The current chapter reports on Anna Gerken’s parents as well as who were her siblings.

Jochim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge – Marriage

In a previous chapter, Generation 3: Peter Meier and Anna Gerken, Anna Gerken was found to have been born to parents Jochim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge on 11 Feb 1820 . The Scheeßel parish marriage record of Jochim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge is as follows:

Translation

The bachelor Joachim Gerken, legitimate 3rd son of the late Johann Gerken in Hunborn and the virgin Maria Grobrügg, legitimate 2nd daughter of the late Bernd Grobrügg cultivator in Bartelsdorf. KNB Scheeßel 1816 S.[side, page] 280R[backside] Bd.[volume] III, Marriages; # 12; Nov. 1, in the church

Translated from documents at Archive in Stade, by Hans-Joachim Hinners, 27580 Bremerhaven, Germany [1993]

The Ancestry.com Elbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945 database entry is:

The first name of Anna’s father is variously spell Jochim and Joachim. I have chosen to use Jochim as this is the name found in most of the related primary documents.

Jochim Gerken

When Jochim Gerken was born on October 1, 1783, his father, Johann, was 39 and his mother, Gesche, was 38. He married Maria Grobrügge on November 1, 1816, in Scheeßel, Lower Saxony, Germany. They had two children during their marriage. He died on December 20, 1836, at the age of 53, and was buried in Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany.

The Scheeßel parish birth record of Maria Grobrügge, is as follows:

The AncestryElbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945 database entry is:

The Elbe-Weser Triangle database transcriptions are a bit garbled and should read Name: Maria Grobrügge, Father: Berend Grobrügge, Mother: Anna Heitmann.

– DEATH 25 SEP 1846 • Wenkeloh, Rotenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

The Scheeßel parish death and burial record of Maria Grobrügge is as follows:

The AncestryElbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945 database entry is:

From the Elbe-Weser Triangle database, it would appear that Maria was buried a year after her death – this is not correct, her death and burial were in 1846. Marie, wife of Jochim Gerken, died 25 Sept 1846 and was buried 28 Sept 1846 in Scheeßel, Hannover, Preußen

Summary

Maria Grobrügge was born 30 Mar 1797 and was baptized 2 Apr 1797 at Scheeßel. Her father was Berend Grobrügge and her mother was Anna Heitmann.

Children of Jochim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge

The following children were found for Joachim/Jochim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge:

Anna Gerken

When Anna Gerken was born on February 11, 1820, in Rotenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, her father, Jochim, was 36, and her mother, Maria, was 22. She married Peter Meier on November 13, 1840, in Scheeßel, Lower Saxony, Germany. They had five children in 23 years. She died on November 11, 1885, in Farrar, Missouri, at the age of 65, and was buried there.

Anna has previously been presented in chapter Generation 3: Peter Meier and Anna Gerken.

Hinrich Gerken

When Hinrich Gerken was born on August 22, 1823, his father, Jochim, was 39 and his mother, Maria, was 26. He was baptized on August 31, 1823. He had one sister.

– BIRTH 22 AUG 1823

While there could be doubt that this is the son of Joachim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge because Maria is said to be born Gerken in the record, a close look at the document shows that the maiden name of Maria is not the same as Joachim’s last name and could be a scribbled form of Grobrügge.

Discussion

Joachim Gerken and Maria Grobrügge were found to have had 2 children. Very possibly there are more yet to be found in the Scheeßel parish records.