This website is being created by Jerry Ferrin, who welcomes your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site.Thanks to Bobbi (Hackney) Huck for her help with this page, which was added to this site 08 Sept 2002 and last updated 6 Feb 2006.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news obituary to this web site!