Benjamin C. Unruh

At the far east end of the main road running through Leeleva, Jake Unruh indicates the house of

his father, Benjamin C. Unruh.

Benjamin Unruh House

Benjamin was born on March 22, 1863, in Karolswalde, to Cornelius and Susanna (Wedel)

Unruh. Benjamin’s lineage beyond his grandparents is not very clear at this point; in all

likelihood they moved into Volhynia from West Prussia or Brandenburg around the turn of the

19th

Century. Benjamin was baptized by Johan Schartner in Leeleva in 1883 and married Eva

Boese in 1887.

Eva Boese was born in the Village of Grünthal on December 21, 1870, to Tobias and Anna

(Nachtigall) Boese. Tobias lived a couple houses to the west in the village. Eva had been

baptized at the same time as Benjamin. The two were married by the minister Tobias Boese.

Fourteen children were born to the couple in Leeleva, seven of whom survived infancy:

Tobias, born 12 Sep 1887; died in infancy

John, born 12 Dec 1888; died in infancy

Jacob B., born 21 Jun 1891

Henry, born 10 Oct 1893; died in infancy

Helen, born 1 Mar 1895

Adam, born 16 Feb 1897; died in infancy

Andrew B., born 14 Dec 1897

David, born 14 Dec 1897; died in infancy

Bernhard B., born 24 Feb 1900

Susanna, born 28 May 1901; died in infancy

Carolina F., born 2 Jul 1902

Elizabeth, born 10 Aug 1904; died in infancy

Fred B., born 10 Aug 1904

August, born 19 May 1906

Three more children were born after the family immigrated to America in 1907, two of whom

died in infancy:

Amelia Marie "Mella", born 16 Jul 1908

Nettie, born 1912; died in infancy

Anna, born 19 Jan 1912; died in infancy

Among other relationships with other Leeleva villagers, Benjamin Unruh was a nephew to Peter

Jacob Wedel. Benjamin’s wife Eva (Boese) was a half-sister to Katherine Boese who was the

wife of Andreas Ratslaff’s (Ratzlaff) oldest brother, Henry. (Note: all the Leeleva Families

were inter-related in various ways. Eva Boese also had a brother named Adam whose wife

Carolina Unruh was a member of another Leeleva Family which is not shown on the Jake

Unruh map: the Benjamin P Unruhs.)

This certificate, signed by “The minister of the Mennonite Church of the Ostrog district:

Johann Böhse” at “Lilewa by Ostrog” in 1893 states in German that Benjamin, his wife Eva, all

of their parents, as well as the four children who had been born by that point, were of the

Mennonite faith. Note the seal of the Mennonite Church of Lilewa at the bottom of the

document.

Benjamin Unruh Mennonite Certificate; 1893

In May of 1907 the Benjamin Unruh Family, along with the Peter Wedels and the Andrew

Ratzlaffs, immigrated to America. The family left Leeleva probably in April and arrived in

Bremen, Germany, in time to board the ship S.S. Weimar, which was departing for Baltimore,

Maryland, on May 11, 1907. This “fahrkarte” or ticket, shows the Benjamin Unruh Family

ultimately bound for Galva in McPherson County, Kansas. Note that the price for the adult

passengers was 120.00 German Marks; 60 Marks for the children; and 0 Marks for the very

small ones.

Benjamin Unruh Family Fahrkarte; 1907

Of special note on this ticket is the fact that the names of Jacob and Helena are marked out (this

is indeed the name of Jake Unruh, the author of the Leeleva Map). The names were marked out

because Helena was compelled to stay behind because she did not pass the health inspection

required to board the S.S. Weimar. Jake stayed back with her and the two had to wait a little

more than a month for Helena’s health condition to clear.

On June 22, 1907, Jake and Helena were able to board the S.S. Main and proceed to Baltimore.

Note that on the passenger list for the S.S. Main, Jake indicates his home village of Leleve.

Jacob and Helena Unruh Aboard the S.S. Main; 1907

Jake and Helena arrived in Kansas and soon joined their family near Galva.

Half Cousins in 1913: Jonas Ratzloff (son of Henry J Ratzloff) and Jake Unruh (son of

Benjamin C Unruh)

Continues . . .

Unruh Family at the Passing of Their Mother in 1914: Fred, Carolina, August, Bernard,

Andrew, Amelia, Benjamin C., Simon Koehn and Helena

Eva and Benjamin are both buried in Burrton, Kansas.

Benjamin C and Eva Base (Boese) Unruh Gravestone