German News Paper article

63Biebertal – Wettenberg                                           Nummer 234 – Seite 35          (9.10.2014)

Ahnenforschung in Biebertal.                                     (translated from the German by KHS)                                  

Genealogical research in Biebertal.  (Biebertal is a municipality in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 7 km northwest of Gießen)

Place of origin for Nathan Bender, accompanied by his wife Sandra, from Petal, Mississippii

   Biebertal (ws).  For some time the office of the evangelical church and the hometown association of Rodheim-Bieber has received an increasing number of inquiries from genealogical researchers particularly from North America.  Not often do the descendants of the many people who emigrated in the second half of the 19th century, return to Rodheim, to reconstruct the origins of their ancestors.  In recent days Nathan Bender and his wife Sandra, from Petal in the U.S. state of Mississippi visited Rodheim.   

   Until 2011 - during the lifetime of Rodheim’s  local historian Ernst Schmidt – searches in the church register were not a problem. Not only could Schmidt read the German writing fluently, but he also knew almost all the local families.  After his death, the directors of the home club were worried about it.  " This works pretty well so far ," said Chairman Helmut Failing.  The Board is assisted by the English teachers Sigurd Bremer of the German -British club and Ekkehard Löw supported by the Frankenbacher home club, who act as interpreters .

   As is evident from the data collected by Ernst Schmidt from the church records, 367 Rodheimers emigrated to North America in the 19^th century.  At that time Rodheim had 911 inhabitants , of whom 180 were students, in 1900 there were 1550 inhabitants   In the 19^th century the population in Hesse had increased so that many communities were glad to see every emigrant leave.  The native soil could not feed everyone.

   In anticipation of the visit by Nathan and Sandra Bender Helmut Failing from the home club conducted comprehensive research in the church records.  Bender was looking for the ancestors of his great-grandfather Ludwig, who was born in Rodheim in 1861 and  who later emigrated to Iowa in 1886.  He was by trade a blacksmith and in America he immediately found work as a farrier.  In 1888 he married Henriette Magdalene Knief , whose ancestors came from Schaumburg. With her he had nine children.

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                               Nathan Bender and Gerhard Platt (r.) meet in the Mansion Restaurant. 

                               Bender’s great-grandfather and Platt’s great-grandmother were siblings. (Photo: ws)

                                              Other descendants met                                                                                      

   Bender is now 71 years old and served as a psychologist in the Army, most recently at the rank of colonel.  His great-grandfather had five brothers and sisters.  Sister Christine , married to August Karl Jahn , emigrated in 1880 with her husband and two children.  Brother Jakob emigrated in 1889 with his wife and two children.  Sister Elisabeth married a Mandler from Kinzenbach and moved  away with him.  Sister Helene died in childhood.  Only sister Luise remained in Rodheim, where she married Ludwig Dudenhöfer.  He is known to many older Rodheimers as " Ludwig Stoffels."  Gerhard Platt is a great-grandson of this family.  The ancestors of Ludwig Bender can be traced back to his great-grandfather Georg, born in 1723.

In the tax lists of Rodheim the name Bender was first mentioned in 1568.  However, a close relationship to the present Biebertaler mayor could not be found.  

   When they visited  the local museum , the Americans were accompanied by Sigurd Bremer and Helmut Failing.  The visitors showed much interest in  the exhibition " World War I ", in the "Schmitte farm", the historical loom and the costumes that were probably worn by their ancestors.  Then a visit to the church was on the program.  At the end they visited the old part of the Rodheim cemetery.

   Mayor Thomas Bender received the guests in the local town hall.  He explained the admini-strative structures of the Commune , and the origin of the name Bender was discussed.  It’s like cooper (Fassbender), soil Bender or binder, clearly arising from an occupational name – as it was described by Ernst Schmidt.  These people bound barrels, buckets, tubs and pails with wood, originally woven with split willow rings, and later bound with iron hoops.

   Finally, the guests from the United States were hosted in the Mansion restaurant with Gerhard Platt.  He brought pictures of his ancestors with him.  Nathan Bender shared a collection of images and documents , including his great-grandfather Ludwig.  Accompanied by Ekkehard Löw the couple traveled around Bierbertal and visited (the towns of ) Hof Schmitte, the Reehmühle, Vetzberg, and the Königsberg pit (a mine).  Then followed a tour to Königsberg and Krumbach.  A climb to Dünsberg was also on the Program.  Sigurd Bremer told the guests about its impressive  history.  Prior to their departure, Nathan Bender told his hosts, that short stories are among his hobbies.  He promised to write a story about his visit to Bierbertal.