A membership list of the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva was compiled when Zion was about five years old probably by Pastor Herman Meyer who was the pastor from 1901 until 1914.
Biographies of the members were included here to give the stories of the members. The two books, “Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County”[1] and the “The First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma. 1886-1986″[2] were the biography sources for most member families. For those member families not in these two books, biographies and obituaries from Ancestry.com were used where available. And, the US Census records for the years 1900 and 1910 that bracketed the 1904 date were used to identify families for which no biographies could be found.
Member Biographies
Friedrich Wilhelm and Marie Louise (Lubbert) Breford
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Wilhelm Breford, Son of Friedrich Breford, was born in Indiana on 12 June 1856 and his wife Louise, daughter of Jobst Luebbert, was born in Indiana on 15 Jan 1862. They had eight children: Anna born in indiana on 17 December 1882; Eleonora, born in Indiana on 6 June 1885; Elisabeth, born in Indiana on 22 may 1887; Friedrich, born in Indiana on 22 July 1889; Ida, born in Indiana 31 May 1892; Lorina, born in Indiana on 7 September 1897; Ernst, born in Oklahoma on 4 july 1900; and Emma, born in Oklahoma on 24 May 1902 and died 17 April 1903.
From the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County biography of Friedrich Wilhelm Breford
Friedrich Wilhelm Breford, called William, William Schaefer, and C.H. Mauntel came in 1898 to purchase homesteads, and to decide where to live permanently. They returned to Indiana to get things ready to move. C.H. Mauntel and wife came in September, 1898, to Alva because of his health, but Mr. Breford and Mr. Schaefer and their families waited until March 1, 1899, to bring their families together on the same train.
The three men helped organize the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Alva on May 21, 1899. They first met in the upper room of a store over Schuhmacher Drug Store. A great flood kept some of the Lutherans living north of the Salt Fork from attending the meeting, so only thirteen were present to sign the constitution, including William Breford, Wm. Schaefer and C.H. Mauntel. In 1900 William Breford was on a committee to help buy the two lots where the present church stands for $50. He also helped on the building committee. This was a frame building used for church and later moved to Second and Maple where it was used as a school.
William Breford and his wife, Marie Louise Lubbert, moved to their farm, 2 1/2 miles southwest of Alva now the Harold Wiersig farm. There they built a home. Louise Breford and children knitted stockings for every member of the family before they made the trip to Oklahoma. One time soon after moving to Alva while they were away from home the Indians stole all their stockings. One other time the family were eating their meal and the Indians came in and took all the food on the table, also the bread that they had baked. They knew it was best just to watch them to spare their lives.
William Breford was born June 12, 1855, and he married Marie Louise Lubbert September 22, 1881, at Holland, Indiana, where Marie Louise was born January 15, 1862. They had ten children: Anna, Elenora “Nora”, Elizabeth, Fred, Ida, Henry, Lorena, Ernest, Emma and Louise.
Anna married August Busse in her parents’ home at a double wedding with her sister Elenora and Edward Schaefer. Anna and August farmed and had dairy cows near Alva and later lived in Alva. They had three sons, Harold, Willard and Martin. Harold married Roberta C. Kurth. He farms and carpenters and helps with brick laying southwest of Alva. They have three children: lona, Garold and Wilda. lona married Earl Westerman and they farm and live southwest of Nashville, Kansas and they have one son, Robert. Garold married Mary Katherin Murrow. They farm west of Alva, and run the Alva Suzuki Motorcycle Shop and Iva Ceramic Shop in Alva. They have three children: Jannel, Kenneth, and Jo Retta. Wilda lives with her parents on the farm and works at the Woods County News. Willard is the second son of August and Anna and lives in Alva. August died in 1971 and Anna died in 1967.
Elenora “Nora” was born in Alva. She and Edward Schaefer farmed southeast of Alva but later lived in Alva. They had six children: Walter, Mildred, Oscar, Margaret, William, and Evelyn. Walter married Opal Sinclair. He died in 1959, and they had one son, Ronnie who married Colleen Blackburn. They have three children: Linda, Meloney, and Butch. Linda married Phil Sanders and has one child, Suzanna.
Mildred married George Ewbank. He died in 1955. They had two daughters, Karan and Noell. Karan Anita married Major Charles Nickolas Harzman and they have three children, Steve, Lizabeth and Lori. Kay Noell married Stephen Wayne Pfaff and has one daughter, Amanda Margaret.
Oscar married Gloria Sanders. He died in 1965. They had four children: Dianne, Steve, Mike, and Allen. Dianne married Ken Schuetz and they have three children. Steve married Lynne Moore and has one child, David. Mike and his wife, Sue, live in Denver. Allen is with his mother in Wellington, Kansas.
Margaret married Harry Wagner. They had four sons: David, Lee Eddie, Harry, Jr., and Craig. David married Melinda Roether. They have two sons, Christopher and Rodney. Lee Eddie died at seven months.
William “Bill” married Georgia Dotter. They have two daughters, Candyce and Denise. Denise and her husband, Milton, live in Woodward.
Evelyn married Harold Kamas and they live in Alva. He farms and ranches near Freedom. She runs the Etc. Shop in Alva. They have three daughters: Kathy, Connie and Claudia. Kathy married Richard Sack and they have one son, Jason Kamas Sack. Claudia married John MacKenzie, and Connie married Jerry Garrison.
Edward died in 1970 and Elenora died in 1968. The third child of William and Marie Louise, Elizabeth, married Earl Black and they had four children: Mary, Harvey, Ernest and Mildred.
Mary married Bob Decker. There are three children: Ernest Moody, Joyce Moody, and Clara LaVern Moody. Ernest’s wife is Connie and they have two children, Robbie and Terri. Joyce Moody married Fred Batye and they have one boy, Ricky. Clara Vern Moody, oldest of the children, died at an early teenage.
Harvey married Freda Antholz. They have two children, Greg and Noell. Ernest married De Verle Holland. They have four children: Danny, Rolly, Kim, and Becky. Danny’s wife is Candy, and they have one girl and a son.
Elizabeth died in 1964.
Fred, the fourth child of William and Marie Louise, married Carrie Peterman. They had a farm southwest of Alva. They had one son, who died soon after birth. Fred died in 1944 at Freedom.
Ida, the fifth child, married Chris Schaefer. They lived and farmed and had cattle northeast of Alva. They had five children: Norman, Ella, Andrew, Virgil, and Darrell.
Norman married Adelia Ritter. They farm and have cattle northeast and east of Alva. They live in Alva. They have one daughter, Jeannette, who is married to Vernie Hackney, a Woods County Com-missioner. Her daughter, Sharon Hellman married Lee Brandt.
Ella married Kenneth Arthur. They farm and have cattle; they live northwest of Alva. They have two daughters, Betty and Carolyn. Betty married Eldon Wiersig and has three children, Tom, Tammy, and Jerry. Carolyn married Joe Kolesar and they make their home part time in Coldwater, Kansas, and Alva.
Andrew married Ruth Boyce. They have two daughters, DeAnn and Janice. DeAnn married Robert Kerr, Jr. Janice married Gary Scheimer and has two sons, Scott and Eric.
Virgil married Kay Potuznik. They had one daughter, Tanya. He died in 1972. Tanya has a son, Benjamin.
Darrell married Homa Lee Jones. They have four children: Laura Lee, Jimmy, Ricky, and Larry. Laura Lee married Jay Bayles.
Ida died in 1965 and Chris died in 1960.
Henry “Heinrich” died in infancy. He was the sixth child.
Lorena, the seventh child, was the last of the children born in Indiana. She married Carl Rockenbach. They lived and farmed and had cattle southwest of Alva. They had one son, Leo. Carl died in 1957 and Lorena died in 1960. Leo married Inez Murray and lives in Alva. They have four children: Jimmie, Kenneth, Bob, and Barbara. Jimmie married Beverly Keim. They have two children, Natalie and Gavin. Kenneth married Linda Spurgeon and they have two children, Leslyn and Brandon. Bob married Ellen Kirkpatrick.
The eighth child, Ernest, was born at Alva. He farmed and had Buick Cars and Garage. He married Lorena Joseph. They had four children: Barbara, Glenda, Lynn, and Eldon J. Barbara married Melvin Littlefield and has three sons, Marc, Bruce, and David. Bruce died in 1960. Glenda married Franklin Tinsley. They have four children: Kimberley, Shelly, Michal, and Christopher. Lynn married Janice Lou Cuda. They have two children, Bret and Lori. Eldon J. married Mitzi Ann Shisk. They have three children: Tracey Ann, Matthene, and Aaron. Ernest died in 1965.
Emma died of a childhood disease in 1903.
The last child, Louise, married Don P. Barnes. They lived and farmed southwest of Alva. They had one daughter, Wanda Lee. She married Walter Bishop, Jr. and they have two children, Tracy “Bill” and Trecia. Louise died in 1967.
Prepared by Mrs. Harold Busse, 1976[1]
Henry and Gretchen Brehmer
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Heinrich Brehmer, son of William Brehmer, was born in Germany on 6 May 1854 and his wife Gretchen, daughter of Christian Wiebener, was born in Germany on 7 August 1858. They had two children: Anna, born in Minnesota on 2 September 1890. and, Christian, born in Minnesota on 9 April 1893.
From the First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma 1886-1986 biography of the Brehmer Family
In the summer of 1902, Henry and Gretchen Brehmer came from Jackson County, Minnesota to a farm home in Woods County, 1 mile south and 2 west of Alva. They and their 2 children: Anna 8 years and Christian 5 years old, lived in a dugout. They baked bread for themselves and some neighbors in a brick and sod oven behind the house, as many as 10 loaves at a time.
Mr. Brehmer farmed with horses and worked also as carpenter to support his family.
The school teacher neighbor couldn’t speak German and Grandmother Gretchen couldn’t speak English. Anna served as interpreter for 12 years.
When the family needed medication for coughs they made cough syrup from broom weed, honey, and whiskey.
Henry worked to help start the Farmers Co-Op here and served on the board of Directors. Between 50 to 100 neighbors joined. Mr. Bill Brickman said that as they were Seventh Day Adventists that they couldn’t join but, they were convinced that all had to join in order to get a fair price for their grain.
At that time Grundys Feed Yard was located where Washington school is today. You could put up your horse to be fed and cared for all day, while you could eat at a long table and sleep in a bunk house. There were 4 saloons, 2 grocery stores, a harness shop, one dentist, 2 doctors; Bilby and Bowling, 2 drug stores, 3 elevators, 1 lumber yard, an ice plant, 2 brickyards where brick was made, 2 livery stables where you could rent a horse and buggy, 1 butcher shop and 2 land offices.
Christian F. and Elsie (Massman) were married December 16, 1916. Then Chris went to war during World War I, after he returned Henry and Gretchen moved to California in 1919.
Anna also married Earnest Groh and moved to California as well. While Chris and Elsie’s children were Elmer and Laren, there are 6 grandchildren. Christian V . still lives here with his boys Christian Henry and Sean Brehmer. The farm is still in the Brehmer possession.
As told by Christian F. Brehmer to Ella Brehmer, a daughter-in-law.
Prepared by Ella Brehmer, 1987[2]
Friedrich and Augusta (Wendt) Dommann [or Domann]
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Friedrich Dommann, son of Karl Dommann, was born in Germany on 31 March 1848. His wife Augusta, daughter of August Wendt, was born in Germany on 29 May 1849. They had three children: Emil, born in Wisconsin on 20 August 1892; Anna born in Missouri on 3 November 1879; and Heinrich, born in Missouri on 3 October 1881.
From US Census 1900
Name:Fred Domman [Fred C Damman]; Age:54; Birth Date:Mar 1846; Birthplace:Germany; Home in 1900:Udolpho, Mower, Minnesota; Immigration Year:1871; Relation to Head of House:Head; Marital Status:Married; Spouse’s Name:Augusta Domman; Marriage Year:1870; Years Married:30; Father’s Birthplace:Germany; Mother’s Birthplace:Germany; Years in US:29; Occupation:Farmer; Household Members: Fred Domman 54, Augusta Domman 51, Emil Domman 27, Ida L Domman 25, Annie M Domman 20, Henry Domman 18.
John Charles “Karl” and Maria Katherine (Lampel) Goeringer
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Karl Goeringer, son of Gottlieb Goeringer, was born in Russia on 25 November 1860 and his wife Katarina, daughter of Georg Lampel, was born in Russia on 13 October 1867. They had seven children: Lizzie, born in Russia on 23 April 1890; Carl, born in Nebraska on 14 October 1892; Heinrich, born in Ohio on 7 March 1895; Georg, born in Ohio on 15 September 1897; Anna, born in Oklahoma on 23 April 1900; Christina, born in Oklahoma on 2 June 1902; and Paulina Mima, born in Alva, Oklahoma on 3 September 1904.
From the First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma 1886-1986 biography of Forest P. Bender
The biography of the Forest P. Bender family includes a biography of the daughter of John Charles Goeringer and Maria Katherine (Lampel) Goeringer, Christina Sophia Goeringer:
Forest P. Bender was born on 11 October 1898 on his parents’ farm in Oklahoma Territory, now 4 1/2 miles west of Cherokee. Then the nearest town and chapter office was Auburn, Oklahoma Territory. His parents were William John Bender and Rozella Helmich Bender. William was born in Chicago, Illinois on 15 April 1867 to Conrad Bender and Christina Fabian Bender and Rozella was born in Pendleton County, Kentucky on 10 April 1875 to Lewis Helmich and Isabell Daugherty Helmich, and they were married on 24 December 1896 by Rev. W.J. Woodmansee, Auburn, Oklahoma Territory. William and his brothers, Joseph, Peter and Frank, all homesteaded, in the Cherokee Strip opening, Forest was born on the farm his father homesteaded which was Homestead Certificate No. 2561, Application No. 1696, the NE 1/4 of Section 12, Township 26 North, Range 12 West of the Indian Meridian.
Forest married Christina Sophia Goeringer, born on 2 June 1902 in Woods County, daughter of John Charles Goeringer, born on 25 November 1860 in Russia, and Maria Katherine (Lampel) Goeringer, born on 13 October 1867 in Lauwe, Russia, on 28 November 1923 in Cherokee, Alfalfa County, Oklahoma. They were married in the home of Sophia’s sister and brother-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Goeringer Hort and John Peter Hort. To this union four children were born.
At the time of their marriage, Forest and Sophia were both teachers, Forest at Alva High School, where he taught math and science for 181/2 years, and Sophia in Carmen where she taught the first grade and commuted from Alva to Carmen in a Model A Ford for the school year 1923-24. Forest graduated from Cherokee High School in 1919 and from Friends University in 1924. Forest also graduated from the United States Signal Corps School at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey in 1940. Sophia graduated from the Normal School in 1922 and received her teacher’s certificate. Forest joined the National Guard in 1929 and in 1939 was called to serve his country full time for the next seven years. He was stationed at Ft. Bliss and Camp Hood in Texas and served with the Army of occupation in Hanau, Germany in 1944.
Forest and Sophia have lived in Alva all their married life, except for the time Forest was serving in the Army. They spent the summers on the farm where Forest was born and farmed that land and other land nearby. Sophia and Carroll, the older son, farmed the land while Forest was in the service. Forest and Sophia’s present address is in Alva. They lived at 824 Church Street from 1923 to 1960. Their children are: Carroll Forest, born 19 July 1925, Lorraine, born 24 April 1927, Royce Ronald, born 17 June 1931 and Jeanene Rose, born 25 January 1939. Lorraine married Merle Glenn Fettke, son of Herbert P. Fettke and Vera Melear Fettke, on 22 October 1947 in the Friends Church in Alva, Oklahoma. Royce married Joyce Elaine Jackson, daughter of Erval and Vernon Jackson, on 23 July 1960 in the Christian Church in Burlington, Oklahoma. Carroll and Jeanene are single. Forest and Sophia have four grandsons, Steven Merle Fettke, born on 30 June 1953 in Hardtner, Kansas, Mark Sheldon Fettke, born on 5 November 1958 in Hardtner, Kansas, Lee Ronald Bender, born on 7 February 1966 in Alva, and Todd Allen Bender, born 5 May 1969 in Alva. Steven Merle Fettke married Lorraine (Tilly) Krcellch, daughter of Walter Krcelich and Leone Scott Krcelich, on 5 August 1978 in Manhattan, Kansas, and they have Forest and Sophia’s only great grandchild, Phillip Steven Fettke born on 12 June 1984 in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, where Steven, Tilly and Phillip are now residing. Steven teaches at Southeastern Bible College and Tilly teaches at Lake Gibson High School. Mark Fettke teaches at Whittier High School in Whittier, California. Lee Bender is a student at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Todd Bender is attending Cherokee High School.
Upon returning from the service, Forest began another career as a television and radio dealer and repairman. He is retired from teaching, the service, and from farming. Forest and Sophia’s younger son, Royce, now owns the homestead on which Forest was born. Forest will be 88 years old this year, on 11 October 1986, and he is still operating his business, Bender & Sons Radio and TV at 110 Okla. Blvd. in Alva.
The following stories, in Forest’s owns words, indicate his concern for his students and his care and love of his family:
“Back when I was teaching school I would try to teach my students not to smoke. I thought it a terrible thing for kids to smoke. So many people die of it. I had an experiment that I would do for my classes in Alva High School. I would fix up a pipette and glass jar and I would put water in the jar and I would poke a cigarette in the end of the pipette and I would smoke the cigarette through the water. I had made a trap to catch the nicotine. Then I would syphon the water out of the jar and trap a little of the nicotine that was caught. I would go to the river and get some minnows and put just one fish into a little beaker of water, only a pint or half pint of water. That fish would swim around so nicely. Then I would put just one drop from an eyedropper of the nicotine I had tapped and it wouldn’t be but about five minutes before that fish would be ‘belly-up’ dead! I had three classes of general science and I did a lot of experiments for the students. Now a lot of those kids are up in their 60s!”
“When I started teaching in 1922-23 things were pretty rough and there wasn’t much money around. By 1930 or ’31 I couldn’t cash my warrants that the school district had paid me with as they had no money to pay their teachers. Well, I had two mortgages, my farm and my house, to pay, as well as a family to support, so I went to the bank. I bought a house here in Alva as there was no place to rent when I got here; I was paying $18.04 a month on it and I had borrowed $700.00 from my dad as a down payment. I still own that house at 824 Church here in Alva. I took the warrants down to see if I could borrow on them. Mr. Myers at the bank (his family still owns the bank) just threw up his hands and said, ‘No, I don’t want to have anything to do with those warrants, I don’t think they’re going to be worth anything.’ Well, I was desperate for some money because if I didn’t pay on my mortgages they would foreclose. So I heard that Harry E. Mason, who was at the other bank, was pretty hard to do business with but I went to see him. I brought out three warrants of $85.00 each, and asked if I could borrow on them and he said, ‘Yes, but I will have to discount them and charge you 7 percent interest.’ That was fine with me. He said he would hold them until they could be redeemed by the county but he took just one. It wasn’t too much longer before the county paid on the other warrants.”
Prepared by Lorraine (Bender) Fettke, 1987.[2[
From the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County biography of Merle G. Fettke
The biography of Merle G. Fettke contains a biography of the grand-daughter of John Charles Goeringer and Maria Katherine (Lampel) Goeringer, Lorraine Bender.
Merle Glenn Fettke, son of Herbert P. Fettke, born 12 Sept. 1896 in Wichita, Kansas and Vera Melear Fettke, born 31 Oct. 1900 in Kerens, Texas, was born 4 September 1923 in Alva, Oklahoma. Merle is the oldest of four children; his sister and brothers are Norma Belle Fettke Allen Wittmer, Richard Fettke and Paul Fettke. Merle went to Longfellow Grade School and Alva Junior and Senior High Schools, graduating from Alva High in 1941. He also attended college at Northwestern Oklahoma State University before joining the United States Air Force on 31 Oct. 1942 where he served his country until 1 Mar. 1946.
While Merle was in school he worked as a paper carrier for the Oklahoman and the Alva Review-Courier. He also worked at the Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. and delivered pop in western Oklahoma. After he was discharged from the Air Force, Merle operated his own shoe repair business north of Central National Bank on the west side of College Avenue.
On 22 October 1947 in the Friends Church in Alva, Oklahoma Merle married Lorraine Bender, daughter of Forest P. Bender, born 11 October 1898, and Sophie Goeringer Bender, born 2 June 1902, who was born 24 April 1927 in Alva. After their marriage, Merle worked for Ticer Butane, Wenninger’s Hardware and as a bottler for the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company In 1954 Merle went to work at the Alva Post Office; he retired as Assistant Postmaster on 27 July 1983.
Lorraine graduated from Alva High School in 1945; she attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University for two years before marriage and returned to college 20 years later, graduating from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 1968. Lorraine worked for Munson Hatchery, the Alva Review-Courier, Old Surety Life Insurance Company, the law firm Mauntel & Doolin, the law firm Morford & Benson, Houston Lumber Company and for Frank Houts, Attorney. At the present time, Merle is employed by Alva Roofing Company as bookkeeper and Lorraine has been a legal secretary for Attorney Herbert D. Smith since 1969.
Lorraine and Merle have two sons, Steven Merle, born 30 June 1953 and Mark Sheldon, born 5 November 1958; both boys were born in Hardtner, Kansas. Steven married Lorraine Krcelich on 5 August 1978 in Manhattan, Kansas. They have a son, Phillip Steven, born 12 June 1984 in Lakeland, Florida. Steven graduated from Alva High School in 1972; he graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva in December of 1975 and from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1979. He also graduated from Columbia Seminary in Atlanta Gorgia in 1984. Steven taught English one semester in Aline High School; he began teaching at Southeastern Bible College in Lakeland, Florida in 1979 where he is presently head of the Old Testament Department and teaches Old Testament classes. His wife, whose nickname is Tilly, teaches in Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida.
Both Steven and Mark went to Longfellow Grade School as did their father; both also carried the Alva Review-Courier route their father carried as a boy. Mark graduated from Alva High School in 1977 where he was an outstanding football star. He gained 1,000 yards rushing his Senior year and won the Omar Hill Football Award. He graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 1981; he attended Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas and graduated in 1983 from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma. He is now teaching Music and English in Whittier High School in Whittier, California.
Merle enjoys walking, bicycling, reading and planting trees; Lorraine also enjoys bicycling, likes to travel, knit and work on genealogy. They are members of the Alva Friends Church; Lorraine is a member of the American Association of University Women, Daughters of the American Revolution, Cherokee Outlet Chapter, and the Woods County Genealogists. Merle likes to collect unusual rocks he finds out walking; Lorraine enjoys collecting miniature rabbits and Carnival Glass.
Prepared by Lorraine (Bender) Fettke, 1976.[1]
Jacob and Anna Haas
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Jacob Haas, son of Johann Hass, was born in Germany on 5 September 1870 and his wife, Anna, daughter of Margaretha Suhler, was born in Germany on 22 February 1884. They have one child, Anton who was born in Oklahoma on 2 September 1901.
From US Census 1900
Name Jacob Haas; Age 29; Birth Date Oct 1870; Birthplace Germany; Home in 1900 Stella, Woods, Oklahoma; Immigration Year 1884; Relation to Head of House Brother; Marital Status Single; Father’s Birthplace Russia; Mother’s Birthplace Russia; Occupation Farmer. Jacob Haas is living with his brother, Christian Haas, who is married to Katherina who was born in Russia Jan 1876. Jacob and Katherina have a daughter named Esther Lena.
Name Anna M Suhler; Age 16; Birth Date Feb 1884; Birthplace Germany; Home in 1900 Sharon, Barber, Kansas; Immigration Year 1886; Relation to Head of House Granddaughter; Marital Status Single; Father’s Birthplace Germany; Mother’s Birthplace Germany; Years in US 14
From US Census 1910
Name: Jacob Haas; Age in 1910: 39; Birth Year: abt 1871; Birthplace: Germany; Home in 1910: Hopeton, Woods, Oklahoma; Immigration Year: 1884; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Married; Spouse’s Name: Anna Haas; Father’s Birthplace: Germany; Mother’s Birthplace: Germany; Occupation: Farmer; Household Members: Jacob Haas 39, Anna Haas 26, Antone Haas 8, Fred Haas 7, Leonard Haas 5, Victor Haas 3, Margaret Suhler 56.
From the First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma 1886-1986 biography of Katherina Beltz
From the US Census 1900, Jacob Haas is living with his brother, Christian Haas, who is married to Katherina who was born in Russia Jan 1876. Jacob and Katherina have a daughter named Esther Lena.
Katherina (Beltz) Haas was born in Kutter, Russia on January 4, 1875. She was very proud of the fact that she was a German, even though her family lived in Russia for many years due to a proclamation by Catherine-the-Great. Farmers were promised parcels of land along the Volga, and Katharina’s ancestors took advantage of the opportunity.
Life in Russia was hard. The weather showed no mercy. There were few weeks that the ground could be seen through heavy snow.
The church was the life of all villagers with all belonging to the same church in each separate village. The pastor was also the school teacher and he was very strict. He always carried a long stick and with only one good whack, could keep the children in line. The villagers were all frugal and all things were valuable. Katy remembered breaking a bottle of homemade ink. Her mother gave her a hard scolding because things were hard to replace and very precious. The clothing worn on Sunday was always carefully folded and put away in a trunk until the next Sunday’s use.
All children had responsibility . . . a certain chore they had to perform. Katy was in charge of the family’s flock of geese which she had to herd down to the “back” or stream located just north of the church. In the summer they would sometimes go west of the village where the creek ran into the Karamisch River which flowed north of the village until it joined the great Volga, near Saratov.
All the farmers lived within the village, but raised their crops out from their neat homes. In the evening, after a day’s work, the family would help with some home industry. The Beltz family would spin wool or flax and weave the cloth to be made into clothing for the family or profit. Some family member would start a tune and then they would all join in singing. Linen made from the locally grown flax would be spread on the wet grass to be bleached by the sun. On very cold winter nights the family slept huddled around and on top of the large, lowslung, brick oven and fireplace.
Katie brought to America a love for cooking the dishes that were common in Kutter and probably brought a hundred years earlier from Germany. The village was in a fertile area where many kinds of crops and fruits were grown. Abundant livestock provided meat, milk and leather. She cooked Kercha (cherries), Apfel (apples), and Zwiebl Kuchen. Rokka Brot (rye bread), Pickled Watermelon, Kraut, and Dill Gommeren (cucumbers), Leberwurst, Schnitz Suz and Kartoffels lies were favorite dishes, too.
The 100 year agreement had lapsed and the new rulers of Russia had invasion plans to conquer neighboring lands. The boys were being looked over by the Russians. The church was harassed, and the taxes imposed, and the Russian language was required in the schools. Life was becoming oppressive. Among the families that decided to come to America was the Beltz family. Katie’s father, George Heinrich, and her mother, Elizabeth Weigandt, had been blessed with Frederich, Katharina, Eva and Maria.
The two older boys, Adam and Heinrich, came to Kansas first. The railroads had acquired much land from the government and were building railroads to Dodge City and other terminals for shipping beef east.
Because Adam was of draft age, he had taken Frederich’s passport visa while Heinrich had his own. The boys worked for the railroad raising passage money for the family to come over.
There was one BIG problem. Frederich now had no passport! Grandmother Magdalena (Schmidt) Beltz was too old to make the voyage, so Frederich was dressed as an old lady so he could use her passport. He kept this disguise all the way to America by pretending to be somewhat addled and not able to speak. Whenever he would forget and stand up straight, his mother would remind him — “Mach du kline!” (Make yourself smaller!)
The family left Kutter in November 1881, arriving in Baltimore, January 1892. They settled in La Crosse, Kansas. where they lived for three years. The two oldest girls, Katharine and Eva, worked as domestics in homes and a hotel. In 1894, the whole family moved to Oklahoma Territory to the thriving little town of Ingersoll.
Katharina married Christian Haas in 1897, as recorded in Woods County. Seven children were born to this union before Christian Haas died at age 37 from injuries suffered in an accident. The children became Lena (Haas) Meyer, Herman, Bismark, Sam, Clara (Haas) Cornelius, Helen (Haas) Berry, and Wilma Haas. Katie was widowed two more times (Joe Frey and Henry Brining) before she died in Cherokee in 1957.
In 1986, only two of Katie’s children survive — Helen (Haas) Berry of Stillwater and Wilma Haas of Alva. Wilma has made her home in Alva for the last 15 years.
Prepared by Helen Haas Berry, 1987.[2]
Gottlieb and Ottilie (Krause) Kletke
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Gottlieb Kletke, son of Gottlieb Kletke, was bon in Germany 1 July 1857 and his wife Ottilie, daughter of Carl Krause, was born in Germany 16 November 1857. They had five children: Helene, born in Kansas on 24 January 1886; Oskar, born in Kansas on 28 August 1887; Walter, born in Kansas 21 September 1889; Ottiilie, born in Kansas on 22 November 1891; Martha, born in Kansas on 4 August 1893.
From the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County biography of Gottlieb Kletke
Gottlieb Kletke was born July 1, 1857, near Konigsberg, Germany. He was the son of Gottlieb Klaedtke and Emilie nee Mau.
At the age of twelve Gottlieb had to seek employment and learned the trade of a stonemason. When he was twenty years old he contracted cholera at work. In taking care of him his mother became ill with cholera and died at the age of forty-nine on October 15, 1877. Also a younger brother, aged eight, died of the same illness.
When still a young man he came to America and spent a year here. Then he returned to Germany and was married to Ottilie Wilhelmine Krause, daughter of Karl and Amelia (Kletke) Krause. Ottilie was born November 16, 1857 in Mohringer, Germany.
Gottlieb and his wife Ottilie came to America. Here he changed the spelling of his name from Klaedtke to Kletke to make it easier to spell. The couple settled near Winfield, Kansas with no money, and he worked on a chicken ranch for John P. Baden. Since he was also a stonemason Gottlieb helped build the first buildings of the Lutheran St. John’s College in Winfield. There Gottlieb and Ottilie had four children, Helena Marie, Oscar Karl, Walter Frederick and Ottilie Martha.
He made the run in 1893 and settled on a farm near Billings, Oklahoma in Noble county. Martha Amelia, another daughter, was born that year.
They had many crop failures, and took in boarders in their small house. One was the Rev. Herman Meier and another was Henry Schierloh who operated a small grocery store near Billings. Rev. Herman Meier came to Alva in 1900 where many Lutherans had settled. This new area held great hope for the future.
In 1901 the Kletkes sold their land near Billings and with Gottlieb’s family and sister, also moved the Fredrick Meyer family, and Edward Gustav Kletke and family, his youngest brother. They had bought land east of Alva with a small house on it. Gottlieb soon built a nice two story house and other buildings. He, with his sons, farmed over one-half section of land.
After their children were grown and married Gottlieb and Ottilie retired to a home in Alva at 329 Church. Several years later they built a smaller home at 327 Church Street.
During his life time in Alva, Gottlieb Kletke farmed and also was president of the Woods County Union Bank which now houses Old Surety Insurance Company.
Gottlieb was a lay member representing the Lutheran Church when the Oklahoma District met at Kingfisher to establish the Oklahoma District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Gottlieb became ill and was taken to Omaha, Nebraska where he entered the hospital for treatment. Ottilie went with him and while there died suddenly of heart failure November 29, 1931. Gottlieb died of pneumonia January 31, 1933. Both are buried in the Lutheran cemetery southeast of Alva.
Helena Marie married Henry Schierloh. Oscar Kletke married Emma Wamhof and after her death married Clara Wiersig. Walter Fredrick married Rhoda Steve. Ottilie Martha married Wilbur “Webb” Dimmick. Martha Amelia married Martin Bredehoeft.
Prepared by Mildred (Brunken) Kletke,1976[1]
Gustav and Ida (Augustin) Kletke
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Gustav Kletke, son of Gottliebe Kletke, was born in Germany on 26 October 1873 and his wife Ida, daughter of Leopold Augustin, was born in Germany on 18 January 1880. They had three children: Erich, born in Oklahoma on 26 June 1900 and died 8 March 1902; Ernst, born in Oklahoma on 24 December 1901 and died 26 January 1902; and Gertrud Erna, born in Oklahoma on 17 April 1903.
From the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County biography of Edward Gustav Kletke
Edward Gustav the youngest son of Gottlieb Klaedtke and Emelie (Mau) Klaedtke was born Oct. 26, 1873 near Konigsberg, Germany. He was baptized November 2, 1873 in the Lutheran Church. Edward Gustav lost both his parents as a young lad. He was four when his mother died and his father died when he was nine. He was taken in by a farm family where he herded geese and did farm chores for his keep. At the age of fourteen Edward entered military training and here learned the trade of a mason (brick-layer). He received his Masonry Certificate in June 1893.
Edward and Ida Louisa Augustin enjoyed out-of-door sports. In the area of Berlin the street known as “Unter den Linden” would be flooded for the purpose of ice skating. Here they skated to music played by various bands.
May 29, 1898 Edward and Ida were married. Ida was the daughter of Frederick Leopold and Justine (Wandernalia) Augustin. Their first ceremony read “Mason, Edward Gustav Kletke and Seamstress Ida Louise Augustin married by “Der Standesbeamte” (registrar) on May 27, 1898. Two days later May 29, they had a church wedding. The later was always observed as their anniversary.
In the summer July 16, 1899 their first child was born, Margaretha Helena. She lived till August 2, 1899.
In the fall of 1899 plans were made to come to the U.S.A. Gustav’s oldest brother, Gottlieb Kletke, and his only sister, Helena (Kletke) Meyer, were living in Noble and Kay Counties, Oklahoma.
Here is a copy written by Gustav of his first five years in the U.S.A.
“The first of January 1900 we left Hamburg, Germany. The 13th of January we landet in New York City staying there 3 days. Then by Train Via St. Louis to Ponca City, Ok. My Brother and Brother-in-law meeting Us at the Depot. They took Us to a Home the Name was Newman. There We had Supper by Them People. That Evening We left for My Sister’s Home the 1 8th of January, Ida’s 20th Birthday. And the Following Day We left for My Brothers Home. There We made our temporary Home. I Then worked for My Brother for $20 a Month and in Harvestime $1.50 per Day . . . In 1900 our little Son Gustav Erick was born.
My Brother and Brother-in-law Sold Their Farms and moved to Woods County East of Alva. We three Families moved by Wagons, driving livestock through. The Women rode in my Brotherinlaws “Surrey with the Fringe on Top”.
In February 1901 My Brother rented a Farm for me from Mr. Wamhof, Known now as the Schick Farm 3 miles East of Alva. 1901 and 1902 I put out 100 Acres of Wheat. I had to have some Horses. I bought 2 mares and one mule with Harness on for $230 for sowing Wheat I needed one more Horse. I bought one Mare from My Brother for $40. Than I bought a Bain Wagon and a 16 in. riding Plow second Handet for $85 . . . My wheat Made about 12 bushel per acer. One-third rent delivered in Elevator left my part about 800 Bushel. Sold for 54 cents a Bushel. So my whole Crop sold for $432 Less expence $355 Left me $77. Chocking Wheat and Twine $40. Threshing expence @ 6 cent a Bushel $72, 12 Team haling bundels and Grain to eleva-tor $84, Board, for Crew and Teams $14.50, expence $211.30, Money I Had $77. Left me in the Red the year ending $1 34.
Our second son was born, Ernest Heinrich. Little Ernest lived with us only a short time. Jan. 26, 1902 he died. Sadness struck both Ida and me when by accident little Erick died May 3, 1902. We lost our first three children. Our two boys Ernest and Erick are buried next to each other in the Second Grave of Little Children in the Lutheran Cemetery south east of Alva.
The year 1902-1903 I sowed 170 acres in Wheat. The Wheat was looking good and in the spring there was the Lease on the NW’/4 (28-14-33) For Sale and I bought it for $500 on My growing Wheat Crop. But the first week of April We had Hot Winds and all the Wheat in the Country was burned and had the color of Dry Grass. The dry Weather stayed on till the 27th of April. That Night the First Rain came and stayed about one Week. The Wheat growed out and the Field of 170 Acer made 25 bushel to an Acer. That year it sold for 564 per Bushel. So I had 4250 Bushel of Wheat and My part Amounted to $1512. After interest, Threshing bill, men, teams, board for men and teams and binder bouth[bought] that year for expences[expenses] of $1441 I had left clear $71.
Also that Spring we had another daughter Erna Gertrude. Two years later in the Spring Hildegard Frieda was born.”
Besides farming Gustav worked at bricklaying for homes north of the river or wherever he was needed to lay brick and to build chimneys.
About the time Ella Helena was born Gustav bought a farm in Southern Oklahoma near Grandfield. Each fall after wheat sowing here, he and his family would go by covered wagon to the cotton farm south for the picking, then return to Alva for the wheat harvest. They did this till the late spring of 1909. When a son Harold Gustav was born. This time Ida did not come to Alva in the covered wagon but came by train with four small children. He later sold this land.
Gustav mastered the speaking of the English language very well. His wife, Ida, had a more difficult time. Neighbors would often visit Ida and they could make each other understand a little. Mrs. Affholder helped Ida a little but the real learning came when her children went to school. It was a trying experience to try to understand what the teacher wanted in an all English speaking school with two all German speaking little girls trying to commune. The school was “Highland School” northwest of Alva. About this time Martha Margaret was born.
Gustav bought more land and also rented another quarter. He also raised horses and mules and broke them for harness, selling them by teams.
When the Lutheran Church was built in 1911, Gustav did much of the bricklaying.
In 1916 Gustav bought his first automobile a “Seven passenger touring Overland”. We were very proud of Gustav. During the summer Ida’s health began failing. In May 1917 Dr. W. E. Simon and Dr. White came to the farm to do some minor surgery for Ida. Ella, then 11 years old had taken very ill during the night. Gustav called the doctor’s attention to Ella. Dr. Simon said, “Mr. Kletke if she were mine I wouldn’t wait but have her operated on today”. Dad asked, “When? What for?” Both doctors agree, “Immediately, today, she has an acute attack of appendicitis”. The hospital in Alva was having problems and the lady running it would not let German people in as patients and also it was not in good condition. Orders were given to Gustav to get bed sheeting and tack it over the ceiling and walls of the living dining room, not over the windows or door. Curtains came down and they were to have the clothes boiled, cleaned and ready with hot boiling water for sterilizing to be ready by 3 p.m. Gustav rushed to town and bought yards and yards of sheeting and covered the room as instructed.
Three doctors were there by 3 o’clock with them a registered nurse, Nellie Cooksey. They sterilized the operating implements and packed the hot implements on a pad on the new dining table. The kitchen table was moved into this room and a large door placed on the kitchen table was covered with pads and sheets. When all was ready for the operation Ella got up and walked to the operating table. This move possibly was when the appendix ruptured. Ella told of how she repeated the Lord’s Prayer when they began giving her the anesthetic. It felt like two hammers coming closer and closer together. When she came to the words For Thine is the Kingdom – the hammers clashed and she remembered no more. The doctors worked for three hours. We children were outside staying away until we saw the doctors leave. A tube had been inserted for drainage. Doctors came every day to dress, sterilize the tube and replace it. This is when Hildegard would take the two youngest to the top of a hill south of the house so they couldn’t hear Ella cry. We’d stay till we saw the doctor’s car leave. These calls lasted three weeks and later 2 to 3 times a week. With all this strain and worry it was advised by the doctors that Ida be sent to Colorado Springs. She left with the three youngest children by train and stayed about 2 months. In the spring of 1918 Gustav had a farm sale. Then the last of March the family moved to Optimo, New Mexico.
The children attended a bilingual school with many Spanish speaking children. It wasn’t long before the children picked up their language, mastered it and finished high school and taught in Spanish Schools.
Gustav and Ida moved to Eagle Nest, New Mexico in 1924. In the Fall of 1934 Ida was burned by a gasoline stove explosion and died three days later on October 31, 1934. Gustav tried to keep up his farming but soon retired. Ella married Louis Engelken and they live southeast of Alva. Harold, his son, also lived southeast of Alva. He married Theresa Stevens of Raton, New Mexico. The oldest daughter, Erna, married while in New Mexico. Her husband was in the lumber business in Taos. Martha finished college at Northwestern, Alva, and taught school near Gate, Oklahoma and Gallup, New Mexico where she married Robert C. Tecklenburg. Hildegard taught school for twenty six years in New Mexico. She married Julius Kirmse in 1951 and lives in Alva.
Edward Gustav sold his interest in the farm to his son Harold and wife Theresa and moved to Alva. Edward Gustav died Sep. 29, 1947. He and Ida were members of the Lutheran Church in Alva and both are buried in the Lutheran Cemetery southeast of Alva.
Prepared by Hildegard (Kletke) Kirmse, 1976.[1]
Jacob and Anna (Held) Keinath
From the Zion Lutheran Church – Alva 1904 membership records
Jacob Keinath, son of Johannes Keinath, was born in Germany on 16 October 1853 and his wife Anna, daughter of Johann Held, was born in Michigan on 21 June 1854. They had seven children: Joh. Georg, born in Michigan on 2 May 1878; Ernst Friedrich, born in Michigan on 18 January 1880; Gottlieb Christ, born in Michigan on 29 March 1881; Christian Curry, born in Michigan on 26 November 1883; Klara, born in Michigan on 21 July 1885; Ludwig, born in Michigan on 16 August 1887; and Ida, born in Michigan on 3 October 1891.
From US Census 1900
Name Jacob Kennith; Age 46; Birth Date Oct 1853; Birthplace Germany; Home in 1900 Denmark, Tuscola, Michigan; Immigration Year 1855; Relation to Head of House Head; Marital Status Married; Spouse’s Name Anna Kennith; Marriage Year 1876; Years Married 24; Father’s Birthplace Germany; Mother’s Birthplace Germany; Years in US 45; Occupation Farmer; Household Members Jacob Kennith 46, Anna Kennith 45, Adam Kennith 23, Frederick Kennith 20, Christina Kennith 19, Carolina Kennith 16, Clara Kennith 14, Ludwig Kennith 12, Ida Kennith 8.
From US Census 1910
Name: John J Kernath; [John J Keinath] ; Age in 1910: 56; Birth Year: abt 1854; Birthplace: Germany; Home in 1910: Alva Ward 2, Woods, Oklahoma; Relation to Head of House: Head; Marital Status: Married; Spouse’s Name: Anna M Kernath; Father’s Birthplace: Germany; Mother’s Birthplace: Germany; Occupation: Carpenter; Industry: Contractor; Years Married: 33; Household Members: John J Kernath 56, Anna M Kernath 56, Homer L Kernath 31, Louie J A Kernath 22.
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.
- Zion Lutheran Church – Alva, Oklahoma 100 year celebration booklet “Zion Lutheran Church 1899-1999 Alva, OK”. 1998.
