Somers School

Somers School class photo - circa 1900

Note numbers are not in row number.  Lightly penciled numbers typically written on girls white bodices and on the boys on their tags or white shirts.

1.     (name missing)

2.     Cherille Runals Brehm LeMieux

3.     Ellen Runals Todd

4.     Ida Runals Meier

5.     Conrad Shearer teacher

6.     Mr. Jorden

7.     Harry Jorden

8.     Murtie Jorden

9.     Etta Fouk

10.  Lora Rodgers

11.  (blank)

12.  Florence Buswell

13.  Lucy Rodgers

14.  Kate Dery

15.  Kate Olk?

16.  Hazel Buswell

17.  Ellen Pedley

18.  Carrie Fouk

19.  Lotie Rodgers

20.  Ester Kohlman

21.  Mrs. Rodgers, Lora’s Mother

22.  Mrs. Blackman

23.  Mrs. Kohlman, Ester’s mother

24.  Clerance Northway

25.  Lillie Folk

26.  Willie Houchin

27.  Al Fouk

28.  (blank) Coleman

29.  Mr. Buswell

30.  (blank) Rodgers

31.  Nick Michels

32.  (blank) Wills

33.  Housekeeper for school lives by school

34.  George Taylor

Row 1: L-R 9 (girl), --, -- 25, --

Row 2: 7, 22, 26, --, --, --, --, 24, --, --, 36, --, 35, --

Row 3:  1, 28, --, --, --, --, --,--,--,--,

Row 4: 33, 8, 2, 20, 23, 21 --,  34, 17, 16, 22, --,--,--,

Row 5: 29, --, 30 (3 men then to girl), --, 4, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, --, 10, --

Row 6: --, (woman behind tree), 19 (woman front of tree), 15, 32, --,31, 6, --,5, --,

(Photo courtesy of Jane Klotz, submitted July 2017)

Somers School class photo - circa 1896
In the bottom right corner of the photo is the name James Brehm.  He was a photo enthusiast with a dark room and he made this copy.  Ellen Runals and her sisters identified all the people.
Click on photo for enhanced view.
(Photo courtesy of Jane Klotz, submitted July 2017)

Kohlman, Gus

The Gus Kohlman House
Located on Lichter Road, Town of Somers, Kenosha County, Wisconsin
South Side of Road, West of 30th, Still Standing Today
(Photo Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

Gus Kohlman
(Photo Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

1920 US Federal Census
Name: Gustav Kohlman
Age: 53
Birth Year: About 1867
Birthplace:  Sweden
Home in 1920: Somers, Kenosha County
Street:  Lichter Road
House Number: Farm
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1888
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Wilhelmia Kohlman (also known as Minnie), also age 53
Father's Birthplace:  Sweden
Mother's Birthplace: Sweden
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Farmer
Naturalization Status: Yes


1910 US Federal Census
Gustav and Minnie Kohlman lived in Kenosha Ward 4.  They lived as a "lodger" with Emma Dahl.
Family Members:
Gustav Kohlman, age 43
Minnie Kohlman, age 43
Richard Kohlman, age 21
Ester Kohlman, age 17
Alice Kohlman, age 16


More Information About Ester (also spelled Esther) Kohlman
1912 Kenosha City Directory.
Ester lived at 712 Pearl and her occupation was listed as teacher


Esther Kohlman Teacher Contracts

September 3, 1910
School District #8 - Bullamore Forks Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin

Esther Kohlman teacher contract dated September 3, 1910
School District #8, Bullamore Forks Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin
(Image Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

September 9, 1912
School District #2 - Hillcrest Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin

Esther Kohlman teacher contract dated September 9, 1912
School District #2, Hillcrest Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin
*Note:"and it is further understood and agreed that the board will see that fire is built Sunday afternoon".
(Image Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

Dorcas Society

The Dorcas Society
Estimate date of photo 1921
Photo Taken: Kohlman home Kenosha County, Wisconsin
Check-mark above ladies head in back row is Esther Kohlman (Mrs. Knute) Stangberg.
Name on back of photo says "Stangberg"
(Photo Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

The Dorcas Society is a local group of people, usually based in a church, with a mission of providing clothing to the poor.  Dorcas societies are named after Dorcas (also called Tabitha), a person described in the Acts of the Apostles (Chapter 9, v. 36).
One Dorcas Society was founded in Douglas, Isle of Man in December, 1834, as part of the community's thanksgiving for being spared from an outbreak of cholera.  Other Dorcas societies were established by missionaries in the Americas in the early 1800's.  Dorcas societies were at their height in the 1800's.
(Source:  Wikipedia.com)

More About Dorcas Society
"I am writing to you about the photo of the Dorcas Society, posted on May 28, 2015.  The Dorcas Ladies Aid society was an auxiliary of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Kenosha.  It began in 1895, just three years after the congregation was organized.  There were monthly meetings, and the ladies also served at church suppers and festivals to raise money to help defray church expenses."
(Provided by David Kullman, November 2016)

Now, about the photo itself.  Nancy and I agree that the person indicated by the check mark is not Esther Kohlman Strangberg, but it is our grandmother, Sofie Kullman.  (Note the differences in spelling.  There was a third brother, Albert Kollman.)   Esther Strangberg is seated second from the left, holding her son, Charles Strangberg, on her lap.  Charles was born in 1918, so the 1921 date on the photo seems correct."