Preface

The following family history notes were prepared by several chroniclers over the years.  Who prepared the following English version of these historical notes about the Müller family is not known – See the DISCUSSION section at the end of this appendix.

Wilhelm Cord Müller (1830-1915)

The following notes were collected for the years up to 1800 by Wilhelm Cord Müller of the Scheessel Mill.

The earliest information about our family and the local mill was transmitted orally. No other family has ever been an inhabitant of the mill. It has been a respectable and honest family. No member of the family ever had a criminal record.

Apparently in the early days the mill stood behind the church near Nötel’s house, on the Scheeßel Bach1. Not only the tales, but also the terrain hint at that presumption. On several occasions the remains of mill wheels have been excavated. According to old stories the church once stood at a lower level than the mill. There was a disagreement with the pastor and the miller threatened: “I will get St. Lucas’ feet wet” [the church had been dedicated to St. Lucas]. On an Easter Sunday the miller dammed the water right up to the church, even up to the altar. As punishment for his arrogance the mill dam suddenly collapsed and the whole mill was washed away. Thereafter the mill was built on its present site. The oldest date in the documents still available state that a new mill was built in 1507. The relevant document is from  5 Dec. 1764 and comes from the tenant miller Erich Borchard Müller, who in it applies to the chamber for permanent ownership of the mill. He claims that part of the land now belonging to the mill had previously been the site of the miller’s house, as an inventory dated 14 May 1707 stated.

At the time of the 30-year war (1618-1648)[The Thirty Years War began in Prague in May 1618 when Protestant Bohemian nobles rose up against the Catholic King Ferdinand. It was fought mainly in Germany and involved petty German Princes, together with foreign powers from France, Sweden, Denmark and England, against the unity and power of the Holy Roman Empire represented by the Hapsburgs in Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The war ended with the Peace of Westphalia of October 1648.] the millers had suffered much at the hands of the passing troops.] The tenant at that time was “Tönjes Müller” and he feared having to leave the mill. These circumstances forced him to seek help from Archbishop Friederich, at that time regent of the duchies of Bremen and Verden. Friederich sent a letter on 24 Dec. 1620 to the miller:

“As indicated our miller from the Scheessel mill and his forefathers have been in possession of the mill for many years. They have been trustworthy and honest millers and they shall remain valued and receive our support.”

Friederich

[The only bishop by the name of Friederich lived in the 14th century. From 1567 – 1625 Philipp Sigismund, a Duke from Braunschweig and Lüneburg, was Bishop of Verden. Then for a short time Franz Wilhelm, Earl of Wartenberg, followed as (catholic) Bishop. ]

Unfortunately any records of any proceedings between Leopold Müller and the Scheessel parish council have been lost and all attempts to find them have been in vain.

According to some original documents dated 1 Sept. 1617 the Scheessel miller, Tönjes Müller, bought property from the Scheessel Parish. The description suggests it to be the “Wischhof”. This would have been the first land ownership by our forebears, as everything at this time was the property of the state. About 1626 the miller’s house was totally destroyed, and according to oral tradition the mill along with it, but this is not confirmed by written records.

The miller rebuilt the mill with the help of people who would have found it useful to assist. The state is supposed to have taken this into account later, and again given the miller the right to the premises, but retained ownership.

An official document says that the miller Tönjes Müller was given permission to build a cottage. This was given with the permission of the villages of Scheessel and Jeersdorf, with Rotenburg’s official approval. Tönjes’ son and successor Berendt Müller was, according to a document, awarded leaseholding rights by Archbishop Friederich.

A 1620 document discloses that Tönjes was still alive. [The house was renovated in 1626.]

About 1627 the existing house (which burned down on 19 Dec. 1872), at least the back part, was built. Later several additions were made.

The local church register does not record when this Tönjes Müller died. It would have been about 1630.

His successor Berendt Müller lived until about 1660-1670 and had four children – Dorothea, Anna, Tönjes and Jacob. Tönjes, being the oldest, took over the mill. His wife was Gertrude. Where she came from is not known . Jacob Müller became a miller and lived in Lauenbrück. Tönjes Müller had a big family. The following are recorded in the church register:

1.  Johann Müller born 1669.
2.  Jacob Berendt Müller 1671. He later worked as a blacksmith in Scheessel.
3. Anna Cathrina 1674.
4. Christoph born 1676.
5. Maria Marlina born 1679. She later married a Schülermann in Scheessel.
6. Antonius born 1681, who later lived in Hamburg.
7. Anna Gertrude born 1685.
8. Heinerich born 1687.
9. Diedrich born 1690, but died already in 1691.

Tönjes Müller died aged 71 on 21 August 1708, five days after the death of his wife aged 61.

It is believed that in early times the miller was only the manager of the mill and that Tönjes Müller became a lessee of the mill on 24 February 1698. This has been indicated in local official papers (l0 February 1717) and the inventory of 24 February 1698 which are still in existence.

The mill buildings are 33 f (feet?) long and 27 wide, roofed with straw, and they had two channels for grinding.

The son and heir of Tönjes Müller married Martarina Meta Peters from Grafel about 1700 and became miller in 1709.

Not without interest are some of the notes made by the administrative officer regarding the mill:

“News regarding the royal mill in Scheessel and what has been happening.
The mill has two channels and there is no shortage of water. It lies this side of the Wümme, or on the south side. The buildings to which the wheels have been attached are not very high and also do not have complete floors. Downstairs is a small cabin in which an oven was housed many years ago.
In front of the mill, across the path, stands an old stable to accommodate the mill visitor’s horses. Between the two main buildings is a big, open area. This is below the dam, possibly the former site of the free dwelling for the miller of the time. Probably it served as a yard as well as there is an old apple tree and cherry trees.  In summer the present miller irrigated this area and cows were grazing on it. At the mill dam between the two buildings and on the previously mentioned area a number of oak trees are standing. I did not observe closely whether there were 5, 6 or 7 trees. The miller could have collected the acorns. Above the mill dam in the mill pond one will find an island with some Ellern (the present Island garden). Meadows did not belong to the mill.
Firewood, and yards are not at the mill, despite what has been reported earlier.
The miller did not have a permit for fishing, but he did some in secrecy. The administrative officer Pyritz wrote to me a few years ago that one should get the fishing story from all the people in the area. Apparently the miller has been fishing and has been known to serve fish dishes to visitors. I do not know how the miller manages the eel baskets as the watercourse is at a higher level.
It is also known to me that the miller has fished in a number of deep pits where hay had been harvested. It has been declared and recognised by the royal chamber that the miller occupies a cottage and owns three pieces of land including the yards belonging to the mill. He does not pay any tax for the cottage while he is miller for the villages of Scheessel and Jeersdorf. He has access to the meadows and pastures of those villages, firewood etc. I do not know how much corn the mill produces.
Scheessel, 14 May 1707
E. Graefe”

The children of Johann Müller are as follows:

1. Erich Borchard, born 1701.
2. Peter Wilhelm (later lived in Bremervörde).
3. Anna Gertrude, married Krake from Wohlsdorf. Even today an old strong oak clad suitcase can be found at Krake’s in Wohlsdorf. It is believed to have come from the Scheessel miller originally.
4. Gertrude Chatarine, married miller Johann Vorwerk from Eggersmühlen.
5. Anna Elisabeth.
6. Marie Christine, married Johann Krukenberg.

During the time from 1704 until 1730, when Johann Müller was in charge, the mill incurred heavy losses. After his death bankruptcy was declared with a deficit of 3400 Taler, a substantial amount for that time.

I do not know whether this calamity was the miller’s fault or if other circumstances contributed to it.

The successor, Erich Borchard, was a busy, industrious manager. In 1733 he took over the rundown business. An inventory dated at that time indicates the problems. Amongst other things the following were listed: one horse was pawned to Vorwerk of Eggersmühlen, there were 6 cows, 14 sheep, pigs were missing. One homemade plough, wagons were missing, 5 hand towels, 4 plates, 4 dishes, 2 damaged, one oak table, 2 benches, 3 oak chairs, 6 chairs in poor condition, 1 bucket for water, 1 bucket for milk etc.

Erich Borchard made some satisfactory arrangements with his creditors, who decreased the amounts of their claims slightly. The children could count only on what they had inherited from their mother. Erich Borchard voluntarily gave his share to his brothers and sisters, who each received 100 Taler.

Erich Borchard married Anna Maria Brunkhorst in 1733. He gained the reputation of a busy and considerate manager and left the business to his successors in a much better condition than when he  started. He conducted a strong malt and corn trade for which the so-called malt house was built. A distillery already had been operated by his predecessors. In the above mentioned inventory various items belonging to a distillery were mentioned – a copper kettle with 2 pipes, one cooling vat and 2 carrying buckets. Erich Borchard’s document is dated 22 August 1733.In early times the mill had been excluded from any church tax and billeting burdens also, as indicated in several of Erich Borchard’s old papers from that time.

The children were:-

1. Christine Magarete born, 1734 and married Jd. miller Cordes from Zeven.
2. Johann Christop born 1736.
3. Hanna Magdalene, married Hudages from Sittensen.
4. Chatarina Sophie.

There were also two other daughters, but I do not know their names or anything else about them. Even today an oak tree which stands at the mill dates back to Erich Borchard’s time. It carries the inscription “EBM 17” and so does a silver tablespoon which is still in existence.

Erich Borchard died on 6 Sept. 1773 aged 72 and his wife died in 1782

His son and heir married Anna Maria Weidenhöfer from the mill in Baden in 1766. She was a daughter of Heinrich Weidenhöfer and Chatarina Maria née Thies from Wölpe.

This relationship almost resulted in a good inheritance in the following way –

A brother of Maria was a hunter. One day he went hunting in the forest and due to negligence shot and killed a girl. She was collecting kindling and wasn’t noticed by him. Thies fled to Holland, and worked as a hunter for a rich, but deformed, countess. She won the love of the handsome hunter and married him.
Apparently there was a son from this marriage. When the parents and son died and there were no relatives on the mother’s side, by rights the German relations should have inherited everything. It involved millions in assets, 28 houses in Amsterdam amongst other things, but the Dutch authorities refused to hand over the inheritance because no valid birth certificate could be produced for Thies. The vicarage in Wölpe had burnt down and the records had been lost.

Johann Müller died on 6 Oct. 1792 after suffering from consumption for ¾ of a year. The conditions of inheritance were then very good. In his will the deceased left a valuable bequest to his children, mainly linen and also 4,000 r gold. His wife died on 29 July from an apoplectic fit.

The children were:

1. Friederich Johann
2. Anna Dorothee Marie
3. . Heinrich Wilhelm
4.  Erich, died 13 May 1783
5. Georg Hermann Ludwig, died 21 March 1786

Friedrich Johann married Anna Adelheit Weidenhofer Achim on 19 Sept. 1794. He already was made the tenant in 1793.

On 8 June 1795 a son, Georg Adolf Heinrich, was born, but he lived for only l0 months.

Friedrich Johann died on 24 August 1796 without any off-spring. His sister Anna Dorothee Marie (called Mike) married the postmaster Wattenberg from Rotenburg in the year 1800, but died during childbirth on 13 April 1801. The child lived only briefly.

Heinrich Wilhelm managed the mill after his brother’s death and took on the lease about 1798 – 1800. In the meantime, the married female owner of the mill decides to sell it and this occurred in 1800 for the price of 12000 Taler. She was the miller’s child in Bremen. [Jan Müller-Scheessel noted that “This is a misunderstanding: The sister in law of Heinrich, who became a widow in 1796, married a tanner in Bremen, whose name was Kind. Later Heinrich could pay 3000 Taler to Kind from the money of his wife.”]

Leopold Friedrich Wilhelm Müller (1801-1867)

From this point Leopold Friedrich Wilhelm Müller of the Scheessel Mill records events.
On 6 July 1800 Heinrich Wilhelm married a daughter of the postmaster Wattenberg of Rotenburg. Her name was Henriette. A portrait of her is still hanging in our (merchant) house.
The children were:-

1. 1. Leopold Friedrich Wilhelm b. 25 April 1801
   2. Ernst Heinrich Christoph b. 25 Oct. 1802
   3. Johann Ludwig b. 15 June 1804
   4. Louise Scharlotte Helene b. 6 Feb.1806
   5. Fritz Borchard b. 22 March 1807
   6. Georg Wilhelm b. 13 July 1809, d. 12 . 8 . 1824
   7. Adolf Conrad b. 5 Oct. 1811
   8. Gottlieb Ferdinand b. 6 Nov. 1813

My mother brought with her 3000 Rtlr, so my father paid over half of the cost price to the child in Bremen. The mill, distillery with the corn and malt trade, brought in good money so the parents did not have worries about their financial situation.

But the Almighty set hard tests and difficult times for the poor parents. My father’s much loved sister died in Rotenburg in 1800. In the year 1803 the French entered the country and, alternating with the Russians, were the torment of my parents. It was not only because of the closeness of the main road, but also the constant billeting burden. The mill farmers did not come to the mill because of their fear of the French as they had to make a compulsory contribution of 2000 francs. My father had inherited 2000 Thaler from his sister who lived in the district of Lade – the remaining money and anything else that he was entitled to by law he left to his brother-in-law. During the war years he received no interest on this money, and only later 25% on the capital.

No wonder that after the war years my father’s finances were very poor and it bred discontent.

In 1817, as a result of these circumstances, he had to call his creditors together and he concluded an agreement with them to drop their interest. The creditors were asked to delay their demands until a settlement payment which would clear their debt. Under these circumstances no significant improvements could be expected. Nevertheless, a big sand mound was removed from the meadow and timber was carted in [the sand was brought into the woods]. The flooded field that had been arable land earlier became a meadow again.

After I had turned 14 and been taught by the organist Plate here in the village school, I boarded with Pastor Bohm in Zeven and then went to Hannover for six months to learn the profession of miller. Then my father took me home to help him.

The following details are about my brothers and sisters.

• Heinrich (died 9 Feb. 1881) never left home and worked here in the mill for 34 years. After he married Magarete Meyer from the Meyerhof he lived in the malthouse. He managed the mill up to the year 1850 and has been a loyal helper and great support to me. Then he established a business in Scheessel near the creek (where the mill was supposed to have stood in olden times). In partnership with his son Wilhelm he worked a brickyard in Jeersdorf and, from 1857, in (Westeresch) Westerholz.
• Johann Ludwig was a doctor and at first stayed for some time with a doctor in Hermannsburg. Later he studied in Braunschweig and Göttingen. As my parents faced financial constraints in these difficult times my mother turned to a friend from her youth who had made a prosperous career as a general in Kopenhagen. This good man, General Oltrogge, sent the sum of 70 Louisdor with which the studies could be continued. At first Ludwig practised in Scheessel and later became district surgeon in Stotel where he died.
• Louise was married to the registrar of the district of Stade. Schulz committed suicide, unfortunately. My poor sister suffered poor hearing from the age of fourteen and she then became deaf. Later she moved to Scheessel, where she died.
• Fritz first learned the wine trade in Hamburg but now lives in Scheessel and works for me. After his wife née Meyer from Stemmen died from a nervous disease, he married Anna Westermann from Bremen. She died in 1858.
• Wilhelm died of consumption 1858.
• Adolf learned the business trade from Schmidt (known as Hackenschmidt) in Verden and lives in Scheessel. On 31 October 1845 he married Marie Zahn from Stade after he had built a great new house for the running of his business in 1842.
• Gottlieb learned the baking trade from Heinecken in Bremen. On 1 May1838 I sold him the house and some land that Gottfried Laertz had bought earlier. It was the site of the Ketenburg mill and I sold it for 1250 Thaler under the condition that he would bear any expenses. Gottlieb married Henriette Schulz from Himmelpforten, and after her death he married Marie Körner from Verden.

On 19 January 1833 my dear father died at the age of 66 and on 18 July 1853, at 4 o’clock in the morning, my good mother followed at the age of 80½ years.
In accordance with the handover contract, on 8 November 1828, I Martini 1828 took over my father’s position and on 7 December 1828 married Magdalene Dierks from Wilhelmsburg.

The copy has been prepared faithfully from
the original manuscript, as far as this could
be deciphered.
Scheessel, 4 August 1979.
H.Widdra

Julius Leopold Müller (1846-1906)

From this point recorded by Julius Leopold Müller.

• WHAT: Margaretha “Mary” Dreves and Julius Leopold Müller
• WHEN:
• WHERE: Scheeßel, Germany
• SOURCE: Jochen Homann shared on 20 May 2020
• NOTES: The were the parents of Adolf Johann Gottlieb Müller Adolf Müller.

This information refers to our family home, the Scheessel Mill. Like the old oak tree at the edge of the water near the mill, the original pure oak of Lower Saxony, our family has moved out from the mill as well. Yet their support has always come from their place of origin. So, all the brothers of Leopold Müller, except for Johann Ludwig, remained in Scheessel, as indicated in his records. With some little luck they established their homes, married, had children, and died there. The last of them, Gottlieb Ferdinand, passed on 30 Sept 1892.

Now I will continue this chronicle for myself, my heirs and successors. I hope that my successors will continue to live as their ancestors. May they live to be faithful, God-fearing, honest, and modest and not blemish their name, and preserve the good reputation of the name Müller-Scheessel. The small word “von” does not produce dignity. Dignity must come from one’s disposition, the way of life before God and other people. One must be prepared to assist one’s neighbour, must be faithful to one’s fatherland and give all the power given by God to create something good for one’s homeland, even if this pursuit results in ingratitude. Much more than money and possessions, like riches and honour before the people, is the feeling of satisfaction in one’s chest. It gives the feeling that one has not lived a futile life, even if the contribution may have been only a small cog in the wheel of the world, that one was not a useless member of society.

My father, who rests with God, was the merchant Adolf Conrad Müller and was born 5 October 1811. He went to the village school in Scheessel and received elementary schooling from the sexton Plate. Later he was confirmed in Verden and then started an apprenticeship with the merchant Schmidt (known as Hackenschmidt), opposite the Südstraße?

He worked there for five hard years as an apprentice. He was the only young man in the town’s well patronised business and earned the reputation of being loyal and industrious. He was a popular young man with the public, and continued to be so until his end.

When I started my apprenticeship in his business he pointed out the house in Verden and often told me how hard he had to work there. As a result of frequent over-exertion and many colds, he suffered from ear problems in later life. After completing his apprenticeship he returned to Scheessel and lived at first with his brother Gottlieb. He founded his shop business in his brother’s house which still stands today (neighbouring our house). Unfortunately I could not find out the day or year when the business was opened, but it probably occurred about Easter time 1830.

Later discoveries and records found indicate that my father opened the business on 15 November 1835.

As indicated in our chronicle, the Scheessel mill was fully exploited during the time of the French, and conditions deteriorated. He received little or nothing to help with the recovery of his business. He started with a loan of 50 Thaler, if my information is correct. All the same, he went a long way with his diligence and thriftiness. He completed our present house in the year 1842 and was in control right to the end as a loyal father of the family. He raised us children with endless diligence and was supported by his wife, our good mother. She had been working at the mill to learn the art of housekeeping. There our parents got to know each other, they fell in love and were married on 31 October 1845.

My mother was the daughter of Zahn. He was a harness maker of the regiment which was stationed at Stade. He was blessed with more children than the good things in life. Therefore, when his daughter got married, he could not present her with cash, but only a small dowry.

The children were:
Julius Leopold, born 15 August 1846 – myself
Helene Henriette Philippine, born 24 Feb. 1848, died 24.3. 1857
Adolf Heinrich Gustav, born 7 Jan. 1850, died 8 Jan. 1898
Marie Anna, born 26 (Jan.) Feb. 1856, private (emergency) baptism on 28 Feb.
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm, born 10 Jan. 1858
Gustav Georg Gottlieb Rudolf, born 24 Aug. 1861
Ernst Heinrich Adolf Ferdinand, born 24 April 1863
Anna Magdalene, born 24 April 1864
Louise Anna Lucie, born 25 July 1868

It was very difficult for my father, as he tried to raise and educate us and give us the opportunity for righteous learning. Under the circumstances my father spent a lot of money on me, being the eldest and the next heir to the property. He had to contend with many worries. In later years when I was old enough to share these problems, I often saw him leaving his bed at night to kneel and ask dear God for help. On top of it all came his hearing difficulty which worsened from year to year. This caused many young people to cheat him, so he decided to enlist his wife’s brother, my uncle Julius Zahn, as a companion to assist.

My uncle may have been a respectable man, but he was not suited to being a businessman. Through his presence he became so unpopular that more and more customers stayed away. In 1865 it led to a parting of ways for this reason as well as for the fact that it was impossible for the business to support two large families.. My uncle went to Hermannsburg and then later to America as a pastor. As I had just completed my training I had to enter my father’s business.

Until my eighth year I attended the local school under the guidance of the organist Schröder.Then I was sent to Rotenburg to attend a private higher school. At the age of eleven I went to Ilfeld in the Harz mountains to attend the royal pedagogium, a grammar school and visiting “Alimat”.(?) After completing third form I came home, was confirmed and decided to become a businessman. The director of the school tried in vain with tempting offers for me to study instead of following my plans to go into business. I started my apprenticeship with the Lüders brothers in their firm J. H. Lüders in Verden. This lasted for five years. There was no thorough theoretical training. The bookkeeping was done in a primitive way by the older brother. The young people were trained to be only busy workers and salesmen. I trained from Easter 1860 until Easter 1865, but my employer reduced the time by 3 months so that I could be home for Christmas in 1864 and start in my father’s business. My father needed reliable assistance to regain lost business.

In the year 1866 we in the Hannover area lost our political independence. Fortunately I was not caught by this situatiion and I did not have to become a soldier. However, in the same year I sat a fairly simple examination to become a volunteer for a year. On 1st October 1868 I started as a volunteer with the 3rd Company of the 9th Lauenburg Riflemen’s Battalion in Ratzeburg. There I enjoyed a carefree year. I was on good terms with my superiors, as I was determined to be a good soldier, never to be punished, and I received a creditable final report.

I was discharged in October ‘69 and started work again in my father’s business. We lived in peace until June ‘70 when, like lightning from a clear sky, the French suddenly declared war on our fatherland. Everyone rushed to arms and I am happy and proud to say that I was one of them. I enlisted in the 8th Company Hanseatic Infantry Regiment No. 75 in Harburg.

It would be going too far to recall all my memories of the war; that is not the intention of this book. I will mention only that the hand of Almighty God guided and led me safely through a thousand dangers, through battles and fights, through showers of bullets and the thunder of cannon. Except for 2 periods of illness caused by the strain of this campaign, I returned healthy and uninjured.

I now returned to my civil occupation. Due to the building of the railway and the large amounts of money which came into the country as war compensation (billions), our business prospered so that I could dare to ask for the hand of my future wife and my offer was accepted, yes, indeed. I met her at my parents’ place where she was learning how to keep house for a year. I knew dear God would bless me if I made her my wife. Her assets were about 30,000 Rm, but more important than the money was her golden heart, her soft and mild character, her diligence and faithfulness, her proper approach to all situations and her innocent love for my parents. As I am 10 years older than her, dear God will probably call me away earlier than her. I urge you, my dear children, remember all this in the name of God. The father’s blessing will build houses for the children, but the mother’s curse will pull them down. Up to her very end honour and love your mother, support and care for her as much as you can. You will only repay for all the good things she has done in her busy life for me, for you and for the whole household.

The same I expect from you all, especially from you, my dear Adolf, with respect to the mill and its occupants. Always stay with the mill, it has always stood by us, it has been our support in troubled times and it and my father faced difficult times together. Ingratitude is a crime, not only because it makes life difficult for a benefactor by rewarding good deeds with thanklessness, one will also harm other people who have been hard pressed and who probably will be driven away from a benefactor with resentment and bitterness. The present owner Wilhelm Müller always supported me and has been a worthy cousin and relative. Then there was his son, my dear cousin Leo. He was of good character, was of right mind and abstained from all bad and evil. This indicates to me that you will always find him a good adviser and, if necessary, an amiable helper in troubled times. Hate and jealousy, grudges and meanness, have often pursued my cousin Wilhelm, and even though he did a lot for the village, for the wider district, and for the state he came across enemies constantly. His good deeds were often rewarded with ingratitude.  Often I admired his kindness, for he was always prepared to help despite so many disappointments. But he stood in good stead with friends and admirers. You, my children, who are still too young to pass judgment, shall hear praise from your father. I remind you to approach him with respect and love and when the Almighty ends his active life, to remember him with respect.

On 26 April 1878 we were married at the Peute near Hamburg. At my special request the service was conducted by the chief pastor of St. Petri Kreuchlie.

Our children are:

1. Magdalene Marie Lucie, born 2 February 1879
2. Adolf Gottlieb Johann, born 25 August 1880
3. Carl Adolf Friedrich, born 30 July 1882
4. Margarethe Louise Antoinette, born 28 July 1884
5. Gertrude Frieda Anna Louise, born 12 Feb. 1887
6. Erich Borchard Wilhelm Johann, born 29 Aug. 1888

They are all alive except for Carl who was taken again by dear God on 3 Aug. 1883. The summer of 1883 was a difficult period in any case, as my dear father was taken by the Almighty on 14 June after he had taken ill with a lung infection for only a few days.

On 8 January 1898 the Almighty took my good brother Adolf to His heavenly kingdom. After he was confirmed in the local church he went to Veerse as a farmhand and from there to the mill. Then he took on a manager’s position in Mecklenburg and then decided, at the age of 19, to emigrate to America. He went to Canada and after working for a short time as a cooper, a pump builder, etc., he accepted the position as teacher in Berlin, Ontario in Canada. As such he did much good due to his efficiency. Through continuing hard work and energy he achieved the position of teacher of modern languages and examiner in this subject at the University of Toronto. He was a church warden and treasurer of the St. Petri Church in Berlin. He held several other honorary positions and was well respected and very popular in the whole town. The whole town of Berlin mourned his passing, about 5,000 people attended the funeral and the newspapers contained very reverential obituary notices as well as his photograph. (contained in the document folder)[?]

On 8 January 1898 about 7 o’clock in the morning after celebrating his 48th birthday on the 7th and after my brother Carl had seen him crossing the street, he passed away peacefully due to a heart-attack. He was found dead sitting in his armchair with his eyeglasses on his nose, one leg crossed over the other, a smile on his face and the birthday letter from his mother in front of him. Rest in peace, dear brother, even though on foreign soil. You have not lived in vain and the Almighty has rewarded you with a gentle death for all the good deeds you performed in your life. Soon we will see each other again up there and will be together forever.

On 24 May 1898 my sister Anna married the senior master from the secondary school at Witten on the River Ruhr, Heinrich Stekelberg, after she had been his housekeeper for just 1 year. Our dear brother-in-law and brother Heinrich is a husband and gentleman from head to toe, shows a great teaching ability, is popular with colleagues and students, is respected by fellow citizens and loved by us all like a brother.

18th July 1899
The Almighty has taken our dearly beloved mother to His heavenly Kingdom this morning at half past one. She was gentle and peaceful and passed away after being confined to bed for 4 weeks. She died from general frailness, with no particular illness. Great was our love and support when she was ill, great was our grief when she passed on. On 20 July at 3 in the afternoon we buried her in the new churchyard where I, together with those from Veerse had purchased a burial site. Sleep peacefully, dear mother, and rest after your active life and the good deeds you performed. We wait for the hour when we may follow you and we ask God to guide and lead us, so that we may see each other again in heaven.

1 September 1899
Today my dear cousin Leo’s first son was born. So the old trunk will always sprout new shoots. A wilted leaf has hardly fallen before a new one will appear. May God’s grace guide the life of this little man, so that he will develop into a strong branch and grow in body and soul. Life’s demands one day will be relatively great, as he will be the provider for many families. God be with him!

1903
On 27 April we were able with God’s grace to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. Our children
were all present. In addition the following were invited and attended:
Cousin Wilhelm and Lucie, Friedrich Wilhelm and Minna from Veerse, Johannes Person and wife, their son Willi, the daughters Marie and Paula from Hamburg, our Pastor illenbrock and wife, Leop Schüler and wife, Dairy Manager Kappelhoff and wife, brother Ernst and wife, about 42 people.

On Sunday 26th our Pastor Willenbrock blessed us and he used the same text as Pastor Kreussler for our wedding in Hamburg. We are yours, Lord, help us.

On Monday we celebrated with a banquet and entertainment and dance in Wilhelm Behrens’ Hall. May the dear God who mercifully has helped us so far, let the good and dear wishes expressed at the festivities come to fruition. Thanks and praise to God for all the goodness and grace He has shown us so far.

1904
Today, on 1 May our dear son Erich is leaving to do 3 year’s training with Mr Kunst and landscape gardener Wallenweber. He chose this profession which apparently suits his nature and disposition. It had been revealed that he had no inclination towards a clerical job or brain-work. May God’s blessing be with him and may he be content in his new vocation. The rest is in the hands of the Almighty.

1905
On 3 January I took my dear daughter Grete to Bremerhaven to board the fast steamer “Kronprinz Wilhelm” which would take her for a few years to America to my brother Carl. She would assist his very sick wife and look after their only daughter. May dear God lead and guide her and soon return her to us, healthy in body and soul.

On 1 August I have installed gas lighting in our house. Towards the end of August my second shop on Bahnhofstraße, No. 63, was completed and to begin with it will be used for taking rough cast iron goods like ovens, slow combustion stoves, etc.

30 August
Today I have granted power of attorney to my son Adolf.

 Adolf Sparr (1886-1955)

In the trade register of the royal district court in Rotenburg (Hann) there is still recorded today in the year 1962 under H R A 23: 23. 1. 1865 first entry: Adolf Conrad Müller is proprietor.
25. 7. 1871 A.C.Müller grants his son Julius power of attorney.
3. 7. 1878 Julius Müller is owner of the firm A.C.Müller.
30. 8. 1905 Julius Müller has granted his son Adolf Müller power of attorney.
1. 8. 1907 Mary Müller née Drewes is entered as proprietor of the firm.
2.12. 1908 Mary Müller has authorised the cancellation of the power of attorney for Adolf Müller.
4.11. 1938 Adolf Müller is entered as proprietor as a result of the sales contract with Mary Müller.
31. 7. 1951 H R A 451. A.C.Müller Scheessel. The firm is now called A.C.Müller, proprietor Adolf Sparr. The business has been leased to the merchant Adolf Sparr, Scheessel.
13. 1.1956 A.C.Müller, proprietor Adolf Sparr in Scheessel. The lease conditions do not exist any more. The sole owner is now the merchant Adolf Sparr in Scheessel.

The requirements of the last entry were already given on 2 Jan 1952 with the completion of the notarized contracts concerning the succession settlement. The arbitration tribunal failed to notify the information immediately.

1962

Adolf Müller died on 6 Feb. 1962 at 9 o’clock. Unfortunately he did not keep any records about his life and activities, his business or his family. Through the years I continually requested him to write a chronicle until I took over the business on 1 Jan. 1951, but he failed to do so. As a payment for the writing I provided a certain amount of corn which was received thankfully, but the chronicle was not completed. So in the years before this I have questioned my mother-in-law and his two sisters Magda and Grete, as well as his brother-in-law, Hinrich Meyer, and here are the notes.

Adolf Müller was born on 25 Aug. 1880 in this house, now Grosse Strasse 13. He attended primary school here, then the pastor’s private school, followed by five years at the Johanneum private secondary college in Lüneburg.

In 1896, he started with “Uncle Paul”, Paul Schulze, who also died this year, his four-year training in the firm Rudolf Sievers in Winsen (Luhe). In 1958. I drove him there once again, which pleased him very much. His further education in commerce he obtained in the firm Heinrich Muermann in Minden and from Rocholl & Heise in Hannover. From 1903, he helped his father in the business. For half a year Adolf Müller also trained in men’s tailoring in Hamburg. At that time, textiles were traded here in the house as well. On our present ground level there was also a store with wooden slippers. Here Aunt Grete sold Höltentüffel on Sundays. Julius Müller died on 8 March 1906. About this time, until about 1908, the house and grounds were used in the following way. In the house at Bahnhofstraße 5 was the iron goods business. The servants quarters were behind it. There were also 2 cows and 2 horses in the stable and some pigs. Then there was the laundry with a big rain water tank and the peat shed. We used the laundry and the peat shed until 1953. Another storehouse was built by A.C.Müller between both houses.
No. 4 later became the store for iron goods, after that the wood shed.
No. 3 was the salt store. I use it as a bottle store. The floor above 3 and 4 was used for goods. The bags and boxes were pulled up with a hoist which is still there today.
No. 2 served as the milk room and as a storeroom for coal. I joined both rooms and leased them to Johann Behrens (schluck-johann). The floor above No. 2 was reserved for wool, as Julius Müller purchased sheep’s wool. It also served as nursery for the hunting dogs. J.M. was a breeder and he got several prizes for his animals.
No. 1 I demolished myself, cleared the stones away, and the builder Lohmann (Million Wilhelm) rebuilt it. The ceiling was built high enough so it could serve as a balcony. Entry was from the bedroom. For airing and cleaning grandmother no longer had to carry the bedding into the yard.

Our present store above the kitchen was used as bedrooms by J. Müller and family. Borchis’ room and Musche’s salon were girls rooms. The children’s room had served this purpose earlier. The shower room was Aunt Lilly’s room. She had inherited A.C.’s hearing difficulties and because of that was armed with a black ear trumpet. Our present bedroom was great-grandmother’s room, Marie Müller née Zahn. The Zahn’s came from Idstein in Elsass. Uncle Hinni and Aunt Grete have been there. Uncle Hinni has passed the records of the Zahn family to me. They should go back to the Koopmann’s house.

Julius Müller died in 1906. He was definitely a proficient salesman and achieved significant sales results. He dealt not only with groceries, but also with paints, medicines, wooden floor boards, stoneware, feed troughs and clay pipes, even with fertilizers. I added the fertilizer shed onto the house at Bahnhofstraße 5. This shed and the area next to it I sold later to Müller the saddler. The border ran along saddler Müller’s house wall at that time. He couldn’t leave his house without driving or walking across our property. Later, I could put in some windows in the house wall facing towards Müller’s and I established a septic system on his property.

Julius Müller was also the founder of the Scheessel War Veteran’s Association, the Fire-Brigade and the Gymnastics Club. The latter was established in our business premises. He looked like his father [Literally “Gulp John” or “Sip John”]. and bore a striking resemblance to Adolf Conrad.

His wife Mary née Drewes was registered on 5 August 1907 in the commercial register of the royal district court in Rotenburg as owner of the business. She remained as such until 1914, then there was a lease contract with Hellmann from Handorf in Lbg (Lüneburg ?) from 13 Apr 1914 until possibly Dec. 1922. This information comes from the entries in the document folder.

During Mary Müller’s ownership. her son Adolf was manager of the firm A.C. In 1908 Adolf Müller was with Harmann in Hittfeld dealing in farm machinery. From 1906 to 1913 the business deteriorated rapidly, so it was rented out. In 1908, the business in the Bahnhofstraße with the fertilizer shed was leased to the firm  Landwirtschaftlicher Konsumverein e.G.m.b.H.of Rotenburg and Hannover. [Agricultural Co-operative Society of Rotenburg and Hannover]. The lease ended in 1919. This and other contracts were signed by Mary Müller.

From 1914 to 1918 Adolf Müller was a soldier in the E west. From 1919 the building at Bahnhofstraße 5 was occupied by the Genossenschaftbank für Landwirtschaft, Handel und Gewerke e.G.m.b.H. Rotenburg and Hannover [Co-operative Bank for Agriculture, Commerce and Trade Company Limited Rotenburg and Hannover]. This  bank existed at least until June 1923, as proven by the bank book held by Hildegard Müller which shows a credit of 43,011.50 Mark, and has been endorsed with 2 signatures. One of the signatures is “Müller”. After the war, our grandfather worked in the business of his brother-in-law Fritz Meyer of the Meyerhof and afterwards in the aforementioned bank.

On 26 Aug. 1920, Adolf Müller married Alma née Kruse who came from Wendisch Evern. The marriage ceremony took place in the Johannis church in Lüneburg, the reception in Wendisch Evern. Guests from the Müller family were as follows: Uncle Ernst (Professor E. Müller-Scheessel) and his wife Aunt Mily, Aunt Magda and husband Willy Person, Fritz Meyer and his wife Gertrud, Uncle Erich and his fiancée Else Römer. His former fellow apprentice, Paul Schulze, was there as well. From Kruse’s side there were the estate owner Heinrich Kruse and his wife Anna née Schlüter, also from Wendisch Evern, brother Hartwig and sister Alwine with her husband Karl Neben, estate owner in Mechtersen in Lbg (Lüneburg ?).

Until taking over the business in 1923, Adolf Müller and his wife lived in the Knoppke house at Helvesieker Weg 4 . Hildegard was born there on 6 Sep 1922. On 1 May 1923, Adolf Müller and his wife Alma took over the business again; until then Mrs Hellmann was the lease holder. It was a very difficult beginning, inflation came and lasted until 1925. One could put the money in a washing basket, there were so many notes. The next morning it was worth only a fraction of the value. Suppliers were the firms Bode & Kros and Louis Witting, both from Harburg, and later the firm Haberland from Schneverdingen. The first gold Mark was brought by Adolf Hass, a cattle dealer, and our grandmother received it with scepticism. After the inflation the trade in textiles was not resumed.

On 22 Jan.1927, Adolf Müller’s 2nd daughter, Erika, was born. Thereafter business improved steadily until the 2nd World War. Supplies were poor during the war since the one car available to the town for bringing in provisions was used almost exclusively by my colleague Johannes Intemann (goldschneider[Gold cutter?]).

After the currency reform in July 1948, Adolf and Alma Müller let part of the premises to Vereinigte Heimgestalter Scheeßel [ Scheessel United Homefashioners] as the range of goods was still small. The rent was then already DM 100.-.

The co-operative bank was in the building at Bahnhofstraße 5 until about 1924. From then until 1928, the old plumber Matz had his business there. From 1928 until his death in 1959, the electrical engineer Schubert rented some rooms and carried on his business there. He was an unreliable payer, and for years grandfather received no rent, and then later only DM 40.- for the whole house including the fertilizer shed. The first floor was rented by an engineer Fritz Tillack who also was behind with payments as indicated in the records of the solicitor, Emil Rinck from Rotenburg, dated 20 Aug 1949.
Grandfather had no luck in letting property.

It must be made clear that my mother-in-law, Alma Müller, worked during all the years following their marriage. Her daughters Hilde and Erika have helped as best they could.

—oooOooo—

See also Appendix: Adolf Sparr Family and the A.C.Müller Firm  in which Adolf Sparr described his family and being the proprietor of the firm A.C.Müller.

Discussion

Who prepared the above English version of the historical notes about the Müller family is at present unknown. Lisanne Lange shared a copy with me that she received from Jochen Homann.  And, Jochen says he does not know the origin of this family history.

Jan Müller-Scheessel, who is the current chronicler of the Müller family history, looked at this English version and noted:

“Unfortunately I do not know, who wrote the translation of the family chronicle.  In fact,  it contains a very small part of the chronicle I mentioned to you … In my version, Leopold Mueller has written more about his business, then there is a lot written by Wilhelm-Cord, year by year from 1860 to 1913. From 1913 to 1932 is from his daughter Luise. There also are some memories by Leo Mueller, Heti Gerken and Anna Stackelberg in it. The memories of my father and my own memories are too fresh to share in public. And finally I also did a lot of own research in the family history, which I integrated into the chronicle. So leaving away the writing of my father and myself it has 176 pages with pictures and graphics. “