WURL INFORMATION – Research by Dicksie Knight May

Posted by Amy Klemke Uehara on August 19, 2018June 21, 2020

Photo of the author Dicksie Knight May in front of the WURL Ranch, Larimer County, Colorado. The Wurl Ranch is on the National and State Register. The buildings were built between 1880 and 1883, and was operated by the WURL family until 1936. Photo taken in December, 2018 by Brandi Morgan Photography LLC.

Wilhelm WURL (1821-1894) + Caroline Wilhelmine GABRIEL (1826-1906) Alt Custrinchen, Prussia. Both died in Laramie, WY. These are my My great-great-grandparents who, along with their children and spouses, traveled directly to the US in 1879 and 1880.

1. Caroline Maria WURL (1846-1923) + Friedrich Carl BORGEMANN aka BERGEMAN (1842-1904). Information on Caroline states she was born in Brandenburg, but family members believe both were born in Alt Custrinchen. Married in Prussia. Came over in 1880 on the ship Main. Both died in Laramie, WY. Children born in Prussia: Friedrich August (1876) Brandenburg Marie Louise Caroline BORGEMANN (1877) Brandenburg.

2. Frederick Wilhelm aka William WURL (1847-1923) + Louisa Augusta PAHL (1852-1923) Married in Prussia. Came over in 1880 on the ship Main. Both died in Laramie, WY. Both died in Laramie and it appears they were born in Alt Custrinchen, but no proof. Children born in Germany/Prussia: Wilhelm aka William Friedrich WURL (1876) Franz aka Frank Louie WURL (1878) and Herm (? baby on ship list). Herm died on the train just before arriving in Laramie, WY according to newspaper article. More children born in Wyoming as follows: Frederick “Fred” August WURL and Emma Augusta WURL.

3. Amelia Luise aka Louise Augusta WURL (1850-1914) Alt Custrinchen + Paul Ludwig ala Louis PILGER, Berlin. Married in Prussia. Came to the US in 1879. Both died in Laramie, WY. Child born in Germany was Frederick aka Fred PILGER (1874). Children Born in Wyoming: Anna Luise PILGER; Wilhelm PILGER and Minna (Minnie) Eliza PILGER.

4. Johann Ludwig aka Louis WURL (1852-1898) + Minnie KRENSKE (married in Laramie, WY). Served as an Albany Country Representative in the 2nd Wyoming Legislature. Minnie died in Laramie, WY (was murdered) and Louis died in South Africa. He confessed to murdering his wife to Mrs. Otto KREUGER aka Marie Luise ROESLER who went to South Africa with him that he murdered his wife and he committed suicide because she said he couldn’t live with the guilt he felt about the murder.

5. August Frederick William WURL (1859-1912) Alt Custrinchen + Louisa Maria MATTHES born Germany. Married in Cuming County, NE. Children all born in Wyoming. Lived in Laramie, WY and Larimer County, CO (about 30 miles south of Laramie just across the Wyoming/Colorado State line. Children born in Wyoming and Nebraska: William A. F. WURL, Maria Louisa Caroline “Louise” WURL KOCH; Franz “Frank” Ludwig WURL; Otto Emil WURL; Ida Helen WURL JOHNSON; Fannie Martha WURL HEINEMANN; Heinrich “Henry; WURL.
MATTHES: Johann Christian “Ferdinand” MATTHES (born 24 Oct 1834 at Alt Rüdnitz, Brandenburg, Germany) + Marie aka Marea WOLLIN (1835 at Kronheide, Pommern, Germany. (My great great grandparents).
Married: at Kronheide, Pommern, Germany Children born in Germany:
1. Auguste aka Augusta Wilhelmine MATTHES, (1859-1918) Kronheide, Pommern, Prussia + Charles aka Karl SCHULZ. Augusta died at Lincoln, NE.
2. Franz aka Frank Julius Herman MATTHES (1862-1944) Kronheide, Pommern, Germany + Ida HELLER. Frank died at Cuming County, NE.
3. Louisa (Louise) Marie MATTHES (1866- . . . She stated she was born in Castrenika?,? Germany + August WURL (1859- 1912) Alt Custrinchen, Prussia. Both died at Laramie, WY. (My great grandparents)
Children born in Nebraska:
4. August MATTHES + Paulene WERBLOW
5. Eda MATTHES
6. Otto MATTHES
One record here in the US states that Maria and Ferdinand had 12 children, but only the above 3 came with them to the United States. After arriving here they had 3 more children so there are 6 children not accounted for. DOCUMENTATION IN THE COLLECTION OF DICKSIE KNIGHT MAY. Lois E. SCHULTZ of Wisner, NE, did the research and provided me with Family Group Sheets and all of the church information from Cuming County pertaining to Ferdinand and Maria WOLLIN MATTHES and their descendents in June of 1983.

Update (2020/19/6):

Yesterday my brother, John PORTER, Shirley LILLEY, and I drove out to the ranch homesteaded by my great and great great grandfathers, August ( Louisa MATTHES) and Wilhelm WURL(Carolina GABRIEL), who built all of these buildings. This place is on the Colorado Historic register. The ranch was in our family 50+ years and is where my grandmother, Ida WURL JOHNSON, was raised. A teacher lived with them for the first few years of their education plus the family owned a home in

Laramie at 202 Cedar where the children received more education.