Henrich Henrichs b. 1836

December 1, 2018June 6, 2019 / Kirstin Miller

Henrich Henrichs 3rd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Map German homes Henrich Gerds Henrichs was born May 1, 1836 in Germany, probably in Aurich a town of Lower Saxony, Germany which is actually the northern eastern edge of Germany. The Google map photo shows the original homes of the Roos, Henrichs and Frerichs families within 100 miles of each other.

Henrich married Maria Rodenbeck in 1860, they lived on a farm and had 9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls. The whole family of 11 sailed to America, with 2 suitcases and landed in Baltimore on March 18, 1885 the children ranged from 3 to 23 years old. From Baltimore the family probably moved straight to Iowa and in 1900 they were in Butler County and played a big part in founding the Ebenezer Lutheran Church of Butler Center, long gone but vital in the lives of German emigrants in the area.

1918 Aug 28, page 8 of 8 column 1 top Iowa recorder, Digital Archives at Greene (Iowa) Public Library

Henrich was known as Henry and from his obituary ‘was one of the old residents in this part of Butler county’. Henry came to America at age 48 and when died on August 21, 1918 he was 83 years old. His widow Maria donated a big church bell to Ebenezer Church in her husband’s memory. When Ebenezer Church dismantled in 1955 the bell was sent to Salem Church in Parkersburg, Iowa, then Salem Church ended in 1985 and the bell was moved to Bethel Lutheran Church in Parkersburg- and it’s still there! Mission in a mile page 69.

Heinrich Henrichs 1836 – 1918
Annie Antje Henrichs 1869 – 1956
Mary Frerichs 1892 – 1992
Stanley Roose 1915 – 2004

William Lewis b. 1594

December 1, 2018December 11, 2018 / Kirstin Miller

William Lewis 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

William Lewis was born in Cardiff, Wales January of 1594. In 1620 he married Felix Collins also of Wales. On June 22, 1632 William, Felix and their young son William Jr. sailed from London to New England, arriving in Boston on September 16, 1632.

Page 101, Planters of the Commonwealth by Banks, an Ancestry . com source

John Winthrop of New England kept a journal in 1630s and 40s, one thing he recorded was ships arriving and leaving. “He brought one hundred and twenty three passengers whereof fifty children, all in health, they had been twelve weeks aboard and eight weeks from Land’s end.”

Volume 1 page 92 The Winthrop journals at HathiTrust

The Winthrop Journals are at HathiTrust more info on John Winthrop at Wikipedia

William settled first in Cambridge and was a freeman on Nov 6, 1632. He moved to Hartford then Farmington, Connecticut where he was a selectmen, constable and deputy. As a selectmen William would have helped put his new town together, selectmen explained at Wikipedia “In most New England towns, the adult voting population gathered annually in a town meeting to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of, literally, select(ed) men to run things for them.”

William wrote and signed a will August 30, 1683, his estate was settled December 18 1683, his son William was executor. “I William Lewis, being stricken in years, do think it meet to set in order the Estate which God hath graciously given me.” Volume 1 page 331 A digest of the early Connecticut probate records at HathiTrust.

William Lewis 1594 – 1683
William Lewis 1620 – 1690
Mary Lewis 1645 – 1690
Hannah Judd 1681 – 1747
Hannah Smith 1711 – 1785
Prudence Risley 1735 – 1816
Joseph Gaines 1756 – 1841
Obed Gaines 1793 – 1877
William Newcomb Gaines 1825 – 1907
Mary Ella Gaines 1855 – 1917
William E Miller 1879 – 1949
Faber W Miller 1905 – 1957

Eleazer Arnold House

October 31, 2018February 13, 2019 / Kirstin Miller

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Eleazer Arnold 9th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.
“Eleazer Arnold builder of the noted 17th century stone-end chimney house was a typical representative of second generation Rhode Islander settlers … Such were the conditions in Rhode Island as pictured by travelers of a period only fifty years after Eleazar Arnold created his mansion in 1687 on the Great Road to Mendon. The land he built on was fifty acres left to him by his father at “Worlds End” near Scott’s pond”.

Image 10 of 19, page 81. Eleazer Arnold House July 1952 Volume 2 No. 3 at Rhode Island Historical Society link to the publication page with an explanation of the journal. Link to the actual journal.

Roger Williams b. 1602

October 27, 2018March 29, 2019 / Kirstin Miller

Roger Williams 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Williams, Roger A Key_ Of the Words Roger Williams was born in 1602 in London and is known for a lot: he founded Rhode Island, he wrote many books including A key into the Language of America: A help to the Language of the Natives in that part of America called New England, he founded the still standing First Baptist Church and so much more.

Direct descendancy from Roger Williams is pretty well proven through Dexter Angell (VII 1.) who mentions daughter Delia in his will. Delia is the bonafide mom of Matilda Flood who married Richard Mockford and they are parents of Philippa Flood Mockford Speedy, aka great grandma Speedy. Roger Williams of Province, RI by Anthony, Bertha Williams at HathiTrust this same book is used by the Roger William Family Association as a source.

Roger Williams Park and Betsy's house In 1871 Roger Williams’s 3rd great granddaughter Betsy Williams donated 100+ acres of land to the state of Rhode Island with the condition that it be used as a public space for everyone and have a statue of Roger Williams. There is actually a book saved about this whole event, Ceremonies at the unveiling of the monument to Roger Williams at HathiTrust

And the People’s Park

Henry Miller b. 1789

October 27, 2018December 11, 2018 / Kirstin Miller

Henry Miller b. 1789 4th great grandfather Henry Miller in RootsMagic tree

Henry was born in 1789 in Pennsylvania and is newly added as the father of Peter Miller b. 1827. Researching Peter in Waverly newspapers, he visited Canton, Stark County, Ohio a lot and in June of 1898 he visited with daughter in law Fiana Druckenbrod Miller, both were attending family reunions. It turned out the Stark, Ohio newspaper actually recorded Peter Miller’s visit and featured a full page article about the famous Miller family reunion with perhaps 500+ Millers attending. Miller family reunion 1898

The article is in the Stark County (Ohio) Democrat newspaper of 1898 June 30, provided by Stark Library. https://starklibrary.org/home/genealogy/digital-archives/

Henry Miller was born about 1782 in Pennsylvania, probably Berks County and probably descended from parents or grandparents who arrived from Germany. He married Elizabeth Fryberger, they moved to Ohio around 1810 and were pioneers in the area. Henry was a widow around 1834 and married again, he may have had 12 children total. An 1830 census shows him and his family in Stark, Ohio. Before 1850 only the heads of homes names were recorded so the 1830 census has Henry Miller and 9 other people identified by tick marks in an age and gender category. Henry is second from bottom on this list. There also an Ohio marriage record for Henry and Julia Essig Troxel, both widowed, they married October 4, 1835 in Stark, Ohio.

Fronica Meinzer b. 1763

October 6, 2018January 8, 2026 / Kirstin Miller

Fronica Meinzer, my 5th great grandmother on RootsMagic tree.

Fronica -her name could have been Verona, Veronica or Fronica, all appear on records- was born about 1763 to Conrad and Elizabeth Hibshman Meinzer. The Meinzer family lived in Pennsylvania, in the Lancaster area, on a farm, part of the Pennsylvania Dutch or Deutsch community. Fronica’s dad Conrad died in 1781 and mentions his children in his will “All my lands shall be divided into six plots the share that I live on at present shall be appointed to my son John and the other five shares to Catharina, Anna Maria, Verona, Frederick and Conrad until all of my heirs are made equal.”

Fronica married Mathias Druckenbrod on November 25, 1783. They married on the exact day the British troops left New York, called Evacuation Day, there were parades, monuments and more. Part of the 1783 celebration was General Washington arriving in New York then during the next weeks riding on through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and then Maryland where he met with the Confederation Congress and formally retired as Commander in Chief and finally returned to his home.

News traveled very slowly in 1783 so Mathias and Fronica may not have known what was happening 160 miles to the east as they exchanged wedding vows.

Sources

Painting, Washington’s grand entry into New York, Nov. 25th, 1783 by Alphonse Bigot at New York Public Library’s Digital Library, ID 1650645: Public Domain.
Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1700-1821 at Ancestry . com

Benjamin Child b. 1658

October 6, 2018December 11, 2018 / Kirstin Miller

Benjamin Child 8th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Benjamin was born in 1658 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, the second son. On March 7, 1683 he married Grace Morris and they may have had 12 children. Benjamin farmed and his family stayed in the Roxbury area. Grace died in December of 1723, Benjamin in January of 1724. They share a headstone, still standing and worn but readable.

The Childs are buried in Walter Street “Berrying” Ground also known as Peter’s Hill, now part of the Harvard Arnold Arboretum. There are 55 burials in this very old cemetery 14 of the Child family.

“One of the earliest markers is a double headstone for Grace and Benjamin Child, husband and wife. Nearby is the stone marking Benjamin’s brother, Joshua, whose wife Elizabeth is also buried in the area. Joshua and Benjamin were brothers, born a year apart and baptized the same day, and Elizabeth and Grace were sisters. Each couple had 12 children.”

“Each July 4, as night falls, the Roslindale neighbors who live near Peters Hill in Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum walk to the top. Someone brings a radio, and they listen to the Boston Pops Orchestra play the “1812 Overture” while they watch the fireworks burst brilliantly over the Charles River. Near the base of the hill, among tall trees and along narrow dirt paths, lies a little-known cemetery containing the remains of veterans of the American Revolution and early settlers — an ideal place for pondering the meaning of the nation’s birthday.”

From the Harvard Gazette’s Hidden Spaces, The tiny cemetery.

Headstone photo at Find a Grave

inscriptions Here lies the body of Grace child the Wife of Benjamin Child Died Dec ye 10 1723 in the 63d year of her age. (directly below) Here lyes ye body of Benjamin Childe who died the 24 day of Jan 1723-4 in the 66 year of his age.

The New England historical and genealogical register 1854, Volume 8 page 243, West Roxbury Inscriptions Central Burial Ground Peters Hill Copied by Mr. Wm B Trask of Dorchester

Garbrand Roos b. 1820

September 29, 2018January 12, 2019 / Kirstin Miller

Garbrand Roos 3rd great grandfather.

Garbrand Roos b. 1820 in Germany, the Aurich district, also East Frisia, Osteel, names changed several times but always right on the Wadden Sea– a one of a kind habitat that changes twice a day when the tides go in and out and involves mudflats and hiking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat_hiking.

Garbrand was 26 when he married Catharina Renistra in Harlingen, Netherlands in 1846. The family sailed to America in 1862. From NY they went to Freeport, Illinois where Garbrand registers for the Civil War in the summer of 1863. In 1880 the Roos family was in Pleasant Valley Township, Grundy County, Iowa they owned and farmed at least 80 acres of land. On the 1885 Iowa census the family along with a housekeeper live on their farm and on this single census page the majority of residents are from Germany, a few from Denmark, and a few from America’s eastern states. Garbrand was one founder of the German Baptist Church in Aplington, Iowa, along with the Dreyer and Lubberts families whose daughters married into the Roos family. Garbrand also went by George and lived to see his children married with families and starting farms of their own. Garbrand died in September of 1888 at the age of 68 and is buried in Pleasant View Cemetery in Aplington Iowa.
Screen Shot 2018-09-28 at 6.19.03 PM

Garbrand Roos and New German Baptist Church. Volume 1 page 353, Chapter 26 Monroe Township and Town of Aplington.
https://is.gd/q3Mb9P

At Ancestry . com Illinois 3rd Vol 5 of 7 image 285 of 632. Freeport Garbrand is 46, a farmer assigned. U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865

Charlotte Knapp b.1831

September 29, 2018January 12, 2019 / Kirstin Miller

Charlotte Knapp was probably the mother of William Cable so probably 2nd great grandmother.

Charlotte’s husband Jonathan Cable was definitely the father of William Cable, who was father of Gladys Cable. Jonathan was married first to Eliza, after her death he married Charlotte. Jonathan and Eliza were definitely the parents of John Cable, John’s death certificate proves this. The mother of the younger Cable children Chancey, William, Sarah and Violetta is not definite. Most likely Chancey’s mom was Eliza and Charlotte Knapp was the mom of William, Violetta and Sarah. No records prove this, on some records William’s mother is Eliza, on others his mother is Charlotte.

If Charlotte Knapp is the mother of William Cable, his ancestors go all the way back to the 1630s Winthrop Fleet, 11 ships that sailed from England to America.

For sure Charlotte was born in New York around 1831 and married a first husband. Then as a single woman (widowed, divorced) she joined her brothers and sisters in Dane County, Wisconsin where around 1850 she married William Cable, there is no marriage source. In 1870 Jonathan age 60, Charlotte age 36, Chancey age 20, William age 18, Sarah age 15 and Violetta age 13 live in Pleasant Grove, Floyd County, Iowa.

Charlotte and Jonathan were Methodists and helped get a church started in Pleasant Grove in the summer of 1867. “A gentleman named Swan … was the first preacher during the summer of 1867. The next summer Methodists of Charles City sent one of their local preachers … at the first meeting there were about fifteen present, including Jonathan Cable’s family. Link to History of Floyd County, Iowa on HathiTrust

In 1885 Charlotte’s dad William Knapp lived with the Cable family. 1885 Floyd, Pleasant Grove, Iowa the Iowa census, Cable, Jonathan, Charlotte, William and William Knapp screenshot.

Charlotte most likely died in Chicago on June 2, 1899 and is buried in Dane, Wisconsin near her brothers, sisters and mom, Rhoda Bowers in a tiny, very rural cemetery in the middle of cornfields, link to Google maps location. Her husband Jonathan Cable’s death and burial info are unknown.

Catharina Renistra b. 1820

September 29, 2018June 7, 2020 / Kirstin Miller

Catharina Renistra 3rd great grandmother on RootsMagic tree
Catharina was born the 20th of September 1820 in Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands.

In 1846 Garbrand Roos crossed the Wadden Sea and married Catharina in Harlingen where their oldest son Jan was born in 1847. The family sailed to New York arriving on August 18, 1862 then went on to Freeport, Illinois where youngest son Johann was born: Johann, father of George Roose, father of Stanley Roose. By 1870 the family was in Iowa, first Grundy then Butler County. They owned land and farmed. Catharina was a widow in 1888 and on the 1900 census she is 78, head of household, living in Butler County. Her occupation was a capitalist: Persons living on income from land, stocks, etc., were to be reported as “Capitalist.” Her income was from farm land. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS).

Renistra, Catherina headstone snapshot

This summer, I searched for Catharina’s headstone at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Aplington, Iowa. Catharina’s husband, sons, a daughter, grandchildren all were buried in the cemetery but there was no record or photo of Catharina’s headstone. It turned out Catharina shared a headstone with her husband, her hame, birth and death dates on the alternate side, just not photographed or documented.