THE RICHNOW FAMILY RESIDED IN RICESDORF, GERMANY. GEORGE RICHNOW CAME TO THE UNITED STATES FIRST BRINGING WITH HIM 2 YEAR OLD WILLIAM (WILHELM) AND 1 BAG. HE IMMIGRATED THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND ABOARD THE SHIP KAISER WILHELM II AUGUST 9, 1892. DESTINATION, NEW YORK. HIS LISTING IN THE RECORD STATED HE WAS ABLE TO READ AND WRITE. THE SHIP DEPARTED FROM BREMEN, GERMANY. GEORGE WAS 28 WHEN HE ARRIVED.

THE SHIP WAS BUILT BY A/G VULCAN SHIPYARD, SETTIN, GERMANY IN 1889. IT WEIGHED 6.668 GROSS TONS; 449 FEET LONG; 51 FEET WIDE. STEAM TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE, SINGLE SCREW. SERVICE SPEED 16 KNOTS. 1,200 PASSENGERS (120 FIRST CLASS, 8O SECOND AND 1,000 THIRD CLASS)
BUILT FOR NORTH GERMAN LLOYD, GERMAN FLAG IN 1889 AND NAMED KAISER WILHELM II . BREMERHAVEN-NEW YORK AND MEDITERRANEAN-NEW YORK SERVICE. RENAMED HOHENZOLLERN IN 1900. STRANDED OF SARDINIA IN MAY 1908, LATER REFLOATED AND SCRAPPED IN ITALY IN 1908.

DUE TO HAVE HER FIFTH CHILD, CLARA REMAINED IN GERMANY AND WAS TO FOLLOW WITH THE REMAINING 4 CHILDREN AUGUST 1, 1893 ABOARD THE MEIER, PORT OF DEPARTURE BREMEN, GERMANY. SHE ARRIVED AT THE AGE OF 30. SHE AND THE CHILDREN TRAVELED IN STEERAGE AND HAD 3 BAGS WITH THEM.

THE SHIP BUILT BY ARMSTRONG, MITCHELL AND COMPANY, NEW CASTLE, ENGLAND, 1892. WEIGHED 5,617 GROSS TONS, 421FEET LONG,48 FEET WIDE. STEAM TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINES, TWIN SCREW. SERVICE SPEED 13.5 KNOTS. 1,116 PASSSENGERS ( 84 FIRST CLASS,32 SECOND CLASS, 1,OOO THIRD CLASS.
BUILT FOR NORTH GERMAN LLOYD, GERMAN FLAG IN 1892 NAMED LUCANIA. BREMERHAVEN-NEW YORK SERVICE COMPANIA TRANSATLANTICA LINE, SPANISH FLAG IN 1901 RENAMED MANUEL CALVA. BARCELONA-NEW YORK SERVICE. DAMAGED BY A MINE OFF TURKEY IN 1919, REPAIRED AND RESUMED SERVICE IN 1936. LAID UP IN 1936-1939, REBUILT AS A FREIGHTER IN 1939. LAID UP IN 1950 THEN SOLD TO SPANISH OWNERS IN 1952 AND RENAMED DRAGO. SCRAPPED IN SPAIN IN 1958.

THE CHILDREN OF GEORGE AND CLARA RICHNOW INCLUDE;


FRIEDA RICHNOW (B.NOVEMBER 1885 GERMANY- D. BEFORE 1928)

HELEN(LENA) RICHNOW(CARUSO)(B.JULY 20,1886 GERMANY- D.DECEMBER 23,1959 HOUSTON,TEXAS)
HER FAMILY INFORMATION ABOVE..

WILLIAM (WILHELM) RICHNOW (B.AUGUST 29,1890 GERMANY-D.FEBRUARY 1963 TEXAS)
..M. HATTIE
...C..ALFRED RICHNOW
...C..WALTER RICHNOW

ERICK GEORGE RICHNOW (B.FEBRUARY 25,1893 GERMANY-D. JUNE 1969 HOUSTON)
..M..KATIE
...C..ERICK GEORGE RICHNOW JR.
...C..MARY ELLA RICHNOW
...C..VERNON RICHNOW

ANNA RICHNOW (SAGER) (B.DECEMBER 12,1894 TEXAS-D.DECEMBER 28,1987 TEXAS)
..M..WERNER SAGER
...C..WAYNE WERNER SAGER

ELLA RICHNOW (DICKSON) ( 10/27/1884 GERMANY-D.??/??/1964 TEXAS)
..M..GEORGE DICKSON
NO CHILDREN

FRITZ (FRED) RICHNOW (B.JULY 12,1897 TEXAS-MARCH 1975 TEXAS)
..M..EULA
....C..FRITZ (FRED) RICHNOW JR.
....C..DOUGLAS RICHNOW
....C..WILLIAM RICHNOW
....C..JUDY RICHNOW
....C..CLAIBORNE RICHNOW

EDWARD RICHNOW (B.JUNE 28,1902 TEXAS-D.FEBRUARY 1969 TEXAS)
..M..LILLIAN DORIS ALLEN
....C..GWEN DORIS RICHNOW(B.DECEMBER 16,1927-)
....C..MURIEL DOROTHY RICHNOW(B.OCTOBER 9,1929-)
..M..KATIE MAE BESSELMAN
....C..WERNER RAY RICHNOW(B.??/??/1935-D.??/??/1941)
....C..RICHARD ERNEST RICHNOW(B.??/??/1936)
....C..VIRGINIA SUE RICHNOW(B.??/??/19

** GEORGE AND CLARA RICHNOW, HELEN RICHNOW CARUSO, ELLA RICHNOW DICKSON AND GEORGE DICKSON ARE BURIED IN THE HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.

THE FAMILY EVENTUALLY SETTLED IN COLORADO COUNTY, TEXAS WHERE GEORGE SUPPORTED HIS LARGE FAMILY AS A FARMER AND CABINET MAKER. ELLIS ISLAND RECORD STATES HE WAS A CARPENTER IN GERMANY.

GEORGE WAS A MEMBER OF THE SONS OF HERMANN AND CLARA WAS A MEMBER OF THE SISTERS OF HERMANN. IT WAS A LODGE THAT BEGAN IN 1840 IN NEW YORK BY A SMALL BAND OF MEN WHO WERE OF GERMAN DECENT. THIS IS THE NATION'S OLDEST FRATERNAL BENIFIT SOCIETY. IT WAS WELL KNOWN AT THE TIME THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE SONS OF HERMANN WERE FINANCIALLY WELL TO DO. THEY FORMED THEIR OWN EDUCATION LEAGUE AND INSURANCE COMPANY. IT IS NOW DISCRIBED AS A NOT PROFIT FRATERNAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.

GEORGE RICHNOW'S OBITUARY IN THE NEWS PAPER READS;
RICHOW-GEORGE RICHNOW,70, DIED AT HIS HOME-7009 DENISON ST. AT 3:25 P.M. MONDAY. HE HAD BEEN A RESIDENT OF HOUSTON FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE SONS OF HERMANN. HE IS SURIVED BY HIS WIFE MRS. CLARA RICHNOW; THREE DAUGHTERS, MRS. ELLA RICHNOW, MRS. LENA CARUSO AND MRS. ANNA SAGER; FOUR SONS, WILLIAM, ERICK, FRED AND WILLIAM RICHNOW ALL OF HOUSTON; TWO BROTHERS, PAUL AND EDWARD RICHNOW; A SISTER MRS. MARIE BARNAK OF BERLIN GERMANY; 22 GRANDCHILDREN AND FOUR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY THE FOGLE WEST COMPANY. ACTIVE PALLBEARERS WILL BE R. VANBENSCHTON, T. BURROUGHS, ROBERT HARRIS, FRED HUEBNER, A, RUNFULO AND A.O. FRANS.
HIS DEATH CERTIFICATE STATES THAT HE DIED WITH COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES. HE HAD GANGRENE IN BOTH FEET, OTHER CONTRIBUTORY CAUSES STATED AS DIABETES MELLITUS.

THE DEATH CERTIFICATE OF CLARA RICHNOW IDENTIFIES HER FATHER AS PAUL BENEDICT OF GERMANY HOWEVER, THERE IS NO INFORMATION ON HER MOTHER.
CLARA DIED IN HER HOME OF COMPLICATIONS OF PNEUMONIA AND LAGRIPPE. THE INFORMATION ON RECORD STATES HER AS A HOUSEWIFE.
CLARA'S OBITUARY IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ AND ALOT OF IT IS BLACKED OUT;
RICHNOW-MRS.CLARA RICHNOW, 74, OF 4824 SOUTH MAIN, DIED FEBRUARY 5, 1936 AT(?)A.M. WEDNESDAY AT HER HOUSTON HOME. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE SISTERS OF HERMANN. SHE IS SURVIVED BY THREE DAUGHTERS, MRS. LENA CARUSO, ANN SAGER AND MISS ELLA RICHNOW. FOUR SONS; WILLIM J. RICHNOW, ERICK RICHNOW AND EDWARD RICHNOW OF HOUSTON AND FRED RICHNOW OF PASADENA. ONE SISTER, MRS SELMS ILCHMAN OF DENVER. (????) 23 GRANDCHILDREN. FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT 2 P.M. THURSDAY AT FOGLE-WEST CHAPEL, WITH REV. (??) KARN OFFICIATING. BURIAL SERVICES AT THE HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF FOGEL-WEST- COMPANY. ACTIVE PALLBEARERS WILL BE;(?)SHILL, R.V. (??), (?)VAN(?), A. RUNFLO, (??), TRUMAN BURROUGHS,(??).
IT SEEMS THAT FREIDA RICHNOW DIED BEFORE HER PARENTS SINCE THERE IS NO MENTION OF HER IN EITHER OBITUARY.