January 18, 2024

Edward Gentkow’s Real Birthday

Edward Gentzkow was born in Minneiska, Wabasha County, Minnesota on January 15th to Julius Gentzkow and Matilda Dittrich. But in which year?

Records of his birth list both 1881 and 1882. Which is it?

Wabasha County

The first record of Edward’s birth is the civil registration at Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota.¹

All births were to be recorded at the county seat (Wabasha, MN) each year. Page 219 of Book A lists the births occurring in the Town of Minneiska. In this record:

No: 2
Date of Birth: January 15, 1881
Edward Gentzkow
Male
Parents: Julius [born Germany] and Matilda [born Minnesota]
Occupation of Father: Butcher
When Registered: December 20, 1881 [before the deadline, but nearly a year after the birth of the child]
[Number 3 is Edward’s cousin’s, George Harry Gentzkow

Baptism

The Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Gemeinde (Evangelical Church) was in Buffalo City, Wisconsin. It was a German-speaking congregation and Edward’s parents had the pastor baptize their children. The church’s early record book is written auf Deutsch and preserved on microfilm.²

The image is faint, but the information is clear.

No. 9 Edward Franz Julius Gentzkow
Names of the Parents: Julius Gentzkow and Mathilde born Dittrich
Day of Birth: 15 January 1882
Day of Baptism: 4 June 1884
Godparents: Sophie Gentzkow [paternal grandmother], Katherine Gentzkow [paternal aunt], Anna Kohler [possibly a sister of Christina Kohler Gentzkow]
Baptism Place: Minneiska, Minn
Pastor: J. Freund, ev. luth pastor
No. 10 Benjamin August Wilhelm Gentzkow
Names of the Parents: Julius Gentzkow and Mathilde born Dittrich
Day of Birth: 1 September 1883
Day of Baptism: 4 Jun 1884
Godparents: Sophie Gentzkow [paternal grandmother], Katherine Gentzkow [paternal aunt], Anna Kohler [possibly a sister of Christina Kohler Gentzkow]
Baptism Place: Minneiska, Minn
Pastor: J. Freund, ev. luth pastor

This baptism record contains a few discrepancies. First, Edward’s birth year is incorrect. Edward’s brother’s birthdate and year are different from the county register; his August 15, 1882 birth was registered on December 31, 1882. Where did the misunderstandings take place?

I give more credit to the county register because it was recorded closer to Edward’s birth.

Census Information

1885: Edward was 3 [calculated birth year of 1882]³
1895: Ed is 14 [calculated birth year of 1881] ⁴
1900: Edward was 19 with birth listed as Jan 1881⁵
1905: Edward was 24 [calculated birth year of 1881]⁶
1910: Ed was 29 [calculated birth year of 1881]⁷
1920: Edward was 37 [calculated birth year of 1883]⁸
1930: Edward was 48 [calculated birth year of 1882]⁹
1940: E. F. was listed as 25 [clearly a mistake]¹⁰

1900 Census (inset): Edward Gentzkow birthdate = Jan 1881

Draft Registrations

On his World War I Draft Registration,¹¹ he listed his birthday as January 15, 1882. For the World War II Draft, he also listed his birth year as 1882.¹²

1882 – Til the End

This obituary clipping was from an unidentified newspaper, probably the LaMoure Chronicle (July or August 1948). Here, the 1882 birthdate was perpetuated. Edward was very likely a member of Minneiska’s Swedish Lutheran Church as it was the only Lutheran Church in close proximity to his boyhood home. Would the Swedish Lutheran Church have allowed the pastor from Buffalo City to baptize the Gentzkow children in their building?

Edward F. Gentzkow Grave Marker, Rosehill Cemetery, LaMoure ND¹³

Conclusion

Edward F. Gentzkow was born January 15, 1882.

The earliest record is that of Wabasha County. With Edward’s birth being registered on December 20, 1881, the birth must have occurred prior to the recorded date.

Edward shifted his birth one year later, to 1882. This transition happened between the 1910 census and his World War I Draft Registration in 1917.

Voila! He was one year younger.

SOURCES

1
Wabasha County (MN) Birth Book A. Town of Minneiska 1881. Line 2: Edward Gentzkow, January 15, 1881.
2
Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Gemeinde. Kirchenbuch, 1860-1895. (Buffalo City, Wisconsin). FamilySearch film 1295654.
3
“Minnesota State Census, 1885”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQFK-BXP : Thu Oct 05 19:01:34 UTC 2023), Entry for Julius Gentzkow and Mathelda Gentzkow, 1885.
4
“Minnesota State Census, 1895”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQDC-X84 : Wed Oct 04 15:59:01 UTC 2023), Entry for J C Gentzkow and Mrs J C Genlgkow, 1895.
5
“United States Census, 1900”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9Q3-J8G : Wed Oct 04 19:47:58 UTC 2023), Entry for Julius Gewlykosos and Matilda Gewlykosos, 1900.
6
“Minnesota State Census, 1905”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPQX-B7D : Thu Oct 05 07:45:43 UTC 2023), Entry for Edward Gentzkow, 1905.
7
“United States Census, 1910”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLGF-2WC : Wed Oct 04 03:31:10 UTC 2023), Entry for Ed F Gentzkow and Carrie Gentzkow, 1910.
8
“United States Census, 1920”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC8T-B1Y : Sat Dec 23 02:03:29 UTC 2023), Entry for Edward F Jentzkow and Carrie Jentzkow, 1920.
9
“United States Census, 1930”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XKV7-ZQV : Thu Oct 05 08:08:00 UTC 2023), Entry for Edward Gentzkow and Carrie Gentzkow, 1930.
10
“United States Census, 1940”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KM9F-J61 : Tue Nov 28 13:49:27 UTC 2023), Entry for E F Gentzkow and Carrie Gentzkow, 1940.
11
“United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.” Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 6 October 2023. Citing NARA microfilm publication M1509. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
12
“United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKV3-4ZTL : 2 May 2023), Edward Franklin Gentzkow, 27 Apr 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
13
Photo taken by Zoe, a retired Find a Grave volunteer. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104711719/edward-franzfranklin_julius-gentzkow: accessed 17 January 2024), memorial page for Edward Franz/Franklin Julius Gentzkow (15 Jan 1881–27 Jul 1948), Find a Grave Memorial ID 104711719, citing Rosehill Cemetery, LaMoure, LaMoure County, North Dakota, USA; Maintained by k_blees (contributor 48376329).

Author: Karrie Blees

Filed Under: Dittrich, Gentzkow