The Brunner Family Tree - Notes -

Marie and Henry Wittig

Marie is the second daughter of Mary and Reinhart Schick. Henry is the eldest son of Philip and Marie Wittig. The Wittig's immigrated to Kansas in 1902 but were to late to qualify for free land. Due to the many tornadoes they decided to move to Rocky Ford, Colorado and later to Lamar, Colorado where they worked as labourers in the sugar beet fields.

Marie and Henry met at Lamar and married in 1908. Their first son Henry Junior was born there. The couple and his parents and sibling immigrated to Maple Creek in Febuary of 1910.

Marie and Henry Sr. lived in a small shanty and tried homesteading in the Cypress Hills area but found the land was to rocky for farming. They then moved to Burstall area where took up a homestead adjoining Henry's parents place. They built a sod house and lived there during the winter months.

Back in those days it was compulsory to spend six month of each year on the homestead. To earn money for improving the homestead they worked the first three summers in Maple Creek. Marie did laundry on a scrub board and cleaned offices for 25 cents an hour. Henry went to Calgary to work on sewer construction the first summer but returned a short time later as he missed Marie. He worked in Maple Creek for Beaver Lumber as a delivery man.

Henry Jr. died of convulsions in 1911. In 1913 they became full time farmers. In 1915 they bought 5 horses, more cows and built a barn. In 1918 Elsie the third born child died of convulsions when the family came down with the flu.

Henry never fully recovered from the flu and later he contracted scarlet fever which left him weak and with a heart condition. Marie had to take over all the work, the fields, the animals, the house work and looking after the children. In 1928 Henry's heart took a turn for the worst and in 1929, after the horses got away and Marie couldn't catch them, they moved into Burstall and rented out the farm.

After Henry's death in 1956 Marie decided to sell the homestead and moved to Medicine Hat where other relatives lived and in 1966 she moved to Kelowna B.C..

In 1974, Marie caught a fungus growing in her eyes and had to have them both removed. She passed away 2 years later.

Marie and Henry had 4 children.