| Notes |
- A BRIEF BUT GENERAL SYNOPSIS OF THE HAKE FAMILY
In the early 1849's, the people of Germany rebelled aainst their government and it was this internal strife that caused so many people to migrate to America during this period in history. Germany, at that time, had compulsory military training and as a consequence, many families with boys of military age, left their homeland.
At this time, the Hake Family lived in the small village of Hoerdinghausen, under the Council of Wittlage, in the Lutheran parish of Lintorf, in the kingdom of Hanover. The Father, Friedrich Wilhelm and the mother, Henriette Albertina had three sons, Johann Heinrich, Friedrich Wilhelm and Ernst Friedrich. A daughter, Anna, died in her teens of diphtheria. Since Henry would soon attain military age, application for passports to America was made. The family disposed of their small home, built of native stone and disposed of most of their personal possessions. The father, a stone cutter, by trade, walked eleven miles to the mountains and carried lumber to Hoerdinghausen out of which he built a large chest into which they placed those articles which they wished to take to their new home. In addition to being a stone cutter, the father was also the night watchman in the small village of Hoerdinghausen. He walked the streets, nightly, sounding an hourly blast on a horn furnished by the village. At midnight, his wife relieved him of this responsibility in order that he might get a few hours of sleep prior to his returning to his chores in the stone quarry. The editor of this compilation has the wooden mouthpiece which was used on the horn. It was received by him from his father, H. F. W. Hake, a grandson of Friedrich Wilhelm. A photograph of the mouthpiece appears on a later page of this compilation.
The family set sail across the Atlantic early in 1848. Their ship was caught in a hurricane and was buffetted about for three months which ultimately forced the craft south of the equator. Anchor was finally cast at New Orleans, Louisiana where the Hake family transferred to a river steamer and proceeded to St. Louis where they landed later in 1848. The first family home was established in this city when the boys were aged 17, 14, and 12, respectively. A descendant has deduced that this first residence was in the neighborhood of Warren and 12th streets which is in the northern part of the city. Henry, as he was commonly called, joined a Methodist Church in the vicinity. The father, Frederick, though a stone cutter in Germany, did not follow this trade in his new environment but worked at miscellaneous jobs which he sought out.
There is an interesting side light to the arrival of the family in St. Louis. Having announced to their neighbors in Hoerdinghausen their intention to migrate to the United States, they gathered for a farewell party prior to their departure. A neighbor handed a letter to Frederich, Sr. addressed "August Schmidt, America" and asked that he deliver it. Little did he realize the wide spaces in the United States. However, we are told that they did actually meet Schmidt in St. Louis and that he finally delivered the letter from Germany.
Henry was employed as a cooper and remained in St. Louis for several years where he joined the Washington Street Methodist Episcopal Church in 1850. Fred, the second son, started as an apprentice in the tailoring trade in Germany but did not care for that type of activity and turned to bookbinding in his new home. He became a great lover of books as was evidenced by the vast library which he accumulated during his lifetime. He is also reputed to have learned the art of knitting in Germany. It was a common practice for the women of the families to do the spinning while the men often did the knitting. Ernst worked in St. Louis for a cigar maker.
Apparently, it was never the intention of the Hake family to settle permanently in an urban area. Rather, it was their ambition to acquire title to and to live on a portion of the vast prairies of the middle west. By coincidence, an acquaintance from near the present site of Nashville came to St. Louis to market some produce. Friedrich, Sr. accompanied him in his oxen drawn wagon to Nashville and then continued, on foot, to the home of Herman Backs of North Prairie, a distant relative. He stayed overnight and revealed his ambitious plan to his host. The next day, he packed their few belongings, after having been in the city for about one year, and moved into a small log cabin on the Herman Backs farm. This farm is owned, today, by Herman Maschoff and occupied by the Backs brothers and sisters, grandhcildren of Herman. The farm is located on the west side of State Highway #127. Incidentally, Henry remained in St. Louis but the father, mother, and two younger sons made the move to North Prairie. The three men split rails, presumably to earn sufficient money to ultimately purchase the land which they desired. Friedrich, Jr. worked, part-time, for the Henry, Carter and Kennedy families. Ernst worked for a family named Craig. Here the boys leaned the English language. The Craigs were especially interested in teaching young Ernst.
Some years later, the father purchased the farm which was later owned by his son Ernst, then by his son Julius and today by Warner Clark who married LaVonne, the daughter of Julius. The farm consisted of 160 arcres and on it, the family built a log cabin. Land, of course, was comparatively cheap. A short distance northwest of their farm stood a small Methodist Church erected and attended by the early English settlers. The first German people also attended this church. Later, when the commuity became almost 100% German, a German Methodist Church was organized and the same building was utilized for this purpose. Friedrich was a charter member of this new congregation. As the membership increased, a larger edifice was built on the Christ Brink farm. It was named the Emmanuel Methodist Church of North Prairie. The building still stands but the congregation has disbanded. Land was given by Fred W. Krughoff, Jr. for a cemetery. This ended the established practice of burying the deceased near their homes. Adults were, for many years, buried in rows and children were also buried in their rows. This practice originated in Germany because of a scarcity of land. This custom was later abolished in the North Prairie Cemetery and it became possible for a family to purchase a burial lot large enough to accommodate the entire family after death. Another interesting German custom was, in the event of death, to hold brief services in the home of the deceased, then the body was interred after which mourners and friends entered the church for a memorial service.
Late in 1857, Henry moved to North Prairie from St. Louis and acquired the farm now occupied by Howard Hake, his grandson. He built a home for his bride-to-be. On March 18, 1858, he returned to the city where he married Louisa Blomberg. He had belonged to the Washington Street Methodist Church in St. Louis but transferred his membership to the North Prairie church. Frederick, the second son, married the daughter of a charter member of the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Sophia Charlotte Hartmann. At this time, Frederick was 26 years of age and Charlotte was 18. This union was blessed with 15 children. As mentioned before, he was not only a lover of books but was a devoutly spiritual man. As a lay pastor, he filled various pulpits on innumerable occasions and served as Sunday School Superintendent for almost 40 years. He dispensed homeopathic medicines to his friends. Not being licensed, he was not permitted to make a charge for his medications. (His nephew, Henry, son of Ernst, later also became much interested in the study of medicine and practiced homeopathy, also on an unlicensed basis, among his relatives without the benefit of remuneration). He was also known as an expert horticulturist. Frederick suffered a heart attack on January 13, 1903 while walking to Huegly Station where he planned to board a train for Nashville to transact business. Funeral services were held in the Emmanuel Church on which occasion a sermon was preached by the Presiding Elder, the Reverend Mohle of Belleville assisted by the Reverends H. W. Miller and Pannwitt. His wife followed him in death on August 16, 1925, attaining the age of 83 years.
Karl Weber was, as has been pointed out, an adopted son of Frederick, Jr. He came to live with the family about three months before his mother died. His father was confined to a hospital and probably died there. The Webers had lived in Nasville with their three children, Rebecca, Karl and Lenora. The mother died of tuberculosis. After her death, Karl went to live with the Frederick Hakes, the baby, Lenora, went to the Ernst Hake home and Becky made her home with the Henry Hakes. Lenora later lived with a Korf family who had no children of their own. Becky later joined the family of the Chris Fiekers. She married a man named Anderson, had one daughter and died at a comparatively young age. Mrs. Fieker was Martha Brink of North Prairie. Mrs. Karl Weber's mother was a sister of Henriette Albertina Hake, the mother of the three brothers which accounted for their willingness to give temporary homes to the Weber children.
Ernst, when his father could spare him, worked for a family named Craig. They were proud of this teen-ager and it was while he worked for the Craigs that he learned the English language and had the benefit of other related schooling. He was known as a man well versed in the language of his new country and a speaker of fluent English. North Prairie was originally settled by New Englanders, a great many of whom were textile workers. They did the knitting, spinning and weaving in their homes being employed by a large textile company. They were, for the most part, poor farmers and did not meet with great economic success so many of them moved to Kentucky and Tennessee. South of this area, where the Hakes lived, there were several Englishmen who were relatively successful in their farming ventures. Among these were the Henrys and Thompsons who lived their latter days in Nashville.
Ernst's wife, Sophia Schnakenberg Hake came to America with a family named Brink. At tht time, ships did not transport single women without proper chaperonage. Sophia, as a young girl was named Tibke. She came to America under that name with her cousin, Vupke. She worked for an English family the head of which once suggested to her that she choose a name more to her liking than Tibke. On an impulse, she selected "Sophia" and that became her legal name. In later life, she often commented about her choice and wondered why she chose it. Whether Vupke changed her name is not known. Those who knew Sophia agreed that she was a happy person. She used to tell her children and grandchildren about the street dances which she enjoyed in the streets of Hanover. She also described their colorful costumes and the flowers which were strewn in the streets during their festivities. Sophia had a brother in Schenectady, New York, who came to visit her on at least one occasion after he retired. She also had a sister in Sandoval with whom she frequently socialized. A humorous incident is associated with the wedding of Ernst and Sophia. Some of our young readers are probably not familiar with the community participation in a charivari (commonly known as shivaree) following weddings of well known neighbors. The imminent wedding plans of this young couple were a well guarded secret. Only a few of their male friends were apprised of the coming nuptial event. They suggested to their wives that they get ready to make a trip to Nashville on the pretext of business needs. Instead of going to Nashville, however, they stopped at the previously selected home where the wedding was to be held and served as witnesses. This secrecy dampened the enthusiastic celebration which normally followed the knotting of marital bonds.
The original log cabin, built by Friedrich, Sr., stood on the site of Warner Clark's garage which is located on the farm which our pioneer ancestor purchased and cultivated. During the latter years of its existence, it was used as a cattle stall and chicken house. It has disappeared from the scene although many descendants now living still remember it. The home which replaced the log cabin is pictured on a later page of photographs appearing in this study.
About 1857, H. W. Finke and his wife, Maria Elsaben, came to America from Hanover, Germany with their two sons, Heinrich and Casper. Heinrich married Louisa Joebker, a niece of Henrietta Albertina, the wife of Friedrich, Sr. Casper married Mary Krueger. They lived in St. Louis and then North Prairie. Maria Elsaben, it will be remembered, was a sister of Friedrich. A study of the Finke family presents another challenge to the genealogist but it is mentioned here only to show how the family is related to the Hake line.
Pictured on a later page are the two churches which figured prominently in the lives of the early Hakes. The views at the top of the page are of the John the Baptist Lutheran Church in Lintorf, Germany where our ancestors attended. It is very likely that the stones came from the same quarry in which Friedrich worked although long before his time since the church is known to be about 1000 years old. It was originally a Catholic Church but became Lutheran following the Great Reformation. The Lutheran Church is today the state church in Germany and is supported entirely by public taxes. The two lower photographs are of the Emmanuel Methodist Church of North Prairie to which earlier reference has been made. Friedrich, Sr. and his two older sons were charter members of this church. Ernst, while a regular attendant, was only 13 years of age at the time that the church was organized and is not listed as a charter member.
There are in the United States and in the midwest, in particular, families who spell their name "Haake". If that branch is related to ours, the relationship is probably rather remote since the earliest records show our ancestors spelling their name "Hacke" which became "Hake" after arrival in the United States. The "Low" German dialect seemed to prevail among our ancestors. However, when the editor of this publication visited in Hoerdinghausen last summer the common language was more like the "High" German which he studied in college.
A HAKE REUNION, JULY 4, 1920
On one of the rare occasions when the three Hake families met for a reunion, the assembly was held on the Henry Huck farm at North Prairie. The exact date of the picnic has not been positively confirmed but available evidence points to the above date. At the picnic, a band, quartette and baseball teams composed of members of the Hake families performed. Henry F. W. Hake, son of Ernst, gave a talk in Low German in which he traced the history of the family. It was translated into Hihg German and reproduced in the Nashville Volksblatt. It appears below as carefully translated into English which is probably more understandable to the majority of our readers. It is interesting to note that Frederick's wife, Sophia, and Ernst and his wife, Sohia, were in attendance at this outing. The High German version is reproduced following the English text.
The descendants of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Hake, who have increased within 70 years from 5 to 148 members, held a reunion in North Prairie on Monday. Pictures of the two ancestors had been enlarged by the artistic hand of young Herbert Hake (a great-grandson) from a photograph. A quartet composed of Elmer, Julius, Harvey and Louis Hake sang familiar hymns and the Hake Band played appropriate music. The following people attended the reunion from a distance: Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hake and Miss Ella Hake from Benton; Martin Hake and wife, and Melvin Hake and wife from Centralia; as well as Melvin Hake and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Hake, Bert Hake and family, and Miss Gertrude Hake from St. Louis.
Reunion speeches were made by the Reverend E. Hemke of North Prairie and the Reverend L. Duewel and Mr. Henry Hake of Nashville, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Hake of North Prairie. In his speech, Mr. Hake said, in part: "If I had the gift of oratory and vocabulary of a William Jennings Bryan, this task would be much simpler, and I would be able to tell you the story of our family tree more eloquently. Since this is not the case, I shall be brief. In the year 1848, there lived in the small village of Hoerdinghausen, in the district of Wittlage, in the kingdom of Hanover, in old Germany, a family of five persons. To this family there came glowing reports of America, the New World, with endless forests and great prairies still untouched and still waiting for settlers. These reports awakened in the family a tremendous desire to emigrate to the New World. The decision to leave Germany was quickly made, and preparations for the long and difficult journey were soon begun. The family home and household effects were sold at auction. Clothing and other personal belongs were packed into one large chest and a single suitcase. Thus, Father Frederick William Hake with his wife and three sons boarded a sailing ship. They turned their backs on what had been their homeland in cramped and crowded Germany and eagerly faced the prospect of a new home in a spacious land of freedom. After almost three months on the vast ocean, during which they were tossed by angry waves, forced to live on the ship's hard-tack, buffeted by storms, abandoned by favorable winds in long days of calm, and weakened by seasickness, they finally arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River near the city of New Orleans. Here, they were transferred with their meager belongings from the sailing ship to a steamboat which brought them slowly upstream to St. Louis. The river port was the first home of our ancestors in the land of freedom.
But it was never the intention of our patriarch to become an urban settler. His goal and desire were to live among the open fields. He wanted to build his home on the prairie, and after two years, he finally succeeded in doing so. In the year of 1850, here on the beautiful North Prairie of the American Egypt, a tract of land was purchased from the government. Amid the high grass of the prairie, a log cabin was built. The tough prairie sod was broken, fields were enclosed with rail fences, oxen pulled the plows, and the virgin soil was seeded. It was a labor of inspiration and perspiration, but Almighty God, whom they had learned to trust in their homeland, responded to their daily supplications by blessing their endeavors. Food sprang from their fields in abundance, and flowering vines beautified their humble dwelling.
Years passed. The three sons grew to manhood. Looking upon the daughters of their adopted land, they found them beautiful, and each of them chose a bride. Here then, grew the main branches of our family tree. From these main branches grew twigs, which, in time, became new branches. These, in turn, grew other twigs. Today, we see this large tree in all of its beauty standing before us. When our eyes look upon all who stand in its shade, we say with the Psalmist: 'Greatly has the Lord blessed us. Let us be joyful!'
Our founding elders lived in this land of freedom for 39 years. For the past 33 years, they have been at rest. Three of the main branches of our tree, a Mother and two Fathers, have also crossed the Jordan and have entered the gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem. The other three main branches, two Mothers and a Father, are still with us, this afternoon. We are grateful that they are here. Whenever we hold their hands in family fellowship, we are filled with wonder and gladness. The burdens of the day have been heavy for them, and the evening of their lives is drawing near. We pray that God will permit them to be among us for a little longer.
Our ancestor chose farming to earn his livelihood, and most of his descendants have also chosen this noble occupation. But we are also represented in other professions. We could move to a different land
and continue to have all the skills necessary to insure our comfort and well-being. We are not only farmers who till the land, seed the land and, almost by magic, produce bread from the land. We also have the Miller, who guides the golden bounty of our fields through his rollers and sieves and produces the white flour which our wives and daughters use to bake bread for us. We have the Sawmill Operator who takes our logs and converts them into boards, rails and beams. We have the Carpenter who assembles this lumber and builds a sturdy dwelling with it. We have the Plumber (also called the Tinsmith) who can provide us with a roof and rainspouts. We have the Decorator who can give our homes a beautiful appearance. We have the Stone Mason who can lay solid foundations and erect strong chimneys. We have the Blacksmith who swings his hammer beside anvil and forge. We have the Storekeeper who takes our eggs in trade, candles them, rejects the bad ones, and weighs our sugar and other staple commodities. We have the Artist who, with pen and ink, can transfer our likeness to paper so that our descendants can see how we looked, long after we have turned to dust. We have the Locomotive Engineer who sits with his hand upon the throttle and his eyes upon the rails, and who makes the great engine cough and thunder according to his will as it pulls the long train with ever-increasing speed behind it.
We have Ministers of the Gospel who proclaim to us the good news of Zion, who warn the sinner, strengthen the weak and comfort the sorrowing. We have the Trained Nurse who attends the sick with dedication and compassion. We have Teachers, both men and women, who instruct our children and prepare them for their future careers. We have the Professor who continues to educate our young people in college, after they have graduated from our grade and high schools. We have also been blessed in the field of music. As our grandfather blew his horn while serving as a Night Watchman in Germany, many of his descendants have followed his example by becoming horn players. But we do not merely coax music out of Horns. We also play the Piano, the Organ, the Violin, the Clarinet, the Accordion, the Ocarina, the Jew's Harp, the Roller Organ and the Phonograph. Nor have we lagged behind in the Art of Singing. Among us, there are Soloists, Duet, Quartet and Choral Singers. Oh, this glorious Art of Song which has refreshed so many a weary pilgrim! Even in our early youth, many of us showed great aptitude for singing. The story goes that I began singing solos before I was a year old. Often in the middle of the night, when my father and mother yearned for peace and quiet after the day's toll, Mother accompanied my singing by marching back and forth with me as I sang. As I grew older, Father added a drum beat to my musical exercises, and this brought the concerts to an end.
Before I close, I should like to mention that, among us, we have never had a Drunkard. Not one of us has ever had to spend time in jail. Not one of us has ever neglected his family. Not one of us has ever run away with the wife of another. We have never planted potatoes in the light of the moon, nor have we slaughtered our hogs when the moon was bright. Like a burr on a woolen stocking, we have always been attached to the church of John Wesley and to the party of Abraham Lincoln. All of us hope that, when we elect a new President this fall, we shall succeed in choosing a President who is, first of all, a loyal American, and that the welfare of the United States will be closer to his heart than the welfare of England and France. Let us elect a President who is willing to make an honorable peace with Germany, and who is willing to accept Germans and the descendants of Germans as human beings. Let us have a President who esteems the Constitution and the laws of this land more highly than his personal theories. Let us have a President who knows how to resolve the problems of our war-torn society and the conflicts which divide Labor and Management. Only then will we have Peace, and the Star Spangled Banner once more '..in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.'"
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1807 - 1897 (90 years)
