Looking for FOLKERS of St. LOUIS and Hanover GermanyThis branch of my...
Looking for FOLKERS of St. LOUIS and Hanover Germany
This branch of my family reportedly came from Hanover however, HEYES S FOLKERS (my great, great grandfather has a note in the family BIBLE behind his name "the Dutchman". HEYES, born Nov 10 1810, and GERRTJE (Gertrude)born about 1811, came to the US aboard the Atlanta on Oct 10, 1866 with two children, FOLKERT and GERHARDT. The family settled in St. Louis and was active in Bethlehem Church which was founded in the 1860s. Heyes was a dairyman. Folkert followed in his fathers footsteps and was a dairyman. Gerhardt was a retail grocer and 1920 was a coal and ice dealer in Maplewood MO.
GERHARDT H FOLKERS married HENRIETTA EMMA GEBERT July 10, 1893 at Bethlehem Church. They had four children: WALTER H FOLKERS, b June 21, 1894, died Oct 15, 1942; HENRIETTA GRETCHEN FOLKERS, b Dec 10, 1896, d Oct 11, 1966; WILLIAM ALLEN FOLKERS,b Oct 28, 1900, d Aug 2, 1971; HELEN CICELIA FOLKERS, b Feb 21, 1904, d Oct 1, 1932.
HENRIETTA GRETCHEN was my grandmother however my mother always felt that Helen was her mother. Now that is a secret that my grandmother took to the grave. Until the death of HELEN CICELIA my mother spent most of her time with her. By the way HELEN C. died of a broken heart. Could it have been a suicide???? According to my mother Helen was a talented musician and had an actor boyfriend which displeased her father. She reportedly was offered a Pet scholarship to study in Europe however her father wouldn't allow her to go. Helen rebelled and joined Incarnate Word to become a nun. Her father found her shortly before she was to take her vows and drug her back home. Is it possible that my mother was the result of the relationship of Helen and her actor boyfriend? My mom was born at home so who knows what this strict German family might have done to keep the family secret? My grandmother HENRIETTA GRETCHEN married FRED WIEDMER Aug 12, 1919. She met him reportedly at the American Red Cross Center where she volunteered. HELEN LOUISE WIEDMER was their only child born May 10, 1920. Henrietta and Fred were divorced and she married Louis Crown Seall in 1944. My mother always felt that her Aunt Helen was her real mother.