Welcome To
Schwanebeck’s

My ancestors came from Brandenburg Prussia, now known as Germany. Wilhelmina and Carl Frederick Schwanebeck came to the United States shortly after their marriage in April 1867. They settled in Muscatine County in Iowa of that year, where they lived until October of 1871. They moved their family by covered wagon to Prussia township in Adair county in Iowa, close to Fontanelle, Iowa. C.F. Schwanebeck died in a tragic wagon accident east of town in September of 1893; he was preceded in death by his wife. His wife had died three years earlier. Son, Edward Ernest Schwanebeck, born May 4, 1871 was five months old when is parents moved. In his childhood Edward had little opportunity to secure an education and the most he did have was self-acquired through diligence and an intense love for knowledge. March 17, 1894, Edward married Miss Ursulla Baier. To whom they had five children, Louis, Edward, Mary, Lena and Helen. In 1911 Edward lost his wife of 17 years,leaving him with the entire responsibility of caring for their five children. The youngest being a year and 2 months old. Edward worked day and night to keep them together. He married Miss Anna Watkins on March 17, 1913. They had seven more children; Betha Alice, Alta Milred, Ernest Henry, Anna Ethel, Margaret Myrtle, Carl Fredrick and Francis Elsie. Edward also had one stepson Charles Bridgman. Edward passed away on March 30, 1936 from what was called a coronary thrombosis. My father Carl F. Schwanebeck, named after his grandfather, was born to Edward and Anna on August 29, 1928. Carl went to school, graduating from Fontanelle High School in 1946. Afterwards he entered into the US Navy, based in San Diego California. In 1950 he worked for Pioneer Theaters in Perry, Iowa and married Ruth Georgia Palmer, born to Edith and Wayne Palmer. In February 1952, they moved to Sac City, Iowa and ran the Sac City Theater. In March of 1952, they had their first child, a son named Curt Anthony. In October of 1952 Carl and Ruth returned to Perry to take over the operation of the Perry Theater and Corral Dive-in. In August of 1955 they had their second child, a son named Cris Andrew. In February of 1957 they had their third child, a son named Cort Arnold. Later that year, Carl and Ruth left the Pioneer Theater and moved their family to Anamosa, Iowa. Carl worked as an office manager for Farm Service. In 1960 the family moved to their current home in Knoxville, Iowa and started to work for Kerr Theaters. Over the years they bought the Grand Theater, now known as the Village 2 Theaters. Carl and Ruth had two more children, two daughters: Caprice Andre born in May of 1967 and Colette Anette born in October of 1971.