The Nehrenz Network Newsletter The Nehrenz Network Webpage - http://drnehrenz.com/nehrenznet/ The Nehrenz Network Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/336234003512443/ The Nehrenz Family Tree - https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/114565749/family Vol. 22 - No. 1 January 2020 “The 200th Birthday Year of Our Patriarch Johann Christian Theodore (Christian) Nehrenz”

Hello again to the Nehrenz family members and friends! The last issue of this newsletter was in January 2019 and the topic was “Nehrenz Houses and Homes.” The pictures and text illustrated our ancestors’ places of residence. I invite you to look at and download all the previous 24 newsletters since 1995. These explain our Nehrenz history. Go to this link: http://drnehrenz.com/nehrenznet/newsletters.html Volumes 1, 2 and 7 each had two issues (no. 1 and no. 2).

So this newsletter is the 25th issue to be made available to everyone. It is fitting then to focus our attention on our patriarch Johann Christian Theodore Nehrenz. Every Nehrenz relative in the U.S.A. descends from him. We ought to honor him this year. He was born on March 3, 1820 in , Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Pomerania) . Now 200 years later, there are 8 generations with over 765 people who are his direct descendants. Since his birth, exponential growth has created a large and expansive family tree. There are now over 100 different surnames attached to him.

The effort to erect a gravestone, to mark the place of his burial, was successful and was completed in 2017. Since 1888 that plot in Cleveland, Ohio had remained unmarked. Many of you donated to that effort and we again thank you!

There are no known photos of him and his wife Johanna Maria Elizabeth (Lempke) Nehrenz. That is why we have asked all of you to keep your eyes open for any old Nehrenz photos that you may have in a box somewhere. You might just have a photograph of them and not realize it. It would be a fitting tribute to him and an important discovery, if as a result of this newsletter issue, one of us would find such a picture. It could be scanned and made available to everyone.

He lived to the age of 68. His wife lived to the age of 71. Since they immigrated to America from Germany in 1869, he lived here for only 19 years, and she lived here for only 20 years. One can only imagine how thick their German accent would have been when they spoke broken English. The neighborhoods where they lived were almost completely populated by fellow Germans. The churches they attended had only German language services. Cleveland, Ohio was the home of thousands of German immigrants who worked in the iron mills, called “the flats,” down by the Cuyahoga River.

So let’s all search to find a photo of them. Look through those boxes. Enjoy reading about our patriarch!

The Editor - Dave Nehrenz - [email protected] In 1869, t hey first lived across the street from 902 Carey Dr. Norman, OK. 73069 this house. The address was 134 The 1869 ship roster listing of the family on the ship “Borussia.” (2804) Wade Ave. in Left Hamburg - Oct. 30, 1869. Arrived New York - Nov. 19, 1869 Cleveland. They were living as guests of John and Fredka Masa. Their house was removed for the exit ramp 170A off of I-90. But this is the house they saw out their window 150 years ago. 1 A BIOGRAPHY OF OUR PATRIARCH - JOHANN CHRISTIAN THEODOR NEHRENZ –“CHRISTIAN”

In order to paint an accurate picture of “Christian” Nehrenz (the name by which he was called) we take a look at his own ancestry. His father was Carl Christian Matthias Nierentz who was born in 1787 in Trollenhagen, Germany. We do not know the date of his death. His mother was M. Maria Dorothea Scharff who was born August 12, 1789 in Trollenhagen and died there on April 21, 1862. His parents were married on October 19, 1810.

Christian’s grandfather was Daniel Friedrich Nierentz who was born in 1749 and died on April 12, 1796 in , another village north of Trollenhagen. We do not yet know the name of his grandmother. Daniel had five children. Four of the children were Christian’s uncles and aunts: Catharina Sophia Nierentz born 1778, Johann Christian Nierentz born 1782, Christian Martin Nierentz born 1783, Maria Eleonora Nierentz born 1789. The fifth was Christian’s father Carl Christian Matthias Nierentz born 1787.

We also know the names of his siblings. Christian was one of five children. His parents had two sets of twins. Johann Nehrenz and his twin brother Christian Friedrich Nehrenz were born on August 4, 1811. We do not know the dates of their deaths. Hanna Maria Sophia Nehrenz was born on November 7, 1812 and died on December 19, 1859. She was married to Johann Christoph Martin Frank on November 13, 1831. She and her husband had 9 children.

Johann Christian Theodor Nehrenz and his twin sister Maria Bernhardine Friederika Nehrenz were born on March 3, 1820. She died on May 5, 1899. He died on June 23, 1888. Christian was married to Johanna Maria Elizabeth Lempke on October 17, 1843. They had seven children. Maria his twin sister married Joachim Jacob Lankow on October 16, 1840. They had at least three children. They remained in Trollenhagen.

Then Christian’s seven children included: "Friedrick" -Christian Martin Nehrenz born on May 5, 1844. "Christian" - Johann Christian Friedrick Nehrenz born on April 7, 1846. "Carl" - Johann Carl Friedrick Theodor Nehrenz born on September 27, 1848. "Minnie"- Caroline Wilhelmine Friedrike Nehrenz born on November 25, 1850. "William" - Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Nehrenz born on December 27, 1853. "Jane" - Johanne Friedrike Caroline Nehrenz born on June 26, 1855. "Henry" - Heinrich Christian Theodor Nehrenz born on August 12, 1861.

I am sure your head is spinning reading through that, so here is an ancestry tree that is in a table form: THE ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS OF “CHRISTIAN” NEHRENZ 1 Daniel Friedrich Nierentz 1749 – 1796 (his grandfather) +______(his grandmother) ..... 2 Catharina Sophia Nierentz 1778 – 1794 (his aunt) .... . 2 Johann Christian Nierentz 1782 – 1858 (his uncle) ...... +Louise Georgina Friederica Bors(ten) 1783 - 1848 ...... 3 Carl Heinrich Gustav Nierentz 1807 - (his cousin) ...... 3 Daniel Adolf Christoph Theodor Nierentz 1808 – 1827 (his cousin) ...... 3 Regina "Maria" Christiana Nierentz 1812 – 1859 (his cousin) ...... +Carl Friedrich Georg Wilk ...... 4 Johann Carl Andreas Wilk 1836 - ...... 4 Johanne Caroline Christiane Wilk 1839 - ...... 4 Caroline Sophie Wilhelmine Wilk 1843 - ...... 4 Friedrike Johanne Dorothea Wilk 1846 - ...... +Heinrich Johann Theodor Arndt ...... 4 Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Wilk 1848 - ...... 4 Henriette Wilhelmine Marie Wilk 1851 - ...... 4 August Carl Friedrich Wilk 1854 - 1863 ...... 3 Caroline Friedrike Luise Nierentz 1820 – 1884 (his cousin) ...... +Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Bartel 1816 - 1890 ...... 4 Johanne Maria Caroline Bartel 1840 – ...... 4 Johanne Caroline Dorothea Bartel 1842 - 1871 ...... +Johann Friedr Ludw Bandlow 2 ...... 4 Georg Christian Friedrich Bartel 1844 - ...... 4 Johanne Wilhelmine Christiane Bartel 1848 - ...... 4 Johanne Friedrike Sophie Bartel 1851 - 1942 ...... 4 Carl Friedrich Theodor Bartel 1853 - 1854 ...... 4 Johanne Caroline Bartel 1855 - ...... 4 Johann Karl Friedrich Bartel 1859 - 1863 ...... 4 Friedrich Johann Carl Bartel 1863 - 1922 ...... +Elizabeth Geideman 1863 - 1936 ...... 4 Carl Friedrich Heinrich Bartel 1867 - 1912 ...... +Julia Giedemann 1866 - 1950 ...... 3 Child Nierentz - 1827 (his cousin) .... . 2 Christian Martin Nierentz 1783 – 1860 (his uncle) ..... 2 Carl Christian Matthias Nierentz 1787 - (his father) ...... +M. Maria Dorothea Scharff 1789 – 1862 (his mother) ...... 3 Johann Nehrenz 1811 - (his brother) ...... 3 Christian Friedrich Nehrenz 1811 - (his brother) ...... 3 Hanna Maria Sophia Nehrenz 1812 – 1859 (his sister) ...... +Johann Christoph Martin Frank ...... 4 Marie Dorothea Friedrike Frank 1832 - (his niece) ...... 4 Carl Friedrich Christian Frank 1834 – 1835 (his nephew) ...... 4 Carl Adolph Friedrich Frank 1836 - (his nephew) ...... +Friedrike Christine Maria Mahnke 1832 - ...... 4 Johanne Marie Dorothea Frank 1839 - (his niece) ...... 4 Wilhelm Ludwig Frank 1841 - (his nephew) ...... 4 Marie Dorothea Christiane Frank 1843 - (his niece) ...... 4 Carl Wilhelm Julius Frank 1846 - (his nephew) ...... 4 Caroline Friedrike Marie Frank 1848 - (his niece) ...... 4 Johann Christian Theodor Frank 1851 – 1853 (his nephew)

...... 3 Johann Christian Theodor Nehrenz 1820 – 1888 “CHRISTIAN” ...... +Johanna Maria Elizabeth Lempke 1818 – 1889 (his wife) ...... 4 "Friedrick" -Christian Martin Nehrenz 1844 – 1906 (his son) ...... +Henriette Johanne Friedricka Lohrenz 1844 - 1906 ...... 4 "Christian" -Johann Christian Friedrick Nehrenz 1846 – 1916 (his son) ...... +Freiderika "Rike" Bahlke 1850 - 1893 ...... 4 "Carl" Johann Carl Friedrick Theodor Nehrenz 1848 – 1913 (his son) ...... +Minnie Wilhelmina Schultz 1856 - 1936 ...... 4 "Minnie" Caroline Wilhelmine Friedrike Nehrenz 1850 – 1914 (his daughter) ...... +Herman W. Martens 1850 - 1913 ...... 4 "William" Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Nehrenz 1853 – 1928 (his son) ...... +Christine (Bates) Beth 1859 - 1902 ...... +Susan Kuehne (*2nd wife) 1863 - 1928 ...... 4 "Jane" Johanne Friedrike Caroline Nehrenz 1855 – 1921 (his daughter) ...... +Charles Johann Friedrich "Karl" Beier 1852 - 1899 ...... 4 "Henry" Heinrich Christian Theodor Nehrenz 1861 – 1906 (his son) ...... +Mary- Lucia Maria Rupprecht 1868 - 1953 ...... 3 Maria Bernhardine Friederika Nehrenz 1820 – 1899 (his twin sister) ...... +Joachim Jacob Lankow 1819 – 4 Johann Jünfert Lankow 1851 - (his nephew) ...... 4 Sofie Lankow 1853 - (his niece) ...... 4 Dörte Lankow 1854 - (his niece) ...... 2 Maria Eleonora Nierentz 1789 – 1805 (his aunt)

3 HIS LIFE IN GERMANY – Trollenhagen, Mecklenberg-Strelitz (was part of old Pomerania)

Christian was born in Trollenhagen on March 3, 1820 and baptized in the Lutheran church on March 12, 1820. His godparents were Johann Christian Nerenz, Michael Christian Arnzenberg and Helena Dorothea Henzelmann. He was confirmed in 1834 at age 13 years 11 months at , a town north of Trollenhagen. In his adult years, the records describe him as a farmer and laborer. They were basically poor peasants who would have been living under the wealthy landowners.

It is humorous that companies today have made a cottage industry out of selling “family crests / coat of arms” to people. Most people who emigrated out of Germany were not descendants of princes. These residents of small villages never had a “family crest.” If they had been princes and officials, they would have had no reason to leave behind everything in Germany to start a new life in America! As a result, our Nehrenz line does not have a “family crest.”

Here is one supposed “Nehrenz Family Crest.” (I guess it pictures a knight and a farming community that raised horses)

Christian was raised in a little German village with many close relatives also living there. Most of them stayed all of their lives around Trollenhagen, Grischow and Neddemin. But one of his cousins, Caroline Friedrike Luise Nierentz, who married Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Bartel, also emigrated and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. They lived in the same neighborhoods and attended the same churches as her cousin Christian Nehrenz’ family.

Here is a map of the Trollenhagen area and an aerial view of the village. The larger urban town in the south is the impressive . It was a fortified city going back to the 1200s. The village of Trollenhagen also goes back to the 1300s.

The surname Nehrenz actually evolved out of the name Nierentz. The name Nehrenz narrows down our family ancestry because of its unique spelling, which added the letter “h” and omitted the “i” and the “t.” However, it is a branch of the extensive Nierentz family line. When research is done, the variants of the name include: Nehrens, Nerenz, Nerens, Nierens, Narenz, Nahrenz, Nahrens, Norenz and others. Sometimes the variants were written by pastors or officials who were simply misspelling the name. However, the name Nehren and Nehring seem to come from a completely different family line. Who knows what future research will discover about all these names. Maybe there is one root family from which we descend? For now, the root family name appears to be Nierentz. One thing all these surnames have in common: These families all originated from northeastern Germany, usually north of Berlin, extended up to the Baltic Sea, and into the east, by the border with Poland. This was all part of Pomerania/Pomern and was at one time part of Prussia. Then it would become Mecklenberg-Strelitz. 4 There are two new books that have just been published about the history of Trollenhagen in the 1800s, when the Nehrenz family lived there. They were written by Roland Poschel who lives in Trollenhagen now. I have been corresponding with him over the last year. He is very happy and enthused that we are interested in the history of that village, and also that our family has our roots there. In fact, our Nehrenz family is even mentioned in his books.

His webpages that detail the history of the church and village are: https://roland-poeschel-hobbywelt.jimdofree.com/meine-region-in-der-ich-lebe/mein-wohnort/die-kirche/ https://roland-poeschel-hobbywelt.jimdofree.com/meine-region-in-der-ich-lebe/mein-wohnort/das-dorf/

The titles of his two books are: “Trollenhagener Zeitreise” (“Trollenhagen Time Travel”) and "Erinnerungen des ritterschaftlichen Lehrers Karl-Wilhelm-Heinrich Mieritz " ("Memories of the Knightly Teacher Karl-Wilhelm-Heinrich Mieritz")

I will be receiving copies of both books. Since they are published in German only, it will take some work to translate them into English. These books are fascinating and very informative. The Teacher Mieritz was in Trollenhagen exactly at the time in which our Nehrenz families and their children were living there. He taught our ancestors. I have read some pages from the books already. He describes the poverty and difficulties of the village people living under the tyrant landowner named Ludolf Siemerling. He was wealthy and educated, but treated the residents like they were his serfs.

The manor house and property in Trollenhagen were owned by Ludolf Siemerling. He truly did oppress the people in the village. The books document that the townspeople (because of the oppression and poverty) began to emigrate to America. But he was secretly opening their mail and reading it. He would then threaten the families in the village. He was going to raise their rent payments, if they started planning to leave for America. No wonder the family of Christian Nehrenz and other families wanted to leave there. They desired to come to the wide open opportunities in America, the land of the free!

In the future, one of the issues of the “Nehrenz Network Newsletter” will include excerpted sections of these books, which are of most interest to us. Here are some pictures of the Trollenhagen that our ancestors would have known in the 1800s.

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Even though our Nehrenz ancestors would not have been wealthy, they must have had some resources. They highly valued both education and their Lutheran Christian faith. The records of our family members are found throughout the church parish records of Trollenhagen. Every family had many children. Their children intermarried with the children of the other families in the village. All these records have been scanned and are available from the genealogy records that the Morman church has in their library in Salt Lake City. I have examined them and copied the records that include our ancestors.

One of the most valuable family heirlooms, which we have in the archives, is the Nehrenz family’s hymnal from the parish church in Trollenhagen, dated 1846. It is a testament to what they valued most – their Christian faith. The family obviously knew how to read German, Very quickly, when they came to America, their children learned English. Christian Nehrenz and his family knew about the available work at the iron foundries in Cleveland, Ohio. That is where he worked. When they arrived there in 1869, they immediately became part of Trinity Lutheran Church at 2031 W. 30th St. They became one of the charter family members there, and in 1871 a large church sanctuary was built. The church exploded in growth rapidly because of all the German immigrants. It quickly grew to over 2,000 members and was one the main churches in what would become the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). The church is still an active congregation today.

Education, religion, music and art were important to them. Frederick, the oldest son of Christian, stayed two more years in Trollenhagen. We assume he settled the estate. He then immigrated in 1871. Two of his sons attended college. His son Henry became an esteemed Lutheran school teacher in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. His other son August became a music teacher, organist and choir director in New York City and Baltimore. Another son William was an amazing artist and metal worker. The largest Nehrenz tombstone we have ever seen is at Frederick’s grave plot at the Lutheran cemetery in Cleveland.

Christian’s cousin Caroline Friedrike Luise Nierentz and her husband Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Bartel also lived in Trollenhagen. In 1873 they too left Germany and came to Cleveland, Ohio. So it is clear that correspondence from Ohio to Germany continued. Families encouraged their relatives to come start a new life in America. The Bartels also were part of Trinity Lutheran Church and lived nearby on the streets named Brainard, Brooklyn and Starkweather. How grateful we are to our ancestors who risked everything to come the U.S.A. Their descendants (you and me) have had all kinds of opportunities here to thrive and accomplish whatever we set our hearts on. We thank them even now. 6 HIS LIFE IN THE U.S.A – Cleveland, Ohio: Johann "Christian" Nehrenz emigrated from Germany, leaving from Hamburg Germany on Oct. 30, 1869. He was a farmer in Trollenhagen (Mecklenburg Strelitz) Germany. He was 49, his wife Maria was 50, sons: Christian- 23, Wilhelm - 12, Henry-7, daughters: Wilhelmine - 18, Johanna -9. They sailed on the ship "S.S. Borussia" (1855 Hamburg-American Line) and arrived in New York on Nov. 19, 1869. (His eldest son Friedrich came over two years later in 1871 with his wife Friedrika and his brother Carl.)

The arrival records for the Port of New York at the Castle Clinton immigration center (at the tip of Manhattan Island, called "The Battery"- the pre-Ellis Island immigrant processing place) has this listing: as passengers #80-86: Johann Nehrenz - 49, male farmer, Marie- 50 female - his wife, Christian-23 male, Wilhemine -18 female, William -12 male, Johanna -9 female, Henry - 6 male. They are listed as coming from Germany and they travelled "between-deck." The master of the SS Borussia was C. Hebich, the ship was a Steamer from Hamburg, Germany, its burth was 2133 tons, no. de Armas 1294.

On the 1870 Census, in Cleveland, Ohio, his family is listed at #722 home visitation number, 149 sheet, page 93, 12th Ward, Cuyahoga County - this was 134 (2804) Wade on June 16, 1870. In the house were 2 families: #775 John Masa; #776 Christ Nerens. Family #776 was Christ Nerens-49 constr/laborer; Mary-50 housekeeper; Henry-8 attends school; William-16 pail factory; Christopher-24 construction laborer / brick mason. They are all listed as being from Prussia and not yet US citizens. (What is unknown is why the two daughters Wilhemina (18) and Johanna (9) are not listed with the family. We assume they lived somewhere else with another family. It is unknown why this was so.)

The streets where they lived are all around Scranton Road and W. 12th St. in Cleveland. The names of some of the streets include: Noyes St. (which is now W. 12th St.), Wade Ave., Auburn St., Kinkel St., Rowley and Starkweather. In addition, because so many Germans joined Trinity Lutheran Church, the congregation started another daughter congregation further south. This church was for their members who lived there. So the Nehrenz family then became charter members in 1880 of Immanuel Lutheran Church at Scranton Rd. and Seymour St. It also continues today as a congregation of the LCMS.

Taking photographs of your family became popular in the 1870s and 1880s. The only known photographs of the original family members are Christian’s sons Frederick, William and Henry. There are no known photos of Christian and his wife Maria, or their sons Christian and Carl, or their daughters Minnie and Jane. It is puzzling that a photograph of the whole family together has never turned up. It would have been a picture of all nine of them. What we ask of you, who are part of this Nehrenz Network, is to take the time to look through old boxes of photographs. See if you might discover photos of these ancestors. If you do, please send copies to us.

IN MEMORIAM (those who died in 2019): Jack Arthur Nehrenz was born June 27, 1955 and died April 28, 2019 Alvin Frederick Nehrenz was born October 31, 1922 and died August 22, 2019 Mildred Anne Youngblood was born June 24, 1935 and died September 16, 2019 Roy Eugene Nehrenz was born June 19, 1944 and died September 17, 2019 Clyde Theodore Nehrenz was born September 03, 1930 and died October 31, 2019 Jacqueline Ruth Lohr was born May 20, 1936 and died November 01, 2019 YOUR ASSISTANCE: About 200 copies of this newsletter were mailed. Your help towards the expense has been appreciated. More importantly, please send family information, copies of old letters, photos and other Nehrenz memorabilia. We have at, our house, file cabinets filled with documents which are now the official “Nehrenz Archives.” Your documents will be added to these archives, to be kept securely and in perpetuity. Send your items to: The Nehrenz Network - Dave Nehrenz 902 Carey Dr. Norman, OK. 73069 Also send emails with your attachments to: [email protected] or [email protected] 7 The Nehrenz Network Newsletter Vol. 22 – No. 1 January 2020 “The 200th Birthday of Our Patriarch Johann Christian Theodore (Christian) Nehrenz”

The Nehrenz Network Newsletter Editor- Dave Nehrenz 902 Carey Dr. Norman, Oklahoma 73069

Address Correction Requested

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