OHANN GEORG REMPFER, was born in Gültlingen, Würtemberg, September 26, 1749 and married ANNA MARIA GAUSS from Wenden, Oberamt Nagold, on September 26, 1770 in Gültlingen. Georg was occupied as a Teugmacher.     The period that followed the Seven Years War of 1756-1763, until the last decade of the century, was relatively peaceful in Europe but it marked the beginning of the first wave of emigration under a call from Catherine the Great of Russia for settlers to the Volga. In the course of her thirty-four year reign Catherine turned Russia into a great-power. After a number of wars against the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) - 1768-74, 1783 and 1787-92 - Russia conquered vast regions south to the Black Sea coast and west to the Dnestr River. In 1783 Catherine annexed the last Mongol Khanate in Crimea, where the people - long intermarried with local Turks - were known as Tartars.      The French revolution began with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. The monarchy fell in 1791 and soon a coalition of nine neighboring states declared war on the new republic in an effort to restore the monarchy. Early French setbacks were soon reversed and by the end of 1793 the allies were pushed back east of the Rhine. Among the foremost French military leaders was Napoleon Bonaparte. In early 1796 the 26 year old Napoleon was placed in command of the entire French army.     That same year, French troops invaded the Upper Rhine. The entire Rhine valley, Württemberg, Franconia and Bavaria were occupied. The enemy troops "descended upon the German populace like swarms of hungry wolves. The contributions and requisitionings were terrible. The soldiers abused the land to the utmost: I blush with shame to lead an army that behaves in such an unworthy manner ...", wrote General Jourdan. In 1799 Napoleon staged a coup d'etat and was made First Consul with nearly dictatorial powers.      With the second and third partitioning of Poland in 1793 and 1795 the country was obliterated as a nation - carved up by Prussia, Austria and Russia. Much of the area around Warsaw and west to Berlin became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. In September 1798 King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia issued an "energetic order to expand the colonization in the newly-annexed provinces of South and New-East Prussia". He also gave instructions to accept only well-to-do settlers. But as it happened some poorer candidates were included when they could provide good evidence of their industriousness and behavior.     Prussia at this time was not heavily populated, therefore the Berlin government was much more inclined to see these immigrants come form other parts of Germany. Polish farmers were freed from their bondage to the Polish nobility but years of neglect had left the regions agriculture in primitive conditions compared to that in the German states. The land wasn't the best but it was sparsely populated and had the capacity for a large number of immigrants; the land could provide sufficient opportunity for settlers if the officials would guarantee assistance in starting the settlement process.     In numerous towns throughout German lands, Prussia organized the recruitment through which the farmers were obtained for the new provinces. The emigrations for sometime were particularly strong from the upper part of Württemberg from Schwarzwald (Black Forest) to the lower part of Odenwald. The immigrants were granted land, equipment, a stipend and six "free" years during which they paid no land taxes. There were even provisions for leniency in later years for times of distress. Military service would be required only of sons born in Prussia.     Around the turn of the century, and perhaps after the February 1801 peace of Lunéville, the Rempfer family heeded the call and settled in an area 50 miles northeast of Warsaw along the Bug River. They became a part of the group that was later referred to as the "Warschauer Kolonisten" (Warsaw colonists).     Georg died around this same time, but probably in the Warsaw colonies.

Children of Johann Georg Rempfer and Anna Maria Gauss :

JOHANN GEORG REMPFER, born January 10, 1771 in Gültlingen.   MARIA MARGARETE REMPFER, born September 18, 1774 in Gültlingen, died March 14, 1855; married May 9, 1797 to Jacob Friedrich Miller (baker), born March 9, 1772, died October 31, 1845.   JOHANNES REMPFER, born December 10, 1775 in Gültlingen; moved to Poland around 1792.   JACOB REMPFER, Barber & Surgeon, born September 25, 1780 in Gültlingen, died May 27, 1837; married October 2, 1804 to Marie Agnes Halmbacher.   JOHANN FRIEDRICH REMPFER, born July 8, 1782, Gültlingen, Würtemberg and married ANNA MARIA RIEGER in late 1806 or early 1807 at Luisenau, the Duchy of Warsaw, now Poland. He died circa 1856, Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia.

 

OHANN FRIEDRICH REMPFER, was born the fourth son of Johann Georg Rempfer and Anna Maria Gauss on July 8, 1782, in Gültlingen, Würtemberg, southwest of Stuttgart.     Europe was soon in turmoil from Napoleon's quest for power. By 1797 the entire Rhine valley, Württemberg, Franconia and Bavaria were occupied by the French. A temporary lull came in February 1801 when peace was concluded between France and Austria at Lunéville. The accord set, among other things, the Rhine River, from Switzerland to the Netherlands, as the eastern boundary of France. Friedrich moved about this time with his family to the Warsaw Colonies, northeast of Warsaw along the Bug River.     The results of a plebescite in 1802 made Napoleon First Consul for life and in May of 1804 he was elected Emperor. The year 1805 saw the formation of the Third Coalition by Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Sweden and the Kingdom of Naples with the goal to force France back behind its former borders. On the same day, October 20, the French defeated the Austrians at Ulm, Admiral Nelson defeated the French fleet at Trafalgar. In July 1806 sixteen German states formed the Confederation of the Rhine, with Napoleon as protector. Three months later Napoleon marched on Prussia and was soon in Warsaw.     The year 1806 not only brought the defeat of the Prussians but also the end of the "free" years for the German settlers. In 1807 the South Prussia lands from the second partition were ceded to the newly-created Grand Duchy of Warsaw, an ally of Napoleon or early 1807. Anna Maria was born 10 August 1786 in Lustnau, near Tübingen, Würtemberg, a short 20 miles southeast of Gültlingen. The first three of their children were born in Luisenau, the Duchy of Warsaw, between October 1807 and July 1814.     The near total crop failure in 1807 became the beginning of the end for the settlement provisions the German settlers had enjoyed. In an effort to regain control of the land, the Polish nobility and estate owners exploited the taxation provisions of the settlement agreement and forced many to sell what they had in order to pay the accumulated taxes. Some colonists returned to Württemberg while others accepted the invitation from Czar Alexander I to settle newly acquired areas in South Russia near Odessa. Of those that remained, many lost house and yard and became day laborers of the Polish estate owners and experienced a meager existence. Alexander offered a settlement agreement similar to that of Catherine the Great and of the Prussians before. Among other things, he promised them ownership of land, complete religious freedom, 10 years free of taxes and freedom from military service for all time.     From the defeat of the Turks in the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812, the Russians acquired the Moldavian province of Bessarabia. Czar Alexander I sought more Germans to settle this lightly populated steppe. By 1812 Franco-Russian relations had frayed. Alexander, Napoleon's only major rival on the Continent, resented the revival of Poland through the establishment of the Duchy of Warsaw. Napoleon's refusal to join him in trying to drive the Turks from Southern Europe made matters worse. On 24 June 1812 Napoleon crossed into Russia and in three months was in Moscow. Then the Russian winter hit, and his armies began to fall apart while he made a fighting retreat back into Poland. Armies from the conquered lands began to defect but the "Warsaw Colonies" were in the path.     Aware of the plight of the "Warsaw Colonists", Alexander appealed through a recruiter in 1813 for these Germans to come to Bessarabia. Seeking again in 1814 what they had in 1800, thousands left the Polish homeland, leaving some towns deserted, for the "Mother Colonies" of Bessarabia.      Among these immigrants of 1814 was Friedrich Rempfer, and family, who settled in the new colony of Beresina. In all, life in the South Russian steppe was good. There were the normal ups and downs of farming - bountiful harvest, drought and epidemics among the settlers and livestock - but the settlers were genuinely able to settle-in for two generations.     Friedrich and Anna Maria died in Beresina, she around 1846 and he about 1856.

Children of Johann Friedrich Rempfer and Anna Maria Rieger :

JOHANN FRIEDRICH REMPFER, born October 15,1807 in Poland; died February 28, 1879 in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; married Wilhelmina Einhorn.   ANNA MARIA REMPFER, born circa 1810 in Louisenau, Poland; died March 19, 1876, in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; married Georg Nitschke.   BARBARA REMPFER, born September 14, 1814; died in Beresina; married Nikolaus Stehr.   JOHANN GEORG REMPFER, born September 15, 1821 at Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died September 22, 1904 at Venturia, North Dakota; married December 26, 1840, ELIZABETHA STEHR, daughter of Nikolaus Stehr, born July 25, 1821 in Mollaschne, died October 28, 1871 at Neu Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia.   MATTHÄUS REMPFER, born September 2, 1824, in Beresina; died 1904, Birsula, Russia; married January 3, 1846, Rosina Klotzbücher, born 1826, Berntieth.   GOTTFRIED REMPFER, born September 1, 1826, Beresina; married first Katharina Einhorn born December 17, 1830, Beresina, died March 21, 1861, Beresina; married second September 22, 1861 Margaretha Nitschke, born January 30, 1842, died August 15, 1875, Beresina; married third Wilhelmina Flegel, born August 16, 1844, Kulm, South Russia.

 

OHANN GEORG REMPFER, Farmer, was born September 15, 1821 in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia. He married circa 1841 to ELISABETHA STEHR, daughter of Nikolaus Stehr, born July 25, 1821 in Mollshne; died October 28, 1871 in Neu Beresina. The family lived in (Alt) Beresina until about 1867 when they moved to Neu Beresina where their youngest child was born. After the death of Elizabetha, around 1884, Georg came to the United States along with his son Georg Rempfer and family; Carolina, his daughter, and Frederich Strobel together with the three children by him and Wilhelmina Rempfer,his daughter, deceased; and his daughter Katharina Rempfer. They spent the first winter in Scotland, South Dakota with son and brother Christian Rempfer and his new family. By spring 1885 they had moved to the McIntosh County, North Dakota, McPherson County, South Dakota region of the Dakota Territory. Johann Georg enjoyed a long life, having attained the age of 83 when he died in 1904 near Venturia, North Dakota. He is buried in the protestant cemetery, Eureka, South Dakota with an obelisk marking his grave.

Children of Johann Georg Rempfer and Elizabetha Stehr :

CHRISTOPH REMPFER, born December 29, 1841 in (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died June 25, 1879; married circa 1870 Elisabetha Nitschke, born March 21, 1849, died 1905 and who married secondly October 1893 Friedrich Rempfer (4.).   FRIEDERIKA REMPFER, born January 25, 1844 in (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died in Beresina; married October 20, 1866, Johannes Schulz, born August 25, 1844 or 1845. They remained in the vacinity of Beresina.   ELISABETHA REMPFER, born August 6, 1846 in (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died after 1914; married circa 1865 to Friedrich März, born May 19, 1844 in Beresina. They remained in Beresina.   FRIEDRICH REMPFER, born December 7, 1850 in (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died 1905 or 1906 in Neu Beresina; married first October 28, 1873 to Regina März who died before 1914 and secondly in October 1893 to brother Christoph's widow, Elisabetha Nitschke Rempfer.   WILHELMINA REMPFER, born circa 1853 in (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died at Neu Glückstal, South Russia in 1883; married 1876 to Friederich Strobel, born October 15, 1850, Glückstal, died August 17, 1944, Venturia, North Dakota.   GEORG REMPFER, born December 31, 1856, (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died February 6, 1900, Zeeland, North Dakota; married in 1878 to Friedricka Breitling, born February 28, 1861 in Beresina (she remarried as a widow), died in 1924 at Eureka, South Dakota. Georg with wife and two children came to America in 1884 with his father and several siblings, and attained his citizenship in 1893.   CHRISTIAN REMPFER, born July 18, 1859, (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died June 9, 1945, Parkston, South Dakota; married February 3, 1883, Scotland, South Dakota, CHRISTINA KREIN, the widow of Martin Hofer, born September 26, 1854, Neudorf, Kherson, South Russia, died January 20, 1920, Parkston, South Dakota.   KAROLINA REMPFER, born October 4, 1862, (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died June 3, 1936, Venturia, North Dakota; married November 30, 1883, Russia, to Friedrich Strobel widower of her sister Wilhelmina.   GOTTFRIED REMPFER, born circa 1864, (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died at age 2 or 3.   KATHARINA REMPFER, born November 19, 1868, Neu Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia; died March 11, 1932, Eureka, South Dakota; Katharina came to the United States in 1884 with her father and several siblings. She married May 21, 1888, Johann Strobel, born September 13, 1866, Glückstal, South Russia, died August 20, 1948, Eureka, South Dakota.

 

Reise nach Europa

HRISTIAN REMPFER, was born July 18, 1859 in (Alt) Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia, the fourth son of Johann Georg Rempfer and his wife, Elisabetha Stehr. The Rempfers were farmers in South Russia and Christian as an adolescent attended a German language school for four short years - short, because the young people worked in the fields and the school year ended in early spring when field work began. In those days one son from each family was required to serve in the Czar's army for a term. His older brothers were excused for some reason and it fell to the lot of Christian to do this duty. Unwilling to do so, he skipped the country and somehow made his way to Scotland, South Dakota with only a few dollars in his pocket. He sailed on the vessel Herder from Hamburg to New York on September 29, 1880. He was the first of the family to come to the United States.     On February 3, 1883, in Scotland, South Dakota he married CHRISTINA KREIN, the widow of Martin Hoffar, who was born September 26, 1854 in Neudorf, Kherson, South Russia, the daughter of Michael Krein and Barbara Gehring. They remained in the Scotland area for several more years but by the spring of 1886 had moved to a farm south and west of Parkston, South Dakota where, in their sod house, the youngest three of their children were born. They moved into Parkston in 1892.     Besides being religious, honest, and intelligent, Christian was exceedingly industrious and ambitious. His goal to become the richest man in Hutchinson County may well have been met for a time. He obtained a farm implement franchise, in addition to his own farming, and liked to tell about getting up at 4 a.m. so he could take his team out to a farmer prospect's and be there in time to greet the farmer as he arose at 5 a.m. In this way he made may sales. He put his money into land and tenaciously hung onto it through depression and other hard times. These activities provided him with a wide acquaintanceship with many citizens which eventually enabled him to be elected to the state senate in 1901 and 1903 to serve two terms. He took with him to the capitol at Pierre his teenage son "Willie" to serve as page boy.     Although he often seemed rather inflexible, there are some evidences to the contrary - e.g. he was persuaded that his daughter Emma's special talent in music must be developed in Paris and he permitted her to go alone to Paris to study music when she was 18 or 19. Emma joined her father in Berlin for their 1913-14 trip to Germany and Russia as recorded in his "Reise nach Europa".     He established three businesses in Parkston, an implement business, the elevator and grain business, and the bank, and he maintained an active interest in the latter two until his death. He was very active in the German Baptist Church throughout his life, serving as Deacon for many years.     He died in Parkston June 9, 1945 and is buried there between Christina and his second wife, Anna Steinau Weich, whom he married August 26, 1926 and who preceded him in death in 1936.

Children of Christian Rempfer and Christina Krein :

HENRY GEORGE REMPFER, born December 25, 1883, Scotland, South Dakota; died October 5, 1957, Jerauld County, South Dakota; married June 6, 1907, Lou Julia Mowry, born June 6, 1890, Milltown, South Dakota, died September 20, 1969, Mitchell, South Dakota.   WILLIAM CHRISTIAN REMPFER, born April 28, 1886 near Parkston, South Dakota; died July 17, 1958, Parkston, South Dakota; married June 25, 1913, Mitchell, South Dakota, Helen Irene Weir, born March 6, 1891, Wichita, Kansas, died April 25, 1968, Portland, Oregon. Both are buried in Parkston.   HELENA REMPFER, born 1887 near Parkston, South Dakota; died November 20, 1936 Yankton, South Dakota; unmarried.   EMMA REMPFER, born November 25, 1888 near Parkston, in the Dakota Territory; died March 14, 1957, Evanston, Illinois; married February 3, 1916, Parkston, South Dakota, HORACE WHITEHOUSE, both are buried in Parkston.

 

MMA REMPFER was born to Christian Rempfer and Christina Krein 25 November 1888 near Parkston, in the Dakota Territory. She was educated in the Parkston public schools (to 1904), Dakota Wesleyan University (1904-1908), the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston (1908-1911) and the Paris Conservatory of Music, Paris, France (1911-1914). Emma was hired by her future husband, the Dean of Music, as a Professor of Voice at Washburn College, Topeka, Kansas - she herself was a contralto. It was during the period of study in Paris that she accompanied her father on a visit to Southern Russia. She had been home for a visit in 1913 and began her return trip 22 April from Boston, on board the White Star Line's S. S. Cymric. Emma joined up with her father on New Year's Eve in Berlin and returned to Paris at the end of the visit to finish at the consevatory.     From the age of about 12, Emma occasionally worked as an assistant cashier in her father's First National Bank of Parkston, and continued to work for her father summers and when available until 1914. She noted on a 1943 application for federal employment that she spoke, read and understood German proficiently and had a fair understanding and reading ability in French. Emma also gave her height as 5' 3" and noted that she had no license to operate an automobile. She seems to have worked for a time at the Centralized Field Offices in Chicago beginning in May 1943.     She married HORACE WHITEHOUSE on 3 February 1916, a very cold day in Parkston, South Dakota and lived at various times in Topeka, Kansas; Delaware, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Boulder, Colorado and Evanston, Illinois.     Emma died 1:30 a.m. March 14, 1957 at home in Evanston, aged 68 years, 3 months and 19 days, and was buried at the Protestant Cemetery, Parkston, South Dakota on March 18th.

Children of Emma Rempfer and Horace Whitehouse :