Karl Friedrich Kiesel Family

Karl Friedrich Kiesel Family
Germany, Hawaii & Washington

Karl Friedrich August Kiesel
b. 31 Aug. 1840 Bremen, Germany
d. 10 May 1934 Los Angeles, California , (age 93, 8 mo.)
cremated: in Inglewood Park Cem. 5/12/34
ashes placed in Augusta's grave 1-88 #141 Old Tacoma Cem., Tacoma, WA

m. Frieda Augusta Charlotte Dorothee Funne1868
b. 1840 Hammerstein, Germany
d. 15 Mar 1913, Tacoma, WA
buried: Old Tacoma Cem., Tacoma, WA
her father: unknown mother: unknown

his father: K arl Kiesel(1), of Berlin, Germany [death certificate]
his mother: unknown, of Berlin, Germany [death certificate]

Children (12 births with 7 surviving) US Census 1900 / 1910
Emil Albert Franz Kiesel	b. 2 Sep 1868 Bremen, Ger	d. 19 Jan 1943 Portland, Oregon bur. Tacoma, WA	m. Emma Rosalia Schock father: Gust Fred Michael Schock
Gustave Wilhelm. Kiesel	b.11 Nov 1870 Bremen, Ger.	d. 4 Nov 1958 Seattle, WA	m. Marie Louise Niemeyer
Theodore Kiesel	b. 9 Sep 1872 Bremen, Ger	d. 23 Aug 1916 Honolulu, Hawaii	1m. Hookano "Victoria" Kahue 2m. Nancy Kuwekaa Kaonohi 5 Sep 1908 HI
Johanna "Elsa" Kiesel	b. 25 Jan 1874 Bremen, Ger [SS Death Index]	d. 24 Mar 1968 Los Angeles, CA [SS Death Index]	m. George R. Augustine (three children) (b. 1870 Ger d. 1958 Sea., WA)
Carl (Charles) August(Wm) Friedrich Kiesel	b. 2 Mar 1876 Storns, Nienburg, Ger.	d.15 Jan 1949 Santa Barbara, CA ashes at sea, Hawaii	m. Marie May Mueller 13 July1901 Lihue Lutheran Church, Kauai, HI
Friedrich Kiesel	b. Nov 1880 on ship board according to manifest	d. Jun 1881 Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii	m.
George Wilhelm Gustav Johann Kiesel	b. 21 Dec 1884 Lihue, Hawaii	d. 16 Mar 1950 San Francisco, CA	m. Ernestine Kieszling (1884-1951) dau of John Kiessling and Amelia Werner

1880 - 28 September - The church records of St. Katherinen Church in Brandenburg, Germany in Karl Kiesel was a shoemaker by profession at the time his son Emil was baptized. Brandenburg is the state of Germany that surrounds present day Berlin. There also is a city of Brandenburg just a few miles to the west of Berlin.

St. Katharinekircke in Brandenburg, Germany built in 1401
photos Common Wikimdia.com

"Document of St. Katharinen Church herewith is local shoemaker Karl Friedrich August Kiesel from his wife Frieda--Augusta Dorothea Maiden name FUNNE-20--- 2nd Sept. 1868---eight and sixty-one son born, who on the 18th Oct. E.J.A. the Holy Baptism AMEN, recorded Brandenburge 28th September, 1880 St. Katharinen Church

"Emil Albert Franz-received a foregoing document will be herewith under the Churches Seal Pastorically Attested Brandenburg A.D.H. (river) 28th Sept 1880 (Church Files) from St Katharinen. Wertzer. City Brandenburg.
[church records of St. Katharinen Church, Brandenburg, Germany]

We now have some idea from the words of Charles Kiesel why they decided to go the Hawaii of all places. Charles gives an accounting in an unfinished description that he wrote in 1939 from his memory at the age of 5. Charles Kiesel's Story of the voyage. They had to be very determined even to attempt such as arduous voyage. Karl had been contracted to work planting trees on the plantations of Paul Isenburg's Lihu'e Plantation Company. They had two weeks to get ready to sail. See the history of the Sugar Plantation on Kauai, Hawaii. The ship the bark "Cedar" left Bremen, Germany in January 4,1881 for the long voyage around Cape Magellan to Hawaii. Carl A. Kiesel is listed as the head of the family no. 55 in steerage "Zwischendeck" with 1 man and 1 woman over the ages of10 (himself and his wife), four boys between 1 and 10 (Emil, Gustav, Theodor, and Carl), one girl between the ages of 1 and 10 (Johanna and one child under the age of 1 year (Fredrich). Emil is listed incorrectly as under10 years of age and would really have been 12 years and 3 months old at the time of departure. This could have been done to reduce the fare for his passage. After several months of encountering severe storms the ship passed Valparaiso, Chili, according to Jensen Blackstad's letter. We believed they stopped here to refit the ship for a broken mast and take on new supplies but this is not confirmed in his letter. [arrival passenger list, Hawaii State Archives] [Micheal Palmer records and email of 17 Mar 1997, mpalmer@netcom.com] [Blackstad's letter]

The ships manifest upon entering the port in Hawaii lists Carl Kiesel 41, Augusta Kiesel 41, Emil Keisel 12, Gustave Kiesel 11, Theodor Kiesel ?, Johannes Kiesel ?, and Friedrich Kiesel 7 mo. The place of origin of the Kiesel family is given in other documents as D-31582 Nienberg an der Weser, in Hannover.

Jensen Blackstad Voyage to Hawaii

The family arrived in Honolulu on June 18, 1881 but they were not allowed to disembark because of an epidemic on Oahu. They were instead transferred to the vessel "James Makee" which journeyed on to Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. There they were met by Carl Isenberg, the manager of Lihu'e Plantation, and taken to his home by ox cart. This group of twenty-one families consisted of128 men, women, and children who became the first group of Germans to imigrate to Kaua'i. The entire voyage taking six months. According to the death dates of the children, the last child probably died shortly after arriving in Hawaii. She was listed as being seven months old in Honolulu. [immigration records of Bremen, Germany and immigration records to Hawaii after 1860, Hawaii State Archives],


Lihui plantation factory for sugar cane refinement.	Lihue Lutheran Church rebuilt with historical accuracy after a 1982 cyclone destroyed the original .

Karl Kiesel was apparently indentured to the plantation to pay for their passage to Kauai from Germany. He may have actually been put to work as a shoemaker for the plantation although his son Charles said in his story that because of his hobby as an orchardist in Germany that he was hired to plant trees on the plantation. According to Jensen Blackstad, the Germans were indentured for three years but we have not been able to confirm that. On his death certificate it was stated by a relative that he had been a shoemaker for fifty-five years. Emil was 12 years and six months of age when they arrived and probably would have gone to work only a few years or months after arriving. Karl and Emil Kiesel apparently worked for the Isenburg's at the Lihu'i sugarcane plantations on Kauai along with many other German and Portuguese families. From 1881 to 1887 their earning were used to pay off their families debts and saving what money they could to make passage to the United States. [Hormann., p.2]

1884 - Baptism record for George Kiesel, #77, Records of the Lihue Lutheran Church, Kauai, Hawaii.
            #77
           Kiesel, Georg Wilhelm Gustave Johan
           male
           parents of child: laborer Carl Kiesel and his wife August nee Funke
           date of baptism: 15 Feb 1885
           god parents: laborer Georg Kobbe, laborer Wilhelm Henning, smith Gustav Manthey and laborer Johann Bomke all of Lihue.

1884-1887 Somewhere in during this period we believe Augusta Funne Kiesel made this quilt which included her name. The design we believe is Hawaiian therefore we attribute this to this time period.

The Augusta Kiesel Pineapple Quilt. 1884-1887
in the collection of Cheryl Grubb Christenson
It had been passed down to Cheryl's great grandfather, Emil Albert Kiesel who had emigrated from Germany to Hawaii, then his daughter and Cheryl's grandmother, Elsie Kiesel Marshall
then to her daughter Marlene Marshall Grubb.

1887 - Karl Kiesel applies for immigration and states that he was a resident of Washington State. [immigration application papers]

Eventually Emil Kiesel gets a job with the Northern Pacific railroad in Tacoma, Washington. He probably helps to get the rest of the family to move to Tacoma including his father, Karl, and his mother, Freda. The photo of Karl and Augusta below was probably taken about this time since it was created in
Tacoma, WA.

Karl and Augusta Kiesel
photo courtesy of Ken Brenner

1889- Tacoma City Directory, page 233-234
                Kiesel, Frank A.   lab, res 1740 Yakima Ave.
                Kiesel, Charles.    lab, res Lake Side add.
                Kiesel, Emil,         teamster, bds Charles Kiesel.
                Kiesel, Gustave,    teamster, bds Charles Kiesel.

1892, April 1 - Washington Territorial Census, Pierce Co., Tacoma. (page 210 Ancestry.com)

Kiesel,   Carl    52         laborer              mar.       Ger
, A.     52    wife    mar. Ger
"    , T.      20    plumber     s    Ger
"    , Carl    16    laborer     s    Ger
"    , Fred.     12    student    s    Sandwich Islands (Hawaii)
"    , George    8     student    s " "          (Hawaii)

1900 - US Census, Washington, Pierce Co., Tacoma (notice that his name is spelled wrong in this census but he is living next to Rosy Schock who is a recent immigrant to the states.)

Pierce Co. Tacoma, Ward 4, page 193
Schock, Rosy     head      w f   Aug '33 66 wd       3/2                   Germany      Germany    Germany    immig. '88 12yrs USA
Keiser, Carl       head      w m Aug '31 68 m          35                   Germany    Germany    Germany     '87 13 na day laborer
           , Augusta wife     w f   Dec '31 68 m          35 12/7        Germany    Germany    Germany                      '87   13

Pierce Co., Tacoma, Ward 4 , enum dist. 181, page 285
Keisel   , Emil         head     w m Sept 1868   31   mar 8yrs              Germany      Germany     Germany   '87    13 Na   Day Laborer for R. R.
              , Emma      wife      w   f    Mch   1869 31 mar   8yrs   5/5    Germany    Germany    Germany    '88     12
"            , Fritz         son       w   m Sept   1891    8 s                           Wash            Germany    Germany                            at school
"            , Rudolf     son       w m   Sept    1893 6 s                             Wash            Germany    Germany                            at school
"            , William    son       w m   May   1895   5 s                             Honolulu    Germany Germany
"            , Edward    son       w m   Oct     1896   3 s                            Wash            Germany    Germany
"            , Elsie        dau       w f    June    1899    0 s                            Wash             Germany    Germany

Pierce Co., Tacoma,

1900 - Federal Population Schedule. Hawaii Census, this census shows that several family members stayed in Hawaii.
               C. W. Kiesel,          Kauai Island, Koloa District Vol. 6,    page 056
               George Kiesel,        Oahu Island,       Koolauloa E. C. 36,       page 004
               Theodore Kiesel,    Oahu Island,        Koolauloa E. D. 36,       page 004
               Victoria Kiesel,       Oahu Island,       Koolauloa E. D, 36.       page 004 (wife or dau. of Theodore)

1910 _ US Census, Washington, Pierce Co., Tacoma, Ward 4, .   714 So. 52st. page 184
              Kiesel, Carl           head m w 70 m1 48yrs         Germany   Germany    Germany      odd jobs
              "         , Augusta     wife m w 70 m1 48yrs        Germany   Germany   Germany

1910 - Hawaii Census, Federal Population Schedule
          Charley Kiesel,          Honolulu, Oahu Island, Laie      Vol. 12, page 45.
             Victoria Kiesel,         Honolulu, Oahu Island, Laie      Vol. 12, page 45.
             George Kiesel,          Honolulu, Oahu Island, Laie      Vol. 12, page 49.
             Lyon Kiesel,              Honolulu, Oahu Island, Laie      Vol. 12, page 54.
             Anna Kiesel,             Honolulu, Oahu Island,               Vol. 7, page 221.
             Augusta Kiesel,        Honolulu, Oahu Island,               Vol. 7, page 221.
             Charles W. Kiesel,    Honolulu, Oahu Island,               Vol. 7, page 221.

1913, 15 Mar
Freda Augusta Kiesel dies in Tacoma, WA. The death certificate is signed by her son-in-law, Dolf Augustine.

1914 - Karl retires from his business as a shoemaker at the age of 74. This is perhaps when he moves with his daughter to L. A. [death certificate]

1918, Oct 26 - US Draft Registration #7685

Carl   William Kiesel
address -    EWA, HAWAII
age 42        birth            March 2nd, 1876
occupation       Overseer         employer        EWA PLANTATION CO.
place,        EWA HAWAII
nearest relative        - Mary Kiesel   (wife)
address       - 1631 Kapiolani St. Honolulu
description height-tall    build- slender eyes - Grey Lt.

1920- US Census, California, Los Angeles. Series: T625 Roll: 113 Page: 170

Augustine,   George R.    head           m w 49 m           1874 NA 1885       Germany        Germany   Germany     pipe fitter machine co.
"                 , Johanna E.   wife           f w 44 m           1880 NA 1885       Germany        Germany   Germany
"                 , Augustine    dau.           f w 28 s                                           Washington   Germany   Germany clerk    laundry
Kiesel      , Carl    father-in-law     m w 80 wd         1880 NA 1885        Germany        Germany    Germany

Karl is here living with his daughter's family in Los Angeles on W. 46th St.

1930- US Census, California, Los Angeles. Dist. 19-459, sheet 16b.

Augustine, George R. head owner $15,000    m w 59 mar 20       Germany       Germany    Germany    Sheet metal wrker   auto repair shop
"               , Johanne    wife                                   f w   56 mar 17      Germany     Germany    Germany
McKinney, Guesie      dau                                     f w 38 div             Washington Germany    Germany    Sales lady                Bakery
Kiesel      , Karl       fatherinlaw                          m w 90 wd             Germany       Germany    Germany     Retired

1934, May 11 - "Carl Kiesel" dies in Los Angeles, CA
We don't know when Karl moves to Los Angeles. He apparently lives the last few years with his daughter Johanna Kiesel Augustine, who signs the death certificate. They are shown on the death certificate to be living at the same address, 1041 W. 46th St., Los Angeles, CA. 1934, 10 May Los Angeles, California
Karl Kiesel dies of "cerebral hemorrhage" at 8:05 pm. He apparently was "senile" at the time and had lived at 1041 W. 46th St. at the time. He is listed on his death certificate as being in California for seventeen years and in the USA for 46 years. He was cremated in Inglewood Park Cem. 5/12/34. His ashes are interred in the grave of his wife in Tacoma, WA shortly afterwards. His wife is listed as Auguste M. Kiesel. His birth place is shown as Berlin, Germany, father's listed as Carl Kiesel born in Berlin, Germany; unknown mother born in Berlin, Germany. He is said to have lived in L. A. for seventeen years. [California State Death Certificate]

Karl's ashes were brought up to Tacoma buried with his wife, Frieda, in 1-B8 #141. [church records of Old Tacoma Cem. , Tacoma, WA]

source:

The Germans of Kaua'i

Charles Kiesel's Story | Blackstad's Voyage to Hawaii | German Immigration to Kauai

Cheryl's Family Index | email to Cheryl Grubb

All information and photos included within these pages are here for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Cheryl and Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2019.

web pages created by Elroy Christenson- elroy@next1000.com - last updated 8/25/19