Just Another Immigrant


1725 The first Zimmermanns emmigrate to Austria-Hungary.
30 March 1867 The Austro-Hungarian Empire is founded. Both countries have their own government but are united through one monarch. (Dual monarchy)
1868 The Nationality Act, that declared "all citizens of Hungary form, politically, one nation, the indivisible unitary Hungarian nation (nemzet), of which every citizen of the country, whatever his personal nationality (nemzetiség), is a member equal in rights."
19. Oct 1872 Barbara Zimmermann born in Városlöd.
1879 Beginning with the 1879 Primary Education Act and the 1883 Secondary Education Act, the Hungarian state made more efforts to reduce the use of non-Magyar languages, in strong violation of the 1868 Nationalities Law.
1881 Hungarian authorities put constant pressure upon all non-Hungarians to Magyarize their names and the ease with which this could be done gave rise to the nickname of Crown Magyars (the price of registration being one korona).
1885 Barbara's mother becomes ill. Barbara takes over the houshold.
  Barbara meets Vendel Kundermann, an apprentice tailor from Akja.
1893 Vendel is finished with his vocational training and opens his own tailor shop in Urkút.
  Vendel courts Barbara and is threatened by the Városlöd village boys.
March 1894 intented wedding
19 March 1894 Barbara's mother, Suzanne Alich, dies.
14 Sept 1894 Barbara marries Vendel Kundermann.
Nov. 1894 Vendel is called to military duty.
5 August 1895 * Wendell Peter Kundermann
April 1896 Vendel is released from the military.
14 June 1896 György Zimmermann, Barbara's father, dies.
  Plans are made for going to South America. In Rio Grande Do Sul there are relatives.
5 August 1897 * Johnann (John) Kundermann
  Vendel is often called back to the military.
25 Sept 1897 Family Kundermann travels to South America. They took the train to Fiume (Rijeka) and then an Italien freighter to Brazil. Wendell is 2 years old, John is 6 weeks old.
Nov. 1897 The ship stops at Santos (São Paulo), 600 miles north of Rio Grande Do Sul. The captain refuses to go farther.
  There is hardly any work for a tailor in the coffee-city Santos.
  Family Kundermann moves to São Paulo.
  Vendel gets sick and is taken to the Hospital de Isolamento by the police.
19 Feb. 1898 Vendel dies on typhoid fever.
10 Sept. 1898 Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) is assissanated in Geneva.
  Barbara looks for work. The children were almost kidnapped.
  Barbara starts working for the museum director Dr. Hermann von Ihering. They live in a small basement room.
  Wendell is almost bit by a venomous snake.
July 1901 The trip back to Hungary begins. Both boys have the measels.
Sept. 1901 Barbara and the boys are back in Hungary.
October 1901 Barbara works in Budapest. The boys stay at Uncle Kungl. Barbara pays for their board. Wendell works as a shepherd.
October 1905 John go to an orphanage in Balaton Füred. Wendell stays with Uncle Kungl.
  Barbara loans money from Uncle Kungl and leaves a trunk full of embroidered scarfs and handkerchiefs as deposit. Although she paid the money back, she never saw the trunk again.
Nov. 1905 Barbara travels to America. Wendell was not allowed to go to the train station to say good by to his mother.
4 Dec.1905 Barbara is admitted through Ellis Island and continues on to relatives in Akron, Ohio.
  Barbara works for B.F.Goodrich making rubber shoes.
  Barbara starts up a boarding house.
August 1906 Barbara sends Uncle Kungl money to pay the fare for Wendell.
  Barbara marries Anton Bischoff.
1 Oct. 1906 Wendell and Uncle Anton (Barbara's brother) travel to America on the SS. Gascogne in the steerage class. Wendell sees an electric light bulb for the first time.
1 Nov. 1906 Wendell and Anton are detained for several days at Ellis Island but are finally admitted.
  Wendell goes to school in Akron. The principal gives him additional instruction.
1907 Family Kundermann/Bischoff moves to St. Louis, Mo.
20 Aug 1908 Anton's parents travel from Hungary to America bringing John with them.
1909 Wendell gets a working permit and does not go to school anymore.
8 Nov. 1909 Wendell works for Ely and Walker in St. Louis.
Aug. 1911 Wendell buys a house (Blow Street, South St. Louis) for his family.
Dec. 1911 Anton Bischoff abandons the family.
March 1912 The Kundermanns lose the house because they could not meet the monthly payments.
28 July 1914 The Great War (World War I) starts in Europe.
1917 Wendell gains American Citizenship.
1917 John joins the army
April 1917 The United States enter the war.
1918 Wendell buys a house South St. Louis (Gertrude Ave). The neighborhood is German.
4/11 Nov 1918 Armistice in Europe. The Great War is over.
  Wendell, John and Ella (future wife of John) sing in the choir of the German Theater.
1920 John and Ella kessler are wed.
June 1921 Wendell works for Schwarz Sample Co. and falls in love with the company's secretary.
12 Nov 1921 Wendell Peter Kundermann and Irene Schwarz are wed.
1922 Barbara works for Fred Bentz caring for the houshold.
1 July 1922 Barbara is divorced.
14 Nov. 1923 Barbara marries Fred Bentz.
9 Oct. 1922 Gene Elva Kundermann is born.
1923 The house in the Gertrude Ave. is sold. The family moves to 706 Yeatman, Webster Groves. Barbara lives for a short time there.
29 Oct 1929 The stock market crashes. The Great Depression begins.
1935 Congress passed the Social Security Act.
20 June 1936 Barbara's husband, Fred Bentz, dies.
1 Sept 1939 World War II starts in Europe.
21 Mar 1940 Irene's father, Hermann Schwarz, dies.
Wendell buys Schwarz Sample Co.
7 Dec 1941 Pearl Harbor - The United States enter World war II.
15 August 1945 Atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrenders.
1948 Barbara's face nerves are operated on.
5 Nov 1949 Wendell and Irene Kundermann move to 873 W. Greeley, Webster Groves.
12 Nov 1949 Gene Kundermann and George Speckert are wed. The reception is in 873 W. Greeley.
1950 Barbara has breast cancer. Both are removed. She said: "Let them have them! I don't need them anymore."
1950 Barbara moves into the Good Samaritan Home in St. Louis.
She contracts skin cancer.
1958 Barbara moves into the new Good Samaritan Home in St. Louis County overlooking the Missippi River.
  Barbara breaks her hip and is bed-ridden.
6 April 1960 Barbara dies.
1 Jan 1963 Schwarz Sample Co. is sold.
2 July 1964 The Civil Rights Act is signed by President Johnson.