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

 

MEJ PLUCKER'S DIARY - HIS LAST YEAR

1968

MEJ Plucker’s Diary – His last year

Died: October 19, 1968

 

Jan 1      Watched Cotton Bowl & Rose Bowl parade & games.

                At Dots for spechen & dicken.

[It was another cold winter. The pipes kept freezing and the furnace fuel line also needed thawing.]

Jan 8      Annual Cong. Meeting.

                Elders:  Martin Camp, Ed Heibult – Deacon:  Dick W. Plucker – Trustees:  Hank Albers, Vernon Bossman. Pastor’s salary: $6,000.00, Car Expense: $500, Bonus: $200.

Jan 15   Ordered Newsweek for 43 weeks. Also renewed Saturday Evening Post for 2-1/2 years.

[Dad was an avid reader and loved  his magazines.]

Jan 16   Bought chair from Sears - $39.14.

                Claus Buseman died.

                Went to Anthony Otten for supper.

Feb 15   Went to Buehlers to sort Library books.

                Gene’s arrive for a 2-day visit. [In 1968 we lived at Colfax Center Church in Iowa – a scant five-hour drive from Lennox.]

Feb 16   Gene & Jeanie, Dots & Eddie, Cindy & Faye went to BB game at Scotland (SD).

                Nola, Sandy, Gene & Jeanie here overnight.

Feb 17   First lamb born. Gene’s left for home.

Mar 15  Drove to Luverne, Minn. To investigate Blue Mound restaurant. [I’m sure it was a “scientific” investigation to determine what effect a turkey dinner would have on their digestion process.]

Mar 29  Mrs. Buehler’s birthday.

                Mom went to breakfast at Tea Lutheran church

                Went to Brandon with dots & Eddie to hear combined vocal concert.

Mar 30  Bought riding mower at K Mart. Mom to Faye to Marion for treatment. [The treatment must have been chiropractic.]

Apr 4     Martin Luther King shot & killed at 6 PM in Memphis.

Apr 30   Shot a skunk at 2:30 AM. [Many times I was woken up – frightened – to hear the “boom” of the shot gun.]

May 13 Took a trip to the Little Brown Church.

Jun 10   Dale leaves for Chicago.

                Bob’s family arrived from Seattle.

Dots & Eddie here for ice cream.

Jun 24   Eave trough replaced. Truck shed wall repaired. T.V. tower at Rowena down.

                Gene’s arrived at Straatmeyers in Lennox.

Jun 25   Went fishing to Lake Vermillion. Caught two bullheads.

Jun 26   Bob & family moved to Everett from Seattle.

June 27 Sunday school picnic.

                Straatmeyers & Gene’s went to Lake Poinsett for overnight.

Jun 28   Gene’s & S’s back from Lake Poinsett.

                We went to see Lily for a little while.

                Eugene Thaden married. Address: Kansas City.

Jun 30   Gene’s here for morning service, left for Denver, Colo. At 2 PM. [Gene was taking a summer course at Iliff School of Theology in Denver. We stayed in Student housing.]

Jul 4       Uncle Geo Buus here for Tea.

Jul 7       We visited John & Lena in PM.

Jul 8       Got bull back from Lawrence Weeldreyer.

Jul 9       Dale back from Europe Tour. Brought a musical candy plate from Switzerland.

Jul 10     Dale got a job at Sioux Steel, night work. Hank wormed all the sheep and gave rabies shot to the dog.

Jul 11     Bull got out again. At Laurence’s.

Jul 12     Took bull back to Canton. Built door in Eddie’s barn.

Jul 15     Gene’s back from Denver.

Jul 16     Home made ice cream at Eddie’s.

Jul 17     Mom & Jean cleaned 7 roosters for Mrs. S. Had supper at Truck Haven, S.F. with Gene & Jean & Dots & Eddie.

Jul 18     Gene & Jean & Mike visit to Don Hentjes.

Jul 19     Eddie baled the second cutting of alfalfa. Gene, Jean, Mike & Sandy went to Ray Smits. [Instead of Ray, this must have been Bob Smit’s.]

Jul 20     Saw slides that Dale took in Europe & that Gene took in Denver.

Jul 21     Gene preached in Lennox – morning and evening. Picnic at park in Lennox PM. We went to Lennox Ebenezer in the evening.

Jul 22     Cows returned to small pasture. Gene’s left for home. Buehler’s left on vacation.

                Bull delivered from Canton Livestock.

Jul 23     Made root beer here and at Eddie’s. [This was the BEST tasting root beer ever! But it took weeks for it to be ready to drink.]

Jul 24     Sprayed for grasshoppers in garden.

Aug 4    Joe & Lydia arrived at 4 PM.

Aug 7    Joe & Lydia left for Mpls.

Aug 14  God ready to go to Washington. Mom had a permanent at Parker.

                Faye here overnight.

[Here begins 12 days of their last vacation trip to visit Bob and Barbara in Everett, Washington.]

Aug 15  76984 mileage at home.

                Bought sun glasses at Kadoka ($1.23).

                Stopped at Bad Lands for short time. Out at 11:00.

                Drove to Spearfish, down Spearfish canyon to Mt. Rushmore,, then to Custer. Stopped for groceries. On to Newcastle. Motel cost: $12. Good supper: Hamburger, potatoes, lettuce, peach sauce. [Cooking in the kitchenette of the cabin was what was done!]

                Mileage at Newcastle: 77557. Miles driven today: 573.

Aug 16  Left Newcastle at 6:30. Went to Yellowstone by way of Sheridan & Greybull & Cody.

                Saw Old Faithful erupt at 6:15. Staying at West Yellowstone. Sherwood cabins: $10.00. Drove 498 miles today. Drove through 6 tunnels between Cody & Yellowstone.

Aug 17  Left West Yellowstone at 6:10. Breakfast at Belgrade. Bought 15.7 gallons gas at Belgrade.

                Drove mostly thru mountain country till we got near Spokane. Spent that night in Wilbur, Washington. Two room cabin with 4 beds: $6.00. Mileage at Wilbur; 78637.

Aug 18  Arrived at Everett at 11 AM. Not too much trouble finding the place.

                Went out for a site seeing ride after dinner.

                Mileage on arrival in Everett: 78873.

Aug 19  Went to Mt. Vernon in AM & visited Mae Harvey in PM. Saw the large plane building. [This must have been the Boeing plant that is visible from the highway.]

Aug 20  Spent the morning at home. Left for Seattle at 9:30. Stopped at Barbara’s office. From there, to Seattle for hamburgers. Saw the University campus and Bob’s former home.  Then to Seattle Center. Kids had rides. Bob & Mom went up in space needle.

Aug 21  Left for the seashore at 8 AM by way of Seattle, Tacoma and Aberdeen. Went up the coast as far as Pacific Beach. Spent about an hour on the beach. Were home at Bob’s by near 6 PM. Drove 456 miles.

Aug 22  Took a ferry boat ride to Whidbey Island in the forenoon.

                Changed oil in the Chev PM.

                Stayed home in the evening.

Aug 23  Shopped in White Front discount store in Seattle AM. Bought coffee server.

                Went to see Mae Harvey in the PM. Home in the evening.

Aug 24  Left Everett at 10 to 7. Mileage when leaving: 79376.

                Ate lunch at Spokane burger stand. Stopped at Missoula, got a cabin. 1 block north of the cabin where we stayed in 1966.

Aug 25  Left Missoula at 8 AM. Mileage: 79922.

                Went to Presbyterian church at Butte. Drove part way to Lewis & Clark Caverns.

                Had car heating trouble. Took thermostat out. Left AAA route to go toward Sheridan. Stayed overnight at Wyola.

Aug 26  Left Wyola (Indian town) at 7:30. Breakfast at Sheridan. Sandwich at New Castle, Malts at Martin.       Decided to go home on route 18. Saw buffaloes at Buffalo Gap.

                Were down to ¼ tank of gas at Parkston. Tied to buy some but stations all closed at 9 M. Went on anyway, found we didn’t need more gas!

                Mileage at home: 81121. Total miles: 4,137.

[Although I know that he always kept track of mileage on his cars, in this diary, he didn’t.]

Sep 7     Grandma Bossman’s sale. [This must be Gene’s grandma.]

Sep 11   Dots & Eddie off on trip to Florida. Faye & Nola – here.

                Dug 2 bushels of potatoes.

                Got Chev back from Tea. One valve: $32.99.

                Dots called from Florida. Phone No. there: Area Code 813-L.I.2 -2161 [Possibly in Florida at this time, they still used names for the first three numbers, i.e., HArrison 7-8723 (427-8723).]

Sep 13 Jerry & Irma left for Ames at 9 AM. [Jerry was one of Mom’s brothers.] 

            Dots & Eddie back from Florida.

            Lennox beat Elk Point in football.

Sep 17 Bought a Sunbeam razor in S.V. for $23.80.

Sep 18 Bought a Hoover washer and Hoover Vacuum Cleaner.

            Washer: $128.42

            Vacuum: $58.94.

            Four gallon Hyde Anti Freeze @ 1.19: $4.76.

            Bought new suit at E. W. Clothing: $81.89.

            Mom bought Struller dress at Fantles: $16.00.

            Mom hurt her back carrying washer. Went to Art DeVries for treatment.

            Took electric knife to Penny’s for repair.

            Took lid of coffee pot to Farm & Home Supply.

Sep 19 Met with Committee on Pastor’s Salary. [Rev. Buehler must have needed a raise.]

            Mom sprained her ankle.

Sep 20 Ordered mattress pad from Wards.

            Nola here, the rest gone to football game.

            Lennox lost 27 – 0!

Sep 22 Mission feast today.

Sep 24 Cattle returned from across the road.

            Ann came from Mpls. We had supper at Dots.

Sep 25 Mom & Ann went to visit Tillie Buseman & Lena Highstreet.

            Went to Julius Schnoose at night.

Sep 26 Drove to Alpena with Ann. Had dinner the The Plains in Huron. Took Ann to Tillie Poppens directly from Alpena. Dots & Eddie left for the games toward evening.

Sep 27 Did chores at Eddie’s.

Sep 28 Chores at Eddie’s. Turned buck.[Turning the Buck meant letting him run with the sheep.] Can expect lambs Feb 25.

Sep 29 Dots & Eddie back from tournament. We got Ann from Sioux Falls.

Sep 30 Went to Wm Poppens for dinner. Ann went to see Tilly in the evening.

 

Oct 1   Took Ann to see Aunt Minnie in Lennox in the morning. She stayed till 4 PM. We then took her to the airport to go back to St. Paul.

Oct 2   District Presbyterial meets at church today. Dick M. Plucker’s sale.

Oct 3   First frost of season.

            Electric fence set up in north field, cows turned on plowed ground. Eddie helped.

Oct 4   Mom cleaned the bedroom. We dug 1-1/2 5-gal pails of late potatoes.

Oct 5   Put anti-freeze in pickup.

Oct 6   Went to Geo Naatjes PM.

Oct 7   Today we cleaned out the garden & put on storm windows & butchered 3 roosters. Eddie finished combining beans.

Oct 8   Buehler here – AM & PM. [I can’t help wondering why...]

Oct 9   Dots came here to try Hoover washer. Funeral for Mrs. Harm E. Straatmeyer.

Manure on garden.

Oct 10 We visited the Straatmeyers in the evening.

Oct 11 Mom’s U.P.W. group went to Good Samaritan Home in the afternoon.

Oct 12 Went with Dots & Eddie’s to S.F. College Varsity show.

Oct 13 Rev. Jerry DeLoof of Chancellor preached this morn. We drove thru Newton Hills State park PM. We attended Turner Co. 1^st in the evening.

Oct 14 Took 5 roosters to Mrs. Musch to butcher and took them to Buehlers. Mom’s group (UPW) met here to plan program for family night.

Oct 15 Mom washed drapes in front room.

Oct 16 Harm’s & Ben’s here for dinner. [Harm & Ben Thaden were brothers of Mom.] Electric knife returned from Penneys. Cows broke down gate.

Oct 17 Saw Dr. Sanderson for a checkup & flu shot.

            Started to rain on Octo 15. Still raining on 17^th. Rained somewhere in neighborhood of 3 or 3-1/2 inches.

I went to meeting of I.C.A.

 

COMMENTS FROM JEAN, DOTS AND BOB

 

Jean & Dots:

I never heard what Dr. Sanderson said to him on that Thursday before he died. I saw no change in his handwriting in the last couple of days.

What we know (after 45 years) is that on Saturday, the 19^th, Mom and Dad went to Sioux Falls to go Christmas shopping. One of the things they bought was a jumping clown for Mike. (When Mom gave it to me, she said Dad was determined that Mike should have that clown. We kept it safe in the top shelf of the closet for many years and Mike even took it with him when he left home.)

In the afternoon that day, they were walking along a sidewalk on a side street. They had been at Fantles on Main St. and were heading for Phillips Avenue. All at once, he stopped, put his hands up on the wall of the building next to them and said, “This is it.” At that, he slowly slumped to the sidewalk.

Mother finally got help; he was taken to the hospital and declared dead that evening.  As it happened, Dots & Eddie had decided to go to Sioux Falls that day, too, so Dale and Ken were home alone and Dale was in the house when the phone rang. He jumped in his car, went to Sioux Falls and miraculously found his folks on the street. Upon hearing the news, they all went to the hospital to take care of Mom.

It was a hard day.

 

Bob:

Mom and Dad had come to Washington to see us the summer of ‘68, and I remember thinking that he was feeling particularly good. He was horrified at all the slugs and spent some time in the back yard of our big Everett house snagging slugs and tossing them over the cliff into the gulch below. He also made a minor repair to a back yard picnic table we had. But he was chagrined to find that he had inadvertently sawed off a small piece of the end of a seat.

There was some kind of a scandal going on in Seattle city government at the time and we were reading about it in the paper. Dad said he “sure wished he lived long enough to see how all that came out.”

When Dots phoned to tell us that Dad had died in Sioux Falls, I had promised my friend Wally that I would take his choir Sunday morning. The choir was at a church in north Seattle that I had had before Barbara and I moved to Everett. The fact that Dad had died didn’t really hit me, and so I went ahead and took the choir, never letting on that I was on the verge of going to S. Dakota. When it did hit me was when we went to the funeral home to see him with Eddie & Dots. Eddie said something about his never cutting our hair anymore, and then he and I just fell apart on each other’s shoulder. 

Dad’s death was not really unexpected – just the suddenness of it was hard to take. He had experienced two other heart attacks previous to this last one. The first attack happened at home – I believe he was just coming in from doing the chores – at first they thought it was a gall bladder attack which is why he was taken to the hospital where the determination of a heart attack was made. I think when the second attack happened, he knew what it was, so he was taken to the hospital quickly.

 

MEJ was a good Dad – probably a bit easy on his “baby of the family,” but all in all, taught me a lot and gave me a good foundation for my life.

 

Jean E. Straatmeyer

April, 2013