The following Preface and Fruechte Family History are from the 1986 version of a printed Fruechte descendant report.

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The original record of the Fruechte family was compiled in January, 1952, by Herman H. Fruechte. An updated record was printed in 1962.

The history from the 1952 edition of the Fruechte family record book is printed in this edition, unchanged. It is told that Herman H. Fruechte related the events of his parents lives to Rev. John H. Bunge who wrote the history.

In February, 1961, the Fruechte homestead, one mile east of Eitzen, Minnesota, was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Meyer, after having been owned by a member of the Fruechte family for nearly 100 years. This is where Henry C. and Sophia Fruechte lived and raised their family.

The 1986 edition of the family record is organized into eight sections, one for each of the children of Henry C. and Sophia Fruechte who have descendents. For each of these children, called the second generation, their family record is compiled, listing their descendents to January, 1986.

Henry C. Fruechte, son of Johann Heinrich Fruechte and Catherine Elizabeth Fruechte, nee Meyer, was born in Haarsdorf, near Lueneberg, Hanover, Germany on April 21, 1838. In his childhood days, his mother was called to her heavenly reward. Later on his father, Johann Heinrich Fruechte, married Dorothea, nee Bunge, who took over the cares of the household and was a mother to Henry Fruechte and his brother, Christian. This union was blessed with two daughters, Catherine Fruechte Meyer and Maria Fruechte Heins.

He attended the Dorfschule in Wessensted until the age of fourteen. For two years he worked for his father on the farm. Later he attended the agricultural school in Ebstorf and while attending this school, he also was manager of the large farm of Carl Embsen near Lueneburg. For two years he worked for Willerding, and then took a position at Schnellenburg. He did not like it there as it was very difficult to get along with these people. He wished to resign from his position but to resign from a position inside of a year was considered a disgrace, so he waited until an opportunity would present itself.

When he was 22 years old, his stepmother's brother, who had been in America, was visiting in Germany. He told may (sic) tales of the United States. Gold had been discovered in America. Johann Bunge had been in California and told how one could dig and wash gold from the earth and also showed them some of the gold nuggets which he had brought along from the mines. Johann Bunge persuaded his father to sell his farm and let his three older brothers come with him to the United States where they could all have a farm of their own. This awoke a desire in Henry C. Fruechte to go with them to the new continent. This was his opportunity, without disgrace, to resign from his position which he held. Upon leaving he promised his folks that he would be back in three years. But this did not materialize until about 1907.

On April 11, 1860, Henry C. Fruechte and his friends sailed for New York. From there they traveled as far west as Chicago, Illinois, where Johann Bunge had been located. Henry Fruechte worked at different jobs. Chicago then was small, but growing rapidly. Gold digging was not considered of importance any more, therefore he worked around Chicago and came to a small town of Bensonville. Here he met a good and cheerful and industrious girl, Sophia Franzen.

Sophia Franzen, daughter of John Henry Franzen and his wife Anna Elizabeth Franzen, nee Dickhoff, was born January 28, 1843. One year and seven months after her birth on July 24, 1844, her mother was taken to her Heavenly Home, leaving three small children which Sophia was the youngest. The little ones needed a loving mother; the father a faithful wife who could take charge of the household duties. It was in October, 1844, that her father married Anna Catherine Deters. From this union ten children were born. Sophia faithfully helped her stepmother in her household duties until she married Henry C. Fruechte on October 19, 1862.

A few years before the marriage of Henry C, Fruechte to Sophia Franzen, relatives of the young bride had settled in Allamakee county, Iowa. When the state of Minnesota was opened for settlers, he came to the part of the country now known as Eitzen, just across the state line from Allamakee County, Iowa. He worked around the part of the country which is now known as Eitzen, especially for a Mr. Evans, who was not a thrifty farmer. Mr. Evans would sow and thresh his grain and put it into a rail pen in the field. He would make no effort to sell the grain and therefore realized nothing from his crops. While working for Mr, Evans, Mr. Fruechte and other hired men went west of Eitzen and broke up the prairies for other settlers, the motive power being oxen. They often had quite an experience of finding the oxen in the morning that had run out into the prairie during the night.

During the time he was working in this part of the state he was looking for a place to build his home. He selected what is now the Fruechte homestead of 160 acres in section 33, township 101, range 5 west in Houston County, Minnesota, on which he built a small home. The house that was built was the first frame house in the community; the rest of the homes were all log houses. After the buildings on this farm were erected he returned to Illinois to get his wife. The first part of the journey was covered by train, the railroad going as far as Prairie du Chien. From Prairie du Chien to Lansing they took a boat, and from Lansing to their new home was made by horses and oxen. On their journey from Illinois to their new home they brought a team of horses with them, and this team was the first team of horses in this community. However, misfortune was in store for them. The team got away; they were either stolen or roamed away in the woods and prairies, or may have been the victims of wolves or foxes, which were plentiful at that time. It was also common to see deer and wild animals.

About three miles west of the homestead was Portland Prairie. Here was the first post office. Mail came about once a month. Later a store with a post office was built a little over a mile from the homestead, and this place was called Eitzen. Soon mail came twice a week, which was considered quite an improvement and a privilege.

There were not only new experiences in store for the pioneers but also hardships. Nevertheless they were always fortunate. One time Mr. Fruechte had gone some place on business, and Mrs. Fruechte and children were home alone. While Mrs. Fruechte was busy with her household duties, a brush fire north of the home was gradually creeping closer to their home. Suddenly she realized the danger, and with a few pails of water and a broom she went out to fight the fire which threatened to destroy her home. The children carried water for her while she put forth all her efforts to save her home. She sent one of the children to the neighbors for help, but the neighbor was in trouble himself. He was carrying out his household goods into the field, for he feared that he was unable to save his buildings. But Mrs. Fruechte bravely fought the fire and succeeded in saving her home.

Tilling the prairie soil was difficult at times. The prairie was plowed one year and seeded to grain the next year. Also all broken land had to be fenced, as cattle were running at large. Building fences in those days was long and tedious work as wire for the fencing was not to be had. The pioneers felled trees, split them into rails, placed these rails in zig-zag fashion one on the other to the desired height. This required much time and hard labor, but it was the only way that the crops could be saved from the roaming cattle. The crops were cut with a cradle; later a harvester was bought. Mrs. Fruechte would drive the horses and Mr. Fruechte would stand on a platform back of the sickle bar and push off the grain in piles, which was later tied into bundles and stacked. During the winter this grain was beaten out of the straw with flails and cleaned and then hauled either to Lansing or Brownsville.

The pioneers would start for their distant markets about four o'clock in the morning. Upon arriving at the market the string of wagons, waiting to be unloaded, would be one-half mile long. It often took two days to haul a load of grain to the market. Wheat was the main crop until 1878 when black rust and chinch bugs destroyed the crop and wheat was not a sure crop since.

Water was another problem in the pioneering days. A cistern was built at the house and ponds were built in ravines. When the water supply in these places gave out, water had to be hauled from the springs two and one-half miles away from the homestead. Some winters the cattle had to be driven to the springs and this was done every other day for there was no water to be had closer by.

During the Civil War, Mr. Fruechte was drafted for the northern army, but not passing the medical examination which was held in Rochester, Minnesota, he was dismissed from service.

In 1862 when the Indian massacre took place at New Ulm, Minnesota, the report came that the Indians were headed for the Eitzen settlement. Most of the settlers fled to Lansing, Iowa, where they were going to fortify themselves against an attack from the Indians. Mr. Fruechte remained at home and continued with his work, having no fear that they would be attacked. After a few days it was discovered that the report of attacking Indians was false.

A few years after Mr. Fruechte had come to the new homestead, his father-in-law, John Henry Franzen, purchased 160 acres adjoining north nf the homestead. Later another 132 acres, which is in Allamakee County, Iowa, and joins the homestead on the south was purchased, making this thriving homestead a large form consisting of 450 acres.

The feeling and the attitude among the pioneers was always friendly. On Sunday everybody in the community would ride to church in a lumber wagon, the only means of travel in those days. After the services the question was asked: "Where do we go today?" The group would be invited somewhere and the remainder of the day was spent in fellowship with one another. Special invitations in those days were not necessary, for everybody was glad to share what he had with his neighbors and friends.

The pioneering days of our dear ancestors were hard. Their moments were filled with cares, dangers, and hard work. Provisions for and against many things had to he looked after, but with all their cares they did not forget their Creator. Divine blessings and guidance were sought at the family altar. At the breakfast table when all the members of the household were gathered a devotion was held, and at the evening meal the day was closed with a devotion, thanking God for His guidance and seeking His protection. This spiritual life manifested itself in all phases of the life of our ancestors and gave them strength and courage for their undertakings as long as God permitted them to remain here in their place of labor. Mr. Fruechte was one of the organizers of the St. Luke's Evangelical Church at Eitzen, Minnesota. He was not only a charter member but a regular attender of all services. In his household the question on Sunday morning was not: "Who wishes to go to church this morning?" but everybody knew that he was going, unless there was a good excuse. On their way to church services in the first years the lumber wagon, later the three-seated platform buggy, was always filled to capacity. When there were no services, he would gather the members of his family and read a sermon from a book of devotion.

He was always stern, a man of few words, and bore himself with dignity. He would chuckle at jokes, but hardly ever tell one. He was an able manager and a good provider for his family.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Fruechte lived and prospered on this farm and were content. Many young men and women received their start by working a year or two for them. On this farm were also two extra houses. When they arrived from Germany many families found shelter and work at the Fruechte's homestead before they could build a home of their own.

The loving Father in heaven blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Fruechte with ten children. The names of these will be found in the family record following.

Herman H., b 7 Jan 1864, d 9 Dec 1952 married 5 Apr 1888 Sophia DETERS, b 3 Sep 1868, d 25 Dec 1953	Louis, b 31 Mar 1875, d 26 Aug 1877
Rosina, b 30 Aug 1865, d 10 Jan 1940 married 5 Apr 1888 William KORTHAUER, b 9 Apr 1863, d 15 Oct 1936	August F., b 30 Nov 1877, d 28 Dec 1959 married 15 Dec 1909 Alvina M. WIEGREFE, b 8 Jul 1885, d 23 Dec 1976
Otto H., b 24 May 1868, d 26 Jun 1962 married 18 Feb 1892 Emily THIES, b 22 Apr 1870, d 3 Nov 1957	Emma, b 1 Feb 1881, 24 Jun 1971 married 7 Dec 1911 William WIEGREFE, b 4 Mar 1875, 19 Dec 1928 **Jeff and Nate's Gr Grandparents**
Henry W., b 23 Oct 1871, 14 Aug 1964 married 4 Jan 1900 Emma HEITMAN, b 2 May 1875, d 30 May 1927	Franklin, b 10 Nov 1883, d 8 Sep 1979 married (1) 18 Nov 1914 Edna BUCHHOLTZ, b 23 Oct 1889, d 10 Jan 1924 married (2) 27 Sep 1925 Lora BUNGE, b 18 Jul 1900, d 2 Mar 1946
Louise, b 25 Jul 1873, d 20 Mar 1978 married 24 Nov 1896 Frank THIES, b 14 May 1868, d 9 Dec 1939	Martha, b 8 Sep 1887, d 17 Mar 1892

In 1907, he turned the management of his farm over to his son, August. Not being active with the management of the farm, he had a longing to visit his brother and sister in Germany. Mrs. Fruechte was not so much enthused to make the trip but finally consented to go along. They were accompanied on this journey by Mrs. Fruechte's brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Franzen and their three children. After they had returned from the visit in Germany, Mrs. Fruechte said that when she saw the tears of joy rolling down her husband's cheeks as he greeted his brother and sisters whom he had not seen since 1860, that alone was worth the trip. The years after their visit to Germany he spent on the old homestead.

On October 19, 1912, their loved ones gather at their home to observe the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Fruechte. This was a day of great joy and thankfulness for the devout couple.

Early in 1915, Mr. Fruechte started to fail in health. Although he was up and around most of the time he grew perceptibly weaker. On his 77th birthday, April 21, 1915, the Lord in whom he so implicitly trusted took him to his heavenly home.

His wife outlived him by 17 years. She, too, was comparatively active to the end, and was spared a painful and lingering illness. On February 24, 1932, at the age of 89 years, she quietly followed her husband.

Their bodies lie side by side in the Evangelical St. Luke's cemetery at Eitzen. But their memory remains fresh in the hearts of those who knew them, especially the children and children's children. The godly example of their lives continues to bear fruit in time and eternity.