Roose, Stanley b. 1915

Garbrand Roos and Teentje Janssen b. 1764

/ Kirstin Miller

Garbrand Roos and Teentje Janssen 5th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Garbrand Harms Roos and Teentje Dirks Janssen lived in Niedersachsen- English language, it’s Lower Saxony- a German state. Aurich is a district in Lower Saxony which contains the municipality of Krummhörn, that includes the little village of Visquard. Visquard is on the north western coast of Germany, on the Wadden Sea, part of the North Sea.

Google Maps, Visquard, a photo of the little village

Garbrand was born around 1764, Teentje was born on April 18, 1775. Garbrand and Teentje married around 1797 and had at least 3 children: Maria Garbrand Roos, Jan Garbrand Roos and Harm Garbrand Roos.

Garbrand has a definition in ceramics as the final firing. “Garbrand garbrand (keramik) Definition of garbrand (keramik) in German English dictionary: finishing firing (ceramics)”. And “Probably an altered spelling of North German Garbrand or Gerbrant, from a Germanic personal name, composed of the elements gar, ger ‘spear’, ‘lance’ + brand ‘fire’, ‘flame’.

Germany, the place and the people, have thousands of years of complex history, a person could spend a lifetime learning and understanding. Lower Saxony, the Roose family probable ancestor home, included chieftains, counts and countesses, kings and queens, and Paleolithic reindeer hunters. France, Holland, Napoleon, Prussia, Russia, the Kingdom of Hannover, the Roman Empire, and more were rulers of the area through the years.

There are several records for Garbrand and family, from church registers, hand written, in German. This record is indexed as a burial record for Garbrand, he died on April 1, 1817 then was buried on April 9, 1817. “Garbrand Harms d. 1 Apr 1817, spouse Teetja Janssen, burial 9 Apr 1817 in Visquard, Krummhörn, Amt Aurich, Königreich Hannover, Deutsches Reich, original place name Visquard, Visquard, Hannover, Deutschland. Page 241 of Staatliche Archivverwaltung Der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Church Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Visquard (Kr. Emden). Note: Taufen, Heiraten u Tote 1726-1839”.

Sources

Gerd Frerichs b. 1867

/ Kirstin Miller

Gerd Frerichs 2nd great uncle, on RootsMagic tree, was born on November 10, 1867 in Engerhofe, Germany, standard name: Engerhafe, 26624 Südbrookmerland, Germany. Engerhofe is 5 miles south of the Wadden Sea on the northwestern coast of Germany, part of Lower Saxony or Niedersachsen, on Google maps

Gerd’s parents were Casjen and Kuna Janssen Frerichs. Gerd had 3 sisters and was the younger brother of Enno Frerichs who was the dad of Mary Frerichs who married George Roose, their son Stanley Roose was born in 1915, in Iowa.


Baptismal font photo via Matthias Süßen, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Engerhafe_Taufbecken.jpg

The Frerichs family were members of the local Lutheran church, that’s where Gerd was baptized on December 13, 1867 and where his parents married a few years earlier. It is almost certain their church was Church of John the Baptist (Engerhafe) or Kirche Johannes der Täufer (Engerhafe). This church was built in 1250, completed around 1280 and was the only church in the area during Gerd’s lifetime. The church is famous for it’s organ built in 1774 by Hinrich Just Müller. The baptismal font or Taufbecken is impressive too, “The lid was delivered in 1665 by master Hinrich Julfs from Wittmund. Its structure, divided into four floors, shows mermaids with fish tails and female breasts. The facial features of these figures are clearly masculine and have mustaches. In the middle of the lid sits a Madonna, surrounded by columns”.

The mayor of Engerhafe today is Frerich Hinrichs- funny because both these names are Roose ancestor surnames- Enno Frerichs married Annie Hinrichs.

In August 1883 Gerd and his family left Engerhafe, Germany on the ship America, they sailed to America and landed in Baltimore, Maryland on October 10, 1883. From Baltimore they went to Butler County Iowa. Gerd was only in America for 5 years, he died at age 19 on July 25, 1887. Gerd is buried in Jungling Cemetery, near Vilmar Church in Allison, Iowa. His older sister Yevkea Frerichs Reents is also buried there.

Jungling Cemetery, Allison, Iowa

Sources

Harm Roos b. 1824

/ Kirstin Miller

Harm Roos 2nd great uncle on RootsMagic tree

Harm Janssen Roos was born on December 12, 1824  in East Fresia, Ostfriesland, Germany. His parents were Jan Roos and Meenke Schroder. Harm had seven siblings his brother Garbrand  is the great grandpa of Stanley Roose. Harm married Maarje Tellinghuisen in  1849 in Germany. They came to America in the 1860s and went straight to Ogle County, Illinois. Already set up there was a big German American community from the Ostfriesland area.  

U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 at Ancestry

Harm was a farmer. He and Maarje had 4 sons and 3 daughters. Maarje died in 1896, Harm married Lammechien Takens on July 14, 1898, they had no kids. A 1893 land map shows Harm owned about 300 acres of land, his bother Andrew owned land nearby. Harm , his family and friends were Lutherans . In a history of Ebenezer Reformed Church in Ogle, Illinois, “Starting around 1849, immigrants began settling. After 1855 German immigrants increased, many from Ostfriesland. Families from the Ostfriesland area were invited into the home of Harm Roos for a time of worship and singing. After some time, the group grew so large they could no longer fit in the log cabin home.” The church group bought an unused school building and set up an official church. Harm lived to age 80 and is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery in Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 is inscribed on his grave, in German.

A snapshot of Harm and Johann Roos, cousins via FamilySearch

Harm’s oldest son John Roos was about the same age as his cousin Johann Roos youngest son of Garbrand, great grandpa of Stanley Roose. John and Johann grew up together in Ogle, Illinois. When Johann was 15 he and his family moved to Grundy County, Iowa, near Aplington,  200 miles west. It’s likely that John and Johann stayed in touch, maybe their wives traded letters and maybe the 2 Roos cousins got together in Iowa or Illinois in the 1860s, middle aged men with families.

Sources

  • Ebenezer Reformed Church History online
  • Illinois county marriages 1810-1940 database at FamilySearch
  • U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 at Ancestry
  • Find a grave memorial 28532306 photo “Added by:  Tombstone Tourist on 17 Jul 2018”
  • Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1971 at Ancestry.

Seibelt Henrichs b. 1844

/ Kirstin Miller

Seibelt Gerd Henrichs 4th great uncle on RootsMagic tree

Seibelt “Sila” was born August 28, 1844 in Germany, probably Aurich a town in Lower Saxony, on the northern edge of Germany. Sila’s parents were Gerd and Flora Janssen Henrichs. In the family were at least 7 siblings including Henrich ‘Henry’ Henrichs great grandpa of Stanley Roose. Seibelt and Henrich’s family relationship is somewhat iffy, but is probable and once found, a DNA match will prove they are brothers. Sila’s niece Annie Antje Henrichs married Enno Frerichs, grandparents of Stanley Roose.

In Germany, Sila married Anna Itjes in 1870. On March 20, 1881 this Henrichs family sailed on the ship Leipzig from Bremen to Baltimore, Maryland. Sila, Anna and their first 4 daughters Flora or Foolke, Dena or Bernadine, Jenny or Fauken and Katie or Gretje. The family went from Baltimore to Butler County, Iowa, a journey of 1,000 miles. Most likely German American immigrants, churches? provided food and shelter, if needed, along the way.

Henrichs, Seibelt 1917 land

Sila and family on the 1895 Iowa census lived in Albion township, near Parkersburg. On the 1900 US census they were in Ripley Township, closer to Butler Center, a tiny town no longer there. Siebelt had purchased a farm, his neighbors were from Germany, Holland, Iowa, Michigan, New York. Four more daughters, Annie, Johannah, Mattie and Christina were born and Ben Hinders, also from Germany, lived with the family as a servant or farm hand. By 1900 daughter Dena had married John Classe Hoodjer, they farmed nearby and had 3 children. Other Henrichs daughter married, had families and stayed in the area except oldest daughter Flora who stayed single and daughter Hannah who died of pneumonia in her 20s.

Sila and family were members of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church along with almost all ancestors of Stanley Roose. The church is gone, was in Butler Center. A published book Mission in a Mile by Henry Freese tells the story and history of the church. On page 33, a list of baptisms at the church shows Sila’s daughter Johanna Henrichs baptized in 1888. On that same page Claus Endlemann, a future son in law and Jantje Reents, a future grandniece are also baptized.

Sila lived to age 75 and his wife Anna lived to age 96. Both are buried at Butler Center Cemetery near where Ebenezer Lutheran church used to be. Sila and Anna share a large ‘Hinrichs’ headstone and each have a smaller Mother, Father headstone with Ruhe Sanft ~ rest gently, or peacefully. Of the 22 Henrichs buried in there, 10 are of Sila’s family. Daughter Christina who married Harold Hartson, they are buried at Lynwood Cemetery in Clarksville.

Sources

  • Mission in a mile by Henry Freese published 2002.
  • United States Germans to America index 1850-1897 at FamilySearch
  • Iowa death records 1904-1951 at FamilySearch
  • Headstone photo at Find a grave, public photo, “Added by Hooked On Family 21 Apr 2014”
  • US and Iowa censuses at FamilySearch
  • Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1948 FamilySearch
  • 1917 Atlas, Jefferson Townshipat UI Iowa Digital Library

Minnie Roose b. 1855

/ Kirstin Miller

Minnie Charlotte Roose 2nd great aunt on RootsMagic tree.

Minnie Roose was born 12 November 1855 in Germany, a middle child of Garbrand and Catherine Renistra Roose. When Minnie was 6 years old in 1862, she sailed with her family to America. They left from Bremen, Germany and sailed on the Adler, ‘eagle’ in the English language. The Roos family docked in New York and went on to Freeport, Illinois, 900 miles west. No idea how they traveled. When they got to Freeport an established German American community welcomed them. Minnie’s youngest brother Johann, grandpa of Stanley Roose, was born in Freeport in 1865.

New York arrival 1862

Around 1876 Minnie and family were in southern Butler County, Iowa near Aplington and Parkersburg. On July 18, 1878 Minnie married Harm Haren, also from Germany. Harm and Minnie married in Grundy County and lived the remainder of their lives there, in Palermo Township, Grundy County, Iowa. Harm was a farmhand “for two years, after which he engaged in the operation of rented land until 1882 when with the capital he had acquired through industry, perseverance and economy he purchased the farm which has since been his home.” Minnie and Harm had 9 kids, 5 sons and 4 daughters. Harm died in 1918, a long life, he was 67 years old.

34 years later in 1952, Minnie was 97 years old and featured in a 75th anniversary issue of the Grundy Register, Grundy Center’s local newspaper. Minnie was the oldest resident of the area. There’s a photo and a story of her life, family.

Minnie lived another 13 years to age 109 or 110. Minnie and Harm are both buried at Fairview Cemetery in Grundy Center, Iowa.

Sources

  • New York passenger lists 1820-1891 at FamilySearch
  • The Grundy Register 1952 Jun 5 at Ancestry
  • Portrait and biographical record of Jasper, Marshall, and Grundy Counties, Iowa at HathiTrust
  • Public Ancestry photo, “ivametge originally shared this on 04 Aug 2012. Top Row L-R Henry, Otto, Claus Bottom Row L-R John, Harm, Hubert”Public Ancestry photo, “ivametge originally shared this on 04 Aug 2012. Top Row L to R_ Ella, Anna Second Row- Mae, Kathryn (Trina) Front- Minnie”
  • Public photo on FamilySearch, ” Contributed By SchwartzBarbaraHaren1 24 December 2017″

Christian and Anna Renistra b. 1800

/ Kirstin Miller

Christian and Anna Renistra, 4th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Christian and Anna have one record each. They were probably born in 1800, lived in Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands. Christian probably died in 1845, Anna probably died in the 1860s. Their 2 records are for the marriage and then death of their daughter Catherina who married Garbrand Roos. Christian and Anna probably had additional kids.

Anna, her last name unknown, is on Catherina’s marriage record of June 14, 1846. The marriage record is handwritten and in German, so it’s a mystery what’s actually written. Catherina and her mom Anna are on the record, dad Christian is not, so probably deceased. Catherina’s husband Garbrand Roos with his parents Jan and Meenke Schroder are also on the 1846 record.

Roos, Garbrand and Catharina Renistra 1846 marriage

Christian and Anna lived in Harlingen, Netherlands, near the Wadden Sea, a strange space -intertidal- on the coasts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The Wadden Sea at high tide is a regular coastline with water, waves. At low tide the sea disappears and the ‘bottom’ of the ocean is exposed for miles, it’s called ‘mudflats’. There are six-and-a-half hours between high tide -1.5 meters, about 5 feet deep; and low tide -mudflats.

Probably shortly after Anna’s death, daughter Catherina with Garbrand and their Roos family migrated to America in 1862, first Illinois, then Grundy County, Iowa. Their son Johan married Lena Wisbar, whose son George Roose and wife Mary Frerichs had a son Stanley Roose, who married Elizabeth Speedy. When Catherina died in Iowa, in 1909 her dad Christian is on her death record, her mom’s name isn’t on the record.

Sources

Jan Roos and Meenke Schroder b. 1798

/ Kirstin Miller

Jan Garbrand Roos and Meenke Andressen Schroder 4th grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Roos Renistra marriage

Jan Roos was born in 1798 and married Meenke Schroder, she was born 1801. They lived in Leeuwarden, a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands. Jan and Meenke probably lived in the city. Jan and Meenke didn’t migrate to America while most of their children did.

Jan and Meenke are included on the marriage records of their son Garbrand  who married Catherine Renistra in Leeuwarden and also on the marriage record of their son Harm who married Lammechien Takens in Ogle County, Illinois.

Garbrand and Catherina Roose stayed in Ogle County for a few years. Soon after their son Johann was born in 1865 they moved on to Grundy County, Iowa where their grandson George Roose was born in 1888. George married Mary Frerichs, parents of Stanley Roose.

Sources

  • Illinois county marriages 1810-1940 at FamilySearch
  • Leeuwarden at Wikipedia 
  • Netherlands, Friesland Province, Civil Registration, 1811-1950 at FamilySearch

Mattie Frerichs b. 1911

/ Kirstin Miller

Mattie Frerichs 2nd great aunt on RootsMagic tree.

Mattie Frerichs was born November 4, 1911 in Butler County, Iowa. She was the youngest Enno and Annie Henrichs Frerichs’s 10 children, their births spanned 20 years from 1891 to 1911. On the Butler County, Iowa 1920 census Mattie was 9 years old and living with her parents and siblings: Sena (Cazina), Martena, Etta, John and Enno Jr. Mattie’s older brother George and sisters Mary, Kate and Flora were married with children and Mattie was an aunt to at least 3 nieces and nephews including Stanley b. 1915, son of Mary Frerichs and George Roose.

Frerichs, Mattie and Hilko Janssen 1936 marriage (1)

After high school Mattie graduated from Iowa Teachers College and taught in rural Iowa schools. On November 25, 1936 she married Hilko Janssen at the Lutheran church in Clarksville, Iowa. Mattie’s sister Sena and husband Hubert Ressler were attendants at the wedding.

Mattie and Hilko farmed and had 3 children. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary November 23 1961 at St James Lutheran Church in Allison, Iowa with a program presented by their nieces and nephews and a reception.

Mattie died on January 30 1984 at age 72. She and Hilko are both buried at Allison Cemetery. Hilko lived another 13 years, he died in 1997. In July 1995 he was in the Clarksville Star newspaper remembering the annual Butler County Fair. In 1995 Hilko was attending the fair for the 80th year in a row and remembered his first fair in 1916 when he walked a mile to the fairgrounds and bought an ice cream cone for 10 cents.

Sources

Tena Henrichs b. 1880

/ Kirstin Miller

Tena Henrichs 2nd great aunt on RootsMagic tree

Tena or Trientje was born October 1, 1880 in Germany. At 5 years old she and her family sailed from Bremen, Germany to Baltimore, from Baltimore they traveled to Butler County, Iowa. Tena grew up in Butler County, the 2nd youngest of 5 daughters and 4 sons of Hinrich and Maria Rodenbeck Henrichs.

On February 20, 1907 Tena married John Jacobs. John also migrated from Germany with his parents and 8 siblings. Tena’s brother Fred and sister Mattie were witnesses to the marriage and included on the marriage record. Tena and John lived in Jefferson Township, Butler County Iowa, in a community of German immigrants, farmers, Lutherans. Tena and John had a daughter who died very young and 3 sons: Henry, Jacob and John. Tena’s husband John died December 16, 1916, in an automobile accident. There are no records on how or where Tena and her three young sons lived, whether they stayed on their farm or moved in with relatives.

Soldiers of the 34th Infantry DivisionMeanwhile John Jacobs’s younger bother William had enlisted in the army for World War 1. He was a private in the Minnesota 34th Engineers, with men from Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. They trained at Camp Cody, New Mexico and were in the war until the 1920s. Marvin Cone, Iowa artist and friend of Grant Wood was in this same unit and designed the insignia. William returned from World War 1 in 1920 and Tena and William married at Ebenezer Lutheran Church on February 22, 1920.

Each of Tena’s 3 sons married, had children and farmed in the Butler County area. Oldest son Henry married Alma Constein at Vilmar Church on February 18, 1936. Tena died May 9, 1959. She was 79 years old and is buried at Butler Center Cemetery with the Jacobs and Henrichs families.

Sources

Casjen Frerichs b. 1834

/ Kirstin Miller

Casjen Frerichs 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Casjen was born February 5, 1834. He was from Lower Saxony Germany near Hamburg and Bremen, close to the Netherlands, and Amsterdam. Casjen married Kuna Janssen in Germany. In 1883 Casjen was 49, he and Kuna had 5 kids: Yevkea, Enno, Gerd, Entje, Hilka and the whole family left Germany for America.

Frerichs, Casjen arrival 1883 cardThey sailed on the ship, America, stopped at the New York Harbor then sailed on to Baltimore. From Baltimore, Casjen and family went directly to Butler County, Iowa just over 1,000 miles. Casjen stayed in Butler County, near Parkersburg in Albion township. HIs children stayed in same area, Gerd and Yevkea died shortly after arriving in Iowa, son Enno, daughters Entje and Hilka married, had children and farmed. When Casjen died at age 59, in 1893 he had 3 grandchildren including Mary Frerichs Roose, mom of Stanley Roose.

Frerichs, Casjen headstone

Casjen and wife Kuna are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Parkersburg. They share a headstone, at the bottom are many words inscribed, by hand, in the German language, something like -Not mine, -, my Savior I found, and I have also in part – . About 10 yards away Martin and Mary Walters Wisbar are buried, parents of Lena who married Johan Roose. Lena and Johann’s son was George Roose who married Mary Frerichs, their son was Stanley Roose.

 

 

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