Ben came to the United States in 1874 with his father, Tobias, step-mother, Eva, and brothers, Heinrich and Johann, half-brothers Jacob, Wilhelm, and baby half-sister, Helena.
They arrived on Christmas day, 1874, and dis-embarked the next day. They were part of a contingent of Mennonites. The Pennsylvania Board of Mennonites were not expecting this group and had made no provisions for them.
The group was loaded into box-cars and shipped across the United States to Florence, Kansas (in the dead of winter!). Florence had no provisions for them either. One man took pity upon the group an opened a warehouse for them.
Disease was rampant in the close quarters of the warehouse. The step-mother, Eva, and half-sister, Helena, died in 1875 in Florence, Kansas. The living conditions for this group of Mennonites were horrible. A large number of others also died about the same time.∼Ben was married twice: first to Anna Block/Bloch (daughter of Jacob Block and Susannah Toews) and second to Maria Gorsching. It is assumed that Ben and Anna divorced. She did not die until 1906 but Ben married Maria in 1901. I was unable to find a divorce record.
Children from the first marriage were Susannah, Isaac, Heinrich, and Jacob.
Children from the second marriage were Rosella, Walter, Leona, Herman, Pearl, Ervin, and Pauline.
They arrived on Christmas day, 1874, and dis-embarked the next day. They were part of a contingent of Mennonites. The Pennsylvania Board of Mennonites were not expecting this group and had made no provisions for them.
The group was loaded into box-cars and shipped across the United States to Florence, Kansas (in the dead of winter!). Florence had no provisions for them either. One man took pity upon the group an opened a warehouse for them.
Disease was rampant in the close quarters of the warehouse. The step-mother, Eva, and half-sister, Helena, died in 1875 in Florence, Kansas. The living conditions for this group of Mennonites were horrible. A large number of others also died about the same time.∼Ben was married twice: first to Anna Block/Bloch (daughter of Jacob Block and Susannah Toews) and second to Maria Gorsching. It is assumed that Ben and Anna divorced. She did not die until 1906 but Ben married Maria in 1901. I was unable to find a divorce record.
Children from the first marriage were Susannah, Isaac, Heinrich, and Jacob.
Children from the second marriage were Rosella, Walter, Leona, Herman, Pearl, Ervin, and Pauline.
Ben came to the United States in 1874 with his father, Tobias, step-mother, Eva, and brothers, Heinrich and Johann, half-brothers Jacob, Wilhelm, and baby half-sister, Helena.
They arrived on Christmas day, 1874, and dis-embarked the next day. They were part of a contingent of Mennonites. The Pennsylvania Board of Mennonites were not expecting this group and had made no provisions for them.
The group was loaded into box-cars and shipped across the United States to Florence, Kansas (in the dead of winter!). Florence had no provisions for them either. One man took pity upon the group an opened a warehouse for them.
Disease was rampant in the close quarters of the warehouse. The step-mother, Eva, and half-sister, Helena, died in 1875 in Florence, Kansas. The living conditions for this group of Mennonites were horrible. A large number of others also died about the same time.∼Ben was married twice: first to Anna Block/Bloch (daughter of Jacob Block and Susannah Toews) and second to Maria Gorsching. It is assumed that Ben and Anna divorced. She did not die until 1906 but Ben married Maria in 1901. I was unable to find a divorce record.
Children from the first marriage were Susannah, Isaac, Heinrich, and Jacob.
Children from the second marriage were Rosella, Walter, Leona, Herman, Pearl, Ervin, and Pauline.
They arrived on Christmas day, 1874, and dis-embarked the next day. They were part of a contingent of Mennonites. The Pennsylvania Board of Mennonites were not expecting this group and had made no provisions for them.
The group was loaded into box-cars and shipped across the United States to Florence, Kansas (in the dead of winter!). Florence had no provisions for them either. One man took pity upon the group an opened a warehouse for them.
Disease was rampant in the close quarters of the warehouse. The step-mother, Eva, and half-sister, Helena, died in 1875 in Florence, Kansas. The living conditions for this group of Mennonites were horrible. A large number of others also died about the same time.∼Ben was married twice: first to Anna Block/Bloch (daughter of Jacob Block and Susannah Toews) and second to Maria Gorsching. It is assumed that Ben and Anna divorced. She did not die until 1906 but Ben married Maria in 1901. I was unable to find a divorce record.
Children from the first marriage were Susannah, Isaac, Heinrich, and Jacob.
Children from the second marriage were Rosella, Walter, Leona, Herman, Pearl, Ervin, and Pauline.
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