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After 40 years, I finally found Otto, Clara and the four girls
on immigrant passenger ships in 1894

house in Solingen
House in Solingen-Graefrath


CLARA REUTER 1859-1920
(pronounced 'Roy ter')

OTTO UNTERSTE VOOS/VOHS 1851-1917
(pronounced 'Foos')

The source of the name of Clara is Latin expression meaning "Brilliant".

"Auta" is the source of the name of "Otto", an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Wealth"
Source: Babynamer.com

Clara was born 6 Feb 1858 in Solingen (zoh'-ling-en), Rhine Province, Prussia, the daughter of Anton-Antonius Carl Reuter, a Schuster (shoemaker) b. 5 Feb 1832 in Polch (a district of Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate) and Alwine Schmittert b. 9 Oct 1833 in Solingen. Their first born, she was baptized on 4 March 1858. Sponsors were
Robert Buxterbach and Frieda Weber, both married and residents of Solingen.

On 4 October 1879, in Solingen, Clara married Otto Unterste Voos/Vohs, an Eisengießer (iron caster) b 18 Jan 1851, son of deceased parents Wilhelm Unterste Voos/Vohs and Louise Döpper. Otto was born in Elberfeld, Rhine Province, Prussia. Witnesses to their marriage were August Muschick, a Schreiner (carpenter), 25 years old and Matthias Müller, a Schuhmacher (shoemaker), 25 years old, both residents of Solingen. Clara and Otto, were listed as Evangelical. They lived at No. 10 Kronenbergerstraß (Kronenberger Street), Solingen.

In 1893 Otto, age 42, sailed 3rd class to America from Solingen, Germany. Carrying only one bag, he left Vlissingen (Flushing in English), Netherlands on 10 Dec 1893 aboard the SS Baumwall and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on 1 Jan 1894 taking about 21 days. The mainifest gave his occupation as an iron molder, with funds of only $4.00 remaining. He was to meet his brother-in-law Otto Reuter in Milwaukee. Clara left Germany with the girls on 9 May 1894. They traveled aboard the SS Switzerland, from Antwerp, Belgium and arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. on 23 May 1894, taking about 14 days. According to the ship's mainifest, Clara was 36 years, 3 months; Helene was 13 years, 3 months; Adele was 11 years, 9 months; Elsie was 9 years, 8 months and Paula (Pauline Helen) was 4 years, 9 months. All could read and write English. Travel was 116 mi. or 186 km from Solingen to Antwerp. Clara's funds remaining amounted to $3.00, although she did have tickets sent by Otto,
to take them on to meet him in Milwaukee, their final destination.

Clara & Otto were blessed with four daughters, Helene 9 Jul 1881; Adele 17 Jul 1882, married Edward Oliver Hamilton Logan; Elsie 27 Jun 1884, married Charles A. Fischer; and Paula (Pauline Helen) married Joseph Schwier. Helene born in 1881 passed away before 1900.
The family settled in Buffalo, New York after leaving Milwaukee about 1899. As of the 8 Jun 1900 Census, the family lived on Mortimer St. in Buffalo. Otto was employed as an Iron Molder, Adele and Elsie were employed as servants, Pauline was in school. Clara had 4 children, 3 were living, as Helene had passed away.

Visit the Otto Reuter and App family biographies.

See photos below of the ships that plied the North Atlantic during the late 1800s. I have added a few details about the three ships. Also visit 'Norway Heritage', a site that tells about the trials and hardships of Transatlantic Crossings.

Clara and Otto left Germany because they did not approve of the policies of 'The Kaiser', William II, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia. The Kaiser's policies helped to bring about World War I. See the paragraphs below about German history.

Information from my Mother, Leta Logan Hapeman: A family named Kuhn came to America at about the same time as Clara and Otto. Some of their family had previously migrated to Buffalo, and had owned since 1800, the business 'Kuhn Monuments' on Genesee near Pine Ridge Rd. Otto was employed there as a stone polisher for a number of years.
Clara and Otto's monument was made by the Kuhn family.

Otto passed away 31 May 1917, Clara 16 Jun 1920.
Both are buried in Buffalo Cemetery, Cheektowaga, Erie County, New York
Their locations are:
Otto, Sect H Lot 286 Grave 1
Clara, Sect H Lot 289 Grave 3
The plots are on a corner and therefore are side by side

VIEW THEIR MONUMENT


Nordrheine-Westfalen CrestNordrheine-Westfalen Crest
The SS Switzerland

ss switzerland  ss switzerland

Captain Hans Dirderik Boxrud was the Master for the Red Star Line SS Switzerland in May 1894. Dr. Edmond Yard Burrough was the physician and surgeon with 23 years experience under the authority of the University of Penn. Built by Palmers, the ship carried 220 passengers. It was two masted steam, launched 17 Jan 1874 for service from Antwerp to Philadelphia and weighing 2816 tons. Dimensions, 329 ft. x 39 ft., straight bow, one funnel and two masts. Construction and propulsion, iron hull, single screw, 2 cylinder compound engine, service speed was 13 knots. In 1905 it was sold to an Italian company and renamed Sansone. It was scrapped in 1909.

The SS Baumwall/Christiania 1890
2,811 gross tons, length 330.2 ft x beam 41 ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw, speed 11 knots. Accommodation for 10-1st and 620-3rd class passengers. Built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, she was launched for the Hansa Line on 28 August 1890 as the Baumwall. The first Master was Captain Heinrich Schuldt. The Surgeon was Dr. Rufolf Fabian. Her first voyage from Hamburg to Quebec and Montreal started on 23 May 1891, and in March 1892 she was taken over by Hamburg America Line together with the rest of the Hansa Line Fleet. Renamed Christiania in 1895 she continued Hamburg-Montreal sailings. On 6 April 1897 she started her first Stettin-New York sailing and commenced her seventh and last voyage on this route on 26 Sept. 1900. Between 30 April 1900 and 31 May 1901, she made four Genoa-Naples-New York sailings and started her last Hamburg-New York voyage on 16 Oct 1907. In 1910 she was sold to Emil R. Retzlaff, Stettin and on 14 Feb 1913 was sunk in a collision off Borkum Island, Germany.
Ref: North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P. Bonsor, vol 1, p.399
Borkum Island is in north Germany in the North Sea.
Since 1945 Stettin, Germany is known as Szcecin, and is now part of Poland.


German Ship, name unknown
german ship

Ships like this also traveled the North Atlantic 1874-1897, from Hamburg, Germany to New York City, carrying 990 passengers, 90 first class, 100 second class and 800 third class. It also has one funnel and two masts and is similar to the SS Switzerland & the SS Baumwall.


Solingen (zoh'-ling-en) History:

Solingen, a city in west central Germany, on the Wupper River, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Located 19km (12 mi) southeast of Düsseldorf, it has been famous for cutlery since the 13th century. Other manufacturing includes chemicals and petrochemicals. It manufactures surgical instruments, steel and iron products, and machine tools. The city was chartered in 1374 and passed to the control of Prussia in 1815. Solingen was severely damaged during World War ll (1939-1945). Population in 2009 was 161,366.



Early Germany History

Frederick William IV (1795-1861), king of Prussia (1840-61), attempted to unite German states under Prussian rule. The son of Frederick William III, he was born in Berlin on 15 Oct 1795. After suffering two paralytic strokes in 1857, Frederick William became mentally unfit to rule. In 1858 a regency was established under his brother William, who, as William I, succeeded to the throne when Frederick William died 2 Jan 1861.

William I, full name Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig (1797-1888), emperor of Germany (1871-88) and king of Prussia (1861-88), reigned during the unification of Germany under the Prussian crown. He was born 22 Mar 1797, in Berlin, the second son of Frederick William III of Prussia and his queen, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. William declared at his coronation, that he "ruled by favor of God, and of no one else". Upon his death in Berlin on 9 Mar 1888, son Frederick William succeeded him as Frederick III.

William II (of Germany and Prussia), full name Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert (1859-1941), emperor of Germany and king of Prussia (1888-1918), policies helped to bring about World War I. William, also known as Kaiser Wilhelm, was born 27 Jan 1859, in Berlin and educated at the University of Bonn. He was the son of Prince Frederick William, later German emperor as Frederick III, and Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. In 1881, after a period of military service, he married Augusta Victoria, princess of Schleswig-Holstein. He became emperor in 1888 upon the death of his father, who had reigned for only three months. After the death of Augusta Victoria in 1921, he married Hermine, the princess of Schönaich-Carolath. He lived to see the resurgence of German armed power and after his death 4 June 1941,
was buried with military honors by order of Hitler.
ref: Microsoft Encarta 2000

A MUST READ:
History of Germany

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© 1 November 2001
Great-Granddaughter Joan Hapeman Somers
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