Sheila Bergman

Taking the backroads at 35 mph

Navigation
  • Home
  • Around Home
  • Trips
    • Model A to Montana 2013
    • North Shore 2014
  • Family
    • Family
      • Herbster 2014
    • Family History
      • Angland
        • Harold Cornelius Angland
      • Behrens
        • Spilker
        • Weiss Family
  • Art
You are here: Home / Archives for Family History / Behrens

Anna Helena Behrens nee Spilker

May 6, 2014 By sheilab Leave a Comment

Annie Spilker Behrens in their apple orchard

It is nice to think of Annie as healthy and enjoying a moment during the harvest in their western Minnesota farm’s apple orchard.

About

Annie’s parents were both born in Germany. German would have been her native tongue. She would have learned english in school. She was born on Christmas day (as was her mother) in 1882 on the Spilker family homestead in Johnson Minnesota. Annie was the second child baptized in the newly established german communitie’s recently built church. Annie was the oldest of 5 children. Her father died when she was 16. Annie was a fine seamstress and she cut hair for people in the area. She had an artistic flair. The photos she took of her flowers arrangements, vegetable harvests and of young daughter Caroline are  well thought out compositions.

Remembering Annie Behrens:

Daughter Caroline Angland 10-19-93

Someone from Northfield wanted to pay her tuition for college – she declined.”

She worked for Dr. Olive in Graceville. She did housework and sewing. She also worked for Obrien in Graceville and was Richard Obrien’s nanny

Daughter Caroline Angland 1-20-2010

At 16, after her father died, she worked for wealthy people in Graceville. She would sew for them and she would live with them while she was fitting them and doing the sewing.  She sewed all of Caro’s clothes. She cut hair for people.

Daughter Caroline Angland 04-30-2010

She did field work. She used to enjoy working in the garden and with trees and flowers. She used to enjoy growing things. I don’t recall her joining in on the fun with her sisters. Her sisters were more fun loving. Annie was always there to keep them out of trouble. On Sunday afternoons, she and Detlef would lie on the couch together. Also on Sunday afternoons Detlef would make up food in the kitchen for the animals and young Caro would look in and see her parents embracing.

Grandson Dennis Angland Junior May 28 2005 on trip to Johnson with mother Caroline

Denny remembers Annie taking him aside and telling him that he shouldn’t watch cowboys. She said this with such fervor you’d think you would go to hell for it.
Annie told him that she worked too hard when she was young and that was why she got so sickly when she was old.

Granddaughter Sheila Bergman’s memories May 2014

Annie and Detlev lived in an apartment in our basement. Annie was bedridden, thin and frail when I knew her. When I was no more than 5 she called me over to her bed and gave me a silver dollar saying she and Detlev wanted me to have it. I remember feeling very special and thinking that there must be more to the story. I have no memory of what happened to that dollar.

Documents

  • Death Certificate Hennepin County, MN
  • Caro’s hand written eulogy for her mother
  • On the back of the eulogy is this list of Annie’s paul bearers:
    • John Miners -lived next farm east of the Behren’s farm.
    • Bill Andrews -aquaintance who lived just outside of Johnson, his wife was Johnny Norenberg’s sister
    • Gust (Louie) Duin – bought Detlef’s farm.
    • Melvin Demrow – went to church out there
    • Bill Wilkie – went to church out there
    • Ed Heuer – another family that lived out there.

 Photos of Annie

Lydia Spilker's Wedding 1920
Sister Lydia Modrow’s wedding 1920. Annie is the woman in the middle row.

Filed Under: Spilker Tagged With: behrens, family history, spilker

Louise (Weiss) Spilker

May 6, 2014 By sheilab Leave a Comment

Louise (Weiss) Spilker

Louise (Weiss) Spilker

About

S

Immigration

In the 1880 census Louise’s immigration year is listed as 1880 while her obituary states 1879. She lived in Northfield, Rice County, MN from her arrival until her marriage in 1882.

Per Ron Nelson May, 2014

Immigrants often got money for their tickets by agreeing to work off their trip once they arrived. Possibly Louise was working off her trip in Northfield for the three years between the time she arrived and the time she married.

Marriage To William Friedrich Spilker

Their marriage  certificate states that Louise and William were married on March 3, 1882 in the private Ramsey county home of witnesses Regina and Carl Zimmerman.  William was living in Big Stone county in western Minnesota and Louise had been living in Rice county in south eastern Minnesota.

Researching how William and Louise might have met has been a fun challenge. Witnesses Carl and Regina Zimmerman might have been in-laws of Louise’s sister Ernestine Zimmerman. Two years earlier per the US Census,  Regina and Carl Zimmerman  had been living in Rice County.  Ernestine and Louis lived in the Johnson, area but had come from Northfied (per the Trinity Church 1882-1982 history). It might be that Louise and William met when one family visited the other. The Weisses and Zimmermans may have known one another back in Baden Germany. The Weisses were from Blankenloch, the Zimmermans were from the town of Graben, just a few miles away.

Louise’s obit, written by her daughter Annie:

“Louise Spilker, nee Weiss, was born  that she was born in Blankenloch, Baden, Germany on the 25th of December 1858. Baptized in her infancy, she was later instructed in the Christian faith and at the age of 14 became a member of the Lutheran Church through confirmation. In 1879 at the age of 27, she came to America and spent 3 years at Northfield, Minn. On the 2nd of March 1882 she was united in Marriage to Wm. SPilker. He died 36 years ago leaving her with 5 children, all of whom survive. To them the mother with her quiet and loving disposition, her christian fortitude and simple faith must always remain an example worthy for them to follow. These children are Anna, Mrs. Detlof Behrens with whom she made her home; Louise, Mrs. John Nornberg, both of this vicinity; Lydia, Mrs. Emil Mowdrow; Fred and August, these three from Clarissa, Minn.. In Mrs Spilker, our congregation has lost the last, local, surviving member of the founders of Trinity church 51 years ago.
She passed peacefully Sunday morning after but a few hours illness. Her days numbered 80 yrs. 10 mos. 6 days.”

Louise’s date of death was October 1, 1933

Notes

Talking with grand daughter Caroline Angland, 30 October, 2003

Caro’s (Caroline’s) Grandma Spilker had a sister that lived in the Johnson, MN area. Caro knew her as Tante Zimmerman. She was dark complected and heavy set. Grandma Spilker was light complected and slight. All of Grandma Spilker’s kids were dark complected.

Caro thinks she remembers the hearse with Tante’s body drive by her parent’s farm near Johnson, MN when she was a girl. Grandma Spilker was too sick to attend the funeral.

Filed Under: Weiss Family Tagged With: family history, weiss

Detlev Julius Behrens

May 6, 2014 By sheilab Leave a Comment

Detlev Julius Behrens and daughter Caroline

Detlev Julius Behrens and daughter Caroline

Detlef Julius Behrens was born February 23, 1872 in Worden Germany. He journeyed to America at the age of 14 with his 19 year old sister. He lived with an older brother in St. Paul and then left to work on a farm on the prairie near Morris MN. Eventually, Detlef homesteaded a place of his own. Detlef was a kind, honest and respected man with a twinkle in his eye. Wife, Annie, grew up on an adjacent farm. They were married in 1919. Detlef was 47. Annie was 37. When I was young and they were old, they lived with us in a basement apartment. My mother, Caroline Louise (Behrens) Angland, was their only child.

Filed Under: Behrens Tagged With: behrens, family history

Post Updates

Subscribe to Sheila Bergman.net

Categories

Recent Comments

  • Robert A. Roubik on Livingston to Hardin, MT
  • Joyce Plunkett on Honoring Rose
  • Mary Ann Vukch on Honoring Rose
  • Cindy Theorin on Honoring Rose
  • John Samuelson on Honoring Rose

Copyright © 2023 | Log in