Carolyn Morado
Research question: Find information about Paul Roberts, my grandmother’s 5th husband
Primary questions: Where did Paul go after marriage with my grandmother broke up in
1921. When/where did he die? Other questions: To whom and how many times did he
marry? Did he ever divorce anyone? Inquiring minds want to know! ;-)
Let’s follow his parents, sisters and brothers. See if any of their records gives information
about Paul. Specifically, let’s look for their obituaries, which will often name next of kin.
And if any of them died unmarried, a probate record for that sibling.
Add to what we already have this FindAGrave information, which I found when looking at
the burial records of August and Ernestine.
Carolyn Morado
CHRONOLOGY of the Robbert/Robberts/Roberts family
1845 birth of Ernestina/ Austina ____ in Germany.
1847 birth of August Robbert Pomerein, Germany
Sometime before 1874 August Robbert marries he mother of these children

ca 1874 birth of Carl Robbert, Germany

ca 1878 birth of Hubert Robbert, Germany

ca 1876 birth of Gustav Robert

Ca 1882 birth of Willy Robert, who is listed as age 8 on 1890 passenger list

Nov. 8, 1879-1883 birth of Paul Robbert, Germany (draft card says 1879, 1900 says
Nov. 1881) -- note he is listed as age 7 on ship passenger list in 1890. This is
inconsistent with later records.
Ca 1883 August Robert marries Ernestina (they are married 17 years in 1900) Ernestina,
then is the mother of only Fritz. If she had 7 children, they were evidently from a prior
marriage. [ I suspect that they were married 27 years, not 17 in 1900 and there is one
mother, but at this point we don’t know]

Ca 1889 birth of Fritz, the infant on the 1890 passenger list and presumably one of
Ernestina’s seven children.
16 June 1890, arrival at New York.
Passenger list, steerage class, German Steamer Polynesia, all in family (and most on list) b.
Prussia. List of steerage passengers Sailed from port of Stettin
Carolyn Morado
"New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," index and images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR3-H8J5 : accessed 20 April 2015), August
Robert, 1890; citing NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National
Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm
Chronology
1890 16 Jun, 1890, Immigration (from Germany)
Arrived Port of New York; Ship – Polynesia
August Robert, 39
Ernestina, 43
Carl 16; Hubert 12; Gustav 11; Willy 8; Paul 7; Fritz 1
1893 Ottillie Robert marries F.W. Paul Sattler in Norfolk, Madison Co., Nebraska
The FindAGrave record asserts she is a sister.
Carolyn Morado
1900 US Census, June 21,
Dewey Precinct, Stanton, NE, June 21
Paul Robert, w; m; Nov 1881; 18; single; Germany; fa/mo Germany; farm
laborer Year of immigration and naturalization status left blank. (enumerated
w/ Wax family) (I’m assuming this is “my” P.R. as family is nearby)
Also in 1900 census, Norfolk, Madison, NE
August Robert; 52; DOB Sep 1847; born Germany, fa/mo Germany;
married 17 years;
Immigration 1890; US 10 years; day laborer, read and write – no; English yes
Ernestina Robert; 54; wife DOB Jan 1845; married 17 mother of 7 children,
7 living; Germany, fa/mo Germany; immigration 1890; US 10 years; read and
write – no; English yes
Gustave Wenrick; 25; son DOB Nov 1874; single; Germany, fa/mo Germany;
immigration 1890; US 10 years; read and write – no; English yes (assume
sister Hattie in prison records is the 7th child of family, apparently born in US)
The Wenrick name is crossed out. It seems likely that this is the son Gustave.
If they have really been married only 17 years, Ernestina is not the mother of all his
children. It is also possible that they had been married 27 years, not 17, and it was
an arithmetic error. We will see what 1910 tells us.
This census gives rise to other questions. It indicates all 7 children are living.
Where is Fritz, who would be only about 11? Where are the other children?
Carolyn Morado
1901 November 26
Paul is committed to Anamosa reformatory in Iowa for burglary (20 yrs old;
resident of Woodbury County; sentenced to 1 yr in prison; born in Germany, waiter,
unmarried; date of expiration of term was 10/22/1902; expiration of sentence
8/18/1903) (it’s called a reformatory but was essentially the men’s penitentiary)
1910 US Census, April 20, Buffalo City-part of (Erie) NY
Paul Roberts, 28, boarding; born NY, fa/mo NY, porter, hotel (enumerated with
other hotel staff) (again, assuming this is “my” PR as family is nearby)
Also in 1910 census, April 23, North Tonawanda (Niagara) New York
August Robert; m; w; 60 yrs; m2; 26 yrs present marriage; born Germany; fa/mo
Germany; immigration 1989; naturalized; (?) mill; can read/write
Austina Robert; f; w; 64 yrs; m1; 26 yrs; 7 children, 6 living; born Germany; fa/mo
Germany; immigration 1889; naturalized; can read/write
And this census repeats the later date of marriage between August and
Austina/Ernestina and confirms an earlier marriage for August. M2 =married more
than once. M1=married once. It makes no sense that this is Ernestina’s only
marriage, occurring when she was in her late 30’s, yet she is the mother of 7
children. Paul Roberts ancestry is not a concern in this investigation, but I don’t
think we can rely on 7 being the exact number of children. Note one child has died.
Might this be Fritz, who probably was Ernestina’s son and was not in the 1900
census.
1914 April 3, entered prison in Nebraska , horse stealing, 1-10 yr sentence; (convicted
in March 1914); paroled 5-15-15 (or possibly 1916 – writing hard to decipher),
Alias = Wallace; born NY, laborer, complexion: dark; hair: black; eyes: blue
Relatives:
wife Etta Roberts, Sioux City, Iowa
Father: Augustus Roberts, Pierce NE
Brother: Hubert Roberts, Tecumseh, NE
Sister: Hattie Swarts, Pierce, NE
Friend: Gustave Mansh (or Maush), Pierce NE
Paul enters NE penitentiary (alias Wallace); Inmate # 6289; Pierce County; horse
stealing; sentenced 1-10; term when convicted March 14; lived in NE 17 yrs; born
NY; religion none; guilty no; age 30; laborer; 5’7” 117 ½ lb; complexion dark; hair
black; eyes blue; 4 vaccination scars, 3 scars on back from 606 treatment
1915 May (could be 1916 as copy is hard to read but think it’s probably 1915)
paroled/discharged from NE penitentiary
1916 Sep. 2 or Oct. 7
Paul Robbert and Jennie Tate marry in Dakota City, NE; both of Sioux City, Iowa,
both divorced; Paul is photographer, P’s father is August Robbert, birthplace given
as NY
Carolyn Morado
1918 September 12
Paul registers for draft; 38 years; 431 W Kemp, Watertown; (DOB given as
11/8/1879) self employed as junk dealer; nearest relative Jennie Roberts wifw
1918 ca. October My mother is brought to Watertown, SD and given to Paul & Jennie. (the
family story gave her an arrival in August but court papers indicate late October)
1920 US Census, January 15, Watertown, SD
Paul Roberts; 38; renting; born NY, fa/mo NY NY; manager (wrecking co?)
Genevieve; wife; 38; born MI, fa/mo MI MI
Kenneth Roberts; son; 18; born Iowa; fa Ohio mo MI (actually stepson; father’s
birthplace is given as Ohio which doesn’t fit Paul nor does it fit individual thought to be
Kenneth’s actual father ),
Viviene; daughter; born SD, fa NY mo MI (consistent with Paul and Genevieve); no
indication of adoption
Also in 1920 census, Jan 10, Pierce, Pierce, NE
August Robbert, home owned free; m; w; 69; married; immigration 1889;
naturalized; born Pomerain Germany; fa/ma Pomerain Germany; speak English no;
laborer
Ernestina Robbert, f; w; 72; married; immigration 1889; pa, born Pomerain
Germany, fa/ma Pomerain Germany; speak English no
Note: August Robbert died 13 Dec 1920 (Find a Grave – August Robbert)
Pierce, Pierce, Nebraska, burial Prospect View Cemetery
1921 Sioux Falls City Directory – Paul Roberts listed as a “houseman” living in a rooming
house This may or may not be “my” PR as the timing is a little off. The guardianship
hearing that Paul instigated to take mom away from my grandmother was in October
1921. Not sure what happened w/ him after that.
Carolyn Morado
So now let’s look at all the potential brothers and sisters to try to determine how we might
find out when and where they died, so we can get obituaries for them. We are looking for
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Ottelea (Robbert) Sattler
Hattie (Robbert) Schwartz
Carl b. ca 1874 Germany;
Hubert b. ca 1878 Germany
Gustav b. ca 1879 Germany
Will[iam?] b. ca 1882 Germany
Fritz b. ca 1889 Germany
Start with the person for whom we have death information… Ottlea Sattler. We know
where she was died and where she was buried. Newspapers in both towns might provide
an obituary. With any luck, that information might also help us trace other brothers and
sisters.
Hattie: In 1914 Hattie lived in Pierce, Nebraska and we find her there in 1930
She is also there in 1940. So I went to FindAGrave to find Gustav Schwarz and from that
we have another death date – a year at least. Her name was Hedwig Robbert and she died
in 1956.
Carolyn Morado
Hidden in the website of the Pierce County (Nebraska) Public Library page is information
about their Genealogy Help Group. Here is the URL for that page…
http://www.piercepubliclibrary.org/Genealogy.html I would contact them for assistance
in finding obituaries and other information from the newspapers.
Hubert Robbert was also relatively easy to trace as he kept the Robbert spelling and
became a minister. Some newspaper notices on him can be found in Chronicling America.
Here is is marriage record.
and here is his Find A Grave site. Find newspapers from Fremont and get microfilm copy
on interlibrary loan. Or you can request it directly from the Fremont library, but note that
if they can’t find it in a half hour their fee goes up another $15.
http://www.fremontne.gov/index.aspx?nid=119 I’ll bet he also has a Pierce obit.
Carolyn Morado
2 more tidbits that could be followed up on if necessary.
1. Could this be Willie?
2. Could this be Paul Roberts in 1940?