Albert Stevens

1888 - 1982  (93 years)

• Name	Albert Stevens
  Born	1 Dec 1888	, Germany   [1]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170653251
  Immigration	1889	, Germany   [2]
  Name	Albert Shippenowski
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-95729
  Died	1982
  Buried	Mount Pleasant Cemetery, London, Middlesex Co., Ontario
  Person ID	I95729	Generations
  Last Modified	10 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	Carl Henry "Charles" Schippanowski,   b. 14 Sep 1852, , Germany ,   d. 27 Nov 1925, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 73 years)
  Mother	Wilhelmine Borowski,   b. 17 May 1847, , West Prussia, Germany ,   d. 26 Jun 1913, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)
  Family ID	F293061	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  5 BROTHERS MEET AFTER 35 YEARS The Stevens and the Sheppards got together over the weekend for the first time in 35 years. There were five altogether two Sheppards and three Stevens and they were all brothers . Rev. James R. Sheppard, 65, of Presbo, South Dakota, came the farthest. He left Kitchener in 1915 and returned once in 1921 while on his honeymoon. That was the last time the five brothers were all together. CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY This weekend's gathering was the idea of James. He had just celebrated his 65th birthday and his elder brother, August Stevens, 48 Linwood St., was 75. "I thought it a good occasion to meet at least once again," said Rev. Mr. Sheppard. The other brothers are Charles Herman Stevens, 72, a retired Kitchener postman now living in Toronto; Herman Julius Sheppard, 69, of 139 David St., and Albert R. Stevens, 67, of 292 Grey St., London, Ont. The five officially met yesterday at Victoria Park. Accompanying them for a picnic were the wives of four of the brothers, sons and daughters and assorted grandchildren and great-grand children. Counting sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, the brothers figure there are about 82 in the family now. The brothers are sons of the late Mr. and Mrs. Karl Schippanowski. "You see why we changed our name," said Charles, All except James, the minister, were born in West Prussia, Germany. West Prussia now is part of Poland. The family came from Germany to Kitchener when Albert was just a baby. Why the two different names when the change from Schippanowski was made? Rev. Mr. Sheppard said when he left Canada to take his first charge in the United States, the family, more or less, had agreed on the Sheppard name. "I told the immigration officials that likely would be my name when I changed it." RETURNED TO CANADA However, when he came back to Canada in 1921, he found the brothers had differed and Herman had stuck with the Sheppard name while the other three brothers took Stevens for a name. "Some though Stevens was closer to the original spelling of our family name, which back in Germany began as Szk...." Rev. Mr. Sheppard said. August and Herman are retired rubber workers. Albert is employed with a shoe company in London and James is still a Lutheran minister. When Charles retired as a postman eight years ago, he received shortly afterwards an Imperial Service Medal from the Queen. DON'T WRITE MUCH He was showing the medal today to his brothers, who had not known of the honor. The brothers admit they aren't very good at writing each other. Even though four of them live within a 90-mile radius of Kitchener, they have never been together once in the 35 years. However, several of the brothers have visited individually. All five brothers are in excellent health. They all are hearty men and have a lively sense of humor. Comparing families, August reported four children, eight grand-children and three great-grand- children. He is a widower. Charles has four children and six grandchildren. Herman has five children and six grandchildren. Albert counts six children and 14 grandchildren. James has two bachelor sons. FOLLOW TRADITION Three in the family are carrying on the postman tradition. Two are sons-in-law of Albert. One, Clarence, is a son of Herman. The brothers are quite proud that many of their children served in the army, navy and air force during the Second World War. Present at the gathering yesterday were Clarence, who was 5 ½ years with the Canadian Army in Italy, France, Holland, Belgium and Germany, and Howard of London, who was 3 1/2 years in the Canadian Navy. The brothers don't intend to make the reunion an annual affair. "If you like, say there will be another one in 10 years," quipped Charles. "But no undertakers are allowed." Kitchener Waterloo Record, July 3, 1956

  
  

• Sources

  [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, a-2 page 14. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, A-2 page 14.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1 Dec 1888 - , Germany Immigration - 1889 - , Germany Buried - - Mount Pleasant Cemetery, London, Middlesex Co., Ontario  = Link to Google Earth