QUERIES
BY KAREN HANSEN
It has been a long, hard winter, so it is not surprising that we have not had visitors. We look forward to seeing people coming in with the return of warm temperatures. We did have five members come in for a Tuesday work day. We always appreciate the help and have many more projects on which we want to work.
Betty Oehlertz of Avoca has some JOCHIMS family photos that she would like to give to family members. Albretcht and Amanda Jochims, who were brother and sister, worked for Bill and Vena Peters in Avoca in the late 1920’s. Amanda’s son was Bill Luke and Amanda had a twin, Emma, who married Hans ENGLEMAN. All of the photos of the family were taken at Brandt Studio in Avoca. I was not able to find the Jochims family in the Avoca or Walnut cemetery index books or in the census.
Rita Orton called the Walnut Public Library, seeking information on Daniel DUSKIN. We found him in the 1880 Census in Walnut Township, Wayne County, Iowa. We contacted her with this information and she replied that we were correct about him living there and not in the town of Walnut.
Darlene Vergamini brought in 2 queries from rootsweb.com. Diane Gibson was looking for information on Hans Claus SIEVERS, who married Maria HARMS in August, 1882 in Davenport, Iowa. Hans was the son of Claus Sievers and Margaretha Ruge; Maria was the daughter of Andreas Harms and Marieke Rohweder. Hans Sievers received his final naturalization papers in October, 1887 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. I contacted Richard Sievers, who is a grandson of Claus Frederick Sievers, but he did not know of any connection.
The other query was from Debbie Cupp. She was seeking information on Emil SCHMITT, who married Caroline Louise FISCHER. After the birth of sons George and John Schmitt, they moved to Walnut. We sent the names of Schmitts buried here: Emil, Caroline, Clara (d/o Emil), John Charles, Paul M., and an infant, child of George. Debbie has not answered our email.
We found the obituaries of Bertha Molck MILLER and of her 7 year old son, Gordon MOLCK, for Ulrich Moelck in northern Germany. Bertha married Fred MILLER of Omaha on December 28, 1927. I talked to Fred Miller of Avoca, but he was not able to give me any information on this other Fred, although he does have a Miller family history.
Continuing to help William Rasmussen of Los Angeles, CA, I am now trying to find an obituary for Peter LAMBERTSEN. William is also interested in the THIESSEN family, which is confusing with 3 men named Hans and 2 named Henry. I have found them in several census records. Ferdinand and Emma Rasmussen were found in the 1900 Census in Lincoln Township, Pottawattamie County, IA. This was unexpected, as their wedding article in the January 22, 1900 Walnut newspaper said that they were going to live northwest of Walnut [in Shelby County]. It said that he had rented the Mrs. Troll farm for the coming year and that they would soon move there.