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Theodor
Heinrich Phillip Martin SONNENSCHMIDT
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Albums • SONSMITH / SONNENSCHMIDT
• Theodor Heinrich Phillip Martin (Henry I) Henry was born in Mechlinberg, Germany. The family name was SONNENSCHMIDT but was anglicized to SONSMITH when he emigrated to the United States. His citizenship papers show this name change. He was a sailor during his youth, and met his future wife, Minnie MOLL, on board ship when she and her family were emigrating to the U.S. It was a real shipboard romance and they were married upon arrival in the new homeland. Because there was a delay of one week before Henry could draw his pay, the honeymooners lived on three herring and love for the first week of their married life. The young couple secured 60 acres of land in Bloomfield township, Saginaw County, about six miles directly north on the main road out of Frankenmuth, Michigan. They were pioneers in the area, clearing the heavily wooded land gradually with much labor, and putting it under cultivation. A house and barn were built. In the winters, Henry continued to sail the ocean, but spent the rest of the year farming. This was a hard life but good neighbors helped make a rather enjoyable social life. Both Henry and Minnie had pleasing voices and they often sat on the porch during long summer evenings singing favorite songs. Occasionally they sang together at weddings and other social occasions.
Henry I was a tall, extremely thin man, with a thick beard. Once, he asked his daughter, Lina, to trim his beard. Having never seen her father clean-shaven, she slashed into his beard in such a way that he had to completely remove it. The next day, when he went to the local precinct to vote, none of his neighbors in Johnsfield recognized him! Henry I was also quite deaf, but Minnie maintained that he always managed to hear whatever he was not supposed to hear! His granddaughter, Eleanor, remembers that he attempted to teach her German, that he was skilled in tying sailor's knots, and that he invented a mousetrap which would catch mice without hurting them! Henry I, at age 76, passed away November 15, 1914 at the farm home of his daughter, Lina (SONSMITH) DEMUN, near Standish. The cause of death was dropsy and heart failure. Burial was near his wife, Minnie, in Woodmere Cemetery, Standish, Michigan. ~Written by Eleanor (DEMUN) HASTINGS, Henry's granddaughter. See The SONSMITH - MOLL Family In America for more information about Henry. Declaration of Intention to Become a U.S. Citizen Below is Henry's Declaration Of Intention to become a citizen of the United States. In case you can't see it clearly, it reads:
DECLARATION
OF INTENTION. I, Theodor H.M. Sonnenschmidt solemnly swear that it is bona fide my intention to become a Citizen of the United States, and to RENOUNCE FOREVER, all Allegiance and Fidelity to each and every Foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly the Emperor of Germany of whom I have been a subject. Sworn to and subscribed before me at the City of Saginaw, this 17th day of June A.D. 1881...
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In
May 1899, the SONSMITH family sold the farm in Bloomfield township
and moved to a 20 acre farm in Arenac County, Lincoln township, in an
area called Johnsfield about 3 miles southwest of the tiny city of
Standish, Michigan. This big change was made so that they could help
their son, Henry II, buy land to start a farm of his own, as he was
planning to marry Miss Olga BAUER.
