Florentina Carolina (Freitag) Budnick, 1843-1922

 

FLORENTINA CAROLINA FRIEDRIKE (FREITAG) BUDNICK was born on 18 July 1843 in Wollin, Kreis Stolp, Pommern, Prussia, to mother Henriette Freytag [sic] and an unknown father.  Her birth record specifically states that she was “illegitimate.” Her baptism was held on 23 July 1843, at the church in Stojentin parish, Koslin district, Prussia, and was witnessed by three people from Wollin, including “Carolina Freytag,” probably a close relative of her mother’s. [1]

Stojentin Parish Church, Wolinia, Poland; photo taken by Dawn Vanderwolf in 2021

Within the next nine years, her mother Henriette had gotten married and had three more children, all of whom were identified on birth records as the children of Michael Panzer, Henriette’s husband.[2]  To date, there is no DNA evidence available to prove whether or not Michael Panzer was also the father of Florentina.

On 11 August 1865, when she was just 22 years old, Florentina left her home in Wollin, traveled to Bremen, and sailed on the Bark Therese, arriving in New York City but with intention to live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Also on board with her was her future brother-in-law Hermann Budnick and his family.[3]  It is unknown whether or not Florentina knew the Budnick family prior to immigration, or whether it was just a coincidence that she traveled with this family.

The Bark Therese carried 287 total passengers on the trip that Florentina was on; a picture of the Bark is provided below in an 1853 painting by Frederik Sørvig:[4]

At some point, Florentina met Albert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  They started to have children in 1867, when son Albert was born.  After his birth, the family moved to Maryland, where they had two more boys – Frank in 1868, and William Edward born in 1870.  Per the 1870 census, the family of five lived in Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland, where Albert worked as a farm laborer.[5]

Having three children out of wedlock was probably not an unusual event for Florentina, as she was also a child born out of wedlock.  However, she and Albert did tie the knot on 10 August 1872, marrying at the St. Michaels and Zion Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  They continued to have children, adding another three boys to the family – Frederick Harry in 1876, Charles Henry in 1879 and Robert in 1887.[6]  Tragically, second son Frank passed away in 1887 at the young age of 19.[7]

By 1900 the family had moved to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, with husband Albert continuing to work as a farm laborer.[8]  Even after Albert’s death in 1905, Florentina stayed on in Aberdeen, living with her son Frederick and his family.[9]  On 2 January 1922, Florentina passed away at 79 years old from trouble with her stomach and liver at her home in Aberdeen.  She is buried with her husband at St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Aberdeen, Maryland.[10]  Her birth year on her headstone is incorrect.

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[1] Stojentin Parish, Koslin district, Prussia, "Baptisms Stojentin 1836-1853," no. 64 (1843), Florentine Caroline Friedrike; image, metryki.GenBaza.pl (https://metryki.genbaza.pl/genbaza,detail,314685,54 : viewed 19 October 2021), image 54.  See also her marriage record, which provides additional proof on place of birth:  St. Michael's and Zion Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), marriage record, Albert Wilh Budnick and Florentina Freitag ; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/42154_331456-00112 : viewed 6 June 2021), image 2683.

[2] For other children of Henriette, see (a) Stojentin Parish, Koslin district, Prussia, "Baptisms Stojentin 1836-1853," no. 67 (1847), Johanna Wilhelmine Panzer; image, metryki.GenBaza.pl (https://metryki.genbaza.pl/genbaza,detail,314685,91 : viewed 19 October 2021), image 91.  (b) Stojentin Parish, Koslin district, Prussia, "Baptisms Stojentin 1836-1853," no. 104 (1849), Gustav Johann Friedrich Panzer; image, metryki.GenBaza.pl (https://metryki.genbaza.pl/genbaza,detail,314685,108 : viewed 19 October 2021), image 108.  (c)  Stojentin Parish, Koslin district, Prussia, "Baptisms Stojentin 1836-1853," no. 51 (1852), Heinrich Hermann Ludwig Panzer; image, metryki.GenBaza.pl (https://metryki.genbaza.pl/genbaza,detail,314685,130 : viewed 19 October 2021), image 130.  For marriage of Henriette, see Stojentin Parish, Koslin district, Prussia, "Marriages Stojentin 1836-1853," no. 13 (1847), Panzer-Freitag; image, metryki.GenBaza.pl (https://metryki.genbaza.pl/genbaza,detail,314684,21 : viewed 19 October 2021), image 21.

[3] New York Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957, microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), Bark Therese, 11 August 1865, passenger no. 126, Florentine Freitag; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7488/images/NYM237_254-0552 : viewed 5 June 2021), image 4.

[4] Source of photo:  http://blog.buffalostories.com/category/family/

[5] 1870 U.S. census, Kent County, Maryland, population schedule, district 3, Chestertown post office, p. 54, dwelling 335, family 326, Albert Budnic household; NARA microfilm M593, roll 590; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4269478_00258 : viewed 23 Nov 2020), image 54.

[6] 1900 U.S. census, Harford County, Maryland, population schedule, Aberdeen, enumeration district (ED) 0142, sheet 16A,  dwelling 330, family 331, Albert W. Budnick household; NARA microfilm T623, roll 623; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4120208_00474 : viewed 23 Nov 2020), image 31.

[7] FindAGrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43447198/frank-budnick : viewed 24 October 2021), memorial 43447198, digital image, 23 October 2009, by “Diana,” of Frank Budnick gravestone (St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery, Aberdeen, Maryland).  Note that the birth year on Frank’s gravestone is incorrect – he was only 2 years old in the 1870 census (with brother Albert aged 4), so Frank could not have been born in 1866.  It is most likely he was born in 1868.

[8] 1900 U.S. census, Harford County, Maryland, Albert W. Budnick household.

[9] 1910 U.S. census, Harford County, Maryland, population schedule, Aberdeen town, district 2, precinct 1, enumeration district (ED) 0096, sheet 5A, dwelling 100, family 100, Fred. Budnick household; NARA microfilm T624, roll 565; image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/31111_4330034-00933 : viewed 23 Nov 2020), images 8-9.

[10] Maryland, Certificate of Death no. 0547 (1922), Florentina Budnick; Maryland State Archives, series S1177, microfilm SE43-3234.