Fiegenbaum, Martin Herman

Other Events:

• Residence: Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA; 602 Fairground Ave.
• Census: Jun 1900, Washington Township, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA
• Census: May 1910, North Washington Township, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 5 Jun 1917, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Census:
According to the 1900 U.S. enumeration, Martin Fiegenbaum, age 5, lived on a farm with his parents, William (age 38) and Henriette Fiegenbaum (age 27) and his sister, Emma Fiegenbaum, age 2. Also in the household was Jim Britts, a 19 year old black hired hand.

Census:
According to the 1910 U.S. enumeration, Martin Fiegenbaum, age 15 and in school, lived on a farm with his parents, William Fiegenbaum (age 48) and Henrietta Fiegenbaum (age 37), and his three siblings: Emma Fiegenbaum (age 12), in school; John Fiegenbaum (age 9), in school; and Edwin Fiegenbaum (age 5).

Residence:

     According to information on his World War I draft registration card, filed on 5 June 1917 at Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri, Martin Herman Fiegenbaum, 22 years old and single, lived on RFD 1, Higginsville, Missouri, where he was a self-employed farmer. There was no one solely dependent on him for support and he claimed no exemption from the draft. The registration card, apparently filled out by somewhere else, spelled Martin's surname "Figenbaum," but Martin's signature clearly shows it spelled "Fiegenbaum." Paul Robertson, the Registrar of the Mayview precinct of the local draft board, described Martin as a man of tall height and medium build; with light blue eyes and light brown hair (not bald). The registration card asked about disabilities; it was noted that Martin was "badly Ruptured."

Buried:
Martin's grave is in the Zion Church Cemetery.

Martin married Drewel, Clara Louise 6 Jun 1917, Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA. Clara (daughter of Drewel, John Henry and Block, Sina Carolina) was born 10 Nov 1896, Missouri, USA; died 12 Mar 1993, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:

     According to marriage records in Lafayette County, Missouri, Martin H. Fiegenbaum, of Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, and Clara Louise Drewel, of Odessa, Lafayette County, Missouri, received a marriage license at Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri on 6 June 1917 and they were married at Lexington, Missouri, on the same day by J. C. Bierbaum, "Minister of the Gospel."

Census (family):
According to the 1920 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of Martin H. Fiegenbaum, a 24 year old farmer, and his wife, Clara Fiegenbaum, age 23.

Census (family):
According to the 1930 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of Martin H. Fiegenbaum, a 35 year old farmer, his wife, Clara L. Fiegenbaum, age 33, and Martin's father-in-law, John H. Drewel, a 69 year old widower working as a farm laborer.

1. Fiegenbaum, [infant son] was born 1 Jul 1920; died 1 Jul 1920.
2. Fiegenbaum, [infant son] was born 22 Nov 1921; died 22 Nov 1921.
3. Fiegenbaum, [infant son] was born 30 Nov 1925; died 30 Nov 1925.
4. Fiegenbaum, Esther Henriette was born 21 Nov 1930, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA; died 8 Dec 1930, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA; was buried 11 Dec 1930, Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA.

Other Events:

• Baptism: 27 Apr 1862, Holstein, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Jun 1870, Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Confirmation: 14 Apr 1876, Holstein, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Jun 1880, Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Moved To: Aft 1880, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:

     The family possesses a hand-written document in which Hermann Heinrich and Wilhelmine (Wehrmann) Fiegenbaum recorded the names of their children as well as the dates of their births, baptisms, and deaths in those instances when the child did not survive infancy. Of this son, the parents wrote:

     Unser Sohn Wilhelm Frierich [sic] ist geboren den 15 März
     Vor Mittag um halb zwölf 12 Uhr und getauft den 27 April
     Im Jahr 1862

A translation of this entry reads:
     Our son Wilhelm Frierich [sic] was born on the 15th of March
     at 11:30 in the forenoon and baptized on the 27th of April
     in the year 1862

     In this source, the name is given as "Wilhelm Frierich" [sic]. According to his confirmation certificate, and published records of his baptism and confirmation from the archives of the church in Holstein, Missouri, the order of the given names is 'Friedrich Wilhelm'. However, later documents, such as two marriage certificates, and obituaries, return to 'Wilhelm Friedrich' or ' William Fred.' On the basis of what appears to be his parents' intention and his own preference as an adult, I have chosen to list the given names as Wilhelm Friedrich.


Baptism:

     Friedrich's baptism is recorded in the archives of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). The sponsor was Wilhelm Bierbaum.

Census:

     According to the 1870 U.S. enumeration, Fred[erei?] Fiegenbaum, an 8 year old male, who had attended school with the year, lived on a farm served by the Hopewell post office with Herm [sic] Fiegenbaum, a 46 year old male farmer; Florent [sic] Fiegenbaum, a 35 year old female keeping house; and six other children: Florent [sic] Fiegenbaum (female, age 15); Louise Fiegenbaum (female, age 13); Henry Fiegenbaum (male, age 10); Fred[erei?] Fiegenbaum (male, age 8); Anna Fiegenbaum (female, age 5); Mary Fiegenbaum (female, age 3); and Frederic Fiegenbaum (male [sic], age 1) On the basis of other information, it seems likely that this youngest child was actually Friedericke Wilhelmine Fiegenbaum, a daughter born in August 1869.

Confirmation:

     The confirmation is recorded in the archives of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). However, the name on the confirmation certificate, and as published in the church history in 1989, records his name as Friedrich Wilhelm Fiegenbaum.

Census:

     According to the 1880 U.S. enumeration, William Fiegenbaum, an 18 year old laborer, lived on a farm with his parents, Herman Fiegenbaum (age 57), a farmer, and Florentine Fiegenbaum (age 46), keeping house, and his six siblings: Henry Fiegenbaum (age 20); Mary Fiegenbaum (age 13), in school; Frederike Fiegenbaum (age 10), in school; Frederich Fiegenbaum (age 8), in school; August Fiegenbaum (age 4); and Martha Fiegenbaum (age 2).

Buried:
William's grave is in the Zion Church Cemetery, a short distance south-east of town.

Died:
According to his death certificate, he "was found dead on his farm near his home cause - unknown."
     The following is a transcription of Wilhelm's obituary from an unidentified Lafayette County newspaper:

     William Frederick Fiegenbaum was born March 15, 1862 at Holstein, Mo., where, not long after, he was by baptism admitted to the church of God. He attended the parochial school of the Evangelical church at Holstein until April 14, 1876, when by the solemn rite of confirmation he was admitted to the membership of the Evangelical Church at Holstein under the administration of Rev. J. Schierbaum. As a young man of about 18 years he came to this vicinity, where the rest of his life was spent. On the 19th day of October, 1893 he was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Henrietta Starkebaum at Higginsville, Mo., by the Rev. H. Hoefer. Since that happy day his family lived on the same place where the father so unexpectedly now was called hence. To this happy union four children came to make the home complete, all of whom mourn the departure of a loving father.
     Mr. Fiegenbaum was a man blessed with the happy faculty of seeing always the bright side of things in life, possessing a high optimism coupled with a keen sense of humor which enabled him and all with whom he came in contact over many dark days and made life happy and serene. He seemed always to radiate good cheer where ever he was. A friend and neighbor he proved to be to all. From the beginning he was a consistent and faithful member of Zion Evangelical congregation at Mayview at various times in offices of trust and honor, and always showed himself a faithful steward. A Christian of conviction himself he had the joy of seeing all of his children grow up to follow in his footsteps along the way that he himelf [sic] had found to be the safe and blessed way.
     Suddenly on Tuesday, November 12, while engaged in the homely chores of the farm, God called him Home. Humanly speaking he had many years of life before him yet, as he was only 67 years, 7 months and 27 days old. But God's years are not counted as ours are, and in the judgment of the Father, his life's work was already finished. His going out of this life is mourned by his widow who had shared life's joys and sorrow with him for thirty-six years, his three sons, Martin, John, and Edwin; one daughter, Emma Begemann, two daughters-in-law; eight grand children; two brothers, August and Frederick Fiegenbaum; and two sister, Mrs. Winter of Thruxton [sic], Mo., and Mrs. Vahrenberg of Mayview, and other relatives and many friends.
     The funeral was held Thursday at Zion Evangelical church at Mayview conducted by Rev. D. Buchmueller, the pastor, assisted by Rev. D. C. Jensen of Lexington.

Wilhelm married Starkebaum, Henriette Caroline Amelia 19 Oct 1893, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA. Henriette (daughter of Starkebaum, Heinrich Friederich L. and Riechers, Johanne Henrietta Luise) was born 5 Feb 1873, Lippstadt Gemeinde, Elkhorn Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA; died 12 Apr 1960, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA; was buried 14 Apr 1960, Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 23 Mar 1873, Lippstadt Gemeinde, Elkhorn Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Moved To: 1879, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA
• Confirmation: 3 Apr 1887, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Apr 1930, Washington Township, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
To her friends and family, she was often known as Yetta.

Baptism:
Henrietta and her family attended the Lippstadt Church near Warrenton, Missouri.

Moved To:

     Heinrich and Henrietta Starkebaum, Henriette's parents, are listed as one of two new families joining Salem Evangelical Church in Higginsville, Missouri in the minutes of the church meeting for 14 February 1879.

Confirmation:
Henriette was confirmed at Evangelische Salems Kirche in Higginsville, Missouri, Rev. Heinrich Höfer, pastor.

Census:
According to the 1930 U.S. enumeration, Henrietta C. Fiegenbaum, a 57 year old widow, lived on a farm with her son, Edwin F. Starkebaum (age 26) as head of household, and with Edwin's aunt, Wilhemine [sic] Starkebaum, age 59, single. Wilhelmine was no doubt Henrietta's older sister, Charlotte Wilhelmine Louise Starkebaum, known widely as Minnie.

Died:

     Henriette moved to 602 Fairground Avenue, Higginsville, Missouri, the home of her son Martin and his wife Clara (Drewel) Fiegenbaum on 9 November 1954, and lived there until her death at 3:30 p.m. on 12 April. According to her death certificate, the cause of death was "Malnutrition & Inanation [sic]" due to senility.
     According to her obituary, Henriette was survived by "three sons, Martin H., John H. and Edwin F. of Higginsville; one daughter, Mrs. August Begemann of Higginsville; three brothers, Wm. Starkebaum and Sam Starkebaum of Higginsville and Edwin Starkebaum of Mayview; and one sister, Mrs. Emma Tempel of Higginsville. Fifteen grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren also survive." The obituary reported that funeral services "will be held Thursday, April 14 at 2 p.m. at the Zion United Church of Christ in Mayview with Rev. A. E. Limper and Rev. Theo. Hauck officiating."
     Henriette's obituary mistakenly claimed that she had been born in Higginsville, Missouri and that she had married in 1892.

Notes:

Married:

     According to marriage records in Lafayette County, Missouri, William F. Fiegenbaum, of Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri, and Henriette C. Starkebaum, of Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, received a marriage license at Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri on 17 October 1893 and they were married at Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri on 19 October 1893 by H. F. Hoefer, "a minister of the Gospel."
     A marriage certificate in the family's possession which appears to have been filled out by "H. F. Hoefer, Pastor of Salems [sic] Church, Higginsville, Mo." confirms the documents filed with the county recorder. The certificate further notes that Friederik [sic] Fiegenbaum and Louise Starkebaum were witnesses at the marriage.
     A 'Trauschein' (a German language marriage certificate) issued under H. F. Hoefer's hand on 12 December, 1894 attests to the same details.
     Henriette's obituary in 1960 seems to err in reporting that she was married in 1892.

Marriage License:

     According to a certificate of marriage issued 19 October 1893 for "William F. Fiegenbaum" and "Henriette C Starkebaum," the bride and groom received their marriage license in Lafayette County, Missouri on 17 October 1893.

Census (family):

     According to the 1900 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of William Fiegenbaum, a 38 year old farmer and his wife, Henriette, age 27, married for seven years, and their two children: Martin Fiegenbaum, age 5, and Emma Fiegenbaum, age 2. Also in the household was Jim Britts, a 19 year old black hired hand.

Census (family):

     According to the 1910 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of William Fiegenbaum, a 48 year old farmer and his wife, Henrietta Fiegenbaum, age 37, married for 17 years, and their four children: Martin Fiegenbaum (age 15), in school; Emma Fiegenbaum (age 12), in school; John Fiegenbaum (age 9), in school; and Edwin Fiegenbaum (age 5).

Census (family):

     According to the 1920 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of W. Fiegebam [sic], a 57 year old farmer and his wife, Henryetta Fiegebam [sic], age 46, and their two children: John Fiegebam [sic] (age 18) and Edwin Fiegebam [sic] (age 15).

Other Events:

• Immigration: 1841, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Sep 1850, District 99, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Aug 1860, Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
Hermann's family was living at Wester 21 at the time of his birth. Wester is one of the three 'Bauernshaften' in the village of Ladbergen.
     A 'Bauerschaft' is an ancient grouping of farms that emerged from the earliest agricultural settlements, and comprised the earliest administrative units of a community. Until the early 1960s, Ladbergen had three Bauernshaften: Hölter, Overbeck and Wester. These settlement areas are still recognized in present day Ladbergen. Recently, the residential sections of the village center have become known by street names and a fourth section of Ladbergen, called 'Dorf' [village] has been created. The number 21 would indicate that this was the 21st farm established in this Bauerschaft. In the published records of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ), Hermann is from time to time referred to a "Hermann Fiegenbaum Jun."


Immigration:

     Hermann left Ladbergen at the age of 18. He traveled with his father, mother and unmarried sister, Christine Elisabeth (b. 1891). His family was accompanied by two other, related families. His married sister, Anna Elisabeth (Fiegenbaum) Aufderhaar, her husband, Johann Aufderhaar and their three oldest children also made the voyage. The third family consisted of his other married sister, Anna Christine Bierbaum, her husband, Johann Bierbaum, their child, and Johann's sister, Sophia Bierbaum (age 18). By 1843, when Hermann's older brother, Heinrich, emigrated, the entire family had left Germany.
     In all, at least 13 members of this extended family left Ladbergen together in 1841. They departed Germany from the port of Bremen on the bark Leontine. Of the 102 persons on board, 56 were identified on the passenger list as former residents of Ladbergen. Four other persons were from the nearby towns of Brochterbeck and Lengerich. The Leontine arrived at Baltimore, Maryland on 28 June 1841. The Fiegenbaums, Aufderhaars and Bierbaums traveled further west and settled in Warren County, Missouri.

Census:
In the 1860 U.S. Census, the household consists of Hermann, his wife Florentine, and their three children, aged 7 months to 5 years of age. In addition, there is Hermann's father, and a young woman enumerated as Frederaker Rehmsen, age 24, born Lippe Detmold.

Buried:
Hermann was buried in the Zion Church Cemetery in Mayview, Missouri.

Hermann married Wehrmann, Wilhelmine Florentine Charlotte 18 Feb 1853, Warren County, Missouri, USA. Wilhelmine (daughter of Wehrmann, Johann Henrich Adolph and Kater, Wilhelmine Sophia Katherina) was born 7 Oct 1834, Almena, Principality of Lippe; died 1 Feb 1903, Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA; was buried , Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 19 Oct 1834, Almena, Principality of Lippe
• Immigration: 1851, Missouri, USA
• Census: Aug 1860, Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
The Fiegenbaum family is in possession of a manuscript in German that I transcribe as follows:

Wilhelmine Florentine Charlotta Wehrmann
eheliche Tochter [von?] Colon Adolph Wehrmann nr 13 zu
Almana und dessen Ehefrau Wilhelmine Kater
deselbst, ist zu Almana geboren d. 7t (siebten)
October 1834 achtzehnhundert vier und dreißig und d.
19t desselben Monate und Jahre getauft.
               [word] aus dem Kirchenbuch[ ] zu Almana.

Almana d. 7t April 1849

                                                  Rainart,
[seal]                                        Pastor [surname unknown ]

I have translated the letter as follows:

Wilhelmine Florentine Charlotta Wehrmann
legitimate daughter [of?] Colon Adolph Wehrmann of number 13
Almana and his wife Wilhelmine Kater
of the same place, was born in Almana on the 7th (seventh) of
October 1834 eighteen-hundred thirty-four and
baptized on the 19th of the same month and year.
               [word] from the Church-book at Almana

Almana, the 7th of April 1849

                                                  Rainart,
[seal]                                        Pastor [surname unknown ]

     It is solely on the basis of this document that I have settled on the order of given names, even though later sources indicate that this woman was known to family, friends and the community as Florentine.

Immigration:
At about the age of 17, Florentine, as she was commonly known; her father; her step-mother, Wilhelmine (nee Meier); her brother, Conrad Heinrich Adolph Wehrmann; her sister, Friederike Henriette Wehrmann; and her half-sister, Dorothea Charlotte Wehrmann; emigrated from Germany. The family departed Bremen aboard the ship Rebecca and landed in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 4, 1851. They settled in eastern Missouri.

Buried:
Florentine was buried in the Zion Church Cemetery.

Notes:

Married:
Hermann and Florentine's marriage is recorded in the archives of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). Wilhelm Steineker and Ernst Büscher were witnesses (Ernst was also a witness at the marriage of Florentine's sister, Friedricke, about one month earlier).

Residence (family):
In 1863, Herman, identified as a 40 year old married farmer, was enumerated in a Civil War draft registration conducted in the Ninth Congressional District of Missouri ("7th sub-district in Warren County").

Census (family):
According to the 1870 U.S. enumeration, the household served by the Hopewell post office consisted of Herm [sic] Fiegenbaum, a 46 year old male farmer, born in Prussia and a citizen of the U.S.A; Florent [sic] Fiegenbaum, female, age 35, keeping house; and seven children: Florent [sic] Fiegenbaum (female, age 15); Louise Fiegenbaum (female, age 13); Henry Fiegenbaum (male, age 10); Fred[erei?] Fiegenbaum (male, age 8); Anna Fiegenbaum (female, age 5); Mary Fiegenbaum (female, age 3); and Frederic Fiegenbaum (male [sic], age 1) On the basis of other information, it seems likely that this youngest child was actually Friedericke Wilhelmine Fiegenbaum, a daughter born in August 1869.

Census (family):
According to the 1880 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of Herman Fiegenbaum, a 57 year old farmer and his wife, Florentine Fiegenbaum, age 46, keeping house, and their seven children: Henry Fiegenbaum (age 20); William Fiegenbaum (age 18); Mary Fiegenbaum (age 13), in school; Frederike Fiegenbaum (age 10), in school; Frederich Fiegenbaum (age 8), in school; August Fiegenbaum (age 4); and Martha Fiegenbaum (age 2).

Other Events:

• Immigration: 30 Oct 1867, USA
• Moved To: 1879, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Immigration:
Identified on the passenger list as "Henr. Sarkebaum," he traveled in the company of his brother, Hans Hermann August on the Hansa from Bremen to New York, arriving on 30 October 1867.

Moved To:
Heinrich and Henrietta Starkebaum are listed as one of two new families joining Salem Evangelical Church in Higginsville, Missouri in the minutes of the church meeting for 14 February 1879. Heinrich's obituary states " . . . he came to Higginsville and located on the farm on which he died, four miles southwest of town."

Buried:
According to his obituary, Heinrich was buried in the Evangelical cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri.

Died:
January 21, 1923 was a Sunday. According to his obituary, Henry Fred Starkebaum died at his home 4 miles southwest of town "while at the table eating supper, at 5 o'clock, from paralysis of the brain, at the age of 84 years, 6 months and 20 days." His wife and 3 children proceeded him in death. He was survived by 7 children: Mrs. William [Henrietta ] Fiegenbaum, Mrs. Theo. [Emma ] Tempel, William and Edwin living near Mayview; at home are Wilhelmine, Augusta and Samuel. He also had 16 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, January 23 at 12:30 at the residence and at 1:00 at the Evangelical church in Higginsville, conducted by Rev. G. H. Freund.

Heinrich married Riechers, Johanne Henrietta Luise 19 Jan 1870, Warren County, Missouri, USA. Johanne (daughter of Riechers, Johann Heinrich Friederich C. and Höllander, Hanne Wilhelmine Amalie) was born 12 Jun 1850, Alverdissen, Principality of Lippe; died 8 Jan 1893, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA; was buried 11 Jan 1893, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 23 Jun 1850, Alverdissen, Principality of Lippe
• Immigration: 1869, USA
• Moved To: 1879, Higginsville, Lafayette County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
Carolyn Fieker states that Johanne was born at #15 in Alverdissen, Germany.

Baptism:
Carolyn Fieker reports that Johanne's sponsors were Louise Klocke and Henrietta Fritzemeier of Lise.

Immigration:
Carolyn Fieker states that Johanne applied for emigration to America in the Spring of 1869. It is not stated in what year she actually left her home in Germany.

Moved To:
Heinrich and Henrietta Starkebaum are listed as one of two new families joining Salem Evangelical Church in Higginsville, Missouri in the minutes of the church meeting for 14 February 1879.

Buried:
According to her obituary, Henriette was buried at mid-day, Wednesday [January 11, 1893] in the cemetery of Salem church [now Salem United Church of Christ in Higginsville, Missouri].

Died:
According to her obituary, Henriette died of a heart attack on Sunday, January 8, 1893, two days after giving birth to twin sons. It states that she was 42 1/2 years old and was survived by her husband and 9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls.

Notes:

Married:
The place of marriage has been reported as either the Lippstadt Church, just south of Warrenton, Missouri, or in Lafayette County, Missouri. Henry and Henrietta (Riechers) Starkebaum had 10 children.

Other Events:

• Immigration: 1841, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Sep 1850, District 99, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Aug 1860, Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
In various civil and church records through the course of his life, this person is identified as either Johann Heinrich or Hermann Heinrich. There is also some confusion concerning the date of birth as reported by various researchers: either 12 May 1788 or 6 July 1787. Some say that the Johann Heinrich Fiegenbaum born in 1788 married Anna Catherine Lagemann and that the Johann Heinrich born in 1787 married Catherine Elsabein Hagen.
     A satisfactory resolution of this matter may require a rigorous inspection of records in Germany. In the meantime, I have chosen to follow the lead provided by the published emigration record and the records of the church in Holstein, Missouri.


Immigration:

     The Fiegenbaums were from a class known as Heuerleute or tenant farmers. "They owned no land, and they lived in rented houses on larger farms. Every large or middle-sized farm in Ladbergen had one or more tenant houses (in German: Heuerhäuser) scattered over the farm. The highest number on any farm in Ladbergen was seven; two or three was common. Each tenant farm house had its own plot of 7 to 12 acres. The tenants rented the houses and plots for life. The tenant farmers were not the same as sharecroppers or rental farmers in the American sense. They had only a small plot to themselves, and they did not need to give any of the yield to the landowner. They were essentially renters of houses who paid for their dwellings with a small amount of cash and a specified number of days of labor. In the 19th century the tenants were typically relatives of the landowners, but this was decreasingly the case after the turn of the century."
     In addition to farming, Johann Heinrich also worked as a carpenter, a trade which his father also followed.
     Hermanda Fiegenbaum, of Münster, reports: "Die ganze Familie, Eltern mit den verheirateten und ledigen Kindern und den Enkelkindern, wanderte 1841 nach USA. aus." ["The whole family, parents with married and single children and the grandchildren, emigrated in 1841 to the USA."].
     A total of at least 13 people from this extended family emigrated from Ladbergen. Johann Heinrich (at age 53), his wife Catharina Elisabeth (born Hagen; at age 54), and their two youngest children, Christina Elisabeth (she turned 22 near the end of the voyage) and Hermann Heinrich (at age 18) comprised one family unit. The two eldest daughters were already married by the day of departure. Anna Elisabeth Aufderhaar (b. 1811) and Anna Christine Bierbaum (b. 1815) both emigrated with their husbands and those of their children who had been born before 1841. Sophia Bierbaum, Anna Christine's sister-in-law (age 18) also left Ladbergen at this time.
     This group departed Germany from the port of Bremen on the bark Leontine. Of the 102 persons on board, 56 were identified on the passenger list as former residents of Ladbergen. Four other persons were from the nearby towns of Brochterbeck and Lengerich. The Leontine arrived at Baltimore, Maryland on 28 June 1841. The Fiegenbaums, Aufderhaars and Bierbaums traveled further west and settled in Warren County, Missouri.
     It would appear that the eldest Fiegenbaum son, Heinrich Adolf (b. 1814), emigrated alone in 1843.


Census:
Johann Heinrich, listed in the 1860 U.S. Census as Herman, was living in the home of his youngest child, Hermann Heinrich Fiegenbaum, and his family.

Buried:
Johann Heinrich was buried in the cemetery across the street from the brick church dedicated in 1884 as the German Evangelical Immanuels Church of Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). The cemetery is next to and south of the parsonage and on the site of the first church built in Holstein, known as the German Lutheran Church on Charrette (1839-1848). The German inscription on his gravestone reads:

     Joh. Hein. Fiegenbaum
     geb.
     Mäi 12. 1788.
     in Ladbergen,
     Kreis Teklenburg [sic]
     Regierungsbezirk
     Münster
     Könichreich [sic]
     Preussen,
     gest.
     Mär. 12, 1861.

     Joh. Hein. Fiegenbaum
     born
     May 12th 1788
     in Ladbergen,
     County of Teklenburg [sic]
     Administrative District of
     Münster
     Kingdom of
     Prussia,
     died
     Mar. 12th, 1861.



Died:
Johann's death is recorded in the archives of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). In the published record of those archives, his name is given as "Hermann Heinrich Fiegenbaum" and his age at death is listed at 72 years and 10 months (which yields a calculated date of birth as 12 May 1788).

Johann married Hagen, Catherina Elsabein 13 Jul 1810, Ladbergen, Grand Duchy of Berg. Catherina (daughter of Hagen, Johann Heinrich and Holtkamp, Anna Elisabeth) was born 26 Sep 1786, Ladbergen, Grafschaft Tecklenburg; died 16 Sep 1853, Warren County, Missouri, USA; was buried , Holstein, Warren County, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Immigration: 1841, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: Sep 1850, District 99, Warren County, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
In existing records, this woman's name appears as either Catharine Elisabeth or Catherine Elsabein. Occasionally, Anna is placed before either of these combinations.
     Catherine Elsabein's family was living in Ladbergen at Overbeck 16 at the time of her birth. Overbeck is one of the three 'Bauernshaften' in the village of Ladbergen. A 'Bauerschaft' is an ancient grouping of farms that emerged from the earliest agricultural settlements, and comprised the earliest administrative units of a community. Until the early 1960s, Ladbergen had three Bauernshaften: Hölter, Overbeck and Wester. These settlement areas are still recognized in present day Ladbergen. Recently, the residential sections of the village center have become known by street names and a fourth section of Ladbergen, called 'Dorf' [village] has been created. The number 16 would indicate that this was the 16th farm established in this Bauerschaft.


Immigration:

     Catherine (Hagen) Fiegenbaum emigrated from Ladbergen with her extended family, a total of at least 13 people. She (at age 54), her husband (at age 53) and her two youngest children (at ages 21 and 18) are identified as one group. Her two older daughters were already married by 1841. Anna Elisabeth (Fiegenbaum) Aufderhaar (b. 1811) and Anna Christine (Fiegenbaum) Bierbaum (b. 1815), along with their husbands and the children born prior to the departure from Germany, are identified as traveling under their husbands' names. Also included in the group was Sophia Bierbaum (age 18), sister of Anna Christine's husband. Catherine Fiegenbaum's other son, Heinrich Adolf (b. 1814), immigrated to the USA in 1843.
     The entire extended family departed Germany from the port of Bremen on the bark Leontine. Of the 102 persons on board, 56 were identified on the passenger list as former residents of Ladbergen. Four other persons were from the nearby towns of Brochterbeck and Lengerich. The Leontine arrived at Baltimore, Maryland on 28 June 1841. The Fiegenbaums, Aufderhaars and Bierbaums traveled further west and settled in Warren County, Missouri.

Buried:
Catherina was buried in the cemetery across the street from the brick church dedicated in 1884 as the German Evangelical Immanuels Church of Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). The cemetery is next to and south of the parsonage and on the site of the first church built in Holstein, known as the German Lutheran Church on Charrette (1839-1848). The German inscription (and a translation) on her grave stone reads:

     Cath. Elsabein
     Fiegenbaum
     geb: Hagen von Ladbergen
     geb: den 26 ten Sept. 1786
     gest: den 16 ten Sept 1853

     Cath. Elsabein
     Fiegenbaum
     nee Hagen from Ladbergen
     born the 26th of Sept. 1786
     died the 16th of Sept. 1853


Died:
Catherina's death is recorded in the archives of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ).

Notes:

Married:

     The couple began their married life living in the Heuerhaus of the Hagen farm at Ladbergen-Overbeck 16. Sometime between 1815 and 1819, the family moved to Ladbergen-Wester 21.
     From 1808 to 1810, the village of Ladbergen found itself located in the département Ems of the Grand Duchy of Berg (French: Grand-duché de Berg; German: Großherzogtum Berg), a client state of the First French Empire.
     In 1811 borders were redrawn again and Ladbergen was incorporated into the First French Empire as part of the Département Ems-Supérieur (German: Departement der Oberen Ems, or, Ober-Ems).

Other Events:

• Immigration: 1851, Missouri, USA

Notes:

Birth:
Johann was born in his parents' home at No. 13 in Almena.

Immigration:
Adolph; his second wife, Wilhelmine (nee Meier); and four of his children, Conrad Heinrich Adolph, Friederike Henriette, Wilhelmine Florentine Charlotte, and Dorothea Charlotte (the daughter of his second marriage) emigrated from Bremen, Germany on the ship Rebecca, landing in New Orleans, Louisiana on 4 November 1851. Adolph would have been about 65 years of age at the time he undertook this trip. The family settled in eastern Missouri.

Died:
The death of "Adolph Wehrmann" is recorded in the archives of the German Evangelical Church on Charrette in Holstein, Missouri (known since 1957 as Immanuels United Church of Christ). In the published records of the church, Adolph was identified as coming "from Almine in Lippe Detmolt."

Johann married Kater, Wilhelmine Sophia Katherina 23 Oct 1814, Almena, Principality of Lippe. Wilhelmine (daughter of Kater, Herman Anton and Engelking, Anna Margreta Ilsabein) was born 21 Jan 1798, Almena, Principality of Lippe; died 29 Mar 1839, Almena, Principality of Lippe. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
Wilhelmine was born in her parents' home at No. 7 in Almena.

Notes:

Birth:
Heinrich Hermann was born at Hof 47.

Heinrich married Ridder, Elisabeth 30 Apr 1826, Sonneborn, Principality of Lippe. Elisabeth (daughter of Ridder, Johann Friedrich and Budde, Anna Margretha Elisabeth) was born 28 Oct 1800, Sonneborn, Principality of Lippe; died 20 Apr 1872, Sonneborn, Principality of Lippe. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:

     Heinrich and Elisabeth resided in house number 47 in Sonneborn. It was here that their children were born and raised. In 2002, the house was still very much in use, the address having changed to Alte Dorfstraße 25.
     Earlier generations of the Starkebaums lived on farms number 34 and 76 (it has not been possible to locate these farms in contemporary Sonneborn).

Marriage Contract:

     In the Principality of Lippe until about 1870, it was customary for engaged couples to register their intended marriage with the nearest office of the Lower Court (German = Amt). This registration, or Eheprotokoll, typically recorded the couple's names and intended place of residence after marriage, the names of their parents, and most importantly, the dowry and any other financial arrangements connected with the marriage. By registering these details with the judicial court, the Eheprotokoll served as a marriage contract. In the 1870s, as license bureaus were established and civil marriages became more common, the use of Eheprotokoll began to died out.

Notes:

Birth:

     In some of the documents of the Public Record Office in Detmold, Germany, the first letter of Johann's place of birth is not distinct; it may be either an "R" or a "P."
     If it is an "R," the town would be Reine, between Alverdissen and Ärzen and north of Sonneborn. If the first letter is a "P," the town would be Peine, located between Hannover and Braunschweig in the present German state of Niedersachsen.

Johann married Höllander, Hanne Wilhelmine Amalie 15 Jul 1849, Alverdissen, Principality of Lippe. Hanne (daughter of [---?---], Philip Ludwig and Höllander, Friederike Katherine Amalie) was born 7 May 1829, Ohrsen, Principality of Lippe; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
Hanne's mother, Friederike Katherine Amalie Höllander, was not married at the time of her daughter's birth. The father is supposed to be Philip Ludwig (surname unknown) of Brake.