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Heinrich Jochim Jacob Ehlers
was born on 6 October 1807 presumably at Freetz, Kreis Schlawe, Pommern. He died on 4
September 1877 in Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin. According to the
passenger listing, Heinrich's residence was in Freetz. The marriage record
of his stepson, Herman Julius Carl Stark, indicated that he was born in Schlawe.
Therefore it is assumed that the family lived in Freetz, Kreis Schlawe, Pommern,
Prussia. The
Evangelical residents of Freetz belonged to the church in Alt Schlawe. Heinrich was married
about 1855 to Friederike Wilhelmine Burgemeister. She was born on
10 December 1816 in Pommern and died on 27 February 1892 in Watertown, Jefferson
County, Wisconsin. The Evangelical
resients of Freetz attended church Alt Schlawe. The Alt Schlawe
Evangelical Church is show above at the right.
A ship, named Elvira, sailing from Hamburg to
Quebec, Canada, in early June of 1866 lists the following family as passengers:
Joc. Jac. Ehlers,
master carpenter, 56 years of age, former residence Freetz. Fridike, wife,
47 years of age. Herman, son, 17 years of age. Franz August, son, 6
years of age. Mathilda, 4 years of age.
Although some of the information in
the passenger listing varies from other information I have gathered, it does
appear that this is indeed my ancestors. It appears that Heinrich and
Friederike shaved a few years off their age, probably to make themselves more
eligible to the immigration officials. Most German born immigrants had four given
names and chose from these names which name they would use. It appears
that Heinrich was most likely named Heinrich Jochim Jacob Ehlers.
Friederike was referred to as Wilhelmine
Burgemeister in her son's marriage record and therefore, it is assumed that her
maiden name was Friederike Wilhelmine Burgemeister. Research of the son,
Herman, 17 years of age on the passenger listing, indicated he was the son of
Friederike's first marriage to Wilhelm Stark. According to a story told by her
granddaughter, Friederike's first family all died of the black
plague, except for a baby that she carried in the apron of her dress as she fled
from the area.
The Ehlers family was extremely difficult to
research. They were not listed on either the 1870 or 1880 censuses.
Since they were so advanced in age by the time they emigrated, it is very likely
that they never established themselves in a home of their own and lived as
guests in the homes of relatives and therefore, were missed by the census
taker. Since Heinrich was a carpenter, it is also possible that the family
moved frequently wherever there were job opportunities by various wood mills.
Heinrich, Friederike and their daughter,
Mathilda, are interred in Saint John Lutheran Church Cemetery at Watertown,
Wisconsin. Karl and Caroline Hanke owned the lot that they are buried in,
according to the cemetery records. This supports the theory that they were
never able to establish themselves in America and died destitute and homeless.
I could find no relationship between
the Ehlers and Hanke families, but it is possible that one of them was niece,
nephew or cousin to either Heinrich or Friederike.
The children of Heinrich Jochim Jacob Ehlers
and Friederike Wilhelmine Burgemeister follow:
Mathilda Ehlers was born on 2 February 1858
in Pommern, possibly in the area of Freetz, Kreis Schlawe, Pomerania. She was confirmed at Saint John Lutheran Church on 2 April
1871 and died on 6 May 1877 in Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
Franz's daughter reported that she was crippled and could not walk. This could
explain the discrepancy in the passenger listing that indicated she was
younger than her brother. Her grave is next to her parents at Saint John
Lutheran Cemetery in Watertown, Wisconsin.
Franz Ernst August Ehlers was born on
3 March 1860 probably in the area of Freetz, Kreis Schlawe, Pommern. He died on 9 February 1939 in the town of Eaton,
Clark County, Wisconsin. He married Bertha Caroline Wilhelmine Post
widow of Gustav Post, on 26 February 1889 at Saint Paul Lutheran Church,
Oconomowoc, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
The son of Wilhelm Stark and Friederike
Burgemeister follows (he accompanied the Ehlers family to America):
Herman Carl Julius
Stark was born on 29 December 18348 in Kreis Schlawe, Pommern. He died
on 7 January 1923 in Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin. He was married to
Auguste Hulde (Johns) Johnson on 20 September 1876 at German Lutheran
Church, Janesville, Wisconsin. She died on 7 January 1917 in Janesville, Rock
County, Wisconsin. Herman used the name of Julius Carl on his marriage
record and he indicated he was born in Schlawe, Pomerania, Prussia.
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