Member Biographies
Heinrich and Maria (Steffens) Springer
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Heinrich Springer, son of Johann Springer, was born in Germany on 19 April 1854 and his wife Maria, daughter of Heinrich Steffens, was born in Germany on 4 July 1869, They have three children: Rebekka, born in Missouri on 11 July 1892; Johann, born in Missouri on 17 September 1896; Lilia, born in Missouri on 5 November 1899; and Etna, born in Missouri on 9 April 1902.
From The US Census 1900
Name: Henry Springer; Age: 46; Birth Date: Apr 1854; Birthplace: Germany; Home in 1900: Appleton, St Clair, Missouri; Race: White; Gender: Male; Immigration Year: 1871; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Married; Spouse’s Name: Mary Springer; Marriage Year: 1891; Years Married: 9; Father’s Birthplace: Germany; Mother’s Birthplace: Germany; Years in US: 28; Occupation: Farmer; Household Members: Henry Springer 46, Mary Springer 30.
From Ancestry.com, Moos Family Tree
Henry Springer was born on April 19, 1854, in Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany. He had three sons and four daughters with Marie Steffers between 1893 and 1915. He died on July 26, 1931, in Visalia, California, at the age of 77, and was buried there.
Gottlob and Betha (Scholz) Wiersig
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Gottlob Wiersig, son of Carl Wiersig, was born in Wisconsin on 30 July 1860 and his wife Bertha, daughter of John Gottlob Scholz, was born in Wisconsin on 25 April 1862. They have four children: Maria, born in Missouri on 6 October 1883; Robert, born in Missouri on 29 January 1885; Carl, born in Missouri on 28 November 1886; Clara, born in Missouri on 28 July 1890; and Gottlob, born in Missouri on 23 May 1897.
From Ancestry.com, Wiersig-Kuse Family Tree
Gottlieb Wiersig was born July 30, 1860, in Wisconsin. Bertha “Betty” Scholz was born April 25, 1862. They were married September 24, 1882, and lived on a farm near Appleton City, Missouri. They moved with their family to a farm south of Alva, Oklahoma, in 1906, where they lived until retiring to Alva in 1927. Beside farming, he managed a threshing crew during the harvest months. They were active members of Zion Lutheran Church, where he served as chairman for many years. She was a charter member of the Ladies Aid.
From The First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma. 1886-1986 biography of G.H. and Frieda Wiersig
G.H. Wiersig was born May 23, 1897, near Appleton City, Missouri. His parents were Gottlob and Betty (Scholz) Wiersig. His brothers and sisters were Robert, Carl, Albert, Maria and Clara. In April of 1904 he came to the Alva area with his parents and family. G.H. attended the Lone Star, North Eagle, and Zion Lutheran Schools.
Frieda (Meier) Wiersig was born in Lincoln, Kansas on October 29, 1902. She lived there until moving to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in 1920. Frieda attended a Lutheran school in Lincoln, Kansas learning mostly German. She also attended a public country school near Lincoln. Frieda has a sister Anita Rauh living in Alva and a brother, Alfred Meier at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
G.H. and Frieda met while attending a church youth gathering in Tulsa. They were married August 21, 1927 at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. They established a home 2 miles south of Alva. They bought their home for his parents. His parents moved to 303 Normal, which is now Oklahoma Blvd. This place is now the Northwest Landscape Service.
To their marriage 3 children were born. Hubert was born April 29, 1929. He married Lois Panhorst on August 6, 1950, and they have 4 children; Arlene was born March 5, 1931. She married Zeke Thies on January 23, 1957, and they have 4 children; Virgil was born December 11, 1938. He married Lavon Hazen, December 26, 1965 and they have one son. Their 3 children all attended the Lutheran school and are graduates of the Alva High School. Hubert and Arlene graduated from St. John’s College at Winfield, Kansas. Hubert attended Oklahoma State University. at Stillwater and graduated from Oklahoma University at Norman. Virgil attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
There are 9 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
G.H. and Frieda were both active members of the Zion Lutheran Church in Alva.
G.H. was a farmer and stockman. He passed away on the 25th of November 1975. He lived a full rewarding life with deep loyalty to our country and great faith in our Lord and Savior.
In the early days G.H. sold Overland and Pontiac automobiles and Red River Special Threshing Machinery. He also sold Nichols and Shepherd combines and Avery Tractors. He had his business right on his farm place. In 1938, he sold his business to Fred Wenninger.
With the profit of the combine repairs, they purchased a new Plymouth car. That was a great thrill for the family. G.H. and Frieda milked cows, raised chickens, and sold cream and eggs to the hatchery. They later sold cream and eggs to many local people at their farm and enjoyed the friendships they had. They raised garden vegetables and had fruit trees.
The family vividly remembers going outside early in the morning and hearing the German prisoners singing across the road which is now the Alva Airport. At times, they were alarmed when they heard the siren blow and they knew prisoners were loose. They remember big beautiful horses that were on the Prisoner of War Camp ground. They watched the prisoners march out to their land singing from the railroad station. The prisoners kept the fence rows clean. They would come into the yard to get water. The Wiersigs listened to the Germans talking about the children, the place and the chickens. It was interesting listening to them because the family could understand what they were saying. Many memories remain about the Prisoner of War Camp.
There were good and bad years. Dirt storms were bad in the 1930’s. They sat in the house most of the day. Food and gasoline stamps were rationed to families during the war time. Frieda made many dresses and bed sheets out of feed sacks (they bought mash for the chickens). A lot of the prints were very colorful.
Sometimes there were scares with the gypsies. They well remember one time they came home from church finding all the hams and pork meat stolen from the salt brine. It was just ready to be smoked.
Family helped each other the threshing and harvest. The men would work in the fields and the ladies prepared the big meals.
Frieda still lives on the home place and keeps busy with hand work, gardening, and tending to her flowers. Her son, Virgil farms and keeps cattle and wheat harvest. She enjoys visits with her children and grandchildren. She feels that Woods County is a wonderful place to live and enjoys her neighbors and friends.
by Lavon (Shazen) Wiersig, (daughter-in-law),1987′[2]
August and Augusta (Schanke) Bentz
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
August Bentz, son of Ernst Bentz, was born in Nebraska on 2 August 1878 and his wife Augusta, daughter of Johann Schwanke, was born in Nebraska on 9 Oct 1878. They have two children: Clarence, born in Nebraska on 15 Jan 1900; and Etta, born in Nebraska on 19 July 1901.
From The US Census 1900
Name: August Bentz; Age: 21; Birth Date: Aug 1878; Birthplace: Nebraska; Home in 1900: Niobrara, Knox, Nebraska; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Married; Spouse’s Name: Augusta Bentz; Marriage Year: 1899; Years Married: 1; Father’s Birthplace: Germany; Mother’s Birthplace: Germany; Occupation: Farm Laborer; Household Members: August Bentz 21, Augusta Bentz 21, Clarence Bentz 6/12.
From The US Census 1910
Name: August Bentz; Age in 1910: 31; Birth Year: abt 1879; Birthplace: Nebraska; Home in 1910: Bryan, Comanche, Oklahoma; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Married; Spouse’s Name: Augusta Bentz; Father’s Birthplace: Germany; Mother’s Birthplace: Germany; Occupation: Farmer; Industry: General Farming; Employer, Employee or Other: Own Account; Years Married: 10; Household Members: August Bentz 31, Augusta Bentz 31, Clarence Bentz 9, Ethel Bentz 8.
From Ancestry.com
When August Adolph Bentz was born on August 2, 1878, in Scribner, Nebraska, his father, Joseph Ernst, was 40 and his mother, Mathilde, was 38. He married Augusta Schwanke on July 26, 1898, in West Point, Nebraska. They had three children in 13 years. He died on September 24, 1967, in Walthill, Nebraska, at the age of 89, and was buried there.
Discussion
The Zion Lutheran Church – Alva – Membership 1904 appears to have been compiled when Zion was about five years old probably by Pastor Herman Meyer who was the pastor from 1901 until 1914. However, there is an entry for 1905 and 1908 – these two entries appear to have been added later.
In a few instances the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva – Membership 1904 do slightly differ from information found in Ancestry.com. Some dates are off by a year or two. No effort was made to resolve the differences – however the Zion records were found to be correct the when checked.
Notes
- Cherokee Strip Volunteer League. “Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County”, 1976.
- Seekers of Oklahoma Heritage Association. “The First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma. 1886-1986″ Curtis Media Corporation, Dallas, Texas, 1987.