Notes for Catharina Engel Maria Bolte: Letter from Grandmother Mrs. John Henry Bremer which was written about April 1922. Translated from the German by her grandson Alvin Lemondt Bremer in 1923. Notes in [ ] are by Bill Alewine, grandson of Alvin L. Bremer. "Dear Alvin, I am old, you must help me. I know I should have written in order but let me know if anything is wrong. Mary Bolte (herself), was born October 3rd, 1939 in Amt Rodenberg, Germany. Came to America with my parents in 1857 - also one brother and one sister. We started at Bremerhafen the middle of August and landed in New York in the later part of September. We had no storms at sea and our journey was a good or lucky one. From here we went to Syracuse, New York where my oldest sister lived. We remained here a week. Then my brother and I went to Arlington Heights, Illinois, while my parents remained at Syracuse with my older sister. Uncle Russle, my mother's brother, also Aunt Nimmeir my mother's sister, lived at Arlington, Heights. It was the latter who sent my parents the money that they might come. This lead to the necessity of my brother having to work for them to pay off the debt. I not being needed went to work for an English family for seventy-five cents a week and had to work like a slave. My brother not yet fourteen years old, until in June, did not look like he had when coming over, namely stout and healthy, because of being abused so. I can still see him as he was at first and then later. After my brother had worked off the debt, which was a year later, my father came. Brother then began to learn the shoe making trade. In the year 1862 when the civil war broke out he sold himself and was in the war until 1865 at which time the same ended. Our dear mother took ill in 1863, just before Christmas, and died January 17, 1864. My mother's maiden name was Russel. I never knew her parents, and she was fifty-seven years old when she died. She had one sister, Mrs. Nimmeir, and two brothers in America and one brother in Germany. All are now dead. My father was born in 1803 and died in 1882. I did not know his parents. I can remember seeing his sister once but they did not live where we lived. This is about all I remember of my parents, only that we later moved to Minnesota. Following is an account of my life. I was married December 2, 1860, to John Henry Bremer at Elkgrove; (Wise), Cook County, Illinois.”
NOTE [by Alvin L. Bremer] - In the following portion of the letter, the dates given are rather confusing, as the memory thereof, would naturally cause a mother of her age to write same confusingly. However I shall herein state the same as I see and understand them. There was born to them, Mr. and Mrs. John Henry Bremer, their first son Herman on December 28th, 1861, who died September 5th, 1862. A second child was born to them, a daughter, no name given, on September 15th, 1863, who died five days later, September 20th, 1863. A third child Henry, was born January 24th, 1865; William on March 23rd, 1867 and George on May 8th, 1869. Ama was born August 28th, 1871. About four months after birth of Ama, Henry, William and George died of a contagious disease, believed to have been the once so called Black Diphtheria. The exact dates of their death is not known to me but the account reads that William died five days before Henry and George died four days after death of Henry. According to this the three died either in the latter part of December, 1871, or in the early part of January, 1872.)
[St John's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Arlington, MN has the following dates: Heinrich Bremer, 24 Jan 1865 - 4 Jan 1872; Wilhelm Bremer, 28 Apr 1868 - 29 Dec 1871; and George Bremer, 8 May 1868 - 9 Jan 1872. For my data I used Grandma Bremer's recollection for the birth dates and the cemetery records for the death dates.]
The letter then continues - "Then the Lord blessed us with a son Martin Ludwig, on the 10th day of December 1873. Emielie was born on January 9th, 1876; Wilhemine, April 16th, 1878; John September 10th, 1880; Theodor, March 5th, 1883 and the youngest child, Clara, was born December 10th, 1885 and died March 1st, 1886. After the death of the three boys [abt. 1872] Grandfather Russel rented a farm and we went to Henderson, Minnesota. We were here two years, [until abt. 1874] and due to Grandfather's (Bremer) loneliness, he purchased an organ, he was then thirty-nine years old, and learned to play same in a very short time and began playing organ in church and did so for twenty-five years following [until abt. 1899]. Owing to the fact that he was never satisfied with working for some one else, we moved [abt. 1874] on a farm midway between Arlington and Henderson, where we lived for sixteen years. Then we sold our farm and moved to Town Penn, McLeod County which is about seven miles south of Brownton, Minnesota [abt. 1890]. Here we remained until 1899 when we sold the farm adjoining Town Penn Church and moved to Oklahoma. Here Grandfather lived but a short time. The climate did not agree with him and he was sickly all of the time until the final close of his life on the twenty-sixth day of May, 1901. Since I have been from place to place. With love, Your Grandmother."
Obituary, The Onawa Democrat, Onawa, Iowa, December 4, 1930, p. ?: "Mrs. Mary Bremer. Mary Bolte was born October 3, 1839, in Rotenberg [sic], Germany, and died at the home of her son, M. L. Bremer in Turin, Iowa, November 25, 1930, at the age of 91 years, one month and 22 days. She leaves to mourn her death six children, 21 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. December 2, 1860 she was married to John John [sic] Bremer in Elk Grove, Ill., who proceeded her in death 30 years ago. Funeral services were held from the home of her son, with Rev. A. Rueber officiating. The internment was made at Belvidere cemetery."
Grave site: Belvidere Cemetery, Turin, IA, Lot 24, Space SE, Unmarked. Purchased by M. L. Bremer.
More About Catharina Engel Maria Bolte: Burial: 28 Nov 1930, Belvidere Cemetery, Turin, IA.
More About Catharina Engel Maria Bolte and Johann Heinrich Bremer III: Marriage: 02 Dec 1860, Elk Grove, Cook County, IL.
Children of Catharina Engel Maria Bolte and Johann Heinrich Bremer III are:
Catharina Engel Maria Bolte (b. 03 Oct 1839, d. 25 Nov 1930)
Notes for Catharina Engel Maria Bolte: