1847 Amandus & Francisca emigrate to Canada

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We are presuming that sometime in 1847, upon arrival (in St. Agatha, Canada) Aimé and Francisca sought out Francisca's uncle, Nicolas Dietrich, who had several years earlier started a homestead in that city.

St. Agatha was a small colony of German speaking peoples, many from the Alsace and Lorraine regions of France. Located Northwest of Toronto the colony was, according to the 1967 St. Agatha centennial book, started by groups of Amish and Mennonite farmers escaping religious persecution in 1824-26. 

These farmers were soon followed by a large number of Catholics such as the Studers. Here, census records indicate that the Studers resided at Erbs Road, lot #5, Wilmont township, in a two story house. 

During this period in Ontario they may have lived at another address which is not known. Also found in the above mentioned records, are references to a Fritz family that may or may not have been related to Amandus' mother. Also mentioned was Francisca's sister, Agatha Bollinger, who had emigrated from France and was settled in St. Agatha with her husband August Bruxer. Perhaps Francisca and Agatha's uncle, Nicolas Dietrich, persuaded the girls to take a risk and emigrate to Canada. 

Each of Amandus and Francisca's ten children were born while the family resided in Canada. In order of birth they were: Augustine (b.1848), Joseph (b.1850), Ignatius (Nate, born in 1851), Theresa (b.1853), Maria Agatha (b.1855), Nicholas (b.1856), Amandus Jr. (b.1858), Gregory (b.1860), Margaret (b.1862), and Marcus F. (b.1866). 

It is believed that the Studer's had always harbored a desire to go to the United States. Several of their children were approaching marrying age and the U.S. civil war was over. Because of strong religious beliefs and concerns regarding the mixing of faiths, it became apparent that the family's "door" to emigrate to the vital land of opportunity was closing rapidly. If they hoped to keep their family intact and fruitful in faith they would need to move on. With the pressures of time clear in their minds, the Studer's gathered the clan together and prepared for the second major move of their lives.