Catharine, Kansas
On March 1, 1876, the families from Katharinenstadt, Russia arrived in Hays. They rented the hall above Henry and Fred Kruger's store for $15 a month. They lived there for one month and sever days. In the meantime, the men drove daily to the site of their new home some nine miles northeast of Hays, hauling timbers from Hays and working hard to established suitable places of habitation.
First, three lots were measured for the building of homes. Each family received a 140 x 90 foot lot. Each house was 28' long and 16' wide. The ground was excavated 3' deep and sod laid up so that the wall was 3' above the ground, making the wall a total of 6'. Two 1/2 windows were in each wall and one front door. The roof was covered with boards and then sod was put on top. One hut looked just like the other. Later when the women arrived, the inside walls were plastered with clay and whitewashed with lebaster. After each heavy rainfall, the whitewash was redone. A community well was then dug near the creek.
On April 8, 1876, the first families moved to their new home.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Justus & Katharina Margaretha Bissing | Justus, Jakob, Alexander, Peter |
| Alois (son of Justus) & Apolonia Bissing | |
| Friedrich & Maria Karlin | Athanansius, Maria |
| Peter (son of Friedrich) & Anna Karlin | Alois |
| Jacob (son of Friedrich) & Anna Karlin | Anna Maria (born at sea) |
| Friedrich & Sophie Koerner | Johann, Friedrich, Paul, Philip, Peter, Alois Emilie, Anna |
| Michael Meier |
The second group to settle in Catharine was on July 26, 1876.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Johannes & Agnes Karlin | Friederich, Alexander, Andreas |
| Karl & Margaretha Koerner | Athanasius, Johannes |
| Anna Katharina Meis (widow) | Karl, Appolonia, Peter, Alexander, Johannes, Dorothea |
| Frederich & Agnes Meis | |
| Andreas & Emilia Schmidt | |
| Jacob & Anna Maria Schmidt | Mathilda, Paulina, Cornelius |
| Johannes & Katharina Schmidt | Eugenius, Aloysius |
| Peter & Katharina Schmidt | Anna, Alexander, Friederich |
| Agnes Schueler (widow) | Alexander, Johannes |
| Anna Maria Schuetz (widow) | Dorothea, Emilia, Katharina, Caecilia, Johannes, Jakab |
| Heinrich & Agnes Staab | Karl, Alexander, Jakob |
| Karl & Margaretha Staab | Alexander, Margaretha, Alexander, Maria, Anna |
| August & Dorothea Walter | Maria, Mathilda, Anna |
| Friederich & Christina Walter | Friederich, Lavin, Peter, Anna, Maria, Adelheid |
| Jakob & Agnes Walter | Justus, John Lattigan (adopted) |
The third group of settlers arrived in Catherine on September 26, 1876.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Jakob & Anna Staab | |
| Johann Jakob & Anna Maria Staab | Franz, Ambrose, Cornelius, Rosa |
| Sophia Faller (sister of Mrs. Staab) | |
| Johannes & Elizabeth Staab | Bertha, Sophia |
| Peter & Agnes Staab | Aloysius, Peter, Anna |
| Raymond & Maria Staab | |
| Peter & Agnes Ubert | Caecilia, Amalia, Dorothea, Paulina |
The last group to settle in Catherine for the Year of 1876 arrived on Nov. 1.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Johannes & Margaretha (Fischer) Giebler | Paulina |
| Karl & Elizabeth Karlin | Alexander, Karl, Sophia, Maria nee Fischer |
| Andreas & Anna Meier | Paulina, Jakob, Katharina, Alexander |
| Jakob & Anna Meier | Sophia, Dorothea, Maria, Emelia |
| Leonard & Margaretha Mittelmeier | Alexander, Edward, Anna |
| Heinrich & Anna Maria Paul | Anna Maria, Jakob |
| Michael & Anna Maria Peters | Katharina, Michael |
The Year of 1877 brought two new families to Catherine. On August the following arrived:
|
Parents |
Children |
| Joseph & Barbara (Seib) Giebler | Joseph Anton Jr. |
| Friederich & Katharina Weilert |
The year of 1878 brought a few more arrivals. On July 20th the following arrived:
|
Parents |
Children |
| Peter & Dorothea Leikam | Leonard, Karl, Elizabeth, Aloysius, Anna |
| Anna Mittelmeier | |
| Ottilia Mittelmeier | |
| Jakob & Margareth Mueller | |
| Jakob Jr. & Ottilia Mueller | |
| Michaael & Anna Maria Weilert | Ottilia, Karl, Elizabeth, Melchior, Anna, Margaretha |
| Wilhemina Weilert (widow) |
On October 31, 1878 one family arrived.
|
Parents |
Children |
| John & Amalia Pelzl | Henry, Emil, William |
On November 25th another group of settlers arrived
|
Parents |
Children |
| Dorothea Beilman | |
| Jakob & Katharina Dorzweiler | Balthasar |
| Maria Rupp | |
| Heinrich & Anna Wolf | Melchior, Karl, Anna, Katharina |
In July 1879, only one family is recorded settling in Catherine.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Anton & Margaret Anna Schmeidler | Theresia, Franz, Joseph |
In 1885, the Polifka families arrived.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Franz Polifka (widower) | Ignatz, Anna, Victoria |
| Aloysia Polifka (widow) | Ignatius |
On October 30, 1888, the following settled in Catherine.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Heinrich & Agnes Karlin | Jakob, Dorothy, Maria, Sophia, Frank |
| Jakob & Sophia Leikam | Johannes |
| Katharina Leikam (mother of Jakob) |
In the 1880's the following arrived, however no actual date was found
|
Parents |
Children |
| Edward & Victoria Polifka | Mary, Bertha, Charles |
In 1892 three families arrived.
|
Parents |
Children |
| Philip Meis | |
| Karl A. & Veronica Staab | Alexander |
| Anton Kinderknecht |
St. Catherine Catholic Cemetery
