Dutch by Association: a lecture by Lynn Owen Kraker of the Bentheimers International Society Saturday, April 27 Holland Museum Education Room

My name is Lynn Owen Kraker...with my first name Lynn being English, my maiden name Owen being Welsh, and Kraker, my married name being German. If it's only my married name, why am I up here talking about Bentheim? BECAUSE... I am a Bentheimer by osmosis! Webster defines OSMOSIS as "a usually effortless, often unconscious assimilation". This process has been happening for almost 34 years, since the time Herb and I started dating, and he very clearly corrected me on the proper way to say his last name...Crocker not cracker...the correct way, of course, being the German way!

So what is a Bentheimer? Like everyone else, every Bentheimer has a variety of people groups somewhere in their background. Graschaap Bentheim, or the county of Bentheim, lies in modern day on the border of the , jutting right into it, and people from both sides crossed the border at various times to work, visit, or live, and the immigrants over here married spouses from various places. But those who have at least some Bentheim roots are interested and proud of their ancestors, and also sometimes surprised when they find out that they are not Dutch, but German. Even a quick scan of our wall of names upstairs in the Focus Gallery emphasizes the familiar names...and there are ______of them!

The purpose of this new exhibit is to educate visitors on who the people from Bentheim are, some of the differences in culture that they came from, and the contributions that have been made. Lets consider a few of those who came over in different centuries.

There have been Bentheimers in the US since at least the 1600's, when Rev. Bernardus Freeman came to teach the Indians.

Two hundred years later, two of the men escorting President Lincoln's casket were Bentheimers, and even the Statue of Liberty has a Bentheim connection! Did you realize that?! The lady in the harbor sits on a base of Bentheim stone, contributed by the Count when the French gave the statue to America. He was living in Paris at the time, and I picture him having dinner with some of the French bigwigs and saying, " Oh, that's right... you're giving that big statue to the US. How about if I throw in several tons of our special stone for the base?" Could be.... More significant issues than that have been decided by diplomats over dinner!

1 Bentheimers came to America for many reasons, most of them similar to immigrants from other nations: religious freedom, economic issues, and even adventure and a chance to find what came to be known as the American dream.

Military service was another issue, especially in the late 1860's when ruled Bentheim, and was drafting young men. The Civil War here was over, so there was no chance of being pulled into the conflict after they arrived. Albert Scholten wrote in 1870 " here (in W. MI) there is much talk about the war (between Prussia and ). People say the Prussians have great losses and so have the French. We also heard that there are so many who are wounded and lost limbs. Brother, I am glad we are here. Our Jan is a well-built tall fellow and he surely would have been drafted. Lambert would follow next. We are happy to have them here at home with us."

But I don't think that the decision to leave was ever easy. Most of those who came knew that they would probably not see their families again. Even if family members who had been left behind planned to emigrate later, health and money issues on either side could prevent that from happening. The voyage would not have been the smooth balanced ride of today's cruise ships (on which people still get sick), but a steamer or a sailboat much more at the mercy of the waves and wind. It was not cheap to bring a family over and to begin life again. However, those who came were strongly motivated, and we know from the letters written back to Germany that have survived express contentment at being in America. These quotes come from the book "Beloved Family and Friends, Letters between Grafschaft Bentheim and America". It will be available for sale in the gift shop soon.

"I am happy I came to America. A workman has a better chance here than back home. (From Lucas Veldink, 1881, 'Beloved Family and Friends')

"I can also write you that we have a good life here. We have 80 acres cropland, the quality is better than by you. We can raise crops here which will not grow by you. Also we use machinery and so the work does not take that long." (From JW Lohmolder, date unsure)

"I have fun here and I am not sorry I emigrated. I can do the work here, which includes milking. Somehow the work is not as heavy here" Ten, almost as an afterthought, he adds, "We eat new potatoes here. How about you?" (From Friedrich Hansen, 1881)

"Groceries are cheap here. Coffee beans are 12 cents a pound. Sugar 8-9 a pound. If you see your ways clear, just come over, too. Life is better here than in Laar." (From JH Roelofs, 1883)

"They (referring to daughters of friends) can work here and ...buy themselves a sewing

2 machine. Everybody has here a sewing machine, it's not hard to learn to sew with a machine. The girls really have a good life here, as there is much work for them.as a domestic help. It brings more for them...(than)...the hard farm work they have to do back home on the farm." (From Hendrika Ensing De Frel, 1886)

The families from Bentheim grew as they settled in, and as those who came over as singles met and married other immigrants. Families were often large, as you will see from the following 2 excerpts from letters back to relatives in Europe: " You would be surprised to see our children as a group. There are nine. All of them are tall. Then we have seven grandchildren. Three are named Janna and one has the name Jan." (From Jan and Janna Hinken, 1894) "Yes, brother and sister, much has changed from the time I left you. Then I was alone (pause). Now we are nine." They eventually had 16 total in the family! (From Albert Kraker, 1889)

The sense of community stayed strong over here, with established immigrants helping the newcomers get started. Many stayed with friends and relatives until they became more established, not always for free!

"Sister, you wrote and asked me where I made my home. I cannot tell you this! Where I pay my room and board, there is my home. Leida said to me she would not like to have me if I got sick; Uncle Albert offered to have me anytime." (Albert Krake, 1776)

It is really wonderful here, just like in Frensdorf! The people talk Platte Deutsch and live in the neighborhood, close together" (From J Laug, 1914) The helpfulness continued into the 20th century. In 1952, when Jan and Swenna Harger arrived on the train in Kalamazoo, after a long trip from New York following their sea voyage from Germany, they expected to be met at the station by the couple in whose home they would be staying. No one was there waiting for them. They eventually were able to communicate with a man who thought he recognized the name of the people expected. He placed a phone call for the Hargers, only to find out that the people he called had the same name but were not the right people! Happily, they knew their same- name counterparts, contacted them, and Jan and Swenna were safely taken to their first American home. We see from the letters that illness and death were common, which is to be expected. The letters often detail much of this in order to catch people up on the news because letters were infrequent. Colds, flu, accidents, weakness, and even worms in the brain! But in this, as in all of their dealings, they were very clear about their faith and how it fashioned the framework of their everyday lives.

Many opened their letters by referring to good health as being "by the grace of God". One

3 reference to illness in the family said, " our children were very sick. They had high fever. Our youngest was 3weeks old and thought he would not get better again. But when the troubles are the biggest, the hand of the Lord is often the nearest. Let us never forget that we receive all this from the Lords hand. It is for us sometimes dark. After the darkness, He supplies light again." (From Swenna Schippers, approx. 1884)

Their letters are filled with what seem to be very natural references to the Lord and their dependence on Him in everyday life. It seems from stories we have heard that the same attitude persisted, but twentieth century immigrants faced some challenges that the earliest immigrants did not. As in the previous century, economics played a large role in the decision to come over to America. There was runaway inflation in Germany following WW I and the Treaty of Versailles. Sentiment was unfavorable towards those of German background, both then and through WW II. Even 7 years after, when Jan and Swenna Herger came in 1952, there were still bad feelings, even from those who were earlier immigrants or their descendants. The assumption was that every German was a Nazi and was to blame for everything that happened. That would be the same as if someone assumed that every American now was a Democrat because our president is a Democrat. The German men fought for their country, but not necessarily for the policies being espoused. With that outlook around them, it was easier to claim to be Dutch or let people assume it.

And so the confusion: am I Dutch or German? One of our members, Gary Gemmen, was interviewed by the Sentinel on this topic a few years ago and said that until he was 40 he thought he was Dutch...not so. That new knowledge led him and his wife and daughter into some fascinating research, and they have produced this book, tracing the Gemmen family lineage.

For a long time, especially before there was much apparent diversity in the Holland area, it has been almost an unconscious assumption that everybody was Dutch. For instance, when we were preparing this exhibit, I was very surprised to find that the "Russ", that is Russ Bouws, of Russ' Restaurant, was not Dutch, but a Bentheimer...so much for assumptions just because of the little Dutch boy on the sign! President Ford's first press secretary was Jerry TerHorst, a Bentheimer. The family from the clothing store Jurgens and Holtvleur are Bentheimers. I would encourage you to note the 2 ads from the late 30's and early 40's from that store on the slide show upstairs. One of the store's incentives to purchase clothing in August was sugar...a 5lb. bag for every $3 spent.... just in time for canning season! In 1942, men were urged to hurry to order pants with cuffs...the War Dept. prohibited cuffs after March in order to save wool to be used in the war effort.

Bentheimers were and are, a productive people. The spinning and weaving of linens was a major industry in Bentheim, impacted negatively by several factors in the mid-1800's, causing many to come to America. It has been estimated that one out of two emigrants in

4 the second half of the 1800's were weavers. You can see a variety of Bentheim linens in the exhibit upstairs. Also, during Tulip Time, Swenna Harger will be demonstrating spinning for 2 hours at a time, 4 days each week right in the Focus Gallery. This is a treasure, and it will be a privilege to be able to see this craft!

Weavers...farmers...moms and dads...preachers and their congregations...people of all types left Bentheim to come to America. There is so much interest, both here and in Bentheim Germany, about family connections, that the B. I. S. has grown on both sides of the ocean, and many have crossed that ocean both ways to learn about their roots. We have information upstairs about the Society, whose mission is to preserve and connect...to preserve the history and stories and to connect Bentheimers to the past and to each other in the present. I hope this has helped you to connect a little more, too!

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