Thanks to facebook I have made contact with the wife of Lois Knatz’s son Charles Edward Knatz. Her name is Joyce Knatz. I learned Lois passed away in November 2007 at the age of 101 (one month shy of her 102nd birthday) and Mary Ellen in Feb 2008 from smoking-related emphysema. Charles Edward or Chuck (as he was called by Joyce) passed away a few months after Mary Ellen at the age of 72. Lois never shared with her children that we had been in contact in the 1980’s. Joyce was Chuck’s second wife. Chuck has two children Charles Edward Knatz called Eddy and Daniel Knatz. From Joyce, I was able to get the following genealogical information as well as the family poem. Jeanette Osborne also provided rich detail on the story of Charles Edward Knatz and his wife Annie Carstens.
THE STORY OF CHARLES EDWARD KNATZ
Henry Knatz came to the United States from Luxembourg, Europe
Elizabeth Weigan came to the United States from Alsace Lorraine, Europe
Henry and Elizabeth (Weigan) Knatz married and came to New York, United States. They moved to Cumberland, Maryland and later to Lanaconing, Maryland. Henry and Elizabeth had four boys and four girls. Henry was a boot and shoe maker (they were made by hand in those days). The 1870 census for Maryland shows Henry Knatz, shoemaker, age 50, married to Elizabeth, age 40, living in Lonaconing, Allegheny County, with 6 children: Matilda, age 11, Elizabeth, age 16, Henry, age 14, William, age 9, Charles , age 6, and George, age 4 months. Charles would grow up to lead a colorful and advernturous life.
Charles E. Knatz (11/18/1862 -1/19/1937) served his apprenticeship as a baker. He left Maryland at the age of eighteen and began a career of gambling beginning in
Leadville Colorado, Butte, Montana and places in between. The Bureau of Land Management shows a federal land patent applied for in Montana by a Charles Knatz in 1918 but at this point, I have no evidence this is the same Charles Knatz. Charles met Anna (Annie) Carstens met in Butte, Montana when she came there to work in a hospital. In 1898, Charles went to the White Horse in the Yukon Territory and stayed one year. Then Charles returned to the United States and he and Anna were married October 5, 1899 in Spokane, Washington. Charles and his bride returned to Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Annie was already pregnant when she and her Charlie hiked up and over the pass into the Yukon Territory for the gold season. They traveled with a mule train and some livestock. By that winter, the Canadian government required every person to bring their own equipment and enough food to feed each person and the livestock for 6 months. Their first son Dawson was born in Dawson, Yukon, Territory on May 5, 1901. The family returned from the Yukon Territory to California, Nevada, and then to Butte, Montana. Much of the traveling was done during the winter months when the mines in the higher altitudes were closed. Annie Carsten Knatz was tall, about 5’10” in her bare feet, quite beautiful and athletic, physically built to handle the difficult task of trapsing from mining camp to frontier town. Between traveling slowly, often by mule train or on door during the winter and living in or near old mining operations which were often plaqued with polluted water and air, Annie developed a lung condition. Although for many years, it was believed their second son, Charles Edward, was born in Butte, Montana, he actually was born in Lonaconing, Maryland on April 5, 1903. By then because of her delicate lungs Annie began to spend the winter months in Lonaconing Maryland with her mother-in-law and so that is why son Charles was born there. Then it was a life of travel. Texas, Nevada, California, and finally they settled in Phillipsburg, Montana in 1912. Charles went into the saloon business with his brother William. In 1917, they family moved to Auburn, Washington and bought a small farm. Charles and Anna Knatz moved to a house on 54th in Seattle. After a few years, they left and went to California. Their children:
1. Dawson Knatz born May 5, 1901, died April 5, 1978. In 1918, Dawson joined the army and was sent to Germany.He married Marie in Germany while serving in the First World War. They had three children.
2. Charles Edward born April 5, 1903, died April 3, 1987. Charles went to work in a garage in Auburn. He married Lois Anna Gallanger, November 30, 1929.
and they had two children: Mary Ellen and Charles Edward Jr. Charles Edward and Lois Anna Gallanger Knatz met in the fall of 1927 and were married November 30, 1929, in Tacoma, Washington. They lived on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington until they bought a partially completed house at 2530 30th West on Magnolia Bluff in Seattle in 1932. Charles worked in the automotive trade. He worked at Chief Seattle garage and for Claude Frizzell at 509 5th Avenue, Seattle, Washington. In 1947, he opened his own repair shop, Bottenberg and Knatz, with a friend, Fred. He operated the shop until he retired in 1965. His two children were Mary Ellen and Charles Edward
Mary Ellen born September 25, 1934 Married Donald l. Phillips born December 16, 1932, on May 4, 1957 in Seattle Washington and divorced August, 1989. Donald Phillips now lived in Salem Oregon. They had two children: Jeanette Leora Phillips born November 27, 1960, who lives in Reno with her husband Scott Osborne( no children) and Robert Grant Phillips born October 18, 1962 in Seattle, WA. Married to Lara Merritt with two stepchildren. Living in Houston Texas.
Charles Edward born November. 2, 1937 Married Karen Winton, April 19, 1958 in Seattle Washington,
divorced in 1980. Married Joyce Taylor in 1981. They had three children:
Kristin born May 25, 1960. married Michael Rimkus, September 19, 1981. They live in Bothell, WA. Children: Jason born June 23, 1982 and Lauren born April 30, 1985 Charles Edward III born April 14, 1961, living in Hawaii Daniel Eric born June 18, 1964, possibly living in Seattle.