Landed! 2022 52 Ancestors in a Year

 Landed!  Who was really on the passenger manifest?

One of the fascinating aspects of genealogy is finding ancestors on passenger lists and immigration information.

The Gabel’s were elusive in searches because of spelling of the name.  It could be Gabel, Gable, Goebel, Gebel or various other spellings.  Because they were Germans from Russia, it was hard to find them without using wildcards in searches.  And because there were no visa’s or information available; what first name did they use when immigrating?  What papers did they have when leaving Russia?  (I will probably never find that answer!)

Leroy’s great grandfather, Phillip Gabel and family landed in New York at Ellis Island on 10 June 1907.  They left Libau, Lativa on 20 May 1907.  The ages are correct for each member of the family, calculating their age from census records in 1910.  While the first names differ from names used in later life, it was normal for Germans to have 2-3 first names.  Another clue on the passenger record was their destination in Lincoln, Nebraska to his brother Heinrich Gebel.

But there was one troubling entry on the manifest of a child Anna, that 11 months old.  It appears that a line was drawn through her name, indicating she either didn’t get on the ship or never got off.  In research at Ellis Island, the official answer was that Anna never boarded the ship.  What happened to Anna?

Passenger manifest for Henrich Phillip Gabel & family

Looking for additional Gabel relatives found an August Gabel boarding a ship at Libau, Latvia on 13 May1907, with a daughter Anna, 11 months old.   Anna again, had a line through her name.  Is it the same Anna as on the passenger ship of June 1907 with Philip Gabel?  Did they leave her behind for his brother to take her?  Whose daughter is she?  Why was she left behind?

August Gabel and family were also detained at Ellis Island upon arrival on 31 May 1907.  The passenger manifest indicates that a telegraph for money was sent to his brother Heinrich Gabel in Lincoln, Nebraska.  They were discharged on 4 June 1907.  The company owning the passenger ship was charged for 8 breakfasts, 10 dinners and 8 suppers.  

Did August and his wife wait for Philip and his family to arrive at Ellis Island? 

 Did they travel to Lincoln, Nebraska together?

Finding the Gabel ancestors arrival in the United States was interesting as well was educational.  But lots of unanswered questions remain.