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I am a Garrelts/Saathoff - From several publications, I quote the following: "In 1848 the first Ostfriesen came, the Gerd Tjarks Frank family of Ihlowerfehn and the Jan Gerdes Buss family of Ludwigsdorf... The plan was to travel to the Saathoff settlement in Texas." (However, they got sidetracked and went on to Illinois by way of the Mississippi to Quincy, Illinois and then to Golden, Illinois.) THE TEXAS CONNECTION: "An interesting sidelight of this immigration to Golden(Illinois - originally called New Ostfriesen) is the settlement of a group of Ostfrieslanders in West Texas, near a town then called New Fountain, no longer on current maps but located on earlier maps in the San Antonio area. From the account of Mimke Saathoff (O.N. 20 Oct. 1901) a group of Ostfrieslanders were blown off course and landed in Galveston in 1846. Upon arrival all men of conscription age were mustered into the Texas Militia. Only a very few returned from the Mexican War. The remaining settlers established the settlement around New Fountain. This group became isolated, and from Mimke Saathoff it was apparent they knew nothing of the later immigrations. However, since a number of names were included in the article, it seems justified to add them here since many of them resemble names found in the Golden immigrant lists. In articles datelined from Quihi and New Fountain in Medina County, Texas, among the three hundred families and two hundred singles, there were from Aurich-Oldendorf: G. F. Schmidt, Garreld Fokken, Mimke Saathoff, Diedrich Henkmann and from Holtrop, Fokke Saathoff. They left their homeland on April 15, 1846, and arrived 25th of December. Many died because of the weather. In 1849 arrived Jan Saathoff of Holtland, Folkert Peters of Firrel, and Metje Browners nee Schoon of Grossefehn. Her husband died enroute. In 1850 came Harm Gerdes of Bulte and Johann and Christoff Wiemers of Aurich. In 1852 came Harm Balzen, F. D. Neumann and Harm E. Schmidt of Moorlage. A church and a school were started in 1852. In 1855 came Schwerr H. Balzen of Akelsborg and Jan Gerdes of Frebina and Wilm Heyen of Akelsborg. Schwerr H. Balzen died 6 Nov. 1900 at age 93. In 1856 came Fr. Munnit, Harm Bohnfalk, Rolf Frerich and Harm Berends of Grossefehn. In 1857 came Marten B. Saathoff, whose brother-in-law, Ehme Aden, was here earlier from Holtrop. After isolation during the Civil War came Jan Lindeburg and the Widow deGroot of Belda and others." "LOET SAATHOFF. Long a matter of interest, speculation and mystery was the presence of a "Loet Saathoff", age 80, listed in the 1860 census (Illinois) as a member of the Jurgen Garrelts household. Despite searches, we have not found this person in further census files, in death records, on tombstones nor in publications. We long assumed it could be Antje's father, given the age factor, and we speculated he could have returned to Germany." See WHEN THE WIND BLOWS by Anna Wienke (1980) pages 10-19 or the German account by H. H. Emminga in OSTFRIESISCHE NACHRICHTEN 1 January, 1912. I hope the above information is of some help for those of you searching for early Saathoffs in Texas. SD74114@aol.com Pat
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