Wubbe Dirks Ammermann

W. D. Ammermann was born on 25 November 1827 in Bunde, Ostfriesland. He was christened on 10 November 1827 by the brother of his mother, Pastor Marten Geerds Polmann. Bunde is located in the Rheiderland District one mile from where the Holland/German border is situated today.

He was the first born child of nine children born to Engelke Dirks Ammerman and Meemke Wubbena Polmann. The family attended the Alte reformiert Kirche (Reformed Church) in Bunde. In America, this church is known as the Christian Reformed Church. Wubbe would have been comfirmed in the 1840's. As was the custom, after confirmation young men and women left home and usually worked wihtin a neighboring community at a trade or as a farm laborer.

On 26 April 1861 at the age of 34, he married Trientje Freerks Petersen from the town of Visquard in the Krummhörn District. Trientje was born on 7 June 1836, the sixth child of Freerk Geerds Petersen and Grietje Jodocus Heddinga.

Visquard is located more than 40 kilometers away across the Ems river. In 1859, Wubbe's sister Antje married Geerd Freerks Petersen (Trientje's brother) and it is assumed that Wubbe and trientje met through this event.

After marriage, they lived in the town of Holthusen, approximately one kilometer southeast of Bunde. Their first child, Dirk Bubben Ammermann, was born there on 22 November 1862. Dirk was named after his grandfather Dirk Engelkes Ammermann.

On the 28 April 1864 they arrived in New York City on the steamship Bremen with over 200 other passengers. They left from the port of Bremen, ten months after Wubbe's sister Antje and her husband Geerd freerks Petersen (Trientje's brother) left Germany. Both families traveled to German Valley, Illinois where there was a large settlement of Ostfriesen families.

Wubbe applied for his papers to become a natualized citizen on 5 April 1867 in Stephenson County, Illinois. He was granted citizenship on 17 December 1872. Wubbe's parents and sisters and brothers followed them to America Two years later. Wubbe and his brother, Engelke, purchased a farm which was located in the northwest quarter of Section 13. Township 26, Range 9, Town of Ridott. This farm was pruchased on June 24, 1868 for $5,200 from Marcus Lowry and his wife. They took out a mortgage on the same day for $4,200. This farm mortgage was paid of on june 26, 1872.

They attended the Silver creek Reformed Church in German Valley until 22 August 1866 when Wubbe, his brother Engelke, his brother-in-law Cornelius Bode and Hinderk Bode were instrumental in starting "der Wre Hollandische Gereformeerde Kerk in Amerika" The true Holland Reformed Church in America. This was one of the first Christian reformed Churches in America. This small church was and still is located in Ridott Township.

Sixty-five families joined this newly formed church. W. D. Ammermann was the scribe for the Gerefomeerde Keerke (Holland Christian Reformed Church).

Nine more children were born to this marriage in Ridott Township in Stephenson County, Illinois. Freerk (stillborn), Freerk (named for Grandfather-Freerk Geerds Petersen), Meemke ( named for grandmother-Meemke Wübbena Polman), Gruethe (stillborn), Geerd (named for Trientje's brother Geerd or Grandfather-Geerd Petersen), Grietje (named for grandmother-Grietje Jodocus Heddinga), Antje (named for Aunt Antje or grandmother-Antje Martens Polman), Talea (died at age 1 1/2), Talea (named after Aunt Talea and grandmother Taalke).

As was the Ostfriesen custom, all children were given the middle name of Wübben signifying they were the children of Wübba. This custom carried to most of the next generation before disappearing.

At the time Wübba left the Ridott area, the church was experiencing great turmoil. The Dutch language was used when the church was started, and there was pressure to change from sermons spoken in Dutch to the German language. Wübba was vehemently against that change. In 1889 Rev. Potgeter came, he had the respect of the congregation and in 1893 the church went to German sermons.

Wübba and Engleke farmed together until 1887 when the W. D. Ammermann family moved to Minnesota. Both of Wübbe's and Engelke's families were large and another impetus to the move may have been the need for more land both for themselves and their sons. Land in Illinois was expensive and reasonably priced land in Minnesota was being advertised in local papers.

Chippewa County records show that W. D. and Trientje Ammermann purchased 160 acres on May 7, 1886 from N. C. Fredericksen and M. W. Prins, Jr and filed a morrtgage for $960,00. They purchased another 160 acres on 26 January 1887 from Marten W. Prins Jr. and Theodore F. Koch and filed another mortgage for $960.00. They purchased more land periodically over the next eight years.

Fredericksen and Prins purchased all of the land in what later became Rheinderland Township from the Saint Paul, Duluth Railroad Company on 22 March 1886. W. D. and Trientje Ammermann were the first of the settlers to purchase land on the prairie. Wübbe supposedly traveled to Chicago to meet with members of this land company and came to an agreement to serve as their agent in this new frontier. The Rheinderland area was the first settlement of the East Rrisians in Minnesota. These East Frisians came to Minnesota from German Valley, Illinois, Steamboat Rock, Grundy Center, Breda and Ackley, Iowa where most of them woned a few acres of land or rented land.

W. D. Ammermann, his sonDirk and H. U. Theesen came to Minnesota and measured their land supposedly early in the spring of 1886. W. D. Ammmermannn sent his sons Dirk and Geerd and daughter Meemke along with a carpenter in the spring of 1886 to break the land on the prairie. They apparently traveled to Renville by train and only found the property after great difficulty. The land was a prairie, covered with three to four feet hight prairie grass, which grew in the lower places almost twie that high, so that one could drie through it with a uggy or wagon and not be seen. Freerk Ammermann spent the spring, summer and fall transporting by railroad all the family animanls and other possessions form Illinois to Minnesota. One of those trips, he apparently brought along his younger sister, Antje.

There were no buildings in the area except a small cattle herder's shelter which they moved to their property. There were few trees to be found in this area. Supposedly Lone Tree Township had a total of two trees, one each on the north and south sides. Lumber had to be brought to the farm form Renville, over 18 miles away and there were not roads in those days. The first summer they planted and harvested 60 acres of buckwheat.

W. D. Ammermann and the rest of the family came to Minnesota with all of their stock and supplies. The family traveled by train to Renville in the spring of 1887. According to stories, one of their first purchases in Renville was a new organ. Wubbe woke his family each morning by playing this organ and singing God's Psalms. He would not use hymns because they were written by man who was a sinner.

The organ was also used for church services which were held in Ammermann's home until a church could be built. Prins and Koch Land Company either donated land for a church in the communities where they settled immigrants, or gave them money to purchase land. Theodore Koch's Diary states that tey knew if they settled a community with immigrants of the name nationality in an area who also had a language and culture in common and gave them the land for a church, the community had a better chance at survival.

There was also a bell on the porperty which alerted early settlers about church, fire or other important events. This bell is still in the family.

Because W. D. Ammermann was a land agent, their home became a stopping place for many of the travelers. Jacob Meyering deliviered supplies weekely to the Ammermann home so settlers could purchase neccessity items closer to their homes. The closest source for supplies was Renville, approximately 18 miles away. The girls spent much of their time preparing meals for travelers who came through this small community. Grietje told her daughters that each day they had to peel potatoes so visitors could eat with them.

W. D. Ammermann gave the township the name of Rheinderland, for the district in Germany where he was born and named the church after Bunde, the town where he attended church in Germany. He was an elder in the Bunde Christian Reformed Church until his death.

He died on 14 September 1894 at the age of 66. His death was a shock to the entire community, they felt they had lost their spiritual leader. After his death, his wife Trientje continued to buy, sell and mortgage land. She died the tenth of March 1917 at the age of 81 years. She lived with her daughter Talea and family and gradddaughter Jantje Ammermann until her death.

Several grandchildren remembered her coming to the road to greet them on their way home from school. She would give them an apple or small scange and told them not to tell anyone. Several of her grandchildren remembered her as being a very loving person. She would always come with a hug and some of them would hide under the table to escape these hugs. Everyone who remembered her, remembered her with affection.

Henrietta Scheltens remembered that ther grandmother would take food from her plate when Henrietta did not like some food that was served at the table. She would eat it for them- in secret, of course.

Religion was the cornerstone of their home and family. Everything that has been written and data that was research indicated their deep, abiding faith in God.