"My Family's Relation"

Michael Barth was born in Hockspeyer, Bavaria, Germany in 1833. He came to the United States in 1855, worked in Boston Mass. for four years as a blacksmith apprentice, then came to central Illinois. He purchased 80 acres from the railroad and started clearing the land to farm. In 1863, in Peoria, he married Catherine Wagner, daughter of Michael and Anna Mary (Mathe) Wagner.

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Andrew John Gerner was born in 1839 in Merchingen, Baden, Germany. In 1866 he married Sophia Barbara Kugler. They had a family of seven children and in 1886 they came to America. They settled in Benson Illinois and for four years Andrew was a blacksmith. He then moved to a farm north of Benson, and was a farmer the rest of his working days.

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Harm Uden Cremer was born in Dornumergrode, Ost-Friesland, in 1857. In 1884, Harm married Ida Deborah Phlüger. They came to America in 1889, and settled in Benson Illinois, where Ida's sister lived. A short time later they moved to Minonk, Illinois where Harm worked in the brick factory.

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Frerich Claassen Rüstmann was born in 1838 in Folstenhausen, Ost-Friesland. He came to America in 1863. He settled on a farm just north of Benson, Illinois. Dorothea Elizabeth Ennen was born in Neu-Barstede, Ost-Friesland in 1848. She and her family came to America in 1868 and settled on a farm near Benson also. Frerich and Dorothea were wed in 1872.

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