The KRATTLI Family (1953) THE KRATTLI FAMILY This article was written by Michael Kraettli, April 13, 1875 and re-written and amended by Benjamin B. Kies, M.D., December 18, 1950. Nestled among the mountains of Italy, is an isolated community of about 100,000 inhabitants whose locality is almost completely surrounded by almost unscalable perimeter of mountains. This community, because of its isolation, has preserved the original Latin language and uses it as its language, speaking it on the street, in schools, and in churches. This is the only community which has preserved the Latin and uses it in almost pure form for conversation. Our ancestors originated in this territory about 875 years ago and migrated into Switzerland. At that time the name of our ancestor was Craetteli. There is no letter "K" in Latin. After the migration into Switzerland the "C" was changed to "K". A custom which existed among our ancestors was that the first-born son of each family should be named Georg. That was why our Grandfather was maned George. His naming was the twntieth successive generation to have adhered to this custom. Our Grandfather and Grandmother were born in Untervaz, Canton Graubuenden, Switzerland. The name Graubuenden corresponds to our county. Thus he was born in the city of Untervaz, County of Graubuenden, Switzerland, January 27, 1819. His wife, our Grandmother, was born in the same town June 2, 1821. Her maiden name was Dorthea Philipp. She and Grandfather were married in 1840 by Pastor Christian Morell. For a time they lived in Untervaz. But both, even before their marriage, had longed to come to America. So in 1844 they packed their belongings and started for the United States. There were no railroads which could take them from Untervaz, Switzerland, to their port of embarkation the seaport of Le Havre, France. They secured their necessary immigration papers and hired a horse-drawn vehicle to make the trip to (Rotterdam and then by ship to) Le Havre, France. The parents of our Grandmother, our great grandparents, accompanied our grandparents to America together with all their children who were already grown. Also two families, the Schindlers and Grubers accompanied our ancestors to America. At that time no ships were motored with engines so they had to come to America by means of a sailboat. This was necessarily a long and tedious voyage not to say anything of the dangers connected with this kind of travel. Because of this slow way of traveling it took them 86 days to travel from Le Havre, France, to New Orleans. There was great rejoicing, when in July 1844 the families all landed safely at Hermann, Missouri. Land was offered for homesteading for resonable prices. So Grandfather acquired a plot of Government land at Berger, Missouri. The first thing they had to do was to build a log house for shelter and log barns for protection of the animals which they soon obtained for the farm work. In the fall of 1844 the same year when they arrived, death took our great Grandmother Margareta Philipp (nee Krattli), and sickness made the rounds of the entire group. Our Uncle George, the oldest son who had been born in Switzerland, had sickness settle in his left hip and caused his left leg to become shorter than his right. Thus he was crippled the rest of his life. In 1848 reports reached the settlement that rich deposits of gold were found in California. This induced our great Granduncle Michael Philipp to join a group and head for California in 1851. Two years later our Grandfather also received the urge to try his hand at prospecting. He soon became disgusted with this life and secured employment with a dairy concern. He felt that he wanted to move his family to California. He had written Grandmother that he wanted her to bring the family out west. But at the time when everything was about ready for the trik westward, the Mississippi River went on a rampage. By the time that it opened up Grandmother had received a letter saying that she sould stay and that he was coming back to Missouri. Soon after his return he pruchased the Hardon Williams farm at Stony Hill which became their permanent home. When the Civil War started and the question of the breaking up of the Union was at stake, Grandfather enlisted on the side of the Union. Because he was a man of justice who could not look upon slavery as honorable he volunteered for the Northern cause. It was during this campaign that he acquired an asthmatic condition which gave him trouble the rest of his life. When our grandparents settled on the farm on Stony Hill there were no schools in the entire region. Grandfather being a resourceful man was the leader of a movement to erect a schoold house there. He made speeches here and there urging the families of the district to build a school house and secure a teacher for the instruction of the children. Others soon fell in line, a schoold was built and a teacher employed who daily instructed the children of the district. In 1863 about the time the last two members of the family were born, Louise and Dorothea, the depression of the Civil War was beginning to make going pretty hard. At this time Grandfather was confronted with the prospect of losing his farm But due to the mercy of Almighty God, means were secured whereby he could save his farm. On January 2 of that year our Uncle George, the oldest son, left home to secure employment. He settled upon the trade of wagon maker and became a master at the trade. He soon set up his own shop and prospered. He had never married. On January 14, 1912 he died and was buried at New Haven, Missouri. Uncle Jacob, the second son, married Miss Rosaline Jacob. He had heard about the beauties of Kansas so on October 22, 1869 he set out to move to Kansas for a permanent home. But adversities overtook him and he returned to New Haven, Missouri, where he lived the remainder of his life. He died on September 20, 1911. The third son, Uncle Anton, who never married, remained at home until 1871. At the age of 24 he obtained employment for a short time on a farm at Sullivan, Missouri, and later secured a farm of his own near Washington, Missouri. Uncle Michael, the original author of this article, was born the 13th day of October 1850, which month before last, when this article was rewritten, was just 100 years ago. He was a school teacher and a minister of the Gospel. It was to him, a scholar, that we owe much because he is the one who secured the information which is the basis for this article. He personally checked into our family history and the facts of our family history before the migration into Switzerland were personally given to me by him in 1928. Uncle Michael was the fourth son of five boys. In his early life he was a school teacher and later a preacher of the Gospel and was a student of theology in the truest sense. Uncle Michael married a sister to Rosaline Jacobs. He died March 24, 1934. THE FAMILY HISTORY OF GEORGE AND DOROTHEA KRATTLI Georg Krattli and Dorothea Philipp were born in Untervaz, Canton Graubuenden, Switzerland. George Krattli was born on Jan. 27, 1819, and Dorothea Philipp was born June 2, 1821. They were joined in holy matrimony in 1840. George and Dorothea Krattli were very interested in the New World and desired to see what it was like. Consequently in 1844 they packed their belongings, secured the necessary papers, and set out for America. Dorothea's parents, brothers, and sisters accompanied them. The Gruber and Schindler families joined them also. Their journey was slow and hard. A horse-drawn vehicle was chartered to take them from Switerland to (Rotterdam and then by ship to) the seaport city of Le Harve, France. Here they boarded a sailship; and after 86 trying days, the little company arrived in New Orleans. It was in July, 1844 when the group finally landed at hermann, Missouri. Shortly after their arrival in Hermann, the family purchased some government land near Berger, Missouri. Their next task was to build a home. Trees were felled, shaped, and dragged to the selected spot; and in due time, the home was finished. Now attention was directed to clearing and tilling the soil. It was soon found that the production of the virgin soil was beyond all expectations, and this encouraged the family greatly. Troubles were ahead, however. In the fall of 1844, Mrs. Philipp was overtaken by the dark shadow of death. Young John George Krattli became afflicted with a malicious fever, from which developed an incurable lameness in his left hip. In 1848 news arrived that much gold had been found in California. This report induced Michael Philipp, Dorothea's brother, to join a caravan enroute to the gold region. In 1853, George Krattli also felt the urge to search for gold. Once there, however, he soon became disgusted with the system, which seemed to him to be a mare mean lottery. Therefore he sought employment with a dairy concern. Some time later he decided to return to Missouri. Shortly after his return, he purchased the Hardin Williams farm. This became their permanent home. During the Civil War, George Krattli enlisted on the Northern side, because he felt that slavery was a dishonorable affair. Now dark clouds gathered around the family group again. The entire family was visited by a sickness, and little Anna died in Aug. 1861 at the age of ten months. The rest of the family was spared. All again regained their health except Elisabeth; her illness lingered over a longer period. When she was beginning to show marked improvement, she took suddenly ill with pneumonia and died March 25, 1862. Largely through the efforts of George Krattli, a schoolhouse was built and a teacher was secured to teach in their community. In the course of time, many improvements were made on the home place. Fields were enlarged, and better shelter was gradually provided for the family and their animals. All beginnings are difficult, but perseverance and the blessing of heaven bring success. Dorothea Krattli died Nov. 29 1876, and George Krattli died June 9, 1894. there were blesed with twelve children: I. John George Krattli II. Jacob Krattli III. John Anton Krattli IV. Elisabeth Krattli V. Michael Krattli VI. John Krattli VII. Margaretha Krattli --| VIII. Katharina Krattli ---> Twins IX. Maria Krattli X. Anna Krattli XI. Louisa Krattli XII. Dorothea Krattli This information was obtained from the Krattli Bible. It was written there in 1875 by Michael Krattli. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank all Krattli descendents who responded so nicely with information for this history. Your cooperation is appreciated. The following people deserve recognition for assisting me in obtaining information from their respective branches: Mrs. John Daume, Miss Mary Ottilia Krattli, Mrs Wesley Dothage, and Mr. and Mrs. O. Paul Krattli. Mrs. William Rueff, Mrs. Wesley Dothage, and Mrs. H.W. Kappelmann gave me general information from time to time, to help clear records. My husband assisted also, by cutting the covers for those history booklets, and by stapling the booklets for me. I hope you enjoy this history. Any omissions or errors you might find are very unintentional. Ruth Van Horn