My daughter Onyka recently restored a remarkable family photograph from around 1907. The photo shows eleven siblings standing together, capturing a moment that connects my family's past to our present. As a genealogist and descendant of this remarkable family (John Martin Wunderlich is my 3x great-grandfather, and Samuel Wunderlich is my 2x great-grandfather), seeing their faces clearly after Onyka removed decades of scratches and damage feels like opening a window directly into my family's history.
A Tale of Two Communities
The story of my Wunderlich ancestors is deeply rooted in Richland Township, a farming community situated between the cities of Kenyon and Faribault, Minnesota. These two communities, about 15 miles apart, were both significant in my family's history. Many of my ancestors would have traveled regularly between the two cities for business, church, and social activities, helping to build the strong community bonds that still exist in this region today.
The Parents Who Started It All
Before I tell you about the siblings in the photo, let me share a bit about their parents, because their story is pretty incredible. My 3x great-grandfather, Rev. John Martin Wunderlich (1817-1894), came to America from Bavaria in 1849 on a ship called the Hermine. Here's where it gets interesting - he was actually a Catholic priest in Chicago, but he chose to leave the priesthood for love. After his first wife Barbara passed away, he married Wilhelmina Menge (1837-1911), my 3x great-grandmother, in 1857. She had her own immigration story, having come from Prussia's Province of Posen.
The Siblings in the Photo
Standing in the back row (left to right):
Samuel F. (1875-1948) - my 2x great-grandfather. Sam was quite a character! He was known for being strict but fair with his children, running his farm in Richland Township with clear expectations. He married Martha Amanda Mahlman, and they raised five children together. Family stories tell us he was fond of playing cards and enjoyed his beer at family gatherings. He was born a twin, but sadly, his brother didn't survive infancy.
Adolph H. (1869-1955) - After marrying Mary Eigenbrodt, he established a farm near Nerstrand. There's a fascinating story about him and his wife witnessing a tornado hit Morristown while they were picking corn - news traveled so slowly back then that they didn't learn about the damage until Adolph delivered milk to town the next morning.
John (1866-1950) - Started as a farmer but moved to Faribault in 1907 to work in the oil business. He was a devoted church member, serving as both trustee and class leader at the Evangelical United Brethren Church.
William "Willie" (1861-1924) - He married Emma Jenkel and worked as a farmer in Richland Township. His wife Emma was quite active in church organizations and lived to see several great-grandchildren.
Aaron (1864-1935) - He showed real entrepreneurial spirit, starting as a farmer but later owning a successful grocery store.
Peter John (1872-1959) - Known locally as "Pete," he owned a grocery store in Kenyon that became a community hub. Family members recall how customers could trade eggs for groceries, and they would carefully "candle" each egg to ensure quality. He later sold the store to his nephew, Myron Wunderlich Sr., and moved to Faribault where he opened a liquor store.
George Martin (1877-1954) - The youngest brother served his community as both a trustee and school board member. He was described in his WWI draft registration as being of medium height and build with grey eyes and dark hair.
Seated in the front row (left to right):
Anna E. (1868-1947) - She never married but built a successful career as a bookkeeper at Schock Grocery in St. Paul, working there for 35 years. She attended Minnesota Business College when higher education for women wasn't very common.
Ernestine Wilhelmina (1859-1934) - The eldest of the siblings, she married Daniel David Bosshardt and helped establish their family's presence in the community.
Sarah (1863-1945) - After marrying Herman Eigenbrodt, she moved to Faribault in 1903. She grew up attending rural schools and saw tremendous changes in education during her lifetime.
Lydia E. (1871-1929) - She married William Neuman and moved to Youngstown, Ohio, where she worked as a sales woman in a grocery store. She passed away from pneumonia in 1929.
Why This Photo Means So Much
When I look at this photo, I see more than just faces from the past - I see my family's journey in America. These siblings lived through incredible changes - from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles, from farming with hand tools to early mechanization. They experienced the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the early days of electricity transforming rural Minnesota.
The photo was taken around 1907, when Faribault was growing into an important regional center. Many of my ancestors were transitioning from farming to other occupations, just like so many other Americans at that time. Their children would go on to operate businesses during the Great Depression, and help build the communities we know today.
This is why I'm so grateful for Onyka's restoration work. Every scratch she removed, every detail she enhanced helps preserve this precious piece of not just Minnesota history, but my family's history. It's amazing to think that these faces - my ancestors - helped shape Rice and Goodhue Counties through their work as farmers, merchants, and community leaders.
Their story is my story, and now, thanks to this restored photograph, I can share it more clearly with future generations of our family. The Wunderlich legacy lives on in both Kenyon and Faribault, where descendants of these siblings continued to farm, operate businesses, and contribute to community life. Even today, you can find traces of their influence in both communities, from the cemeteries where they rest to the churches they helped build and the farms they worked. It's a reminder that family history isn't just about dates and places - it's about real people who lived, worked, and built the foundations we stand on today.
Sources:
Census records (1860-1940)
Faribault Daily News obituaries
Minnesota State Census records (1865-1905)
"Rice County Families, Their History, Our Heritage"
Contemporary newspaper accounts from The Pilot and Rice County Journal
Family interviews conducted by Heidi (Wunderlich) Eggert
Personal family knowledge and research
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