Nurse Katharina KUCKS

Rosewood History. Qld.

Katharina, aka Kate, was born on 20th February 1858 at Eddersheim in Hessen, Germany. Her parents were Heinrich SCHMIDT and Elisabetha RAABE (later Mrs Michael GOOS). She immigrated to Moreton Bay in 1865, aged 7 years, with her mother and sister Marie, on the Sophie. (Marie later married Heinrich DÖLLING)

Katharina married Carl Friedrich Wilhelm KUCKS on 12th October 1876 at the Lutheran Church, Walloon. They lived in the Milbong area and had 8 children. Their marriage was very troubled. Katharina took the children and left around 1899 and went to live at Darling Street, Ipswich.

By 1901, Carl was farming on a new selection, Portion 80 in the Parish of Clarendon.

Katharina took him to court for maintenance .

Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser (Qld), Thursday, 6 February 1902, page 4
A CLAIM FOR MAINTENANCE.
AT the Ipswich Police Court yesterday morning, before the Police Magistrate, William Kucks was called upon to answer a charge of having left his wife, Catherine Kucks, without means of support. Mr. W. H. Summerville appeared for the complainant, and Mr. P. L. Cardew for the defendant, who pleaded “Cause to show.”

The complainant stated that on the 25th of August, 1899, an agreement was entered into by which the defendant was to contribute to the support of herself and her five children. Defendant did so for two years. Prior to her leaving the defendant, pursuant to the provisions of the agreement, he (defendant) treated her badly. On one ocasion he threatened to shoot her, but the gun was wrested from him. Shortly afterwards defendant was sent to the Woogaroo Asylum, and when he came home again he attempted to kill her with an axe, and another time he endeavoured to strangle her. He was sent to the asylum a second time.

Witness had no means of support. Defendant was in a position to support her, but had refused to do so. Witness had four children dependent upon her.

By Mr. Cardew: On one occasion Mr. Badke told me that the defendant wished me to go and live with him (defendent) on his farm at Gatton. I refused to go. A few days afterwards defendant came to me and said, “Are you coming home with me?” I said, ” I cannot live with you, the way you carry on.” Defendant never told me that he would not support me.

R. Kucks, a brother of the defendant, W. Bell, J. Hine, C. Murphy, and M. Murphy also gave evidence for the prosecution.

Mr. Cardew applied for a dismissal on the grounds that the alleged acts of cruelty took place when the defendant was of unsound mind, and he was, therefore, not responsible for them; that the parties afterwards parted by mutal consent for two years, and that since the last case against defendant was dismissed, in October last, he (defendant) had offered to support the complainant if she would return to his home. There was no evidence that the defendant had left the complainant without support, but there was evidence that the complainant had refused to accept the support offered by the defendant. The case was then dismissed.

Katharina started in business as a Ladies’ Nurse. She opened a nursing home in Brisbane Street, West Ipswich. It was situated on the corner of Brisbane Street and Clay Street where Bunnings is now (301 Brisbane Street, West Ipswich). It later became Munro’s boarding house. The photo below was taken from Darling Street West in the late 1960’s and shows the back of the house.

In July 1911, she sold the nine roomed house and moved to Rosewood, where she bought property at John Street (all the land which is now 37-45 John Street) and opened St. Florence nursing home at 45 John Street. In February 1913 she applied to the Rosewood Shire Council to have her hospital registered under the Health Act.

She enjoyed good health until a few months before her death on 26th December 1917. She went to Ipswich to consult Dr. J. A. Cameron. Her daughter Nurse Annie Elizabeth HINES had taken over the running of St. Florence’s in Rosewood.

During her last stage of illness, she was staying with her other daughter Rozanna Kate Kopelke, at Kennedy Street, West Ipswich, where she succumbed.

Katharina was buried in the Ipswich cemetery, the service being conducted by the Rev. T. H. Finch, of the North Ipswich Congregational Church. She left four daughters to mourn her loss: Mrs. J. J. Hines, of Beaudesert; Mrs. A. W. Schelbach of Mutdapilly; Mrs. O. R. Kopelke, of West Ipswich; and Mrs. C. E. Wilshire, of Brisbane; and four sons — Messrs. Chas. Kucks, of Normanby; John Kucks, of Darling Downs; Andrew Kucks of Booval; and Jacob Kucks, who was at the front in France at the time.

Michael Goos jr. and Arthur Selywn Ogg were the executors of her estate.

The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld.) Monday, 20 May 1918, page 4