William's Family From his First Marriage. He is son of Juergen Hch. William Meyer

First born son of William and Mary (Heinz) Meyer was Little William born [1873] in Oldendorf an der Goehrde.[Bleckede] Not far from Oldendorf at the church of Nahrendorf, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm was babtized. Johann Wilhelm married [oo]- on 23.May.1900 with Dorothy CARSTENSEN [b. 1878 in Greene county, Iowa to Godber and Dorothea (JOCHIMS) Carstensen]. Their children were Walter, Mabel, and Ellnora Meyer. He died +14.05.1952 at Fairmont though he was buried at Dawson cemetery at Paton, Iowa. His first wife preceded him by two years.

He married his second wife Adele Matilda Grote born *5.03.1887 at Gutting Germany md.[oo] 27.03.1950 in Fairmont, Martin county, Minnesota. Her father August GROTE and Mother Dores also attended the St. Peters Lutheran church at Farnhamville area. The family came from Bleckede. Adele died +17.aug.1955 at Fairmont, Minn. but she was buried at themReading Cemetery at Farnhamville, Calhoun County in Iowa.

[Note: Wlm. Naefke parents were Deitrich and Dorethea Ahrens from Oldendorf and Bleckede.] [Ahrens from Bleckede are Related to Elmer and Herman Seil spelled Siel in photo of clipping about the Christ Lutheran church because their father Henry Seil had married Marie Ahrens from Bleckede. Henry Seil was from Oldendorf.]
[Note: In 1885 Iowa state census of Butler of Calhoun county, Iowa, Harmon, age 3 Meyer, wlm Meyer age 11, and rest of his family live next to Wlm Naefke's [b.1878] family.

Adele [Grote, Naefke] Meyer had three children previously: Amanda [Naefke] Kuhlman, Bertha (Naefke) Kuhlman, and Arnold Naefke. [Welter, Hawthorne ]



Grandpa Willie [ or Juergen Hch. William Meyer] in the Center of His Grandchildren in Iowa.


Wordless Wednesday Post. In order to read the captions and see a larger picture you have to click on the pictures. I guess it is cut off at the bottom. The story goes is that He [Jerris] gave his life at the Battle of the Bulge in France. HE was in France because he did not want to fight his ancestors in Germany. Someone told me once that may not be where he really died. I don't know why that person thought that. But I guess this person is somewhat of a military Historian. ?? Someone should check into it. I don't have a military mind, so I leave it up to someone else.

1. MEYER, Walter Godber Henry *20.06.1901 Greene county Iowa. He [oo] married 25.Dec. 1932 with Charlotte SCHNEIDER of Farnhamville, Iowa. They lived at Jefferson, Iowa. Her parents were Henry and Catherine SPARRENBERGER. Other Descendant Family surnames are Cole, Nielsen and Williams.

2. MEYER, Mabel Dorothea Maria * 4.04.1903 - +22 03.1928 Greene county Iowa. She died nine days after giving birth to Dorothy O. Married [oo]-[25.Aug.1923] C. Roscoe ROWE [born *1897] from Corydon, Indiana. They lived at Paton, Farnhamville, and Webster city, Iowa. His Parents were Albert Rowe and Anna TIREY. Roscoe and Mabel had three children:
a. ROWE, Jerris R.,- *30.Nov.1923 Lohrville Iowa - +26. Nov.1944 buried at Dawson Twp. Cemetery at Paton, Iowa.
b. ROWE, Darwin T.,- *1.04.1926 Greene county Iowa.- +3.03.1931 at St. James, Watonwan county, Minnesota while living with his grandparents William and Dorothy Meyer. He was buried at Dawson Cemetery at Paton, Iowa
c. ROWE, Dorothy O.,- *13.03.1928 Greene county Iowa - +6.11.2003 Hazord Sherman, Nebraska. Dorothy married - [oo] 18.Aug.1950 Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Donald L. Cummings. She has changed her name legally minus the O. Donald and Dorothy had three children. Donald Wray [1950 's Scottsbluff, Nebraska; Jerris Lee 1950's plus; Kim Robert 1950's also. I don't at this minute know who they married.

3. MEYER, Ellnora Wilhelmina b.* 22 May 1906 Greene county, Iowa. married [oo]1.10.1924 in Farnhamville,Calhoun county, Iowa. with Virtus Jacob J. HASS b.*21.03.1902 Low Moor, Iowa. His parents were Frederick H. and Dorothea H.(LAU)Laue?] Hass. Ellnora and Virtus lived and farmed at any of these residences- Churdan, Low Moor, Camanche, Lost Nation and DeWitt, Iowa. Some surnames that were mentioned in the Meyer book that you will find in this family are Shelton, Jungck, Lenth, Lawson, and Passig.



Click on the picture for a larger view.


For a better view and identification of Mabel and Ellnora, click on the picture.

I have been told a story by Gary Sorenson whose mother was Louise Jaeschke. A almost unbelievable thing happened after Dorothy O. Rowe's mother died nine days after her birth. Gertrude Jaeschke walked in and just took baby Dorothy O. Rowe. William and his wife Dorothy Meyer were living in St James or Fairmont at this time about 1928 or 1929. They were raising the two older sons of Roscoe and Mabel Rowe. According to Christi Chance, Grandmother Dorothy Meyer had been dealing with her own Illness and one of the older Rowe brothers was sick as well. I have been following the census of Mn and Iowa. On and off Gertrude was staying with Herman and Annie (Seil) Meyer at Sunnyslope Farm. My mother said that she met C. F. Leonard while living in Minnesota. She is married at age 21 and living with him in Iowa state census of 1925. The census cites her and her husband living with August H. Jaeschke, her brother, at Reading [district], Farnhamville [town], Calhoun county Iowa. [Later she also lived at Rockwell City in Iowa.] Gertrude JAESCHKE LEONARD pictured below.

I am going to add a little interesting tidbit to this story. I found that Dorothy O. Rowe's name was mentioned as beneficiary of Annie (Seil) Meyer's insurance papers. Somewhere along the line of my investigation into the name and Herman H. Meyer role; I learned that he was godparent to Dorothy O Rowe. I gathered that that is why Annie and Herman developed more than a passing sympathetic interest in little Dorothy. I am sure Gertrude, and Annie had heart felt feelings about poor little Dorothy whose grandparents couldn't take her in. They had lost their real mother and both of them were raised by August W. SEIL. Annie was completely raised by her Grandfather and his new wife Anna VOGEL.. When Annie Meyer died 24.May 1936 from complications of her Diabetes, Dorothy still did not get her money until she was eighteen or twenty one. I hope at least she got the interest of the invested sum as well. Dorothy graduated from High School at Rockwell city In 1945. In 1949 she graduated from Nurses training.

Christi Chance, this families record keeper, did a good job on these scans. She sent me these, when she found me back in 2001 at the message boards on Ancestry.com and Roots Web. I had just started into Genealogy with nothing on my family. She gave me a good starting point. I would not be nearly where I am today without her help.

Well, while giving credit where it is due, I shall say Verl Matthews too has been a big help.

I would like to especially thank Jerry Cummings for his contribution of personal Information he had on the Cummings / Rowe family. Jerry Cummings was named after Gerald Cummings. He graciously sent me some information on the family all the way from Belgium. I hope to Post that soon.

Okay, I admit it, it wasn't Wordless Wednesday after all. Now tell the truth, did you really think it would be?!

Note: Document Information from Meyer book written by Jean Delores Wieland Everhart. Information was also contributed by many families over a nine year time span.

Note: Documents of Dorothy Cumming's obituaries are online newspapers.
Note to self: Find out when exactly Gertrude took Dorothy. and If she legally adopted her. Find document of Gertrude's marriage and if divorde to Leonard. Find document, if possible of her getting the Insurance Money.Find and copy obituary. Record name of newspaper source.
More to come on the Rowe, Cummings family