Helena Rudiger Schultz, wife of Christian Schultz, was born in Russia on December 23, 1851.

Helena was the oldest daughter of David Rudiger and Elizabeth Jantz Rudiger. Her father, David Rudiger, was born in Prussia in the year 1807. At the age of 12 years he came to Russia where he grew to manhood. At the age of 19½ years he was united in marriage to Catharina Penner on October 29, 1826. To this union 13 children were born. After 23½ years of married life his wife died, leaving him with 7 children. Six of the 13 children had preceded their mother in death.

Grandfather Rudiger remained a widower for 6 months; then he married again. This time to Elizabeth Jantz, a young bride of about 20 years old. It is said that she had a happy married life. Her stepchildren loved her and were obedient to her. Elizabeth Jantz, was born November 30, 1830, in Karlswalde Russia. To this union of David Rudiger and Elizabeth Jantz Rudiger, 10 children were born. Two of these children died in childhood and one in infancy.

In the year 1874 many of our Mennonite people in Russia immigrated to America. Their freedom of religion which they had enjoyed in Russia for many years was now coming to an end. Therefore, they decided to come to America, where they could again live out their faith in peace.

Our grandparents (Rudiger) also felt the urge to come to America. How thankful we should be that they came! So that we now live in a free country, where we can worship our Lord as we please. Now we and our children are also spared from the great tyranny of communism.

The names and ages of the 7 children who came to America with our grandmother are these. Helena, 23 years, Andrew 21 years, Jacob 11, Fredrick 13, Effie 9, Carl 5, and Peter 2 years old.

When our grandparents were on their way to embark a great tragedy happened. Grandfather who had been in ill health for some time died while on the first stretch of the journey, which was made in a wagon. He died on October 24, 1874, at the age of 67 years, in the city Ostrag, Russia. How far that was from their home we do not know. There was nothing else to do but to go back to their old home place and bury their father.

Now they had missed out on going along with this first group of Mennonite immigrants. However, this did not discourage our grandmother from making this voyage. They came then with the next group. Just when they started out again I do not know. I do think it must have been some time in December of 1874, because they had spent Christmas on the ship. It had take 21 days to make this voyage.

While they were at sea, it seemed bad luck was still following them. The ship sprang a leak which could not be repaired, and it became necessary to transfer the passengers to another ship. Mother used to tell us how scared they were at this time. They landed in America the first of the year 1875.

(Note:They started out on Abottsford and ended up
arriving in America on the Kennisworth)

They came as far west as Florence, Kansas, and lived in an immigration house the rest of the winter. They also stopped for a while in Newton, Kansas. When spring came they came to this community and started their new home near Dundee, Kansas. When I read the history of grandmother and her family, I find that our mother was
the first to be married and leave her mother, and so soon after their arrival here. Our father, Christian Schultz)who had come to America from Russia in 1874, on the Ship Vaderland (?) had spent a year in Ohio where he worked in a wagon factory. In the spring of 1875 he came to the community also and settled at Dundee, Kansas. Here is where he met mother.

It was spring now and time to plant their first garden and field crops. Father being a close neighbor to grandmother, used to tell us how he helped grandmother with her work. They planted corn with a hatchet. Father would make the holes in the ground and the girls would put the seeds in. That first summer while they were gathering in their first harvest, our father asked mother to be his bride. On September 5, 1875, Christian Schultz and Helena Rudiger were united in marriage near Dundee, Kansas. Father was 33 years old and mother was 23 years old when they were married.

They remained neighbors to grandmother, Elizabeth Jantz Rudiger for the first year. Then in 1876 they homesteaded the home place five miles north of Pawnee Rock. To this union of Christian Schultz and Helena Rudiger Schultz, 14 children died in infancy. Eight girls and four boys grew up to manhood and womanhood. The names of the boys are: Sam, Henry, Abraham, and Peter. The girls' names are: Lizzie, Eva, Mary, Minnie, Susie, Ten, Lena, and Martha. Her children were all baptized in the Christian faith and joined the Mennonite church.

They have all married and have children of their own. Mother had the joy of seeing the weddings of the first 6 children. Father and mother shared their joys and sorrows together for 28½ years. After four weeks of illness mother (Helena R. Schultz)
passed away. On March 29, 1904, at the age of 52 years, she went to be with her Lord, whom she so dearly loved. We all missed her so much, and our home never was the
same.

Father was good to us, but mother's love was missing. Father died June 17, 1916. He was a widower for 12 years.

Source:The Karlswalde Website, History Section
Contributed to this memorial by Janet (Schultz) Milburn
#47529757, 30 January 2013