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IMMIGRATION Of course the Roeddes were also immigrants to Vancouver. Gustav A. Roedde Sr. was born in Grossbodungen in Germany on January 7th, 1860. He was educated as a bookbinder at Leipzig. Some of these courses were also attended by the future Kaiser Wilhelm III. The young Roedde served as an apprentice bookbinder. 
Around 1877, he left Germany for America. Family legend has it that one reason for his leaving was that he was ordered to join the infantry for his military service; the cavalry was the traditional service for his family. So he decided to emmigrate and join an uncle living in Cleveland, Ohio. When he arrived, however, he found that his uncle had died of Yellow Fever two months earlier. Unable to return to Germany, he remained in Cleveland for a year or two, working as a bookbinder.  Matilda Cassebohm was born in Helgoland, a tiny island in the North Sea, owned by Britain, but close to the coast of Germany. She was of Danish extraction. Her grandfather owned a small fishing fleet. Her father owned a bakery. Because the island was so small, the prospects for his four children seemed limited. So Matilda's father made a trip to America to survey the situation. He returned full of enthusiasm, and plans for emigrating were begun in earnest. Unfortunately he was killed in an industrial accident. However, this did not deter the family, and after much saving and scrimping, they crossed the water to the land of opportunity. Matilda was eleven when she arrived in America. The Cassebohms made their way to Cleveland, Ohio. The Roeddes were like many immigrants in that they worked very hard to build businesses with little capital. The book binding business that Gustav started is still a prominent business in Vancouver even though the Roeddes no longer own it. To learn more about G. A. Roedde Ltd., Bookbinders click here
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It appears that her two brothers got jobs, and she and big sister Kate finished their schooling. As there was little money, when she was sixteen Matilda went to work for a tailor. Her job was to make the button holes on men's vests, all by hand. Her two brothers, Gustav and Adolf, had joined a gymnasium where they spent many evenings after work. Another German speaking fellow turned up one evening; his name was Gustav Adolf Roedde. When Hallowe'en came around, they invited him over to their house after the gym. They said their sister Tilly (Matilda) was making pumpkin pies. The old adage about the way to the man's heart is through his stomach seemed to have worked in this case. Gustav never looked back.
