The Hunziker Family in Canada
Our branch of the family arrived in Canada in 1917. August and Lina departed from Bordeaux, France in 1917 aboard the SS Chicago for New York. They arrived at the immigration station at Ellis Island and were processed before departing for their sponsor's residence in Montreal. The sponsor is noted but hard to read on the ship's manifest. (click here to see the manifest) Three of their children were aleady born when they left their home in Fribourg, Switzerland. Hannah, August and Roger were with them when they crossed the Atlantic. During their trip from Montreal to New Brunswick, the fourth child, Flora was born in Lac de Sil, Quebec.
August Christian Hunziker
August was born 13 May 1882 in Zofingen, Aargau, Switzerland. He is the son of August Christian Hunziker and Anna Moser
August married Lina Marie Weibel on 11 April 1912 at Fribourg, Switzerland. The marriage certificate can be viewed by clicking on the date.
In Switzerland, August was employed as a Postman. For whatever reason, August and his family found it necessary to leave their home in Fribourg and seek a new life in Canada.
For the next 12 years, August and his family existed as they could, coal mining, working the farm etc. The family information passed down is unclear but many say August was injured while working in the coal mines and did not recover well.
On March 26, 1929 the Province of New Brunswick granted the family their 9 acres of land near Newcastle Center. Unfortunately, August was unable to enjoy owning his own homestead in Canada for long as the following year, a young 42 year old mother with 9 children was widowed.
Lina Marie Weibel
Lina, born in St. Loup, Vaud, Switzerland was the daughter of Alexander Weibel and Henriette Lina Schneider.
As the story goes, as per an existing family member (Lina's neice) Alexander was called away to his homeland......not Switzerland....when the a war broke out. (Information from Heidi Marti) He ended up a casualty of that war and never did return to Henriette and her daughter, Lina.
Henriette eventually remarried to gentleman with the surname of Marti. They had two sons, Walter and Ernest Marti. The family still enjoys visits from Heidi, the daughter of one of Lina's half brothers.
Lina and August had 9 children: