Johannes Bernardus Hoppe

John Hoppe - A note to readers: The information in this family tree was gathered from a number of sources, old books, church books, from the archives in Salt Lake City, obituary's, old news paper articles and the Stearns county Historical Society.

Dates tend to be different from one source to the next. Spelling of names change over the years, as do the names of towns especially, in Germany.

When we could we used base dates from : Citizenship papers and legal papers, and worked from there.

The two older sons Henry & Joseph left early in the migration, before the times of Steam ships, it is Likely they sailed into the port of New Orleans Louisanna, this meant a 2 month trip across the Atlantic .

We could not find a ship record of their arrival, but if they were stowaways, they might not of been listed. We did find record of a German Sail Ship in that year and it had a sad story, we can hope they were not on it.

We found letters written by people who arrived in New Orleans December of 1853, the same year they came, which told of the hardships of that kind of trip. Many of these people were from Prussia and Hanover, with names like Schulte, Theilen, Meyer, Koch, Lange and Budde, some could of been our ancestors, for all we know.

They paid $ 23.00 US money for passage and specific rations on board the ship.

But very little food was given, 5-6 spoonfuls of food to eat in the morning and a cup of coffee. In the evenings a cup of tea, 8 lbs. of bread were allowed between 4 men for one week.

500 passengers aboard when the ship left Bremer haven October 30th. When the ship came to port December 28th 1853, it became known that 108 had died on the crossing from thirst and starvation.

The ship was seized and the Captain had to put up S7000.00.

The German Association did sue on behalf of the passengers and the bad treatment they received, --- but the judge ruled against them and didn't hold the shipping Company libel.

The letters reported that a strong man could earn $2.50 a day once they were off the ship. From new Orleans most went to St Louis a 7 week trip on the Mississippi, then north to Minnesota.

Ferdinand came in 1861, by this time Steam ships were making regular runs and it is more Likely he came to the port of New York, His trip would of been much shorter and easier.

Henry Hoppe left Germany at age 23 with his younger brother Joseph age 20, and sailed to the port of New Orleans in 1883. they planed to go to California for the gold rush. The story goes that Joseph road a pair of oxen to California, did find gold but the Mines laid claim to it . When he got to Minnesota he had only enough to make a wedding ring for his wife. It is said that the ring is still in the family to this day.

Henry traveled up the Mississippi river to Minnesota. He homesteaded on the Sauk River. On land that would latter would be known as the Anton Massman farm .

Henry is said to of been the first German settler in the New Munich aera. Soon more Germans came from his hometown of Rimbeck Germany. Inculding Hubert Rieland and his family came in the fall 1856.

The next year on August 16th 1857 he married the 19 year old daughter of Hubert Rieland. They had to travel to Jacops Prairie to find a priest.

He than sold or abandoned the Sauk River homestead, and built a log cabin along Gretchel's Creek, which was nearer to the Rieland homestead. ( in our time it was known as the Frank Hoppe farm.

When the renowned Indian Missionary, Rev. Francis X Pierz who had encouraged Germans to come to the Sauk River Valley ,and the first priest to visit, as early as 1855 and 1856. He came down the river in his canoe and it is reported said Mass in the Hoppe cabin.

It is also claimed that there daughter Christine born December 7th 1858 was the first child baptized in New Munich, by Father Clemens ...( but it is sure others were baptized with out record being made) The sad story is that Christine would die at age 5 on July 19th 1863in the diphtheria epidemic as would her brother Lorenz just one day later.

The next year they lost their youngest Maria at age two, cause unknown. This was often the case in pioneer family the young didn't survive. Their next eight children would live and prosper.

Joseph Hoppe's was harder to follow, he also married a Maria Rieland , she was the Aunt of Henrys wife ,and the daughter of Franz Rieland and Maria Prott.

This was to be very confusing, as many of the children shared the same name in both familys. Joseph was married on September 6th 1858. The would have 10 children, all born in Oak Township, at least one did not live to adulthood. Elizabeth born 1882 died 1886.