The Baier family was living in Neche, ND, but the hospital was in Gretna, Manitoba, Canada, so Alvina was actually born in Gretna, Manitoba, Canada on September 19, 1903. (Her death certificate has her date of birth as September 18, 1903 & her place of birth as Neche). Her mother, Alvina, was 29 years old and her father, Carl, was 30 years old. She was one of 12 children with 9 brothers and 2 sisters. Her parents had both been born in what was then Russia (now the Ukraine). Her mother had been married for one year from 1893-1893 to Carl Fechner (he died). She married Alvina’s father, Carl Baier, in 1897. August, Grandma Schmitke’s oldest brother was the son of Carl Fechner.
Alvina was 21 years old when she married Carl Schmitke.
Alvina died in the hospital in Grand Forks, ND on September 18, 1946 one day before her 43rd birthday from an infection following surgery for a benign (at least the doctors at the time stated it was benign) growth in the abdomen.
Pictures
Schmitke Family Archive 