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.
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
Meanwhile 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.
A young lady, daughter of one of the members, spoke up. She was 22, working as a hired girl and had saved most of her pay, $80 she kept with her, in her bag. She offered to loan this to congregation, the additional $20 was then easily raised. On Monday morning the church Deacons went into town and paid off their debt with Annie’s loan. The church building was saved, the congregation thrilled.
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.
Annie saved her church. Pastor Siegfried Siefkes came from Germany to Butler Center, Iowa a historical town no longer around. He worked to organize a new congregation, The Kirchenbuch der Evangelisch Lutherisch Eben-Ezer Gemeinde or Ebenezer Church. The pastor wrote a letter to the actual German Kaiser asking for help, that wasn’t successful so he started asking the local German community to contribute and successfully all but $100 which was borrowed from the bank. The pastor and congregation understood they had a year to pay back this loan but within a month the bank and contractor came for payment. The pastor begged for a week to raise the $100 and it was granted. At Sunday’s service the pastor and congregation met and talked about ways to raise $100 in a week. A farmer offered to sell seed oats, but that wasn’t enough.
On 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.
Each life has its place 
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