An Immigrant Story - Jennie Penberthy Hanschka

Bessie and Jennie Penberthy were born in St. Ives, Cornwall, England and baptized at St. Ia's Church near the middle of this photograph.

Public domain image

John Penberthy and his wife Elizabeth had two daughters while they lived in St. Ives, Cornwall, England, where John was an experienced tin miner. Young Bessie and Jennie Penberthy were baptized there at St. Ia's church in 1869 and 1871 before the family began an immigrant story.

 

Jennie Penberthy Hauschka was buried in Calumet Township's Schoolcraft Cemetery after her tragically young death.

NPS Photo

Arriving in the Copper Country ca. 1875, the Penberthys sought work in Keweenaw County, where they were enumerated in Sherman Township in 1880. John had found work as a copper miner at the Seneca Mine, where they lived among other Cornish, as well as Irish and German, immigrants.

 

The interior of the Calumet Congregational Church was a familiar sight to Jennie and Herman Hanschka.

Photo Courtesy Michigan Tech Archives

By 1890 the family was living in Calumet. Jennie married Herman Hanschka at the Calumet Congregational Church in June of 1890 at the age of 18. She died just a few months later from causes unknown until very recently, and is buried at Schoolcraft Cemetery.

A Hanschka family descendant recently provided us with new information about Jennie's death. Family lore mentioned that Herman's first wife died of a disease known as Milk Fever. This condition is connected to childbirth and often happens when an infant dies. Given the age at which Jennie died this family lore helps to solve a bit of a mystery for park rangers.

While her family's ancient parish church still stands in St. Ives, the church in Calumet where she married fell victim to a disastrous fire in January of 1949.