Fred Pohle (1862-1921), Prussia > Spokane Co WA
JOHANN FRIEDRICH "FRED" POHLE was born in Prussia (now Germany) in or around 1862, died in Deep Creek Township, Spokane Co WA, on 3 Apr 1921 and was buried in West Greenwood Cemetery, Spokane. His age was listed as 58 years, 3 months and 17 days. Calculating using this age and death date, he would have been born on or around 15 Dec 1862. His age was entered on the census as 48 in 1910 and, obviously incorrectly, as 52 in 1920.
Fred immigrated to the United States in 1888, according to US census records. A Hamburg, Germany, ship's passenger list shows that on July 28, 1888, Friedrich Pohle, age 26, laborer (= "Arbeiter"), from Prussia (= "Preußen"), prior residence "Sonnenburg", departed Hamburg on the steamship "Lincoln", bound for Grimsby, England. The passengers were on their way to North America via Liverpool. Fred's destination in the U.S. was listed simply as "Ritzville". Ritzville, in Adams County, eastern Washington, was a popular place of settlement for Germans in the 1880's.
The "Lincoln" sailed only between Hamburg and Grimsby. Having arrived at Grimsby, Fred would have taken a train to Liverpool and boarded a transatlantic vessel there. It is said that at that time the crossing to America took about 10 days.
The passenger list of the ship "Germanic" shows "Fred. Pohke", age 26, laborer, from Poland, arriving in New York City on August 10, 1888. That "Pohke" is the Friedrich Pohle who came to Grimsby on the "Lincoln" is indicated by the fact that several of Fred's fellow passengers on the "Lincoln" arrived with "Pohke" on the "Germanic". Index to Petitions for Naturalization in Washington District Court shows Fred Pohle's petition in Vol. D-2, Page 263.
Sometime in the early 1890's Fred married ANNA MARIA H. RUPNOW. She was born in Pomerania 7 Jan 1877. Around 1922, after Fred died, Anna married Ernest J. Bradbury (1873-1946). Her death date has not been learned.
A search for Fred and Anna in the 1900 census did not locate them. They are listed in the 1910 and 1920 censuses of Deep Creek Township, Spokane County. Fred's occupation was farmer.
He and Anna apparently had 10 or 11 children, at least four of whom died in infancy or before reaching adulthood. The online transcription of gravestones in West Greenwood Cemetery, Spokane, shows markers for Carl, Fred, Frederick, John and Walter Otto Pohle. Fred is in plot B2, L70; possibly this is the immigrant father. The others are in plot B2, L68. Of these, John and Walter Otto were documented sons of Fred who died young, so it's possible Carl and Frederick were other sons who died young before records were kept. No son named Christopher, Carl or Frederick is found in Fred's household in the 1910 or 1920 census.
1. CHRISTOPHER POHLE, b ca 1894 Peone Prairie, Spokane Co WA. He may be buried in West Greenwood Cem under the name Carl or Frederick.
2. WILLIAM HENRY POHLE, b 31 Oct 1896 Peone Prairie, Spokane Co WA, d 7 May 1949 Spokane. Worked for future stepfather, E. J. Bradbury, in 1918, RFD 5, Spokane. Single, living alone, farming at Deep Creek, Spokane Co, in 1930.
3. ALBERT ERNEST POHLE, b 12 Oct 1898 WA, d 5 Jan 1954 (not 1963, as another source has it), bur Holy Cross Cem, Spokane WA. Registering for the WWI draft in 1918, Albert stated he was a laborer working for Carl Cunningham at Del Rio, Douglas Co WA. Father was John Fred Pohle of RFD 5, Spokane. Albert's physical description was medium height and build, gray eyes, brown hair. Married Kathryn Elizabeth Lynch 22 Aug 1927 in Kootenai Co ID. Son James Albert Pohle, b 3 May 1929, d 30 Dec 2002 Monroe WA, m Mary Rettkowski.
For Kathryn Lynch's ancestry, see the web site at
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=tincanman&id=I077057http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=tincanman&id=I077057
For the Rettkowski family line, see
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=:519042&id=I1553http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=:519042&id=I1553
4. OTTO WALTER POHLE, b 27 Aug 1900 WA, d Feb 1972 Spokane. Twin of Walter Otto, who died young. 1930 Spokane census shows him as a stock room man for a battery company. Wife Mabel, one daughter, one son, Dick W. Pohle (1928-2009).
5. WALTER OTTO POHLE, b 27 Aug 1900 WA, twin to Otto Walter, died at three months, bur West Greenwood Cem, Spokane Co WA.
6. ERNEST C. POHLE, b ca 1902. Social Security Death Index shows one Ernest Pohle, b 15 Feb 1902, d May 1976 Spokane. On the 1930 Spokane census Ernest C. is listed in brother Otto's household (although out of order, last line on page). Entered as age 28, widower, married at age 23, delivery man for a battery company. One Ernest C. Pohle, born 1902 WA, resident of King Co WA, enlisted in US Army in Tacoma on 17 Dec 1942. He was a widower, no dependents, civil occupation mechanic or airplane repairman. Height 66", weight 144 lbs.
7. CLARA A. POHLE, b 5 or 7 Jul 1905, d 21 Dec 1974 Medical Lake WA, m ca 1929 WILLIAM WARD. Listed in 1930 census of Kahlotus Precinct, Franklin Co WA. William was section foreman on railroad. Clara's uncles Albert and John Rupnow were in the household, both laborers on the railroad.
8. EMMA H. POHLE, b ca 1908. Middle initial from census. Clerk in Spokane hotel in 1930.
9. JOHN ROBERT POHLE, d 12 Apr 1918 Medical Lake, Spokane Co WA, d at 3 months of age, bur West Greenwood Cem, Spokane Co WA. (Online transcription of his birth record says John was born 13 Jan 1919. Photo of grave marker is online at Findagrave.com, but dates, if on stone, are illegible in the photo.)
As stated above, Carl and Frederick may have been names of other sons born to Fred and Anna.