THE STORY OF BRUNKE & GEESKE STRATEMEIER
Brunke Siebolds Stratemeier was a worker in Loquard. We don’t know where he worked – if he was a farmer or a hired man, if he owned property or if he worked in a shop. He was probably a hired man on a farm because one of the reasons for going to America was the cheap land and because farm laborers here were poor. And I think he was a farm laborer because his son, Henry, at age 14, when he arrived at Ellis Island in New York, identified his occupation as farmer.
He was born on February 17, 1820 in Loquard. The proclamation of his wedding was between November 18th and December 21, 1855 in both Loquard and Manslagt. Brunke was 35 years old.
On December 21, 1855 Brunke and Geeske Wilken Wagenaar were married. On that same day, according to the church book, Trientje Albers Stratemeier was born to Brunke and Geeske in Manslagt where she was also baptized on January 6, 1856.
Geeske was born on September 21, 1833 making her a 22 year old bride and mother on the same day. [We’ll never know if Brunke stepped in to be a father to Trientje. We don’t know if Brunke was her father by birth or did he stand in for a different man? Perhaps Mr. Albers? One can wonder, but one cannot assume.]
Geeske had six pregnancies; two of the children died very young. After Trientja was born they moved from Manslagt to Loquard (or she and Trientja went to Loquard to live with Brunke where he had been working for perhaps 20 years).
Two years later, Geeske had Jacob Brunkes (December 8, 1857) in Loquard. [There is no question as to the father of this child since his middle name tells the story.] He was baptized on March 1, 1858 in Loquard, but on May 6, 1858, because of weakness or a failure to thrive, Jacob died at five months and was buried on May 10, 1858 in Loquard.
Another baby, also named Jacob Brunkes, was born on May 12, 1859 in Loquard. This was just a year after his brother died. [Many families gave the next baby the name of the one who died just before.] This second Jacob was baptized on June 19, 1859 in Loquard.
Now, four more years went by and another little girl was born on July 15, 1863 in Loquard named Mareke. [They did not give her a middle name.] The baptism was held in Loquard on August 9, 1863.
Geeske lost another baby in 1869. Hindertje Evers [I believe Geeske’s mother’s name was Evers – see above in the church book information.] was born on October 2, 1867 and baptized on October 27, 1867 in Loquard. But on August 2, 1869, when she was less than two years old, this little girl died of a stomach ailment and was buried on August 5, 1869.
Just a year later, the last child was born, a boy named Hinderk Evers [the male counterpart of Hindertje – the same name as the lost child]. He was baptized on September 11, 1870.
For 14 years, things seemed to be going along fine. Brunke and Geeske worked hard. The children grew and the two oldest went about their lives, probably leaving home to find their own way. Geeske may not have been in the best health, but perhaps Trientje helped her with the housekeeping. It was in 1884 that Geeske fell ill with some ailment [unknown] and died. On July 11, 1884, she was buried in Loquard.
Brunke, at 64 years of age, was left with four children, Trientje (29), Jacob (25), Mareka (20) and Hinderk (14). All of them apparently decided to make the long move to America – even Brunke. Family stories tell that Mareke and Hinderk left on the ship to Amerika by themselves, but it has always been a mystery how Brunke, Jacob and Trientje made the trip. More research needs to be done. Brunke, Mareka (Miller) and Hinderk are all buried in the Chancellor, SD Reformed Church Cemetery two miles south and one mile east of the village of Chancellor. I believe Jacob is buried at the Germantown Presbyterian Church Cemetery near Chancellor, SD. When he died, they misspelled his name on the tombstone and it reads Jacob Stratmejer. He was married to Sevarina Van Hove and died early. Heinderk (Henry) Evers Stratmeyer who lost his wife, my grandmother Anna Wibben Stratmeyer, married Jacob’s wife Sevarina who also had about 4-5 kids and raised them 7 miles north of Lennox on a farm and from there donated the land for the Salem Presbyterian Church where they raised their “Brady Bunch.” Trientje eventually married my grandmother’s father, Geerd (George) Wibben. They farmed near Dalton, SD (50 miles west of Lennox) and retired in George, Iowa where they are both buried in the George, Iowa town cemetery.
*** Add the story of Trientja’s three children she had in Germany: I do know that Trientja married Geert Wibben, my great grandfather [Anna Wibben Straatmeyer, my grandmother was his daughter] after his first wife died and they farmed a half mile north of Dolton, SD, perhaps 40 miles west of Lennox. They retired in George, Iowa and he is also buried there.
In the New World, Mareka married a Mr. Heeren in Ridot, Illinois, bore two children, buried her husband and as a window married a Mr. Wilt Miller. Apparently they eventually moved to South Dakota and located in the Chancellor, Tea, and Lennox areas.
Hinderk Evers Stratemeier became Henry Evert Stratemeyer, grew to manhood, married Anna Wibben, who also came from Loquard, Ostfriesland and they had several children, one of whom was Henry William Stratemeier, Henry Gene Straatmeyer’s father.
The name changed in America and there are a number of versions of the name around, most common being Straatmeyer (sounds more Dutch) and Stratmeyer.
Information taken from the “Historical Families Book” in Loquard, Ostfriesland 1632 - 1910
(This record is from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Loquard, Krummhorn, Ostfriesland, Germany)
This part of the Stratemeier family was Evangelical Lutheran until they arrived in America.
1891 Stratemeier, Brunke Siebolds 1899, Arbeiter zu Loquard * 17.2.1820 Loquard oo I procl. 18.11. – 21.12.1855 Loquard u. Manslagt Wagenaar, Geeske Wilken 2046. 1870 Geske Evers gen. * 21.9.1833 Manslag (=3) 11.7.1884 Loquard 53/9/-
Children:
Trientje Albers Stratemeier 1904 * 21.12.1855 Manslagt (~2) 6.1.1856 Manslage
Jacob Brunkes *8.12.1857 Loquard (=3) 3.1.1858 Loquard (Tfz: Die Eltern) + 6.5.1858 Loquard, 4M/4W (Torminen) (=3) 10.5.1858 Loquard
Jacob Brunkes * 12.5.1859 Loquard (~2)19.6.1859 Loquard (Tfz: Der Vater)
Mareke * 15.7.1863 Loquard (~2) 9.8.1863 Loquard (Tfz: Der Vater)
Hindertje Evers * 2.10.1867 Loquard (~2) 27.10.1867 Loquard (Tfz: Die Eltern) + 2.8.1869 Loquard, 1J/10M (Krampfe) (=3) 5.8.1869 Loquard.
Hinderk Evers * 22.8.1870 Loquard (~2) 11.9.1870 (Tfz: Die Eltern)
(Henry Evert Stratemeier – Gene’s Grandfather – we verified the birthdate!)
Meaning of symbols:
* geboren born
(~2) getrauft baptized
oo I, II usw. 1., 2. Ehe usw legitimate marriage and children
o-o unehelich illigitimate
(=3) begraben buried
Procl. Proklamiert a couple was required to post notice of their upcoming marriage in the town(s) where they were born or were living at the time
S.d. Sohn des (der) son
T.d. Tochter des(der) daughter
S. Seite side
s. siehe ?
st standesamtlich civil marriage
Tfz: Who witnessed the baptism of the child.
Comments
Post a Comment