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THE
ARENS/ARNS FAMILIES |
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THE
ARENS/ARNS FAMILIES |
Email Me |
 |
Verla Arns (wife of Earl Arns) of Fullerton, California, a
descendent of
William Arns (see below) has
provided an Arns family history. The family is quite large and has been traced
back to about 1600. The surname was originally spelled Arens but
was anglicized to Arns on coming to America.
Portions of the following material were taken from her research and from
various family members and cousins. The Arens family lived in Grossenmarpe, and later Brakelsiek, in the small German principality of Lippe or Lippe-Detmold which is about 100 miles southwest of Hannover. Brakelsiek is the same village where the Schrodermeier family lived. Although William Arns' obituary states that he was born in Brakelsiek, I have viewed the parish records for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brakelsiek but could not confirm any of the Arens family there. However, the records were very difficult to read and I may have missed them. Four brothers immigrated to the United States: William Arens and two twin half brothers, Heinrich and Christian, came in 1858 in order to avoid conscription into the army. They settled first in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before going to Bremer County, Iowa. In 1867, another brother, Friedrich August Arens immigrated to Bremer County. My direct ancestors are shown in bold type. Generations are shown in colors.
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| I. Johann Heinrich Arens, 1600 - ???? and Spouse the author's g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandparents, had two documented children: Simon Ludwig
Arens - see below
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| II. Simon Ludwig Arens, 1626 - 1711
and Ilsabe Wegener the author's g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandparents, had four documented children: Anna Elizabeth
Arens (1661 - 1736) |
| III. Johann Arens, 1666 - 1721
and Anna Margaretha Woermann, 1664 - ???? the author's g-g-g-g-g-g-grandparents, had three documented children: Johann Jost Heinrich
Arens (1694 - ) |
| IV. Johann Heinrich Arens, 1708 - 1783 and Anna Marie
Hoeners, 1712 - ???? the author's g-g-g-g-g-grandparents, married 1770 and they had seven documented children: Johann
Hermann Arens (1736 - ) |
| V. Franz Heinrich Arens, 1743, the
author's g-g-g-g-grandfather married (1) Anna Catharina
Beermann, (2) Anna Ilsabe Leseman, and (3)
Luise Brueggenmann.
With the latter he had three documented children:
Franz
Heinrich Arens (1797 - ) see below |
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VII. Johann Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm (a.k.a. William) Arns, 1838 - 1905 and Wilhelmina (a.k.a. Minnie) Witte 1832 - 1908 (the authors g-g-grandfather) immigrated in1858 with twin half brothers Heinrich (a.k.a. Henry), and Christian, in order to escape conscription into the army. A third brother, Friedrich August, immigrated in 1867. According to Verla Arns' Family History, William's mother was Sophia Goekemier. However, his Civil War Burial Record lists his mother as Catharina Racker (sic). I have not resolved this conflict except that his father had been married to both women. He and Minnie Witte were married in 1858. She had come to America on the same ship as William with a daughter Amelia (Molly) and she was eight months pregnant when she married William. Read about William's Civil War Service. After his return from military service in Montana, William and his brothers moved their families to Bremer County, Iowa where he farmed 160 acres in Warren Township. They appear in the 1880 US Census. The 1900 US Census , as well as an Arns' family Bible, lists Henrietta (1887) as a daughter. If she really is their child she must have been a surprise as she is 12 years younger than Simon and her mother would have been 55 years old at the time. Perhaps she is an adopted daughter of some relative. William served as a Warren Township Trustee from 1877 to 1881. He died in1905 and is buried in the Warren Evangelical Association Church Cemetery. After his death in 1905 (obituary), William’s widow Minnie (age 75) applied for a pension in 1907 based on her husband’s military service. I don’t know if she ever received one or not but she died in 1908 and is buried in the Warren Evangelical Association Church cemetery. William and Minnie's descendents are as follows. They had four
children while in Milwaukee and five in Bremer County, Iowa: |
| VIII.
Christian William Arns, 1859-1930
and Pauline Schroedermeier, 1861 - 1915 the author’s great grandparents, married in 1882 (four children):
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| Ernest Frederick
Arns (1883 - 1970) see below They appeared in the 1900 US Census of Washington Township, Bremer County where he is farming. Sometime before 1910 he moved his family to Waterloo, Black Hawk County where he is found in the 1910 US Census living just two doors away from his son Ernest (the author’s grandfather) and his family. Also, Christian's mother-in-law Minnie Eichmann Witte is living with him. He’s listed as a renderer at a packing house (Rath Packing Company). He was also a tour guide there. Pauline died in 1915 and Christian married Emma Scheppele in 1919. In the 1920 US Census, Christian and Emma are found living with their son George and his family in Waterloo, Iowa. Clarence relocated to Los Angeles, California where he died, but no other records can be found. Logan relocated to Seattle, Washington but the only records found are the 1910 US Census where he is living in a boarding house, and a WWI draft card. Perhaps he was killed in the war - no one knows. |
| IX. Ernest Frederick Arns, 1883-1970
and Anna Marie Fox, 1885 - 1973 |
|
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Ernest Arns married
Anna Fox (the author’s
grandparents) in 1907 and resided in Waterloo. He worked as a grocery store
salesman and as a guide for Rath Packing Company. He and Anna had two daughters:
Irene
Marion Arns (1908 - 1997), the author’s mother) married Fred
Bade |
