Matz families sailed on the Ems
More than 100 years ago, two Matz brothers and their families arrived in the USA from Russia.
The two brothers had married Schultz sisters in Russia. They worked hard to make a living but did not find success.
The future looked bleak, so when the opportunity came, they decided to find passage to America.
With 10 children between them, they sold everything and raised enough money for the trip.
The oldest Matz sister made arrangements with friends already in America to receive them.
"Ah, Marion County, Kansas! Here we come! Our hopes are coming true!"
Full of hope and with much prayer, they left loved ones behind.
They traveled to Bremen, Germany, where a Matz cousin lived. She kept them until their steamship came into the harbor.
Seven-year-old Emilie Matz admired the cousins and heard their conversations as they dressed and combed their hair in the latest styles to go to work.
The Matzes soon boarded the steamship Ems for the trip to America. Built in 1884 by John Elder & Company of Glasgow, Scotland, it was 430 feet long, 47 feet wide, and could carry 1,250 passengers — 125 first class, 125 second class, and 1,000 third class.
It was built for a German company and was used to transport passengers between Bremerhaven and New York.
After boarding the Ems, Juliane (Shultz) Matz, 23, cared for her sister, Karolina, who was four and a half months pregnant and became seasick.
Juliane was loyal and faithful to her task, masterfully handling heavy oak doors to the lavatory and tending to many necessities as the ship rolled in the waves.
The ship arrived at Ellis Island, New York, on Jan. 27, 1894.
After passing through customs, the Matz families traveled to Marion County, Kansas, to begin a new life.
Many descendants of these Matz families continue to live in the area.
The original ship manifest, which is the official record of information about each passenger and crew member, is stored on microfilm in the National Archives.
(This information was provided by Alice Wandling of Hillsboro.)
