WITTE BACKGROUND QUESTIONS

Who was this Ernst Phillipp Witte?

Where did he come from?

Who were his parents?

Where was he born?

Did he have any brothers or sisters?

Who did he marry?

 *** 

Let us begin with what I have been able to glean from my meager attempt at research. First, his parents were Wilhelm and Amalie Witte from Lippe-Detmold in Prussia. See below:

 Wilhelm Witte

Born:   1808         Died:  ____?_____

He joined Zion Presbyterian Church, Fosterburg, Illinois on March 28, 1861

Married:  Amalie (Amelia) Witte on        __?__   in  ____?____

                Born:  1809          Died:  ____?_____

                Wilhelm and Amalie came to America on the ship “New Orleans” from the port of Bremen in Germany.  They landed in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 25, 1860 with their three grown children.

Witte, Wilhelm  Age : 52

        Country of Origin : Germany

        Arrival Date : May 23, 1860

        Final Destination : United States

        Port of Embarkation : Bremen

        Ship's Name : New Orleans

        Occupation : Farmer

        Gender : Male

        Captain's Name : H. Sanders

        Purpose for Travel : Staying in the USA

        Mode of Travel : Steerage

        Manifest ID Number : 00018565

The above information (along with the same for their three children) was found through Ancestry.com. Strangely, I wasn’t able to find the same information about Wilhelm’s wife. Perhaps it was there and I missed it. But none-the-less, the following information verified the family’s presence in Illinois in 1880:

Ship: New Orleans
From: Bremen
To: New Orleans
Arrived: 25 May 1860

Witte
Wilhelm 52 M Farmer Germany USA
Amalie 51 F Germany USA
Amalie 27 F Germany USA
Wilhelm 24 M Germany USA
Philipp 23 M Germany USA

The 1880 census of Fosterburg, Madison County, Illinois shows that the family came from the Lippe region of Prussia. Some of their neighbors in the census also specify the city of Detmold. And Detmold is the city our family always knew as their home city in Germany.

On March 24, 2005, we (my husband and I) drove through Fosterburg, Illinois on our way to Dubuque, Iowa to find information about the elder Wittes in the churches and cemeteries located there. But, again, we were foiled in our quest due to a huge tornado that took many buildings there in 1948. No records or evidence of their graves were found in any cemeteries in or around Fosterburg. Wilhelm (the son) and his wife, Henrietta have a very nice stone in the Woodburn cemetery (an open country cemetery), but no other Witte names are present there.

So, we are left with many unanswered questions:

·         What happened between 1860 when they arrived and 1861 when they joined the Fosterburg church?

·         Did the parents die in Illinois?

·         Did they leave Fosterburg?

·         Since Wilhelm (Jr.) and his wife are buried in Fosterburg, are the parents there, too?

·         Where are their stones?

·         Who did Amalie (Amelia) Witte marry? Where is she buried? What about her family?

·         Did Wilhelm (Jr.) and his wife have any children?

·         Where are their stones?

 We may never find the answers to these and other questions. However, if anyone reading this posting has information on this family, I would be very happy to get it. You can leave a message at this site.

Found in the Woodburn Cemetery near Fosterburg, Illinois.

 

PASTOR ERNST PHILLIPP WITTE

     For some time now, I have wanted to dig deeper into my family history [on this blog] by posting information about my grandmother Plucker's family. This story, along with information about our family's home church should be of interest to other family members who knew or knew of them.

     Don't be put off by the spelling of his name which has changed over the years, or indeed, as you will see as I progress in the information I have of his history, colorful and flowery language, which belies the mystery, flaws and imperfections in the story.

     Stay tuned!

WITTE

PASTOR ERNST PHILLIPP WITTE

 

This is his obituary:

 

            “Oh to us becomes the heart so empty in the ringing world, and we all long for the Father’s House so very much.”

             On Sunday evening, just as the sun disappeared in the west, Pastor Phillipp Witte died on the 11^th of September (1909) in his house in Marion, South Dakota.  Long days of bitter suffering were left behind, although he still believed that he had to do something still here on earth so that his death would have meaning.  Through innocent beliefs in Jesus Christ, he exhaled his life at an age of almost 73 years.

            Pastor Witte was one of the pioneers of our German undertakings in the west.  He had seen the same small beginning and was permitted to still rejoice and see how the work of God’s success grew and how beautiful it spread.

            On December 1, 1837, he was born in Lippe-Detmold.  When he was 23 years old he came to America and settled in the vicinity of Fosterburg, Illinois.  There he married Fraulein Antje Wiemers.  They had five children, four of whom are still living.

            Already for a long time he felt the pressure inside that the Lord wanted to make use of him in the ministry.  But he was against it.  Then came a hard belt.  The Lord took away his wife in the year 1878.

            In this time of darkness, he saw the Lord’s hand and in the same year he entered the seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.  Through hard studying and love of his work he decided to finish his years of studying.  During this time he had again gotten married to Fraulein Henrietta Voss.  There were given five children.  His first field of work was in the area of Prairie Dell in Illinois.  He worked there several years until he took the train and followed the German immigrants to the west.  He took over a small field in the vicinity of Chancellor, South Dakota, a field which is now such a blooming community.  In the year 1888 he came further west to Marion, South Dakota and there became established through him our present community in the year 1889 where he spent the decline of his life.

            For about 15 years the community was building a church which unfortunately before they were finished, burned to the ground. On the ruins stood Pastor Witte with the discouraged community.  Still with trust in God, they agreed to begin building again.  So, he spent his time in the middle of the work which he had started, until God took him on the above mentioned date of time. Rest after the work!!

 

 

Translated by

Cynthia Jean Straatmeyer [Karns], great, great granddaughter of Phillipp E. Witte,

on June 26, 1979, 69 years after his death.)

 

Phillip Witte’s daughter, Christina Rebecca Witte, married John Poppe Plucker.  Their son, Menne Elvin Plucker married Dena Margaret Thaden, whose daughter, Jean Ellen Plucker married Henry Gene Straatmeyer. Their daughter, Cynthia Jean Straatmeyer was the translator.

1917-1918 – LETTERS FROM CHICAGO

My grandparents Plucker (John and Christina) sent their eldest child, Anna, off to Chicago with her new husband, Peter Poppens. The distance was very far – only traveled by train – and these letters sound like Anna is quite homesick.

Anna sent a letter to her mother on October 28, 1917. It says:

“You just want to [get?] up mother. Get strong so you can make a trip with me or you [two] together. I just know you can stand it.”

“Mother, I wish you would write me all about how you are feeling. Don’t use to (sic) many pills, if you have trouble with that just use the syringe, but know (sic) pills. Not even for headache, if possible to get out of it.” [It sounds very much like Christina was dependent upon those “hipos” as she called them. It may be confirmation that Christina (Grandma) Plucker was quite a hypochondriac.] [Or if Eleanor's right, she had arthritis][Or if Cindee can blame her celiac disease on Christina.....]

*******************************

This is a picture of what was found in the attic of the old farm house, when current owners Larry and Nancy Parsons were adding insulation. 

I googled it (Cindee) and saw that it is a medicine for menstral cramps.  Could THIS have belonged to Christina???  Mystery continues.  

The question as to how Wilbur Plucker died is corroborated again by his sister, Anna:

Anna Poppens (as told to her daughter, Eleanor) “always said that Wilbur fell off a horse, as is stated in his obituary.”

 

The following letter dated November 6, 1918 from Anna Poppens to Christina Plucker includes information about the flu epidemic in 1918: (Anna was living in Chicago and had only been married about one year at the time she wrote this letter.

“Dear Folks and all. I should have written before this, but just kept putting it off. I’m feeling pretty strong again now, and it seems like I can’t eat enough now. You don’t care to eat during the “Flu” period. Pete [her husband] was pretty well until Sunday night. He got a terrible pain in the left side of his chest, and we think it’s his heart that is weak from the “Flu.” He felt real well today, so he went to school and when he got back he was all in, and this afternoon he didn’t feel near as well, had a headache and his chest hurt him so badly, but his headache and chest pain are gone again tonight, so we hope he will soon get over this. It’s terrible – the “Flu” gets a person down in no time. And you don’t get a warning either – you just have it all of a sudden. Where Pete got this from again we don’t know, because his temperature was down four days before he went out of the hospital, so you see it wasn’t because he got out too soon.

This picture of Anna was taken in 1917. She was 23 years old.
Perhaps it was just prior to her wedding.

[Peter and Anna Poppens were married on September 25, 1917 and moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Peter went to medical school. By 1920, they moved to Princeton, Illinois, where they lived out the rest of their married life. Peter died in 1945; Anna died in 1988.]

“I’m glad you got your teeth pulled but I don’t see how you could stand it without taking anything. Tell me all about how you feel otherwise. I’m so anxious to know. It seems like I have to hear from you every day. Of all things take good care of yourself all of you. I hope you don’t go out very much, because I’m so afraid you might get exposed. It’s pretty bad in Parker now they write from Pete’s home. The way the paper writes here now it’s going down in Chicago now. I think that rain was very good. They think these bugs are in dust mostly.

“I will send your shoes some day soon. I was going to bring a box today but had to forget again like always. I suppose you miss them very much now.

“Well next week is Daddies birthday [John Poppe Plucker was born on November 11, 1869] and I don’t know what else to give him as a great hug and congratulate him. I told Pete, I feel as tho I want to pick corn, now that I can’t. It must be dreadful lonesome in the corn field.

“I suppose girlie [Lydia] thinks she is some girl to help Daddie pick corn. I suppose the schools are all closed yet, well it’s just as good because the “Flu” sure is no joke. Pete’s heart is still going too fast, but he has no temperature. But he will have to rest I’m afraid. I have been very much worried since Sunday, but I hope God’s hand will help us thru this trouble. I don’t see why it is that Pete had to get so weak.

“My dear folks, don’t worry too much about the war because everybody thinks it’s going to stop soon, which we all hope. We don’t think they care [to] fight very much longer. They just have to give up, and they are still losing on the west front I see in the paper. Well, I’m getting tired so will finish in the morning.

[As the Allied forces broke the German lines, Prince Maximilian of Baden was appointed as Chancellor of Germany in October in order to negotiate an armistice. Because of his opposition to the peace feelers, Ludendorff was forced to step aside and he fled to Sweden. Fighting was still continuing, but the German armies were in retreat when the German Revolution put a new government in power. An armistice was quickly signed, that stopped all fighting on the Western Front on ARMISTICE DAY (11 NOVEMBER 1918).]                                                                                                                                                            (From Wikipedia)

“Well this is afternoon, and Pete is so much better, but he gets very tired yet. He is home all day, we think he better be careful for a while yet.

“Well the whistles have been blowing for two hrs. and the papers say the war is ended. I hope it’s all true. It sure makes a person feel good to think it’s over with.

“I will send your shoes today. I have a box now and I know you want them badly.

“Mother, I hope you will take good care of yourself, because it pays to be careful right now. Do tell me all about how you feel, I’m real anxious to know. Don’t worry about us, because I think we will both be well soon.

‘I washed this morning, and I sure had a lot of dirty things. I’m afraid I can’t send the shoes because it’s raining, and it’s better for me to stay in, so I will mail this letter so you will get it Sat. It’s too bad about Uncle Wessels, but what can we do? I should have given Miss Doyle the right address, but I didn’t think.

“Well, I must close now and what a blessing it is to think the war is over.

“With Love, Your daughter, Anna”

And that is the way it was, in 1918 in the Poppens and Plucker families. These letters were sent to me by Eleanor Skoog (Anna’s youngest daughter) to help to fill out the memories of the Plucker family.

Jean E. Plucker Straatmeyer