Frerichs

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

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

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.

 

 

Sources

Enno Frerichs b. 1865

/ Kirstin Miller

Enno Henry Frerichs 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Enno Frerichs was born January 6, 1865 in East Frisia, Lower Saxony, Germany. Enno was 18 years old when he sailed to America in October, 1883 with his family: dad Casjen, mom Kunna, brother Gerd, sisters Entje and Hilka. Enno’s older sister Yevkea and her husband Joost Reents sailed on the same ship, the America, they all left from Bremen, Germany and landed in Baltimore, Maryland. The passenger list shows their destination was Iowa. Yevkea and Joost had one piece of luggage, the Frerichs family had 4.

Frerichs arrival 1883

Probably through a network of German immigrants and friendly strangers, Enno and family made their way from Baltimore to Butler County, Iowa- 1000 miles total. Imagine that journey. The Frerichs family set up their home in Jefferson Township, between Allison and Parkersburg, Iowa. They would have cleared land, built houses, barns, fences, planted gardens and fields and their community of German Americans built a church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Enno’s younger brother Gerd 1887, and older sister Yevkea 1891, died in Butler County. Enno and his 2 sisters Entje and Hilka stayed in the area, they farmed, married and had children. Enno’s dad Casjen died in 1893 then Enno’s mom Kunna lived with Enno and family until her death in 1906.

 

Frerichs, Enno and Annie

Enno married Annie Henrichs on May 26, 1890 in the Ebenezer Lutheran Church. 50 years into the future on May 30, 1940 Annie and Enno would celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. Enno and Annie’s 10 kids would have attended, all were in the area, furthest away was daughter Martina, married to Hobart Vance,  they lived in Dallas County, Iowa. Enno’s daughter Mary, her husband George Roose and their 7 kids would have attended including Stanley Roose and probably his girlfriend, fiancé?, Elizabeth Speedy who married on December 21, 1940. Mrs. Ernest Hahn in the newspaper clip is Enno’s sister Hilka.

Enno died in 1944 and is buried in Butler Center Cemetery, very near where Ebenezer Lutheran Church used to be.

Sources

Entje Frerichs b. 1871

/ Kirstin Miller

Entje Frerichs 3rd great aunt on RootsMagic tree.
Entje was born March 26, 1871 in Aurich Lower Saxony Germany also called East Frisia, Ostfriesland, Germany. She was the 4th of 5 children of Casjen and Kunna. Entje was 12 when she and her family sailed on the ship America, to America. They landed in Baltimore on October 10, 1883 and went straight to Iowa.
In 1890 in Parkersburg, Iowa, Entje and her sister Hilka were confirmed at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Butler Center, Iowa. On March 12,1891 Entje married John Henrichs, His family was also from Germany, and Entje’s brother Enno married John’s sister Antje. Entje and John farmed in Jefferson Township near Butler Center and Ebenezer Lutheran Church, both the church and town are no longer around. Entje and John had 5 children. A daughter was named Kunna after Entje’s mom. All were baptized in the Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Kunna’s baptism record and Entje’s confirmation record are mix of written German and English words.

  • Entje and Hilka Frerichs confirmanden!!
  • Kunna Henrichs 1892 baptism

The Ebenezer Lutheran Church congregation talked through the years about which language to use in church services. In 1921 they voted for German language services, by 1930 services were alternate Sundays one in German, one in English. A pastor resigned: he’d been a pastor for 40 years, he spoke both High and Low German, but didn’t speak much English. By 1940 the church held one German service and two English services.
Entje died at age 65 and is buried at Butler Center Cemetery with her husband. They have a large Hinrichs [Henrichs] stone and a smaller Mother and Father stone. Entje’s 1936 obituary in the Clarksville (Iowa) Star newspaper included her husband, 2 sons, 3 daughters and 14 grandkids.

Sources

  • U.S. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969. Congregational Records Iowa Parkersburg Bethel page 10 image 16 of 173. Ancestry . com
  • U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Iowa Parkersburg Bethel page 60 image 35 of 298. Ancestry . com
  • Clarksville (Iowa) Star, 1872-2017, 1936 Jul 2 page 1 of 8 column 4 top.
  • Find a Grave memorial 111232991 

Yevkea Frerichs b. 1862

/ Kirstin Miller

Updated from August 5 2017

Yevkea Frerichs 3rd great aunt on RootsMagic tree

Yevkea  Frerichs was born on February 26, 1862 in Germany. She was the oldest child of Casjen and Kuna Janssen Frerichs and was already married when she emigrated in 1883. She and her husband Joost Reents were on the same ship as Yevkea’s family- the America which sailed from Germany, checked in at a New York harbor then docked in Baltimore, Maryland on October 10, 1883. Both Joost and Yevkea have ‘brewer’ as their occupation on immigration cards. Fairly quickly the whole group was in Butler County, Iowa. How they made this 1000 mile journey isn’t known.

Yevkea’s name on records is: Kate, Carrie, Jerkea, Terker. Her name was almost certainly Yevkea or Yeikea.

Frerichs Reents, Yevkea immigration 1883

Yevkea had her first child on June 15 1884, Kurnie Reents, born in Butler County, Iowa. Yevkea and Joost had 6 children, Kurnie, another duaghter Jennie and a son Casjen survived to adulthood. Yevkea and her infant daughter died in the winter of 1891. Joost married again, Henrieko Winterboer from Germany, they had children and settled in South Dakota. The family farmed. Yevkea and Joost’s son Casjen also farmed in South Dakota then lived and is buried in Bend, Oregon. Daughters Kurnie Dockter stayed in South Dakota, had a family and lived to age 95,  Jennie Giebink stayed in South Dakota, married and her family also farmed.

Yevkea is buried at Jungling Cemetery near Allison, Iowa. Her mom and dad Kuna and Casjen are buried in buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Parkersburg Iowa, their headstones look the same and both have a mix of English and German words.

Sources

Kate Frerichs Fleshner b. 1895

/ Kirstin Miller

Kate Frerichs was the aunt of Stanley Roose who married Elizabeth Speedy.

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Kate Frerichs was born the first day January 1 of 1895. Her given name was Kunna Engelina Frerichs, like her grandmother Kunna Jansen Frerichs she went by Kate. Kate was baptized February 3 1895 at Bethel Church in Parkersburg, Iowa.  Parents Enno and Annie were probably married in this same church around 1890.
Kate was the older sister of Mary Frerichs Roose. By 1900 the Frerichs family was living in Jefferson, Butler County Iowa, farming. Kate married Chris Fleshner in 1914. The Fleshner family stayed in Butler County and also farmed. Kate was widow in 1958 and she died on the very last day December 31 of 1974.

Obituary from the Greene recorder
Rites held for Kate Fleshner. Rites Held for Kate Fleshner. Services for Kate L. Fleshner, 79 who died at Allison Manor, December 31, were held Friday Jan 3 at St James Lutheran Church, Allison with burial at the allusion Cemetery. she is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Clair Dailey of Waverly, Mrs. Kenneth Smith of Allison and Mrs. Richard Schaeffer of Marshalltown; three sisters, Mrs. George Roose (Mary Frerichs) of Clarksville, Mrs. Sena Ressler of Waverly and Mrs. Hilko Janssen of Allison; a brother John Frerichs of Dumont.

1975 Jan 15 page 5 of 8, column 7 top. Greene recorder Greene, Iowa, Digital Archives at Greene Public Library.

Sources
Ancestry . com U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940

Greene recorder Greene, Iowa, Digital Archives at Greene Public Library

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

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.