Gerhard A. Wiebe (1873–1942)

22 Jun 1873 – 17 Jun 1942, born at Lysanderhöh, died at Beatrice (Nebraska)

Christopher’s great-grandfather · ancestor no. 10 · generation 4
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents documented

Family

Life and evidence

Born at Lysanderhöh, Am Trakt, on the Volga, eldest child of Aron J. Wiebe and Maria Fieguth, ‘who were from Prussia’. Baptized Pentecost 1889 by Elder Johann Quiring. Arrived at Beatrice, Nebraska, 4 July 1894 with his stepbrother (and cousin) Johann A. Bergmann; his parents and siblings followed about two years later and went on to Paso Robles; Gerhard returned to Beatrice. Married Anna Gertrude Claassen 1 Dec 1898; two sons and five daughters, including Anna. Killed in a haying accident, 17 June 1942.

More from The Mennonite (July 1942) and Mennonite Life (April 1950)

  • Came to America in 1894 “to be true to the principle of non-resistance”.
  • Children named in his obituary: Anna (Christopher’s grandmother) and Edgar, at home; Arthur J.; Mrs. Louis A. Penner; Mrs. Henry D. Hirschler; Mrs. Orlando Harms; and Mrs. Cornelius Krahn, wife of the Mennonite historian who edited Mennonite Life and the Mennonite Encyclopedia. Survived also by a brother, Henry A. Wiebe, a sister, Mrs. Erhard H. Schroeder, and stepbrother John A. Bergmann, all of Paso Robles.
  • The farm three miles north of Beatrice: he raised pedigreed collies, White Wyandotte chickens, then Poland China hogs. In 1932 son Arthur J. Wiebe began bottling milk from ten Guernseys: Wiebe’s Dairy, over 50 cows by 1950, with no Sunday deliveries.
    Source: Internet Archive full-text sweep (2026-10-31).

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n28714112["Anton Fieguth (1772–1844)"]
  n23837591["Gerhard A. Wiebe (1873–1942)"]
  n69728369["Maria Fieguth (1847–1890)"]
  n32302127["Catharine Epp (1826–1886)"]
  n76779922["Anna Entz (c.1820)"]
  n91399190["Jacob Wiebe (c.1815)"]
  n82836410["Maria Wiens (1788–1872)"]
  n54584388["Aron J. Wiebe (1845–1922)"]
  n47643998["Gerhard Fieguth (1823–1896)"]
  n23837591 --> n54584388
  n54584388 --> n91399190
  n54584388 --> n76779922
  n23837591 --> n69728369
  n69728369 --> n47643998
  n47643998 --> n28714112
  n47643998 --> n82836410
  n69728369 --> n32302127
  class n28714112,n23837591,n69728369,n32302127,n76779922,n91399190,n82836410,n54584388,n47643998 internal-link;

Sources

Crossing in 1894 (see the resolution below) — 2026-10-31 (Claude)

NARA’s AAD index has a Gerhard Wiebe on the Trave (Bremen–Southampton), arriving New York 29 June 1894 (manifest 43170, Russian Empire file), destination Nebraska. That is five days before Gerhard reached Beatrice (4 July 1894), but the index gives this man’s age as 50 and occupation “merchant”, not 21. Either the index misread the age, or an older Gerhard Wiebe bound for Nebraska travelled on the same ship (Gerhard came with stepbrother Johann A. Bergmann). The manifest image (NARA microfilm M237) should settle it; the AAD server began refusing requests before the rest of the manifest could be listed.
His parents and siblings followed on the same ship two years later: see Aron J. Wiebe (1845–1922).

  • Revisit NARA AAD slowly (one query at a time, ~10 s apart; stop at the first 403): list everyone on manifest 43170 (Trave, 29 Jun 1894) in both the Russian-Empire and German files to find Gerhard (21) and Johann A. Bergmann; and look for Johann Claassen’s 1881 arrival task/ai

Arrival at Beatrice reported, 19 July 1894 — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

Christlicher Bundesbote (1894), correspondent at Beatrice, Neb., 19 July: “Early this month fellow believers from Russia arrived here safely from Saratow and Samara, namely Johannes Bergmann and Gerhard Wiebe from the former [the Am Trakt colony, Saratov province] and Rev. Hermann Wiebe and Gerhard Wiebe with family from the latter [Alt-Samara]. They intend to settle here.”

This resolves the Trave puzzle: there were two Gerhard Wiebes bound for Beatrice in July 1894. The 50-year-old “merchant” with family on the Trave (NARA manifest 43170, arr. New York 29 June 1894) fits the Samara Gerhard; Christopher’s Gerhard (21) came from Saratov with his stepbrother Johann A. Bergmann, matching his obituary (arrived 4 July 1894). That he sailed on the same Trave is likely but still unconfirmed by the manifest. See Church papers - Christlicher Bundesbote and Mennonitische Rundschau (1880s-1920s).

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-11-01: context: History of Gage County (1918) p. 671 biography of the OTHER Gerhard Wiebe of Beatrice: born May 1844 near Danzig, son of John and Margaret (Hamm) Wiebe, who moved to Russia in 1872; clerk in Berlin; went to Samara 1869; came to Beatrice 1894; dry goods; married 1873 Margaret Claassen (d. 1890 in Russia). This identifies the second Gerhard Wiebe of the 1894 reports; not Christopher’s ancestor

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Johann Claassen (1840–1886)

4 Dec 1840 – 31 May 1886, born at Klein Lichtenau, died at Beatrice (Nebraska)

Christopher’s 2nd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 22 · generation 5
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Married Gertrude Toews 3 June 1869 at Altmünsterbergerfeld; farmed her parents’ farm until 1881, then emigrated ‘wegen Gewissensfreiheit’ (‘for freedom of conscience’) — Prussian Mennonites were losing their exemption from military service. Settled west of Beatrice.

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n92946304["Johann Claassen (1810–1874)"]
  n56762431["Margarete Wiebe (fl. 1810)"]
  n32840579["Anna Warkentin (1816–1848)"]
  n65014384["Johann Claassen (1840–1886)"]
  n2455890["Abraham Warkentin (fl. 1816)"]
  n34594854["Peter Claassen (fl. 1810)"]
  n57872836["Anna Enss (fl. 1816)"]
  n65014384 --> n92946304
  n92946304 --> n34594854
  n92946304 --> n56762431
  n65014384 --> n32840579
  n32840579 --> n2455890
  n32840579 --> n57872836
  class n92946304,n56762431,n32840579,n65014384,n2455890,n34594854,n57872836 internal-link;

Sources

Passenger-list search, 2026-10-31 (Claude)

NARA’s AAD index (German arrivals) has a Johann Claassen on the Rhein (Bremen, arr. New York 1 July 1876, manifest 34121) and on the Ems (Bremen, arr. 9 Aug 1884, manifest 39762), but none in 1881. Neither is shown to be this Johann. Also try Philadelphia and Baltimore arrivals, and spellings Classen/Klassen.

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Johann Epp (1778–1852)

Life and evidence

(Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Palschau section p. 192)

“Johann Epp … 13.03.1778 Palschau … [d.] 29.10.1852 … [parents] Heinrich Epp (9.08.1752–28.09.1800), Agnetha geb. Wölke (7.04.1759–6.05.1829), Palschau … Getr. mit Catharina Wiens 30.03.1822.” Children: Renatha (1823), Catharina (11.05.1826, m. 1847 Gerhard Fieguth), Johann (1827, m. Bertha Töws of Kl. Montau), Johanna (1829, m. 1851 Abraham Warkentin), and others. Married at 44, a second marriage is possible.

Children in this vault

Sources

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Jacob Wiebe (of Schlablau)

Life and evidence

Named as the father of Jacob Wiebe (c.1815) (b. 15 May 1813 at Simonsdorf): "Jacob Wiebe, Schlablau" (Ladekopp Familienbuch).

Born probably about 1780–1790. Candidates in the Heubuden book: Jacob Wiebe × Maria Neufelt, married at Münsterberg 21 Oct 1806; Jacob Wiebe × Anganetha Behrends (a widower), Lichtenau, 2 Feb 1804. Unproven. Not yet linked to the Ladekopp preachers Jakob and Abraham Wiebe of 1743.

Search of censuses and the Heubuden book (2026-10-31)

1789 land census (General-Nachweisung, comp. Adalbert Goertz): a Jacob Wiebe owned land at Simonsdorf (no. 7) and a Jacob Wiebe at Altenau (no. 3), both in the Marienburg district: the two villages where Christopher’s Jacob (b. 1813) was born and later lived. “Schlablau” does not appear in the 1789 census or the Ladekopp and Heubuden books (perhaps a misreading of the original).
Heubuden church book: 1788, “Siemonsdorf & Altenau”: “Oct. 4 Jacob Wiebe” (birth or death; the transcription’s columns are unclear, no age given). 1806, Münsterberg: Jacob Wiebe married Maria Neufelt, 21 Oct.
Working hypothesis (unproven): Jacob Wiebe, b. 4 Oct 1788 at Simonsdorf/Altenau, son of the Jacob Wiebe who held land at Simonsdorf in 1789; married Maria Neufelt at Münsterberg in 1806; father of Jacob (b. 15 May 1813 at Simonsdorf). That would add one more generation, taking the line to a Jacob Wiebe born about 1750–1760, roughly a generation after the Ladekopp preachers Jakob and Abraham Wiebe of 1743. Proof needs the original Heubuden book images (MLA, cong_321) or the Lutheran civil records of Mennonites after 1800.

Children in this vault

Sources

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Search of censuses and the Heubuden book (2026-10-31): 1789 land census (General-Nachweisung, comp. Adalbert Goertz): a Jacob Wiebe owned land at Simonsdorf (no. 7) and a Jacob Wiebe at Altenau (no. 3), both in the Marienburg

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Maria Fieguth (1847–1890)

Maria Fieguth Wiebe

28 Nov 1847 – 31 Aug 1890, born at Palschau, died at Lysanderhöh

Christopher’s 2nd great-grandmother · ancestor no. 21 · generation 5
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents documented

Family

Life and evidence

Died of cancer at Lysanderhöh. Johann Dyck’s diary, 19 Aug (old style) 1890: ‘Heute Abend die Frau Ar. Wiebe an Krebs gestorben’ — ‘This evening Mrs. Ar. Wiebe died of cancer.‘

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n28714112["Anton Fieguth (1772–1844)"]
  n51222499["Anna Busenitz (1744–1797)"]
  n85784747["Johann Fieguth (1707–1780)"]
  n69728369["Maria Fieguth (1847–1890)"]
  n32302127["Catharine Epp (1826–1886)"]
  n82836410["Maria Wiens (1788–1872)"]
  n47643998["Gerhard Fieguth (1823–1896)"]
  n69728369 --> n47643998
  n47643998 --> n28714112
  n28714112 --> n85784747
  n28714112 --> n51222499
  n47643998 --> n82836410
  n69728369 --> n32302127
  class n28714112,n51222499,n85784747,n69728369,n32302127,n82836410,n47643998 internal-link;

Conflicts

  • Death 1890 (Dyck diary, 19 Aug old style = 31 Aug new style) vs 1891 (Find a Grave) vs 1892 (Gerhard’s obituary) — prefer 1890

Sources

Ladekopp Familienbuch: Maria, b. 28.10.1847, baptized 5.06.1865, eldest child of Gerhard Fieguth and Catharina Epp.

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Death 1890 (Dyck diary, 19 Aug old style = 31 Aug new style) vs 1891 (Find a Grave) vs 1892 (Gerhard’s obituary) — prefer 1890

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anton Fieguth (1772–1844)

(Johan) Anton Fieguth

10 Mar 1772 – 10 Oct 1844, born at Ladekopp, died at Koczelitzke

Christopher’s 4th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 84 · generation 7
Evidence: identity strong inference · link to parents strong inference

Family

Life and evidence

Baptism, Ladekopp, 1791

Dirck Tiessen’s register: ‘Johan Anton’, surviving son of Johan Fiegut, Ladekopperfeld. ‘Surviving’ means the father was dead — fitting Johann Fieguth’s death in 1780. Mennonites baptized adults; Anton was about 19.

Probable siblings (also surviving children of Johan Fiegut): Catarina (bapt. 1785), Gerhard and Hedwigis (1795).

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n28714112["Anton Fieguth (1772–1844)"]
  n51222499["Anna Busenitz (1744–1797)"]
  n85784747["Johann Fieguth (1707–1780)"]
  n78573297["Anna Penner (fl. 1744)"]
  n26107610["Abraham Busenitz (1739–1787)"]
  n28714112 --> n85784747
  n28714112 --> n51222499
  n51222499 --> n26107610
  n51222499 --> n78573297
  class n28714112,n51222499,n85784747,n78573297,n26107610 internal-link;

Sources

An earlier marriage (Heubuden church book, 1800)

“Nov. 6 Anton Figuth & Maria Busenitz”: Anton married Maria Busenitz on 6 Nov 1800 (Heubuden congregation). Gerhard (b. 1823) was a son of his later wife Maria Wiens, so Maria Busenitz was apparently a first wife who died before about 1815. Busenitz was also his mother’s family name, so she may have been a cousin.

First marriage, Koszelitzke, 6 Nov 1800 (Heubuden church book) — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

“Nov. 6 Anton Figuth & Maria Busenitz” (Koselitsky & Irgang, 1800). Fieguth births follow in the Heubuden book: Gerhard 23 Apr 1802, Johann 18 Oct 1803, Anton 20 Nov 1804, Anna 19 Mar 1806 (parents not named in the transcription). His marriage to Maria Wiens (1788–1872) was therefore a second marriage, after Maria Busenitz died.

Caution: the vault’s mother for Anton, “Anna Busenitz, daughter of Abraham Busenitz and Anna Penner”, comes only from the Reid tree and has impossible dates (Abraham born 1739, Anna 1744). A Busenitz wife for Anton is documented; a Busenitz mother is not. The Busenitz family more likely belongs to his first wife.

Who was Anton's mother? Search of 2026-10-31 (Claude)

  • No Mennonite Ladekopp register exists before 1775. KB LA 0.1 starts Nov 1775; the baptism transcriptions start 1782. The Mennonite book records Johann Fieguth’s twins (a daughter and a son, Geerd) in Oct 1775, when he was 68, and a daughter’s death in Nov 1778, but never names his wife. No remarriage of a Fieguth widow appears after his death in 1780.
  • Clue: the family may have been partly Lutheran or Catholic. Johann is missing from the 1776 Mennonite census, and the children’s names Johan Anton and Hedwigis are not Mennonite names (Hedwig is a Catholic saint’s name). The children were baptized as adults at Ladekopp (Anton in 1789), which fits a mixed or converting household.
  • Where the answer should be: the Lutheran parish of Ladekopp, whose baptisms 1757–1779 and marriages 1757–1779 survive with name indexes on Archion (paid). Anton’s birth (10 Mar 1772) and Johann’s marriage to Anton’s mother (c.1760–71) should be there if the family used the Lutheran church. Failing that: the Catholic church at Tiegenhagen, which recorded Mennonites from 1721.
  • Archion (paid): Ladekopp Lutheran Taufen 1757–1779 for Anton Fieguth, b. 10 Mar 1772; and Trauungen 1757–1779 for Johann Fieguth’s marriage (c.1760–71). Check the name indexes first task/human

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • First wife Maria Busenitz (m. 1800) may be the source of the Reid tree’s ‘Anna Busenitz’ as his mother

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Gerhard Fieguth (1823–1896)

6 Oct 1823 – 21 Jun 1896, born at Koczelitzke, died at Lysanderhöh

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 42 · generation 6
Evidence: identity compiled lead · link to parents compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Married Catharine Epp 1847; came ‘from Prussia to Russia’ in 1869, settling at Lysanderhöh; 14 children, seven grew up.

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n28714112["Anton Fieguth (1772–1844)"]
  n51222499["Anna Busenitz (1744–1797)"]
  n82836410["Maria Wiens (1788–1872)"]
  n85784747["Johann Fieguth (1707–1780)"]
  n78573297["Anna Penner (fl. 1744)"]
  n26107610["Abraham Busenitz (1739–1787)"]
  n47643998["Gerhard Fieguth (1823–1896)"]
  n47643998 --> n28714112
  n28714112 --> n85784747
  n28714112 --> n51222499
  n51222499 --> n26107610
  n51222499 --> n78573297
  n47643998 --> n82836410
  class n28714112,n51222499,n82836410,n85784747,n78573297,n26107610,n47643998 internal-link;

Conflicts

  • Birthplace Koczelitzke (amtrakt.de) vs Warnau (Reid tree)

Sources

Ladekopp Familienbuch (Palschau section)

“Gerhard Fieguth … 6.10.1823 … [father] Anton Fieguth, Koszelitzke … 28.11.1847 getr., 1852 von Rückenau nach Palschau gezogen”; wife Catharina geb. Epp (daughter of Johann Epp, Palschau). Children: Maria 28.10.1847 (bapt. 1865), Johanne 1851, Johann 1852–1853, Catharine 1853, Gustav 1854, Hermann Gerhard 1856, Catharina 1858.

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Birthplace Koczelitzke (amtrakt.de) vs Warnau (Reid tree)

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Sara Harder (1773–1869)

Life and evidence

Ladekopp Familienbuch (KB LA 0.3), Schönhorst, p. 150

Wife of Johann Neufeld (b. 24.11.1792, son of Jacob Neufeld of Krebsfelde and Agatha Andres of Einlage): “Sara geb. Harder 9.11.1773 – 17.03.1869”. Her children “of the first marriage with Abraham Reimer”: Abraham (m. 1840 Anna Andreas), Bernhard, Peter, Sara (m. 28.01.1840 Jacob Töws, Peter Töws’s surviving son, Altmünsterberg), Angnetha (Dyck).

Her second husband was 19 years younger than she was. She lived to 95.

Children in this vault

Sources

First marriage, 12 Apr 1796 — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

Heubuden church book, “Marienburg & Sandhoff”: “Apr. 12 Clas Reimer & Sara Harder”. Her birth on 9 Nov 1773 is not in the Heubuden book (births Dec 1772 – Nov 1773 searched), so she was probably born in another congregation. Harder families in the Heubuden area then included Isaac Harder × Elisabeth Reimer (m. 1773) and Jacob Regier × Gertruda Harder of Sandhof (m. 1779): context only.

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: KB LA 0.3 p. 150 read: her dates and two marriages documented; parents not yet searched (Heubuden births 1773)
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden church book searched: her birth (9 Nov 1773) not found; first marriage 12 Apr 1796 to Clas Reimer found (Marienburg & Sandhoff); parents not identified

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Johann Claassen (1810–1874)

29 Oct 1810 – 16 Apr 1874, born at Marienburg, died at Koldau

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 44 · generation 6
Evidence: identity compiled lead · link to parents compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n92946304["Johann Claassen (1810–1874)"]
  n56762431["Margarete Wiebe (fl. 1810)"]
  n34594854["Peter Claassen (fl. 1810)"]
  n92946304 --> n34594854
  n92946304 --> n56762431
  class n92946304,n56762431,n34594854 internal-link;

Sources

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Aron J. Wiebe (1845–1922)

Rev. Aron J. Wiebe

14 Sep 1845 – 11 May 1922, born at Altenau, died at Paso Robles (California)

Christopher’s 2nd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 20 · generation 5
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents documented

Family

Life and evidence

His family in the Ladekopp register

Aron, b. 14.09.1845 (Altenau), baptized 16.05.1864 (the obituary says Pentecost 1864: 16 May 1864 was Whit Monday). Siblings: Catharina (1841, m. Eduard Warkentin 1875), Anna (1843, m. Johann Claassen 1879), Jacob (1848), Heinrich (1850–1915, to Palschau), Maria (1852–1854), Johann (1854), Gertruda Maria (1857–1912), Hermann (1859–1883).

Born at Altenau, Grosses Werder (Reid tree, amtrakt.de), son of Jacob Wiebe and Anna Entz. Married Maria Fieguth 16 July 1872; moved to Am Trakt 1872–73; a preacher in the Am Trakt church. After Maria’s death (1890) married her sister Johanna Fieguth (1893). Sailed 1894 (reportedly on the Trave, Bremen–New York); preacher of the San Marcos Mennonite congregation, Paso Robles, from 1896. Some brothers stayed in West Prussia; brother Jacob also went to Lysanderhöh.

A Jacob Wieb was already farming at Altenau in the 1776 census (Heubuden congregation) — a possible forebear, not proven.

His own obituary ( Christlicher Bundes-Bote, 1922), translated summary

  • Born 14 Sep 1845 at Altenau, West Prussia; parents Jakob and Anna Wiebe, née Entz. This documents the parent link, which until now rested on family trees.
  • School at Prangenau, 1851–61. Baptized Pentecost 1864 by Elder Johann Toews of Ladekopp: the family belonged to the Ladekopp congregation (so look in the Ladekopp registers, not only Heubuden).
  • Left home in June 1869 “for freedom from military service” and went to Russia, near the Volga.
  • Married Maria Fieguth 4 Jul 1872 (old style) = 16 Jul (new style), matching the date already here. Twelve children: six died young and two as adults (Marie, May 1911; Jakob, autumn 1912).
  • Called to preach 8 Feb 1881 (o.s.): about 40 years in all, 15 in Russia, 1 in Nebraska, 24 in California.
  • Maria died 19 Aug 1890 (o.s.). That year brought crop failure and famine, then typhus and the cholera of 1891; he worked hard then because he also served as a [healer/doctor?] with “a large practice”.
  • Married the widow Johanne Bergmann née Fieguth 9 Feb 1893 (o.s.).
  • Came to America “for freedom of conscience” in spring 1896: first Beatrice, then Paso Robles in October 1897.
  • Died of cancer 11 May 1922, aged 76 years 7 months 27 days, survived by his wife, five children and 37 grandchildren; buried 13 May (services by C. Hege in English and J. K. Lichti in German).

In the 1890s he wrote to Mennonitische Blätter from Lysanderhöh: the congregation had about 500 baptized members in 10 villages on 16,500 desyatins, hit by crop failures in 1879, 1880 and 1885 and by members leaving for Turkestan and Khiva. Source: Internet Archive full-text sweep (2026-10-31).

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n76779922["Anna Entz (c.1820)"]
  n54584388["Aron J. Wiebe (1845–1922)"]
  n91399190["Jacob Wiebe (c.1815)"]
  n54584388 --> n91399190
  n54584388 --> n76779922
  class n76779922,n54584388,n91399190 internal-link;

Conflicts

  • Find a Grave: born ‘in Russia’ — Reid tree and amtrakt.de: Altenau, West Prussia

Sources

Arrival in New York, 18 June 1896: SS Trave (Bremen and Southampton) — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

NARA, German, French, and Swiss Passenger Records, ca. 1820–ca. 1912 (AAD), manifest 44088; header: Trave, Bremen & Southampton, arrived New York 06/18/1896. The Wiebe household on it:

NameAgeFits
Aron50, farmerAron J., b. 1845
Johanne44his second wife Johanna Fieguth
Anna21daughter (b. c.1875)
Jacob19son (b. c.1877)
Heinrich11son, later Henry A. Wiebe of Paso Robles
Catharine10daughter
Maria8daughter, probably later Mrs. Erhard H. Schroeder

This confirms the family account (“reportedly on the Trave”) and dates the crossing to 1896, about two years after Gerhard. Indexed as country “Germany”, although they came from Am Trakt. Evidence level: strong inference (index entry; the manifest image was not viewed).

Smith's Story of the Mennonites (1981), pp. 183, 260, 294–299 — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

  • p. 183: an Aron Wiebe, elder of the Fürstenwerder congregation, resigned and left for Russia after 1868 rather than accept noncombatant service. Probably not this Aron (Ladekopp congregation, about 23 in 1868), but possibly a relative. Unresolved.
  • pp. 260–261: Am Trakt (founded 1853 under Claasz Epp; officially Köppenthal; ten villages; settlers “nearly all from West Prussia”).
  • pp. 294–299: the 1880 trek to Central Asia left from Am Trakt while Aron was a preacher there; afterward some of the disillusioned trekkers “settled in the West Prussian Mennonite communities of Beatrice, Nebraska”, where Aron’s son Gerhard went in 1894. See Smith - Smith’s Story of the Mennonites (1981).

Belk (1976): the Trakt during the trek — added 2026-10-31

Lysanderhöh was founded in 1864. A Johann Bergmann there handled relief money for stranded trekkers in 1884, and Beatrice’s committee led the relief, which helps explain why the Wiebes and Bergmanns later went to Beatrice. See Belk - The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia (1976).

Letters from California — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

The Mennonitische Rundschau index lists letters from A. J. Wiebe, Adelaide [Adelaida], California, on 26 Jan and 27 Apr 1898, and a 1903 notice signed “A. J. Wiebe, Paso Robles, 14 Nov 1903, for the business committee” of the Pacific District Conference. (The 1898 issue texts could not be downloaded on this pass.) See Church papers - Christlicher Bundesbote and Mennonitische Rundschau (1880s-1920s).

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Find a Grave: born ‘in Russia’ — Reid tree, amtrakt.de and his 1922 obituary: Altenau, West Prussia
  • Emigration: 1894 (vault, from family trees) vs spring 1896 to Beatrice, then October 1897 to Paso Robles (1922 obituary; MHB 2007)

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Maria Wiens (1788–1872)

Maria Wiens Fieguth

6 Sep 1788 – 12 May 1872, born at Warnau, died at Altenau

Christopher’s 4th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 85 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree, citing the Deutsches Geschlechterbuch.

In their lifetime

Sources

Birth, Koszelitzke (Warnau), 6 Sep 1788 (Heubuden church book) — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

1788, “Koselieky & Irrgang”, births: “Sept. 6 Maria Wiens” — her exact date. Parents are not named in the transcription.

Candidate parents (compiled lead): the only Wiens marriage at Koszelitzke just before is “Bernhart Wiens & Catharina Penner”, 12 Apr 1787. A Hans Wiens (1719–1787) farmed at Warnau in 1776 and died there in Jan 1787, aged 67; he may be Bernhart’s father. To prove it, check the original book for parents’ names, or Maria’s marriage entry to Anton Fieguth. She was Anton’s second wife (his first, Maria Busenitz, m. 1800).

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden church book read for 1787–88: birth 6 Sep 1788 at Koszelitzke found (parents not named); candidate parents Bernhart Wiens and Catharina Penner (m. 12 Apr 1787) — lead
  • 2026-10-31: 1789 land census checked: no Wiens landholder at Koszelitzke

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Peter Toews (fl. 1819)

fl. 1819 – ?

Christopher’s 4th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 92 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book (to 1806) and Ladekopp books searched: no Peter Toews × Katharina Siemens marriage; a Peter Toews born at Altenau 27 Oct 1791 (Heubuden) — age fits, not linked

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Entz (c.1820)

Anna Entz Wiebe

c.1820 – ?

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandmother · ancestor no. 41 · generation 6
Evidence: identity documented (named as parent in Aron’s 1922 obituary)

Family

Life and evidence

Found in the Ladekopp family register (2026-10-31)

“Anna geb. Enz, 16.12.1817 … [died] 06.1896 … [father] Aron Enz, Altmünsterberg”. She outlived her husband by 24 years. Her son Aron was evidently named after her father.

Aron’s mother (Reid tree). Entz was one of the largest Heubuden names in the 1770s–90s, so she can’t be placed from the lists alone.

Named in their son's obituary

Aron J. Wiebe’s 1922 obituary (Christlicher Bundes-Bote) names his parents as “Jakob und Anna Wiebe, geb. Entz”, of Altenau; Aron went to school at Prangenau and was baptized (1864) by the elder of Ladekopp. So the family were Ladekopp congregation members in the 1850s–60s: the Ladekopp church records are the next place to find Jacob’s and Anna’s own parents. Source: Internet Archive full-text sweep (2026-10-31).

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: KB LA 0.3: father Aron Enz of Altmünsterberg; mother not named; Heubuden births 1817 not yet checked
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book ends 1806; Ladekopp KB LA 0.1 1817 births: an Ana born 20 Jun 1817 to Aron Entz of Bröske (not 16 Dec 1817, Altmünsterberg); her mother still unnamed

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Catharine Epp (1826–1886)

Catharine Epp Fieguth

11 May 1826 – 10 Nov 1886, born at Palschau, died at Lysanderhöh

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandmother · ancestor no. 43 · generation 6
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Wife of Gerhard Fieguth (amtrakt.de; Reid tree).

In their lifetime

Sources

Parents found (Ladekopp Familienbuch, Palschau p. 192, and Rückenau/Palschau family of Gerhard Fieguth)

Daughter of Johann Epp (1778–1852) and Catharina Wiens (1800–1873) of Palschau; born 11.05.1826 (her husband’s family entry gives 11.05.1824), baptized 27.05.1844; married Gerhard Fieguth 18.03.1847 (family entry: 28.11.1847). The couple moved from Rückenau to Palschau in 1852.

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Sara Reimer (1828–c.1883)

Sara Reimer Toews

15 May 1828 – c.1883, born at Marienburg

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandmother · ancestor no. 47 · generation 6
Evidence: identity documented

Family

Life and evidence

Named as Gertrude’s mother in her obituary; dates from the Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Sources

Marriage and parents (Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, pp. 150 and 229) — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

Married Jacob Töws on 28 Jan 1840; she is “Claass [Abraham] Reimer’s surviving daughter, of Sandhof, Johann Neufeld’s stepdaughter”; he is “Peter Töws’s surviving son, of Altmünsterberg”. Her mother was Sara Harder (1773–1869), who remarried Johann Neufeld (b. 1792). Her 1828 birth date is impossible (married at 11; mother 54): she was probably born about 1815–1820.

Her father was Claas Reimer — added 2026-10-31

The 1796 Heubuden marriage “Clas Reimer & Sara Harder” confirms the 1840 note’s “Claass Reimer”. Since her parents married in 1796 and her mother was born in 1773, Sara was born between about 1797 and 1815, not in 1828. See Abraham Reimer (d. before 1840).

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Born 1828 (Reid tree) cannot be right: she married on 28 Jan 1840 and her mother was born in 1773. Probably born c.1815-1820

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Warkentin (1816–1848)

Anna Warkentin Claassen

1816 – 1848, died at Klein Lichtenau

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandmother · ancestor no. 45 · generation 6
Evidence: identity compiled lead · link to parents compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n2455890["Abraham Warkentin (fl. 1816)"]
  n32840579["Anna Warkentin (1816–1848)"]
  n57872836["Anna Enss (fl. 1816)"]
  n32840579 --> n2455890
  n32840579 --> n57872836
  class n2455890,n32840579,n57872836 internal-link;

Sources

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Johann Fieguth (1707–1780)

18 Feb 1707 – 22 Jun 1780, born at Krebsfelde, died at Ladekopperfeld

Christopher’s 5th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 168 · generation 8
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Earliest dated ancestor on the Wiebe side. Reid tree, citing Deutsches Geschlechterbuch (1964, p. 90). Earlier wives include a Catharina Conrad (m. 1733) — a Prussian Conrad family, unrelated to the Swiss Conrads. Absent from the 1776 census: Penner notes a few families were missed, or Johann may not have been counted as a Mennonite; his children were baptized Mennonite at Ladekopp. Earliest Fieguths in Prussia: Karsten and Michael Fiegutt at Pasewark, 1656.

In their lifetime

Conflicts

  • Not in the 1776 Mennonite census under any spelling, though alive until 1780

Sources

Death confirmed in the Ladekopp church book (KB LA 0.1, deaths 1779–80)

“[June] 22 Johann Fieguth aus Ladekoperfeld alt 73 Jahre”: died 22 June 1780 at Ladekopperfeld, aged 73, which fits a birth in 1707. The book also records births to him (“Johann Fieguth aus Ladekop eine Tochter … & ein Sohn Geerd”) and the 1785 marriage of Catharina Fieguth of Ladekopperfeld (b. 14.06.1767) to Clas Esau.

Wives — 2026-10-31 (Claude)

Known: Catharina Conrad (m. 1733, Reid tree). The mother of his children of the 1760s–70s, including Anton (1772) and the twins of Oct 1775, is not named in any Mennonite record found. The “Anna Busenitz (1744–1797)” of the Reid tree is doubtful: see Anton Fieguth (1772–1844). The Ladekopp Lutheran marriages 1757–1779 (Archion) are the next place to look.

Second search for the mother of his later children — 2026-10-31 (Claude)

  • No Mennonite record before Nov 1772 exists for Ladekopp. The preface of KB LA 0.1 says recording began on Prussian orders after the 1772 annexation; Archion’s “1759–1829” is the same book (1759 is the earliest minister installation it lists).
  • Probable daughter: Anna Fieguth (b. 1761), who married Aron Wiebe (1749–1803) at Tiege on 12 Jan 1779 (Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Mierau p. 167, in the entry for their son Aron Wiebe, b. 1781). Born in 1761, she belongs to Johann’s later family, but her mother is not named either. Another Fieguth–Wiebe link: Agnetha Fieguth of Krebsfelde, wife of a Gerhard Wiebe (Tiege p. 105).
  • More Busenitz marriages: Anton’s son Anton (b. 1803) married Helena Busenitz (b. 1801, daughter of Abraham Busenitz and Helena [Klassen], m. 1797). Three Fieguth–Busenitz marriages across two generations (1800, 1835) make the Reid tree’s Busenitz “mother” an easy mix-up.
  • Not indexed anywhere free: Geneteka has no Ladekopp (Lubieszewo) or Tiegenhagen (Tujsk) parish; zero Fieguth births 1700–1800 in Pomerania. No free FamilySearch catalog entry for the Ladekopp Lutheran books was found.
  • Still the best routes: Ladekopp Lutheran Taufen and Trauungen 1757–1779 on Archion (paid); the Deutsches Geschlechterbuch 1964 Fieguth article, p. 90 (library or interlibrary loan; the Reid tree’s source); GRANDMA (paid database).

Belief context: if the family was not Mennonite before the 1770s, the likely churches are Lutheran (the Werder’s state church) or Catholic (Tiegenhagen); see faith_origin.

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Not in the 1776 Mennonite census under any spelling, though alive until 1780

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Mennonite Ladekopp books start Nov 1772 (no earlier record); Geneteka: Ladekopp and Tiegenhagen not indexed; FamilySearch has no free Lutheran Ladekopp books; Archion (paid) holds Lutheran Ladekopp baptisms and marriages 1757–1779 — blocked
  • 2026-10-31: Second search for the mother of his later children: - No Mennonite record before Nov 1772 exists for Ladekopp. The preface of KB LA 0.1 says recording began on Prussian orders after the 1772 annexation; Archion’s ‘1759–182

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Heinrich Epp (1752–1800)

Life and evidence

(Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Palschau section p. 192)

Named as father of Johann Epp: “Heinrich Epp (9.08.1752–28.09.1800) … Palschau”.

Children in this vault

Sources

1789 land census — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

“Epp, Heinr. — 8 — Palschau/Int. Marienburg” (Goertz, 1789 Land Census). Not in the 1776 census as a head of household (he was 24, likely still unmarried); his son Johann was born at Palschau in 1778.

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: 1776 census: not a household head; 1789 land census: Heinr. Epp, Palschau, household of 8. Parents not yet searched in KB LA 0.1
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book (1772-1806): a ‘Heinrich Epp & Sara Abrahams’ marriage (Koldowo/Kaldowo section) is another man; no record of his birth or parents (book starts 1772)

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Penner (fl. 1744)

Anna Penner Busenitz

fl. 1744 – ?

Christopher’s 6th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 339 · generation 9
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Penner was the most common Prussian Mennonite surname in 1776 (103 households).

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book (1772-1806) scanned: too late for her birth; Penners are the most common name there; parents not found

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Abraham Busenitz (1739–1787)

1739 – 1787

Christopher’s 6th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 338 · generation 9
Evidence: identity strong inference

Family

Life and evidence

1776 census: Abraham Busenitz, Warnau (Koszelitzke), Heubuden congregation, farmer, ‘1739–1787’, GRANDMA #317726 — the same villages as the later Fieguths. Two other Busenitz households in 1776 (Johann at Marienburg and at Warnau).

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Conflicts

  • ‘1739–1787’ from the census comments; too close to daughter Anna’s 1744 birth — may be a different Abraham, or the years mean something else

Sources

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • ‘1739–1787’ from the census comments; too close to daughter Anna’s 1744 birth — may be a different Abraham, or the years mean something else

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book: died 3 Feb 1787 aged 48 (b. 9 Jul 1739); his parents not yet searched; GRANDMA #317726 needs a subscription — blocked
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book (1772-1806) scanned for Busenitz: families at Herrenhagen and Koselitzke (Johann Busenitz x Maria Penner; Heinrich, Anna, Maria, Gertruda Busenitz), but the book starts after his birth; parents not found. Needs Heubuden records before 1772 (GRANDMA / Mennonite Heritage Archives)

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Catharina Wiens (1800–1873)

Life and evidence

(Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Palschau section p. 192)

“Catharina geb. Wiens, 25.01.1800 Neukirch, [d.] 27.06.1873, [father] Johann Wiens, Neukirch.” Married Johann Epp 30 Mar 1822.

Children in this vault

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Ladekopp books KB LA 0.1 and 0.3 read: father Johann Wiens of Neukirch documented; mother not named; birth year conflict 1800 vs 1805

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Peter Claassen (fl. 1810)

fl. 1810 – ?

Christopher’s 4th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 88 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Sources

Candidate marriage, 1800 — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

Ladekopp church book (KB LA 0.1), marriages 1800: “Peter Claassen mit Margareta Wieben, Schönsee”. Same names as Johann’s parents, but an older couple of the same names married in 1779/80 (Bärwalde), the book has dozens of Peter Claassens, and Johann (b. 29 Oct 1810 at Marienburg) is not among its 1810 births. Name match only. Next: Heubuden or Marienburg-area records after 1806.

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Ladekopp book KB LA 0.1 read for every Peter Claassen 1775–1829: marriage ‘Peter Claassen mit Margareta Wieben, Schönsee’ (1800) — candidate couple (name only); an earlier couple of the same names (Bärwalde, 1779/80); no 1810 birth of a son Johann recorded; a Peter Claassen’s wife Anna née Wiebe died 1824 at Ladekopp
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book (to 1806): no Peter Claassen × Margareta Wiebe marriage

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Aron Enz (b. 1797)

Life and evidence

Named as the father of Anna Entz (c.1820) (b. 16 Dec 1817): "Aron Enz, Altmünsterberg" (Ladekopp Familienbuch).

Probably the Aron Ensz born 4 Aug 1797 at Münsterberg (Heubuden church book, births 1797, "Minsterberg & Treigenkohl"); the transcription gives no parents.

Children in this vault

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden church book: 1797 ‘Minsterberg & Treigenkohl’ births: ‘Aug. 4 Aron Ensz’ (no parents); Ensz couples in those villages include Peter Ensz & Gertrude Regier and Frans Ensz & Anna Regier (both m. 1790); too many Ensz families to identify his parents
  • 2026-10-31: Ladekopp book KB LA 0.1: an Aron Entz of Schönsee/Bröske had children 1806–1817, incl. a daughter Ana 20 Jun 1817; Christopher’s Anna Entz was born 16 Dec 1817 to Aron Enz of Altmünsterberg, so a different Aron (or a different record); his marriage not found

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Enss (fl. 1816)

fl. 1816 – ?

Christopher’s 4th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 91 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden and Ladekopp books: no marriage to Abraham Warkentin found; parents not identified

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Agnetha Wölke (1759–1829)

Life and evidence

(Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Palschau section p. 192)

Named as mother of Johann Epp: “Agnetha geb. Wölke (7.04.1759–6.05.1829), Palschau”. She was 19 at his birth.

Children in this vault

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: named in KB LA 0.3 (Palschau p. 192) as Johann Epp’s mother; her own parents not yet searched
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden book (1772-1806), 1772 and 1776 censuses, Fürstenwerder births (1800+) searched: Wölck/Wölcke families at Koldowo and Koselitzke (Abraham, Isaac, Aron Wölcke), but nothing before 1772 to give her parents

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Jacob Wiebe (c.1815)

c.1815 – ?

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 40 · generation 6
Evidence: identity documented (named as parent in Aron’s 1922 obituary)

Family

Life and evidence

Found in the Ladekopp family register (2026-10-31)

“Jacob Wiebe … 15.05.1813 … [died] 04.1872 … [father] Jacob Wiebe, Schlablau … Geb. in Simonsdorf” (Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Prangenau/Altenau section). Wife Anna geb. Enz; nine children 1841–1859, the first two born at Altenau. Full entry: Ladekopp church books (KB LA 0.1 and 0.3) and Heubuden church book (transcriptions).

Aron’s father (Reid tree). The furthest-back Wiebe in the male line so far. All Mennonite Wiebes descend from one founding Wiebe (Y-DNA) — see Where the Wiebes came from.

2026-10-31 correction — ChatGPT

The study supports common paternal ancestry among its tested lines, not a documented founder for Jacob. His parents remain unidentified. See Wiebe before Prussia - names and faith networks; no parent link or evidence level has been changed.

Named in their son's obituary

Aron J. Wiebe’s 1922 obituary (Christlicher Bundes-Bote) names his parents as “Jakob und Anna Wiebe, geb. Entz”, of Altenau; Aron went to school at Prangenau and was baptized (1864) by the elder of Ladekopp. So the family were Ladekopp congregation members in the 1850s–60s: the Ladekopp church records are the next place to find Jacob’s and Anna’s own parents. Source: Internet Archive full-text sweep (2026-10-31).

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Research tasks

  • Search the Ladekopp (and Heubuden) registers for Jacob Wiebe of Altenau (born c.1815), Anna Entz, and their parents — mennonitegenealogy.com, GRANDMA task/ai

Sources

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • No documentary or tested DNA link from Jacob to a named early Wiebe founder has been established.

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Ladekopp KB LA 0.3 read: born 15 May 1813 at Simonsdorf, father ‘Jacob Wiebe, Schlablau’; mother not named
  • 2026-10-31 (from Wiebe before Prussia - names and faith networks): The earlier claim that DNA is the only route beyond the known Prussian line is too restrictive. We now have specific documentary targets. The oldest male-line Wiebe currently identified in the vault remains Jacob Wiebe (c.1815), a

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Bertha Wiebe (1914–2010)

Anna Bertha “Anne” Wiebe Miller

19 Sep 1914 – 5 Feb 2010, born at Beatrice (Nebraska)

Christopher’s grandmother · ancestor no. 5 · generation 3
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents documented

Family

Life and evidence

Christopher’s paternal grandmother. Born Beatrice, Nebraska (Christopher’s recollection, confirmed by her obituary), one of seven children of Gerhard A. Wiebe and Anna Gertrude Claassen. Bethel College graduate; taught music and elementary school; lived in Normal from 1960. Her line is the Low German (Dutch-Prussian) Mennonite stream — see Where the Wiebes came from.

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n92946304["Johann Claassen (1810–1874)"]
  n24926976["Jacob Toews (1819–1877)"]
  n32840579["Anna Warkentin (1816–1848)"]
  n96977883["Anna Gertrude Claassen (1878–1971)"]
  n30980422["Sara Reimer (1828–c.1883)"]
  n23837591["Gerhard A. Wiebe (1873–1942)"]
  n69728369["Maria Fieguth (1847–1890)"]
  n65014384["Johann Claassen (1840–1886)"]
  n32302127["Catharine Epp (1826–1886)"]
  n21186926["Anna Bertha Wiebe (1914–2010)"]
  n76779922["Anna Entz (c.1820)"]
  n58047152["Gertrude Toews (1850–1943)"]
  n91399190["Jacob Wiebe (c.1815)"]
  n54584388["Aron J. Wiebe (1845–1922)"]
  n47643998["Gerhard Fieguth (1823–1896)"]
  n21186926 --> n23837591
  n23837591 --> n54584388
  n54584388 --> n91399190
  n54584388 --> n76779922
  n23837591 --> n69728369
  n69728369 --> n47643998
  n69728369 --> n32302127
  n21186926 --> n96977883
  n96977883 --> n65014384
  n65014384 --> n92946304
  n65014384 --> n32840579
  n96977883 --> n58047152
  n58047152 --> n24926976
  n58047152 --> n30980422
  class n92946304,n24926976,n32840579,n96977883,n30980422,n23837591,n69728369,n65014384,n32302127,n21186926,n76779922,n58047152,n91399190,n54584388,n47643998 internal-link;

Sources

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Margarete Wiebe (fl. 1810)

Margarete Wiebe Claassen

fl. 1810 – ?

Christopher’s 4th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 89 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree. A second Wiebe in Anne’s ancestry, on her mother’s side.

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: see Peter Claassen: candidate marriage 1800, Ladekopp (Peter Claassen mit Margareta Wieben, Schönsee) — candidate (name only); her parents not identified

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Gertrude Claassen (1878–1971)

Anna Gertrude Claassen Wiebe

29 Jul 1878 – 18 Sep 1971, born at Altmünsterberg

Christopher’s great-grandmother · ancestor no. 11 · generation 4
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents documented

Family

Life and evidence

‘Born near Marienburg, Germany’ — at Münsterberg near Marienburg; came to Beatrice with her parents in 1881 aged three. Described by her daughter Hilda Krahn as one of the last pioneers of the Beatrice Mennonite community.

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n92946304["Johann Claassen (1810–1874)"]
  n56762431["Margarete Wiebe (fl. 1810)"]
  n24926976["Jacob Toews (1819–1877)"]
  n32840579["Anna Warkentin (1816–1848)"]
  n96977883["Anna Gertrude Claassen (1878–1971)"]
  n30980422["Sara Reimer (1828–c.1883)"]
  n65014384["Johann Claassen (1840–1886)"]
  n58047152["Gertrude Toews (1850–1943)"]
  n2455890["Abraham Warkentin (fl. 1816)"]
  n35891309["Peter Toews (fl. 1819)"]
  n13487032["Katharina Siemens (fl. 1819)"]
  n34594854["Peter Claassen (fl. 1810)"]
  n57872836["Anna Enss (fl. 1816)"]
  n96977883 --> n65014384
  n65014384 --> n92946304
  n92946304 --> n34594854
  n92946304 --> n56762431
  n65014384 --> n32840579
  n32840579 --> n2455890
  n32840579 --> n57872836
  n96977883 --> n58047152
  n58047152 --> n24926976
  n24926976 --> n35891309
  n24926976 --> n13487032
  n58047152 --> n30980422
  class n92946304,n56762431,n24926976,n32840579,n96977883,n30980422,n65014384,n58047152,n2455890,n35891309,n13487032,n34594854,n57872836 internal-link;

Sources

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Gertrude Toews (1850–1943)

Gertrude Toews Claassen

1 Feb 1850 – 5 Feb 1943, born at Altmünsterberg, died at Beatrice (Nebraska)

Christopher’s 2nd great-grandmother · ancestor no. 23 · generation 5
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents documented

Family

Life and evidence

Born at Altmünsterberg near Marienburg, West Prussia, to Jacob and Sarah (Reimer) Toews. Baptized 1867 by Elder Gerhard Penner into the Heubuden congregation. Widowed 1886; died 1943.

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n24926976["Jacob Toews (1819–1877)"]
  n30980422["Sara Reimer (1828–c.1883)"]
  n58047152["Gertrude Toews (1850–1943)"]
  n35891309["Peter Toews (fl. 1819)"]
  n13487032["Katharina Siemens (fl. 1819)"]
  n58047152 --> n24926976
  n24926976 --> n35891309
  n24926976 --> n13487032
  n58047152 --> n30980422
  class n24926976,n30980422,n58047152,n35891309,n13487032 internal-link;

Sources

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Katharina Siemens (fl. 1819)

Katharina Siemens Toews

fl. 1819 – ?

Christopher’s 4th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 93 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden and Ladekopp books: no marriage to Peter Toews found; a Catharina Siemens, daughter of Peter Siemens of Czattkau, b. 28 Nov 1773 (Heubuden) — too old to fit, not linked

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Abraham Warkentin (fl. 1816)

fl. 1816 – ?

Christopher’s 4th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 90 · generation 7
Evidence: identity compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Sources

Narratives and research

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden (to 1806) and Ladekopp books: no Abraham Warkentin × Anna Enss marriage; Abraham Warkentins married Gertruda Maties (1790) and Anna Reimer (1799) — not this couple

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Jacob Toews (1819–1877)

17 May 1819 – 5 Jul 1877, born at Heubuden

Christopher’s 3rd great-grandfather · ancestor no. 46 · generation 6
Evidence: identity documented · link to parents compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Named as Gertrude’s father in her obituary; dates and parents from the Reid tree.

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n24926976["Jacob Toews (1819–1877)"]
  n35891309["Peter Toews (fl. 1819)"]
  n13487032["Katharina Siemens (fl. 1819)"]
  n24926976 --> n35891309
  n24926976 --> n13487032
  class n24926976,n35891309,n13487032 internal-link;

Sources

Marriage, 28 Jan 1840 (Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, p. 229) — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

“Jacob Töws, Peter Töws sein n/g Sohn, von Altmünsterberg” married Sara Reimer. Confirms his father’s name; Peter was dead by 1840. Altmünsterberg is where daughter Gertrude was born in 1850.

Narratives and research

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Anna Busenitz (1744–1797)

Anna Busenitz Fieguth

1744 – 1797

Christopher’s 5th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 169 · generation 8
Evidence: identity compiled lead · link to parents compiled lead

Family

Life and evidence

Daughter of Abraham Busenitz and Anna Penner (Reid tree).

In their lifetime

Pedigree

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"useMaxWidth": true}}}%%
flowchart RL
  n78573297["Anna Penner (fl. 1744)"]
  n26107610["Abraham Busenitz (1739–1787)"]
  n51222499["Anna Busenitz (1744–1797)"]
  n51222499 --> n26107610
  n51222499 --> n78573297
  class n78573297,n26107610,n51222499 internal-link;

Conflicts

  • Father’s dates ‘1739–1787’ (census note) make him only 5 years older than Anna (b. 1744) — the note may give marriage/other years; check GRANDMA #317726

Sources

Probably a mix-up — 2026-10-31 (Claude)

The Heubuden book records Anton Fieguth’s marriage to Maria Busenitz at Koszelitzke on 6 Nov 1800, and Abraham Busenitz’s death there on 3 Feb 1787, “aged 48, b. July 9, 1739”. Abraham cannot be the father of a woman born in 1744. The Busenitz parents in this note more likely belong to Anton’s wife, not his mother. Anton’s real mother (Johann Fieguth’s wife in 1772) is unknown until the Ladekopp records before 1775 are checked.

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Possibly a confusion with Maria Busenitz, Anton Fieguth’s first wife (m. 1800)
  • Father’s dates ‘1739–1787’ (census note) make him only 5 years older than Anna (b. 1744) — the note may give marriage/other years; check GRANDMA #317726

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Abraham Reimer (d. before 1840)

Life and evidence

Ladekopp Familienbuch (KB LA 0.3)

  • p. 150 (Schönhorst): Sara Harder’s children “of the first marriage with Abraham Reimer”, including Sara, who married Jacob Töws on 28.01.1840.
  • p. 229 (marriage supplement): “28.01.1840 Sara Reimer, Claass Reimer seine n/g Tochter, von Sandhof, Johann Neufeld seine Stieftochter, mit Jacob Töws, Peter Töws sein n/g Sohn, von Altmünsterberg.”

“n/g” (nachgelassene) means he was dead by 1840. The family lived at Sandhof (by Marienburg). The two pages disagree on his first name; the family entry is the fuller record, so Abraham is used here.

Children in this vault

Sources

Marriage, 12 Apr 1796 — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

Heubuden church book, 1796, “Marienburg & Sandhoff”: “Apr. 12 Clas Reimer & Sara Harder”. This settles his first name as Claas (as in the 1840 marriage note, p. 229), and places the couple at Sandhof by Marienburg, his residence in 1840. The Familienbuch’s “Abraham” (p. 150) is an error, perhaps borrowed from their son Abraham. The note keeps its old file name so links still work. His own parents: not yet found; the Heubuden book has no Claas Reimer birth that can be matched to him without more data.

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • First name Abraham vs Claass resolved 2026-10-31: the 1796 Heubuden marriage entry reads Clas Reimer & Sara Harder; the Familienbuch’s Abraham is an error

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: KB LA 0.3 pp. 150, 229 read: dead by 1840; first name Abraham vs Claass; his parents not yet searched
  • 2026-10-31: Heubuden church book (1772–1806) searched: marriage 12 Apr 1796, Marienburg & Sandhoff, Clas Reimer & Sara Harder — found; his parents not identified

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Johann Wiens (of Neukirch)

Life and evidence

(Ladekopp Familienbuch KB LA 0.3, Palschau section p. 192)

Named as father of Catharina Wiens (b. 25 Jan 1800 at Neukirch).

Children in this vault

Sources

Children in the Ladekopp book (KB LA 0.1) — added 2026-10-31 by Claude

“Johann Wienß in Neukirch” has births recorded: Elisabet (1788–89), Nelcke/Helena (1791–92; d. 1795–96 aged 4), Peter (1794–95), Johann (1796–97), Johann (1798–99; d. aged 18 weeks). Catharina is baptized in 1817 as “Johann Wiens Neukirch seine nachg. Tochter”, so he was dead by 1817; at her 1822 marriage to Johann Epp she is again his surviving daughter. His wife’s name and their marriage are not in the Ladekopp book; they probably married elsewhere c.1786–87.

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Catharina’s birth: 25.01.1800 (KB LA 0.3) vs 25.01.1805 (KB LA 0.1 marriage note, 1822)

Research log

  • 2026-10-31: Ladekopp book KB LA 0.1 read: his children 1788–1799 found; dead by 1817; his own marriage and parents not in the Ladekopp book — try other congregations c.1786–87

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

Wiebe side

Ancestors of the grandparent at left, parents to the right.

Colors: green = documented · cyan = strong inference · yellow = family compilation · orange = compiled lead · red = unresolved · grey = not set