Roose, Stanley b. 1915

Hilka Frerichs b. 1875

/ Kirstin Miller

Hilka Frerichs, 3rd great aunt on RootsMagic tree.

Hilka Frerichs was born March 24, 1875 in Germany, the youngest child of Casjen and Kunna Janssen Frerichs. At age 9 in 1883, she and her family sailed on the ship America to Baltimore, Maryland. The Frerichs family journeyed straight to Iowa, on train then maybe in a carriage or wagon, with horses? no idea. In 1855 trains went as far as Cedar Falls, by 1902 they criss-crossed most of Iowa. Historical maps at the Iowa DOT.

In 1890 Hilka, 15, and her sister Entje, 19, were confirmed at the Parkersburg Bethel Lutheran Church. March 14, 1894 Hilka married Ernest Hahn, they had children including a daughter: Delight. I don’t have a photo of Hilka and Ernest’s farm but it probably looked something like the ‘Modern 1920s Iowa Farm’ at the Library of Congress. Hilka was a widow at 82 and died 5 years later age 87 in 1962. She and her husband are buried at Lynwood Cemetery in Clarksville, Iowa.

A modern Iowa farm 1920 Library of Congress

A modern Iowa farm ca 1920

Lena Wisbar b. 1871

/ Kirstin Miller

Lena Wisbar, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Lena Wisbar was born in Germany on May 27, 1871, the 2nd daughter of Martin and Mary Walters Wisbar. In 1872 her family sailed from Bremen, Germany to New York, USA. They were in NY on August 17, 1872, then went on to Ela, Lake County, Illinois where on the 1880 census Lena was 9 years old and lived on a farm. By 1885 Lena and family farmed in Parkersburg, Iowa.

On March 14, 1888 Lena married John Roose. Lena and John farmed in Butler County, Iowa. They had seven children and many grandchildren. After farming for 37 years, Lena and John moved to town in 1925. They lived in Allison, Iowa with their youngest daughter Lela, age 18. John died in 1926.

In 1938 and probably other years too, Lena entered her crochet in the Butler County Fair and won ribbons for dining room and bedroom linens. 

Lena died on January 19, 1948, she was 76. Her funeral was at St James Lutheran Church in Allison. She is buried in the Allison cemetery.

Sources

  • 1938 Sep 14 Iowa Recorder, Greene Public Library Digital Resources
  • 1948 Feb 16 Lena’s obituary, Waterloo Daily Courier at Ancestry.com
  • US census at FamilySearch
  • New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 at FamilySearch.org

John Henrichs b. 1864

/ Kirstin Miller

John G. Henrichs on RootsMagic tree

John Gerhard Henrichs was born October 9, 1864 in Germany. He sailed to America in 1882 at age 18. His sister Annie married Enno Frerichs, John married Enno’s sister Entje. John and Entje had a family and farmed. In 1917 John owned about 125 acres of farm land in Butler County, Iowa. On the 1930 US Census he was 65 and living on Main Street in Allison, Butler County, Iowa. He owned his home but didn’t have a radio set.

Henrich, John 1930On March 26, 1930 John celebrated Entje’s birthday with a party at their home for family and friends. This is in the Iowa Recorder, April 2, 1930 and directly below is grandniece Viola Roose entertaining 16 high school friends on March 29.

John was a widow in 1936 and lived with his daughter Flora and her family on the 1940 US Census. John’s obituary is in the Mason City Globe Gazette of December 22, 1943. John and Entje are buried in the Butler Center Cemetery. There are 21 Henrichs and 12 Frerichs memorials in this cemetery.

Sources

Kuna Kuntje Jansen b. 1833

/ Kirstin Miller

Kuna Kuntje Enen Jansen 3rd great grandmother

Kuna or Kuntje also known as Katie came to America when she was 49 years old. She made a quick stop at the New York harbor then landed in Baltimore in 1883.

From Baltimore she, husband Casjen and children Enno, Gerd, Entje and Hilke moved on to Iowa and settled in Butler County. The 1890 census was lost in a fire, the first record of the Kuna is the 1900 census. She lives with her son Enno and his family including 8 year old Mary Viola Frerichs, who would marry George Gerald Roose 12 years later. Kuna and Casjen share a beautiful handcarved headstone in the Parkersburg Oak Hill Cemetery.

Martin Wisbar b. 1845

/ Kirstin Miller

Martin Wisbar, 3rd great grandfather

Martin Wisbar was born October 29 1845, in Germany to David Wisbar and Henriette Pusch (listed on a death index). Martin, age 25 sailed to America, probably arrived in Baltimore in 1870 or 1872 and went on to Illinois, probably Freeport. On February 26, 1873 he and Mary Walters married (or applied for a license) in Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois. By 1885 this family was settled in Iowa, the Aplington area. Martin was a candy maker or confectioner, a fruit seller, a laborer and a mail carrier. He also farmed and in 1895 owned 148 acres of land.
Wisbar, M 1895 land
Snapshot of Plat of Monroe Township page 27, image 18 of 37 square 1 in Plat Book of Butler County, Iowa at University of Iowa Digital Libraries
Martin Wisbar (1845 – 1912) > Lena Wisbar (1871 – 1948) >  George Gerald Roose (1888 – 1954

Maria Henrica Rodenbeck b. 1837 and Hinrich Henrichs b. 1836

/ Kirstin Miller

March 18, 1885 Maria, Hinrich, their seven children and probably Hinrich’s brother Martin sailed from Germany on the ship America and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland first making a quick stop in New York harbor. They carried two pieces of luggage, for the whole group. Here’s a photo of Hinrich and Maria, shared on FamilySearch.org. Maria is the maternal grandmother of Mary Frerichs Roose, they could pass for twins.

Henrichs, Henry and Maria Rodenback

Henry and Maria Rodenback Henrichs

Maria was born May 10, 1837 in Germany. She died Apr 9, 1926 in Allison Iowa and is buried at Butler Center Cemetery. Maria married Hinrich Henrichs (spellings vary) in Germany where he was born May 1, 1836, he died Aug 21, 1918. Maria and Hinrich Henrichs share a large headstone with HINRICHS and Ruhe in Gott, Rest in God engraved. Both have a smaller stone Mutter mother and Vater father with their names and birth death dates engraved.

Frerichs family emigrates in 1883

/ Kirstin Miller

In 1883 Enno Frerichs (2nd great grandfather) and family sailed from Bremen, Germany to Baltimore, Maryland. From Baltimore they would have taken a train to Freeport, Illinois joining friends and family already settled in America. Railroad companies produced pamphlets many in  German, advertising the lands for sale in the Plains: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska. Local agents were listed along with details about crops, social life, religion and the financial make up of the specific towns. Railroads and the Making of Modern America University of Nebraska Lincoln is an educational site with plentiful sources.