Person:Jobst Gerkensmeyer (1)

JF Gerkensmeyer was born in a suburb of Essen, in the Kingdom of Hannover, called Wehendorferberg. Later, the village of Essen was renamed for the former Roman baths, which were once located there, and called "Bad Essen".

He and a younger brother, left home and migrated to Wood County, Ohio, where an older, half-brother had already migrated. JF's motivation may have been forced military service in the Prussian Army. Just a few years before (1866), his home land lost a war with the Kingdom of Prussia, and Prussia was much more militaristic.

Upon JF's settlement in the USA, he came under the influence of Rev. Dr. Cronnenwett, the Lutheran pastor of the "Solomon's Church" in Woodville. By some means, soon Gerkensmeyer was headed to the seminary in Columbus, Ohio.

The picture of Rev. Gerkensmeyer's former home in Wehendorferberg, was provided by Rainer Hochmann, of Germny, who now lives in the home.

--White Creek 02:04, 18 September 2020 (UTC)

Image:MAP - Ohio (Woodville Township).pdf

REV. GERKENSMEYER'S SECOND FAMILY

GERKENSMEYER HOUSE in Bad Essen

BLACK SWAMP

1. ↑ Eunice M. Lower.
2. ↑ Passenger List.
3. ↑ Thoerner, Udo. Venne in America. (Osnabrueck, Germany: Arbeitskreis Familienforschung Osnabrueck e. V.).