The material in these pages is the property of the Krumwiede Family Association of Iroquois County Illinois. In this format, it is copyright 1996, 1997, 1998 by Loretta L. Barlow. This material may be freely printed or downloaded for personal use. Neither the materials themselves nor any link to these pages may appear in any book or collection for sale or at a Website which charges a fee for access. Should you find these materials being offered for sale by anyone other than the copyright holder, please inform the copyright holder at once. The only exception is made for fees charged by The Iroquois County Genealogical Society of Watseka, Illinois, for searches done in documents deposited in their archive. These materials may be used and fees charged under the society's usual fee structure, but they may not sell the document as a whole.

The year between the Reunions of 1997 and 1998 has been an exciting one in terms of family research. Several branches of the family with whom we had lost touch, especially in terms of updating records, have been contacted and records have been revised and updated. Several families have had major updates and/or clues have been discovered that may help us make contact with "lost" family members over the next year.

A great deal of statistical information has been gained by consulting the cemetery records and birth and marriage records available at The Iroquois County Genealogical Society. Though this does not add people to our files, it does increase the accuracy of -- and sometimes adds humor to -- the files we already have.

I plan to continue to contact known branches of the family which need updates whenever I can determine the most likely source for information. If you see in these pages that your family or another family needs updates and know of where I can obtain these, please let me know.

As more people gain access to the files I have placed on the Internet, I can hope that I will hear from more relatives. This is how I have discovered several people we already knew existed but had no idea where to find. Please pay a visit to our Website at: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~loretta/index.htm

Loretta Krumwiede (Jacob) Barlow
July 24, 1998

The First Edition is considered to be the original document hand-written by J.M. Gross in 1941. The Second Edition is considered to be the translated and typed document published in 1984. The Third Edition is considered to be my first editing, published in July, 1996, and deposited with The Iroquois County Genealogy Society in August, 1996. This edition is, therefore, named "The Fourth Edition." It is my intent to, from this time forward, publish an annual edition, continuing to be numbered consecutively, so long as I am able to derive new information from research of immigration records and census documents. It is not my intent to destroy Herr Gross' work, but rather to correct and embellish the collective memory of those with whom Herr Gross consulted. Research materials are now available to us which were not available in 1941.

Loretta Barlow
September, 1996

Elsie Balk (to the best of her ability) read it for us.

Elda Scharlau and Harriet Smith typed it. Sharon Ely ran it off on the copier.

This was typed as the hand written copy is becoming very difficult to read, and it was felt that the future generations would be unable to read it as some of it is in German and also some German letters were used in writing it.

We regret any errors we might of made, the hand written copy still remains in the book. (1)

July, 1984

Annual Family Reunions growing in favor, the Krumwiede family succeeded in effecting an organization, and for several years also held Family Reunions, either in some convenient grove, or park, or in the Town Hall of Buckley, Illinois. In course of time the family had grown so in numbers and had branched out to such extent that it became more difficult from year to year to keep an accurate Registration List of all members, running through 5 generations, giving their full and correct names, their location and occupation.
The suggestion to cause the writing of a brief history of this prominent family and to add a genealogy to (unreadable) arrangements took root. Messrs. Geo A. Krumwiede, Aug. F. Krumwiede, Martin Hilgendorf, and Mrs. Frank Luhrsen were chosen to be members of a committee. Object and purpose were to have the afore-named work as intended to.
This Committee met with J.M. Gross in the autumn of 1940, and asked him to carry out their wishes for the family with their assistance. All gladly agreed to begin on this task, hoping that others will help out.

This Family History and the Genealogy is worthy of the effort.

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

In the early part of the last century, political, economic and social conditions in Europe were similar to those we are facing at the present time. Then as now there was much unrest in the world. The land of our fore fathers was torn by internal strife. In relatively small Germany, small in area, dense in population, there were four Kingdoms, five Duchies, six Grand Duchies, and more principalities. The country then was, and is now, over populated. Comparing the area in square miles of the United States of America with that of Germany, and the population of 130 million to that of Germany about 60 million, we get an idea and have a background for better and clearer intelligent understanding of that situation.
Each political division in the homeland had its own Reichstag, or handtag, its own government, its legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Each had its own tax system, its own excise duty and tariff laws, to procure and secure the necessary revenues for necessary governmental expenditures and disbursements. You could not travel very far before you would be at the boundary line of your domain. You were leaving a political territory and entering another. Custom officials stand ready to examine you, to inspect your belongings, your luggage, exacting your dues and duties. Each Kingdom, each Duchy or principality had postal regulations of its own, its own monetary system.
In Hanover, people spoke "Hanovorsch, Plattdaush." So did the people in East and West Friesia, in Schlesweig-Holstein, in Pommerania and elsewhere. But what a difference when these people wanted to read Fritz Reuter, the beloved author in Mecklenburg; they wondered what kind of German jargon he was propounding. But that was not all - in Saxony, the people spoke German, too, also in Bavaria and in Swabia, but all had great trouble understanding each other.
Churches and schools all were under rigorous State regulations and control. No individual had any choice of selection, all were subject to the limitations and restrictions of the king, the duke, and prince. We Americans here, in the land and home of freedom and liberty, FREE Speech, free press, free schools, freedom in all religions, even in political exercise, we cannot easily visualize, cannot truly realize such conditions.
Everything was taxed. There had to be a license for everything. Everything was either "geboten" or "verboten." Born and reared in one Dorf, you perhaps never would see the next village, though it was possibly only a Halba Stunda Antfarnt. Likely not until you had grown into young manhood or young womanhood and had grown into a journeyman, into a Handwerdsbursche, when it became an inexorable obligation to travel by foot for the purpose of learning, improving in your handicraft under various Meisters and under varying prevailing social and economic conditions (would one see "the world"). But in this schooling one well learned his trade or profession. Learning this or that implied mastership in manual skill. In these journeys one would widen his intellectual horizon; one would learn geography - Haimats Kunda, history - Volksgechichta, political economy, art, and polish. Germany's great Goethe said, "Raltur Lernt Manimstrom Deslebens; Waishait in DarStille."
A young person about to begin life's mission had to be buffed and re-buffed to learn customs, manners, courtesy, deportment, polity, and adaptability, be prepared to meet and overcome adversities.
Mother Earth could not nourish all of her children in Germany. The soil on the whole was depleted or was poor and unproductive.
Only by extreme diligence, only by exercising frugality, self-denial, contentment, could one sustain life and livelihood. People arose at 4 a.m. and went to work, and were still at work at near midnight hours; during daylight out in the open, in the small allotted fields; after sundown in the barns, flaying, threshing, shredding, grinding - men, women and children alike. Others were spinning wool or flax, weaving, knitting in their Stube. Work work, work, and little play. But, they were happy and kept themselves thus by cheerful song. Yes, singing released dismay and cheered their souls.
Coarse, dark bread, potatoes boiled in their jackets, clabber milk, all in scant proportions were their daily food. Meats in very small proportions appeared rarely, only on holidays at Christmas, Easter, Pentecost. Yet, there was content and gratitude. Under such distressing hardships our forebearors grew up. Such was life to our fathers and mothers - our ancestors in the European Vaterland. And never the less by the grace and providence of the Heavenly Father as they grew in age and stature they grew also in Grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour; their hearts were strong and devoted. Adversity teaches praying.
That prayerful attitude, their faith, and hope was their mainstay, their sustenance and substance. Mit Gott kann manueberdiemauan springan glaugans zuversicht varfetzt barga. Our parents were instructed in the Word of God. This they revered, this they held sacred. They knew, they feared and loved the Lord, His commandments and His many promises. The Law and the Gospel was their Chart, their guiding beacon star. They were Christians, and theirs was a functioning Christianity. On that rested and still rests a divine blessing. We can never sufficiently thank our fathers and mothers and our Lord for the Christian training they received and we received through and by them. Ponder on that thought deeply, long and often. That training is factually worth more than great wealth in things material, transitory and perishable as these are, besides destructive in abuse.
Do not undervalue the divine gift of song, of singing. The elder Krumwiedes loved to sing. Singing is a culture, an elixir of life, conducive to longevity; it strengthens both body and soul. Sing heartily daily, and everywhere.
Our parents had learned to read, to write, to think, great and beneficent accomplishments, most especially the latter. They, too, felt and knew that all men are created free and equal. Nackand Kaman Wirzur Walt Bar undnackd ziehan wir won Danaan.
From relatives and friends that had made the trans-Atlantic voyage, from newspapers, from literature sent by American railroad companies that had been granted great tracts of land and were for their own benefit more than willing not only to sell their land at acceptable figures, but offered other material aid, providing funds for traveling expenses, for building purposes, for agricultural implements, seeds and the like, (came information that) set our forefathers to thinking. When so many in the New World were pleased with their lot in the new home in the great United States of America, were prospering, why should not they, in the prime of life, vigorous, robust eager to work, nothing to lose, much to gain, follow the lure and the dictates of common sense and sound judgement. Counseling with their devoted parents, with their loved ones, the problem was soon solved and anxiety allayed.
In Deutschland, the discovery of gold - nuggets of pure gold - in vast supplies in the sands of California streams, caused great excitement. This too gave impetus to a great exodus of German young men and far-sighted young women to the land of the Golden Fleece.