In Search of the Schulte Line, Part 7: A Boatload of Float Documents

Fred and Elisabeth Hebert on July 1921 passenger list
returning to the U.S. from Rotterdam, The Netherlands
(click to enlarge)

As you'll recall from Part 3 of this series, cousin Elizabeth Schulte was named on no less than four lists of passengers arriving in the U.S. from Germany, these being dated 1904, 1906, 1909, and 1911. Her disappearance from subsequent passenger lists was instrumental in leading the Bloodhound Cousins to the conclusion that Elizabeth Schulte had become Mrs. Fred Hebert at some point after 1911.

Cheryl had also found a passenger list which named Fred Hebert and Elizabeth Hebert arriving from European travels in July 1921. As we now know, that trip took place just a couple months after they'd submitted the passport application I found earlier this week. That passport, no. 146950, was noted on the passenger list. On the application, Fred had stated that they would be departing the U.S. on 30 April 1921 aboard the New Amsterdam, and that they intended to visit Holland, France and England. Fred turned 50 on March 28th of that year; the trip may have been in celebration of that milestone birthday. (Although this passenger list shows March 29th as the birthdate, the passport application says March 28th.)

Elizabeth Hebert on the June 1936 passenger list
returning to the U.S. from Bremen
(click to enlarge)

On our next passenger list, it appears Elizabeth was traveling alone under a new passport, no. 256333, issued 20 February 1936. She'd been to Germany, and left Bremen on the S.S. Bremen on June 23rd of that year and arrived at New York June 29th.

Cheryl and I wondered why Fred was not traveling with her. We considered that he may have died, as he would have been 65 years of age in 1936. However, although we searched, we were unable to find any death records from the likely Detroit cemeteries, and had no way of ordering a death certificate without knowing a date. We also searched in the available city directories. We did find him listed in some editions subsequent to 1936, but we felt that wasn't conclusive either way. His name appeared on my grandmother's list of deceased family and friends, but she hadn't noted a date.

As luck would have it, only minutes after I'd found the 1921 passport application, I found yet another ship manifest naming the Heberts:

Fred and Elizabeth Hebert on the June 1957 passenger list
sailing first class to the U.S. from Bremerhaven, Germany
(click to enlarge)

Both Elizabeth and Fred had traveled to Germany under yet another passport, no. 444492, and had arrived back in the U.S. on 17 June, 1957. Still alive and kickin', Fred had turned 86 years old that year.

Oh, how I'd love to see those other two passport photos!

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You'll find a spreadsheet detailing all known Schulte family passenger arrival lists at The Vertical File.