Biography of Charles Zank Copyright © 1998 by Dennis Zank. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. ___________________________________________________________________ Short Biography's of Charles Zank's parents Written by Hennrietta Clarke-Zank MOTHER OF CHARLES ZANK Mother was born Augusta Henrietta Woulters on September 16, 1852, at Brieznetz, Posen Germany. Her father's name was William Woulters. He died when mother was a young girl of the plague. She also had one young brother that died at the same time of the plague. It took many people of their town. The "plague" was or is now know as typhoid fever today. She and her mother were then left alone. Mother Zank's mother's maiden name was Henrietta Augusta Jawgno. A few years after the death of grandfather Woulters, grandmother married August Melkie. He came over to this country after mother's mother died and lived with Dad and Mom Zank until his death. He is buried on the family lot in Solon Cemetery. Mother Zank's early childhood was spent as a "Goose Girl" that is she cared for geese and ducks on a lake near her home and she worked in the grain fields. When a young lady, she came into father Zank's life when she came into his home to sew for his mother and make clothes for his sisters. Seamstresses wee few in those days and she was a "sewing-girl" that went from home to home with her needles. Dad Zank and she were married on January 18, 1878. She was 26 years old and dad was 24. When mother was 30 years old in the year 1882 on March third, they came into New York City. They left Germany with two children, Julius three and one half years old and Augusta Zank(Holliday) who was a nursing babe. On the ocean, came a sad blight in her young life; when she had to see her first born take sick, die, and be buried in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They lived in Grand Rapids twelve years where six children were born as follows: Fred who died the first year that Dad and I were Married. He passed away just before Thanksgiving with pernicious anemia at the age of thirty. He was the smallest of the four brothers. Then came August, who is living today in Zepyrhills, Florida. Next came a baby girl, named Emma who died at the age of eight months with scarlet fever. Martha,(Aunt Martha Goodell) was the child that came next after "Baby Emma". She is now desceased. Charles Karl Zank was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 31,1891. He was three years old when his parents moved onto the Solon farm just two miles west of Solon Center in Kent County. Henry(Otto) Zank was a babe in arms when they moved onto the farm in the fall of 1894. MARRIAGE OF THE ZANK CHILDREN Augusta became Mrs. Frank Holliday. They have two children, Mamie Holliday Fisk and Clifford Holliday. August Zank married Mrs. Pearl Gitchell-Winegar a widow with children. Mrs. Naomi Karstens of Grand Rapids and Mrs. Eileen Briel of Rockford. Martha became Mrs. Emory Goodell. They Had four children; Elton Goodell of Cedar Springs; Eithel, who is now Mrs. Orin Smith, of Grand Rapids; Virlin Goodell of Grand Rapids; and Neva Goodell Gilmore who lives at Rochester, Michigan. Charles Zank Married Miss Henrietta May Clarke. They have two children; Karl Adam Zank of Sand Lake and Helen Marie Bond of Grand Rapids and Olin Lakes. Henry O. Zank married Miss Edith Clemons. They had four Children; Delores Eldred of Cedar Springs; James Zank of Grand Rapids; Dorothy Zank of Cedar Springs; and Marjorie Zank Cole of Cedar Springs. FATHER OF CHARLES ZANK Dad Zank's name was August Fredrick Zank. He was born March 2, 1854, in the city of Breslau, in Silesia, Germany. His father's name was Martin Zank. His mother's maiden name was Wilemina Stolp, and her mother's name was Grandmother Ru'ks. This grandmother had a paternal influence in Dad's young life. She gave him early Bible instruction and taught him music and singing lessons. She taught him the old German Folk songs of her own childhood. You can hear them over WTMJ Milwaukee today. Heinie's German Band played them for several years. Grandfather Zank's early music education brought trouble upon his young shoulders; for his German Song Master used the "rod" because he sang songs the way Grandma Ru'ks taught him. His early training was under very strict rule being mostly under "military orders", but that did include reading the Bible and studying music. He had to be up at sunrise to walk two miles to school. After two hours there, he walked back one mile, to work for a farmer, tending cattle and gathering fire-wood; which was hard to find. Dad Zank's father, died when he was six years old. He was the eldest of three children: August (dad) Julius Baby Girl Life in Germany was very difficult for a mother left with three small children so Dad's father's brother married his mother in order to care for the young children. To this union came: Fritz (Uncle Fred of Muskegon) Karl Augusta A pair of twins (a boy and a girl) William (Uncle Wil of Grand Rapids) Uncle Fred (Fritz) came from Germany and went to Muskegon to his father's brother who was also was Dad Zank's uncle. After the uncle died, Uncle Fred married his uncle's widow and step-fathered his cousins, two young girls. The two young ladies were Dad Zanks cousins also. Dad's brother Karl died in Germany, shortly before Dad Zank Passed away. He was Otto Zank's father, the Otto that came to Grand Rapids with his family about 1930. He had several children. One daughter got a business education and worked in Haskelite offices when Helen and Bob worked there. Her name was Gertrude Zank. Her parents are both deceased. There is a Walter Zank in Wisconsin who is a Lutheran minister in the city of Racine. He is Dad's cousin and always sent German reading material to Dad and Mother Zank when they lived on the farm. Fred Stolp of Grand Rapids and Mrs. Augusta(Stolp) Fabisak also of Grand Rapids and Mrs. Emilie(Stolp) Meinke of Olin Lakes were Dad Zank's Mother's Brother's children. Their father was Fred Stolp Sr. of Grand Rapids who was Dad Zank's uncle. Mrs. Meinke and our mother were very close friends. Grandma Clarke spent many happy hours with her at Olin Lakes as they went back and forth when there was not much business in the store. THE MEINKE CHILDREN Mrs. Fred Meinke had three daughters and one son named after his father. Mrs. Minnie(Case) Heering of Grand Rapids. Mrs. Freida Radecke, who is now deceased. Miss Elsie Meinke lives with Minnie in Grand Rapids. Fred Meinke who was named after his father had a home on Crandall (Middle) Lakes in Solon Township. His two sons Gordon and Kenneth own a store in Grand Rapids. They came for a few years and bought crates of eggs from us every week. UNCLE WILL ZANK(Deceased) Uncle William Zank was the youngest of the German born Zank brothers. He followed Dad Zank Soon after they came to America. His wife, Karlamina, had money and they bought their first home on Prospect. He began working for the City of Grand Rapids where Dad Zank worked. They built streets. In a few years, he became quite well-to-do and they built a lovely new two story basement home on Clancy Street. He Then rented the old home on Prospect. In a few years of hard work and saving, he was able to buy in a partnership with Bruce Chalmers into the thriving business known as Fuel and Supply Company of Grand Rapids, in the South end. He Also banked a considerable amount of money. They helped to build the big German Lutheran Church on Michigan Street Hill. Their only child was a daughter, Freida. She married Theodore (Ted) Kutchinski, a jewelry repairman on Monroe Avenue. He served in the First World War. They lived with her folks in the upper apartment of their new home. KUTCHINSKI CHILDREN LIVING 1965 Young Ted (Theodore) IInd of Grand Rapids. He lives on Philadelphia Avenue S.E. His wife was a teacher in the city schools. Their daughter Susan married Ormand E. Schade of Saginaw. The both graduated from Ferris State College of Big Rapids and they were married February 29, 1964. Raymond Kutchinski Billy (William) Kutchinski Dorothy married and lives in the new home apartment. Bruce Chalmers was a neighbor young man of ours at Long Lake. His land joined ours at at the south.