I did a search on our blog for stories that mention the name, Versemann. The search came up with 66 results. That is a lot. Today’s post will add another one to the list.

This diagram of the Versemann family tree has also shown up on this blog on several occasions. I have no idea who produced this drawing or when it was made.

If you look at the bottom of this tree…at the trunk…you will see the name, Johann Versemann. He will be the main character in today’s story. He was born on September 29, 1826, thus making today his 200th birthday. Johann was the son of Hinrich and Maria (Meyer) Versemann. He was born in Ostervesede, Germany. I am able to display his German baptism record.

Johann would not come to America until 1868, which means that he spent 42 years of his life in Germany. During that time, there is evidence that he may have married 3 times. Let me point out that the family tree diagram shown above only lists 2 wives. However, when we look at the death certificate of his firstborn son, Henry Versemann, you will see that his mother’s maiden name was Maria Wichern, and that name is not one of the wives shown in the drawing.

The first wife shown on the above tree is also named Maria…Maria Brockmann. I suppose it is possible that the two Maria’s were the same person. I was unable to find any marriage records for Johann at all, so we cannot say for sure whether Johann had two wives or he had three. Johann’s wife, Maria, died in about 1866, and then Johann got married again not long before he came to the United States. He married a woman by the name of Engel Hollmann, probably around 1867. From the evidence I see, it looks like Johann may have had 8 children in all. Three of his children were born in America, and those children were baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar.

In 1868, Johann brought his family to the United States aboard the ship, Berlin. We can see the members of his family on the passenger list for that ship below. I have to display them in 2 images.

The Versemann’s are found in the 1870 census living in the Salem Township. There were 5 children in the family, and Johann was a farmer.

In the 1880 census, there were 6 children in the Versemann household.

Engel Versemann died in 1886 at the age of 48; Johann Versemann died in 1894 at the age of 67. Both Johann and Engel have entries on Findagrave.com as being buried in the Salem Lutheran Cemetery in Farrar, but neither of them has a gravestone photo.

Let me tell you another story that is only somewhat related to this tale. The first time that I looked at the Versemann family tree drawing, it was hanging in the visitor center at the Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna. As many of you know, that building burned to the ground a few years back. A new building is being constructed at that site, one with a bit of a different purpose. You will have an opportunity to witness the progress on that building on October 10th. On that day, Saxon Lutheran Memorial will host its annual Fall Festival. Their promotion for that event is shown below. The drawing in the middle is what the new building should look like.

I encourage you to attend that event. And while you are in the area, stop in Altenburg to visit the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum.