Ada Martha Voelkel 1875 to 1920
Writing about my great grandmother, Ada Martha Vöelkel was always going to be a challenge as she left a very tiny foot print for me to follow. I do know that she was born on 25 January 1875 in Langenbielau in Silesia in Germany to Reinhold Vöelkel and Christiana Pietsch. According to the record, the birth occurred "in the evening at half twelve o'clock has born a child female sex and which has received the forenames Ada Martha" FHL Number 1191998. Langenbielau, Germany 1898 Langenbielau is now known as Bielawa in Lower Silesia, Poland. This was renamed when the border changed after the end of WW2. When Ada was two years old, the family immigrated to Rockhampton, Queensland from Hamburg on the ship "Fritz Reuter" arriving on 4 October, 1877 and casting anchor at Keppel Bay near Rockhampton. Ada came with both her parents, Reinhold Vöelkel aged 42 and Christiana Pietsch aged 41, Herrman aged 9 and Alwine aged 3. From family stories, Reinhold Vöelkel had been