- WHAT: Emil Herman Brunken – Confirmation
- LEFT TO RIGHT: Emil Herman Brunken[1], son of John Dietrich and Johanna Wilhelmina (Plath) Brunken, was born 28 Dec 1891, Unidentified[2]
- WHEN: About 1906 – assuming that Emil was 15 years old when he was confirmed[3][5]
- WHERE: Nebraska
- SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
- NOTES:
- Both of these young people are holding a bible. Probably this was their confirmation picture.
- There was a sticky note attached to this post card that identified the boy as being Emil Brunken.
- Emil’s next older sister, Anna M. Brunken, was born 01 Dec 1887 and was about 4 years older than Emil. While the girl in the picture is taller than Emil, I do not think she looks 4 years older than Emil. For now I am assuming that the girl was in the same confirmation class as Emil but was not Emil’s sister.
- Several of Emil’s brothers (William – 1893, Gustav – 1895, Heirich – 1897, Karl – 1899, Edward 1909) were confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church at age 15 or 16 [4].
- Brakenoff, Sherri. Confirmands; St. John’s St. Luke’s Congregational, St. John’s Evangelical, Christ Lutheran, & Immanuel Lutheran Churches and St. Bonaveture Parish; Various Years, Platte County, Nebraska. USGenWeb Nebraska Archives, January, 1998. http://files.usgwarchives.net/ne/platte/chuconf.txt
- Emil’s confirmation place and date can hopefully be found in Platte County church records. If so, the name of the unidentified girl may likewise be determined.
- LEFT TO RIGHT: Louise Wilhemmia Brunken, Anna M. Brunken
- WHEN: DateUnknown
- WHERE: Nebraska
- SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
- WHO: Edward Walter Brunken
- WHEN: Circa 1918
- WHERE: Nebraska
- SOURCE: Betty Meyn
- NOTES: He served in the Army’s 18th Field Artillery, Sept. 9, 1917 to Sept. 24, 1919, with duty in France. Was shell shocked during WWI.
- LEFT TO RIGHT: Anna M. Brunken, Fredericka Mary Brunken, Louise Wilhemmia Brunken
- WHEN: DateUnknown
- WHERE: Nebraska
- SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
- BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Clara L. (Witt) Metzger, Daughter of Fredericka Witt; Ruth Bernice Metzger, Granddaughter of Fredericka Witt; Fredericka (Brunken) Witt
- FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Johann Diedrich “John” Brunken, Johanna (Plath) Brunken
- WHEN: Circa 1923
- WHERE: Nebraska
- SOURCE: Arno Lindorfer
- NOTES: The portrait caption identifies the people in the back row as the daughter and granddaughter of Fredericka Witt and Fredericka Witt. John Brunken died in 1925 and the only granddaughter of Frederika born before 1925 was Ruth Bernice Metzger who was born June 29, 1921. Estimating Ruth to be about 2 years old gives an estimated date of 1923. Probably the portrait was taken at the time of the Golden Wedding Anniversary of John and Johanna (Plath) Brunken in 1923.