Notes:

Engagement announcement in Centralia Sentinel.
Rev. and Mrs. G. F. Brink of Hoyleton announce the betrothal of daughter, Ruth, to Mr. Gerald R. Thorp, who is the son of Rev. and R. L. Thorp of Centralia.
In 1935 Miss Ruth Brink was graduated from Centralia Township School where she was May Queen attendant her junior and senior years. Since then she has been in radio work in St. Louis Stations KWK and __________. She has also been engaged in commercial photography. She attended the Nashville High School during the time her parents resided there.
Mr. Thorp was graduated from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa in 1936. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and ________ Delta Chi, professional fraternity. He is now City Editor of the Centralia Evening Sentinel, accepting the position in July following his graduation from college.
A late fall wedding is planned.

RUTH married THORP GERALD R. on 8 Nov 1938 in Hoyleton, Illinois. GERALD was born in 1914; died on 22 Nov 1966 in Centralia, Illinois; was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Centralia, Illinois. [Group Sheet]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living

Notes:

There is a copy of a newspaper clipping in the Brink unknown file that I believe is the wedding announcement of Gustav and Bertha Brink. It is written in German. wlg

FAREWELL SERVICE WELL ATTENDED
Sunday evening the largest gathering of people that has assembled at any local function for the past several months, was present in St. Paul's Evangelical Church to celebrate the farewell service given in honor of Monroe County's quota of the drafted army. Automobiles and conveyances of all kinds from all parts of the country were lined along our streets, but the attendance showed the extreme interest at heart which the entire population of the county has for those boys who have been called to defend "Old Glory".
A program, very fitting to an occasion of this kind, was carried out and due credit must be given Rev. C. F. Brink, the pastor, and Prof. C. Struckmeyer, organist, for their capability in arranging the affair. Rev. Brink's sermon, the songs by the choir and those by the congregation all conformed and tended to bring out the main subject of the evening, which was to trust not along in our physical and moral strength, but also in a spiritual strength, and to remember that without the help of the Almighty we can do nothing--with Him we can accomplish everything.
Rev. Brink's sermon must be lauded as it was an eloquent talk, short and to the point. He dealt with the human being glorying in his strength, and compared it with our soldier boys who now go forward to glory in theirs. He criticised those people who are going about and questioning the patriotism of the German-Americans. Who was it that helped our country gain its independence from England? Why, the good German-American populace, and as they fought and did their duty in those days, they will again help the Star Spangled Banner in this world war. Rev. Brink explained that he would not try to tell the young men of any military points, as that was the duty of others who are more disciplined in army tactics than he was: he warned them to trust always in the Almighty, and finally their reward will be reaped. He closed with a wish of godspeed to all the young men, and with hope that they will gain glory and honor by the side of the "Red, White and Blue."
The boys were presented with handsome covered programs as a remembrance of this parting occasion, the front page of which contained the picture of the church. They were bound together with red, white and blue ribbon, by the young ladies of the congregation.
The church choir rendered two appropriate songs during the evening's entertainment, and the members and their Instructor deserve credit for their efforts. Two songs by the congregation were also on the program. After the Lord's prayer, spoken in unison, and a blessing, the affair came to a close with the singing of the first verse of the national hymn, "America" by all present.

GUSTAV married BRINK BERTHA A. on 15 Jul 1915 in At Bride's Home. BERTHA (daughter of BRINK HENRY J. and HOFFMAN WILHELMINE (MINNIE) CATRIENE MARIA) was born in May 1887 in Washington County, Illinois; dob may be May 1886; died on 7 Dec 1964 in Washington Co., Il.; was buried in Zion Evangelical Cemetery, Hoyleton, Illinois. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Baptized April 19, 1955

FREDERICK married BECKMEYER SOPHIA M. A. (BOKEMEIER BOEKMEIER) on 20 Apr 1880. SOPHIA (daughter of BECKMEYER HEINRICH WILHELM BOKEMEIER (BOEKMEIER) and EICKMEYER ANNE MARIE KATHERINE SOPHIA) was born on 3 May 1860 in (dob may be March 5, 1860); died on 18 Jun 1934 in Washngton Co. Illinois; was buried in Zion U. C. Cemetery, Hoyleton, Washington Co., Illinois. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Carol Hotz lists her name as Anne Marie Luise Sophie b. March 5, 1860.

Beckmeyer Family History by Millie Krughoff for the Beckmeyer reunion.

This sketch was given at teh first Reunion of the Beckmeyer descendants at the park in the village of Hoyleton, Illinois, September 6, 1954; by Millie Brink Krughoff, Author. At the time, September 7, 1954, the Beckmeyer descendants numbered 315 sould of which 35 passed into Eternity.
This sketch of history of our ancestors begins in the 18th century, 162 years ago, in a picturesque village called Hullhorst, in Westfalia, Germany. We have no knowledge of ancestors before that time. In No. 10 the homestead where our story begins on March 21 in the year 1792, our maternal Great Grandfather Christian Fredrich Ludwig (Great) Eickmeyer was born and baptized in the Evangelical church of Hullhorst. Where Great-grandmother Anna Maria Louise Great Eickmeyer was born we do not know, but surmise it was Hullhorst or a neighboring village. Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother Eickmeyer were married May 6, 1814. They made their home on the Great Eickmeyer farm in Hullhorst. There were a number of Eickmeyers in Hullhorst and as far as knowledge could be ascertained, Great Grandfather owned the largest farm--hence the "Great Eickmeyer".
Grandmother Anna Katherine Marie Sophia Beckmeyer (nee Eickmeyer), was born May 12, 1815, the oldest child of Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother Eickmeyer. She was baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical church in and on August 4, 1836 she married Grandfather Heinrich Wilhelm (Korf) Beckmeyer. Grandfather took his bride to his own small farm in Hullhorst, homestead NO. 20, the birth place of our parents and which is operated by descendants of the people who purchased it in 1872.
Of Grandfather Beckmeyer's ancestors we have obtained no inforamtion, but we do know that he was born at Ohlson, (a neighboring village to Hullhorst) on a farm which is operated by a descendant of Grandfather's brother, but who knew nothing of the Beckmeyers. Granfather and Grandmother had eight children, the oldest died the first year of his life. The seven children are: Carl, Friedrichk, Wilhelm Ludwig, Heinrich, August and Sophia.
The narrative that follows I have from my mother Sophia Brink (nee Beckmeyer), who loved to tell about her beloved home and relatives in Germany. Descendants of those same relatives are living in Hullhorst, Germany and as a result of the second world war the Beckmeyer descendants in this country have sent food and clothing to those distant relatives across the ocean, when Germany suffered it's worst defeat in history and so very many people died of starvation due to the after effects of the war.
Our Grandparents Beckmeyer were very religious and pious. The chldren were all basptized and confirmed in the Evangelical church at Hullhorst, except Sophie was was confirmed in Aion Evangelical church at Hoyleton, Illinois. She was eleven years old when they came here. They all attended the state school, much like the parochial school here, regularly. It was called the state school because church and school were under the jurisdiction of the German government. The Beckmeyer children spent their childhood days much like all other normal children in Germany, at that time. They went to school, did chores, and also had their time for play. Although they had few toys they never-the-less had their fun in games. Their greatest fun was skating. They had no skates however so the boys would hammer large headed nails or tacks under the soles of wooden shoes to keep them from wearing away. There was a large pond in Hullhorst which was frozen during the entire winter where the youngsters of the whole village had a hilarious time skating. Today half of the pond is drained dry, and a monument dedicated in honor fo thedead soldiers of first world war, with beautiful shrubbery, and a carpet of grass surrounding, adorn the place where our parents once had a jolly time. In school religioon, reading, writing, and arithmetic were the main subjects. As a rule the teachers were very strick and one teacher took care of the whole school. In church the religious rites were much the same as our Evangelical rites here.
The houses were built very substantial. Some are still standing and in good repair that were built in the seventeen hundreds, among them the Beckmeyer Homestead No. 20. It was here that Grandfather Beckmeyer purchased a water pump, in 1865, it being the first water pump ever purchased in the village is still in good working order. The date is inscribed on the pump with Granfather and Grandmother's initials. I ahve this information from on of our relatives in Germany, Fred Kuhlmeyer, who did a little repair work on the pump in 1950. In the days when our parents were children in Germany, garments for the whole family were made of linen and wool. Flax was raised on the farm, hand processed, and spun in linen thread. The same way wool was spun into yarn for hose, socks, mittens, shawls, etc., or woven into material for garments. The woolen and linen threads were woven on wooden looms in the home. For men a heavier thread, for women and chldren a finer thread. After enought cloth was woven it was taken to a tailor who made garments for the whole family. They were simple and all made after the same pattern. The men wore short trousers, shirts, vests, coats and long, heavy wool hose, which came up over their knees. The women wore linen or wool dresses, all made in the same pattern; plain waist, gathered skirt and we must not forget the apron. it played in important role in the wardrobe. I remember Grandma Beckmeyer always wore an apron and a little woolen shawl around the shoulders and tucked in the belt of the apron. Wooden shoes were worn but mother said, at teh time they left Germany, people were beginning to wear leather shoes. Mother had one pair which were worn only on Sundays. Shoes were not bought in stores, but were made to order by a cobbler. Life in Germany was very simple, and having only a few acres of land, cows were used to pull the plows and other implements to till the soil. The Beckmeyers had a horse or two at intervals. On the Great Eickmeyer farm they had four or more horses. Furniture was simple and not much of it. A rustic talbe, wooden chairs, cabinet for cooking utensils and dishes, and a stove in teh kitchen, no other stove in the house. A large bed in the bed room and roll away beds for the small children. The small beds were rulled under the large one during the day. Meals were simple and wholesome. For the noon meal a stew of vegetables and a small piece of meat were cooked during the morning hours adn at meal time the soup was emptied into a large bowl, set in the center of the table, where all could help themselves to their share; using wooden spoons, hand-made and polished smooth as glass. Sugar was used very little and the fruit was eaten without sugar.
Bread baking was done outside in a stone overn. On baking day a fire was started in the oven and was kept burning until the right empterature for baking, then the coals and fire were removed from the oven and 15 to 20 loaves of bread baked at one time. The bread dough was kneaded in a (Backtrog) Bake trough they called it. The men did the kneading because it was too much to handled for the women. Cakes, cookies and pastries were baked in bakeries. At a funeral the upper grade school children had to sing and for this would receive a bun covered with sugar. Mother's brother August would always bring his bun home and give it to her, and mother would share it with him. What a token of love between borther and sister.
As all normal children do, the Beckmeyer children grew and after confirmation came the question of employement. There was not enough work on the small farm for six boys, and not enough money to send them to college. In those days many young men, yes whole families came to America, where opportunities for business and farming were great. In order to avoid military training, the boys would leave before they were eighteen years. When Carol Beckmeyer reached that age, he too, left his home, parents and brother to come to America with his uncle Carl Eickmeyer. They settled in Illinois where they worked for farmers who were mostly English settlers. In winter tehy split rails for fencing. When the stock law came into effect, the farmers had to fence their stock, which before could roam the prairies at will. After Carl ahd enough money he bought his own farm. Land sold for very little money at that time. Next in line to leave was Fred Beckmeyer, before he was eighteen, he also went to America.
Before I go on I must relate an incident, such as we often read in books, but think it could never happen in real life, but this story is not fiction but fact. When Fred left for America, he sailed from Bremen, but the ship was not quite ready to sail, so Fred took his baggage aboard and in his spare time took a stroll uptown. When he came back the ship had sailed without him but with his baggage. There was nothing he could do but wait till the next ship sailed for America. He did not or could not notify his parents and while they thought him on the ocean he was still in Bremen. But the ship he was to have sailed on, sank during a severe storm, and not a person was saved. When after weeks of waiting for a letter from Fred which did not come, they received word from some source, stating the fact that the ship on which Fred Beckmeyer sailed was lost at sea and everyone on board it. Imagine the shock and grief this notice brought into the Beckmeyer household. their boy, who such a short time ago, was such a care free lad, full of fun, who had great hopes for the future in the new country, dead? He was mourned as dead, by all relatives and friends. A memorial service was held in his honor and August was named Fred it being his middle name. We can only imagine their joy and thanksgiving to the Lord when weeks later they received a letter from Fred stating his safe arrival in America.
William was the next to go, but as Louis was confirmed, (he was 15 years old) it seems the two came to America together. Now by this time Grandmother was talking of coming to America, but Granfatehr would not hear of it. He would stay in Germany. But when Henry also left for the new country and only two children, August and Sophie, were left in teh Beckmeyer household, Granmother kept on talking America, hoping Grandfather might change his mind. Her wish was granted sooner than she had anticipated. About two years after Henry's departure, Louis came to Germany for a few months visit with his parents. No doubt Louis was on Grandmother's side on teh America question and August, the woungest son was confirmed, was fifteen eyars old and might want to join his brothers in America. All this might have had something to do with Grandfather's decision. Be that as it may, Grandfather did make up his mind to come to America. I here quote my mother's words, "One evening father came home from the village and said to mother, "Katherine get ready, We are going to America." The surprise of tehse words, the eagerness to get ready for the journey, the thought of seeing the boys again, but also the sadness of parting with everything dear to them, I leave for each one who reads this episode to consider. After a few days when everything was attended to, the Beckmeyer family bid farewell to Hullhorst, Germany, farewell to relatives and friends and started teh long journey across the Atlantic in September 1872, in happy anticipation of the future. But alas...things do not always turn out as we would want, for during the twelve day (should this be 12 week? wlg) voyage on the ocean, Grandfather Beckmeyer became violently ill and died aboard ship just as land was sighted. The authorities would not allow the remains of Grandfather Beckmeyer to be taken by train to Illinois. Grandfather lies buried in New York and Louis is the only one of the family who knew and saw the last resting place of Brandfather Beckmeyer. Grandmother now had to make the end of the journey alone with her children. They made their first visit with Carl and family on his farm. Mother said when they came to Carl's place and met his wife and children, Anna five and Fred about two years old, she was so taken with everything she saw, (all so different than in Germany) that she forgot for the time being the grief of losing her father, but when her brother Henry came to see them all was told about Grandfather's death, he cried out loud and teh sad experience of losing a loved one came back.
Later the Beckmeyer brothers purchased a farm with Grandmother's money southeast of Hoyleton, Illinois
Fred Beckmeyer had moved to Wichita, Kansas with his family. He came a year or two later for a visit with his wife and child, Nancy. That was the only tiem my mother saw her brother Fred in her whole life, for he had gone to America before my mother was born.
So now we come to the end of this narrative. Grandmother Beckmeyer was reunited with her children, but Grandfather, the head of the clan, was missing. In due time the wounds of sorrow were healed by One in Whom Granmother firmly believe, her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She lived to see all her children married and have homes of their own. She made her home with August, who inherited the farm. Alvin Beckmeyer, youngest son of August, owns the farm now. Grandmother as I remember her was a true Christian character, and one who could pray and believed in prayer. She passed into Eternity on her birthday, the 12th day of May, 1891, reaching the age of 75 years. Blessed be her memory.
From Brink/Beckmeyer Family History 1999


Poem written by Millie Krughoff for the Beckmeyer reunion:

FAITH OF OUR ANCESTORS

Faith of our Ancestors, true to God
Thro' all the fires of mortal strife,
Holding the promises of old,
Strong in the everlasting life.
Faith of our Ancestors, Oh how strong
Like anchor chains, that would not break,
No matter how the tempest raved,
They always knew that Jesus saved.
Faith of our ancestors, true as steel,
Calm and sweet, their trust in God's Love,
Firmly they trod the upward way,
Until they reached the Home above.
God grant that every Beckmeyer descendant
May have this firm trust and faith,
That the upward way, our Ancestors trod,
Leads to the mansions of our God.

There are eight pages of photographs at the end of the Brink/Beckmeyer Family History of various family members. There is a copy of this book in the Nashville Public Library where you could see the pictures if you like.
Our copy is filed under Beckmeyer. wlg

HENRY married HOFFMAN WILHELMINE (MINNIE) CATRIENE MARIA on 2 Feb 1882 in NP Church, Washington County, Illinois; Wm. Kleinschmidt officiating, T. Brink & Anna Hoffmann witnesses. WILHELMINE (daughter of HOFFMANN WILLIAM ALEXANDER and TUEGEL WILHEMINA) was born on 14 Nov 1863 in Washington County, Illinois; died on 2 Oct 1958 in Okawville Washington Co. Illinois; was buried in North Prairie Cemetery, Washington Co., IL.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Among the foreign born citizens of Washington County was Senator F. E. W. Brink, who was born on March 17, 1827 in Westphalia, a Province of Prussia. He left his native country at an early age and came to America, landing in Washington County September 22, 1844. His parents followed a year later. He went to New Orleans as a shipping clerk for 7 years and returned to Washington County on May 6, 1854 and married Carolina Hoffman who had also immigrated here from Prussia. They were the parents of ten children, namely: Fred Brink, Carolina Krueger, Louise Rolf, Mary Cohlmeyer, Henry Brink, Ann Cohlmeyer, Elizabeth Greiman, Rev. Edward Brink, and Flora Cohlmeyer. Frederich was involved in farming and stock-raising. They owned a farm in North Prairie, now owned by the Dueker family. In 1872 they moved to Hoyleton where he and William Weigel owned the Mill.

In politics, he was a democrat. His first vote was cast for Lewis Cass in 1848. In 1874, the Repubican party nominated him for Representative in General Assembly, but he did not accept. In 1876 he was nominated for the office of State Senator on the Democratic ticket for the 42nd District. He accepted the nomination and was elected by a handsome majority. While a member of the 30th Legislature he was honored with the chairmanship of an important committee. In the 31st General Assembly, he was a member of the committee on State Charitable Institutions, the Agriculture Drainage, Miscellaneous and Manufacturing and Labor Committee. He and his wife were life-long members of the Hoyleton Zion Church, of which he was one of the founders.


Newspaper article regarding the original Zion Evangelical Cemetery and Zion Evangelical Church in North Prairie - date of article unknown. (This cemetery is prior to North Prairie Methodist Church Cemetery).

HOYLETON CHURCHMEN HONOR PIONEER DEAD by Grover Brinkman

Back in 1861, a group of eighteen farmers met at the home of Frederick E. W. Brink in North Prairie to establish a new church. Eight acres of land was purchased from F. W. Krughoff for $12.50 per acre, and preliminary plans were made for the building program, which included a church, school, parsonage and "laying-off" a cemetery. Later that year, carpenter Henry Hake was given a contract to build a church 30 x 50 feet, 16 ft. high, with eight windows and a tower. He was to receive $217 for his labor.
The day the tower of the new church was completed, a bad storm leveled the building. Undaunted, the members set about to rebuild the church, completed it in 1863.
Back in those days, when the infant farm congregation was being organized, prices of commodities, compared with today, are little short of amazing. For instance, when the parsonage was ready for painting, the labor amounted to $15. Later a fence was built to enclose the property, each member being required to furnish ten fence posts or contribute a dime. On one occasion, the pastor was compelled to build his own chicken house. Another pastor, desiring a porch on the parsonage, added it himself.
Today this pioneer church is gone, its members long ago having transferred to Hoyleton, but the old cemetery remains. And recently a cemetery committee composed of Rueben Westerfeld, Clarence Hake, Roland and William Beckemeyer, were appointed to restore the long-neglected burial ground, now a thicket of hedge and bramble, dug up by marmots. Many of the old stones were gone, broken or vandalized. So, for the record, a large central marker was erected, upon which are engraved the names of all who are buried here, 85 in number. The oldest grave is that of Marie Westerfeld, born in 1832.
A new chain fence protects the site, which is southeast of New Minden and southwest of Hoyleton. Here is an example of pioneer cemetery restoration that is commendable. Washington County, like its sister counties in southern Illnois, has many of these old burial grounds, most of them completely neglected. Updating the same with a central marker, inscribed with all the names of those buried, seems a fine idea

FREDERICK married HOFFMAN CAROLINE C. (MARIA) on 5 May 1854. CAROLINE (daughter of HOFFMAN UNKNOWN and UNKNOWN UNKNOWN) was born on 7 Jul 1834 in May have arrived New Orleans via ship President Schmidt in 1852.; died on 6 Jan 1909 in Washington County, Illinois; was buried in Zion Evangelical Cemetery, Hoyleton, Illinois. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

John Ernest Henry Buhrman died at sons H. H. Buhrmans home Sun. Age 91 yrs. 3 mo. 9 days. Born in Unterluebbe, Kries Minden, Germany 1837. In 1840 served in German Army. In 1847 he married Augusta Wipperman of the same place. Left Germany September 3, 1852, he, wife, and son came to America accompanied by Fred Buhrman and August Steffen on Steamship President Schmidt. Also on the boat were Wm. Koeneman of Nashville, Ernest Weihe of New Minden, Mrs. Fred Kleeman of North Prairie, Mr. F. E. W. Brink of Hoyleton. They landed 1852 at New Orleans. Buhrman came to St. Louis and his late son, Dr. A Buhrman was born. Moved to Nashville August 13, 1853.

Notes:

He took his bride to his own small farm in Hullhorst, homestead Nr. 20, Westfalen, Germany.

In transcribing descendents from the book BRINK/BECKMEYER FAMILY HISTORY compiled by Carol Hotz 1999 it was sometimes difficult to keep everything straight as spouses names were not given. I used UNKNOWN in place of missing spouse names. I just hope I have interpreted everything correctly. If anyone sees any errors, please contact me. wlgines

HEINRICH married EICKMEYER ANNE MARIE KATHERINE SOPHIA on 4 Aug 1836. ANNE (daughter of EICKMEYER CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH LUDWIG and NIEDERMEYER ANNE MARIE LUISE) was born on 12 May 1815. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical church in Hullhorst, Westfalen, Germany.

WILLIAM married GERKEN MARY (MARIE) (MARIAGLE) WOEPKE on 25 Nov 1849. MARY was born on 25 Mar 1832; died on 31 Mar 1891 in Washington County, Illinois; was buried in North Prairie Cemetery, Washington Co., IL.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

William was a farmer, also worked as a carpenter.

WILLIAM married TUEGEL WILHEMINA on 16 Oct 1859. WILHEMINA was born on 2 Apr 1840; died on 19 Jan 1876. [Group Sheet]