Salome Zwar – a detailed life story

Salome was born on 15th August 1865 the second child of Johann and his second wife Anna (nee Kaiser). His first wife Magdalena (nee Schmaal) had died in 1859 from tuberculosis, leaving him with three daughters, Maria 11, Anna 6 and Christiana 3. Before she died Magdalena urged him to remarry when the time came but he rejected any idea of this.

However he found it impossible to get a suitable housekeeper who did not have an ulterior motive for the task.

Finally his Wendish friends persuaded him to renew his acquaintance with the sister of his friend Andreas Kaiser, also from Drehsa. She had recently come to Melbourne to be near her sister Maria Hirt and her brother Andreas. Johann went to Melbourne and after corresponding with her for some months they married in Melbourne on 6th April 1863. After 8 days saying farewell to their family and friends they sailed for Adelaide. Then they were able to get to Ebenezer by rail and horsedrawn vehicle to a great welcome, especially from their daughters.

Anna had herself had a stepmother and was aware of the problems that could arise and could try to avoid them. Johann wrote to his in-laws saying that Anna was the answer to his prayers. They had 7 children and Salome was the first daughter. She went to the Ebenezer Lutheran school which was conducted in German by Teacher Andreas Dallwitz who taught there for 46 years. At 13 years she went to confirmation class for 2 years, conducted by the pastor.

After leaving school Salome helped on the farm and also went to Melbourne where she helped in the home of her uncle Michael at Beechworth.

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On April 19th 1888 she married Johann Hermann (Jack) Kleinig who lived in the N W corner of the same section (3006 Belvidere) as her family and about 1/4 mile away. With the Kleinig family she joined the Neukirch congregation where she was a faithful member until her death on 3rd June 1937. She was a loving caring lady who cared not only for her own family but also her niece Lucy when her mother (wife of Johannes) died. Salome also cared for her mother Anna (Kaiser) and her mother in law Agnes Kleinig (nee Stephan) in their last years. Her daughters Agnes and Sophie did not marry and were usually able to help her. Agnes was a talented housekeeper who loved gardening, while Sophie was a dressmaker.

In 1905 her brother Bernard went to Europe for further study after completing his medical degree in Melbourne which he passed with honors. While in Germany he took time to visit his mother’s family in Lusatia. They still talk about him and it was Salome who kept up correspondence with Anna Ernstine Mihan (nee Kaiser) her cousin and sent them food parcels during hard times. We have letters of thanks from them. Unfortunately due to the volatile political situation in Europe in the 1930s this contact ceased until the 1990s when it was able to be resumed with the younger descendants and some great meetings and visits have resulted.

At the time Dr Bernard was in Lusatia a photo was taken of Anna Mihan and her mother and her young baby. That baby is now 96 and keeps in touch with me (M.G.) Her name is Lenka Sauer (nee Mihan) and she is still very alert but failing physically.

After Salomes death in 1937 and her husbands death in 1941 their youngest son Edward worked the farm and in 1970 it was sold and Edward and his wife Irene retired in Nuriootpa while Sophie and Agnes lived nearby.

Salome and Jack had a family of eight, 3 girls and 5 boys, Berthold, Johannes, Agnes, Sophia, Clara, Theodor, Gerhard, Eduard.

Compiled by
Margaret Gehling

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