AMERICANAMERICAN-OSTFRIESEN ZEITUNG
A PUBLICATION OF THE OSTFRIESEN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
EALA FREYA FRESENA! LEVER DOD ALS SLAV!
July 2007
Volume 10, Issue 3
Summer Canal Festival in Rhauderfehn
Page 2
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
AMERICAN-OSTFRIESEN
ZEITUNG
A PUBLICATION OF THE OSTFRIESEN
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The newsletter of the Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of
America is published four times a year. Please write: Lin
Strong, Editor, OGSA Newsletter, 168 North Lake Street, Forest Lake, MN 55025 or email - lstrong@cornernet. com with
comments or suggestions.
We are happy to consider any contributions of genealogical
information. Whether we can use your material is based on
such factors as general interest to our members, our need to
cover certain subjects, balance through the year and available
space. The editor reserves the right to edit all submitted materials for presentation and grammar. The editor will correct errors and may need to determine length of copy.
Contributors are responsible for accuracy, omissions and factual errors. Cite documentation for facts or statistical information and give complete source for all abstracted or transcribed
records.
Other than the exceptions given, all or part of this publication
may be copied without fee provided that: copies are not made
or distributed for direct title commercial advantage; the OGSA
copyright notice, the name of the publication and its date
appear; and notice is given that copying is by permission of the
Ostfriesen Genealogical Society. You must contact the editor
for permission to publish in any form. Materials not otherwise
attributed, were prepared by the editor.
Copyright @ 2007
Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America
OGSA MEMBERSHIP
PRIVILEGES include four issues of the American Ostfriesen
Zeitung (January, April, July, October), four program meetings
each year and one special event, special member order discounts, and access to the OGSA library.
TO JOIN OGSA—Send your check for $18 ($34—2 years,
$48—3 years), payable to OGSA, to OGSA, 168 North Lake
Street, #3, Forest Lake, MN 55025.
Foreign membership is $22. We can send you our Bank and
account number and you can deposit your membership at
Sparkasse Emden if you prefer.
♦ The membership year is from November 1 through October 31. You will receive one reminder post card in December 2005 if you do not renew before the end of the
year.
♦ If you join midway during the year, you will receive all
back issues for that year. Back issues for the past year are
available for purchase.
♦ Please include your name, address, email address, phone
number and eight names you are researching in Ostfriesland along with their village names.
♦ If you have any question about your membership, please
do not hesitate to contact us! 651-269-3580
OSTFRIESEN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Research Facility: 168 North Lake Street, Unit #3, Forest
Lake, MN 55025
Officers are elected for a two year term and will serve during
2007 and 2008.
OGSA OFFICERS:
President—Sharon Arends, [email protected]
Vice President—Gene Janssen: email: [email protected]
Treasurer—Lübbert Kruizenga, [email protected]
Recording Secretary—Nancy Jensen, [email protected]
Past President—Buck Menssen, [email protected] (new)
BOARD MEMBERS:
Lin Strong: (651) 269-3580 (cell) [email protected] (New)
Dr. James Limburg: [email protected]
Ray Kleinow: [email protected]
Greg Thorne: [email protected]
Jill Morelli: [email protected]
C. Robert Appledorn: [email protected]
Rick Gersema: [email protected]
Zella Mirick: [email protected] (NEW!)
COMMITTEE COORDINATORS:
Program & Meeting Committee: Buck Menssen
Publicity: Lübbert Kruizenga, Lin Strong
Library: Lin Strong, Zella Mirick
Membership Coordinators: Crystal Olson, Norm Hensley
Mail Coordinator— Zella Mirick
AMERICAN-OSTFRIESEN ZEITUNG STAFF:
Lin Strong, News Editor
Contributing Authors: Jill Morelli, Rudy Wiemann, Gene
Janssen, Zella Mirick, Jeanee Thompson
Columnists: Jeanee Thompson, Cheryl Meints, Lin Strong, Zella
Mirick
OGSA MISSION STATEMENT
OGSA is headquartered in Minnesota and our official name is
Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America. Anyone with ancestors from Ostfriesland or who has an interest in Ostfriesland is
welcome to join.
The purpose of the group is exclusively educational, and specifically to:
♦ Foster and increase interest in Ostfriesen genealogy.
♦ Provide an association for those interested in Ostfriesen
genealogy.
♦ Provide an opportunity for exchange of knowledge about
Ostfriesland.
♦ Encourage the establishment of Ostfriesen genealogical
resources.
♦ Hold meetings for instruction and interest of its members.
♦ Collect and, when practical, publish genealogical, biographical and historical material relating to people of Ostfriesen
descent.
♦ Work with other similar societies to preserve and protect Ost
friesen genealogy and heritage.
Our organization is a 501C3 non-profit organization.
Your donations are tax-deductible.
October
American-Ostfriesen
2003
Zeitung
Page
PAGE3 3
Inside this issue:
MOIN, ALLE!
We hope you are enjoying your summer. Hopefully, you attended a family
reunion and shared time with your family. Who is the first one to contact me
about changes in this newsletter?
Coastal Railroad, Rysum,
Bosseln
Tour of Emden 1735
Farming & Farm Families
Our 2007 Conference is right around the corner—time goes so fast. Invitations have been sent—if you need another one, please contact us. If you’ve
been at a previous conference, you know we work very hard to make them great. If you
haven’t been at a conference, you don’t know what you are missing!
We have many
great things planned—and fun events, too.
What is an Ortssippenbuch?
The Boatswain’s Pipe
The Rolling Store
8,9,10
11
12,13
Clara City Lutheran Church
Bread Baking in Ostfriesland
14,15
16
Jeanee-Ology 101
Re-Researching
News from Ostfriesland
From Life on a Canal Boat to
Life in America
17
Did you know that we bring our entire OGSA library to the conference? This is no small
feat given the amount of bookcases, books and other materials that have to be packed into
trucks and vans and carted to the conference—and back, too.
These events take a lot of time and volunteer hours. If you can help us even for a couple
of hours, we’d love to get you involved. We’ve planned a fantastic long weekend full of
events that we know you will really enjoy! It’s a great chance for you to meet others with
similar interests—and to sample Bohnensuppe, too! Lifelong friendships have been
forged at these events—please come and meet all of us.
You will notice on the next to the last page that many new books are ready for you! If
you don’t already have them, you should consider purchasing at least one! I edited them
so I know how good they are—they contain an absolute wealth of information. Or put
them on your wish list and give it to your family. They may also enjoy reading them.
When I was in Ostfriesland in June 2005, Kurt van Loh of Borßum gave me a large suitcase full of data including index cards and scraps of paper—hundreds of them! Gene
Janssen took this data and has put it on an Excel spreadsheet—the names of 16,600 Ostfriesen emigrants! I cannot tell you how valuable this data base is. I use it all the time
when someone calls begging for help. “We don’t know where our ancestor came from, no
one can help us!” For one lady alone I found the place of origin of eight of the names she
was searching. The cost for this CD ROM will be reasonable for the thousands of volunteer hours that went into putting this data base together!
Think about this! Look at how much more data is available today than what we had ten
years ago? There is no comparison. This is the work that our volunteers have donated to
OGSA! Seriously, we consider this our legacy for future generations. We are constantly
searching for more data and more resources for you—our members!
Stay tuned, we will have more information on a foundation that we’re going to set up
which will ensure the work we do will continue for many, many years. If you’d like to
get involved in this committee, please contact me! Please get involved.
UPCOMING ISSUES WILL INCLUDE:
A Journey from Dunum
Aurich gets the Imperial Runaround—
From Boston!
Westerstede’s Church
An Emigration Story
The 2007 OGSA Conference
Martini Tag
Who were the Petersens?
Sielmonken & Its Cloister
Ahnenlisten, Q & F
Tulip Mania
Eggelingen
How To Journal
The Year is 1866 & Ostfriesland is
Prussian—Again!
How Varel Lost its Independence
Frederick the Great and the Thespians
French Civil Records
Ostfriesland, A Prince’s Earldom
Ostfriesland during the
French & Indian War
And LOTS MORE!
4,5
5
6,7
7
18,19
20,21
What is a Kirchspiel
Windows on the Past
Harlingerland’s Feud with Bremen & Werdum’s Struggle
21
22
24,25
Monticello, Jones Co., IA
Links to Deep Roots
Notes from the North
Schwerinsdorf, Moor Kolonie
26
27
27
27,28
Low German Conference
Tazewell County Open House
Membership Info.
Trip to Ostfriesland, New Books
German Valley OSB
Upcoming Events
28
28
29
29
30
31
IMPORTANT
NOTICE!
The NEW Ortssippenbuch for
German Valley and surrounding
area in Illinois will be finished in
September. C. Robert Appledorn has spent four years compiling this data! He has asked
OGSA to supervise the publishing, advertising and sales, and
distribution of this large two
volume set of books.
There will be a pre-publication
price. Information will be on our
website in August.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please contact us
ASAP. We will let you know as
soon as we have more data.
Make sure you reserve your copy
today!
Page 4
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
The East Friesian Coastal Railroad
ItsConstruction
The East Friesian Coastal Railroad connected Emden and Jever
with stops in Georgsheil, Marienhafe, Norden, Hage, Westerende, Dornum, Esens, and Wittmund. It completed the drive to
hook up Ostfriesland to the expanding net to the south which
began with the opening in 1854 of the section Papenburg-LeerEmden, the so-called Hanovarian West RR, today’s “Emsland
Section”. No one followed up on an application by Norden to
have the tracks extended to that town.
In 1871 a branch line was built from Sande to Jever by the
“Grand Ducal Oldenburgian RR”, and Norden was hoping for
an extension from that direction, but Ostfriesland was Prussian
then, and there was little chance of that happening. The town
was seriously thinking of financing a construction project itself
when in 1879 Prussia and Oldenburg agreed on a coordinated
approach to make the Coastal RR a reality.
Their tracks met at the border east of Asel where a stop with the
name “Vereinigung” (Union) remained in place until the 1950s
(Ostfriesland’s own Promontory, Utah!). In 1892 Norddeich was
reached from Norden and brought Ostfriesland’s islands Juist
and Norderney within easy reach of tourists from Germany’s
industrialized region to the south. To accommodate the growing
traffic volume and to shorten travel time, the stretch between
Emden and Norddeich was partially realigned and upgraded
from branch to main line.
.
The section following the coast between Norden and Jever benefitted mostly local travelers but received additional trains during
the tourist season. What freight hauling there was consisted
largely of agricultural products. Not much that was noteworthy
happened until WWII, when traffic became less frequent due to
strafing attacks by low flying allied fighter planes. On June 11,
1944, during one of
these
attacks, the
engineer of
the passenger
train
NordenW i l helmshaven
was killed.
After the war railroad traffic gradually recovered, but the schedule for the winter of 1946 still listed only one pair of trains per
day between Norden and Esens. Esens was connected directly
with Cologne by designated rail cars which were “handed over”
to or from the branch line in Norden, a system that continued
until passenger traffic between Norden and Esens was terminated.
Diesel powered “rail busses”, for a while considered as “saviors
of the branch lines,” took over many of the duties of steam powered trains stationed in Norden, but the latter still dominated the
hauling of passenger cars into the 60s and freight cars into the
70s.
.
Passenger train traffic between Norden and Esens was discontinued in 1983 and turned over to busses. A modest freight traffic
was still accommodated, but in 1986 the tracks between Dornum
and Esens were removed. Occasional freight cars would still be
hauled to Hage and Dornum until 1989.
The Museum Railroad “Coastal Railroad Ostfriesland”
The “Museum Railroad ‘Coastal Railroad Ostfriesland’” with its
seat in Norden was founded in 1987. Its aim was the creation of a
working museum railroad between Norden and Dornum and the
gathering of historical material covering Ostfriesland’s traffic
situation in general and the railroad’s part in it in particular. With
rolling stock on loan from the depot in Norden and the
“Bundesbahn” (German Railroad) and a shuttle locomotive from
the depot in Norden eight outings were organized that year and
3,000 tickets sold. In the following year a complete train was
rented from a private company.
When in 1989 all public rail traffic to Dornum was permanently
halted, the society was able to lease the tracks and right-of-way
plus the locomotive shed in Norden. In the following year it
bought its first locomotive and several historical passenger cars
which it refurbished. It attracted paying passengers in increasing
numbers: 22,000 came aboard in 1993. That year a buffet car was
added, and thereafter several locomotives were acquired including a steam locomotive from the former East Germany.
In 1997, the society celebrated its tenth anniversary with a week
of festivities. In the year thereafter it opened its museum in the
locomotive shed and begun excursions from Norddeich and
Marienhafe to Dornum where a grilled dinner was awaiting the
guests. In 2000 the old stop in Westerende was opened again to
add to the one in Hage. “Steam Weekends” with other railroad
clubs and its Norden locomotive shop facilities drew the society
into coordinated activities with others. In 2003, it bought a more
Page 5
BOßELN IN OSTFRIESLAND
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/13/07
Emden - Wintertime is Boßeltime in Ostfriesland when companies, offices, associations, and neighborhood groups organize
their traditional Boßel matches which usually end with a hearty
kale and “Snirtje Bra” (snirtjen = sizzle, Bra = Braten = roast)
dinner. The favorite Boßel stretch for Emden’s only club, “Good
voran” (Good headway) is the area around Uphuser Meer, a
small lake NE of town.
powerful (Diesel) locomotive from the Belgian public railroad
which does most of the pulling now. In 2004 a small reception
building was erected in Dornum with EU support money.
The society operates four scheduled trains from Norden to Dornum and back every Sunday from June to October and on several holidays, and it offers a number of popular excursions,
among them the evening grill events and a flounder dinner in
Dornum.
Planned as well are an outing to Emden’s “Matjes” herring fest,
“Kale and Snirtje” specials, four St. Nicholas runs in December
during which the train stops in a forest to let St. Nick board with
gifts for the little ones, and more. In addition, it offers charter
runs with food service for group outings. The museum itself is
open during the summer season, its main theme being the railroad’s technical, social, and regional history. There will be
photo exhibitions and evening lectures on the East Friesian
Coastal RR history.
Walking tours will be available around the old railroad yard
most of whose facilities, like the roundhouse, have been dismantled, its functions moved to Emden. Next time you are in Ostfriesland don’t forget to board the museum railroad! Information is available per e-mail at [email protected]. This information was taken from the museum society’s report and translated by Rudy Wiemann.
A circle tour is about 3.5 miles long, a bit much for a match
which is usually carried out over a 2 miles stretch and gives
each player 10 turns at the “Kloot”, a 1 lb. wooden, lead cored
ball. The arrow-straight road west of town along the new sea
levee towards the Knock is popular for beginners. The ladies’
teams of “Good voran” mostly play on the Conrebbersweg, near
Twixlum. Competitive games are preferably carried out on a
nearby tricky stretch of road which carries a fair amount of traffic and cannot be used without a permit. The game of Boßeln is
sometimes called “Klootschiessen” (Shooting the Kloot).
RYSUM & EMIGRATION
In the decade of the 1860’s, the groundswell of emigration
reached the Krummhörn village of Rysum. At that time, nearly
all able bodied men were out of work and many were very poor.
From Pastor Ubbo Meyer, Rysum pastor from 1854-1872, we
learn that of the 132 families living in the village, only 50 had
full time employment on farms. The remaining 80 heads of
families could only find part time work on the dikes, building
roads or on farms.
At that time, Pastor Meyer wrote of the need to establish a home
for the elderly in his village. A home that he established lasted
only for a few years. He was a devoted supporter of the poor in
the community.
In 1850, there were still 30 weavers in the village. In the winter
months, men did the weaving alongside the women in order to
survive. Even this work was not enough as there was a lack of
material to spin and weave.
As in nearly every village, there was an “Armenhaus” (poor
house) in Rysum. Food, clothing and fuel were often in short
supply or non-existent. For this reason, emigration among the
younger members of the community looked good. In the years
between 1844 to 1867, 104 people left the village for America.
In 1868, 56 people left the village to emigrate. Pastor Meyer
kept very accurate records of these people and for a few, their
subsequent lives.
During his tenure, Pastor Meyer recorded as many as 42 births
in a year. In 1862, a set of triplets was born. The father died
before the birth of his children and the mother died shortly
thereafter. Pastor Meyer described the sorrowful tale in a ten
stanza poem entitled “The Orphaned Triplets of Rysum”. At
least one of the triplets lived to adulthood and in 1880 was in the
military in Hannover. Harm Bloempott, who died in 1951 in
Rysum served with him. Nothing about the other two children
is known.
Page 6
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
A TOUR OF EMDEN in 1735
ing of citizens to withhold obedience from their rulers who
up to then had governed them with all magnanimity.
Acts of violence already occurred during the reign of Count
Enno II, near the end of the sixteenth century. In 1595 the
citizenry rebelled against the Count, its ruler, deposed the
council, elected a new one, tore down the walls around the
Count’s castle, which, unfortunately, was garrisoned much
too weakly, and perpetrated a number of other punishable
outrages. And so they would not be called upon for their
deserved punishment, which would surely have been meted
out, they accepted a Dutch garrison which remained until
1744. In 1757, during the Seven Years’ War, the city was
occupied by the French and Austrians who left in the following year.
.
“The City of Emden” from: Rev. J. F. Bertrams “Geographic Description of the Principality Ostfriesland”, 1735. Revised by C. H.
Normann in 1785. Reissued by Theo Schuster, Leer, in 1987.
Emden, also spelled Embden, or Emda, received its name from the
river rich in ships which flows past its walls, the Ems. In days of
old it was a small settlement which, according to claims by several
writers, was inhabited by fishermen. The last of its chieftains, called
“Drosten” of Emden, was Imel of the House of Abdema. He sided
with Focke Ukena against Edzard Cirksena when the latter was
chosen chieftain of Ostfriesland. However, detachments from Hamburg abducted him in a clever way in 1431. They invited him on
one of their ships lying at anchor in the harbor, hosted him most
sumptuously, and, after he had become intoxicated, sailed away
with him with favorable winds. They took him to a prison in Hamburg where he remained until he finally died in 1455.
Upon his abduction, Hamburg’s troops disembarked at once and
took the city by force. They outfitted it in 1436 with towers and
fortified it with gates which were built with the stones taken from
the destroyed castles of Osterhusen, Westerhusen, Grothusen,
Grimersum, Freepsum, Larrelt, Hinte, Neßerland, and Wilgum.
Thereafter, they handed it over to Count Ulrich Cirksena.
Under the reign of this first Count of Ostfriesland Emden flourished
splendidly, and it is now a large, stately, fortified port city and trading center which at one time was thought of as the foremost in
Europe. The city is partial to the Reformed faith. In “XVI Seculo”,
the sixteenth century, when religious persecution in the neighboring
Netherlands got so bad that 7 provinces fell away from the King of
Spain and formed their own free country, it experienced great
growth. At that time many foreigners who were fleeing the tyrannical brutality of the then governor of the Netherlands, Duke Alba,
came to Emden where anyone who could not be accused of crimes
or profound errors in faith was accepted by the administration with
love and goodwill . But with these refugees a spirit of unrest also
seems to have entered the city: I am pointing at the unlawful striv-
The city consists of three parts: 1) the Old Town; 2) Faldern,
which was formerly a “Herrlichkeit” of the East Friesian
House (Cirksena) had 2 churches and was united with the
City of Emden by Count Edzard II in 1569; 3) two suburbs,
which, like Faldern, were part of the “Amt” (County) Emden,
but eventually were incorporated by the city. It has four
gates: The Bolthen Gate, the Neue Gate, the Norder Gate,
and the Heere Gate.
.
Worth seeing here are the beautiful city hall, built in 1574, to
which ships can sail up a wide channel, called Delft, dug all
the way from the Ems; furthermore, the old Große Kirche
(Great Church) built alongside the Ems and decorated by
Count Ulrich I in 1455 with a nice chancel in which especially the exquisite sepulchral monument of Count Johann I
and a very nice pipe organ built new in 1779 should be
pointed out; then the Neue Kirche (New Church) which was
built from 1643 to 1648 in Faldern; also, the well appointed
“Gasthaus” (poor house) which, with the “Klosterkirche”,
was formerly a Franciscan monastery, the Coetus Ecclesiastitus still gathering in that church once a week; finally, the
Latin school, established by Countess Anna, and a variety of
municipal schools.
Emden, by the way, boasts of its church as being the mother
of most of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands. It sent
delegates to the “Synodum Dordracenam” (National Synod
of the Reformed Church in Dordrecht, 1618 to 1619) where
the articles of faith were promulgated (The Canons of
Dordrecht) which she has accepted and defended. Fourteen
churches in and around Emden are within the jurisdiction of
the Reformed Inspection.
.
The Lutheran congregation, which is quite numerous, formerly did not have the right to exercise its faith in the city of
Emden, and it did not receive the right to annually conduct
four services in a suitable house until 1685. However, since
1749 it may conduct its services free and unobstructed on
every Sunday, and, furthermore, in 1774 with the highest
royal permission it built a new and beautiful church from the
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
ground up on the so-called Bastion, where 2 preachers are now
serving. The Roman Catholics and Mennonites here also enjoy
full religious freedom.
.
The city is administered by four mayors, one “Syndicum” (city
attorney), 8 councilmen, of which one is the “Camerarius” (i.e.,
Chamberlain), and 3 secretaries. The College of Forty, which
defends the privileges of the common citizen, was created in
1589. In 1750 an Asiatic Trading Company was established
here, its privileges granted by the King, for which the city’s
harbor was declared a free harbor in 1751. However, the company was dissolved in 1769. Whaling was pursued here at one
time as well, but after a great loss of about 100,000 guilders the
entire enterprise was closed down in 1757. In 1783 a new Asiatic Trading Company was created which continues today.
The city has been garrisoned since 1763 by a Royal Prussian
Volunteer Battalion, commanded by General von Courbiere. For
this battalion brand-new barracks were built in 1765, and on
November 10 the troops moved in. In the beginning of 1769 a
Royal Bank branch was established here. In that year also the
herring fishery was established. On June 11, 1770, the company
sent out the first 6 trawlers which returned with such a good
catch that in the following year 4 additional ships were sent out .
The industry continued to grow and grow so that the company
now owns 44 herring trawlers and 3 cutters. Concerning the
herring fishery in this province, it should be noted that already
in 1597 the city had pursued it, which is confirmed by a printed
ordinance of that time of which a copy is still on file in Emden’s
city hall. However, no trace can be found shedding light on the
reasons for its failure.
.
The Correctional and Spinning House, formerly located in
Greetsiel, was moved here in 1777. About this institution the
book “Historische Beiträge” (Contributions) says the following:
In the Principality Ostfriesland there also exists a prison and
work house, which was established in 1755 with royal permission in the old castle in Greetsiel, a small town near the sea, and
operates under the direction of the royal government in Aurich,
where the royal etc. chamber is occasionally called upon for
advice in economic matters. Its income consists in part of the
interest from a fund of 3,400 Reichsthaler established at the
founding of this institution which is invested at 4 1/2 and 5%
and earns annually 148 Reichsthaler, and in part of annual contributions by the “Ostfriesische Landschaft” of 200
Reichsthaler, furthermore, from the Esens orphanage 50
Reichsthaler, and from the head tax 35 Reichsthaler, also, from
the average surplus of the “Ostfriesischen Intelligenzen” periodical over a 10 year period, amounting annually to about 250
Reichsthaler, plus, the annual amount of work done by inmates
which may approximately taken as 100 Reichsthaler. Total: 783
Reichsthaler.
.
The coat of arms of Emden consists of a black shield separated
into three fields. The lowest field depicts flowing water which
represents the Ems River flowing past; the middle field shows a
red wall with five towers which stand for the city; the upper
field displays a harpy wearing a yellow crown and spreading its
wings over the wall, a reference to the princely house to which
this city formerly belonged as hereditary property.
Page 7
FARMING & FARM FAMILIES
Gene Janssen found the following excerpts from a book (family
tree) that Ben Hildebrandt of Nebraska wrote in the 1970's but
describing 19th century ways:
.
In the village of Rispel and the surrounding area (farmers tended
to live in villages with the fields further out from the village),
there were no modern machines and the only implement the
farmer had was a plow and a harrow, plus a lot of work was done
with a spade and hoe.
The grain was sown by hand and harrowed in to make it sprout
and grow. At harvest time, the grain was cut with a "Sichte" and
a "Bick." The Sichte was like a schythe in this country but had a
short handle. A Bick is a smooth strip of hardwood with a six
inch steel hook on the end. In cutting the grain the Sichte is taken
in the right hand and the Bick in the left. While cutting the grain
with the right hand, the harvester turns the cut grain with the
hook so that it lies down.
After going about three or four yards, the reaper would start rolling the cut grain into a sheave with the Bick, and at the same
time, cut the grain that was under the sheave--this was called
"rolling out." When he got to where he had started, he would
gracefully put a foot under the middle of the sheave and the Sichte under the butt end with the Bicht on the top end and,
neatly making a half turn, set the sheave down and start the next
one.
When a field was finished the sheaves all stood in a neat, straight
row across the field. The sheaves had to be tied with a handful of
straw and then put into shocks. As soon as the grain had dried it
was hauled into the barn and during the long winter months it
was threshed with flails, separating the grain and chaff in a fanning mill.
The grain was stacked in sacks and picked up or taken to the
miller to be ground into flour for bread or feed for the livestock. The main crops were rye and oats and some buckwheat.
Some flax was also grown. It was processed at home and spun
into linen yarn and then the weaver turned it into fine linen cloth.
For confirmation. the boys got a new suit (made by the village
tailor) and new shoes, handmade by the local shoemaker. The
girls wore a nice, new black dress, made by the seamstress.
For weddings the men wore a Prince Albert coat and silk top hat
and the brides wore black silk dresses. These clothes were intended to last a lifetime and were always worn at funerals and
special occasions.
MEMBER NEWS
♦
♦
♦
Congratulations to Ray and Dee Kleinow and Jim and
Martha Limburg on their 50th wedding anniversaries in
June. What a wonderful milestone!
Our sympathies go to Jean Haemmig on the death of her
sister.
Erich Schröder, te husband of Gene Janssen’s cousin
died in June in Rispel, Ostfriesland.
Page 8
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
WHAT IS AN ORTSSIPPENBUCH?
By Lin Cornelius Strong
You may have heard the term OSB before. What is an OSB or
Ortssippenbuch or OFB, an Ortsfamilienbuch, or maybe even a
Dorfsippenbuch? These are not words the typical researcher
has ever heard. What’s all the excitement? How could this
book possibly help you?
Okay—what do these terms mean?
• Dorf = small village
• Ort = village or locality
• Sippen = relationship, clan or family
• Buch = book, Bücher = books
• Familienchronik = family chronicle
• Ortsfamilienbuch = community lineage book
• Kirchengemeinde = church community
But there are also many other variations! Usually these are referred to as lineage books for a specific community.
For Example—Die Familien der Kirchengemeinde Engerhafe is
the lineage book for the church community in Engerhafe.
One of the most valuable tools available for research in Ostfriesland is the Ortssippenbuch. Each Ortssippenbuch is for a
specific church in a community. A researcher takes all of the
church records and organizes the data by family, assigning numbers to each family member who was born married or died in the
church.
These researchers are typically volunteers, some of
whom have taken many years to complete these books. If the
book is published by a genealogical society, they are not paid, but
do receive five copies of the book after publication.
The books were first published by the Ostfriesische Landschaft
until the mid 1990’s. Most of the Ostfriesen Ortssippenbücher
today are published by the Ostfriesen Genealogical Society or the
Upstalsboom-Gesellschaft, as they are known. Many of their
members have given tirelessly of their time to compile the data
that is included in these books. Their former President, Erhard
Schulte, worked full time on this project before he died. Their
current president Klaas-Dieter Voß has compiled several books.
The dedication of these people is to be commended as these
books have some of the only available information on a specific
church. Many of them spend years compiling this data.
Some of these books are compiled by researchers who privately
publish their books. An example is the set of books for Amt
Uplengen published by Pastor Christian Meyer with help from
Michael Till Heinze. Portions of this 17 volume set are now
available on CD ROM through OGSA. Other books include
Riepe, Pewsum, Woquard (reprint), Ardorf, Dunum, Simonswolde, Hage, Wymeer, Stapelmoor and several others.
One other major Ostfriesen Ortsfamilienbuch is available online.
This covers the northeast corner with Stedesdorf, Dunum and
Burhafe. However, many other small villages are being added.
When you go on the website, you can see a listing of other OFB
available online for other areas of Germany. Check this super
website out—www.online-ofb.de/
The Oldenburg area has five OFB available on CD ROM and this
includes the catholic church of Barßel which is very near the
Rhauderfehn, Detern, Filsum area. A CD ROM can hold thousands of records along with pictures and other pertinent data on
a village. This information is searchable! For instance if you are
looking for someone with an unusual name like Aijm or Folpt,
you can put that name under “Edit” and “Find” and search for
them. These programs open easily from your CD ROM drive.
OGSA has all of their CD ROM’s available both in their research center and for sale.
Each of the books is for a specific time period from the start of
their record keeping until approximately 1900 (to preserve privacy). Most books start with information in the early 1700’s,
after the 1717 Christmas Flood which devastated Ostfriesland.
Earlier books were lost or burned in the Thirty Years War (1618
-1648) or any number of other disasters. You have to understand the history of the area to understand how many floods
attacked this area and destroyed homes, records and families.
At the beginning of each book, other pertinent data was included
which the pastor deemed worth noting. The researcher may also
add other pertinent data which pertains to the community. Some
of these Ortssippenbücher included farmers with lists of their
animals; others record lists of dike workers, signatures or marks
of church members, tax lists and even family crests. Others
contain lists of those taking communion or confirmation records.
Each book will usually have at least one map showing the community which is covered. Also included is a list of all the pastors in the community and sometimes a short history of the
church and/or school. Sometimes the compiler of the data includes census data which is very helpful. Of course, all information in the Ortssippenbücher is written in German, but if you
can read names and dates, a good dictionary will help you decipher the other information.
Some of the books have cross referenced names at the end of the
book. There are also lists of other communities which are listed
in a specific OSB.
Each head of a family is assigned a number. Under that number
is listed the following information: name of parent(s), date and
place of birth (if known), date and place of marriage (if known),
date and place of death (if known). If parents are listed in another Ortssippenbuch, that information is also included. A number after a name indicates the number for their parents in this
OSB or it may indicate parental number in another Ortssippenbüch.
If children marry and live within the community, they are also
referenced by a number. In order to further understand the Ortssippenbücher, you must understand the patronymical naming
system which is covered in this book. You will also find the
date of emigration if the pastor noted it in the church records.
Other items included in these records may be occupations,
names of godparents, other relationships, etc. You may also
find information on Hausmarken (These are symbols found on
family homes that indicated who the residents were. They may
also have been the symbols they used for their signature).
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Page 9
The Ortssippenbuch for the community of Detern also preserved
the signature of the electors of Pastor Gerhard Loewenstein in 1644.
The signatures, along with transcriptions and family numbers are
also included.
Also included is a compilation of known Wappen (Coats of Arms)
of families from Detern with detailed descriptions.
The OSB published by the Upstalsboom-Gesellschaft follow a specific format which makes these books easy to follow. Privately
published OFB or Dorfchronik do not follow any set format and
these formats vary widely. An example from the HAGE OFB is
found on the following page. You need to spend a few minutes
with these books to figure out what data is contained in these records.
Another example of a privately published set of books is the Amt
Uplengen series of 17 books which include all the data for the
church congregations of Hollen, Ockenhausen, Firrel and
Remels. While Hage lists the number for the parents, the Amt
Uplengen series does not. They do, however, list the names
of the parents so you can easily search for them.
Check out the examples and explanations on the following
pages. A list of symbols used in the OSB is also necessary for
your research—check our website for a list of them. OGSA
has also translated the histories found in many of them. These
prefaces include valuable historical data that can further your
understanding of the village.
These books are one of the most valuable tools for the Ostfriesen researcher—make sure you take advantage of them.
Go to google.com and type in Ortsfamilienbuch or Ortssippenbuch and see if your village in Germany is listed.
The following example (in bold print) was taken from the Detern Ortssippenbuch:
(Everything in italics and parenthesis is the explanation)
1590 Grussing, Hinrich 1594, Arbeiter zu DL, * 22.1.1837 DL, oo 18.5.1861 Detern (The # of Hinrich’s parents is 1594; he is a
day worker from village of Deternelehe, born on 22 Jan. 1837 in Deternelehe, marriage on 18 May 1861 in Detern) Heyedina Jurgena 2479, Westrhauderfehn (The # of Heyedina’s parents is 2479 and she was born in the village of Westrhauderfehn, but her
parents names are also listed in the Detern OSB)
Hinrich * 21.10.1862 DL (born on 21 Oct. 1862 in Deternelehe)
Meinert Albertus * 30.1.1864 DL
Geeske Dina *11.5.1866 DL, + 6.2.1873 DL (born 11th May and died 6 February 1862 in Deternelehe)
Frerich *21.12.1868 DL, +4.2.1873, Dypheritis (Dypheritis - cause of death)
Jantje Alberta Gesina 3425 (see #3425 in this OSB for additional information on her marriage & family)
Frauke Johanne Friederike *30.7.1871 DL, Schw. d.M. Frauke Spanjer geb. Jurgena,
Westrhauderfehn The godmother was the sister of the mother Frauke Spanjer born Jurgena from Westrhauderfehn)
Georg Friedrich *25.1.1874 DL
Sohn +* 29.12.1875 DL (male child died on the day of birth)
Frerich *27.1.1877 DL
Johannes Heye *30.5.1881 (Schwager d.M. Maurer Johannes Tugendheim, Leer)
(Godfather is brother-in-law of the mother, the bricklayer Johannes Tugendheim from Leer)
Detern is a Lutheran church and Godparents / sponsors or Pate(n) are listed which can also be a clue to find other family members
and where they lived. The Reformed Church did not and does not use sponsors or godparents.
(Continued on next
OSTFRIESEN ECONOMIC ISSUES
Ostfriesische Nachrichten, 1/29/07
Wittmund - “There is much talk about Germany’s booming
economy, but that benefits only a few. The take-home pay
keeps going down.” This socioeconomic critique was the
main theme of the annual meeting of the metal workers union’s Wittmund County branch, where it was noted with chagrin that “minimum wages in Germany are oriented toward
low-wage countries, whereas managerial salaries approximate
those prevailing in the USA.” This inequality was cited as the
reason for Germany being an export champion while suffering
from low demand within its borders. People simply lack sufficient disposable income to boost economic activity.
Ostfriesische Nachrichten, 3/1/07
Emden - Thanks to an improving economy the labor market is
showing signs of recovery. Emden certainly reflects this trend with
an unemployment figure of 13.4%, compared to last year’s figure of
15.2%.
Anzeiger für Harlingerland, 1/6/07
Jever - According to Mayor Angela Dankwardt the city has reason
to consider its financial household for the next twelve months with
optimism. She believes that improvements in its budget throughout
2006, largely due to increasing economic activity - which garnered
an additional 952,000 and 356,000 euros in business and income
taxes respectively - will continue. The city has sold four parcels of
land in a new industrial park: two to bio-gas firms, one to a sand
transportation company, and one to the post office. The possibilities
for attracting larger businesses is limited by the city’s distance from
the new Jade-Weser-Port at Wilhelmshaven.
Page 10
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Let‘s follow a family lineage in AURICH-OLDENDORF OSB
3507. de Wall, Ducke Geden, 3499, Schiffer (shipper) in Großefehn, * (1783) (born about 1783, info. from death data), + 4.5.1829
in Großefehn (46 Jahre—age at death), oo 12.9.1820 in Aurich-Oldendorf (marriage info.), Neelke Janssen (Aljes), 178, *
5.1.1798 in Aurich-Oldendorf, + nach 1851; oo II. …, Siefken, 3256 (She also used the surname Aljes, she died after 1851
and she was married a second time to a man with the surname of Siefken #3256)
Japen, * 9.12.1820 in Großefehn, + 11.2.1840 in Großefehn
Christina, * 1822; oo 1851 de Wall, 3530 (Her marriage and family is 3530)
Maike, * 1824; oo 1851 Buß, 583
Jann, * 1826; oo 1856 Rodiek, 3533
Antje, * 29.1.1829 in Großefehn, + 24.4.1830 in Großefehn
This is her second marriage:
3256. Siefken, Brunke Wilken, 492, in Großefehn, * 15.11.1804 in Großefehn, oo 3.4.1833 in Aurich-Oldendorf Neelke
Janssen (Aljets), 178, * 5.1.1798 in Aurich-Oldendorf; oo I. ... de Wall, 3507
Taalke, * 9.11.1833 in Großefehn
Antje, * 8.2.1836 in Großefehn, + 20.1.1841 in Großefehn
Maria, * 4.10.1839 in Großefehn, + 2.8.1847 in Großefehn
This is the information on her parents:
Aljets/Aljes, Jan, Shiffer and Landgebräucher in Oldendorferfehn/Großefehn, * (1763), + 18.9.1825 in Großefehn (62 Jahre), oo
… Christine Charlotte Focken, * (21.1.1771), + 31.7.1896 in Großefehn (75,6,10)
178.
Anke Margretha Janssen, * 1796; oo 1821 de Wall, 3508
Nele Janssen, * 1798; oo I. 1820 de Wall, 3507; oo II. 1833 Siefken, 1871
Focke Frerichs, * 28.11.1799 in Großefehn
Gretje Janssen, * 1802; oo 1831 Franken, 1127
Janna, * 1804; oo 1834 Ringering, 2842
Garrelt Janssen,* 1806; oo 1841 Focken, 181
Jan * 13.10.1808 in Großefehn
Christine Charlotte Janssen, * 1811; oo 1840 Vissering, 1974
Jan Janssen, * 1813; oo 1844 Loots, 182
Maria, * 1816; oo 24.5.1846 Kirchhoff, 2110
These are the parents of Duke—# 3507
3499. de Wall, Geede Rolfs, + vor 1821, oo ... Japen Duken de Wall (Note where the name Duke came from. Also both of the parents
had the deWall name. Records also do not indicate where they were born)
Jan Gäden, * …; oo 1821 Janssen, 3508
The following is taken from a privately published OFB from HAGE. Note the differences from the other OSB:
1835.
F i s c h e r, Jan Dauen
Hausmann in Halbemond
* 6.11.1800 = 2.10.1868
S. d. Hausmanns Daue Janßen Fischer und Renste Dauen [1794] (son of the Hausmann <social status> Daue Janßen Fischer and Renste
Dauen—family number 1794)
∞ 22.9.1831 Antje Gerdes Grensemann * 1810 = 20.2.1870 (the = means buried)
T. d. Hausmanns Gerd Janßen Grensemann und Trientje Bogena, Halbemond (Daughter of Hausmann <social status> Gerd Janßen
Grensemann and Trientje Bogena from the village of Halbemond)
Daue Heinrich * 6.12.1832 [1797] (The numbers within the brackets include further information about marriage and family)
Gerd Janssen * 10.10.1835 [1815]
Renste Janssen * 19.1.1845
Jantje Dauen * 25.5.1848 [5712]
1843.
F i s c h e r, Jan Lübben
Schneidermeister in Hage und Großheide (Occupation and the villages where he worked)
* 1762 = 25.11.1829
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Page 11
Emden’s Windjammer Sailors Snapped To—
To—
At the Sound of the Boatswain’s Pipe
SOURCE: Hermann Meier “Ostfriesland in Bildern und Skizzen” and Google; Translated by Rudy Wiemann
At the time of the 30 Years’ War (1618-48), Emden numbered
6,000 citizens, and 600 ships sailed under its flag. Refugees fleeing religious persecution in the Netherlands (Count Alba) and
England (Bloody Mary) brought skills and often money with
them which played an important role in promoting the city’s
growth and commercial activity.
By 1652 its population stood at 20,000, and it could boast of one
of Europe’s foremost harbors. Herring fishing as an industry began in 1653, and already 2 years later 15 “herring busses” made 2
or 3 trips per season far out into the
North Sea. Whaling began in 1660
with 15 whalers. How were those
dozens of tars manning a sailing
vessel, particularly a heavy merchantman or man-of-war, able to
hear their boatswain barking orders
in a howling gale?
The answer is simple - he didn’t
bark, he whistled. His sterling silver
whistle, called pipe, or call, a six
inch tube, called barrel, which directs air over a grape-size metal
sphere with a round opening cut in
the top, has a pitch high enough to
be heard over the activities of the
crew, fierce weather, and the roar of
a naval gun. Commands are given
by varying this pitch in recognized
patterns by opening or closing the
hand over the hole. Modulations are
produced with the force of the
breath and trills with the tongue.
The pipe does have its moods and can be made to sound like the
screech of an alley cat at “Stand By” or invitingly melodious at
“Chow Call”. Its history dates back to the Crusades when it was
used to transmit orders across the sweeping battle fields. As simple as it looks, to blow it properly is no cinch, and it takes many
hours of practice to learn the approximately sixteen pipes or calls
with two or three variations each, for a total of over fifty, which a
boatswain of yore had to know.
A slip of the finger or a split-second hesitation could unwittingly
change “Silence Fore And Aft” to “Up all Hammocks”, resulting
in mass confusion in the crew’s quarters. In modern times it has
lost out to the loudspeaker; however, a few basic calls may yet
precede an announcement over the ship’s intercom.
But when, as is true in a number of navies, “The Side” call, hon-
oring an officer when embarking or disembarking, or the traditional color -, sunset -, and other calls, sometimes combined
with ruffles and flourishes, or even a gun salute, are still heard,
then for a fleeting moment the sound of the boatsman’s pipe
once more merges the seafaring presence with its glorious past.
The Commands
Zeichenerklärung (Interpretation of Graphs)
Zeit in Sekunden (Time in Seconds)
Gleichbleibender Ton (steady Tone)
Triller (Trill)
Alle Mann klar zum Manöver (All Hands Ready for Maneuver)
Seite (The Side)
Boote klar: Jolle (Ready Boats: Jolly
Boote klar: Kutter (Ready Boats: Cutter)
Klar bei Hängematten (Stand by Hammocks)
Pfeifen und Lunten aus (Extinguish Pipes and Fuses)
Flaggenparade (Colors Pass in Review )
Ruhe im Schiff (Silence Fore and Aft)
Ruhet Euch (At ease)
Alle Mann Schnapps empfangen (All hands stand by for
Schnapps rations)
ED NOTE: These pipes can still be purchased in shops where
other items of interest to sailors are sold and in some gift shops.
If you want one, contact me! This one will be at the conference.
OSB UPDATE...
If you need one of these books, please contact the editor as soon
as possible as the number of books we have in stock for these
newly printed books is limited.
NOTE that GERMAN VALLEY will be printed soon!
Books recently printed include the following:
♦ HAGE (2 Volumes), JARßUM, PEWSUM, WOQUARD, RIEPE, BUTTFORDE, CRITZUM & MIDLUM
♦ VICTORBUR/MOORDORF (already sold out)
♦ WOLTHUSEN—In stock
♦ BORßUM—In the mail to America
If you are interested in a copy of any of these books, please contact the editor.
OSB in stock: Asel, Amdorf, Ardorf, Barstede, Bingum,
Böhmerwold, Buttforde, Critzum, Dunum, Dykhausen, Eggelingen, Emden French Hugeunot, Freepsum, Großefehn,
Hage, Holtgaste, Jarßum, Jemgum, Landschaftspolder,
Midlum, Marienchor, Norderney, Pewsum, Pogum, Potshausen, Riepe, Simonswolde, Spetzerfehn, Stapelmoor,
Twixlum, Uphusen, Veenhusen, Völlen, Wiesens, Woquard,
Wymeer, Wybelsum, Uplengen (several volumes of the
Remels, Ockenhausen, Hollen and Firrel Books)
Others may be available in Germany, please ask if you have questions.
Contact the editor with questions, comments. When books sell out, they
are seldom reprinted!
Page 12
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
The Rolling Store
Submitted by William Bode
An Important Part of Life In the Ostfriesen
Immigrant Colonies—The Peddler & His
Horse Drawn Wagon
To the isolated immigrants who hadn’t seen
anyone else all day or even all week, the information and news shared by the rolling
stores was almost as important as the goods
they bought. In some cases this helped hold
the immigrants together. The rolling store,
also known as the peddle wagon, brought
home remedies and medicines for people and livestock to the
rural areas where few doctors practiced or were too expensive for
many farm folks.
It was an exciting event when the Rawleigh or Watkins wagon
would arrive. The children would be the first to spot the black,
box-like, peddle wagon coming down the dusty road, and would
become very excited when it turned into their driveway. They
probably ran to meet it. The peddler would be hot and dusty and
the kids would bring him cold well water. Then they would help
lead the horses to the water trough. When he opened the back
doors to get his sample bags they could see yard goods, frying
pans, boiling pots, washtubs, mason fruit jars, harness parts, and
hundreds of other things.
The peddler would then be directed to the front porch. As he
opened his leather suitcases and spread out his wares, the kids
became bug-eyed staring at the treasures stored inside. Those
suitcases had a wonderful pleasant aroma from the soaps, perfumes, talcum, spices, vanilla, lemon, camphor, tea, cough medicines, ointments, balms, liniments, and leather that no one would
ever forget.
The bags also held needles, pins, thimbles, spools of thread, snap
fasteners, hooks and eyes, ribbons, bows, thimbles, lace, colorful
braids, trimmings, safety pins, scissors, thread, buttons, forks,
knives, spoons and notions of all kinds. Also present was the
most important thing, chewing gum. The children would get
chewing gum if the mother bought something and she usually
did. If the family was strapped for cash they could trade hens, or
eggs, or even feed the salesman’s horses grain and hay in exchange for goods. It was sad to see the wagon leave because it
would be a long time before it returned. The teaberry gum was
good.
Farm men traded at country markets, or carried produce to town,
and returned with the goods (sugar, flour, and coffee) requested
by their wives, while women did not go to the store as often. The
Ostfriesen general stores at Austinville and Kesley promoted
women shoppers by having benches near the front of the store for
them. The men sat in back around the stove. But generally the
country store was a male environment. The rolling store on the
John Cornelius Siemens
other hand was the alternate market, preferred by many women.
At the rolling store the female customer was queen and it was
her space. She could take her time and handle the materials and
hear the news from the salesman.
One rolling store system was based in Austinville, Iowa. Three
partners shared it. They were Peter Limburg, and the Bode
Brothers, John, and Dick Bode. J. R. Watkins of Winona, MN
franchised the store. Their rolling store was probably started
about 1895. Also in 1895 the two Bode Brothers purchased the
Austinville General Store. The rolling store helped them extend
the reach of their general store.
Each of the three partners had their separate regular routes.
Through sharing they were able to limit the amount of rolling
stock they needed and could lessen the amount of time they
would be away from home.
John Bode’s Watkins and rolling store route went north and
west of Austinville into Butler County. John Bode grew to know
the people well along his peddle wagon route in Butler County.
In 1900 when the Chicago Northwestern built a railroad to Mason City they also plotted a new town called Kesley. It was
named after a large landowner, Kes Green. John Bode bought
some lots there and built a general store in 1900. In 1905 John
Bode sold his holdings in the Austinville store to his brother
Dick. They continued to run the rolling store to extend the general stores.
Money was hard to come by in those days, and they probably
took in farm products as trade at the rolling store as they did at
the general stores. Records show that John Bode used the railroad to ship out hides, chickens, eggs, and potatoes from Kesley.
Each year he would ship 3 or 4 rail cars of chickens to Chicago
or New York. He also imported flour, salt and oyster shell by
the train carload.
Dick Bode, (Richard Cornelius Bode), probably drove the rolling store Northwest into Franklin County. The records are not
clear on his route. The Austinville Historical Society archives
contain the Bode store records, and a study of the records could
provide more information.
Peter Limburg had the Watkins franchise (see advertisement),
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
John
for Grundy County and the East half of Hardin County. His territory was the largest. Later in 1907 he and Henry Limburg set up a
hardware store and implement business in Austinville that they
ran in addition to the rolling store.
The Bodes and Peter Limburg would also take orders for farm
machinery from the peddler wagon. One year, when the selftying binder came out, they sold 42 binders.
Northwest of the Austinville operation, covering all of Wright
County, J. C. Siemens, (John Cornelius Siemens), had his own
wagon (picture on previous page). He had a franchise with the
competing W. T. Rawleigh Company of Stephenson County Illinois, (the same county J C Siemens was born in). J. C. Siemens
probably started his route in the early or mid 1890’s and he continued until 1920.
John Bode and J. C. Siemens were first cousins and both were
born in German Valley, Illinois. They both lived in Dakota Territory before moving to Iowa to escape the Dakota droughts. They
both had farms in Wright County. John Bode left Wright County
and farming after his crops were flooded one year and a cyclone
destroyed his barn another year.
J. C. Siemens continued to run his farm and the peddle wagon
simultaneously. There are no records that show that they worked
together but there is an account of a wagon trip made by the
wives of John Bode and Peter Limburg from Austinville to the
Siemens place in Wright County, (They drove their horse ‘Old
Fly’, and stopped often to cool their horse under shade trees and
for water at farms that had tanks along the road).
According to grandson Frank Siemens, J. C. Siemens’ Wright
County route would take him away from home for a good number
of days. When he was at a given place at evening time, he would
usually put his team in their barn and stay with the family. He
was evidently a welcome guest at most homes. The children
looked forward to his visits because if their mother purchased
products, the children would each get a half-stick of gum from
him. He was well-liked by his customers and was described as a
real ‘people person’.
J. C. Siemens did not need a hitching post for his team. When he drove
into a farmstead and said ‘whoa’ his team would stay in place until he was
ready to move to his next stop. The technique he taught his horses was
called a ‘ground tie’.
For a vacation from the Rawleigh route, Mr. Siemens would pack a different buggy with a few hens, a goat for milking and lawn mowing, and some
food. He would then drive the team to a place where he had 160 acres
along the Rum River and Highway 169 just south of Onamia, Minnesota.
The location is probably about the same as where the Rum River wayside
rest on highway 169 is located now. Highway 169 was a dirt road then.
He built a cave along the riverbank and he could enjoy solitude and catch
fish from his front door. Mrs. Siemens preferred to stay in Wright County.
IMPORTANT, PLEASE
NOTE!
We will send out some sample newsletters using pdf
format within the next couple of months as a trial run.
We’d like to begin sending out the newsletter in this
format within the next six months to those of you who
have high speed internet.
You can request this service if you wish and print
your newsletter in COLOR if you wish or you can
request the printed copy, too!
This will save us money! Your dues do not pay
for the newsletter expenses! If you have not
Special thanks to Marjorie Bode of Cedar Rapids, Iowa for sharing infor- contacted us about this, please do so today!
mation that her late husband Dwight Bode collected on the Bode-Limburg
Peddler Wagon and the Bode Stores.
Contact Bill at [email protected] or 239-273-6797
Need a great place to stay in Aurich?
ALLEEHOTEL ESCHEN, Esener Straße 76,
26603 Aurich, Germany. They speak English!
[email protected]
Page 14
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Short History of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation
of Clara City, MN 1889 - 1914 HAFERMANN FAMILY
By Rev. Martin Hafermann (1870-1928), Submitted by Rudy Wiemann. Thanks to Kathy Niemeyer, Church Secretary for the photographs and other data.
It was during the years 1887/88 when with the first settlers in this
region, also a number of German Lutherans, mostly coming from
Illinois and Iowa, settled on the wide prairie in the hope with God's
help to make a home here. Of the deprivation during those early
times and the many plights resulting therefrom those pioneers still
know to tell many a tale. But of all the hardships they had to face,
what touched them most keenly was the fact that there was no Lutheran church far and wide and no opportunity to be provided with
God's word and sacrament.
That was when one of those first settlers, Hermann Zuehlke, who
had come from Watertown, Wisconsin, wrote to his former minister there, Pastor H. Hoerig, describing to him the spiritual plight of
the Lutheran fellow-believers here with an appeal for help. And this
letter became the reason for two pastors, commissioned by the directorate of the northern district of the Evangelical Lutheran Iowa
Synod, to undertake the long journey several times in order to
gather our dispersed Lutherans and lead them in worship. Those
two pastors were Professor W. Nolling of Wartburg College in
Clinton, then pastor in Harmony, Fillmore County, Minnesota, who
passed away 4 years ago, and Pastor G. Blessin of Eldorado, Iowa,
whom we are especially delighted to have in our midst today.
Thus in the spring of 1889, through the efforts of these two pastors,
the founding of this Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Congregation
came to pass. Decisive was the gathering of May 19, 1889, which
took place in, or rather, in front of the house of Hermann Zuehlke in
Section 3, Stoneham Township, under the leadership of Pastor
Blessin. Present was quite a large number of those who were to join
the congregation at its very beginning.
The church book lists the following 17 names: Karjen Hayenga,
Georg Tuengel, B. A.
Berends, Behrend
1st Church
Beekmann, Berend
Warrings, Hermann
Zuehlke, Julius
Spieker, Theo. Reinholt, Ed. Barbknecht,
Luiljen Benke, Aug.
Warmbold, Lammert
Kleene, Arnd Mueller, Wilh. Bongs,
Geo. Behrends,
Lueken Beekmann,
and Heinrich
Kramer. Elected to
the council were: H.
Zuehlke, as secretary, and Geo. Tuengel and B. Beekmann; elected as
trustees were: A. Warmbold, K. Hayenga, and B. A.
Behrends.
A salary schedule was pledged at this gathering which resulted in just $100. Pastor Blessin promised the help of the
synod for the support of a to-be called pastor, which the finance department of the inner mission did faithfully extend
until 1897. It must also be mentioned that on that day, May
19, 1889, 12 children were baptized in the homes here,
namely Hinrich, Detje and Geske Ihben Ahlfs; Trientje, Engeline, Dietje and Sarah Mueller; Elisabeth Beekmann; Lueken,
Harm, and Elske Benke; and Rabrand Jacobs.
Thus a beginning was made. But there truly was a lack of everything - to start with, that of a pastor, for that the congregation had to have its own pastor was clear from the outset. During the summer months the synod sent the divinity student
Arnold Janssen who dedicated himself with great zeal to its
work and regularly conducted services in the elevator of the
Dutch Land Company. In July he also managed to found a
second congregation near Raymond, the St. John Congregation, which until 1903 was serviced from here as a branch
church.
Then, at the end of August, came Pastor Eduard Schroeder,
now living in Texas, following a call by the congregation. During his incumbency the congregation acquired its
first property. The two parcels on which the church and personage now stand were donated by the Land Company, the
other two were later added through purchase. Now a modest
church was to be built. But where was the money to come
from?
The members themselves barely had enough to cover their
needs. But our dear brother, Pastor Blessin, provided counsel
and aid in this difficult situation as well. He knew to stir the
heart of a wealthy member of his congregation, Friedrich
Schack of Eldorado, Iowa, still alive and spending his advanced years in Waverly, Iowa. He loaned the congregation
$1,000 at a modest interest rate. Thus the church could be
built, 30x36 feet, and 14 feet high on the side. It was dedicated on the Feast of the Reformation, and thus the congregation had found a place where it could conduct its services
without being disturbed.
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
After Pastor Schroeder's departure in the fall of 1890 - he was
here for barely a year - came Pastor Heinrich Hafermann, who
remained with God's blessings for 2 years. During his stewardship the number of members rose gradually but steadily to
34, and the congregation acquired 2 acres of land 1 1/2 miles
east of Clara City to lay out a cemetery there.
With deep regret did the congregation see its pastor leave
when in the fall of 1892 he accepted a call from Chippewa
Falls, Wisconsin. (For several years now he has been serving
in Champaign, Illinois.) Now a call went out to Pastor Arn.
Janssen who had already served here as a student during the
founding days. His serious and conscientious labors only
lasted for half a year, for he found himself obliged to resign because of illness. For the past year and a half he has
been living in Talmage, Nebraska, as Pastor Emeritus.
After a vacancy of half a year, the candidate Martin Hafermann was called who had just come over from Germany. He
was ordained and installed in this church on Dec. 10, 1893, by
his brother, Heinrich Hafermann, and has remained here till
now as pastor of the congregation.
Already in the following summer, twenty years ago by now,
the personage was built, 18x28 feet, at a cost of $600. Barely
half of the construction cost was covered as our debt for the
construction of the church had not yet been repaid. This meant
that the congregation now had to carry and pay interest on a
total mortgage of $1,400. In vain was every effort to at least
lighten the debt in small steps during the following years; only
just was it possible in those years from 1893 to '97 to raise
enough money for the pastor's salary of $300 besides making
the interest payments. And we can't thank Mr. Fr. Schack
enough for his forbearance which caused him to be satisfied
when an interest payment due in October was often delayed
until Easter of the following year. Those so-called bad times
of debt also dissuaded folks from joining the congregation as
members; yes, through moving away or resignation it even
shrank somewhat, down to 30.
That's when in 1898 we made the bold attempt, without any of
it having been decided in the meeting of the congregation, to
repay the entire debt in one fell swoop. And behold, through
prayer and supplication the Lord made it happen. He made
the hearts willing for the sacrifice, considerable as it was for
the times. After the pledged bank notes had been redeemed
(also folks who were not yet members resolutely took part in
the drive) it was apparent that not only had the debt been covered but a surplus of $350 was on the books which was used
to remodel the parsonage.
From that time on the congregation’s path was an easy one.
As a result, 25 families joined during the following two years,
and already in the next year, 1902, the congregation’s rapid
growth compelled it to considerably enlarge the church. The
total cost for church, steeple, bell, and inside furnishings
amounted to appr. $2,400, which was covered from the start.
A few years later the school house was purchased from the
town. Four years ago the personage was remodeled at a cost
of $1,100, and last year we spent appr. $800 for the renovation of the church.
Page 15
During all this time our membership kept growing, and the number
of member families now amounts to 113 with 297 communicants
and 526 souls. - We are especially obligated to give thanks to God
for always having moved the hearts toward peace within the congregation. Only one single time did it seem seriously endangered,
but the Lord graciously let the storm pass. Of the congregation's 17
founders still among us are: B. A. Behrends, Bernh. Beekmann,
Berend Warrings, Luitjen Benke, Lammert Kleene, Geo. Behrends,
as well as the widow of Hinrich Kramer.
Of the others some have passed away (Hayunga, Lueken, Beekmann, H. Kramer), some have resigned their membership, more
have moved away. 3 families moved to Raymond and there became
members of the St. John Congregation: Julius Spieker, Wilh.
Bongs, and Eduard Barbknecht (the latter passed away several
years ago).
The present board of the congregation consists of the council chairs
Jann Gerdes, Jakob Steffens, Eibe Tholen; and the trustees Lammert Gerdes, Wollrich F. Reiner (accountant), and Heinr. Klenke
(secretary and treasurer). Many have already served the congregation for quite a number of years, and some even are not all that far
from their 25th anniversary in office.
A Ladies' Society has been part of this congregation for 2 years. It
is presently made up of 29 members who are exceedingly enthusiastic and busy, and the congregation has to thank them for quite a
number of acquisitions.
Now still a few numbers from the church book. In the course of the
25 years were baptized 537, mostly children, but several adults
were among them, confirmed 280, married 95 couples, buried 196
persons.
Donations for the synod and its institutions, for interior and foreign
missions, and for special purposes which have been raised by the
congregation since 1898 (from the time previous to that year no
exact figures can be determined) amount to $3,979.38 - an offering
of gratitude for the loving kindness and faithfulness of our God
which it has experienced so many times.
And now, as I come to the close of my report, I can do no other
than once again to call upon all to give cordial thanks to the Lord.
Looking back on the 25 years, we have to confess: together we
have come through sighs and despair,
through weakness and mistakes, we
are not worthy of the compassion and
faithfulness our Lord and Savior has
blessed us with - but His mercy and
kindness has been steady always, and
let it then be said: Not that, Lord, not
that, but Your name alone be given
honor and praise from eternity to
eternity. Amen.
This article on the history of the Lutheran Church in Clara City was
discovered by Mary Jane Haemig
while doing research on her greatgrandfather Martin Hafermann and
his family.
Page 16
Bread Baking in Ostfriesland
Submitted by Rudy Wiemann
The kind of dark bread traditionally baked in Ostfriesland consists mainly of a sourdough made from coarse rye meal and
wheat flower. In this form it has been produced for many centuries. It is a fairly hard bread which fills one up quickly. To be
sure, East Friesian “Schwarzbrot” (schwarz = black) did not
always please the taste buds of foreign visitors. This becomes
apparent from a letter the Dutch scholar Justus Lipsius, who
visited Emden near the end of the 16th century, wrote to a friend
after tasting the local “Schwarzbrot”:
“And if it only had been bread! But truly, my dear friend, if you
had seen the color, the weightiness, the whole nature of it, I
promise, you would have sworn a false oath over this bread.
You would have sworn that it wasn’t bread at all. It was black,
difficult to digest, somewhat sour, and fashioned into a nearly
four or five foot long mass of dough which I could not even have
lifted up”. It made me think of Plinius who wrote about these
people, “The people are to be pitied who scorch their own
earth!” I would say nearer to the truth, “The people are to be
pitied who eat their own earth!”
“Schwarzbrot” was baked in a stand-alone heat retaining brick
oven. Every 2 to 4 weeks - depending on the number of people
to be fed - the oven was heated with peat fire. The dough was
kneaded in a trough of up to three meters in length. This was
exhausting work, for which reason it was done with the feet.
When the dough was well kneaded, it was sliced with the
“Deegspa” (L. Germ., lit. dough spade) into rectangular pieces
which were shaped into loaves and placed in the oven with a
heavy-duty peel. Baking in the 18th and 19th century, when
these very large loaves were still made, lasted up to 24 hours.
Smaller loaves were done after about 6 hours. In the 16th century bakers began to take over this function in the formerly rich
towns of the Krummhörn’s alluvial soil region. In 1775 there
were no private brick ovens left. In towns located in poorer regions of sandy soil and peat bogs, baking one’s own bread was
commonplace into the 20th century.
In the 16th century barley was still the most important bread
grain in Ostfriesland. Rye, oats, and wheat were not cultivated
in appreciable quantities until sometime later. Barley was hulled
and ground into flower or eaten as groats. Bad harvests caused
famines, and often times of trouble and want were at hand. Toward the end of the 18th century a new basic foodstuff appeared
in the form of the potato, but in the 19th century bread and gruel
still were the mainstay of the East Friesian diet. Sufficient grain
supplies could only be ensured through imports. Barley, wheat,
beans, maize, millet, and rice were still shipped to Ostfriesland
in the second half of the 20th century.
Recipes:
Swartbrood (Low German: Black bread) for weekdays:
500 g rye meal
500 g wheat meal
500 g wheat flour
3 packets dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 liter buttermilk
500 g syrup
Oatmeal
Mix meal, flour, and salt.
Heat half of the buttermilk
with the syrup and work into the meal-flour mix. Warm the rest
of the buttermilk and dissolve the yeast in it. Slowly add it to the
dough. Grease baking pans and sprinkle with oatmeal. Divide
dough among two or three baking pans. Preheat oven 10 minutes
at 100 to 150 degrees C, then turn off and place the pans in it. Let
stand until the dough has risen to the rim of the pan (appr. 1 hr.).
Then bake (with upper and lower heat) about 3 hrs. After about
half that time cover the pans with aluminum foil to prevent drying out of the bread. At the beginning of the baking cycle place
two mugs of water in the oven. After baking let the bread cool
and then refrigerate. It will make slicing easier later. (Tip: Less
syrup may be used and the quantity withheld made up with water.)
Krintstuut (Low German: Krinten are raisins, originally from
Corinth, Greece. Stuut is white bread) for Sundays:
500 g wheat flouer
20 g yeast
1/4 liter warm milk
80 g butter
1 egg
80 g sugar
100 g raisins
100 g chopped almonds
Milk for brushing
Stir yeast with a little sugar in some of the warm milk. Place flour
in a bowl. Form a depression in the flour and pour the yeasty
fluid into it. Let stand covered for 15 minutes in a warm place.
Add the rest of the milk containing the butter dissolved in it, the
beaten egg and the rest of the sugar. Knead everything to a slick
dough.
Toward the end, work in the raisins and almonds. Let stand covered for 30 minutes. Pour into greased baking pan, brush with
milk and let stand again for 15 minutes. Bake appr. 45 minutes at
200 degrees C. After half the required baking time place aluminum foil on pan to prevent the surface of the raisin bread from
becoming overly brown.
ED NOTE: The bread from Ostfriesland is denser than breads
found in America—and in my opinion, much better. Kitchen
stores have metric measuring cups, spoons, etc. Check the internet for other conversions (baking + metric conversions), or try
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ConversionsEquivalencies.html
Or use the following conversion table.
1/4 teaspoon = 1.25 ml
3/4 teaspoon = 3.75 ml
1 tablespoon = 14 ml
½ cup = 125 ml
1 cup = 250 ml
8 ounces = 227.5 grams
1/2 teaspoon = 2.5 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
¼ cup = 62.5 ml
¾ cup = 187.5 ml
1 ounce = 28.4 grams
16 ounces (1#) = 455 grams
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
JEANEEJEANEE-OLOGY 101
By Jeanee Janssen Thompson
• RE-RESEARCHING
When I started researching twenty-five
years ago, I did everything exactly the way
all the genealogy books tell you to do. I entered every source and citation, used only
primary evidence for all of my data, learned
the languages of the countries where I was
researching and filed everything in acid-free
sleeves so that I (or the lucky person that
inherits all of my work) can, at any point in
time, return to my original source and draw the same conclusions I did.
Okay, and if you are gullible enough to believe that, I have a
snow-ski mountain resort for sale in southern Florida, so you
can work on your tan in the morning and swoosh down the
slopes in the afternoon!
I recently joined the Danish Archives online at
www.arkivalieronline.dk/ and am now able to look at almost
every church record for the entire country of Denmark, some
back to the 1600s. If I intend to use a particular volume for an
extended length of time I can download it from the website and
look at it 24 hours a day, if I so desire. (I have one Danish great
-grandparent, but her line can be traced back to three lines from
one town, so she was related to almost every other person in
the town of Kolding before 1700). You are able to print or save
the images, and the clarity is way beyond the microfilmed versions. I extended my Danish line back another four generations
in the past three months.
A diligent researcher would have done this years ago, providing the films were available. This particular line of ancestors
were very mobile; many were ministers, born in one town,
schooling in another, training in a different one, serving as under-minister in another and becoming head pastor at yet another, so that I actually looked at films from thirteen towns,
which sounds do-able.
As I checked back at Family Search today, I found that those
thirteen towns mean a total of 228 microfilms of church records. Not to mention the ‘censuses’ they took periodically
that help put family groups in order or the probate records. I
know I didn’t look at them all, because I worked full-time, was
an outstanding mother, had a budget and the nearest FHL was
forty minutes each way. ( I can tell you that when I visited Salt
Lake City, I did not eat from opening until closing [some of you
will know how impossible that statement sounds for a tiny little
thing like me], but then, fifteen years later, I’m still sorting
what I found when I was there).
The point of this article is: even if you did it perfect the first
time, if you can look at the records again, it will be like a new
pair of eyes rechecking what you have done. Every day we
learn something new and useful (depending on who you ask,
my husband thinks some of my talents are wasteful). I personally am better able to read the older writing today than when I
started. The online digitized church records for Sweden, Nor-
Page 17
way and Denmark each have e-groups that can help with tough
words or translations or look in their own reference works to help
you out. It’s like having a friendly translation service at your
beck-and-call, like Gene and Rudy do for us on the Ostfriesen
list. When some of us started, e-mail discussion groups, Emagazines or newsletters were not even imaginable. Finding
someone else researching the same area or family, so you can
compare notes would have been a big help. We were on our own,
learning as we went along. The OGSA webpages (and others)
offer assistance with old writing, wordlists, and other available
resources and how to track them down.
If you lost track of an ancestor in Bunde records, look through the
copies you made of the events on the microfilm. (You did make
copies of every entry didn’t you?) Read each christening and marriage record to see who the witnesses were and if they were from
a different village.
A sister and her husband may have stayed in the original village
while your line followed a job or a spouse to Bunde. The marriage record may say Jan Harms of Vellage married to Bretje
Coords of this place. Before I met Lin, I assumed this citation
“Berend Wolters Smit of Vellage”… meant B.W.S. of this village,
and never ventured beyond Bunde, even though I couldn’t find a
B.W.S. in any record before that one.
As new resources become available, use them to add substance to
your own research. Many Ortssippenbücher are just now being
printed. Even if you are done in that village, look at the OSB and
see if that researcher reached the same conclusions that you did.
Keep in mind, the persons compiling the OSBs, for instance, also
have access to land and civil records for their conclusions.
Do not go through and delete any discrepancies. Re-order the
film and see if you agree or disagree. You may have to write a
small novel about the discrepancy and why you are sticking to
your conclusions, but years from now, your great-greatgrandchild will not discredit all of your work simply because it
does not agree with a printed OSB he or she found in a German
bookstore.
For those lines where I am not able to see why they reached that
conclusion, I simply write about it in the comments section, along
with the other researcher’s presumed line of ascent. In a village
with four Fentje Geerds of child-bearing age, it is hard to draw a
conclusion about her parentage or even which one married Jan
Harms father.
Everyday, we have the opportunity to learn something new.
Reading old writing, woodworking, new foreign words, using a
lawn edger, computer usage, electrical circuitry, weed recognition versus landscaping plants, photography, or whatever. If only
a few minutes of the month are devoted to learning a genealogical
tidbit, you should already have a few talents that you did not have
when you first started.
Use them to re-look at some of your records and see if anything
new jumps out. (In case you can’t tell by my list of things we
learn, I’m off to finish weeding and mowing).
Happy Re-Researching!
Page 18
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
NEWS FROM OSTFRIESLAND
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/6/07
Emden - The all-day school system is spreading throughout Germany. Six schools in Emden are already keeping their students
from 8 am to 4 pm, a development which is outpacing the state or
municipality’s ability to provide lunch room facilities and leaves it
up to the schools to improvise. Added to this shortcoming is the
cost of a lunch which averages $3.25, has to be ordered in advance
and is often unsatisfactorily prepared. All this means that few students participate in the program and make do with hard rolls and
sweets purchased at stands near the schools. Even a pizza service
has taken advantage of this dilemma and opened an outlet near one
of Emden’s schools. This situation will not halt the spread of allday school programs, but it will call for more planning which may
include food preparation on site where such facilities can be made
available.
Wittmund - Aging while staying engaged was the theme of an
evening’s program in Wittmund’s “Stadthalle” with speaker
Henning Scherf, longtime mayor of Bremen and author of the
book “Gray is colorful - what is possible in one’s old age” from
which he read for about half-an-hour before throwing the evening open to questions from the audience. The listeners understandably wanted to know more about the “Wohngemeins
chaf” (communal lifestyle), which was formed by him and his
wife with 6 non-family members 18 years ago. Its success, so
Scherf, owes much to the fact that the members discussed this
arrangement for years before entering into it. He admits that it
is time to attract a younger family to ensure its future. One of
the activities he is engaged in is the aid project “pan y
arte” (Bread and Art) for Nicaragua for which the audience
donated 1,000 euros en lieu of a fee for the speaker.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/6/07
Weener - Rheiderland’s first Medical Care Center is scheduled to
open its doors this summer. It will be owned by Papenburg’s St.
Mary’s Hospital and staffed by a general practitioner from Stapelmoor and a pediatrician from Weener who will be exchanging
their private practices for a salaried position with the advantage of
easier access to modern equipment and computerized records, and
less time spent on administrative tasks. They, as well as other physicians in Germany, are bowing to new health reform requirements
which make the maintenance of a private practice all but untenable.
Anzeiger für Harlingerland, 1/13/07
Wittmund - The Chamber of Commerce for Ostfriesland and
Papenburg has declared the apprenticeship program in Ostfriesland a success. During the past 3 days 60 apprentices
passed their tests in the hotel and restaurant branch which has
grown into second place behind the retail trade in the number
of apprentices trained. Last year 549 new apprenticeship contracts were signed in Otfriesland, compared to 419 the year
before.
Rheiderland Zeitung, 1/6/07
Leer - Rheiderland with its Dollart tidal flats is an important rest
stop for waterfowl migrating between the arctic and southern
Europe and Africa, and once again huge flocks of barnacle,
whitefronted, and graylag geese have gathered here. Their sheer
numbers will astound the participants of special 5-hour bus trips
beginning in Leer which include a breakfast buffet at the Wiemannshof Restaurant in Bunde.
Anzeiger für Harlingerland, 1/6/07
Hohenkirchen – At the edge of town a 275 acre artificial recreational lake is under development. This project was made possible
by the removal of the heavy alluvial topsoil which was needed for
strengthening the North Sea levee at Elisabethgroden. The consolidated community Wangerland is taking advantage of the situation
and will excavate the underlying sand to a depth of ten feet, the
removed material to be used for artificial beaches and recreational
areas as well as a 40 acre island.
Rheiderland Zeitung, 1/12/07
Weener - Yesterday afternoon storm clouds over Rheiderland announced the coming of Hurricane “Franz”, the first severe storm of
the new year, with pouring rain, hail, and wind gusts of up to 80
mph. They covered the land in such darkness that the pounding
hail could not be seen, just heard. A storm surge of about 2 meters
is expected, and preparations are made to close the Ems River barrier at Gandersum.
Anzeiger für Harlingerland, 1/13/07
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/18/07
Leer - Ninety soldiers of the medical rapid deployment unit
“Ostfriesland”, stationed in Leer’s von-Lettow-Vorbeck barracks, who returned last December from a tour of duty in
Congo, were officially welcomed home in typical East Friesian
weather: a rainstorm. Sharing some of their African experiences with civilian well-wishers after the ceremonies, they
talked about the conditions under which people have to live
down there, which needs getting adjusted to. None of the soldiers were spared stomach and intestinal problems. Contact
with the natives was possible, however, particularly in the market place with liberal use of pointing and gesturing, and they
were able to purchase very nicely carved figures, masks, etc. as
souvenirs. Fortunately for them and for that unhappy country,
times were peaceful during their tour of duty. Now they are
ready to go again wherever they may be sent. As the saw goes,
“After the deployment is before the deployment.”
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/18/07
Weener - While work on a new power plant is progressing,
public criticism of its filtering system as being inadequate is
already forthcoming from the Green faction of the town council
which views with particular concern emissions derived from
the burning of garbage. Spokespersons for the plant maintain
that the two installed filters will keep emissions far below limits demanded by regulations and those quoted by the Green
faction. Furthermore, there will be no burning of waste material
with special disposal requirements.
Jeversches Wochenblatt, 1/18/07
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Jever - Delegates to the Evangelical Youth Convention of
Friesland County assembled in the congregational meeting
house on Zerbster Street and worked out plans for a trip to the
Evangelical Church Day in Cologne and a two-week summer
retreat in Spain. Shorter trips, like a children’s retreat on
Wangerooge Island and in Wiesmoor, are also offered, as are
continuing education courses conducted by leaders in the deaconess organization, youth ministers, sociologists, etc. Not to
be missed by the area’s youth is Jever’s annual Soap Box
Derby.
Ostfriesische Nachrichten, 1/18/07
Emden - On Wednesday the nine millionth car rolled off Emden’s Volkswagen assembly line. This facility was begun in
1964 to make the well-known Bug. After turning out about 2.4
million of them, it was modified for production of VW’s SUV,
the Golf, an Audi model, and finally the Passat, now in its sixth
generation.
Ostfriesen Zeitung, 1/24/07
Aurich - The Association of German Dairy Farmers is demanding an increase of 10 cents to 50 cents per liter of milk delivered to the dairy industry. According to the Association’s
spokesman in Aurich, a boycott will be called by its 20,000
members if their demand is not met. This would withhold 30%
of the milk produced in Germany from entering the market. In
Aurich County alone 55% of the producers are members of the
Association. The dairy industry cannot put its hope on deliveries from neighboring countries, as similar associations exist in
13 of them of which 10 would be joining the boycott, notably
those in France, Holland, Austria, and Italy. Deadline for negotiations is set for October 1.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/29/07
Folmhusen - The new natural gas drilling platform between
Folmhusen and Collinghorst, operated by Gaz de France, is
nearing completion. Its 200 foot tower will rise far above the
flat Friesian countryside and will join its sister tower in Breinermoor which is already producing. It will drill down to a depth
of 14,500 feet to reach a porous limestone formation which
holds the desired substance.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/29/07
Leer - The proposed “Maritime Kompetenz Zentrum”, designed
to support ocean-borne shipping companies through strengthening their competitive and innovative capability, will be a
gain for Leer which harbors Germany’s second largest concentration of home offices for merchant fleet owners and has been
the longtime home of a maritime navigation school. The building will rise next to the school and is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2008 at a cost of 3.2 million euros, of
which the county’s share will be 600,000 euros.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 1/30/07
Ostfriesland - Cigarette vending machines are popular and
ubiquitous in Germany, some firms operating several thousand
of them. To keep underage persons from illegally drawing their
smokes from the machines, a debit card with a special magnetic
strip, which only holds information on the bearer’s age, must
now be inserted before packs will be released for cash or
debit. This has lead to a sizable downturn in the business for
vending machines operators.
Page 19
Rheiderland Zeitung, 1/30/07
Möhlenwarf - For more than a decade Möhlenwarf has wanted to
install a traffic circle at the crossing of the federal highway
Weener - Bunde and county road Weenermoor - Stapelmoor.
With permission granted to use its recently assigned share of the
Federal Village Renewal Fund to cover 50% of the cost of this
road project, it will finally get its wish. An engineering office has
been hired to do the necessary planning.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 2/17/07
Emden - Emden’s interior harbor, called Neuer Delft, harkens
back to the early days of this city’s greatness as a maritime powerhouse. But its shipping related activities have long since migrated to the outer harbor leaving the area around the former open
for other than commercial use. The city administration has long
wished to rezone it for residential use to accommodate its growing population, which includes retirees who once built their
homes in the suburbs but now want to move back into town. A
plan for such a development has now passed the council’s committee for city development and its approval by the entire council
is all but certain. Altogether 200 residences of various designs
will rise on this 65 acre area along the Neuer Delft, FriedrichNaumann-Straße, and Petkumer Straße.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 2/17/07
Wiegboldsbur - A “Cultural Map” of Ostfriesland, published by
the “Ostfriesische Landschaft”, was received with mixed emotions in Wiegboldsbur for the simple reason that it is not on it. It
therefore sent a delegation to Aurich to find out why one of the
oldest and formerly most important towns in South Brookmerland, which prides itself in a brick church built in the 13th century, a fully functional Dutch windmill built in 1812, and a
“Gulfhof” serving as the first farm school in the state of Lower
Saxony - all three buildings being protected as historical monuments and accessible to the public - did not qualify to rank among
the places chosen. They were told that the edition was limited to
200 entries, and that even Ammerland (in Oldenburg) had to be
considered.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 2/17/07
Aurich - The glee club “Frohsinn” (joyfulness) Engels-Popens
observed its 60th anniversary at its annual meeting. Choir director Karin Wessels announced that the event will be celebrated
with an extensive program in Aurich’s “Ostfrieslandhaus” on
October 6. Gerda Andres, sole founding member still active, was
honored with the golden pin of the German Choir Association.
The motion to change the club’s name from “Gesang verein”
(singing society) to “Gemischter Choir” (mixed choir) was voted
on and approved.
Anzeiger für Harlingerland, 2/19/07
Jever – More than 100 musicians, some from as far away as Connecticut, gathered in Jever to participate in the tenth Horn/Tuba
Workshop, a record number and a vindication for the vision and
organizational talent of Karsten Heger, director of the Brass Circle Wilhelmshaven and church brass bands. It is the only workshop of its kind in Germany and is of special interest to tuba players as they have access to a number of instructors here who are
normally widely dispersed.
Page 20
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
FROM LIFE ON A CANAL BOAT TO LIFE IN AMERICA
Submitted by Becky Schmidt.
For those of you who are interested in life on the canals of Ostfriesland and Holland, the book The Life and Times of Pa and Ma
Kramer - From a Canal Boat in Holland to Farming in Iowa by
George Kramer, 1983, gives a great description of how one family lived on a canal boat before their emigration to the US.
from mid-July 1908 to about mid-January, 1913. Three children
were born on board that boat…
Our canal boat had a tall mast for a sail, that could be let down
to go under bridges. It had no engine…
“Pa” was Jacobus Kramer, known as "Kobus". He was born on
his parents’ canal boat, and spent most of his childhood there,
although he did spend some time attending school at their "home
base" in Nieuweschans, a small city in northeast Holland in the
Province of Groningen, on the German border with Ostfriesland.
The living quarters of the boat were at the back, and were quite
cramped.
Quite often there was no wind to sail the boat, or the wind was
in the wrong direction. Then Pa and other boat owners hired a
man on the canal bank to pull their boat with a horse. There was
a path along the canal for this purpose, and men with a horse
were nearly always available to provide this service for a small
fee. Sometimes, if our boat was not loaded heavy, or the wind
and current were not against us, Pa would go ashore and pull the
boat himself. Then Ma would put us kids below deck and close
the hatch, and she steered the boat as Pa pulled it. Steering was
done with a hardwood stick fastened to the rudder.
The usual freight hauled on the boat was peat, called “turf” (or
torf) by author George. The peat was taken to Nieuweschans
where it was used as fuel in the local paper mills, although the
better grades of peat were used for heating and cooking in homes.
The family also hauled “sacks of grain, bags of potatoes, and
other freight to warehouses along the canals.” The boat traveled
throughout Holland and into Germany transporting its freight.
The living quarters of the boat were very small. The entire
"living" area was one small room, about 8 x 14 feet in size. It
was the kitchen, dining room and living room all in one! It had
a wood floor with no floor covering.
“Ma’s” name was Geertje Klap. She was also from the Nieuweschans area, where her father worked for local farmers. Her
family's home was "a few feet from the German border." Pa and
Ma married in 1907 and soon after the birth of their first child
(the author of this book), they began their own life on a canal
boat, as George describes in this excerpt:
… Pa's parents, true to their word, purchased a new steel canal
boat and saved their old boat for Pa and Ma. The older boat was
made of wood
and was perhaps thirty or
forty
years
old.
It was
about
forty
feet long and
fourteen feet
wide
and
could carry 40
tons of freight.
When
fully
loaded,
the
deck was only
about two feet
above water.
This
small
canal
boat
was our home
for the next
four and a
half years -
A small table was in the center of the room and a kerosene lamp
hung from the ceiling above it. A small stove, used for both
cooking and heating, was fastened to an outside wall; it burned
chunks of "turf." Several small cupboards were built into the
upper walls. Two chairs were the only furniture not built in or
fastened down. When we boys were able to sit at the table, we
sat on a small bench or boxes.
In the middle of the forward side of the room was a door two
feet wide that led to the "sleeping quarters." The beds were built
in, one on each side, and were about four feet wide and five and
a half feet long. They were just wide enough for two adults but
not long enough, so Pa and Ma always had to "curl up" when in
bed. The beds had a "straw tick" instead of a mattress. It was a
large bag filled with straw that was evened out, and wasn't too
bad to sleep on. For covers some used a "feather tick," which is
still used quite widely in Europe today. The beds were built
about one and a half feet off the floor and the space under them
was used for storage.
Potatoes, beans, flour and other food items were stored under
one bed and work clothes, shoes, etc., were stored under the
other. Clothes and bedding were stored in built-in cabinets
above each bed.
The ceilings in both rooms were only about five feet high so the
folks could not stand up straight. Ma had to sweep the living
room while she sat in a chair and had to make the bed on her
knees! The last year we lived on the boat we three boys slept in
one bed and Pa and Ma and the baby Alfina slept in the other
bed - all in a room about six by fourteen feet!
On deck was a water barrel for the water supply. It had a cover
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Page 21
on it and was filled by carrying buckets of water from wells or
hydrants on shore. Washing was done on deck in a wood tub,
using a "wash board" which was a piece of corrugated copper in a
wood frame.
A clothes line hung from the front of the boat to the cabin. Also
on deck there was a smaller tub which was used for rinsing the
clothes. In case of bad weather, the small tub was taken below in
the cabin and Ma would wash only the most necessary things.
The small tub was also used for taking baths.
I think it is accurate to state that we had less space and conveniences than many of the pioneer log cabins in the early days of
America. We children had no wild beasts to fear but there was
always the danger of one of us falling into the canal, as we later
experienced.
In 1913, when George was five, Pa and Ma and their four small
children emigrated to the US, to Rockwell City, Iowa, where
Pa's brother was already living. Pa signed on as a hired hand
for a local farmer, even though he had no farming experience.
Pa learned the ins and outs of farm life, and soon moved from
being a hired hand to renting land and farming successfully on
his own, with the help of Ma and the children. Ma gave birth
to 10 more children in America.
In his 120-page book, George Kramer gives an informative
look at this Northern European immigrant family’s experiences; some of them are quite funny. Give it a read if you can
find a copy; the Des Moines Public Library (Des Moines, IA)
is one location that has one. ED NOTE: Neither ebay, amazon or barnesandnoble.com had copies when I checked.
What is a “Kirchspiel”?
In Germany’s system of public administration today there is no
mention of a “Kirchspiel”, literally church sermon (district), or
“Karkspeel” up Platt, as a subdivision of a “Kreis” (county).
This makes it easy to forget the role it once played in the interaction between the average citizen, the rural East Friesian in particular, and governmental authority of which it represented the
first level. The basic rural association addressing local concerns
and setting many of the rules villagers were required to live by
was the “Bauernschaft”, literally a farmers’ association, with the
village church as its center. A “Kirchspiel” could consist of one
“Bauernschaft” only, as was the rule in the coastal, alluvial belt,
or it could incorporate several neighboring settlements.
In the “Geest” (sandy soil) regions several “Bauernschaften”,
sometimes up to a dozen, per ”Kirchspiel” were the rule. The
“Kirchspiel” Aurich, for instance, incorporated the nine surrounding “Loogen” (Loog, pronounced “loag” = Platt for Bauernschaft). The reason for this variation in the “Kirchspiel’s” size
can be found in the soil condition and topography which underwrote the economic well-being and travel situation in the various
regions of Ostfriesland.
Rich “Marsch” villagers could afford to build a church even if the
number of residents it was to serve was quite small. This trend
was fostered by their relative isolation brought on by the severity
of winter, flooded fields, and muddy roads which often made
traffic between neighboring settlements impossible. On the
“Geest” the traffic situation was somewhat better, the economic
situation, however, less elevated, necessitating the effort of several neighboring settlements to build and maintain a church together.
People’s lives in the Middle Ages were directed and guided to a
large extent by the church. It was therefore natural that the church
also became the dominant factor in civil administrative affairs,
especially as in those days a cleric may have been the only one in
town who could read and write, and the affairs of the church
and the community coincided in many areas anyway.
The secular community was widely identical with the parish,
and clerics generally took part in formulating the village charter. This becomes especially apparent in the supervision of the
levee system where in many instances common decisions were
made by the civil authorities (chieftains, levee administrators)
and the clergy.
From such beginnings the “Kirchspiel” developed into a civil
administrative division in Ostfriesland’s countryside imbued
with a triple function:
1) It encompassed the local congregation whose duties included the responsibility for running the school and the poor
fund.
2) It was the communal center of the “Bauernschaften” under
its wings.
3) It served as the ground-level branch of the sovereign’s administration of the land, of the East Friesian Estates, as well as
of rural special function associations, such as levee supervisory boards.
Thus the “Kirchspiele” were official rural districts responsible
for local clerical and civil affairs as they served as branch offices of the state government. Under Napoleonic rule they survived as “Mairien”, i.e., political subdivisions.
As such they existed until about 1823 when new directives for
community reorganization were issued by the government in
Hannover which turned the “Bauernschaften” into selfgoverning communities. In the end, only the administration of
the poor fund remained of the old “Kirchspiel” authorities
which in many instances survived until the days of the postWWI Weimar Republic.
Source: Foreword to the OSB Engerhafe by Martin Wilken,
Translated by Rudy Wiemann
Page 22
WINDOW ON THE PAST
By Zella Weaver Mirick
The following exerpts are taken from the Ostfriesische Nachrichten, a newspaper published in Breda, IA which kept the immigrant families in touch—not only with each other, but with news
from their homeland.
Ostfriesische Nachrichten 15 June 1886
Deaths reported from Ostfriesland:
• Aurich – Diedrich Heinen 66 years; Mrs.
Anna Janssen born Buß 51 years
• Ayenwolde – Hillene Bohlen 3 years
• Emden – Mrs. Anna Kausmann born Uffen 31 years; Widow Anna Kappelhoff
born Heyl 77 years; Heinrich Heurer 40 years; Bernhardine
Schnuit 18 years; Joachim Selck 81 years; W.H.Willems 74
years; Jakob vanderLinde 84 years; Aalrich Lührs 21 years;
Geerd Menten 85 years
• Leer – Lüpke Vortmann 51 years; Widow of marten Meyer
born Roese; Widow Aaltje Freudenberg born Visser 80
years; Widow Gebkea Nehus born Linnemann 70 years.
• Loga – Karl Neehus 50 years
• Marienhafe – Wilm Coordes Hüls 37 years; Widow Ettje
Jacobs born Poppinga 85 years
• Mitling – Widow Maaike Holttze born Mackay 94 years
• Norden – Widow Johanna Franssen born Odens 44 years;
Hillrich Martens Hoffmann 82 years; Margaretha Dreessen
28 years; Mamme Kriegsmann 68 years.
• Ostermarsch – Gerd Janssen Schmidt 81 years
• Potshausen – Antje Gesiena Oltmanns 9 years
• Rysum – Klaas Wiltfang 33 years
• Sandhorst – Mrs. Trientje Eickema born Lütter 35 years
• Selverde – Thee Tammen Wolters 68 years
• Steenfelde – Widow L. Steenblock born Tilemann 73 years
• Uttum – R. Reershemius 42 years
• Velde – Conrad Hemken 28 years
• Victorbur – Klaas Meyer 72 years
• Weener – Jan Fekkers 91 years; Ontje Woldenga 46 years;
Annette Brügma 6 years; Widow Janken Bronsema born
Ellen 82 years.
• Westrhauderfehn – W.J. Böden 81 years
• Wittmund – Jellrich Müller 41 years; Mrs. Gesche Rogge
born Heiken 37 years; Jakob Martens Schipper 94 years.
Births reported from Ostfriesland:
• Son to master baker, Joh. H. Frerichs of Emden
• Son to teacher M. Sparenborg of Leer
• Son to A. Klock of Bingum
• Son to J. Lammert of Neuburg
• Son to H.F.C. Uetrecht of Glansdorf
• Son to H.B. ter Haseborg of Weenermoor
• Son to L. Brieke of Emden
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
•
•
•
•
Son to Wilh. General of
Leer
Twin sons to P. Schffermann of Kirchborgum
Twins, son & daughter to D.J.Schoemaker of Westrhauderfehn
Son to T. van Felten of Bunde
Engagements:
• Adelheid Holle and Hermann Reck of Detern
• Hindertje Janssen Albers and Johann Hinderich Ergerstedt –
Marienhafe and Blankenese by Hamburg
• J.H. Weber and A.J.Hülsebus – Hatshusen and Warsingsfehn
• Taalke Kaise and Chr. Rosenbohm – Firrel and Meerhusen
• H.S.Jobben and F.Becker of Leer
• Meindert Mechels and Albertje Heddens of Ihrhove
• J.G.V. Swalve and E.H.Sanders of Großwolde
• Dirk Prhm and Arntje Gesina Griepenburg of Langholt
• Marie Frerichs and T.E.Willems – Luitjensfehn and Dornum
• J. Pieperhof and J. Penning – Neemersiel and Loga
• Antje Jütting and Edo Brauer – Westrhauderfehn and Leer
Marriages:
• Harm D. Verwer and Elise Freese of Middelsubr
• Joachim Theodor Oltsmanns and Karoline Christiane Meyhöfer of Norden
• Joh. Bernh. of Scharrel and Elmine Mölendörp of Stapelmoor
• H.B. Bruhns and E.H. Gowers of Ditzmum
• Roelf J. Braams and Johanna E. Reemtsma of Pewsum
• Georg Sassen and Folina Schoolmann of Norden
• Reinhard J. Buß and Hermine H. de Jong of Bunde.
Ostfriesische Nachrichten 10 Sep 1912 issue:
News from Lakefield, Minnesota
• Mrs.Fohlke Ulferts was visited by her school friend, Mrs.
Andreas Rothfuß and her sister, Mrs. Jakob Hinrichs of
Glenville, Clay Co., Nebraska. They also visited their 90
year old aunt in Wisconsin.
From Grundy Co. Iowa
• Georg Peter and Helene Goldhorn were married.
Harm Evers has had news from Ihlowerfehn that his 83 year old
father has died. The deceased has three sons in America; Henry,
who lives in Minnesota and Harm and Martin both living here in
Beaver Twp.
From Norden, Ostfriesland
• A note from Ulrich Zell states the following “I left America
on 8th August and arrived in Bremerhafen on the 14th. While
in America, I visited Mr. J. Kirchhoff at 922 N. Paulina St.,
Chicago, Illinois.”
From Nokomis, Illinois
• Mr. Harm Weyen visited from Platte Center, Nebraska.
This was his first trip back in 29 years since he moved to
Nebraska.
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Page 23
Harlingerland’s Feud with Bremen and Werdum’s Struggle
Balthasar of Esens broke
the peace with Bremen in
1537 by plundering its
ships which sailed past the
islands off Harlingerland
on the open sea and across
the tidal flats. He stuffed
his town with so much loot, mostly spices of all
kinds, that kids would shout at each other across
the street, “Wat hefste? Wat etst du?” (“What
have you got? What are you eating?”) and were
answered with, ”Süüker, Süüker, Un all Verjeeffß!” (“Sugar, sugar, and all given away!”).
From The History of
the House of Werdum by Ulrich von
Werdum, 1632-81,
Translated by Rudy
Wiemann
These sweets, though, would soon turn into the
most bitter regrets, as the outcome of this piracy
was a disastrous war with Bremen which was
fought for two or three years on land and sea
mostly to Balthasar’s disadvantage - Bremen even
succeeded in procuring a ban of the Empire
against Balthasar - until Bremen convinced Jever
to take an active part in it by laying siege to Wittmund. Bremen then surrounded Esens itself and
overpowered it after a protracted siege during which its mercenaries laid waste to all of Harlingerland, preferably its wealthy
alluvial belt along the coast.
In those days, Hero of Werdum (pron. Hayroh, +1572, nobleman,
owner of Werdum’s Castle, great-grandfather of the author) spent
most of his time at home, very likely because he could fairly easily slip through the rather coarse network of hostile guard posts.
He was there when news of the approach of a plundering detachment of Bremers on the Thunum road reached Werdum. He
quickly saddled his horse, called the nearby farmers to arms,
gathered around him horseback riders from among the better situated citizens and a sizable number of footmen, and together they
moved out to meet the foe.
At Harkens Bridge over the Dylf Creek on the Königstrasse” (royal highway) halfway between Thunum and Werdum,
they bravely confronted the enemy. A heated if disorganized skirmish developed in which they fought so steadfastly that Hero
himself, after having lost two horses at the bridge, mounted still
another in order to strengthen by his example the will to fight
among the Werdumers who stubbornly blocked the road and
bridge to the enemy. But the cry of battle had reached a military
camp nearby from where such a strong force of armed men joined
the fight against the townspeople that they were forced to retreat
to a secure position.
The hostile rabble was sufficiently aroused by its near-defeat to
do harm to anyone in town who fell into its hands, to rob and
plunder at will, drive off what it could, and set fire to the rest. In
Esens & Werdum
order to burn down the Castle, which was of solid brick construction, some of the Bremers carried straw into its great hall,
the central and most important room in the house, and set fire to
it.
But then they retreated rather quickly, perhaps because they
feared being cut off at the bridge or being attacked by Werdum’s citizens who had been gathering in greater numbers and
were moving against the plunderers with renewed vigor. Due to
this fortunate circumstance the flames in great hall did not develop sufficiently to penetrate the brick ceiling. Several women,
who had hastened to the castle from their hiding places in the
neighborhood, kept the fire contained till they were joined by
more folk which succeeded in extinguished it completely. Thus
with the help of God the building sustained very little damage.
Several scorched places on the beams are still visible, having
been preserved in that state as a reminder of the arson attempt.
After Balthasar had died of despair during the siege and his rule
and property had come into possession of his sister, Countess
Anna, and her son by Count Otto von Riesberg, Johannes, the
Countess called upon the Landgrave Philipp of Hessia to mediate the conflict. In her and her son’s presence and with the
agreement of the illustrious citizens of all of Harlingerland as
well as the mayors of Esens and Wittmund it was decided that
Anna and her son and their future heirs were to accept their rule
as a vassalage of Bremen and would be required, should the
need arise, to open their fortified places to Bremen’s troops.
They were also required to come to Bremen’s aid and, provided
they were pursuing a just cause, would received aid from the
Page 24
city. They were not to open their harbors and towns to robbers
and pirates, and in matters of religion they were to act in accordance with the authority of God’s word, in other instances with
justice, being mindful of fairness in all matters pending adjudication. As to shipwrecks off their coast, these should be treated
in accordance with the laws of the Empire. For the damage done
to Bremen by Balthasar they were to pay 60,000 guilders or talers in installments as reparations.
Additionally, they were not to attack the Mistress of Jever because of the help she had given Bremen, and they should leave
two farms in the parish of Wiefels, which had been claimed by
Balthasar, to Jever. The document of this agreement was signed,
as requested by the Landgrave of Hessia, by Duke Ernst of
Brunswick, and by the Counts of Hoya and of Diepholz, as well
as by Anna’s husband, Otto von Rietberg. In an accompanying
Guaranty of Protection Formula, as it was called, these outstanding rulers promised that they would hold both parties to the
agreement - by force, if necessary.
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
the purpose of organizing a common defense and of collecting
imperial taxes, but also as a means of organization within the
Reichstag (Imperial Diet). Each circle had a Kreistag (Circle
Diet). - Johannes was soon apprehended and imprisoned in Cologne where he died, presumably with some help.
A sad example of the religious intolerance prevalent in these
times, which would eventually explode into the Thirty Year’s
War, was the fate of Hero’s sister, Ursula, who had married a
nobleman in the Twente region of Gelderland, now in the Dutch
province of Overijssel. Their marriage had produced no children,
and her husband’s estate would very likely go to his younger, still
unmarried sister. Next in line among the heirs was Duke Alba’s
representative in Twente who managed to have her cited before
the Inquisitor in Delden, then the most important city in Twente.
Ursula accompanied her, both were interrogated, both professed
their Protestant faith, and both were subsequently beheaded.
Their martyrdom gave rise to numerous hymns which were sung
in churches throughout the Netherlands.
As final witnesses to these proceedings the outstanding citizens
of the regions of Esens, Stedesdorf, and Wittmund, as well as
the mayors and councilmen of Esens and Wittmund testified that
all this had been agreed upon with their knowledge and in their
presence, whereupon the seal was attached on October 1, 1540.
Shortly thereafter, Hero of Werdum, who had been sent by Anna
on a diplomatic mission to Bremen, swore an oath of fealty to
that city.
Count Johannes and his wife, Agnes von Bentheim, had a daughter named Walpurgis, heir to Harlingerland (who married Count
Enno III in 1581, thereby uniting Harlingerland with Ostfriesland). When in the “Great Flood” of November 1,1570, the
storm-whipped North Sea burst through and over the levees from
Denmark to the Netherlands, and its waters washed clear up the
the gates of Werdum Castle, Agnes, Walpurgis and her guardian,
Count Otto von Hoya, were deeply involved in lessening the impact of the devastation on the overtaxed Harlingerlanders.
Some time after these events Bremen joined the so-called Protestant Party against the Emperor and was itself placed in the ban
of the Empire. Countess Anna seized the opportunity to petition
the Emperor for the cancellation of Bremen’s protective overlordship of Harlingerland, which he agreed to. Henceforth she
and her heirs would rule Harlingerland freely as vassals of the
Emperor and untouchable by the Cirksena’s.
Faced with the need to rebuild their homes, repair the locks and
flood gates and proceed with their field work, they were obviously unable to undertake the massive task of rebuilding the levees by themselves. The count then hired men from his earldom of
Hoya to come up and for a wage get to work on the levees.
Under her rule the naturally unbridled character of her
son was given free reign, and his arbitrary cruelty soon
made him unpopular. An espionage case in which baseless charges were leveled by him against a visiting nobleman from Westphalia whom he had subsequently
beheaded in Wittmund hastened his downfall.
With everybody engaged, the dikes soon stood again as a barrier
against the angry sea.
.
He had also sought to arrest Hero von Werdum, accusing him of being involved in this case, and invaded Werdum Castle at night to take him away, a fate which Hero
was spared by hiding in the fireplace smokestack until
the invaders had left. Complaints about Johannes by
influential relatives of the Westphalian as well as by the
aroused people of Rietberg, who were not treated any
better than the Harlingerlanders, reached the Emperor
who ordered the Duke of Cleve, as the military leader of
the Westphalian Circle, to which Rietberg belonged, to
invest its castle. An Imperial Circle (Reichskreis) was a regional grouping of states of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for
Werdum Castle
Submitted by Cheryl (Jurgens) Meints
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Monticello, Jones County, Iowa
PAST
(1930s)
&
PRESENT
(2001)
First Street Looking East
Cheryl Meints
traveled to Jones
County & took pictures of the same
places depicted in
1930 post cards.
Monticello Community Building
St. Mathews Evangelical Lutheran Church (below)
1930
1930—John McDonald Hospital
First Street Looking West
Check
out
those
great
old
cars!
2001
Looking East 2001
2001 - Kirkwood Community College
Looking West 2001
Monticello Cooperative Creamery
(no longer in existence)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/...IAGenWeb Project, Jones County Photos
Page 26
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Notes from the North...
LINKS
TO
DEEP
ROOTS
By Cheryl (Jurgens) Meints
GERMANY:
http://www.library.wisc.edu/etext/ravenstein/...An Atlas of the
German
Empire by Ludwig Ravenstein
http://www.buer-us.de/...Buer, Lower Saxony, Germany...interesting
reading and great photos
http://weener.conne.net/index.php3?
hid=043&sid=618640986040211
Stadt Weener (Ems)...click on Weener Infos
http://www.east-frisia.com/...East Frisia Chronicle by Hartmut Dirks
http://nibis.de/~as-aur/fs/fseng/fseng1/index.htm...Ostfriesland website
project by Lisa Buss (Ostfriesland) and Paula Klinger (Minnesota)
IOWA:
http://www.rootdig.com/labels/iowacensus.html... Iowa State Census
and Ancestry.com information by Michael John Neill
http://www.deathindexes.com/iowa/index.html...Online Iowa Death
Records and Indexes
http://www.genwed.com/state/iagen.htm...Free Iowa Marriage Records
http://iowawpagraves.org/...Iowa WPA Graves Registration Survey
http://publications.iowa.gov/archive/00000135/01/history/7-1.html
“History of Iowa” by Dorothy Schwieder
http://fp.uni.edu/iowahist/...Explorations in Iowa History Project
http://showcase.netins.net/web/historybooks/...Iowa County History
Books on CD, compiled by Don Lawse
http://www.library.uni.edu/speccoll/cohistory.html...List of Iowa County
and City Histories Held in Special Collections...Rod Library
http://www.iowahistory.org/...State Historical Society of Iowa
http://www.iowaoldpress.com/PUB/1884_1.html….Iowa Old Press,
Iowa Newspapers-1884http://www.iowaghosttowns.com/iowacountiesindex.html...Iowa’s
Ghost Towns, county index
http://www.iowabarnfoundation.org/museums.htm...Iowa Museums
and Barns on the Web
http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/gcp/bowensprairie/index.html
Bowen’s Prairie Historic Archaeological District, Jones County
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/...IAGenWeb Project, Jones County
MISCELLANEOUS:
http://www.starr.net/is/type/intlchart.html...Keyboard Help-Umlauts
http://www.kwagga.de/ostfriesland/recipes.htm…Cooking Recipes
from East Frisia by Manfred Becker and Claus Hohlen
Questions or comments, ideas for future columns? Contact Cheryl Meints at
[email protected] (Please put OGSA in the subject line).
Spring has finally arrived and everyone is in a rush to get the flower
boxes planted and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Four members of the OGSA (myself
included) just returned from a
quickly planned, ten day trip to Ostfriesland - Aurich to be specific.
Our goal was to build bridges between our two countries. Very successful research was accomplished in the Krummhörn area.
We met with Herr Dunkmann of the Ostfriesche Nachrichten
and preliminary plans are in place to peruse his newspaper
files, which date back to the mid 1800’s. We found time to
meet with our good friends, Jürgen & Andrea Hoogstraat and
Helmut & Irmgaard Fischer. As you may recall from the notices sent to you, these individuals will be presenting at our
upcoming conference in August. In between OGSA business,
we were also able to spend quality time with our respective
families.
And we shared our families – by the end of the trip we all
knew our traveling companion’s families very well. The sincere welcome we received from each family was very heartwarming. I think we set the record for the number of times one
can partake of tea and Kuchen in one day. One of the highlights for me was to participate in the Maibaum (May Day)
celebration in Aurich. The tree was beautifully decorated and
as we drove through the countryside in the following days, it
was fun to see each individual town’s Maibaum tree as well. It
was a wonderful, heartwarming trip full of laughter and the
camaraderie of friends.
If you have not already done so, please don’t forget to register for our 2007 Summer Conference. A registration form
and tentative session schedule are included in this newsletter.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me
directly. Our session schedule is full of new, exciting topics
and we have a number of new vendors this year as well. You
don’t want to miss this conference. Come help us build more
bridges.
As a side note, I mentioned earlier that my heritage is half Norwegian and half Heinz 57. Through the help of a fellow OGSA
member, I have discovered that my grandfather emigrated from
the Reepsholt area, making me one-quarter Friesen. I am so
excited to be able to call this beautiful country mine!
Sharon Arends, President
Are you moving? Changing your email address?
Please, please put us on the list of those to notify!
And send it to us BEFORE you move!
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
Page 27
A “Moor Kolonie” is Born
Translated by Rudy Wiemann from “Schwerinsdorf” by Andreas van Dieken,
Teacher in Schwerinsdorf during the 1920s and ‘30s,
Reprinted by “Kiek Rin”, Hesel, Jan. 2002 edition.
Vocabulary needed (application-specific):
“Kolonie” = Human settlement on government land in lonely
regions.
“Kolonat” = (prn. Kolon-naht; pl. “Kolonate”, pron. -nahtay)
Tract of land in a “Kolonie” worked by a “Kolonist” in hereditary
tenancy.
“Domäne” = Landed estate owned by the government, often
since the Reformation. “Domäne” Kloster Barthe was once a Premonstratensian convent.
Where Schwerinsdorf, now part of the Consolidated Community
Hesel, is located, heath and peat bog still dominated the landscape throughout the 18th century. The first “Kolonat” was
started in 1802 on the old Hesel-Remels post road, the main link
between Ostfriesland and Oldenburg. Its condition was nonetheless a wretched one. When the clumsy postal carriage, arriving
from the direction of Westerstede, had changed its four horses in
Remels and struggled through the “Brook” (Engl. “broken”) a
difficult section of terrain behind Selverde (comp. also Brookmerland) it still had to overcome a mighty obstacle shortly before
reaching Hesel in the form of two formidable sand hills separated
by a deep valley.
Before entering this final struggle, the coachman would let his
horses rest for a while. This did not go unnoticed by a clever
“Kolonist”, named Hinrich Becker, who took advantage of the
situation, applied for a “Kolonat” of six Diemat” (approximately
eight acres) of heath and proceeded to build a tavern there. Outside he fastened a sign featuring a golden star which made his
establishment, and the town which would soon spring up around
it, known as “Stern” or “Steern” (pron. ‘ee’ as ‘ay’ in hay), meaning “Star” in High and Low German respectively.
Two more “Kolonate” sprang up in that same year, owned by
Jans Focken and Meenke Eihausen, respectively from Nortmoor
and Kloster Barthe. Jans started a tavern as well, and in the
kitchen of his still-preserved house the “Schösteinbord”, the fireplace shelf where customers would put down
their tin steins after having warmed them on the
stove plate, may still be
seen.
When the post road underwent straightening and
became a highway, both
taverns wound up about
300 feet from the new
right-of-way. Jans then
gave up his business, but
Becker relocated close to
the point where the road
to Klein Oldendorf branches off and named it again “Zum goldenen Stern”.
Soon more settlers moved in. Between 1803 and 1831 the socalled West End in the direction of Firrel was built up, later the
East End toward Klein Oldendorf, then the “Feld” (Field) toward Selverde and along new connecting routes. The town was
named after a Count Schwerin, who was Prussia’s administrative chief in Aurich at the time, but among locals it never replaced “Steern”. (Note: Schwerin-Groden near Harlesiel is
named for one of the generals of Frederick the Great of Prussia,
a couple of generations earlier.)
The “Steerners” have always been frugal and hard working.
Their first sources of income were the peat they dug and the
buckwheat they raised. The buckwheat crop is said to have
been quite rewarding as long as new stretches of poor, boggy
land were available, which happened when the government
sold strips of “Moor” directly behind the “Kolonate” and the
practice of burning flammable plant material provided nutrients
in its ashes for the acidic soil tolerant grain. After several harvests, however, the exploited ground would yield no more, and
dire need visited the homes of the “Kolonists”. Neither could a
crop be raised on the sandy fields which had their peat overburden removed.
The “Kolonists”, with nothing but a few pitiful looking rye and
potato fields to call their own, earned a sparse wage as day
laborers wherever they could, mostly on farms in villages near
and far and on the government “Domäne” Kloster Barthe. Parents had to give away their children at the age of nine or ten
because they could not feed nor clothe them.
The boys and girls tended cows on farms throughout the villages in Uplengen. Neither did they get to go to school. The
lack of income became worse in the wintertime, and hunger
would drive “Steerners” to walk across the country begging
and offering homemade heather brooms and willow baskets for
sale.
The 1840s and ‘60s saw some improvement in their lives. All
could earn a wage by collecting rocks on the moraine grounds
of the “Domäne” Kloster Barthe which were used for road construction. A day’s wage is supposed to have been 75 Pfennings
at first, but was later raised to 3 marks for a full 3x3x3 ft box.
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
In those days the
Golden Star tavern is
supposed to have
prospered considerably. However, once
the grounds were
depleted of rocks the
time of want started
in again. Now many
Steerners” left home
to seek their fortune
in the “New World”,
selling their
“Kolonate” to farmers’ sons who were
not in line to inherit
the family’s land.
Things took a turn
for the better once
more when the “Fehn Kanal” from Stickhausen to Nordgeorgsfehn was extended and the firm Halbach built a peat processing
plant in Nordgeorgsfehn. From the middle of March to the end
of June, 20 to 25 family men would walk 1 1/2 hours every
morning to their work station to dig the peat on the firm’s bog
land from 4 AM to 4 PM.
On arriving back home, they often still had to do what needed to
get done on their “Kolonat.” Marching for three hours and working hard for 12 hours day-in, day-out, all on a fare of buttermilk
and dry bread, made for a demanding life. The digging was done
in parties of two at a place designated by the Halbach.
Every Saturday, a supervisor would come by and measure the
volume dug out which determined the pay. A “day’s work” was
worth 11 marks and consisted of what a so-called “peat plow”
with six men could dig out in a day, meaning that two workers
would have to work for three days to do a “day’s work”, but
with diligence and skill a two-men team would often do it in two
days thereby increasing their pay by 2.50 to 2.70 marks.
Greater endurance still was called for by a temporary summer
occupation, that of grass mowing in Holland. In early June 10 to
15 men from here left for Holland and, depending on the grass
growth there, remained for about six weeks. A day’s pay was
five marks for 15 to 18 hours of mowing with the scythe.
A complete change in the economic situation began with the
introduction of fertilizer. The ability to raise a decent crop on a
“Kolonat’s” strip of sand bared of its peat enabled a family to
earn a living. Hog raising flourished, and life “up Steern” improved greatly. Larger homes, well-tended fields and pastures,
fine horses and cattle gave witness to a certain level of wealth
attained by the “Kolonists” whose number meanwhile had
grown to nearly 100.
Until 1899 Schwerinsdorf was churched in Hesel, and until 1835
its dead found their last rest in the cemetery there. In that year
the “Kolonists” laid out their own cemetery near the school
where every family received 10 grave sites. Schooling in
“Steern” began around 1815.
Given the prevailing economic situation, the lack of a teacher’s
residence and the low pay schedule, the bachelor teachers normally did not stay long. The royal “Domäne” fund donated land
to the school board so that it would have a small but steady rental
income, but construction of a teacher’s residence had to wait until
1879 when the owner of the “Kolonat” next the school emigrated
to America, and the school board bought the property as a building site.
In 1890 the first “Mestersfrau” (teacher’s wife) moved in. A second teacher’s position was opened in 1923, and a third in 1928.
In 1973, Steern became part of the Consolidated Community Hesel, and primary and secondary schooling was pooled in Hesel.
TAZEWELL COUNTY
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
719 No. 11th Street, Pekin, IL
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Genealogical Workshop, August 25, 2007
Ostfriesen Research Materials
Discussion and Story Time / Tea Time—10 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Use the OSB and other resources in their library.
Contact John Durdle 309-449-5519 for more information
LOW GERMAN
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 3/1/07
Leer - The author and song writer Gitta Franken from Südbrookmerland has published a children’s book entitled (up Platt)
“Toornmanntjes Trick” (Little Towermen’s Trick) which narrates
in parallel High and Low German columns the story of the
“leaning tower of Suurhusen”. Sponsors of the publication are the
Ostfriesische Landschaft and the Savings Bank Leer-Wittmund
who give expression to a desire to keep “Platt” alive among the
young generation by donating sample copies to third and fourth
grades throughout Ostfriesland. The hoped for result, however,
may be constrained by the fact that many teachers no longer master “Platt” themselves and that some of those who do think that
students should first acquire a sound knowledge of High German
before taking up a “new” language.
LOW GERMAN CONFERENCE
Omaha, NE July 13-15, 2007
The German-American Society
The Carlisle Hotel (402-331-8220),
10909 M Street, Omaha, NE 68137
Group rates: 1 King Bed $69.90 / 2 Double Bed rate: $75.73
• Rates are 1-4 people per room, deadline July 1, 2007
• Complimentary airport shuttle, continental breakfast, large
indoor pool, hotel lounge
• Registration Fee $50 per person + the following meals:
• Two Dinners at $9.00 each, One Dinner at $16.00, One
breakfast buffet at $6.00
Make checks payable to: Omaha Plattdeutscher Verein, % Michael Olk,, 21848 Harrison Street, Gretna, NE 68028
Questions, call him at 402-578-8023
American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Welcome to OGSA!
• Would you like a membership list? We can now email it to
you as an attachment! Don’t forget to notify us when you
move!
• Do you know someone who might like a sample copy of our
newsletter? This is one way we find new members! Contact us!
Address Changes
Beauford, Beverly, [email protected]
Brakenhoff, Sherri & Duane, 3459 Linden Drive, Columbus,
NE 68601 402-562-5149
Bruggink, Ray, 3047—92nd St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315
Drenthe, Lora, 2747 Rushmore Rd., Hastings, MN 55033
Janssen, Paul, 124 Main St. E., Cannon Falls, MN 55009
Janssen, Margaret, 3654 St. Regis Dr., White Bear Lake, MN
55110
Harris, Michael A., 320 N. Chaucer Boulevard, Monticello, IL
61856
NEW MEMBERS:
Deutscher, Emily, 29212 - 427th Ave., Scotland, SD 57059
605-585-2958 [email protected] Researching:
Ulferts, Meyer, Muller (Grimersum), Sajunga, Zaayenga, Zayenga, Saaijenga (Larrelt) Popkes, Broesder (Emden)
Foster, Jim, 2610—182nd Ave., NW, Oak Grove, MN 55011
612-701-8040 email: [email protected]
Moody, Craig, 1260 Morningview Drive, Mound, MN 55364
952-472-2805 [email protected] Reseraching: Hafermann
Pichot, Thomas, 2202 E. Lyon St., Laredo, TX 78043
956-723-3379 [email protected] Researching: Saathoff, Mimken, Antje, Dirks, Schweer, Balzen, Gerdes, Graff, Heern
Piper, Shari, 3708 SW 13th St., Des Moines, IA 50315
515-244-1847 [email protected] Researching: Weers
(Wiesedermeer), Hilbrands (Niendorf), Wieland (Cirkuerum)
Reeves, Joan Dirksen , 286 Red Mountain Drive, Cloverdale,
CA 95425 707-894-3902 [email protected] Researching:
Dirksen (Leer, Norden, Weener, Osteel), DeBoer (Norden,
Weener, Osteel) Gerdes (Emden)
Salas, Ann (Ricklefs), 4130 Proton Drive 13D, Addison, TX
75001 214-683-1039 [email protected] Researching: Ricklefs, Hinrich, Sebastian, Rycleffs & Wilhausen (Leerhafe), Kirmeer-Reints, Rosemore & Tholen
Interested in traveling to
Ostfriesland next Spring?
You will be leaving April 25 or 26 and returning on May 6th
This is a small group touring Ostfriesland and a part of the
Netherlands.
We will be in Ostfriesland for the May Day Celebration in
Greetsiel on April 30th. Ostfriesland in Spring is gorgeous—
and so is Keukenhof , a large flower farm in the Netherlands!
We’ll visit the interesting city of Amsterdam and probably
Delft. Canal tours, windmills, tulips, history and great food.
If you’d like more information, contact Lin Strong 651-2693580. The tour is limited to 16 people.
JUST PUBLISHED!
Introduction to
Ostfriesen Genealogical
Research
(75 pgs) Lin Strong
Great for beginners!
Includes how-to information
and articles from the American-Ostfriesen Zeitung
$20 Includes s & h
From Ostfriesland to
America, written by Jürgen
Hoogstraat, Translated by
Gene Janssen.
Lives of Ostfriesen Emigrants
in the 19th Century. Fascinating! You must read this book
to fully understand the hardships endured by your ancestors.
90 pages $20 w/ S & H
East Friesians
in America
Written by Pastor Schnucker
and translated by Pastor DeWall, this book was written in
the early 1900’s about the early
Ostfriesen colonies and the
lives of the Ostfriesen immigrants. 185 pages
Newly formatted by OGSA and
includes many maps & pictures.
$22 w/ S & H August 2007
The Ostfriesen, Who
They Were & How
They Lived. Pastor Jürgen Hoogstraat & Lin Cornelius Strong. Edited by
Carol Spessard
Data taken from lectures at
the 2003 OGSA Conference. Great Information—
you need this book!
Your ancestors’ lives in Ostfriesland in the 1900’s.
$18 w/ S & H August 2007
THE FIRST EVER AMERICAN—
OSTFRIESEN LINEAGE BOOK!
Robert Appledorn spent four years compiling the information found in this lineage book for
German Valley and the surrounding communities.
Years covered include 1847—1900
Includes Death Data to 1940
LARGE PERFECT BOUND
TWO VOLUME SET:
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
1100 pages with Names of Early
Settlers, Includes Birth, Death &
Marriage Information and Lineage
Data
Information from Silver Creek
Reformed Church & Ridott Christian
Reformed Church Books
Spousal Index
Head of Household Index
Old Pictures of the German Valley Area
Military Information
Census Data
Emigration Data
You will want a copy of these books!
Don’t wait!
Pre-order your copy today!
♦ Pre-publication price until August 15, 2007
of $65 includes insured postage.
♦ Books will be sent after publication—about
August 31, 2007, if later than that date, you will be notified. After August 15—this two volume
set will cost you $72
—————————————————————————————————————-Order from: Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America, 168 N. Lake Street, Forest Lake, MN 55025
Email—[email protected]
Name___________________________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________
City, State, MN___________________________________________________________________________
Telephone No.___________________________________________________________________________
Email Address___________________________________________________________________________
Two Volume Sets Ordered ____________ TOTAL_____________________________________________
$65 per set if ordered before August 15, 2007
Visa Master Card #__________________________________________ Exp. Date____________________
2007—UPCOMING EVENTS
2007 OGSA CONFERENCE—AUGUST 16-19
PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS CONFERENCE!
♦ Do you have questions? We would love to help you!
♦ Don’t miss this event!
♦ Three speakers from Ostfriesland
⇒
Helmut Fischer
⇒
Andrea & Jürgen Hoogstraat
•
Our entire Ostfriesen Genealogical Research Center will be
moved to the center for your research!
♦ Fantastic Conference Center
♦ Rooms, picnic, great meals are all included
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
If you don’t know about Boßeln or Bohnensuppe, make sure you come!
Homecoming Tour Reunion!
Many great surprises and lots of FUN!
Check out the Registration Form and Conference
The schedule included in this newsletter.
PLEASE SEND IN YOUR REGISTRATION TODAY!
NOVEMBER 3, 2007
10 a.m. to Noon
Our Annual Tea will be held at the German American Society’s beautiful historic dwelling on Snelling Avenue in St.
Paul, MN! Ostfriesen tea & great desserts, too! More data will be on our website and in the next newsletter!
RESEARCH CENTER OPEN ON
SATURDAYS?
♦
Many of you have requested that the
library be open additional Saturdays.
But this can’t happen without your
help! Can you volunteer one Saturday
this year or next?
Please call Lin, the research center is open
by appointment only. 651-269-3580
651-269-3580
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 5/26/07 Emden - For the fourth time, the “Sons and Daughters of Ostfriesland”, better known as
the “Buten Ostfreesen”, i.e., East Friesians living outside of Ostfriesland, will meet in Emden from September 28 to
30,2007. The weekend event will offer a colorful program around East Friesian history and culture for East Friesians
who have been dispersed around the globe. This year a day trip to Leer is planned which will give the guests an opportunity to discover the charm of this old harbor town. The highlight will be a festive dinner in the Johannes-a-Lasco Library . The idea for this annual event comes from Eske Nannen, executive directress of the “Kunsthalle” art museum
who organized the first meeting in 2002. Information may be obtained by calling 4921/975012.
All meetings are open to the public. Please join us and bring a relative or friend!
OSTFRIESEN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
U.S.POSTAGE
168 North Lake Street, #3
PAID
Forest Lake, MN 55025
PERMIT NO. #21
Address Service Requested