Friday, October 23, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Beckmann vital statistics (birth/death)
Barthold Beckmann, born 1921 in Lamstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany, died February 6, 1881.
Christine Von der Lieth, born October 15, 1822 in Basbeck, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Margarte Beckmann (Waller), born November 10 in Lamstedt, 1846, died 25 October, 1926.
Diedtrich Waller
Catherine Beckmann (Luhrs) (Carlson), born 1847 in Lamstedt, died 1942.
Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann, born October 14, 1849 in Lamstedt, died July 5, 1936 in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Johanne (John) Beckmann, born November 2, 1853 in Lamstedt, died October 18, 1920 in New York City.
Anna Vagts, born October 17, 1858. died December 4, 1922.
Claus (Charles) Beckmann, born November 13, 1855 in Lamstedt, died July 20, 1923.
Barthold Beckmann, born October 12, 1861 in Lamstedt, died April 21 1951 in Lamstedt.
Christina Margaret Reese, born November 10, 1867, died August 18, 1933.
Wilhelm (William) Beckmann, born March 24, 1866 in Lamstedt, died January 8, 1938.
Sophie Buck, born February 21, 1866, died March 11, 1918.
Christine Von der Lieth, born October 15, 1822 in Basbeck, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Margarte Beckmann (Waller), born November 10 in Lamstedt, 1846, died 25 October, 1926.
Diedtrich Waller
Catherine Beckmann (Luhrs) (Carlson), born 1847 in Lamstedt, died 1942.
Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann, born October 14, 1849 in Lamstedt, died July 5, 1936 in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Johanne (John) Beckmann, born November 2, 1853 in Lamstedt, died October 18, 1920 in New York City.
Anna Vagts, born October 17, 1858. died December 4, 1922.
Claus (Charles) Beckmann, born November 13, 1855 in Lamstedt, died July 20, 1923.
Barthold Beckmann, born October 12, 1861 in Lamstedt, died April 21 1951 in Lamstedt.
Christina Margaret Reese, born November 10, 1867, died August 18, 1933.
Wilhelm (William) Beckmann, born March 24, 1866 in Lamstedt, died January 8, 1938.
Sophie Buck, born February 21, 1866, died March 11, 1918.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Beckmann Family History
Brief histories of Beckmann Family Members descended from the farm home located at "Auf de Stroth", Lamstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany. Five of seven children born in this household (1846-1866) immigrated to America in the 1860 to 1900 period. The first generation of Lamstedt Beckmann's to America.
Our common ancester, was a small farmer, (Achtelhoefer, one eighth of a Hectare) by the name of Barthold Beckmann, (1821-1881) who lived in Lamstedt with his wife Christina Margaretha, (born Von der Lieth), (1822-1892), she came from the village of Basbeck.
They had seven surviving children. Lamstedt and Basbeck are two towns which are about 5 kilometers (3 miles) apart, on the south side of the Elbe River, 60 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Hamburg on Route 73, between the cities of Stade and Cuxhaven.
The following were their children:
1st child - Margaretha Beckmann (Waller) (born 11/10/1846-died 10/25/1926), remained in Germany, married Dietrich Waller, (born 11/23/1839-died 10/21/1909) a farmer of Basbeck, a village her mother originally came from (Christina Von der Lieth).
The farm still exists there, presently farmed by Manfred Waller, whose wife is a schoolteacher. Oma Margaretha's descendants include many grand and great grandchildren. Several were killed in WWI and WWII.
Willi Waller (1910-1945), was a good friend and cousin to my father Harry, when he grew up in Germany, (1903-1920). Willi drowned in the last days of WWII, as he was returning from the war. In the spring of 1945, a boat he was a passenger on swamped in the Elbe River near Doctorshausen. The Elbe River is very close to Basbeck and Lamstedt.
Willi left a wife and 5 children. Three of these young children (girls) immigrated to America after WWII. Oldest is Helga Kaiser, mother of a physician and lawyer.
Ingrid Spark and Marlene Wittschieben, were Helga's twin sisters. They settled in Queens and did the Deli business thing, like so many North German immigrants. Among their children is a Yale medical school graduate (1993) and also a son who is a lawyer. These descendants live in Bellrose, Long island.
Margaretha and her husband are buried in the Hemoor cemetery.
2nd child - Catherine Beckmann (Luhrs) (Carlson) (1847-1942). 1st husband died shortly after arriving in America, 2nd husband, a swedish immigrant, was an alcoholic, and treated her abusively.
Tante Cady was fond of her pet parrot. When husband Carlson would return home inebriated, he would knock her parrot off its perch. tante Cady, would cry out in Plattdeutsche "Och! mein Lutje PaPaGuy", in English Oh! My poor little parrot.
Tante Cady lived in rather poverty like conditions in Gerritson Beach. She had no children of her own. However, when her brother Henry decided to pioneer farm in Ohio, she raised his first born daughter Clara, in Brooklyn, under more civil conditions than in rural Ohio.
Ohio was recently opened , as land for agricultural expansion. Henry built his first home there, a log cabin. Their poisonous snakes and insects around the cabin, so the young children had to remain indoors when they played and grew up.
Clara, Henry's daughter later married Oscar Fink who owned a livery stable. They had a son Errol. I never knew what became of them.
My father said "Tante Cady", as she was called, died in a poverth ward in Kings county hospital at 95 years of age. Her younger brother William "The Great Fisherman of Long Island", provided financial aid , but predeceased her in the late thirties (1938).
Of the five from her family who immigrated to America, she was the only one who was poor, all of her brothers became very wealthy. Could it be because she was a woman, that she remained poor? Seems like social justice was lacking in that era. Tante cady is buried in Evergreen cemetery in Brooklyn. I have not been able to find her gravesite.
Note: Catherine arrived on the Bark "Jupiter", a ship of 690 tons, Captained by J.H. kauckins, June 11, 1867, out of Bremen. Younger brother Henry followed her on August 17, 1868 on the "New York", 3 masted, one funnel, iron Hull, clipper bow, 2,674 tons, also out of Bremen.
3rd child - Henry (Hinrich) (1849-1936), "The Pioneer Farmer of Paulding, Ohio", immigrated to America in 1868, at a young age of 19, I believe to avoid service in the Prussian Army, which under Chancellor Otto von Bismark was preparing for the Franco Prussian War, of 1870-1871.
When he arrived in New York City, he worked with his younger brother John (the grocer) in the grocery and restaurany business on the lower east side around 101 Rivington street. About the same time the Brooklyn Bridge was being built. Brother John must have followed him here, also immigrating from lamstedt.
About 1885 he decided to pioneer farm in Ohio, he was a farm boy and understood agriculture.
Henry's 1st wife and the mother of Clara Beckman (born 15 January 1877) was Christine Wilhelmine Juliane Rethevisch (Born 1852), in Hamburg, Hanover, Germany and died in 1878 in New York City.
His second wife Angeline Christine Heckmann (also a German) immigrant, suffered from breathing problems in NYC, because of polutted air. Before leaving NYC they had a son (Henry B. Beckman). Leaving Clara behind with Tante Cady, they moved to Ohio where they bought 50 acres of swamp land for 200 dollars from the US Government. The land was similar to his fathers farm in Germany, it was swamp land that had been drained, it was heavy in organic material, the soil was black, rich and could grow 2 to 3 crops a year, it was dry lake bottom land. Henry and his family worked hard in Ohio. The new land of America was more fertile than the land in Lamstedt.
Henry and Christine's children were Henry B. (1882) born in NYC. John (1884), Bertha (1886), Charles (1887), Fred (1889), Mary 1891 and Otto (1894), the last 6 children were born in Ohio.
Henry sent his children to a German school in Ohio. I remember as a teenages in 1951, when my father, mother and uncle Barthold visited several of Henry's children, they still spoke very good German, although they had never been to Germany and had lived in Ohio/Michigan their entire lives.
Our "Uncle Charley", the son of Henry the pioneer farmer, who lived near us in the Hudson Valley, my fathers best friend. They told us one day, his father embraces the 7th Day Adventist Religion and adhered to its principles. There would be no work done on the "Sabbath", it was a day of rest and prayer. Uncle Charley always referred to his father in a most reverent manner of "Father". Uncle Charley also told us when his father returned from the fields in the evenings, while driving his horses and wagon, he would often sing hymns, i.e. "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Bringing in the Sheaves".
Tragedy struck one day in 1910, when yound Henry died of an injury. He died at a hospital in Ft. Wayne, Indiana of a ruptured spleen. Young Henry left a pregnant wife behind.
Ralph Beckmann, young Henry's son, born several months after, never knew his father. Ralph farmed and was still living on the farm, where his father was fatally injured, when I visited him in 1992. He was 83 years old.
About 1919, Henry decided to sell off his property in Ohio and move about 50 miles north to Coldwater, Michigan. The "Dunkers", from southern Illinois, a religious group bought his Ohio land. Henry made a sunstantial profit. With the money he bought farms in Michigan and rental properties in Detroit. The farm land in Michigan was not as fertile as Ohio, but he could buy more land for less money. He prospered again, until the "Great Depression", in 1929, when he suffered substantial losses, as many others did. He died at 87, in 1936, at his youngest son's home (Otto) in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Some of his descendants live in the area where Ohio, Michigan and Indiana come together. At the time of his death, there were at least half a dozen farms in this area that had been established by Henry's children and their families. 7
Henry and his wife Angeline and oldest son are buried in the "Blue Creek cemetery", paulding, Ohio. In 1992, this cemetery appeared to be abandoned. From this vantage point in summer, you will see miles and miles of grain growing in all directions, right up to the edge of the burial ground.
Henry is resting here with his wife Angeline, his oldest son Henry, an adjacent tombstone bears the name Waller. Could it be a relative from Basbeck, Germany who farmed here also? A cousin perhaps? Henry will always be at peace here, buried in the verdant plains of Ohio, a land he helped bring forth.
4th child - John Michael Beckmann, "The Grocer of Manhattan" (born 11/2/1853-died 10/18/1920). He and his wife Anna (Vagts) Beckmann (born 10/17/1858) in Hanover, Germany (died 12/4/1922). Immigrated to NYC and owned a grocery business in Manhattan, NYC. Later lived on 4th avenue in Brooklyn and finally settled in Lynbrook, Long Island.
Oldest son Henry was born in 1888. Henry married Emma Bringmann in 1909. Henry became a businessman (Real Estate & Insurance) in Brooklyn. He built a large apartment building on 6th avenue in Brooklyn, which I remember visiting as a child. Henry and Emma had two children, Mildred Emma and Doris Augusta. Doris died young at 15, of the flu. Mildred Hilbert (now deceased), lived in Sarasota, Florida. Mildred and her husband John Hilbert, had several sons. One son a Harvard graduate died young, another Cornell graduate is an Ithica College professor, a third son works for the stock market exchange.
There were several daughters born to John And Anna an American na, and they lived in Brooklyn. Their names were Anna, Meta, Lily, Elsie and Norma. I have no knowledge of them or their descendants.
John and Anna had one other son, their youngest, and his name was John also, he was born in 1899. He would become an American Naval hero.
In WWI, young John joined the US Navy and took his training on the Battleship New Jersey. In 1918 he was assigned to a US Army supply ship, the SS Lucia. This ship had been taken from the Austrian Government, as a prize, and was loaded with transport for the war in Europe in October 1918. This ship was torpedoed by a German submarine off Norfolk. he was assigned to a group whose task was to try and save the ship, but they were unsuccessful. The ship sank and he was adrift on the ocean for a time before he was rescued. For his efforts to save the ship, he was given a commendation by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He was discharged from the Navy as a 1st class Boatswains Mate. A senior enlisted rate.
A few years after the war, John became a policeman in Mineola, Long Island. He rose through the ranks to become the Police Commissioner of Nassau County (1940-1960). He and his wife had no children.
In early January 1960, he drove his wife to the hairdresser, kissed her good-bye. Then he drove his Buick to an inlet near Jones Beach. Left his service revolver in the car, walked from his car into the surf, to meet the fate he avoided in 1918, when the SS Lucia sank in th Atlantic. His death was a mystery.
John Beckmann (The Grocer) and John Beckmann (The Police Commissioner) and their family members are buried in the Lutheran cemetery, Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn/Queens.
5th child - Charles Beckmann, the Innkeeper of the Knickerbocker Hotel, Leonia, New Jersey. (born 1855 in Lamstedt), (died July 20, 1923 in New Jersey. His wife Margaret (born 8/24/1850) in Germany, (died 11/10/1912). They had two sons, Charles (born 9/17/1878) (died 4/29/1935) and John (born 4/28/1880) (died 10/25/1949). This family became very wealthy.
Charles senior, often returned to Lamstedt traveling 1st class on the finest ships. He was instrumental in having my fathers older brother Henry (in 1910), and also my father (in 1923), immigrating to America. He also bought my father, (a musician), a 500 dollar Cello and paid his passage to NYC from Hamburg. 500 dollars in 1923 would have bought a nice house in America.
While visiting Lamstedt he would often buy toys for the children of the village. My Uncle Willie(died at 95 in 2002) in Queens, still remembered these events of many many years ago.Uncle Charles' Hotel was located near where the western approach of the George Washington Bridge is now located (built in 1930). I believe the hotel operated from 1890 to 1920. At that time , businessmen and travelers would stop over at the hotel before crossing over the next day to NYC. There were only ferries, no bridges or tunnels, crossing the Hudson River at that time, so there is little wonder why he wouldn't be so successful. My father said that his Uncle also had a personal butler tending to his home, which was another indication of wealth.
His son Charles lived in the Bronx and was supposed to have owned an apartment house on the Grand Concouse. He died young at 56, never married and it was said that he liked to live a high style.
The younger John, amassed a fortune, he followed the stock market, owned the Fordham Skating Rink, a large apartment house at 233rd street in Riverdale and when he died in 1949, possessed several million dollars. As they used to say years ago, he knew when to get out of the stock market and when to get back in. In 1929 he made money, when many business associates lost all of theirs.
John was a very generous man and had a large family. I have not been successful in finding any of his relatives who may still be living in New Jersey. Charles senior and his family are buried in the Woodlawn cemetery, Bronx, NY. Woodlawn contains the graves of some of America's Greatest Citizens, i.e. FW Woolworth, JC Penney, Wm C Durant, founder of GM, mayor La Guardia, Irving Berlin, Admiral Farragut and several other Civil War Generals.
6th child - Barthold Beckmann, farmer and cattle dealer of Lamstedt, Germany, our grandfather, whom I never met. (born 10/10/1861) and died in Lamstedt, (4/21/1951), age 89 years. His wife Margaretha Christina (Reese) Beckmann, a carpenters daughter was (born 11/10/1867) and (died 8/18/1933). They had six surviving children all sons. They were Barthold, (1890), Georg (1892), Henry (Hinrich) (1894), Carsten (Charles) (1899) Harry (Heinrich) (1903) and Wilhelm (Willie) (1907).
Five sons immigrated to America. Georg remained in Germany, died young, about 41 (in 1933) from the effects of WWI wounds. His youngest son Ludwig (now about 79 in 2007) owns and operates the original farm with his son Kaesten. This farm has been in the Beckmann family about 170 years (2007).
After WWII this farm was in the British zone of occupation. A refugee family by the name of Potts from Lithuania shared the house after WWII. A brother George Potts of Bridgeport, Connecticut was reunited with his refugee brother by my father after WWII, in 1949.
Georg's oldest son Barthold was killed at age 21 fighting in the Wehrmacht, somewhere between Moscow and Leningrad south of the Illman Lake, in Russia, March 3, 1943.
I have visited Lamstedt three times 1959, 1972 and 1993. This farm is well run and in fine condition, as evidenced by the 100,000 DM John Deere tractor used by my cousin.
Grandfather Barthold, his wife Margaretha Christina are buried in the Lamstedt cemetery.
7th child - William (Wilhelm) Beckmann the "Great Fisherman of Long Island" (born 3/29/1866) in Lamstedt, (died 1/8/1938) on Long Island, New York. His wife Sophia (Buck) beckmann was (born 2/21/1866) in Armsdorf near Lamstedt, (died 3/11/1918). I believe they immigrated to America about 1885. They had three children, Charles (Sept 1890) Henry (April 1891) and Sophie (July 1899).
The NYC directory of 1900 places William in the milk distribution business at 15 1st avenue, manhattan. Later William went into the building contracting business in the 4th and 5th avenue area of Brooklyn and he became very successful. It was said he had the uncanny talent of being able to look at a building and tell how many bricks were used in its construction. He eventually owned one square block of Brooklyn, consisting of 29 houses. He became quite wealthy and settled on the south shore of Long Island.
My father Harry, remembers William visiting Lamstedt with his family just prior to WWI, my father was 8 years old at the time. William was arrested by German police and detained because he didn't register for the German Army when he immigrated from Germany. Most likely in 1911 he was already an American citizen. However, he was taken back to Bremerhaven and it was several days before he was allowed to continue his visit. An example of too much military influence in German civilian life. A good reason to leave Germany for America.
William visited his older brother Henry in Michigan, in a chauffer driven Locomobile in the 1920's. A Locomobile would be the equivalent of a Rolls Royce in todays terms. William would have been 2 years old when Henry immigrated to America from Lamstedt in 1868, William's sons, Charles and henry were introduced to farm life, according to their cousin Merle Kyser
who met with them, the Brooklyn born youths marveled at witnessing the birth of a calf.
William's family and descendants lived on the south shore of Long Island where they pursued a life of gentility. William enjoyed salt water fishing and his sons established a well known Salt Water Fishing Tackle business. His 2nd great grandson Charles operates Beckmann's Tackle 803 Sunrise Highway, Lynbrook, Long Island. I last spoke with him briefly in 1995.
William, his wife and sons are interred in an expensive mausoleum in the Lutheran Cemetery, on Metropolitan avenue about 75 feet away, are the graves of his brother John the Grocer and his nephew John the Police Commissioner.
My father Harry Beckmann (born 2/26/1903) - (died 5/26/1996), often spoke of these many family histories throughout the years. He had an excellent memory of details, so most of the above information is based on his recollections.
I have visited all of the ares where these families lived in the USA and germany. The North German plain is flat, with quaint towns and cities. Ohio in July is also flat with corn growing in all directions, Long Island is flat, seems to be a physical characteristic of the landscapes, where ever North Germans tend to settle.
These immigrant families had a natural affinity for hard work and to obtain wealth and property. I hope with these writings that their accomplishments become more visual to their descendants.
Stories courtesy of George Beckmann, The Villages, Florida
Our common ancester, was a small farmer, (Achtelhoefer, one eighth of a Hectare) by the name of Barthold Beckmann, (1821-1881) who lived in Lamstedt with his wife Christina Margaretha, (born Von der Lieth), (1822-1892), she came from the village of Basbeck.
They had seven surviving children. Lamstedt and Basbeck are two towns which are about 5 kilometers (3 miles) apart, on the south side of the Elbe River, 60 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Hamburg on Route 73, between the cities of Stade and Cuxhaven.
The following were their children:
1st child - Margaretha Beckmann (Waller) (born 11/10/1846-died 10/25/1926), remained in Germany, married Dietrich Waller, (born 11/23/1839-died 10/21/1909) a farmer of Basbeck, a village her mother originally came from (Christina Von der Lieth).
The farm still exists there, presently farmed by Manfred Waller, whose wife is a schoolteacher. Oma Margaretha's descendants include many grand and great grandchildren. Several were killed in WWI and WWII.
Willi Waller (1910-1945), was a good friend and cousin to my father Harry, when he grew up in Germany, (1903-1920). Willi drowned in the last days of WWII, as he was returning from the war. In the spring of 1945, a boat he was a passenger on swamped in the Elbe River near Doctorshausen. The Elbe River is very close to Basbeck and Lamstedt.
Willi left a wife and 5 children. Three of these young children (girls) immigrated to America after WWII. Oldest is Helga Kaiser, mother of a physician and lawyer.
Ingrid Spark and Marlene Wittschieben, were Helga's twin sisters. They settled in Queens and did the Deli business thing, like so many North German immigrants. Among their children is a Yale medical school graduate (1993) and also a son who is a lawyer. These descendants live in Bellrose, Long island.
Margaretha and her husband are buried in the Hemoor cemetery.
2nd child - Catherine Beckmann (Luhrs) (Carlson) (1847-1942). 1st husband died shortly after arriving in America, 2nd husband, a swedish immigrant, was an alcoholic, and treated her abusively.
Tante Cady was fond of her pet parrot. When husband Carlson would return home inebriated, he would knock her parrot off its perch. tante Cady, would cry out in Plattdeutsche "Och! mein Lutje PaPaGuy", in English Oh! My poor little parrot.
Tante Cady lived in rather poverty like conditions in Gerritson Beach. She had no children of her own. However, when her brother Henry decided to pioneer farm in Ohio, she raised his first born daughter Clara, in Brooklyn, under more civil conditions than in rural Ohio.
Ohio was recently opened , as land for agricultural expansion. Henry built his first home there, a log cabin. Their poisonous snakes and insects around the cabin, so the young children had to remain indoors when they played and grew up.
Clara, Henry's daughter later married Oscar Fink who owned a livery stable. They had a son Errol. I never knew what became of them.
My father said "Tante Cady", as she was called, died in a poverth ward in Kings county hospital at 95 years of age. Her younger brother William "The Great Fisherman of Long Island", provided financial aid , but predeceased her in the late thirties (1938).
Of the five from her family who immigrated to America, she was the only one who was poor, all of her brothers became very wealthy. Could it be because she was a woman, that she remained poor? Seems like social justice was lacking in that era. Tante cady is buried in Evergreen cemetery in Brooklyn. I have not been able to find her gravesite.
Note: Catherine arrived on the Bark "Jupiter", a ship of 690 tons, Captained by J.H. kauckins, June 11, 1867, out of Bremen. Younger brother Henry followed her on August 17, 1868 on the "New York", 3 masted, one funnel, iron Hull, clipper bow, 2,674 tons, also out of Bremen.
3rd child - Henry (Hinrich) (1849-1936), "The Pioneer Farmer of Paulding, Ohio", immigrated to America in 1868, at a young age of 19, I believe to avoid service in the Prussian Army, which under Chancellor Otto von Bismark was preparing for the Franco Prussian War, of 1870-1871.
When he arrived in New York City, he worked with his younger brother John (the grocer) in the grocery and restaurany business on the lower east side around 101 Rivington street. About the same time the Brooklyn Bridge was being built. Brother John must have followed him here, also immigrating from lamstedt.
About 1885 he decided to pioneer farm in Ohio, he was a farm boy and understood agriculture.
Henry's 1st wife and the mother of Clara Beckman (born 15 January 1877) was Christine Wilhelmine Juliane Rethevisch (Born 1852), in Hamburg, Hanover, Germany and died in 1878 in New York City.
His second wife Angeline Christine Heckmann (also a German) immigrant, suffered from breathing problems in NYC, because of polutted air. Before leaving NYC they had a son (Henry B. Beckman). Leaving Clara behind with Tante Cady, they moved to Ohio where they bought 50 acres of swamp land for 200 dollars from the US Government. The land was similar to his fathers farm in Germany, it was swamp land that had been drained, it was heavy in organic material, the soil was black, rich and could grow 2 to 3 crops a year, it was dry lake bottom land. Henry and his family worked hard in Ohio. The new land of America was more fertile than the land in Lamstedt.
Henry and Christine's children were Henry B. (1882) born in NYC. John (1884), Bertha (1886), Charles (1887), Fred (1889), Mary 1891 and Otto (1894), the last 6 children were born in Ohio.
Henry sent his children to a German school in Ohio. I remember as a teenages in 1951, when my father, mother and uncle Barthold visited several of Henry's children, they still spoke very good German, although they had never been to Germany and had lived in Ohio/Michigan their entire lives.
Our "Uncle Charley", the son of Henry the pioneer farmer, who lived near us in the Hudson Valley, my fathers best friend. They told us one day, his father embraces the 7th Day Adventist Religion and adhered to its principles. There would be no work done on the "Sabbath", it was a day of rest and prayer. Uncle Charley always referred to his father in a most reverent manner of "Father". Uncle Charley also told us when his father returned from the fields in the evenings, while driving his horses and wagon, he would often sing hymns, i.e. "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Bringing in the Sheaves".
Tragedy struck one day in 1910, when yound Henry died of an injury. He died at a hospital in Ft. Wayne, Indiana of a ruptured spleen. Young Henry left a pregnant wife behind.
Ralph Beckmann, young Henry's son, born several months after, never knew his father. Ralph farmed and was still living on the farm, where his father was fatally injured, when I visited him in 1992. He was 83 years old.
About 1919, Henry decided to sell off his property in Ohio and move about 50 miles north to Coldwater, Michigan. The "Dunkers", from southern Illinois, a religious group bought his Ohio land. Henry made a sunstantial profit. With the money he bought farms in Michigan and rental properties in Detroit. The farm land in Michigan was not as fertile as Ohio, but he could buy more land for less money. He prospered again, until the "Great Depression", in 1929, when he suffered substantial losses, as many others did. He died at 87, in 1936, at his youngest son's home (Otto) in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Some of his descendants live in the area where Ohio, Michigan and Indiana come together. At the time of his death, there were at least half a dozen farms in this area that had been established by Henry's children and their families. 7
Henry and his wife Angeline and oldest son are buried in the "Blue Creek cemetery", paulding, Ohio. In 1992, this cemetery appeared to be abandoned. From this vantage point in summer, you will see miles and miles of grain growing in all directions, right up to the edge of the burial ground.
Henry is resting here with his wife Angeline, his oldest son Henry, an adjacent tombstone bears the name Waller. Could it be a relative from Basbeck, Germany who farmed here also? A cousin perhaps? Henry will always be at peace here, buried in the verdant plains of Ohio, a land he helped bring forth.
4th child - John Michael Beckmann, "The Grocer of Manhattan" (born 11/2/1853-died 10/18/1920). He and his wife Anna (Vagts) Beckmann (born 10/17/1858) in Hanover, Germany (died 12/4/1922). Immigrated to NYC and owned a grocery business in Manhattan, NYC. Later lived on 4th avenue in Brooklyn and finally settled in Lynbrook, Long Island.
Oldest son Henry was born in 1888. Henry married Emma Bringmann in 1909. Henry became a businessman (Real Estate & Insurance) in Brooklyn. He built a large apartment building on 6th avenue in Brooklyn, which I remember visiting as a child. Henry and Emma had two children, Mildred Emma and Doris Augusta. Doris died young at 15, of the flu. Mildred Hilbert (now deceased), lived in Sarasota, Florida. Mildred and her husband John Hilbert, had several sons. One son a Harvard graduate died young, another Cornell graduate is an Ithica College professor, a third son works for the stock market exchange.
There were several daughters born to John And Anna an American na, and they lived in Brooklyn. Their names were Anna, Meta, Lily, Elsie and Norma. I have no knowledge of them or their descendants.
John and Anna had one other son, their youngest, and his name was John also, he was born in 1899. He would become an American Naval hero.
In WWI, young John joined the US Navy and took his training on the Battleship New Jersey. In 1918 he was assigned to a US Army supply ship, the SS Lucia. This ship had been taken from the Austrian Government, as a prize, and was loaded with transport for the war in Europe in October 1918. This ship was torpedoed by a German submarine off Norfolk. he was assigned to a group whose task was to try and save the ship, but they were unsuccessful. The ship sank and he was adrift on the ocean for a time before he was rescued. For his efforts to save the ship, he was given a commendation by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He was discharged from the Navy as a 1st class Boatswains Mate. A senior enlisted rate.
A few years after the war, John became a policeman in Mineola, Long Island. He rose through the ranks to become the Police Commissioner of Nassau County (1940-1960). He and his wife had no children.
In early January 1960, he drove his wife to the hairdresser, kissed her good-bye. Then he drove his Buick to an inlet near Jones Beach. Left his service revolver in the car, walked from his car into the surf, to meet the fate he avoided in 1918, when the SS Lucia sank in th Atlantic. His death was a mystery.
John Beckmann (The Grocer) and John Beckmann (The Police Commissioner) and their family members are buried in the Lutheran cemetery, Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn/Queens.
5th child - Charles Beckmann, the Innkeeper of the Knickerbocker Hotel, Leonia, New Jersey. (born 1855 in Lamstedt), (died July 20, 1923 in New Jersey. His wife Margaret (born 8/24/1850) in Germany, (died 11/10/1912). They had two sons, Charles (born 9/17/1878) (died 4/29/1935) and John (born 4/28/1880) (died 10/25/1949). This family became very wealthy.
Charles senior, often returned to Lamstedt traveling 1st class on the finest ships. He was instrumental in having my fathers older brother Henry (in 1910), and also my father (in 1923), immigrating to America. He also bought my father, (a musician), a 500 dollar Cello and paid his passage to NYC from Hamburg. 500 dollars in 1923 would have bought a nice house in America.
While visiting Lamstedt he would often buy toys for the children of the village. My Uncle Willie(died at 95 in 2002) in Queens, still remembered these events of many many years ago.Uncle Charles' Hotel was located near where the western approach of the George Washington Bridge is now located (built in 1930). I believe the hotel operated from 1890 to 1920. At that time , businessmen and travelers would stop over at the hotel before crossing over the next day to NYC. There were only ferries, no bridges or tunnels, crossing the Hudson River at that time, so there is little wonder why he wouldn't be so successful. My father said that his Uncle also had a personal butler tending to his home, which was another indication of wealth.
His son Charles lived in the Bronx and was supposed to have owned an apartment house on the Grand Concouse. He died young at 56, never married and it was said that he liked to live a high style.
The younger John, amassed a fortune, he followed the stock market, owned the Fordham Skating Rink, a large apartment house at 233rd street in Riverdale and when he died in 1949, possessed several million dollars. As they used to say years ago, he knew when to get out of the stock market and when to get back in. In 1929 he made money, when many business associates lost all of theirs.
John was a very generous man and had a large family. I have not been successful in finding any of his relatives who may still be living in New Jersey. Charles senior and his family are buried in the Woodlawn cemetery, Bronx, NY. Woodlawn contains the graves of some of America's Greatest Citizens, i.e. FW Woolworth, JC Penney, Wm C Durant, founder of GM, mayor La Guardia, Irving Berlin, Admiral Farragut and several other Civil War Generals.
6th child - Barthold Beckmann, farmer and cattle dealer of Lamstedt, Germany, our grandfather, whom I never met. (born 10/10/1861) and died in Lamstedt, (4/21/1951), age 89 years. His wife Margaretha Christina (Reese) Beckmann, a carpenters daughter was (born 11/10/1867) and (died 8/18/1933). They had six surviving children all sons. They were Barthold, (1890), Georg (1892), Henry (Hinrich) (1894), Carsten (Charles) (1899) Harry (Heinrich) (1903) and Wilhelm (Willie) (1907).
Five sons immigrated to America. Georg remained in Germany, died young, about 41 (in 1933) from the effects of WWI wounds. His youngest son Ludwig (now about 79 in 2007) owns and operates the original farm with his son Kaesten. This farm has been in the Beckmann family about 170 years (2007).
After WWII this farm was in the British zone of occupation. A refugee family by the name of Potts from Lithuania shared the house after WWII. A brother George Potts of Bridgeport, Connecticut was reunited with his refugee brother by my father after WWII, in 1949.
Georg's oldest son Barthold was killed at age 21 fighting in the Wehrmacht, somewhere between Moscow and Leningrad south of the Illman Lake, in Russia, March 3, 1943.
I have visited Lamstedt three times 1959, 1972 and 1993. This farm is well run and in fine condition, as evidenced by the 100,000 DM John Deere tractor used by my cousin.
Grandfather Barthold, his wife Margaretha Christina are buried in the Lamstedt cemetery.
7th child - William (Wilhelm) Beckmann the "Great Fisherman of Long Island" (born 3/29/1866) in Lamstedt, (died 1/8/1938) on Long Island, New York. His wife Sophia (Buck) beckmann was (born 2/21/1866) in Armsdorf near Lamstedt, (died 3/11/1918). I believe they immigrated to America about 1885. They had three children, Charles (Sept 1890) Henry (April 1891) and Sophie (July 1899).
The NYC directory of 1900 places William in the milk distribution business at 15 1st avenue, manhattan. Later William went into the building contracting business in the 4th and 5th avenue area of Brooklyn and he became very successful. It was said he had the uncanny talent of being able to look at a building and tell how many bricks were used in its construction. He eventually owned one square block of Brooklyn, consisting of 29 houses. He became quite wealthy and settled on the south shore of Long Island.
My father Harry, remembers William visiting Lamstedt with his family just prior to WWI, my father was 8 years old at the time. William was arrested by German police and detained because he didn't register for the German Army when he immigrated from Germany. Most likely in 1911 he was already an American citizen. However, he was taken back to Bremerhaven and it was several days before he was allowed to continue his visit. An example of too much military influence in German civilian life. A good reason to leave Germany for America.
William visited his older brother Henry in Michigan, in a chauffer driven Locomobile in the 1920's. A Locomobile would be the equivalent of a Rolls Royce in todays terms. William would have been 2 years old when Henry immigrated to America from Lamstedt in 1868, William's sons, Charles and henry were introduced to farm life, according to their cousin Merle Kyser
who met with them, the Brooklyn born youths marveled at witnessing the birth of a calf.
William's family and descendants lived on the south shore of Long Island where they pursued a life of gentility. William enjoyed salt water fishing and his sons established a well known Salt Water Fishing Tackle business. His 2nd great grandson Charles operates Beckmann's Tackle 803 Sunrise Highway, Lynbrook, Long Island. I last spoke with him briefly in 1995.
William, his wife and sons are interred in an expensive mausoleum in the Lutheran Cemetery, on Metropolitan avenue about 75 feet away, are the graves of his brother John the Grocer and his nephew John the Police Commissioner.
My father Harry Beckmann (born 2/26/1903) - (died 5/26/1996), often spoke of these many family histories throughout the years. He had an excellent memory of details, so most of the above information is based on his recollections.
I have visited all of the ares where these families lived in the USA and germany. The North German plain is flat, with quaint towns and cities. Ohio in July is also flat with corn growing in all directions, Long Island is flat, seems to be a physical characteristic of the landscapes, where ever North Germans tend to settle.
These immigrant families had a natural affinity for hard work and to obtain wealth and property. I hope with these writings that their accomplishments become more visual to their descendants.
Stories courtesy of George Beckmann, The Villages, Florida
Wilhelm (Willie) Beckman - 6th son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) Beckmann
Wilhelm (Willie) Beckmann (1907-2002), was the last child to be born to farmer Barthold. My father Harry always said, Willie had the same personality as his mother Christina. Loving and caring and good to others. Willie, Harry and Carsten shared their early life together at the Beckmann household, tending the chores of the family farm. Brother Georg had returned from the war and was managing the farm very nicely, no need for Willie to stay.
In the late 1920's maybe 1927 or 1929, Willie left Lamstedt, immigrating to America and NYC. He and brother Carsten would never see their home village again. When Willie arrived in New York he most likely entered into the Deli business like so many other German immigrants, cooking, peeling potatoes, making salads 7 days a week, every week of the year. Hard work, vacations were unheard of.
In the early 1930's Willie met Johanna Hofmeister, a German immigrant to New York by way of South America. They married and set up their apartment. It was a tough time, the depression made it very difficult to obtain work. The marriage wasn't successful and lasted only about a year. No one knew what became of her, she emptied their apartment, sold their belongings and disappeared. No one knew what became of her, NYC is a big city, it's impossible to find somebody.
My father Harry said that on a chance meeting in Kingston, New York 40 years after, he saw Johanna Hofmeister, but they didn't acknowledge one another.
Anyway, Willie continued in the Deli business, probably working for his brother Henry at 3rd or 5th avenue, his brother owned 2 stores. They all worked hard and thrived in a difficult world. Their only pleasures were swimming at Coney Island, playing cards, and having a few beers with his brothers.
Willie never learned to drive a car, his pleasures were mostly found working in the Deli business. In the mid 30's he met and married Elsie Meyer a beautiful American girl of German background. Willie continued working for his brother Henry, until Henry became gravely ill. Upon Henry's death Willie managed Henry's business affairs along with Henry's widow Dorothy, closing down and selling off the Deli's.
Willie and Elsie had a son Bill in 1938, at this time Willies father-in-law Bill Meyer helped him set up a Deli on Myrtle avenue in Brooklyn. Willie and Elsie, their young son and subsequent children Margaret, and Christina lived in an apartment over the Deli. Bill Meyer,Elsie's brother was Willies partner during the busy day's of WWII, when the nearby Brooklyn Navy yard was running at full force, building aircraft carriers and battleships for the Japanese war.
Willie and Elsie thrived , I believe these were the happiest days of Willie's life. Business was good and he enjoyed his family and his work. It was always a joy when my father would visit Willie's store and we could have one of his delicious sandwiches.
The family soon moved around the corner to Hall street, where they had more room for their growing family. A son Barth and a daughter Ruth came next to complete Willie and Elsie's family. Willie enjoyed his life between the Deli and Hall street.
The children grew up, son Bill joined the Marine Corps, Margarita moved on.
Sadly, the area was changing, becoming more black and hispanic, business was dwindling down to selling cigarettes and beer. They had to close the door and walk away from Myrtle avenue. They moved to a nicer area in Glendale/Flushing, Queens.
Young Bill married Liz, they had a nice home on Long island. Margarita works for a Stock Broker on Wall street and lives in a nice home in New Jersey. Christina, Barth and Ruth all live in the metropolitan NYC area.
Bill and Elsie, inherited a 6 family apartment house from Elsie's family which provided them with a livable income. They lived in this apartment house for the remainder of their lives. Elsie passed away August 27, 1999 and Willie on June 3, 2002.
Willie had the distinction of his family, of having the most children (5), and having been married to Elsie (his 2nd wife) for close to 60 years, lived the longest, 95 years, of all his brothers. He was a member, along with his brother Harry, a fifty year member of the Lamstedt Plattdeutsche Volksfest Verein.
George Beckman, December 30, 2005.
In the late 1920's maybe 1927 or 1929, Willie left Lamstedt, immigrating to America and NYC. He and brother Carsten would never see their home village again. When Willie arrived in New York he most likely entered into the Deli business like so many other German immigrants, cooking, peeling potatoes, making salads 7 days a week, every week of the year. Hard work, vacations were unheard of.
In the early 1930's Willie met Johanna Hofmeister, a German immigrant to New York by way of South America. They married and set up their apartment. It was a tough time, the depression made it very difficult to obtain work. The marriage wasn't successful and lasted only about a year. No one knew what became of her, she emptied their apartment, sold their belongings and disappeared. No one knew what became of her, NYC is a big city, it's impossible to find somebody.
My father Harry said that on a chance meeting in Kingston, New York 40 years after, he saw Johanna Hofmeister, but they didn't acknowledge one another.
Anyway, Willie continued in the Deli business, probably working for his brother Henry at 3rd or 5th avenue, his brother owned 2 stores. They all worked hard and thrived in a difficult world. Their only pleasures were swimming at Coney Island, playing cards, and having a few beers with his brothers.
Willie never learned to drive a car, his pleasures were mostly found working in the Deli business. In the mid 30's he met and married Elsie Meyer a beautiful American girl of German background. Willie continued working for his brother Henry, until Henry became gravely ill. Upon Henry's death Willie managed Henry's business affairs along with Henry's widow Dorothy, closing down and selling off the Deli's.
Willie and Elsie had a son Bill in 1938, at this time Willies father-in-law Bill Meyer helped him set up a Deli on Myrtle avenue in Brooklyn. Willie and Elsie, their young son and subsequent children Margaret, and Christina lived in an apartment over the Deli. Bill Meyer,Elsie's brother was Willies partner during the busy day's of WWII, when the nearby Brooklyn Navy yard was running at full force, building aircraft carriers and battleships for the Japanese war.
Willie and Elsie thrived , I believe these were the happiest days of Willie's life. Business was good and he enjoyed his family and his work. It was always a joy when my father would visit Willie's store and we could have one of his delicious sandwiches.
The family soon moved around the corner to Hall street, where they had more room for their growing family. A son Barth and a daughter Ruth came next to complete Willie and Elsie's family. Willie enjoyed his life between the Deli and Hall street.
The children grew up, son Bill joined the Marine Corps, Margarita moved on.
Sadly, the area was changing, becoming more black and hispanic, business was dwindling down to selling cigarettes and beer. They had to close the door and walk away from Myrtle avenue. They moved to a nicer area in Glendale/Flushing, Queens.
Young Bill married Liz, they had a nice home on Long island. Margarita works for a Stock Broker on Wall street and lives in a nice home in New Jersey. Christina, Barth and Ruth all live in the metropolitan NYC area.
Bill and Elsie, inherited a 6 family apartment house from Elsie's family which provided them with a livable income. They lived in this apartment house for the remainder of their lives. Elsie passed away August 27, 1999 and Willie on June 3, 2002.
Willie had the distinction of his family, of having the most children (5), and having been married to Elsie (his 2nd wife) for close to 60 years, lived the longest, 95 years, of all his brothers. He was a member, along with his brother Harry, a fifty year member of the Lamstedt Plattdeutsche Volksfest Verein.
George Beckman, December 30, 2005.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Heinrich (Harry) Beckmann - 5th son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) Beckmann
Heinrich (Harry) Beckmann (1903-1996), his early days were spent at home with his two brothers, Carsten and Willie, working around the farm. some of his early recollections were gold coins piled on the kitchen table, used when his father bought and sold farm animals. When a teenager his father gave him an old trumpet, (we still have the trumpet, 100 years later), which he played in the town band. Later on he also learned to play the Cello. When he was 17 or 18 his brother Georg gave him 500 Marks to go to Hamburg to study music.
While in Hamburg, his brother Henry, and his uncle Charles the Hotel owner, from America, visited him. His uncle bought him an English made Cello which cost 500 American dollars (a princely sum in those days). You could buy a house in America with that much money. Anyway, Harry asked his uncle and brother if he could go to America with that much money, they said yes. They sailed on the liner George Washington, brothers Henry and Harry in 3rd class and uncle Charles in 1st class accomodations.
Harry arrived in Brooklyn, America in 1923. He stayed with his brother Henry on 3rd avenue in Brooklyn. At that time the 3rd avenue elevated train, passed right past Henry's and Dorothy's house, just about 30 feet away from where Harry slept. Every 15 minutes a train would pass by, a noisy new experience for a 20 year old from Germany. New York City sounds.
Harry obtained work as a musician, playing for the silent movies, when the action in the film was slow he would play his Cello, when it moved fast he played the trumpet. He learned English by reading the sub titles at the bottom of the movie screen. When the silent movies went to talkies, Harry moved to the butcher trade with his older brother Barthold.
After working a few years at the butcher trade, he delivered some meat orders to a Delicatessen and met another young German immigrant girl, from Schleswig Holstein named Mary Friedrichsen. They both were interested in music, she had a soprano voice and played piano. They also had mutual friends who enjoyed music. On May 1, 1928 they were married in Brooklyn City Hall.
They lived for a while in Briarwood, Queens, my brother was born there in 1930. Between 1930 and 1935 when I was born, my father had health problems, which almost cost him his life. Through the financial help of the Hillerman family, my fathers health was restored, and I was born on May 7, 1935.
My mother was an intelligent woman, who had a good head for business, my father complemented her in his drive and hard work ethic. Between the both of them they managed to buy a house at 216-72nd street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. This house, 3 stories high, they filled with German immigrant renters. My mother's sister, Anna Friedrichsen, also immigrated from Germany around 1927, she worked with my mother and father in financing our home. This business arrangement worked well enough, so my father could buy a new 1936 Chevy sedan. My father continued owning and running a butcher shop in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
About 1940, The Hillerman family (Gesina Beckmann) owned a small restaurant in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. The tenants, distant relatives wanted to give the business up. The shop was right next to a shipyard where workers came from all over NYC to repair ships. At that time many were damaged by German U-boats.
My mother seized upon this opportunity and set up a restaurant, making coffee, soups and sandwiches, for the shipyard workers. After a very successful year in business, the war was just starting, my parents thought it would be wise to get their families out of NYC. So they bought a 35 acre farm in Pleasant Valley, New York about 100 miles north of NYC in Dutchess county. It worked out well, eggs, chickens, vegetables from the farm were used in the restaurant. Our family prospered well enough so that my parents bought another farm in Dutchess county with 30 milk cows. Some other German immigrant families, who owned Deli's sold them, and bought farms, so that thay would not have to go into the service to kill cousins and brothers. If you were a farmer in the USA, you would be exempt from military service during WWII. One must consider farm produce helped the war effort too.
At the same time the war was coming to a close in Europe and Japan. Our relatives in and around Kiel and Hamburg had been through Hell! My father, mother and aunt made up many food packages, clothing packages for families all around Northern Germany. One thing we used to do was hide cigarettes in vegetable cans, which could be used for barter. All the packages were sealed and using cloth material from bleached chicken feed bags sewn up so the packages couldn't be opened easily. My parents did a big part to help their former home land.
Brother Harry joined the Army in 1947, he was posted to an elite Army unit in Washington DC at Arlington National Cemetery. He played taps on a trumpet at the funerals for the returning war dead, he guarded the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. He was on a National Radio Program, We The People Speak, (the days before TV). He took part in the funeral of General Pershing, WWI Allied Commander and the retirement of General Eisenhower from the US Army. Son Harry married Pat Hoyt, had 2 children, a boy and a girl, then moved to the western state of Washington and pursued the life of a salesman.
My parents moved out of NYC in 1951, they started another business in Poughkeepsie, but it wasn't very successful. They traveled to Germany, Florida and Western US and lived a relatively comfortable life in Dutches county.
Son George entered the US Navy in 1957, did some flying in training aircraft. Finally ended up on a WWII destroyer, the USS Hale (DD-642), which sailed around the world involving itself with cold war conflicts in Lebanon and Formosa. Cousin Bill Beckmann, son of Willie, my fathers brother, served in the US Marines during these same actions.
George married a German girl Edda Weyer from the Pfalz and had 3 sons. George pursued a career in IBM and worked there 28 years.
Father Harry continued working in the butcher trade for a large supermarket. He remained an active musician and was one of the founding members of the Dutchess County Philharmonic. In the 1970's Harry played his cello with the Dutchess County Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall NYC. This was the high water mark of his musical career. He was often sought out until his eightieth year to play his cello at various occasions. He also owned some real estate which he had accumulated with my mother which supplemented their income.
Mother Mary bought a small farm in Suderschmeideby (near Flensburg) in the 1960's. She wanted to provide a place to live in Germany, for her brother Peter and sister Anna. It didn't work out, and the farm was quickly sold to a Berlin architech.
Mother Mary died in 1975, at Stuart, Florida, from heart failure in a hospital near brother Carsten's home. Shortly thereafter, Tante Anna Friedrichsen, Mary's sister entered a senior home, Victory Lake in Hyde Park, Anna died there in 1987 at 95 years of age.
About 1981 George divorced from Edda Weyer, she went on to pursue a career of Nursing and Social Work in the Poughkeepsie area. She now lives in Pleasant Valley, NY near her sons.
Divorce, in the 1980's America, affected 50% of all marriages, it swept the entire country.
George met and married Bonita Nenno, who originally grew up in Western New York State, she was a nurse, graduated from 'Sisters of Charity' nursing school inBuffalo. Bonnie is of mostly of Irish Catholic and a little bit of Alsace Lorraine heritage. She was employed as a mental health nurse for the state of New York. She had a sister Maureen who was married to an Air Force officer (a lawyer) and lived in Washington DC. sadly her sister passed away at age 44 in 1986 of cancer, leaving two teenaged children behind.
George and Bonnie started their life together in Rhinebeck, NY, where they lived for over 20 years. After retirement, they moved to "The Villages", Lady Lake, Florida.
Harry lived on after Mary's death, in 1981 he met a companion, Gerda Spengler, a widow, born in Nordhausen, Germany, they shared their lives together for 14 years, enjoying the Poughkeepsie Germania Club and spending winters at Warm Mineral Springs in North Port, Florida. Gerda passed away Christmas time 1994. Harry died May 26, 1996 at the age of 93 at his son george's home in Rhinebeck, NY.
While in Hamburg, his brother Henry, and his uncle Charles the Hotel owner, from America, visited him. His uncle bought him an English made Cello which cost 500 American dollars (a princely sum in those days). You could buy a house in America with that much money. Anyway, Harry asked his uncle and brother if he could go to America with that much money, they said yes. They sailed on the liner George Washington, brothers Henry and Harry in 3rd class and uncle Charles in 1st class accomodations.
Harry arrived in Brooklyn, America in 1923. He stayed with his brother Henry on 3rd avenue in Brooklyn. At that time the 3rd avenue elevated train, passed right past Henry's and Dorothy's house, just about 30 feet away from where Harry slept. Every 15 minutes a train would pass by, a noisy new experience for a 20 year old from Germany. New York City sounds.
Harry obtained work as a musician, playing for the silent movies, when the action in the film was slow he would play his Cello, when it moved fast he played the trumpet. He learned English by reading the sub titles at the bottom of the movie screen. When the silent movies went to talkies, Harry moved to the butcher trade with his older brother Barthold.
After working a few years at the butcher trade, he delivered some meat orders to a Delicatessen and met another young German immigrant girl, from Schleswig Holstein named Mary Friedrichsen. They both were interested in music, she had a soprano voice and played piano. They also had mutual friends who enjoyed music. On May 1, 1928 they were married in Brooklyn City Hall.
They lived for a while in Briarwood, Queens, my brother was born there in 1930. Between 1930 and 1935 when I was born, my father had health problems, which almost cost him his life. Through the financial help of the Hillerman family, my fathers health was restored, and I was born on May 7, 1935.
My mother was an intelligent woman, who had a good head for business, my father complemented her in his drive and hard work ethic. Between the both of them they managed to buy a house at 216-72nd street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. This house, 3 stories high, they filled with German immigrant renters. My mother's sister, Anna Friedrichsen, also immigrated from Germany around 1927, she worked with my mother and father in financing our home. This business arrangement worked well enough, so my father could buy a new 1936 Chevy sedan. My father continued owning and running a butcher shop in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
About 1940, The Hillerman family (Gesina Beckmann) owned a small restaurant in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. The tenants, distant relatives wanted to give the business up. The shop was right next to a shipyard where workers came from all over NYC to repair ships. At that time many were damaged by German U-boats.
My mother seized upon this opportunity and set up a restaurant, making coffee, soups and sandwiches, for the shipyard workers. After a very successful year in business, the war was just starting, my parents thought it would be wise to get their families out of NYC. So they bought a 35 acre farm in Pleasant Valley, New York about 100 miles north of NYC in Dutchess county. It worked out well, eggs, chickens, vegetables from the farm were used in the restaurant. Our family prospered well enough so that my parents bought another farm in Dutchess county with 30 milk cows. Some other German immigrant families, who owned Deli's sold them, and bought farms, so that thay would not have to go into the service to kill cousins and brothers. If you were a farmer in the USA, you would be exempt from military service during WWII. One must consider farm produce helped the war effort too.
At the same time the war was coming to a close in Europe and Japan. Our relatives in and around Kiel and Hamburg had been through Hell! My father, mother and aunt made up many food packages, clothing packages for families all around Northern Germany. One thing we used to do was hide cigarettes in vegetable cans, which could be used for barter. All the packages were sealed and using cloth material from bleached chicken feed bags sewn up so the packages couldn't be opened easily. My parents did a big part to help their former home land.
Brother Harry joined the Army in 1947, he was posted to an elite Army unit in Washington DC at Arlington National Cemetery. He played taps on a trumpet at the funerals for the returning war dead, he guarded the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. He was on a National Radio Program, We The People Speak, (the days before TV). He took part in the funeral of General Pershing, WWI Allied Commander and the retirement of General Eisenhower from the US Army. Son Harry married Pat Hoyt, had 2 children, a boy and a girl, then moved to the western state of Washington and pursued the life of a salesman.
My parents moved out of NYC in 1951, they started another business in Poughkeepsie, but it wasn't very successful. They traveled to Germany, Florida and Western US and lived a relatively comfortable life in Dutches county.
Son George entered the US Navy in 1957, did some flying in training aircraft. Finally ended up on a WWII destroyer, the USS Hale (DD-642), which sailed around the world involving itself with cold war conflicts in Lebanon and Formosa. Cousin Bill Beckmann, son of Willie, my fathers brother, served in the US Marines during these same actions.
George married a German girl Edda Weyer from the Pfalz and had 3 sons. George pursued a career in IBM and worked there 28 years.
Father Harry continued working in the butcher trade for a large supermarket. He remained an active musician and was one of the founding members of the Dutchess County Philharmonic. In the 1970's Harry played his cello with the Dutchess County Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall NYC. This was the high water mark of his musical career. He was often sought out until his eightieth year to play his cello at various occasions. He also owned some real estate which he had accumulated with my mother which supplemented their income.
Mother Mary bought a small farm in Suderschmeideby (near Flensburg) in the 1960's. She wanted to provide a place to live in Germany, for her brother Peter and sister Anna. It didn't work out, and the farm was quickly sold to a Berlin architech.
Mother Mary died in 1975, at Stuart, Florida, from heart failure in a hospital near brother Carsten's home. Shortly thereafter, Tante Anna Friedrichsen, Mary's sister entered a senior home, Victory Lake in Hyde Park, Anna died there in 1987 at 95 years of age.
About 1981 George divorced from Edda Weyer, she went on to pursue a career of Nursing and Social Work in the Poughkeepsie area. She now lives in Pleasant Valley, NY near her sons.
Divorce, in the 1980's America, affected 50% of all marriages, it swept the entire country.
George met and married Bonita Nenno, who originally grew up in Western New York State, she was a nurse, graduated from 'Sisters of Charity' nursing school inBuffalo. Bonnie is of mostly of Irish Catholic and a little bit of Alsace Lorraine heritage. She was employed as a mental health nurse for the state of New York. She had a sister Maureen who was married to an Air Force officer (a lawyer) and lived in Washington DC. sadly her sister passed away at age 44 in 1986 of cancer, leaving two teenaged children behind.
George and Bonnie started their life together in Rhinebeck, NY, where they lived for over 20 years. After retirement, they moved to "The Villages", Lady Lake, Florida.
Harry lived on after Mary's death, in 1981 he met a companion, Gerda Spengler, a widow, born in Nordhausen, Germany, they shared their lives together for 14 years, enjoying the Poughkeepsie Germania Club and spending winters at Warm Mineral Springs in North Port, Florida. Gerda passed away Christmas time 1994. Harry died May 26, 1996 at the age of 93 at his son george's home in Rhinebeck, NY.
Carsten (Charles) Beckmann - 4th son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) of Lamstedt, Niedersachsen, Germany
Carsten (Charles) Beckmann (1899-1977) during WWI, Carsten, Harry and Willie were the sons still at home. Georg was away at war, Bartle and Henry were in America. The younger brothers had to do the chores around the farm that needed to be done. Milking, feeding pigs, cows, driving cattle to the railroad station. Vater Barthold had the job of choosing which cattle would go to the government , from the neighbors around Lamstedt, for use in the war effort. My father Harry said, that his fathers task of selecting animals going to the government, was made easier by the fact that the senior Barthold was given a rubber tired bike to ride.
In the last year of the war (1918), Carsten was taken into the Army for training at Cuxhaven. Harry said he had to accompany Carsten to the train at Basbeck with his little wagon, which contained Carsten's worldly goods. He said they were both crying, because Carsten was leaving home and were going to miss each other. Upon completion of Carsten's basic training, the war ended, so Carsten came home again. Lucky Carsten! That war cost millions of lives.
In the early 1920's Carsten married Anna Meyer from Cadenbergh, we have a picture somewhere of that event. Their son Henry was born in 1922, at about the same time as Georg's son Barthold was born, those two boys must have shared their early lives together, since they both lived in the same house.
Leaving their young son Henry behind, in the care of Johanna and Georg. Carsten and Anna immigrated to America, about 1928. They would send for Henry later, when they were better established. I believe when they arrived in America, they lived at my parents home at 216-72nd street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My parents took in, immigrant boarders, to help pay the mortgage and to survive the bad economic times.
Yound Henry arrived in Brooklyn, in 1934 along with Opa Barthold Beckmann, who wanted to visit his 5 sons in America. Daughter Dorothy, sister to Henry, had just been born in 1933. Times were tough, it was the depths of the Depression, it wasn't easy for Carsten to find work. He even had to travel to Speculator in the Adirondack mountains of NY, to support his family, working in a boxers training camp.
Eventually, things got better, America's economy was regaining strength, Carsten and Anna moved to Springfield, New Jersey where they started a Butcher shop, Delicatessen business. About this time, son Henry entered the US Army, WWII was starting. Carsten and Anna kept their business going and raised Dorothy in Springfield.
Son Henry completed his Army basic training and found himslef in Oxford, England in 1943, preparing for the invasion of Europe. At about the same time his cousin Barthold, who he had been raised with , for 12 years, was killed fighting for the Wehrmacht in Russia, somewhere between Moscow and Leningrad.
Henry returned to Springfield, New Jersey after the war, with his bride Ilse Kopinski a girl born and raised in Berlin. In 1948 their son Bruce was born and life began for them running Carsten's Deli.
After a short illness, Carsten's wife Anna died in January 1950. Carsten continued living in Springfield, daugher Dorothy married Bill Onksen in the early 1950's.
Carsten married Marie Jenses in May 1952. Dorothy married William (Bill) Onksen September 19, 1954. Carsten sold the butcher shop in 1955, and moved to Hobe Sound, Florida and had Tourist Court, Carsten and his 2nd wife later sold that property and moved to Stuart, Florida, where they lived till he died May 17, 1976 in Florida. he was 76 years old. Marie Beckmann, his second wife died many years later and did not contact Henry or Dorothy after Carsten's death.
She died many years later (about 1955). Bruce, Henry's son married Margie and they had 2 children. They got divorced and Bruce married Denise.
Dorothy and Bill Onksen had 3 childen, two girls and one boy.
Carsten met his second wife Marie Jenses in the early 50's and they moved to Hobe Sound, Florida, where they bought a Motel. It was a good move, as Florida experienced a post war boom, the value of their property increased. Some of Marie's relatives lived nearby.
(courtesy of George Beckmann, The Villages, Florida)
In the last year of the war (1918), Carsten was taken into the Army for training at Cuxhaven. Harry said he had to accompany Carsten to the train at Basbeck with his little wagon, which contained Carsten's worldly goods. He said they were both crying, because Carsten was leaving home and were going to miss each other. Upon completion of Carsten's basic training, the war ended, so Carsten came home again. Lucky Carsten! That war cost millions of lives.
In the early 1920's Carsten married Anna Meyer from Cadenbergh, we have a picture somewhere of that event. Their son Henry was born in 1922, at about the same time as Georg's son Barthold was born, those two boys must have shared their early lives together, since they both lived in the same house.
Leaving their young son Henry behind, in the care of Johanna and Georg. Carsten and Anna immigrated to America, about 1928. They would send for Henry later, when they were better established. I believe when they arrived in America, they lived at my parents home at 216-72nd street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My parents took in, immigrant boarders, to help pay the mortgage and to survive the bad economic times.
Yound Henry arrived in Brooklyn, in 1934 along with Opa Barthold Beckmann, who wanted to visit his 5 sons in America. Daughter Dorothy, sister to Henry, had just been born in 1933. Times were tough, it was the depths of the Depression, it wasn't easy for Carsten to find work. He even had to travel to Speculator in the Adirondack mountains of NY, to support his family, working in a boxers training camp.
Eventually, things got better, America's economy was regaining strength, Carsten and Anna moved to Springfield, New Jersey where they started a Butcher shop, Delicatessen business. About this time, son Henry entered the US Army, WWII was starting. Carsten and Anna kept their business going and raised Dorothy in Springfield.
Son Henry completed his Army basic training and found himslef in Oxford, England in 1943, preparing for the invasion of Europe. At about the same time his cousin Barthold, who he had been raised with , for 12 years, was killed fighting for the Wehrmacht in Russia, somewhere between Moscow and Leningrad.
Henry returned to Springfield, New Jersey after the war, with his bride Ilse Kopinski a girl born and raised in Berlin. In 1948 their son Bruce was born and life began for them running Carsten's Deli.
After a short illness, Carsten's wife Anna died in January 1950. Carsten continued living in Springfield, daugher Dorothy married Bill Onksen in the early 1950's.
Carsten married Marie Jenses in May 1952. Dorothy married William (Bill) Onksen September 19, 1954. Carsten sold the butcher shop in 1955, and moved to Hobe Sound, Florida and had Tourist Court, Carsten and his 2nd wife later sold that property and moved to Stuart, Florida, where they lived till he died May 17, 1976 in Florida. he was 76 years old. Marie Beckmann, his second wife died many years later and did not contact Henry or Dorothy after Carsten's death.
She died many years later (about 1955). Bruce, Henry's son married Margie and they had 2 children. They got divorced and Bruce married Denise.
Dorothy and Bill Onksen had 3 childen, two girls and one boy.
Carsten met his second wife Marie Jenses in the early 50's and they moved to Hobe Sound, Florida, where they bought a Motel. It was a good move, as Florida experienced a post war boom, the value of their property increased. Some of Marie's relatives lived nearby.
(courtesy of George Beckmann, The Villages, Florida)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann, 3rd son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) Beckmann
(courtesy of George Beckman, The Villages, Florida)
Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann (1894-1939), Uncle Charlie, the owner of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Leonia, New Jersey, while visiting from America invited Henry to come to America, which he did. The year must have been around 1910 according to my math, he would have been very young, 16 or 17 years old. Since Uncle Charlie was a man of means, I'm sure he gave Henry a good start in his new world.
Like most German immigrants, Henry most likely started in the food business in NYC (Delicatessen) sandwiches, salads, soups, etc..
In 1917 America, through its English heritage President, Woodrow Wilson, decided it was time for America to enter the war against Germany, along with England and France.
Henry was drafted into the American Army, while in training, he felt uncomfortable because he might be called upon to fight against his brothers George and Carsten who were in the German army. He made his thoughts known to a cousin, also a Henry Beckmann, son of his uncle, John the grocer. Cousin Henry made arrangements for him to go before a judge, who had sympathy for his problem. The judge had him transferred to the Quarter Master Corps (Supply Corps) which prevented him from having to carry arms in combat. I belive Henry finished his Army tour in the United States and wasn't ever sent to France.
Henry met and married Dorothy Friedden, whose family had immigrated from Insel Fohr. Her family owned a delicatessen on 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn. Henry and his brother-in-law Julius Friedden ran this store together. Both Dorothy and Julius were big people about 6 feet tall (185 cm). Julius died suddenly of appendicitis in 1932. Prior to his death he and Henry opened another delicatessen on 5th Avenue, Brooklyn. It was written up in the Brooklyn newspapers as two of the best Deli's in town.
In 1935 the depression was hitting the nation very hard. President Roosevelt offered a bonus to American WWI vets, to stimulate the economy. With this bonus, Henry bought a brand new 1936 Buick 2 door sedan. He was also operating two Deli's at that time so he could afford it. Actually he and his wife owned two stores and they were only a couple, so it tells one that Henry was hard working and ambitious.
Henry was also well loved by his brothers, they used to swim at Coney island and Henry took his nieces and nephews for rides on Shore Road in his new car. He was known as a prince of a guy, loved and liked by all. Dorothy and Henry never had any children of their own.
In the spring of 1939, Henry contracted a bad cold. The infection from his bad cold spread to his kidneys and developed into 'Bright's Disease'. Henry died around June 10th, probably just a few months away from the introduction of the new miracle drug, penicillin, which would have saved his life. Anothe Brooklyn Newspaper article pointed out how the two fine Deli's, were closing, due to the untimely death of their owner. My father Harry was extremely sad on the loss of his brother.
Tante Dorothy continued living at the home on 3rd avenue, she always gave her husbands nieces and nephews gifts, toys, candy, etc. for the rest of her life.
Dorothy suffered deafness and always wore hearing aids. They would constantly squeal and make noise. We often had to repeat all our conversations with her, until she understood what we wanted to say. She never worked, apparently collecting rents, and living on the sale of Uncle Henry's businesses and her rental property.
As children she always offered us ginger ale and cookies and she enjoyed good food, especially hot dogs, which we all would enjoy in visits to the restaurants.
She kept Uncle Henry's new 1936 Buick in the garage until after WWII was over, she never learned to drive it, she later sold it to a plumbing contractor by the name of Messerschmidt, a distant cousin to the German Aircraft manufacturer.
In the 1950's she moved to 4th avenue, Brooklyn, because the Belt Parkway was expanding, and the city of New York wanted her house. Some of her last days she spent with us at my parents Salt Point home. She used to hold my infant son Bob, cuddling and cooing with him, he was less than 6 months old. She died in 1961 in NYC hospital, for ear, nose and throat care.
Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann (1894-1939), Uncle Charlie, the owner of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Leonia, New Jersey, while visiting from America invited Henry to come to America, which he did. The year must have been around 1910 according to my math, he would have been very young, 16 or 17 years old. Since Uncle Charlie was a man of means, I'm sure he gave Henry a good start in his new world.
Like most German immigrants, Henry most likely started in the food business in NYC (Delicatessen) sandwiches, salads, soups, etc..
In 1917 America, through its English heritage President, Woodrow Wilson, decided it was time for America to enter the war against Germany, along with England and France.
Henry was drafted into the American Army, while in training, he felt uncomfortable because he might be called upon to fight against his brothers George and Carsten who were in the German army. He made his thoughts known to a cousin, also a Henry Beckmann, son of his uncle, John the grocer. Cousin Henry made arrangements for him to go before a judge, who had sympathy for his problem. The judge had him transferred to the Quarter Master Corps (Supply Corps) which prevented him from having to carry arms in combat. I belive Henry finished his Army tour in the United States and wasn't ever sent to France.
Henry met and married Dorothy Friedden, whose family had immigrated from Insel Fohr. Her family owned a delicatessen on 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn. Henry and his brother-in-law Julius Friedden ran this store together. Both Dorothy and Julius were big people about 6 feet tall (185 cm). Julius died suddenly of appendicitis in 1932. Prior to his death he and Henry opened another delicatessen on 5th Avenue, Brooklyn. It was written up in the Brooklyn newspapers as two of the best Deli's in town.
In 1935 the depression was hitting the nation very hard. President Roosevelt offered a bonus to American WWI vets, to stimulate the economy. With this bonus, Henry bought a brand new 1936 Buick 2 door sedan. He was also operating two Deli's at that time so he could afford it. Actually he and his wife owned two stores and they were only a couple, so it tells one that Henry was hard working and ambitious.
Henry was also well loved by his brothers, they used to swim at Coney island and Henry took his nieces and nephews for rides on Shore Road in his new car. He was known as a prince of a guy, loved and liked by all. Dorothy and Henry never had any children of their own.
In the spring of 1939, Henry contracted a bad cold. The infection from his bad cold spread to his kidneys and developed into 'Bright's Disease'. Henry died around June 10th, probably just a few months away from the introduction of the new miracle drug, penicillin, which would have saved his life. Anothe Brooklyn Newspaper article pointed out how the two fine Deli's, were closing, due to the untimely death of their owner. My father Harry was extremely sad on the loss of his brother.
Tante Dorothy continued living at the home on 3rd avenue, she always gave her husbands nieces and nephews gifts, toys, candy, etc. for the rest of her life.
Dorothy suffered deafness and always wore hearing aids. They would constantly squeal and make noise. We often had to repeat all our conversations with her, until she understood what we wanted to say. She never worked, apparently collecting rents, and living on the sale of Uncle Henry's businesses and her rental property.
As children she always offered us ginger ale and cookies and she enjoyed good food, especially hot dogs, which we all would enjoy in visits to the restaurants.
She kept Uncle Henry's new 1936 Buick in the garage until after WWII was over, she never learned to drive it, she later sold it to a plumbing contractor by the name of Messerschmidt, a distant cousin to the German Aircraft manufacturer.
In the 1950's she moved to 4th avenue, Brooklyn, because the Belt Parkway was expanding, and the city of New York wanted her house. Some of her last days she spent with us at my parents Salt Point home. She used to hold my infant son Bob, cuddling and cooing with him, he was less than 6 months old. She died in 1961 in NYC hospital, for ear, nose and throat care.
George Beckmann - 2nd son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) Beckmann
(courtesy of and written by George Beckman, The Villages, Florida)
George Beckmann (1892-1933), took over the Beckman farm in Lamstedt after his return from WWI where he spent 4 years as a German soldier. He was present at the 1st Battle of the Marne in 1914, and most likely was at the last battles fought in 1918. My father said he drove teams of horses which pulled cannons. This must have been a critical skill, because he survived 4 years at the front. He was wounded in the lung by shrapnel. After his return he said to my father "How can there be a merciful and loving God? after one has seen what I have seen". I'm sure he looked at death in the eye many times.
My father said he was an extremely hard worker, he gave my father 500 Marks to go to Hamburg to learn to be a musician, which he did. My father loved music and used these skills when he immigrated to America. Even in his 80th years, my father was often called upon to play his Cello in concerts at Germania Hall.
George married Johanna Eckoff, and took over the Beckmann farm. They had 2 sons, Barthold & Ludwig. Georg passed away in 1933, some say from the after effects of his wartime injuries.
A few years ago I met with Kathe Boerger, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a distand cousin, she told me young Barthold was an intelligent fine man, who died in Russia in 1943 at age 21.
Ludwig bore the responsibility of running the Beckmann farm, and under his able stewardship, he and his family have prospered.
Those of you in Germany, know more about Ludwig's family than I do.
George Beckman, The Villages, Florida, December 30, 2005
George Beckmann (1892-1933), took over the Beckman farm in Lamstedt after his return from WWI where he spent 4 years as a German soldier. He was present at the 1st Battle of the Marne in 1914, and most likely was at the last battles fought in 1918. My father said he drove teams of horses which pulled cannons. This must have been a critical skill, because he survived 4 years at the front. He was wounded in the lung by shrapnel. After his return he said to my father "How can there be a merciful and loving God? after one has seen what I have seen". I'm sure he looked at death in the eye many times.
My father said he was an extremely hard worker, he gave my father 500 Marks to go to Hamburg to learn to be a musician, which he did. My father loved music and used these skills when he immigrated to America. Even in his 80th years, my father was often called upon to play his Cello in concerts at Germania Hall.
George married Johanna Eckoff, and took over the Beckmann farm. They had 2 sons, Barthold & Ludwig. Georg passed away in 1933, some say from the after effects of his wartime injuries.
A few years ago I met with Kathe Boerger, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a distand cousin, she told me young Barthold was an intelligent fine man, who died in Russia in 1943 at age 21.
Ludwig bore the responsibility of running the Beckmann farm, and under his able stewardship, he and his family have prospered.
Those of you in Germany, know more about Ludwig's family than I do.
George Beckman, The Villages, Florida, December 30, 2005
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Barthold Dietrich Beckman-1st son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) Beckmann of Lamstedt, Niedersachsen, Germany
Barthold Dietrich Beckmann (1890-1954). The oldest son, in most European families would normally inherit the family farm. I believe Barthold realized at a young age, that he was not cut out for such a heavy obligation. Barthold was known to enjoy himself, and in later life, amongst his friends in America, at the "Plattdeusche Volksfest Verein" was known as a "Good Time Charlie", quick to laugh and party.
At about age 17 or 18 Bartle obtained a job as a butcher on one of the German ocean liners which plied the sea between Bremerhaven and Hoboken, New Jersey. I don't know what arrangements Bartle had made, but when the ship arrived in Hoboken, he walked off the pier and began a new life in the new world. The year would have been around 1908. Barthold was the only one in his family to immigrate to America illegally.
His Uncle "Charles" Beckmann (his father's brother) owned the Knickerbocker Hotel for men in Leonia, New Jersey. Barthold, could have walked there from Hoboken. The uncle, always known as a generous man, might have given him shelter and warmth and a start in the boroughs of New York City.
Eventually, Barthold became established in the butcher trade and met a wonderful lady by the name of Gesina Hillermann. Gesina's parents owned property in Red Hook, Brooklyn (a non residential industrial area) and also owned a nice home out in the country of Richmond Hill, Queens. Barthold and Gesina married sometime in the mid 1920's. For their honeymoon they took a train out to the mid-west, Ohio, Michigan and to visit an uncle, and brother to his father, Henry (Hinrich) "The Pioneer Farmer". Henry and his children had built up beautiful farms in Michigan and Ohio.
The Hillermann home in Richmond Hill was very comfortable, with a grape arbor, a garden, with chickens, a garage for a nice car. Bartle, Gesina, the senior Hillerman's and Gertie lived there, in the 1930's, it was out in the county, but the elevated subway train was just a few blocks away, so it was convenient to all areas of NYC.
There was even a nice second story parlor, for privacy, where one could smoke cigars while listening to the speaches of Adolph Hitler, Charles Lindberg, Fritz Kuhn (Band Leader), President F. D. Roosevelt, Father Coughlin (anti semite), Gabrial Heater (anti German), and the latest Joe Louis/Max Schmeling fight. I don't think any of the Beckmann brothers were Nazi's, but I do believe they were curious as to what Adolph Hitler was up to , and how the Nazi's affected their families in Germany and America.
Bartle also loved dogs, first Chows, then Great Danes and finally Doberman's. I remember one Doberman male wasn't very friendly (Bodo), only Barthold could handle him, anyone else had to be very careful around him or you might get bit. Doberman's have the strongest jaw power of any dog species. One had to be wary around them.
Bartle owned a butcher shop in Elmhurst, Queens, and on the weekends, he always looked forward to taking part in the festivities at the Franklin Square/Schwaben Hall Plattdeutsche Verein Volkfests. There were many friends there, The Plattdeutsche Clubs were made up of members (immigrants from all the small towns in North Germany) i.e. Bremerforde, Ottendorfer, Lamsteder, Foluer, etc.. They would drink beer, eat smoked eel, potato pancakes, buttercake and bien sticht, tell jokes and march in for speeches to the tune of 'Alte Kamaraden Marsch'.
During these German culture events, everything would be fine, even during WWII when there was a lot of anti-German histeria, as long as one paid respect to America by buying War Bonds or singing "The Star Spangled Banner" and/or God Bless America.
Pop Hillerman's car was a 1923 Ford "Model T", touring car, in which my father Harry took his first auto ride, When he arrived in America, out to the Lake RonkonKoma on Long Island. My father always loved cars after that.
Bartle never drove a car, but Tante Gesina was a good safe driver. Bartle and Gesina always had a nice well kept Pontiac or DeSoto car to drive on weekends, or when visiting our family upstate New York or going to the "Plattdeutsche Volksfest", at Franklin Square.
The Hillermann home was known as a welcome place to visit, for immigrants and friends in the German community. Peter and his wife were a great help to my father and mother in the early 1930's, a time, when my father suffered from a near fatal kidney ailment. They paid his hospital bill for 6 months, 26 dollars a week, the only alternative facing him would have been, to leave the hospital and die. They were a Christian and loving family and my family was always grateful to them during a time of need.
According to my brother Harry (an avid sportsman), Uncle Barthold was an excellent shot with a 22 rifle, and could easily hit a moving target. He was a natural "Schutzen Koenig".
Through thw WWII years and after, Tante Gesina and Uncle Bartle visited us often at our home in the Dutchess county along with other "Plattdeutsche" relatives and friends.
In 1951, my father Harry bought a new Buick Super, it was an 8 cylinder, automatic drive, top of the line car. I was 16 at the time, Uncle Bartle, my mother, father and I, all drove out to Michigan, in the Buick to see our Midwestern relatives.
Our western relatives were very devout, religion played a big part of their lives. They were church going people and prayed often for Gods guidance. Their homes and farms were well tended. My parents were surprised how well they spoke German, they had never been to Germany, but had attended a German school in Ohio as children.
It was a memorable trip, I did all the driving, on the way back we traveled through Canada, Niagara Falls and visited our old Minister from the Henry Street Lutheran Church, Postor Emil Kraeling, an interesting 80 year old, who lived in Adirondack mountains. Every Christmas day he would visit us in Salt Point, for a number of years in the 50's.
Shortly after this time 1953, Bartle suffered a heart attack and became an invalid. He couldn't climb stairs and his diet was severely restricted. He couldn't lead the life he wanted to. In 1954, he and Gesina planned a trip to Germany and Lamstedt.
He died May 26, 1954, while visiting a cherry orchard, in bloom, near Lamstedt. He was liked by many, he was a long term member of the Masonic Lodge and the Lamstedter Plattdeutsche Club.
My mother and aunt (Anna Friedrichsen) took care of Tante Gesina in her last days at 125th Street in Richmond Hill. Tante Gesina passed away in 1969 of a stroke.
Before her death my parents and Gesina took many trips together, to Florida, Germany, they enjoyed each others company for many years.
My father Harry, passed away , May 26, 1996, exactly 40 years, to the day, after Bartle's death.
At about age 17 or 18 Bartle obtained a job as a butcher on one of the German ocean liners which plied the sea between Bremerhaven and Hoboken, New Jersey. I don't know what arrangements Bartle had made, but when the ship arrived in Hoboken, he walked off the pier and began a new life in the new world. The year would have been around 1908. Barthold was the only one in his family to immigrate to America illegally.
His Uncle "Charles" Beckmann (his father's brother) owned the Knickerbocker Hotel for men in Leonia, New Jersey. Barthold, could have walked there from Hoboken. The uncle, always known as a generous man, might have given him shelter and warmth and a start in the boroughs of New York City.
Eventually, Barthold became established in the butcher trade and met a wonderful lady by the name of Gesina Hillermann. Gesina's parents owned property in Red Hook, Brooklyn (a non residential industrial area) and also owned a nice home out in the country of Richmond Hill, Queens. Barthold and Gesina married sometime in the mid 1920's. For their honeymoon they took a train out to the mid-west, Ohio, Michigan and to visit an uncle, and brother to his father, Henry (Hinrich) "The Pioneer Farmer". Henry and his children had built up beautiful farms in Michigan and Ohio.
The Hillermann home in Richmond Hill was very comfortable, with a grape arbor, a garden, with chickens, a garage for a nice car. Bartle, Gesina, the senior Hillerman's and Gertie lived there, in the 1930's, it was out in the county, but the elevated subway train was just a few blocks away, so it was convenient to all areas of NYC.
There was even a nice second story parlor, for privacy, where one could smoke cigars while listening to the speaches of Adolph Hitler, Charles Lindberg, Fritz Kuhn (Band Leader), President F. D. Roosevelt, Father Coughlin (anti semite), Gabrial Heater (anti German), and the latest Joe Louis/Max Schmeling fight. I don't think any of the Beckmann brothers were Nazi's, but I do believe they were curious as to what Adolph Hitler was up to , and how the Nazi's affected their families in Germany and America.
Bartle also loved dogs, first Chows, then Great Danes and finally Doberman's. I remember one Doberman male wasn't very friendly (Bodo), only Barthold could handle him, anyone else had to be very careful around him or you might get bit. Doberman's have the strongest jaw power of any dog species. One had to be wary around them.
Bartle owned a butcher shop in Elmhurst, Queens, and on the weekends, he always looked forward to taking part in the festivities at the Franklin Square/Schwaben Hall Plattdeutsche Verein Volkfests. There were many friends there, The Plattdeutsche Clubs were made up of members (immigrants from all the small towns in North Germany) i.e. Bremerforde, Ottendorfer, Lamsteder, Foluer, etc.. They would drink beer, eat smoked eel, potato pancakes, buttercake and bien sticht, tell jokes and march in for speeches to the tune of 'Alte Kamaraden Marsch'.
During these German culture events, everything would be fine, even during WWII when there was a lot of anti-German histeria, as long as one paid respect to America by buying War Bonds or singing "The Star Spangled Banner" and/or God Bless America.
Pop Hillerman's car was a 1923 Ford "Model T", touring car, in which my father Harry took his first auto ride, When he arrived in America, out to the Lake RonkonKoma on Long Island. My father always loved cars after that.
Bartle never drove a car, but Tante Gesina was a good safe driver. Bartle and Gesina always had a nice well kept Pontiac or DeSoto car to drive on weekends, or when visiting our family upstate New York or going to the "Plattdeutsche Volksfest", at Franklin Square.
The Hillermann home was known as a welcome place to visit, for immigrants and friends in the German community. Peter and his wife were a great help to my father and mother in the early 1930's, a time, when my father suffered from a near fatal kidney ailment. They paid his hospital bill for 6 months, 26 dollars a week, the only alternative facing him would have been, to leave the hospital and die. They were a Christian and loving family and my family was always grateful to them during a time of need.
According to my brother Harry (an avid sportsman), Uncle Barthold was an excellent shot with a 22 rifle, and could easily hit a moving target. He was a natural "Schutzen Koenig".
Through thw WWII years and after, Tante Gesina and Uncle Bartle visited us often at our home in the Dutchess county along with other "Plattdeutsche" relatives and friends.
In 1951, my father Harry bought a new Buick Super, it was an 8 cylinder, automatic drive, top of the line car. I was 16 at the time, Uncle Bartle, my mother, father and I, all drove out to Michigan, in the Buick to see our Midwestern relatives.
Our western relatives were very devout, religion played a big part of their lives. They were church going people and prayed often for Gods guidance. Their homes and farms were well tended. My parents were surprised how well they spoke German, they had never been to Germany, but had attended a German school in Ohio as children.
It was a memorable trip, I did all the driving, on the way back we traveled through Canada, Niagara Falls and visited our old Minister from the Henry Street Lutheran Church, Postor Emil Kraeling, an interesting 80 year old, who lived in Adirondack mountains. Every Christmas day he would visit us in Salt Point, for a number of years in the 50's.
Shortly after this time 1953, Bartle suffered a heart attack and became an invalid. He couldn't climb stairs and his diet was severely restricted. He couldn't lead the life he wanted to. In 1954, he and Gesina planned a trip to Germany and Lamstedt.
He died May 26, 1954, while visiting a cherry orchard, in bloom, near Lamstedt. He was liked by many, he was a long term member of the Masonic Lodge and the Lamstedter Plattdeutsche Club.
My mother and aunt (Anna Friedrichsen) took care of Tante Gesina in her last days at 125th Street in Richmond Hill. Tante Gesina passed away in 1969 of a stroke.
Before her death my parents and Gesina took many trips together, to Florida, Germany, they enjoyed each others company for many years.
My father Harry, passed away , May 26, 1996, exactly 40 years, to the day, after Bartle's death.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Charles Beckman "Uncle Charley" & Frieda (Lauble) Beckman "Tante Frieda"
The following story is written by and courtesy of George Beckmann, The Villages, Florida:
Who were Uncle Charley, Tante Frieda (Aunt Frieda) and Charley Jr.?
Uncle Charley was one of my fathers best friends. He was also my fathers cousin. He was born and raised in a log cabin near Paulding, Ohio in 1887. Charley's father Henry and my father's father (my grandfather) Barthold were brothers and were born in Lamstedt, Germany. Uncle Charley's father came to America at a young age of 17 or 18, on a sailing ship. He landed in New York City about 1868.
He started a grocery store and restaurant business on the lower east side, with another younger brother John, about the time the Brooklyn Bridge was being built. Basically Henry loved farming. After saving some money he decided to go to Ohio where he could pioneer farm. He bought 50 acres of swamp land that had to be drained for $200 from the US Government. After draining the land was rich and fertile.
Uncle Charley was one of 8 children born to Henry Beckman the pioneer farmer. Two children were born in New York City and 6 were born in Ohio. Life was not easy in Ohio, the country was new and wild. As a child he was kept inside the log cabin with the other children because of poisonous snakes and insects which roamed about the property. His mother was often overworked with 7 children at home, she suffered from nervous exhaustion and periodically had to be hospitalized. From time to time, Henry had to send for his sister Catherine of Gerritson Beach, Brooklyn to assist him with his growing family. She would come out from NY to help him.
Charley learned how to farm at an early age, especially with horses, becoming a very proficient farmer able to run almost any kind of farm enterprise, grain or cattle. When he was about 20 or so he married a lady of Dutch heritage, I believe her first name was Myrtle. Uncle Charley acquired a farm near Coldwater, Michigan. His father Henry, saw to it, that his sons each had a decent farm to build a life on. Uncle Charley fathered 4 children with his 1st wife, Lucille b:1912, Leo b:1914, Vern b:1916 and Dean b:1920.
Uncle Charley would often rent out himself and a team of horses to construct roads by pulling a road grader, so about 1925 he was away from home quite a bit. The Model "T" Ford car was a popular vehicle and roads were needed, everyone seemed to be driving one.
Because of his home absence, his wife became involved with a neighbor and the marriage came to an end around 1927. Sad moment in anybody's life when a marriage ends, four young children ages 5 to 15. Their father would soon be out of their life forever.
Tough times ahead the Depression of 1929 was coming. Charley tended to become a problem drinker, drinking mostly hard cider since alcohol was outlawed by Prohibition. Henry, his father wasn't happy with Charley's behavior, gave him some money, told him to go to New York State and try to straighten out his life. It was now the height of the Depression, work situations were not very good.
Charley found himself in the lower Hudson Valley employed on the Harriman estate. The Harriman's were wealthy railroad magnates, multi millionaires. The town of Harriman was named after them, I believe their large estate still exists near Central Valley below Newburgh.
Charley wasn't able to support his family back in Michigan, as in most cases of that sort that family grew up very poor and having a tough struggle.
On the Harriman estate things were going OK for Charley, at least he had a job, one day while driving a Fordson tractor, the steering mechanism came uncoupled and Charley escaped injury by jumping off, the tractor quickly turned over in the ditch along side the road. Early Fordson tractors had a reputation of being dangerous for upsetting, many a farmer came to their lives end on one.
In the next years Charley moved up to southern Dutchess where he met Frieda Lauble in a Chelsea dance hall near Wappinger Falls. She was a recent immigrant, living with her sister and brother-in-law, Hermina and Emil Von Koenig, who were all immigrants from the "Black Forest" area of Germany. The two sisters came from either Villingen or Saint Georgian. Emil, I found out later, came from the Rhineland Pfalz.
Charley and Frieda married, most likely in 1928 or 29. Charles as a small boy had attended German school in Ohio and had a working knowledge of that language. English does not come as easy to south Germans as it does to north Germans. Frieda and her sister and brother-in-law Emil always spoke with a rather heavy accent.
Speaking German, was helpful in Charley's marriage to Frieda, in June 1930 their son Charley Jr. was born. Charley and Frieda worked as tenant farmers in farms around Dutchess county. In the years they worked the various farms they became acquainted with my father and my father's older brother Henry somehow, I do not know how exactly. I know in the 1930 national census, they are listed as living in East Fishkill and we visited them there.
I recall as a small boy riding in my fathers 1936 Chevy up the Taconic Parkway to Milton Alley's farm on Todd Hill road, to buy peaches, afterward we would visit Uncle Charley and Tante Frieda, sometimes staying overnight. At that time they were living on a farm which is now Dutchess County Airport. The farm was owned by Murry Wigsten, who was instrumental in electrifying Dutchess county farms in the 1930's.
The son of Murry Wigsten, Warren Wigsten, lives now in Pleasant Valley, New York. Through the years, we spent many weekends in the country. We had some very good times. I remember the nice Easter baskets Tante Frieda made for us and the Christmas gift she always gave us. Charley Jr. and my brother Harry were about the same age, so they enjoyed being together and also fishing and hunting. Charley Jr. was very bright in school, which I have since come to realize was a gift from his mother's side of the family.
Along about 1940, Uncle Charley was working on the Fred Dose farm on Meyers Corners road. Fred Dose was a Dodge car dealer in NYC. My father may have bought a new 1939 Dodge from him. Fred sold a 1938 Dodge to Uncle Charley on convenient terms. Uncle Charley had that Dodge a dozen years, to him it was the greatest car on the road.
The farm Fred owned was a dairy farm, which Charley Sr. managed. I remember in the early summer mornings, the cows would gather at the barn and their cow bells would ding and ring, as pleasant a sound as I ever heard.
One day in 1940, a young man showed up at Charley Sr's door, it turned out to be his youngest son, Dean from Coldwater, Michigan. He had decided to visit his father in Wappinger Falls so he took a train east, he was 20 years old.
Young Charley Jr. was very happy to see his new found brother. Dean was a fine son, he made toys for his little half brother, airplanes with propellers that would turn in the wind. They had a great time getting to know each other. Dean and Charley bonded.
I don't know how long the visit lasted perhaps several weeks or a couple of months. Finally it came time for Dean to leave. Sadly, they bade him good-bye and put him on a train.
Within the next 24 hours they received news that Dean had reached the station in Ohio and had gotten off the train. He was picked up by anacquaintance, who said he would drive Dean home to Coldwater, Michigan. As so often the case the young driver may have been drinking and was driving too fast, he headed north from Ohio to Michigan, within a couple of miles of the RR station, there was a slight bend in the road to the right, the driver lost control and Dean lost his life, he came home to be buried in the Coldwater Cemetery.
Young Charley Jr. was shocked by all this, his father had to return to Michigan to attend his son's funeral. Some said, WWII was st arting up and young Dean most likely would have been killed in that conflict, who knows? It was a tragic loss for a little boy and his family.
Uncle Charley's son Vern came to visit also, he was slightly handicapped, having an under developed arm. He was an auto mechanic and helped us start up a non running Willys Whippit. We drove it around the yard a few times, it never was put on the road.
Uncle Charley's daughter Lucille came to visit a few times through the years. Uncle Charley's oldest son Leo never came to visit his father. Both Vern and Lucille were multi married and divorced through the years. The children of Charley's first marriage lived out their lives in and around Hillsdale and Coldwater, Michigan.
Life goes on, Charley Sr. and Frieda moved a half dozen times to other farms in Dutchess county. Frieda was always quick to set up a comfortable home. Charley Sr. was a good farmer and a hard worker, he knew his farming very well.
He did have some drawbacks, he was quick to anger and sometimes quick to use his fists. On several occasions he came to blows with different individuals, which to me seems to be immature for a grown individual. Other than that, he was a good husband to Frieda and a good father to his son.
He never seemed to want to become wealthy or to own his own home. All of his brothers and sisters back in the mid-west were successful farmers or farm families. He had a rather nice farm back in Michigan, but all that seemed to be behind him in his subsequent marriage.
The Depression may have had a bad effect on him, because from time to time I believe my parents gave him some financial help during those dark days in the 1930's.
1945 came, and my parents boght the 75 acre Grant Nelson farm in the town of Clinton. I'm sure my mother figured ahead of time that Charley Sr. would fit into her plan as the farm manager. It became a reality and the farm ran for about 5 years.
I can still remember when Uncle Charley would begin the milking chores. Part of the ritual would be for him to take a big bite of chewing tobacco and stuff it behind his lip. With his lumpy jaw he would proceed to wash the cows udders with disinfectant and connect the milking machine to the cow. The milking process took about an hour and a half. The milk was placed in large milk cans and then in a cooler and once a day it would be wheeled out to the road and picked up by a Dairylea truck and taken to Poughkeepsie.
There were other major chores to be done on the farm, making hay, growing corn and grain, also growing a vegetable garden for home use. Tending horses, chickens and ducks were all part of it.
Charley Jr. graduated from Roosevelt High School, with several math prizes. His aunt and uncle, Emil and Hermina Von Koenig wanted to send him to college, he wasn't encouraged but discouraged from doing so, by Charles Sr.. Charley pursued a career in home sales. His children reaped the harvest of his good intelligence.
Divorce hit Charles Jr. too, and scattered his children to the corners of the nation. Dixie Lee to Hollywood, James to the Army, as an Officer and finally as an anesthesiologist in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Billy as a wildlife controller in Oregon, Charles the 3rd pursuing a career in the Hudson Valley. Joseph Tung, Charley Jr's grandson, by Dixie Lee, a Naval Cadet at Annapolis.
In 1951-52 Uncle Charley was involved in another tractor accident, his F-20 tractor while climbing an icy hill, on the Gardiner Farm in Stanfordville, slid backwards. Uncle Charley jumped off breaking his pelvis, at age 65, it took him about a year to recover, but he did.
Uncle Charley and Tanta Frieda lived on, in Dutchess county working on various estates, around 1960 Tante Frieda began to have heart problems and she passed away suddenly in 1961, Charles Sr. lived on for 19 years, living many years with Mrs. Keller in North Red Hook on Kerley Corners road, and finally passing away in Northern Dutchess Hospital in 1980.
My father often visited him and as I mentioned previously he was my fathers best friend in life. Some of his last words to my father were, it's time for me to go. I've been here long enough. Thus he passed away at the grand old age of 93.
He was a good farmer and a colorful person, he taught his descendants to hunt, fish and trap.
He loved the land, hunting it's wildlife and telling the many stories of his life in the farm lands of Ohio, Michigan and New York. Uncle Charley lived to go deer hunting every fall, so did his son Charles Jr., it was a big part of their life. Uncle Charley shot his last deer when over the age of 90, it was near Woodstock, New York.
Tant Frieda in her time with Charley made her home a very special place, on Sunday afternoons there was always delicious coffee, cake and pleasant conversations. It's all a memory of over 50 years ago.
George Beckmann 07/24/07
John M. Beckmann
Wedding of Barthold Beckmann and Gesina (Hillerman) Beckmann - Abt 1925
Wedding of Barthold Beckmann and Gesina (Hillermann) Beckmann Abt. 1925. Richmond Hill, Queens, New York City. Front row left to right, unknown, Gertrude Hillerman, Gesina the bride, Catherine (Tante Cady) Beckmann (Carlson), Mrs. Hillerman, mother of the bride, 2nd row, unknown, Henry & Edna Beckmann (cousins of Bride groom), Pastor, Bridegroom Barthold, unknown couple, Henry Beckmann, bridegrooms brother, Peter Hillerman, brides father, upper right corner Mr. & Mrs. Olberding, relatives of the Hillermans. Barthold and Gesina traveled to Michigan on their honeymoon and stayed in Jonesville/Hillsdale.
Beckmann brothers and their father Barthold Beckmann
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Beckman family reunion
The Beckman family reunion is scheduled for July 11th, 2009 at the Allen city park (behind the fire station). Please pass the word to all of your families...It will be a pot luck so bring a dish to share...If you have any questions you may call Janice (Beckman) Simons at (517) 849-9137 or Janet (Kyser) Lewis at (517) 869-2157...If you need to call me for anything please feel free to do so (231) 740-9723...We are leaving Arizona next week and going to Michigan via Arkansas...Butch Beckman
Sunday, March 15, 2009
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