Katherine Filipek's Ship Arrival Records - 1914
Introduction
After her husband died in January 1914, Katherine Filipek traveled back to Bohemia/Czechoslovakia in the Spring of 1914. Most likely she went to visit and console with his and her relatives.

While she was there World War I broke out in August. It is likely this delayed her departure and also her city of embarkation which was originally probably either Bremen or Hamburg Germany.

Eventually Katherine Filipek embarked from Rotterdam, Netherlands on the Potsdam on September 5, 1914. She arrived at Ellis Island on September 15, 1915. She then took a train to Chicago. The data from the manifest is below. It appears she traveled alone.

When last checked the manifest information for a 2nd page of data could not be found on-line.


Potsdam Manifest - September 15, 1914
Ship of Travel
S. S. Potsdam
Date and Place of Departure
5 September 1914 from Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands
Date and Place of Arrival
15 September 1914 to New York Ellis Island
Manifest Questions
Passenger
1. Line Number
Page 26, Line 8

2. Name
Katherina Filipek
3. Age
49
4. Sex
F
5. Married or Single
W
6. If Native of the United States, give Date and Place of Birth
-
7. If Naturalized, give Name and Location of Court which Issued Naturalization Papers, and Date of Papers
Pass 30603
8. Address in United States
home 5241 W. Quincy Street
Chicago, Ills

Manifest Record Comments
  • Katherine Filipek traveled back to Bohemia in the Spring of 1914. She applied for her passport on May 15, 1914. Her husband, Vaclav Filipek, had died on January 10 and it appears she returned to visit his and her relatives.
  • Katerina Filipek returned to the USA at Ellis Island on 15 Septeber 1914 on the Potsdam from Rotterdam South Holland, the Netherlands.
  • She was listed as age 47, but this really should have been age 52 since she was born in October 1862.
  • WW I broke out in August 1914 and very close to where Katherine was visiting. Given that she was in the Austrian Hungarian Empire territory, she probably found it difficult to book passage from Bremen or Hamburg Germany given that Germany was at war with France and England. Submarine sinkings would also have been a concern, although I think the sinking of the Lusitania was in 1915. She did return home safely and took at least one other trip back which was in 1929 and returned just ahead of the Stock Market Crash!
  • Pass 30603 is Katherine Filipek's Passport Number.
  • The data were obtained from the American Immigration Family History Center - Ellis Island on-line data base.
  • As of November 2002, a second page of data could not be found in the Ellis Island on-line database that corresponded to the first page. Microfilm records should be consulted for the September 15, 1914 arrival of the Potsdam at Elllis Island to determine if there is additional data for Katerina Filipek.