Victim of the disaster at the #10 coal mine at Willow Grove outside of Neffs, Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio on March 16, 1940 which claimed 72 lives.
Wilhelm Schittek
Died in the Hanna Coal Co mining accident/explosion @ Willow Grove mine which ended up killing 70 in or b/c of the explosion & 2 more that were rescue workers & 1 more died 5 days later as a result of it (but officially only 72 are declared not 73).
∼
Wilhelm Schittek was born 27 May 1893 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland), a son of Jacob and Augusta (Kowalski) Schittek. He married Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch, widow of Gustav Bertsch (1895-1918) (who was killed in the German Army in World War I), and daughter of Karl and Marie (Specka) Schwittay on 30 September 1922 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland).
He was the step-father of Erich "Dutch" Bertsch (1915-1974) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany) (now in Poland), and the late Otto Bertsch (1917-1919) (who died from the flu epidemic). Wilhelm and Freda were the parents of Helene Marie Martha Schittek (1921-) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland) and Elten Fritz Schittek (1923-2012) (born in Buer, Gelsenkirchen, Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) before his departure on the S.S. America from the port at Bremen, Germany on 31 October 1923. He arrived at the port at Ellis Island on 11 November 1923 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio, where his maternal uncle Gustav Kowalski lived (his uncle and his family later changed their name from Kowalski to Hall).
Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch Schittek and her three children, Erich, Helene, and Elten, departed from the port at Rotterdam, Holland on 22 October 1924 on the S.S. Veendam. They arrived at Ellis Island on 01 November 1924 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio to be reunited with their husband, step-father, and father, Wilhelm Schittek.
Wilhelm and Freda then became the parents of Gertrude "Trudy" Schittek (1926-2001) and Irene Schittek (1930-) in Willow Grove, Belmont County, Ohio.
The surname "Schittek" was changed to "Schiller" on 27 April 1939 in Belmont County, Ohio. Wilhelm was now known as William. William, Freda, Helene, Elten, Gertrude, and Irene all went through changing their last name to Schiller. William became a naturalized citizen of the United States also on 27 April 1939.
William was one of the 72 men killed in the Willow Grove Coal Mine Explosion on 16 March 1940. His widow Freda gave birth to their last child, Darlene Linda Schiller on 22 March 1940. His body was taken from the mine and identified on Monday, 25 March 1940, and he was interred in the Union Cemetery in St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio on Wednesday, 27 March 1940.
What is this mystery that men call death? My friend before me lies; in all save breath. He seems the same as yesterday. His face so like to life, so calm; bears not a trace of that great change which all of us so dread. But sleeps; and soon he will arise and take me by the hand. I know he will awake and smile on me as he did yesterday; and he will have some gentle word to say; same kindly deed to do; for loving thought was warp and woof of which his life was wrought. He is not dead. Such souls forever live in boundless measure of the love they give.
~Jerome B. Bell - 1940
Wilhelm Schittek
Died in the Hanna Coal Co mining accident/explosion @ Willow Grove mine which ended up killing 70 in or b/c of the explosion & 2 more that were rescue workers & 1 more died 5 days later as a result of it (but officially only 72 are declared not 73).
∼
Wilhelm Schittek was born 27 May 1893 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland), a son of Jacob and Augusta (Kowalski) Schittek. He married Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch, widow of Gustav Bertsch (1895-1918) (who was killed in the German Army in World War I), and daughter of Karl and Marie (Specka) Schwittay on 30 September 1922 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland).
He was the step-father of Erich "Dutch" Bertsch (1915-1974) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany) (now in Poland), and the late Otto Bertsch (1917-1919) (who died from the flu epidemic). Wilhelm and Freda were the parents of Helene Marie Martha Schittek (1921-) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland) and Elten Fritz Schittek (1923-2012) (born in Buer, Gelsenkirchen, Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) before his departure on the S.S. America from the port at Bremen, Germany on 31 October 1923. He arrived at the port at Ellis Island on 11 November 1923 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio, where his maternal uncle Gustav Kowalski lived (his uncle and his family later changed their name from Kowalski to Hall).
Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch Schittek and her three children, Erich, Helene, and Elten, departed from the port at Rotterdam, Holland on 22 October 1924 on the S.S. Veendam. They arrived at Ellis Island on 01 November 1924 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio to be reunited with their husband, step-father, and father, Wilhelm Schittek.
Wilhelm and Freda then became the parents of Gertrude "Trudy" Schittek (1926-2001) and Irene Schittek (1930-) in Willow Grove, Belmont County, Ohio.
The surname "Schittek" was changed to "Schiller" on 27 April 1939 in Belmont County, Ohio. Wilhelm was now known as William. William, Freda, Helene, Elten, Gertrude, and Irene all went through changing their last name to Schiller. William became a naturalized citizen of the United States also on 27 April 1939.
William was one of the 72 men killed in the Willow Grove Coal Mine Explosion on 16 March 1940. His widow Freda gave birth to their last child, Darlene Linda Schiller on 22 March 1940. His body was taken from the mine and identified on Monday, 25 March 1940, and he was interred in the Union Cemetery in St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio on Wednesday, 27 March 1940.
What is this mystery that men call death? My friend before me lies; in all save breath. He seems the same as yesterday. His face so like to life, so calm; bears not a trace of that great change which all of us so dread. But sleeps; and soon he will arise and take me by the hand. I know he will awake and smile on me as he did yesterday; and he will have some gentle word to say; same kindly deed to do; for loving thought was warp and woof of which his life was wrought. He is not dead. Such souls forever live in boundless measure of the love they give.
~Jerome B. Bell - 1940
Victim of the disaster at the #10 coal mine at Willow Grove outside of Neffs, Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio on March 16, 1940 which claimed 72 lives.
Wilhelm Schittek
Died in the Hanna Coal Co mining accident/explosion @ Willow Grove mine which ended up killing 70 in or b/c of the explosion & 2 more that were rescue workers & 1 more died 5 days later as a result of it (but officially only 72 are declared not 73).
∼
Wilhelm Schittek was born 27 May 1893 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland), a son of Jacob and Augusta (Kowalski) Schittek. He married Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch, widow of Gustav Bertsch (1895-1918) (who was killed in the German Army in World War I), and daughter of Karl and Marie (Specka) Schwittay on 30 September 1922 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland).
He was the step-father of Erich "Dutch" Bertsch (1915-1974) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany) (now in Poland), and the late Otto Bertsch (1917-1919) (who died from the flu epidemic). Wilhelm and Freda were the parents of Helene Marie Martha Schittek (1921-) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland) and Elten Fritz Schittek (1923-2012) (born in Buer, Gelsenkirchen, Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) before his departure on the S.S. America from the port at Bremen, Germany on 31 October 1923. He arrived at the port at Ellis Island on 11 November 1923 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio, where his maternal uncle Gustav Kowalski lived (his uncle and his family later changed their name from Kowalski to Hall).
Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch Schittek and her three children, Erich, Helene, and Elten, departed from the port at Rotterdam, Holland on 22 October 1924 on the S.S. Veendam. They arrived at Ellis Island on 01 November 1924 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio to be reunited with their husband, step-father, and father, Wilhelm Schittek.
Wilhelm and Freda then became the parents of Gertrude "Trudy" Schittek (1926-2001) and Irene Schittek (1930-) in Willow Grove, Belmont County, Ohio.
The surname "Schittek" was changed to "Schiller" on 27 April 1939 in Belmont County, Ohio. Wilhelm was now known as William. William, Freda, Helene, Elten, Gertrude, and Irene all went through changing their last name to Schiller. William became a naturalized citizen of the United States also on 27 April 1939.
William was one of the 72 men killed in the Willow Grove Coal Mine Explosion on 16 March 1940. His widow Freda gave birth to their last child, Darlene Linda Schiller on 22 March 1940. His body was taken from the mine and identified on Monday, 25 March 1940, and he was interred in the Union Cemetery in St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio on Wednesday, 27 March 1940.
What is this mystery that men call death? My friend before me lies; in all save breath. He seems the same as yesterday. His face so like to life, so calm; bears not a trace of that great change which all of us so dread. But sleeps; and soon he will arise and take me by the hand. I know he will awake and smile on me as he did yesterday; and he will have some gentle word to say; same kindly deed to do; for loving thought was warp and woof of which his life was wrought. He is not dead. Such souls forever live in boundless measure of the love they give.
~Jerome B. Bell - 1940
Wilhelm Schittek
Died in the Hanna Coal Co mining accident/explosion @ Willow Grove mine which ended up killing 70 in or b/c of the explosion & 2 more that were rescue workers & 1 more died 5 days later as a result of it (but officially only 72 are declared not 73).
∼
Wilhelm Schittek was born 27 May 1893 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland), a son of Jacob and Augusta (Kowalski) Schittek. He married Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch, widow of Gustav Bertsch (1895-1918) (who was killed in the German Army in World War I), and daughter of Karl and Marie (Specka) Schwittay on 30 September 1922 in Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland).
He was the step-father of Erich "Dutch" Bertsch (1915-1974) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany) (now in Poland), and the late Otto Bertsch (1917-1919) (who died from the flu epidemic). Wilhelm and Freda were the parents of Helene Marie Martha Schittek (1921-) (born at Mingfen, Landkreis Ortelsburg, Königsburg, Germany (now in Poland) and Elten Fritz Schittek (1923-2012) (born in Buer, Gelsenkirchen, Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) before his departure on the S.S. America from the port at Bremen, Germany on 31 October 1923. He arrived at the port at Ellis Island on 11 November 1923 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio, where his maternal uncle Gustav Kowalski lived (his uncle and his family later changed their name from Kowalski to Hall).
Freda (Schwittay) Bertsch Schittek and her three children, Erich, Helene, and Elten, departed from the port at Rotterdam, Holland on 22 October 1924 on the S.S. Veendam. They arrived at Ellis Island on 01 November 1924 and came to Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio to be reunited with their husband, step-father, and father, Wilhelm Schittek.
Wilhelm and Freda then became the parents of Gertrude "Trudy" Schittek (1926-2001) and Irene Schittek (1930-) in Willow Grove, Belmont County, Ohio.
The surname "Schittek" was changed to "Schiller" on 27 April 1939 in Belmont County, Ohio. Wilhelm was now known as William. William, Freda, Helene, Elten, Gertrude, and Irene all went through changing their last name to Schiller. William became a naturalized citizen of the United States also on 27 April 1939.
William was one of the 72 men killed in the Willow Grove Coal Mine Explosion on 16 March 1940. His widow Freda gave birth to their last child, Darlene Linda Schiller on 22 March 1940. His body was taken from the mine and identified on Monday, 25 March 1940, and he was interred in the Union Cemetery in St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio on Wednesday, 27 March 1940.
What is this mystery that men call death? My friend before me lies; in all save breath. He seems the same as yesterday. His face so like to life, so calm; bears not a trace of that great change which all of us so dread. But sleeps; and soon he will arise and take me by the hand. I know he will awake and smile on me as he did yesterday; and he will have some gentle word to say; same kindly deed to do; for loving thought was warp and woof of which his life was wrought. He is not dead. Such souls forever live in boundless measure of the love they give.
~Jerome B. Bell - 1940
