Individual Details

TIMELINE FOR LUX AND FRIEND FAMILY
1812 Franziska born about 1812
1831 Franziska Hauer & Josef Lux married
1832 John Lux born in Germany, s/o Franziska Hauer & Joseph Lux
1833 Anna Lux born
1835 Augusta Lux born in Germay, d/o of Franziska Hauer & Joseph Lux
1838 Theresi Lux born
1839 Johanna Lux born
1842 Franz Lux born
1844 John Lux dies in Neu Altmannsdorf
1845 Franziska marries Albert Karras
1845 Mary Karras born
1847 Robert Karras, s/o Franziska & Albert Karras born Neu Altmansdorf
1852 Albert Karras (2), s/o Franziska & Albert (1) born Neu Altmannsdorf
1853 John Lux to U.S. -- 21 years old
1853 Louisa Krosinsky emigrates (1858 per 1900 census)
185_ John Lux & Louis Krosinsky marry
1858 Oscar Lux, John Lux's first child, born in St. Peter, Nicollet Co., Minn. (12 Oct 1858)
1862 John Lux is a Private, St. Peter, Frontier Guards
1865 John & Louisa are in Oshawa twp., Nicollet Co. (1865 census)
1868 Louise Lux born Hudson, Wis., d/o John Lucks
1869 Albert Karras (2) to Hudson to John Lux
1870 Census - John Lucks in Hudson - a grocer
1871 HST, Lux House (Wild Hunter) is now called St. Croix House
1875 Robert Karras to Hudson - age 28
1879 John Lucks builds 2-story building for store
1882 Max Friend, s/o of Augusuta Lux & Robert Friend emigrates
1886 John Lux is officer in Hudson I.O.O.F.
1887 Augusta Lux & Robert Friend to Hudson
1891 John Lux receives a load of melons
1893 Name change, Lucks & Son to Lucks & Friend (Max Friend)
1894 Max Friend dies
1895 Lucks business in Hudson has a new manager
1898 E.J. Caves leases Lux home at corner of 7th & St. Croix
1900 Census - John Lucks resides in Minneapolis
1902 Lucks house at 7th & St. Croix is sold
1907 John Lux dies in Chicago
1907 John Lux buried in Hudson

Our great, great grandfather, Josef Lux was born about 1801. He died1 on 11 Jul 1844 in Neu Altmansdorf in the Prussian province of Silesia and was buried on 14 Jul 1844. Josef married2 Franziska Hauer, daughter of Franz Hauer on 23 Nov 1831 in Neu Altmansdorf. Franziska was born about 1812.

Grandma Gartmann's mother, Augusta Lux, was born in 1833 in Neu Altmannsdorf in the Prussian province of Schlesien or Silesia in the Kreis of Munsterberg. Neu Altmannsdorf was a "dorf" or village of approximately 931 population in a predominatly Catholic area. The province of Schlesien had three districts: Breslau with 24 Kreise (counties); Oppeln with 20 Kreise; and Liegnitz with 21 Kreise. Augusta's family resided in the district of Breslau.

As a result of World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany and its allies, the boundaries of nearly every country in Central Europe changed. In some cases the changes were relatively minor while in others they were significant. This was particularly the case for Germany and Poland-all of Silesia, West Prussia and more becoming a part of Poland.

The modern, Polish, name for the village of Neu Altmannsdrf is Starczowek. The modern name for Breslau is Wroclaw.

In 1990 and 1991, both Marilyn Casanova and I, separately, contacted the archives in Wroclaw for information on the Lux, Karras and Friend family. The replies were in Polish and were translated by a member of the Polish Genealogy Society in the Twin Cities. The archives provided marriage information for Josef and Franziska, birth information for Augusta and her siblings, the death of Josef Lux and the marriage of Franzika to Albert Karras. They were not able to provide birth information for either Josef or Franziska nor a death date for her. The archive stated “she must have died elsewhere.”

The marriage entry for Josef and Franziska notes that he is 30 years old, single, a local free cottager and his occupation is Stellemeister. The translator noted that though “stellemeister” is typed, it appears to be misspelled-he might be an overseer (boss) of a place or, if he is a Stellmacher, then he is a master wheelwright. She couldn’t be certain. Franziska was 19 years old, single, the legitimate daughter of Franz Hauer, an independent (free) farmer.

Josef and Franziska had the following children:

Josef J., later known as John J. Lux or Lucks, born 26 Mar 1832
Anna Lux, born 1833
Augusta Lux, Grandma Gartmann’s mother, born 1835
Theresie Lux, born 1838
Johanna Lux, born 1839
Franziska Lux, born 1842

At the time of his death in 1844, of consumption (tuberculosis) Josef was a harness maker and free cottager. After his death Franziska married the bachelor harness maker Albert Karras in1845. Albert, the son of Joseph Karras, was born about 1819 and died in 1878. At the time of their marriage Albert was 26 years of age and Franziska was 32.

Albert and Franzika had the following children:

Maria (Mary) Karras born 1845.
Robert D. Karras born 1847.
Albert Karras born 1852

Of these children of Franzisika, four are known to have emigrated to America. They are John J. Lux, Augusta Lux, Robert Karras and Albert Karras. There is reason to believe that others of the family may have emigrated but to date that information has not been found. As will be noted later in this narrative, the obituary of Augusta and Robert Friend’s son, Max Friend, states “The deceased was born in Neu Altmansdorf, Germany, Oct. 6, 1866, came to America Sept. 1, 1882, locating in New Baltimore, Michigan where he worked for his uncle at the shoemaker trade until 1886. He then came to Hudson and began driving delivery wagon for "J.J. Lucks & Son's Grocery.”

I’ve spent many hours looking for Max’s “shoemaker” uncle in New Baltimore. We don’t have a first name or a surname-he may have been a husband of one of Max’s biological aunts. I’ve gone through the 1880 census microfilm for Macomb county, Michigan where New Baltimore is located, line by line, looking for anyone with an occupation related to that of a shoemaker or cobbler, who had a wife with the first name of one of Max’s aunts-Anna, Theresie, Johanna, Franziska or Maria. It’s a mystery that I leave for the next generation of researchers.

Birth	Abt 1801
Marriage	23 Nov 1831	Neu Altmansdorf, Silesia - Franziska Hauer
Death	11 Jul 1844	Neu Altmansdorf, Silesia
Burial	14 Jul 1844

Spouse	Franziska Hauer (1812 - )
Child	John J. Lux (Lucks) (1832 - 1907)
Child	Anna Lux (1833 - )
Child	Augusta Lux (1835 - 1918)
Child	Theresie Lux (1838 - )
Child	Johanna Lux (1839 - )
Child	Franziska Lux (1842 - )