A new surname will appear in today’s story…Hassebrock. It is a tale that takes place in Illinois, but it certainly does not take place in the same location from beginning to end. There are plenty of moves from place to place, but almost all of those places are found in just that one state. We … More August and Ida – The Hassebrock’s
Over the years, I have written several posts that describe people who were born, baptized, and raised in Perry County, Missouri, only to move across the river to Jackson County, Illinois, mostly to the Fountain Bluff Township where Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob is located. You will read another of those stories today. Paul Gottfried … More Another Fountain Bluff Farmer from Frohna
Today, I will tell the story of Johann Heinrich Meinz, who, as near as I can tell, was the first person to settle in East Perry County with that surname. John arrived in America in 1881, traveling to this country aboard the ship, Habsburg. A passenger list for that ship includes a person named Heinrich … More Pioneer Perry County Meinz
I could not resist this story. First of all, it can be considered a continuation of yesterday’s tale about Arthur Vogel. This story also connects back to a post published in 2020 called Mrs. Reinkensmeyer. However, before I continue to tell this story, let me add a little to yesterday’s post. I am now back … More Best Man Marries Maid of Honor
Today marks the birthday of a man named Arthur Vogel. He certainly is not the first man by that name to show up on this blog. I know I have written a story about an Arthur Vogel who was born and raised in the Shawnee Township around Pocahontas. I have also written a story about … More Art and Clara – Jacob, Illinois Vogel’s
I am working at a disadvantage today. I am away from Altenburg and cannot display any church records in this post. I do know what some of the church records say because we have transcriptions of them in our German Family Tree, but that is not the same as being able to display an image … More Herr Weseloh and His Luedemann Frau’s
A young couple was married in Potter, Nebraska, but both the bride and the groom were born and raised in Jackson County, Illinois. These two would not remain in Nebraska, but shortly after their marriage, they would return to the place of their births and live there the rest of their lives. This story begins … More David and Ida – The Fritsche’s
There are several reasons today’s post will be different than most. First of all, the main character of this story does not live long. In fact, he still hadn’t made it past his teenage years when he died, and that also means that he never married. Therefore, I do not have many documents to share … More Lightning Struck Suddenly
A post that was published at the beginning of 2021 told the story of John Oetjen, Sr. That post was titled, Land for a Church. Today, you will be told the story of his oldest son, John Oetjen, Jr. John, Sr. married a woman named Mary. John Jr. married a woman named Martha. It sounds sorta … More John Jr. and Martha Oetjen
I have a special birthday to highlight today. A baby boy by the name of Jakob Friedrich Arbeiter was born on August 19, 1871, making today his 150th birthday. This child would later go by the name of Fred or Frederick. He was born in Ittlingen, Germany. The map below illustrates how close that town … More The Arbeiters – Fred and Lena
