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Albert Edward Kunde2, born Albert Eduard Gustaf
Kunde on September 16, 1874 near Stettin in the state of
Pomerania, kingdom of Prussia, Germany, the son of
Johann F— Kunde1 and
Augusta R— (—) Kunde.
Albert initially studied for the Lutheran ministry, abandoning this goal when he left Germany to avoid conscription into the army. He emigrated from Stettin to North America while in his late teens, traveling first to Canada and thence to the United States. The date of his entry into this country has been variously reported as 1892, 1893 and 1895. He settled in Wadena County, Minnesota. There he homesteaded near Wadena, constructing a log cabin about 1896 from timber cut on the land. His parents and younger siblings Minnie and August joined him in America in 1895, also settling in Minnesota. Albert learned English and became a naturalized citizen before 1900. Albert married, April 17, 1900 in Wadena, Wadena County, Minnesota, Helene R— Hunke2. Helene’s brother and sister-in-law Henry and Anna Hunke, themselves newly married, were witnesses. Helene was born February 17, 1875 (per her death certificate) or April –, 1876 (per the 1900 U.S. census), in —, Indiana, the daughter of William Hunke1 and Augusta (—) Hunke, immigrants from Prussia in Germany. Helena had one child from before her marriage, and she and Albert had seven additional children together, as follows. Children:
In 1900 Albert and Helene lived in a farm owned under a mortgage in Rockwood Township, Wadena County, Minnesota, presumably his original homestead. Albert's occupation was given as farmer. In November, 1906 the family moved to Visalia, Tulare County, California. There Albert settled on 140 acre ranch on St. Johns River, with 20 acres in prunes and 20 or 30 in pasture. The ranch was about one and a half miles southeast of Visalia, one mile south on Mineral King Road and off Mineral King Road on Kane Road. In 1910 the family was living on a farm owned under a mortgage on County Road in Visalia Township, Tulare County, California. Albert's occupation was given as farmer, and August was attending school. Albert's parents were then living in a rented house adjacent to the farm. His father died there the following year. In 1912 Albert was living in or near Visalia and gave his occupation as farmer. Though the county directory shows no Kundes in Tulare County in 1913, the family is said to have continued to farm the land it had acquired in 1906 until 1914 or 1915. Over the next few years the family moved successively, buying and farming land and then selling it at a profit and moving on. The first of these moves was to a 20 acre prune ranch in San Jose in October, 1915. Also in 1915, Albert purchased and operated the Elite Theatre, an early movie theater, in San Francisco. There were two theaters by that name in San Francisco at the time, one at 1110 Market Street and one at 3290 Sacramento Street, and it is not completely certain which Albert was connected with. However, as he resided at 63 Moss Street while in San Francisco on theater business, and as that address was much closer to the Market Street theater, that was likely the one he owned. He continued running the Elite into 1916, afterwards selling it. Neither he nor the Market Street Elite Theatre appear in the San Francisco directories for 1917 or after. From San Jose the Kundes removed to a ranch in Turlock in March, 1916, which they left in the fall of 1917 for a ranch in Live Oak consisting of over 300 acres of bare ground, on which they raised grain and beans. During this period Albert is also said to have operated a dairy farm in Lomo, a small town in Sutter County between Live Oak and Yuba City. Possibly it was identical to the Live Oak ranch. The family supposedly lived in Lomo or Live Oak for a few years. In September 1918 Albert was working as a self-employed farmer on his property in Live Oak, Sutter County, California. His permanent address was given as the same location, and his nearest relative as his wife Helen Kunde. He was described at the time as tall in height, of medium build, with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. Albert moved his family for the last time in 1918 or the fall of 1919, to Yuba City. There he obtained a peach ranch or orchard in what was then known as the Charles Wilbur tract, which the family farmed for the next twelve years. The farm has been variously described as consisting of 22, 27 or 40 acres. Besides peaches, the Kundes grew almonds, prunes, cherries and walnuts on the land. Albert established his residence adjacent to the farm on Wilbur Avenue, where the family began construction of a two-story family home in 1921. The house number was initially 200.
In 1920 the family was living on property owned under a mortgage on Wilbur Avenue in Precinct 1 of Yuba City, Yuba Township, Sutter County, California. Albert's occupation was given as fruit farmer. Edward, Paul, Herman and Ernest attended school. The first of the children to leave home was August. He was living in Fresno by 1922, at which time his brothers were still with their parents. On August 2, 1922, Albert Kunde drowned on a fishing trip with a party of friends near Colusa, while swimming in the Sacramento River at its junction with the Butte Slough. He was forty-seven. His body was recovered the next morning, and the funeral was held at Kelly Brothers' Chapel in Marysville on August 5. He was buried in the Yuba City Cemetery. Albert's sons completed the building of the Wilbur Avenue house in 1923. Helend Kunde remained in the house, which she owned jointly with her sons, for the rest of her life. In 1924 her mother, who was living with the family at the time, died there. August, who had taken the name Albert after his father's death, returned home by 1925, and for a while all Helen's sons were at home again. But by 1927 Al, Otto and Ed had left, and by 1930 Paul as well. In April, 1930 Helen was living with her two youngest sons at 200 Wilbur Avenue. Herman and Ernest were both described as laborers working at odd jobs. Ernest was attending school. The family of Helen’s son Otto lived next door at #208, and that of her son Edward in the next house at #210. All three homes were stated to be on a farm. Otto’s occupation was given as farmer, and Edward’s as orchardist. The houses on Wilbur Avenue were renumbered soon after this, probably later that same year, with the Kunde house becoming #429. Sutter County acquired the peach orchard acreage from the Kundes about 1931. Herman left home by 1934, and Ernie by 1936. Helen's mailing address was given as Route 3, Box 9, Railroad Avenue, Yuba City, a rural route, in 1938. Ed seems to have returned home for a while around 1940. In her later life Helen was said to be well-known in the Yuba City community, and a member for many years of Marigold Temple, Pythian Sisters. After an illness of ten days or more Helen passed away very easily at 4:00 A.M., Thursday, January 30, 1941, at the family home on Wilbur Avenue. Her reported age was 65. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon, February 1, 1941 at the Jones chapel in Yuba city, with Rev. Westly Ford officiating. The Yuba City Pythian Sisters conducted graveside rites in the Yuba City Cemetery, where she was buried between her husband and her mother. Her six surviving sons by her late husband acted as pallbearers. The family plot bears a headstone with the following inscription:
ALBERT KUNDE HELENE KUNDE
The three graves in the plot bear footstones with the following
inscriptions:
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From 8/6/2012 revision.
1st web edition posted
1/26/1998.
This page last updated
7/19/2013.
Published by Fleabonnet Press.