FIFTY-EIGHTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

MR. AND MRS. JOHN P. PLUCKER

From The Presbyterian Messenger – written by Lydia Plucker Mihelic

1951

 

            On November 29^th Mr. & Mrs. John P. Plucker of Lennox observed their 58^th wedding anniversary.  They have spent most of their lives in the Germantown and Lennox vicinities.  The parents of both of them were pioneers.  Mr. Plucker’s parents came from East Friesland, Germany to Oregon, Illinois about 1860.  From there they moved to Ackley, Iowa, and in the fall of 1877 they took a homestead in the present Germantown township area.  Mrs. Plucker’s father, the Reverend Philipp Witte, became the first pastor of the Germantown Presbyterian congregation which was organized in 1886.  The building was erected in 1887 on land given by Menne Plucker the father of John P.  It was there that John Plucker and Christina Witte met and in 1893 they were married by the bride’s father.

            After 28 years of farming the family moved to their present home in Lennox.  Mr. & Mrs. Plucker enjoy visiting with friends and neighbors and especially with their three daughters and one son who come to see them as often as possible.  At 82 Mr. Plucker still likes to tell stories of incidents which happened in his childhood, and which are of interest to our generation in that they furnish some very sharp contrasts in methods of work and attitudes of people then and now.  Some of these stories follow and could be matched by other pioneer couples whose children still live in this area.

            Mr. Plucker tells that the farm which is presently owned and operated by his son, M. E. J. Plucker, was originally homesteaded by a Frenchman.  His father, Menne Plucker, purchased it from him in 1884.  The land was half cultivated and half prairie.  Before the prairie land could produce, the prairie grass had to be burned in the fall and broken the following spring, and then it was plowed back in the fall.  This was called “Back-set.”  It was not till the following spring that the land was ready for sowing wheat.  Corn could not be planted because the land was too hard to work.

            Another recollection of Mr. Plucker is that the first summer of their married life, in 1894, there occurred a very severe drought which caused a total failure of crops, both garden and grain.  Then every effort had to be made in order to keep the animals alive.

            Still another story which he likes to tell is the one about their trip from Ackley, Iowa, to the homestead claim in the Germantown Township.  His father came ahead to begin the homestead and to have some of the land broken.  Six months later the family of six children came by train.  With two wagons they brought some lumber, stock and one pig.  Since there were no wild animals which could be hunted for meat, the pig which they brought with them was their only source of meat for the first year, 1878.  Because of adverse circumstances, the Menne Plucker family had very little money when they moved from Illinois, and when Menne came to South Dakota to claim the homestead, he had only $5.00 in his pocket.  He borrowed money to build a mud house and to buy the absolute necessities for his family.  The interest on the borrowed money was 10% and a 5% commission.  Another item of interest which Mr. Plucker recalls is the prices.  In 1895 eggs were three cents a dozen, and corn cost 25 to 30 cents a bushel.  In 1920 oats sold for $1.04 a bushel, but in 1922 it was only eight cents a bushel.

            Amid all these difficulties and every day problems the Pluckers took a lively interest in the church.  The church was to them a haven of rest and a source of strength.  They did all in their power to preserve it for future generations.  May the gracious Lord continue to grant the John P. Pluckers a pleasant eventide.

MEMORIES OF MY MOTHER

I was looking for something else in my computer records and stumbled upon a piece I wrote in memory of my mother, Dena Margaret Thaden Plucker. Because I was in Africa at the time, I wasn't able to attend her funeral in 2002, so I wrote a short piece about my memories.

Dena Thaden Plucker will be 100 years old on October 29, 2002 -- the Lord willing.  Since her death seems rather imminent, I have been thinking about her and decided to put into words some of my thoughts. 
               Since my brother and sister were 10 and 12 years older than me, I was raised almost like an only child.  Both my mother and my father were very important in my life, but my mother did most of the teaching -- of life's lessons.  My earliest memories are of Mom playing the piano in the old church in at Germantown.  I would sit with my Dad and watch her play.  She was the driving force behind my piano lessons.  When the "new" church was built and an organ purchased, she played that, too -- and when I was old enough, I even played that organ a few times, although I was never as accomplished as she!

               I have many early memories -- Mom would read to me a lot.  I wonder now, how she found time and energy for that since she had the house and the farm yard to take care of.  We didn't have many books, but we did have “Hurlbut's Story of the Bible” and she brought to life (with her reading) all the Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation -- including "Noah and the Prophets."  We read many episodes of the Israelites warring with the Philistines.  She wasn't one to talk much about her faith, but in all she did and said, it was there.  She was a good example for her children.

               There were other books, too.  Most notably, "Little Brown Koko."  I loved hearing about the adventures of this little African American boy and his family -- so far removed from our Midwest farm.  I was fascinated by another book about Africa where "Little Black Sambo" played with lions and ate pancakes. Little did I know that I would one day go to Africa.

               Since I was alone at home most of the time, I watched as Mom planted and weeded her garden and learned when it was OK to pick peas and beans.  I also learned the sweet, tender taste of new potatoes, new onions and other fresh vegetables all cooked together.  When the time was right, we would go out in the ditches and hunt for new asparagus.

               Mom taught me so many things that in later life became useful again when we moved to Africa for a year -- like washing clothes and hanging them on a line, and how to roll a pie crust or how to cut a chicken into frying-sized pieces.

               In the Spring, -- very early Spring -- baby chicks would be ordered and when we got a call on our party line that they were ready, we'd go into town to pick them up.  Oh, the peeping!  We usually got between 500 - 800 chicks and Mom would watch over them like their "mother hen."  They would be housed in the "brooder house" and kept warm under a hood.  If we were lucky, the chicks learned to eat and drink and grow.  If not, they would crowd each other or start picking each other and we would lose some.  Mom would worry and fuss over them until they finally got bigger.

               As the chickens got older, Mom would start talking about eating them and soon a day would come when we would have our first Spring chicken for dinner.  I was all eyes when it came to killing, skinning, cleaning and cutting up chickens.  I even got pretty good at doing it myself.

               In Africa, I used what I learned back home on the farm quite often.  For instance, the lost art of baking bread from scratch, by hand!  It was never one of my favorite activities, but in Africa, I remembered the lessons Mom taught me and we had fresh bread to eat on a regular basis since in that climate, store bought breads tended to mold quite easily.

               One of the memories I have of Mom is one that I haven't duplicated since I was a very young housewife:  mopping the floor on my hands and knees.  Mom used to say that you can't really get a floor clean unless you get down on your knees to do it.  It was a weekly chore for her.  I am now quite satisfied to clean floors the easiest way possible.

               Most farm wives even today, work harder than their city counterparts.  And when I was young, I watched my Mom get dressed up in the "chore clothes," go out in all kinds of weather and do just about anything except drive the tractor, although I'm sure she did that, too.  Early on, she would go out to pick corn by hand, with the horses and wagon and she always helped to shock the oats.  She helped milk the cows, tend the sheep and of course, the chickens were really her responsibility.  Every morning she religiously washed the cream separator.  It was her least favorite job she used to tell me -- often.  I didn't like it either, because the disks that did the separating were difficult to manipulate and could cut you if you weren't careful.

               In the winter, Mom would love going out on a cold day to scoop the snow.  She loved the fresh air.  And in the winter there was more time for her "fancy work" -- when the north wind was lifting the linoleum on the floor.  She was a member and sometimes president of the "Willing Workers," the women's group at her church.  I would go along to be with her when there were meetings, when there were quilting parties at someone's house and when we held sales on the sewing, craft projects and homemade foods to raise money for Missions.

               She taught me how to sew with a sewing machine, how to embroider beautiful patterns on towels and pillow cases.  There always seemed to be time to cut out a dress on the dining room table.  But, she would always save the zippers for my sister to put in saying that she did it so much better.  (I thought Mom just didn't want to tackle the hard part!)

               On Saturday afternoons, she would wash her hair and when I was a teen-ager, she would have me "put it up" in pin curls.  We would have some good talks while I was doing that.  And while we were doing the dishes together, she helped me memorize the Books of the Bible and my memory verses for Sunday School -- not to mention to "times tables" for school!

               Mom had a lot of experiences in her life and I've mentioned only a few that occur to me.  She was the steadying influence in my life as a child and remained close throughout -- seeing me through my teens, my marriage, my babies and even visited me in Alaska a few times!

         
               Like everyone, my mother had her faults, but she had my love and respect for her part in my life.

 

Jean E. Plucker Straatmeyer

2002

THADEN FAMILY MINISTERIALLY INCLINED

Willow Lake, South Dakota - The E. L. Thaden family here is ministerially inclined. Three sons are so engaged, two are studying for such careers, and one daughter is married to a minister.
  Clifford and Robert are shown in the back row. Seated are Jerry, Ben, and Clarence, and their brother-in-law, Rev. Lester Alberts. The picture was taken at a family reunion this week.
  Jerry is a minister in the Presbyterian church at Hickman, Nebraska; Clarence is a minister in the Presbyterian church at Cambell, Nebraska, and Ben is a minister in the Reformed church of Gardiner, New York.
  Clifford is enrolled as a junior in the Mission house seminary, at Plymouth, Wisconsin, and Robert is enrolled as a sophomore in Hope College in Holland, Michigan
  Johanna, the youngest girl, was Sunday school teacher and church pianist, and married Rev. Lester Alberts, a Willow Lake boy, son of Mr. & Mrs. Sam Alberts. Rev. Alberts is pastor in a Reformed church near Wallkill, New York.
  Mr. & Mrs. E. L. Thaden are pioneers in this community, having moved here from Lennox 37 years ago.

Transcribed by Jean E. Straatmeyer

From a very old newspaper clipping saved by her mother,

Mrs. M. E. J. (Dena Thaden) Plucker

Circa the early 1940's

THE HARM and DENA BUUS STORY

 

THE HARM & DENA BUUS STORY

FROM

LENNOX, SOUTH DAKOTA ANNIVERSARY BOOKS

Among the pioneers of this section who shared in its early struggles and development were Mr.  & Mrs. Harm Buus who settled on a homestead four miles southwest of Lennox in 1878. They were the days of prairie fires, grass hoppers and primitive transportation. Harm Buus was born in Ostfriesland, Germany on February 1, 1848, and at the age of 16 came with his parents to America locating near Freeport, IL. In 1870 he moved to Grundy County, Iowa, locating near Grundy Center, and that same year was united in marriage to Hedina Margaret Bossman.

 

Harm & Hedina were married in Sept. 11, 1870

Mrs. Buus was born at Holthusen Kries, Wiener, Germany on December 28, 1850. There she spent her childhood days and when yet in her teens she came to America. They settled first in Illinois, where they lived a few years. Later the family moved to Grundy County, Iowa, near Ackley. There, on September 11, 1870 she was united in marriage with Harm Buus. They continued their residence in Iowa for eight years, and then in 1878 came to Dakota Territory to cast their fortunes with the other early homesteaders in this region.
 
Mr. Buus was one of the organizers and charter members of the First Turner County Presbyterian Church (now called Turner County First Presbyterian Church) and active in all community affairs in those early days. For 33 years they continued on the farm and in 1911 retired to take up their residence in Lennox. Here they continued to enjoy the material comforts that were their reward following years of hard work and thrift.
 

  

Mr. Buus died from anemia (Bright’s Disease) on July 31, 1924 at age 76 and six months. Rev. John Rops officiated at the funeral.

Coming here many years ago when the section was but a bare prairie, Mrs. Buus experienced all the hardships of the early days. In 1882 she joined with the Turner County First Presbyterian church and for 56 years was a faithful and active member. She was one of the pioneers who took the lead in the organization of this religious institution. She was a kind wife and mother, a true friend and neighbor, who was always willing to do everything humanly possible to help those in need of her services. Mrs. Buus was one of the sturdy pioneer women who played an active part in the up-building and advancement of this locality. In the fall of 1937, Dena became seriously ill and then failed rapidly. She died on the morning of May 7, 1938. Funeral services were conducted in the Turner County First Presbyterian Church and interment for both Mr. & Mrs. Buus is in the cemetery there.

 Mrs. Buus passed to her reward on May 7, 1938 at the age of 87 years, four months and seven days. Twelve children were born to this union. (Eleven of those children are pictured in the previous blog: "BUUS GENERATIONS 1774 - 1979")

This picture from the "family archives" was not labeled, but it is safe to say that the two fellows on the near side of the car are father and son: Harm in the front and Hinderk in the back. The presumption is that their companions are their sons.

 

 

 

BUUS GENERATIONS 1774 - 1979

HARBERT HINDERKS BOES

Born February 26, 1774 in Larrelt, Ostfriesland. Died July 14, 1848 in Twixlum, Ostfriesland.

Married: Aje Allen Poppen Eertmoed, born in 1786, died on January 18, 1871 in Twixlum, Ostfriesland.

(Great, great, great grandfather of Jean E. Straatmeyer)

 

HARBERT HINDERKS BOES WAS FATHER TO:

 

HENDRICK SIMONS HARBERTS BOES (BUUS)

(Great, great grandfather of Jean E. Straatmeyer)

 

Hinderk Simons Harberts Boes was born on October 25, 1810 in Twixlum, Ostfriesland and died on February 22, 1911.  He was buried in Turner County First Presbyterian Church Cemetery.         

He married Antje Berends Ailts who was born on March 10, 1810 and died on May 26, 1889.

 

Great, great grandpa - Hinderk Simons Harberts BOES

                        He died at the age of 100 years, 3 months and 4 days.

                        She died at the age of 79 years, 2 months and 16 days.

 

The Hinderk Buus family - circa 1910

 

Children of Hinderk and Antje Buus:

 

1.         Aje (Ella)         b. Dec. 12, 1835          d. Feb. 25, 1880          Buried at Grundy Center, IA

                        Married: John Haan   

2.         Berend                        b. Nov. 27, 1837          d. Jan. 28, 1919           Buried at Lennox, SD

                        Married: Kia Friese

3.         Harbert           b. Dec. 1, 1840            d. July 26, 1923           Buried at Ellsworth, MN

                        Married:  Abena Laura Schnus

4.         Henderk          b. Mar. 24, 1842         d. Oct. 9, 1911                        Buried at Lennox, SD

                        Married Antje Fokken

5.         Engel               b. July 19, 1845           d. May 2, 1938            Buried at Ellsworth, MN

                        Married: Jan Meester

6.         Harm G.          b. Feb. 1, 1847            d. July  31, 1924         Buried at Lennox, SD

                        Married: Hindina Margaretta Bossman

      

 

 

HARM G. (Hinderks) BUUS (Boes)

(Great grandfather of Jean E. Straatmeyer) 

 

Harm Buus, born Feb. 1 1847 in Twixlum, Ostfriesland, Germany, died July 31, 1924 in Rural Lennox, SD. He was the son of Hinderk Simons Boes and Antje Berends Ayelts. He married Hedina Margaret Bossman Sep. 11, 1870 in Grundy Center, Iowa.

Note: His birth name was Harm Hinderks Boes. He may have changed his middle initial later because of similarities in names of his relatives. The family name also went through several changes – from Boes to finally, Buus.

 Hedina Margaret Bossman, born Dec. 29 1850 in Holthusen Kreis, Weiner, Ostfriesland, Germany, died May 7, 1938 in Rural Lennox, SD. She was the daughter of Juren R. Bossman and Swantze Geersma.

Circa 1900

 

Children of Harm Buus and Hedina Bossman are:

 

1.      Antje (Annie) Buus, born May 11, 1871; died July 24, 1919, m. John Kuper – six children

2.      Jerry Buus, born Dec. 11, 1872, died Feb. 3, 1899, m. Minnie Braak – two children

3.      Henry Buus, born Oct. 17, 1874, died Oct. 6, 1952, m. Amanda Bunger – six children

4.      Swantje (Maggie) Buus, born Oct. 4, 1876; died June 22, 1964; married John Naatjes.

5.      Harmina (Minnie) Buus, born Oct. 24, 1878 in Lennox, South Dakota; died Sep. 8, 1949 in St. Johns Hospital, Huron, Beadle Co, South Dakota; married Eilert (Louie) Ludwig Thaden Mar. 11, 1897 in Lennox, South Dakota; born May 25, 1870 in Peoria, IL, died Dec. 19, 1962 in Huron. Both Minnie and Louie were buried at Willow Lake, SD. (Minnie was Jean Straatmeyer’s grandmother on her mother’s side.)

6.      George Buus, Born Nov. 9, 1880, Died in 1882 (while Hedina was pregnant with the next baby, also named George.

7.      George Buus, born Dec. 9, 1882, died Feb. 28, 1971, m. Tena Cramer – two children

8.      Engel (Annie) Buus, born Jan. 7, 1885, died July 12, 1955, m. Fred H. Bunger, 2^nd husband: Mr. Ludens after 1921, m. Henry Weise before 1955 – four children

9.      Kate Buus, born April, 1887, died June 2, 1962; m. Andrew Mortenson, - two children

10.  Habina (Bertha) Buus, born June 23, 1889 in Lennox, South Dakota; died Oct. 16, 1974 in Lennox, South Dakota; married Luberto (Bert) F Oltmanns; -- three children

11.  Harmannus (Herman) Buus, born Sep. 16, 1891, died  July 21, 1969, m. Bertha Hippen, - two children

12. Berend (Ben) Buus, born 13 Dec 1893, died Dec.10, 1979, m. Lizzie Knock – three children

The remaining eleven children of Harm and Dena Buus
Grandma Thaden is far right, back row
Circa 1900

--From internet search June, 2011

--Matched to database of Berdine Kock, Lennox, SD

--Edited by Jean E. Straatmeyer August, 2014

 

 

HINDERK BUUS OBIT

Recently I have come into possession of some obituaries pertaining to my mother’s maternal grandparents. Most interesting to me is the phrasing of the obit writer and the addition of some unnecessary information. Here I’ve tried to put together facts along with the poetic phrases used in days gone by.

 

Hinderk Buus was the grandfather of my mother's mother. I will publish her maternal lineage shortly.

HINDERK BUUS

OBITUARY

 

The last days of the centenarian came to a close at 10:30 on Wednesday, February 22, 1911. His days of sickness were few and with little discomfort to this siren. But the burning candle of life grew fainter and fainter until the pulse failed to beat and the failure of the respiratory organs became evident to those at the bedside. The man who trod this vale for a hundred years and more, he whose every physical constitution was of the rugged type became stifled and the pallid cheek and the shrunken eye told them that he was no more. His days were grown ripe in years and his wish was and had for sometime been that he could rest and be with his Father in Heaven. Such comfort was his when death drew nearer. He was pleased when he knew that only a few more hours and there would be eternal happiness in wait for him, so near at his door, and though so aged, he was conscious to the last and congratulated on the very morning of his death, George Buus, a grandson, upon the marriage this young man was about to join in.

 

The Lutheran Church at Twixlum, Ostfriesland, Germany

Hindrick Buus was born at Twixlum, Ostfriesland, Germany [also known as Prussia] on October 25, 1810 to Herbert and Obina(?) Buus and came to this country in 1865. The first few years he spent in Illinois after which eight years were passed in Iowa, when at the close of that period he moved on to his farm near Lennox, South Dakota where he remained until his death. His wife, Antje (Anne) Seine Gattin Ailts was born March 10, 1810 also in Germany. In 1880 they lived in Pleasant Valley Township, Grundy County, Iowa. Antje died in 1889, 22 years ago this coming May. After her death, Hinderk remained, living with his son, Harm Buus.

Here the Hinderk Buus family is shown together - perhaps in front of the Harm Buus home.

 

The following are children who survive him and who were present at the funeral: Berent Buus of Lennox, Herbert Buus of Rock Rapids, Iowa, Henry Buus of Lennox, Mrs. John Meester of Rock Rapids, Iowa, and Harm Buus of Lennox. Mrs. John Haan, the oldest of the family, preceded her father in death thirty-one years to the very day of his funeral.

 

Among the numerous relatives that attended were: Mrs. John Slight of Parkersburg, Iowa, Mrs. O. Neihhuis of Aplington, Iowa, Mrs. John Haan, Jr. and C. Henrich all of Rock Rapids, Iowa. The funeral took place last Saturday at the home at 12 o’clock, conducted by Rev. A. Peterson and H. Gerdes. Interment was made in the Presbyterian Church cemetery southwest of Lennox, SD.

 

The Lennox Independent

March 3, 1911

 

 

Note: This little essay was found in research papers collected for a history book about the "Synod of the West." The writer is my aunt (my father's sister).

Synod of the West Memories

By

Lydia Mihelic (Mrs. Joseph Mihelic)

Dubuque, Iowa

 

My grandfather was the first minister of the Germantown church in South Dakota. It was a little white, wood-sided church that had been raised from the prairie land. In that small community of farmers where everyone had come from Germany, the church and its German-language services took on great importance.

 In the late “teens,” it became unfashionable to speak German. In fact, if you had German friends it was thought to be – terrible. We had a telephone in the community, the old-time party line. My father had five brothers and two sisters living close by, and they would try to find times to talk when no one was likely to be listening in. Eventually they took the phones out – just look them away – because people were talking German on them.

 For a time, there was a debate over what to name the church. Once my father and another man were discussing it on a train when a woman across the aisle admonished them, “I thought you were not to talk German.” My father’s companion turned to her and answered, “I didn’t realize no one could speak French!” She responded, “Oh! Pardon me; I thought you were talking German.”

 In the wintertime we used big bob sleighs. My dad would take us to school and, if he had time, go further and pickup other children. In winter we had a bad time with groceries. There were few grocery stores and they didn’t always have everything. If they had oranges, that was truly a gift at Christmas.

 Christmas in the church is one of my favorite memories. The men and boys sat on one side of the aisle and the women and girls sat on the other. I was fascinated by the ladies’ hats. They were all beautiful. But most beautiful was the Christmas tree with its candles. The candles had to be big enough to produce a bright flame, and we were always afraid there would be a fire. The children would watch the tree and alert someone when they saw a candle that wasn’t doing just right.