52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 19
Prompt – Nurture
To nurture is to care for someone or
something and also to encourage their growth and development. I
believe that nurturing our children, for example, is a natural part
of who we are as human beings. Throughout my blogs I suggest that
the immigration of my ancestors was the result of seeking religious
and political freedom and free abundant land. Underlying all of this
has to be the want to nurture their children and give them land that
was no longer available in their former countries. Owning land meant
that they could grow and harvest more food to feed their growing
families. Their new land allowed them to be together in their own
language and culture which was important to them to encourage them to
grow in their faith and be allowed to live according to their moral
beliefs. Obviously this nurturing worked as we are here.
ME > JACOB PETERS (my father) > FRANZ PETERS (his father) > DAVID KLAAS PETERS (his father) > NIKOLAUS (KLAAS) PETERS (his father) > ARON PETERS. (his father).
Aron Peters, my 3rd great –
grandfather was born in 1745 in Pietzckendorf, Prussia. He was
married 3 times.
His first wife (unknown name) gave him two
daughters. This wife died sometime on or before 1780. He married his
second wife, Helena Krahn on September 14, 1780. It was not unusual
for the remarriage to happen so quickly after the death of a wife
because he had children that needed a mother to nurture them. Aron
and Helena were married in Heubuden, Gross Werder, Prussia. Aron and
Helena Peters are my direct ancestors (5 generations).
Aron and Helena had 3 children prior to
moving to Russia. Anna Peters (1782 – 1802). Jacob Aaron Peters (
1784 – 1856). Cornelius Aaron Peters ( 1786 – 1886).
In 1789 at the approximate age of 44 –
Aron and Helena and their 3 children (and possibly Elizabeth from
Aron's first marriage) immigrated to Russia. Aron Peters was among
the first settlers to start Schoenhorst in Chortitza Colony of
Mennonites in Russia.
They had 4 more children. Gertrude
Peters (1791 – 1802). Aron Peters (1794 – 1856). Klaas Peters
(1797 – 1866). David Aaron Peters (1798 – 1866). Klaas Peters
is my direct ancestor.
Helena Peters (nee Krahn) died in April
1801. Leaving Aron with 8 children. It was little wonder that he
remarried three months later in July 1801 to a women named Kristina
(1754 – after 1802). Kristina and Aron had no children as far as I
can tell. At the age of 57 Aron died in January 1802 along with his
20 year old daughter, Anna, and his 11 year old daughter Gertrude. I
do not know if they died the same day as in some horrific tragic
accident or whether they died in the same month due to some disease.
Let's look at Kristina and her history
as it intersects the Peters Family. Kristina was born in Vistula
Delta, Poland in 1754. She was married 4 times.
At 16 years of age
she married Peter Reimer ( 1744 – 1795) in Poland. They had 5
children. Jacob Reimer (abt. 1771), Christina Reimer (abt. 1772), Anna
Reimer (abt. 1782), Maria Reimer (abt. 1791), and Peter Reimer (abt.
1794). Kristina's husband, Peter Reimer died in either 1795 or 1797,
none the less Kristina remarried. His name was Gerhard Doerksen (1774
– 1801), They had two children together. We know the second child
as David Doerksen born about 1797. Gerhard Doerksen died in March of
1801. Kristina was widowed with 8 children from her first two
marriages. Remember she married Aron Peters – her 3rd
husband who 8 of his own children. They married in July of 1801.
Six months later Aron Peters dies and leaves Kristina with 14
children to nurture. Kristina goes on to marry her fourth husband,
Aron Lepp on May 22, 1802. Kristina is listed as dying about 1802.
I have no further information whether her 4th husband
remarried. My educated guess is that he did and not too long after
the death of Kristina. There was about 14 children left behind at
this time. And we think we invented the blended family!
In order to nurture their children my
ancestors remarried quickly after the loss of a spouse. It was a
necessity. It was expected.
Wendy
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