Theodore Daniel Flatau

July 23, 1865 - September 28, 1930

65 years, 2 months, 5 days

1st Marriage: Wilhelmina "Minna" Dupslaff - married March 27, 1885, died in 1898

Children of Theodore & Minna:
Martha Ida Flatau (1885-1898 / 13 years)
Wilhelm Karl August Flatau (1887-1888 / 10 months)
Ida Wilhelmina Agnes Flatau (Locke) (Bell) (1890-1980 / 90 years)
Amanda Augusta Flatau (1893-1959 / 66 years)
Ernest Christian Herman Flatau (1895-1976 / 81 years)
Louis Carl "Louie" Flatau (1896-1977 / 81 years)
Albert Edward Flatau (1898-1986 / 88 years)

2nd Marriage: Emma Pauline Quade - married August 5, 1899

Children of Theodore & Emma:
Otto David Flatau (1900-1900 / 3 months)
Robert Rudolf Flatau (1902-1992 / 89 years)
Herman Heinrich Flatau (1906-1992 / 86 years)
Elsie Louise Flatau (1908-1992 / 84 years)
Walter Heinrich Flatau (1911-2005 / 94 years)

Note from Kristin: Theodore arrived on the SS Elbe in New York on July 7, 1881, at the age of 16. The origin of the passage was Bremen, Germany with a stop in Southampton, England to pick up passengers. It is unknown who Theodore traveled with or who he knew on board the ship during the twelve-day voyage. The ship, SS Elbe, was making its' maiden voyage leaving Bremen on June 26, 1881, for New York City via Southampton. Fourteen years later on January 30, 1895, the SS Elbe, collided with the British coal collier "Craithie" about 30 miles west of Ijmuiden, Netherlands. Within 20 minutes the Elbe sank to the bottom taking 332 of the 352 passengers on board with her.

Enlargement of the passenger list (above) showing Theodore Flatau's name.

The following is taken from a booklet that was written for Albert and Elsie’s 65th Wedding Anniversary celebrated August 14, 1983. Their actual 65th anniversary was January 15, 1984. The booklet was written by Vi Johnson and Kristin Peterson from information supplied by relatives. Susan Flatau provided much of the information from the great records that she keeps. The majority of the information from the booklet has not been modified, but more photos (and some text) has been added.

Theodore and Minna


Theodore was born in West Prussia, Germany on July 23, 1865, and immigrated to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1881 when he was 16 years old.


He married Minna Dupslaff on March 27, 1885. Minna was born in Ann Arbor on June 13, 1869. When they married, Theodore was 19 years old and Minna was 16.


Minna and Theodore homesteaded in Otter Tail County in the early 1890s. They had seven children.


Tragedy struck this family when their second child, Wilhelm, died at age ten months in May 1888.


Their oldest daughter was Martha and during the next few years, two more daughters and three sons were added to the family. Ida, Amanda, Ernest, Louie, and Albert.


Tragedy struck again when both Minna and their daughter, Martha, came down with Typhoid Fever. Mina died in November of 1898 at the age of 29 and Martha died the following month at age 13.

​Albert Edward Flatau was just a few months old when his mother died of Typhoid Fever.

Minna and Theodore Flatau with their children Martha and Ida in 1890. Theodore age 25, Mina age 21, Martha age 5, and Ida, age 6 months.

Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records
Theodore Flatau and Mina Dubslaff - March 27, 1885












An enlarged copy of the record of Theodore & Minna's marriage..

Theodore and Emma


Theodore married Emma Quade in 1899. Emma was born on June 2, 1875. Theodore was 34 when they married and Emma was 24 years old. Theodore's children would have been the ages of 9 (Ida), 6 (Amanda), 4 (Ernest), 3 (Louis), and 1 (Albert) when Theodore and Emma married. Theodore and Emma had five children of their own.

Emma Flatau in 1946. Emma was 71 years old.

The following is a note from Kristin (Johnson) Peterson when visiting with her Mom and Dad (Walt & Vi Johnson).

Prohibition

Grandpa Albert (Theodore's son) had a still to produce alcohol around 1924-1925. He sold the alcohol that was produced. He borrowed money from Clarence Flatau to start the operation. Corn was worth a lot more by the gallon than by the bushel.


Albert hid bottles of alcohol in the stairs in the home that we knew as Vern and Lorraine Flatau’s place growing up. Albert took out the boards of the steps in the house, hid the bottles, then nailed the steps shut. Revenuers (agents of the U.S. Treasury Department) went around the area. Some illegal producers buried their whiskey in manure piles. It was not illegal to drink alcohol. It was illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell intoxicating liquors.


In the 1950s while Vernon and Walt were cutting wood at the “Little Place”, they found a concrete footing for a building. It was a concrete slab that Ernest Flatau had built for a still. Ernest had hired a guy to take care of it during the Prohibition years. At one point Ernest had a friend who told him to take his hired guy and get out. They quickly burned the still. Revenuers caught up with him. Ernest spent two years in the Tere Haute prison. He had been a big moonshiner at the time.


Albert and his brother Ernest were not the only ones to sell alcohol during prohibition. Their father, Theodore, also sold alcohol and was also caught by the government. He served ten months in the Becker County Jail in 1930 when he was 64 years old.


The newspaper article on the left is from the Friday, January 10, 1930, Minneapolis Star edition.

CHARTS

Theodore & Minna's Family
Theodore & Minna Flatau's Descendants

Theodore & Emma's Family
Theodore & Emma Flatau's Descendants

Theodore is Kristin's Great-Grandfather

Kristin's Parents and Grandparents


Theodore's Parents

Daniel & Wilhemina Flatau Descendants


Theodore's Father & step-Mother
Daniel & Regina Flatau Descendants

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 Theodore Daniel Flatau

Updated: August 30, 2021