| 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
|
1860 - 1934 (74 years)