Person:Ferdinand Zemke (1)

Notes from Paul Zemke's narrations over the years and from Edie's compilation: In Pommern (Pomerania), Germany (near Stettin in what is now modern dayPoland), Ferdinand Zemke was a foreman on the lands of Herr Von Schaf.The lord of the estate was known as a "Besitzer." On the estate of the nobleman, there would be a mill and a miller, plus some crafts like a cobbler, weaver, wagon maker, and others. According to Paul, sixteen families lived in this "dorf" (town) where the Zemkes lived and they did all types of work there - "making wagons, making feather trees" - (a feather tree is a Christmas tree made from feathers). At night they would have free time, and gather and drink beer.

Ferdinand married Albertina Kunde around 1873.

The family left Germany in the 1880s for Sao Paulo, Brazil to work on coffee plantation, after seeing an advertisement stating how lucrative it would be to pick coffee beans in Brazil. They hoped to own land there one day. It didn't work out because they had to buy all their goods from the company store and they went deeper into debt. The conditions on the plantation were harsh and several of Albertina and Ferdinand's children died in Brazil. ( Albertina had nine children, but only Carl andHerman lived to adulthood). Their wages went directly to the company store. After a time, the bills at the store were higher than there wages so they went deeper into debt each day. They then attempted to return toGermany but were so indebted to the Coffee company and could not get passage back unless they worked another two years without wages.Fortunately, they had some money in a German bank which they had sent to them and booked passage on a coffee freighter back to Germany. They took a coffee freighter back to Germany (possibly around 1887) - the journey back took four weeks and Carl was old enough to have to work on the coffee freighter, but Herman was "too young" to work on the freighter. Then they worked for a large farm in Germany for a few years(back on the lands of Herr Von Schaf perhaps?).

They had relatives in Chaska, Minnesota (Herman & Wilhelmine (Kunde) Fehlberg - it is now confirmed from Wurchow, Neustettin church records that Albertine & Wilhelmine were sisters, daughters of Carl Kunde (of Bernsdorf, Neustettin) and Caroline Kienow. The Zemkes came to the U.S. in1891 (according to the U.S. Census for Barron County in 1900) and took a train to Chaska. They worked in brickyards for 2 years and milked cows.They bought 200 acres in 1896 at $6.00/acre in Barron County. The farm was in Herman's name as Ferdinand could not read or write English. Land had been logged by Knapp-Stout. Meissenbrink had land and lived in BellePlain, MN. They built a log cabin by Silver Creek and lived in while they built their home next to it. Built the house in 1915. The barn builders were Swedes (Carl Carlson), and was built of fieldstone and wood. The log house was then later used as a log barn - it was later used as an icehouse with ice sawed from the frozen creek and used in the icebox to keep the food fresh in the summer time. Had 10 cows to start. Had sheep(clothes, meat, blankets). Thills Cheese Factory bought milk - hauled it themselves in buggy and sled.

Ferdinand was one of the founders of the Lutheran church at Silver Creek in 1897. Carl Sass was also one of the founders.

Also, Ferdinand had a sister Carolina Zemke (born May 8, 1853) who married Albert Jahn in 1876 in Germany. Albert and Carolina came over in1891 too, with the Zemkes and lived in Chaska for a few years before buying land near Glenwood City, Wisconsin in Forest Township, St. Croix County. In 1900, they were living there with their children Reinhart,Herman, and Minna Jahn. Reinhart Jahn married Anna Jeske in 1909. Carolina Zemke Jahn died on April 30, 1920 in Emerald, Wisconsin. She and Albert Jahn are buried at the cemetery at St. John's Lutheran Church in Forest.

1895 Minnesota Census, Chanhassen

Ferdinand Zemke age 49, b. Germany, farmer, 4 yrs in MN, 1 yr in enumeration district Albertina age 50 Herman age 16

FERDINAND ZEMKE timeline

1847 born likely in GOLDBECK, Kreis Bublitz

1853 sister Caroline Louise Dorthea born in GOLDBECK, Kreis Bublitz

c. 1873 married Albertine KUNDE - where?

1874 Carl born -maybe in GLIENKE, Kr. Bublitz

bef 1877 father Gottlieb deceased in DORFSTÄDT (GOLDBECK), Bublitz

1877 mother Louise Blank living in DORFSTÄDT (GOLDBECK), Bublitz

1877 sister Caroline living in BURZLAFF, Belgard - married in Gross Tychow (kr. Belgard)

1878 Herman born - maybe in GLIENKE, Kr. Bublitz

1880 daughter Mathilde Johanne Elwine born in GLIENKE, Kr. Bublitz

1880s family to BRAZIL

by 1890 family back in Pomerania

1890 RARFIN, Kr. Belgard, death of daughter Mathilde

1891 Immigration to Chaska, Minnesota

Unfortunately all of the civil records and church records for Goldbeck, Bublitz have been lost/destroyed so we cannot find any birth records for Ferdinand or Dorothea. Also cannot find a marriage record for Ferdinand Zemke and Albertina Kunde.

But I found this death record for a daughter of Ferdinand and Albertina- they were living in Rarfin, Kreis Belgard (about 55 km away from Goldbeck, Bublitz) see map below showing distance from Rarwino (Rarfin) and Glodowa (Goldbeck). These towns were all connected by railway lines back in the late 1800s.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Barron County, Wisconsin, Vital Records.
2. ↑ cause of death "pemphigus foliacous producing exhaustion"