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Josefa - Josephine - Josefina
Brief Biography
1830-1912

Josefa Kollmerer

Josefa Kollmerer (‘Kollmer’ with the ‘er’ female suffix) was born in Endingen-im-Bresgau, (Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany) on 6 January, 1830, and baptised in the Sankt Petri-sankt Martin-katholisch church of Endingen.  She was the first child of Michael & Josefa Kolmer, both born and married in Endingen.  We do not know their professions nor where they lived, presumably in or close to Endingen.

Josephine was a three-year-old child when the family emigrated to North Carolina, and about eleven when they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, circa 1841.  She was fifteen when, in 1845 (April - October), she travelled with her parents across the plains by wagon train - one of the very first migrant families to do so.  Soon after they arrived at New Helvetia (Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento, CA) the Kolmer family had the good fortune to be taken in by William Benitz, whom Josephine’s parents knew from Endingen.

Josephine Benitz

The Kolmer family did not tarry long at New Helvetia, continuing on to Fort Ross in late 1845 or early 1846.  Soon after, almost certainly in early 1846, their eldest daughter Josephine joined William Benitz.  She was young - 16 to his 31 - and he was a wealthy farmer/rancher.  Their marriage was officially recognised soon after California became part of the U.S.  Theirs is the third entry in the Sonoma County “Record of Marriages”, recorded on February 23^rd, 1847.

Josephine’s first child, a son, was likely a miscarriage, probably born in late 1846 or early 1847.  However, her second and third were full-term, a girl and a boy.  Her fourth child, Frank, born 22 May, 1850, was her first child to survive to adulthood.  In all, she had ten children, all born at Fort Ross.  Note: Her children are described in detail on “Benitz Generation Nº 2”.

Josephine had two homes in California, the first at Fort Ross (1846-1866) and the second in Oakland (1865-1874).

Fort Ross (1846-1866):

At Fort Ross, the Benitz family lived in the house previously used by the last Russian commandant, Alexander Rotchev.  They added a two-storey wing when their family grew too numerous for the original house - in the photo, the addition is left of center (west of the Rotchev house).

(Note: Most changes made to Rotchev house by the Benitz family, including the two-storey addition, were removed when the fort was regressed (ca.1948) to its original Russian structures.  An exception was the living-room fireplace, which was deemed too large to remove.)

Josephine must surely have had Kashia women working for her as cooks, servants, and vegetable gardeners.  Per the above photograph, Maria Myers (very likely the daughter of William’s business associate Charles Meyer) may have helped care for the younger children.

We can assume (using son Alfred’s 1874 diary as a guide) that Josephine’s older children helped with caring for their younger siblings and performed household chores.  A photo taken at Fort Ross ca.1866 shows a young boy pushing a baby carriage, with (presumably) Herman in it.  See “Life at Fort Ross” for more details.

Oakland (1866-1874):

The family lived for almost eight years in Oakland, California - ca.1866 through July, 1874.  William purchased the lot and house at 320 Eighth Street in September 1865, and the rest of the block by the end of 1867 (block Nº 86, between Webster & Harrison streets, and 8^th & 9^th streets – at that time it was outside the city limits).  Before departing for Argentina at the end of July, 1874, William sold all his Oakland properties, including the house.  (For more details, see his Alameda County real estate trades.)  The house was torn down in 1901, and today the block is part of Oakland’s Chinatown.

Their home in Oakland is described in son Alfred’s biography, chapter 4, (the description must be from Olga, as told to her by Alfred.  He died before the biography was written):

Their home was located just outside what were then the city limits. It was a comfortable two-story dwelling in Colonial style with a broad veranda from which steps led down to a garden profuse with all the flowers that the California soil and climate could create.

At the back of the house there was a larger garden with shady walks and a croquet court. A row of Cypress trees closed off the vegetable tract and the chicken yard. Beyond these were the stables, the barn and some hothouses.

Alfred’s 1874 diary recounts his activities and responsibities:

• The younger children were put in school: “Lincoln Grammar School for Boys and Girls.”
• Alfred and other family members attended church most Sundays.  Though both parents were baptised Roman Catholics, their children attended Mr. Hamilton’s sermons at the Independent Presbyterian Church (it later became Unitarian).
• Alfred milked their cow daily, usually in the morning, ran errands, and cleaned the yard.  We assume his siblings had similar duties.

In addition to her children, Josephine had the help of servants.  Per the census of 1870, the Benitz family had two servants, a 16-year-old girl from Hess and a 58-year-old man from Prussia.

Josefina Kolmer de Benitz

The family celebrated Christmas of 1875 in their new house at estancia “La California” (in the province of Santa Fé, Argentina, about 110 km. northwest of Rosario.).  Unfortunately, William died six months later, on 27 June, 1876.

Josephine took charge of the family.  Having depended on William to make the major decisions for the family, it was a tough role for which she was ill-prepared:

• Her eldest son, Frank, was a disaster upon the family.  Assigned the role of manager of the family business (i.e. “La California”), he abandoned the family after just one month.  Two years later (1878), he convinced Josephine to co-sign loans he needed for his ill-conceived ventures (e.g. “Colonia Espín”).
• Brother-in-law Frank X. Benitz, Josephine’s lone older member of the family and likely councilor, died in 1880.
• In 1881, son Frank defaulted on his loans and Josephine was obliged to settle them, which required the forced sale of a quarter of “La California”.
• Following son Frank’s fiasco, Josephine’s other children took control of the family’s finances. Per son Alfred’s diaries, they met two or three times a year at “La California”.

During the 1880’s and early 1890’s, the family underwent a generational transition as Josephine’s children took charge, married, had children of their own, and/or left “La California”:

• Charles (Charlie) had already died, 12 April, 1877.
• Josephine was the first to leave.  On 12 November, 1878, she married John Schreiber and moved to Rosario.
• William, on April 25, 1881, married Clara E. Allyn, a school-teacher from the U.S.  They remained only a short while at “La California” before he found work as an estancia manager in Corrientes, and then Entre Rios.  They did not return to live at “La California” until 1899.
• Frank: married Elisa Bichsel of Colonia Alejandra, 1 June 1881.  However, on November 1 he vanished, likely drowned crossing the Rio El Toba.  Elisa lived at “La California” for the next 4 years before she also left.
• Alfred, on March 1, 1884, assisted by John, left “La California” with a herd of cattle to establish an estancia (Laguna Yacaré) on brother Frank’s failed Colonia Espin.
• John remained in charge of “La California” (which he did for the next fifteen years).  He married Marjorie Macintosh on 25 October, 1892.
• Herman, the youngest, helped Alfred and John manage the family’s estancias: “La California”, “Laguna Yacaré” & later “Los Palmares”.  He died from a gunshot wound while on holiday at the Mar del Plata beach resort, 31 January, 1893.

The Benitz family was doing well at the turn of the century.  In 1898 & 1899, Josephine travelled with William and Clara to England and the U.S., visiting California and Fort Ross.  In 1899, John and Marjorie moved to the recently purchased estancia “Los Algarrobos” (SE Córdoba province).  Josephine joined them there.  William and Clara returned to “La California”.  Josephine’s sons (now just William, Alfred, & John) bought properties in the Córdoba hills where their families could escape the summer heat of the pampas.  John had a house built for Josephine, “Villa Josefina”, across the Cruz Grande arroyo from his house.

Josephine spent her last years at “Villa Josefina”.  Her son John paid for a cook and a maid, and a series of ladies to keep her company (see her diary).  She died there on 20 August, 1912, and was buried next to William in the family cemetery at estancia “La California”.

Camisa Vieja

Making ready for bed one night at a family gathering, she shared the following adage with her young room-mates:

Una camisa vieja vale mas que una vieja en camisa.
An old night-shirt is worth more than an old lady in a night-shirt.

Event Timeline

Years	Ages	Event
1830	-	Born Josefa Kollmerer, 6 January, Endingen, Baden; parents: Michael Kolmer & Josefa Wagner.
’33	3	Family emigrates to U.S.
’36	6	Brother John Kolmer is born in North Carolina.
’38	8	Sister Caroline Kolmer is born in North Carolina.
ca.’40	7	Family moves to St. Louis, Missouri.
’45	15	Family emigrates by wagon train from St. Joseph, Missouri, to New Helvetia, California (amongst first ever to do so).
’46	16	At Ft.Ross, joins 31-year-old William Benitz (officially married Feb. 23, 1847).
’46-50	16-20	At Ft.Ross, first 3 children die, 2 tragically (names & dates unknown).
’50-63	20-33	At Ft.Ross, 7 more children born: Frank’50, Josephine’52, William’54, Charles’56, Alfred’59, John’61, Herman’63.  They all reach adulthood.
’55	25	Sister Caroline marrries William “Dutch Bill” Howard.
’58	28	Father dies (Michael Kolmer), buried in Timber Cove.
’65	35	Mother dies (Josephine Wagner/Kolmer), buried in Timber Cove.
’65-67	35-37	Family moves from Fort Ross to new home in Oakland, at 320 8th Street.
’74	44	Entire family emigrates to Argentina.
’75	45	Sets up home at estancia La California, 30km. north of Cañada de Gómez, Santa Fé.
’76	46	June: Husband, William Benitz, dies.  She assumes leadership of the family.
’76	46	Sep.: Eldest son Frank abandons the family to make his own way.
’77	47	Apr.: Son Charlie dies, Cañada de Gómez, Santa Fé.
’78	48	July: She co-signs first note for son Frank, unwisely backing his risky ventures.
’78	48	Nov.: Daughter Josephine finds happiness when she marries John Schreiber, of Hamburg.  They marry at La California.  They go to live in Rosario then B.A.
’80	50	May: She must settle a note son Frank is unable to pay.
’80	50	Oct.: Brother-in-law Franz X. Benitz (Uncle Frank) dies, at La California.
’81	51	Feb.: La Independencia, ¼ of La California, is sold to cover son Frank’s notes.
’81	51	Feb.: Son Willie marries Clara E. Allyn in Corsicana, Texas.
’81	51	Aug.: Son Frank marries Elisa Bichsel at La California.
’81	51	Nov.: Son Frank drowns fording Rio Toba west of Alejandra, Santa Fé.  His widow, Elisa Bichsel, goes to live at La California.
’81-82	51-52	Sons Willie, Alfred, & Johnnie assume control of the family enterprise.
’82	52	June: Sister Caroline Kolmer / Howard dies, at Occidental, California.
’82	52	Son Willie leaves La California, becomes an estancia manager in Entre Rios.
’84	54	Son Alfred leaves La California to establish a second estancia for the family, at Laguna Yacaré, on Frank's failed Colonia Espín, west of Alejandra, Santa Fé.
’84	54	Elisa, Frank’s widow, leaves complaining of mistreatment.  (Note: Elisa was the third young woman glad to leave La California.  Josephine’s daughter (Josephine) found happiness leaving via marriage; & daughter-in-law Clara Allyn left with husband William O. Benitz after only a very short while at La California though, as the eldest son, William would almost certainly have been its manager.)
’90	60	Brother John Kolmer is murdered, Timber Cove, California.
’92	62	Son Johnnie marries Marjorie M. Macintosh (sister of his assistant manager: Robert P. Macintosh).
’93	63	Youngest son, Herman, dies tragically while on holiday at Mar del Plata, Bs.As.
’98-99	68-69	18 March ‘98: Travels to England & U.S.; in California visits: Oakland, San Francisco, Fort Ross, Timber Cove, & Olompali. Returns: June 1899.
’99	69	Johnnie & Marjorie go to live at Los Algarrobos; Willie & Clara return to La California.
’09	79	Moves into Villa Josefina, her home in Cruz Grande, Córdoba.
’10	80	Celebrates her 80th birthday.
’11	81	Son Willie dies in Corsicana, Texas.
’12	82	Dies 20 Aug. at Villa Josefina; is buried at La California, Las Rosas, Santa Fé.

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© Peter Benitz (Benitz Family)