52 in 52(I'd like to meet): Christine Wilhelmine Aschebrok Brokmann
For my third installment of 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks, we're looking at my second great grandmother, Christine Wilhelmine Aschebrok. This week's prompt is "I'd like to meet." I maybe should have saved Angela Nardin for this one, even without knowing the prompts ahead of time I knew eventually it would be coming, but I am almost equally enchanted with my Heigert/Brockman side, in fact I'm super proud of my German heritage. Christine went through a lot (as you'll read) and I bet she was an amazing woman. It takes a lot of strength to handle what she did in her lifetime and not be hardened by it.
Christine was born to Johann Heinrich Gerhard Aschebrok and Anna Christine Elizabeth Steingeweg Oct 12th, 1849 in Holne, Lengerich, Steinfurt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, just over 100 miles from Hanover. She was Christened in the Evangelical Church Oct 26th, 1849.
At 22 Christine had a son, Ernst Gerhard Bernhard Aschebrok with an unknown father. Whoever he was and whatever happened, he is not listed on the birth certificate nor was Ernst given a paternal last name, having instead Christine's. Ernst was Christened August 4th 1872.
A few years later Christine married Eberhard Heinrich "Evert Henry" Brokman August 20th, 1875 in Lengerich, Westfalen, Germany, twenty years her senior. (Evert had been married before, to a woman 12 years his senior, Christina Maria Fredericka Heckmann, it was her second marriage. They had two daughters, Catharina Bernhardina Wilhelmenia in 1858 and Elisabeth Wilhelmine Sophie in 1865. Family lore says when Evert emigrated he had Sophie with him, but I cannot prove that as I haven't found either's travel records.) Three children were born in Lengerich to Christine and Evert; my great grandmother, Freida Wilhilminia on May 30th, 1876, Wilhelm Frederick on May 4th, 1878, and Eberhard Heinrich January 23rd, 1881.
In 1883, the Brokman family emigrated to the United States, settling on a farm in Dorchester Illinois. I do not have their passage information, but many German's immigrated between 1830-1860 to the Midwestern states. Most were farmers troubled by the collapse of the German Industrial Revolution, agricultural reform, overpopulation, crop failures, and lack of land in Germany. Family lore from those who remember him said Evert came to the US because he had stolen a cow, and instead of being persecuted for doing so he decided to emigrate. By April 1883 he found himself alone in New York, speaking no English and having nowhere to go. A man by the name of Jacoby found him sitting on a bench, and when asking where he was going Jacoby could understand only something that sounded like "Ingel Consus." For whatever reason he felt responsible for Evert and wouldn't just leave him there, so the men went off to Illinois together. Evert found land in Dorchester and sent for Christine and the kids. She apparently had a brother in Wisconsin, and it had been there Evert had really been trying to get to, never actually getting there. They settled on the farm in Dorchester and eventually her brother returned to Germany. Three more children were born to them in the US, William Otto July 26th, 1887, Elizabeth Dinah December 28th, 1889, and Mary June 14th, 1893, bringing the family with a total of seven children across two continents.
The June 1900 census finds them in Dorchester, Evert (called Henry) and Christine (called Winnie) 71 and 50, respectively. They've been married 24 years, having lived 17 in the US. Henry is listed as a farmer, with son Otto helping at just 12 years, and the younger two girls still in school. Ernst is married to Anna Rohlander and has just had his first child, a daughter Minnie. Freida married Roman Heigert in 1894 and has three children, Albert (1895) Benjamin (1897) and Oscar (1899.)
In 1910 Henry is an old man at 81, Christine 60, married 35 years. Henry is still farming, although relying heavily on his sons, I am sure. Three children still live at home, now-twenty two year old Henry, who is a miner, has returned home. Otto is 22 and continues to farm for his father, and Mary is just 16 and hopefully still in school, she has no occupation listed.
A granddaughter who remembered Evert and Wilhelmenia (as she preferred to go by) remembered Evert as being mean tempered, and very rough on his boys. They all left home as soon as they were able, just to get away from him. Eventually, Evert's mind got bad and he was admitted to the State Hospital in Jacksonville. He died there, October 9, 1912, and the children had him buried on a hill that sloped down, perhaps as a final get back at their dear old dad, not realizing that their mom would be buried there as well, which is now in City Cemetery. Remembering Wilhelmenia as never raising her voice, and being very gentle with her children and grandchildren, she was now free from Evert at age 62.
Christine was born to Johann Heinrich Gerhard Aschebrok and Anna Christine Elizabeth Steingeweg Oct 12th, 1849 in Holne, Lengerich, Steinfurt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, just over 100 miles from Hanover. She was Christened in the Evangelical Church Oct 26th, 1849.
At 22 Christine had a son, Ernst Gerhard Bernhard Aschebrok with an unknown father. Whoever he was and whatever happened, he is not listed on the birth certificate nor was Ernst given a paternal last name, having instead Christine's. Ernst was Christened August 4th 1872.
A few years later Christine married Eberhard Heinrich "Evert Henry" Brokman August 20th, 1875 in Lengerich, Westfalen, Germany, twenty years her senior. (Evert had been married before, to a woman 12 years his senior, Christina Maria Fredericka Heckmann, it was her second marriage. They had two daughters, Catharina Bernhardina Wilhelmenia in 1858 and Elisabeth Wilhelmine Sophie in 1865. Family lore says when Evert emigrated he had Sophie with him, but I cannot prove that as I haven't found either's travel records.) Three children were born in Lengerich to Christine and Evert; my great grandmother, Freida Wilhilminia on May 30th, 1876, Wilhelm Frederick on May 4th, 1878, and Eberhard Heinrich January 23rd, 1881.
In 1883, the Brokman family emigrated to the United States, settling on a farm in Dorchester Illinois. I do not have their passage information, but many German's immigrated between 1830-1860 to the Midwestern states. Most were farmers troubled by the collapse of the German Industrial Revolution, agricultural reform, overpopulation, crop failures, and lack of land in Germany. Family lore from those who remember him said Evert came to the US because he had stolen a cow, and instead of being persecuted for doing so he decided to emigrate. By April 1883 he found himself alone in New York, speaking no English and having nowhere to go. A man by the name of Jacoby found him sitting on a bench, and when asking where he was going Jacoby could understand only something that sounded like "Ingel Consus." For whatever reason he felt responsible for Evert and wouldn't just leave him there, so the men went off to Illinois together. Evert found land in Dorchester and sent for Christine and the kids. She apparently had a brother in Wisconsin, and it had been there Evert had really been trying to get to, never actually getting there. They settled on the farm in Dorchester and eventually her brother returned to Germany. Three more children were born to them in the US, William Otto July 26th, 1887, Elizabeth Dinah December 28th, 1889, and Mary June 14th, 1893, bringing the family with a total of seven children across two continents.
The June 1900 census finds them in Dorchester, Evert (called Henry) and Christine (called Winnie) 71 and 50, respectively. They've been married 24 years, having lived 17 in the US. Henry is listed as a farmer, with son Otto helping at just 12 years, and the younger two girls still in school. Ernst is married to Anna Rohlander and has just had his first child, a daughter Minnie. Freida married Roman Heigert in 1894 and has three children, Albert (1895) Benjamin (1897) and Oscar (1899.)
In 1910 Henry is an old man at 81, Christine 60, married 35 years. Henry is still farming, although relying heavily on his sons, I am sure. Three children still live at home, now-twenty two year old Henry, who is a miner, has returned home. Otto is 22 and continues to farm for his father, and Mary is just 16 and hopefully still in school, she has no occupation listed.
A granddaughter who remembered Evert and Wilhelmenia (as she preferred to go by) remembered Evert as being mean tempered, and very rough on his boys. They all left home as soon as they were able, just to get away from him. Eventually, Evert's mind got bad and he was admitted to the State Hospital in Jacksonville. He died there, October 9, 1912, and the children had him buried on a hill that sloped down, perhaps as a final get back at their dear old dad, not realizing that their mom would be buried there as well, which is now in City Cemetery. Remembering Wilhelmenia as never raising her voice, and being very gentle with her children and grandchildren, she was now free from Evert at age 62.
The only pic I have of Evert, and none of Christine. He looks like a happy guy, but rumors say to the contrary.
Granddaughter Marie recalled that once Evert died Christine pretty well lived out of a suitcase. She'd spend a few months with each of her children, though never as long with my grandmother Frieda, as she had a whole passel of kids (ten!) In the January 1920 census she is staying with son William Otto, and he had been farming for them so it could even be her own farm in Dorchester and he's now listed as head. His job is listed as a farmer of his "own account," or his own farm, so it would be my guess that he's in the family homestead now. None of census' have a street or house number, so it's an educated guess at best. It also lists Elizabeth as living there, with her two children from her first marriage Carl and Marie (she would have been separated from her husband at the time.) . It makes no mention of Otto's wife and children, so I'm not sure where they are, unless he claims the farm as his residence and also his own home. (The 1930 census has the family living with his father in law on their farm....not sure what's going on with that.)
Seven years later Christine dies at daughter Elizabeth's house, near Staunton. Services were held at daughter Mary's (now Schnaare) home, with Rev. Paul Shoppe officiating. She was buried alongside Evert in City Cemetery, and all her grandsons served as pallbearers, Benjamin, Oscar, and Lawrence Heigert (Frieda's sons) and Victor Schnaare (Mary's son.)
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