Tanata Family History

This website should start with the origins of "Tanata", but unfortunately no one seems to know the origins.  The photos I have are a little ruff, they are scanned photocopies of the originals.

Mathias and Angela (Kohls) Tanata 
and Anton (Tony) Tanata

Mathias purchased a farm outside Stewart and the whole family operated the farm for a fee years. In the late 1890's, John and Christ purchased their own farm together. Some time after that Tony purchased his own farm. Angela died in 1902 and Mathias sold the family farm shortly after that. Mathias died in 1908 and both Mathias and Angela are buried at Stewart cemetery.

Nick, John and Christ Tanata

NICKOLAS TANATA

I know very little of Nickolas Tanata. He did a lot of traveling and mining in Alaska and Canada, He died in a mining accident at Kalispell, Montana probably around 1920. He never married.

CHRIST TANATA

Christ Tanata purchased a farm with his brother, John, in the late 1890's. In the 1900 census his name was listed as Gustav. A few years later Christ bought his own farm. He operated the farm for a few years and then rented out his own farm and came to live with his brother, Tony and his family. In 1927, Christ sold his farm to one of Tony's daughters, Marie and her husband James Sullivan. Sometime later Christ moved out west. 

He was a miner in Trinity County near Minersville California when he died January 21, 1945. A partner of his, Virgil Smith, found his body beneath a tree by a river and near a cage to a railway used by the men to bring in supplies. He died probably of a heart attack. His nephew, Pete Tanata brought the body to Courtenay, North Dakota and Christ is buried at St. Marys cemetery at Courtenay. Each of his nephews and nieces received a gold nugget upon his death.

JOHN TANATA SR.

John Tanata stayed in Stewart until 1898 when he went to Alaska for one year during the gold rush, working in a gold mine. He returned to Stewart and on November 29, 1899 he married Theresa Kalenburg. They had nine Children, Mathew, Elizabeth, Gertrude, Peter, John jr., Kathryn, Bertha, Joseph, and Antone (Tony Michael). John and Theresa farmed near Stewart until 1916 when they sold the farm and bought another at Eden South Dakota. My brother once told me that he learned there was a Opitz family living near Stewart. John probably learned about Eden S.D. from them. On August 13,1919, Theresa died of a heart attack in her home. In1920, John sold the farm at Eden and moved the family to a farm near Coutenay, North Dakota. They moved during the winter when it was very cold and they passed the rest of winter living in an older house that was not too warm. John died August 6, 1938 of a prostate obstruction while at St. Johns Hospital in Fargo. He is buried at St. Marys  cemetery in Courtenay. Allen Tanata now lives on the farm at Courtenay.

John and Maria Theresa (Kalenburg) Tanata

ANTON (TONY) TANATA

Tony Tanata married Gertrude Waldorf on February 19, 1900. Tony and Gertrude farmed near Stewart for a few years and then they bought a farm near Mahnomen in northern Minnesota. Mahnomen was in the White Earth Indian Territory. Tony didn't like it at Mahnomen, so four years later he sold the farm and brought the family and all the farm equipment back to Stewart. Finances were tight the first few years on the farm at Stewart but the family survived. Tony operated the farm until his death.

Tony was a self educated man and he loved to read and to write. He enjoyed singing, he had a bass voice, and he could be heard humming at his leisure time. He sang in the church choir for many years. Tony had a very good sense of humor while his wife, Gertrude, wanted things accomplished right away. Tony died February 2, 1937 and Gertrude and their son, John, operated the farm for several years. Gertrude went to a nursing home after she had hip surgery and later died at the nursing home November 15, 1968.

Tony and Gertrude had four children, Theresa, John, Marie, and Lucy. Theresa and her Husband, Luis Suter, Lived at Benson, Minnesota. Theresa did domestic work many years for a wealthy family in Minneapolis and also did baby sitting in Benson. She had the same good sense of humor that her father had. Theresa Died December 24, 1977 and Luis died December 8, 1972.

John was a shy person but a very hard worker. Him and his dad loved to travel. John married Helen Schaufler on November 4, 1943. They had four children , Maryann, Tom, Michael, and John. After John retired, he and his wife moved to Hutchinson, Minnesota. John died June 25, 1986.

Marie was a frail person but survived for 72 years. She married James Sullivan on September 20, 1927. They purchased a farm from Christ Tanata in 1927. They had two children, Danny and Barry. Marie died January 29, 1983 and James died September 9, 1978.

Lucy played the piano and loves music and the opera. She works with her flowers and does gardening when she can. Lucy married Leonard Krippner on September 17, 1931. Leonard died December 23, 1973.