STREIG

The history of the Streig family, as we know it, begins in Germany.  The name Streig, as it is currently spelt, is not truly a name, it means trick--as in trick or treat.  The family began using this name in America.

The family story goes something like this:

Wilhelmina Mary Wallenberg was born 21 March 1846 in Germany.  She married a Lt. in the Prussian Army.  We believe his name was Frederick Wollendlurge. His father was reported to be a general in the Prussian Army.  Wilhelmina's first husband was killed in the Franco-Prussian War before his son was born.  His son was Frederick Wilhelm ?? Wolfgang Wollendlurge who was born about July 17, 1870 or 1871.

 In about 1877 (or 1878), Wilhelmina married Charles Streig (born 9 February 1848) in Germany.  At about the same time, they left Germany (told as Hamburg and/or Prussia) to come to America.  

There were reportedly two brothers that made the trip also.  One brother got off the boat in New York; the other brother got off in South America.  Charles, Wilhelmina (known also as Minnie) and Fred got off the boat in San Francisco.  (We are unable to trace them to a boat at this time.)  They did not immediately proceed to go to Lake City, Modoc County, California.  They stayed for while in Merced County where Charles filed his Declaration of Intention to become a US Citizen.  

In March, 1879, Charles & Minnie’s first child, Albert C. was born.  He reported being born in San Luis Obispo County on his application for marriage license in Modoc County.  No trace of the family has been found in San Luis Obispo to date. He was a Woodman of the World.  Per Carl Streig, he possibly served in the Spanish/American War.

Charles and Minnie were not living together for part of 1880.  During the 1880 US Federal Census period of June, Minnie was living with the Linville’s in Goose Lake Township as a servant-cook.  Fred was 10; Albert was a year old.  Charles was with a crew “building the road.”

By 1881, Charles and Minnie were together as their second child; Samuel S. Streig was born in Lake City, Modoc, California.

In 1882, Charles purchased a land patent from the US Government.  This patent was the purchase of 160 acres directly from the US Government.

Another boy was born, Edmond in 1883.

According to the County courthouse, Charles was made a natural citizen in November 1884.  However, a copy of his final citizenship papers filed with his homestead shows the date as March 1884.

The only girl child was Mary (also known as Minnie) and was born in 1885.

In 1890, Charles purchased another land patent from the US government.  This land patent was for a homestead of the property next door to the original patent.  This patent was also for 160 acres.  Joe Parman (Lake City resident) thought that one of the Streig’s had a wooden leg and was a merchant or peddler. One of the witnesses to Charles’ homestead application stated that he “was a cripple one legged man.”

Some time, right before Edmond died in 1893, there was a family picture taken of the 5 children.  No information is available about Edmond’s death. One story that was provided thought that Edmond was shot going to the store for medication.

By 1900, Frederick (known now as Fred) had purchased his own farm.  At the 1900 census time, his brother, Albert, was working with him on this farm as a laborer.  

On February 7, 1904, Minnie married Wes Polander.  They lived for a while in Cedarville on a farm before moving to Fallon, Nevada.  They had two daughters born in Modoc County.  They were Norene Gladdis and Gertrude May.  Wes Polander’s sister was Maggie Wimer.  It was Maggie’s husband, Grover, that later became a partner with Albert in the Streig & Wimer General Mdse store.

On October 25, 1905, Emmaline Amelia Painter (aka Thelma Streig) was born to Nellie Cressler Painter.

On September 4, 1912, the Streig Bros. Store in Lake City burned down.  

On December 29, 1913, Albert C. Streig married Louise Richards (from Louisiana).  Albert died September 17, 1914, about three weeks before his son was born of acute myelitis (defined as 1) inflammation of the spinal cord or 2) inflammation of the bone marrow.

In 1915, Fred was operating the Streig & Wimer General Mdse store in Lake City as Executor of his brother Albert’s estate.  Vera Dodge Streig has a plate of the Pan American Exposition that has the name and a calendar on the plate. 

On August 25, 1916, Charles (also known as Carl) died of cirrhosis of the liver.

During this time, Fred & Nellie had increased their family.  By 1920, they had Bertha, Alice, Esther, Ida and Wyola.  Sometime before April 1921, they had moved to Fair Oaks, Sacramento, CA where their son, Frederick James was born.  They had one more daughter, Mary.  

Sam married a woman by the name of Dora Jennie Drouillard (aka Jeanetty May Bates) on December 22, 1926.  She was a widow of Simon K. Drouillard.  They divorced on August 12, 1929.

Sam then married a woman by the name of Ruby Varble (date uncertain).  In 1930, they had one child.  Ruby had left town in 1947 and no one has heard from her since.  However, an envelope of pictures labeled “Ruby Streig” showed up at the Modoc County Historical Museum.  Sam and Ruby had one son.

Wilhelmina passed away on February 13, 1941.  She died from acute dementia.  

Nellie Streig passed away on January 20, 1956.  Death certificate shows that she was born in CA.  We believe she was born in Alturas.  

Nellie had three brothers – William Arthur Painter, Samuel Cook Painter and Thomas Painter.  William was born in PA; Nellie and her brothers were born in California.  Her mother, Rachel Anne Stockdill died giving birth to Thomas.  Her father married twice more—Emma and Margaret.

Fred Streig passed away on July 6, 1956.  

Sam Streig passed away June 22, 1969, at the Modoc Medical Center in Alturas.  

Minnie Polander passed away in September 1974 possibly in Nevada. Details are unknown.

Fred’s son, Jim, married Vera Mae Dodge in July 6, 1944.  They have four sons.

Albert Ray Streig, son of Albert C. relocated to the south with his mother when he was a small boy.  His mother remarried a man named Julius Charles Rohmer.  Albert thought his birth father was Julius and used the last name Rohmer on his social security application.  Sometime before his first child was born, he learned that his name was Streig and began using the last name Streig.  Albert was reported as being an Army pilot that was shot down in WWII resulting in permanent disability.  He settled his family in Texas.

Albert Ray married Mary Cola and had 5 children.

This is only meant as a starting point in the long family line.  We have yet to obtain any concrete information on the immigration to the United States.  There are many more questions than answers.  For example, why did Wilhelmina marry Charles and then immediately set out half way around the world to start a new life?  Why did they get off the boat and stay in either San Luis Obispo or Merced (there were no German communities there at that time) for about a year?  Why did they move to Lake City?  There was, however, government land available for homesteaders.  As we delve into the past, we must not be judgmental about the decisions our ancestors made.  For without those decisions, we should not be where we are today.

I would like to say a very special Thank You to all the Modoc'rs out on the web.  You have been a valuable resource in the search and research I have done on the Streig family.  A super, extra special thank you to Dalene at the FHC--you guided me and listened to the stories and boy, did we have fun!!  Also, thank you to Jeremy & Brian:  you two were on to something--we now know that the two of you connect as cousins in the family tree.