Authors Note:

The contents of this chapter are as they appeared in Minnie Brink Ludwig's 1945 Brink book. The only things removed are the two land holding maps which appear as appendixes 2 and 26 and the family tree section which has been replaced by the remainder of this book, Our Brink Heritage.

To the memory of the brave, courageous
and godly ancestors, and to all the descendants of the
Brink Family, this booklet is affectionately dedicated
by the Author.

We herewith gratefully acknowledge the kindness of our

sister and brother, Louise and William G. Brink, and other

relatives and friends who so nobly gave assistance in gathering

information regarding the past history of the Brink Family.

This little sketch of History of the Brink family begins in the remote past in Germany almost two hundred years ago. Farther back than this, descendants living at the present time, 1945, have, no record of their ancestors. The knowledge of even that generation is very limited; however, the few facts that have been gathered, if recorded, may prove of interest to coming generations.

Already the descendants of this branch of the Brink family are numbered by the hundreds, and there are now living those of the seventh generation, including the Brink and Meyer families who were the parents of Earnest Frederich William Brink. All these are now residing in the United States of America.

In the beautiful little village of Eikzen, in Germany, two houses were nestled side by side. The name of the owner of the one was Brink and the other Meyer. Both families owned large farms, and according to written documents and testimonies of witnesses, were Freisasser Rohfe (free holds) and were therefore free from fudal dues.

The "Free Holder" was a farmer who owned much land and had quite a number of farmers living on smaller tracts (Kleine Freisasser Hohfe). These cultivated a certain amount of the large farmers land and in return they gave the large land owner a certain number of days labor each week or month, depending on the contract, as rent for use of the land.

The dates of birth of this generation of our ancestors we do not know, nor do we know their given names. We know only that on the paternal side, their surname was Brink, and on the maternal side Meyer. We have also the information that this ancestor of the Brink family served as a soldier in the French-German war under the German flag during the war with Napoleon.

This part of Germany - namely Eikzen - .where the Brink home was located, was, for a time, under French rule, but in 1813-14, it again became a part of Germany.

We children used to sit and listen with rapt attention when our father, Charles L. C. Brink, told us of incidents regarding the French-German war which he had frequently heard his own father relate to him when he was a lad.

When the Province, in which the Brink home was located, was taken and occupied by the French, the Brink family sheltered in their home as many of the French soldiers as they could possibly accommodate, feeding them and ministering to their needs in their desperate condition during that bitter cold winter.

Among other stories of suffering and horror that father related, he told how one morning they discovered, not far from their house, the body of a French soldier who had frozen to death during the night. Great, great Grandfather Brink and one of his tenants were summoned to bury the soldier. The tenant said to great, great grandfather Brink, "Mr. Brink, this man whom we are about to bury has a pair of good boots on his feet that look as if they might be about my size. I am in desperate need of a pair of shoes, would it be wrong for me to take these boots off his feet before we bury him?"

With trembling voice great, great grandfather Brink answered, "No, I do not think that it would be wrong. They will not do the dead man any good and you need them badly." Great, great grandfather Brink took hold of the soldier's arms and held him while the tenant proceeded to pull the boots from his feet. To their horror they discovered that the poor man's feet had been so sore and now frozen, that gangrene had set in and when they pulled the shoes off, the toes and much of the flesh of the foot had been pulled off with the shoe.

In silence they buried the shoes and the remains of the poor dead soldier together in the same grave.

The Brink home was later sold to a family by the name of Bockmeier (Bokemeyer) and is in their possession to this day. The following information was gathered a few years ago during a conversation with the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Steinwald of Irvington. Mr. Steinwald is a second cousin of the fourth generation of Brinks and Mrs. Steinwald is also a distant relative. She is a granddaughter of the Bockmeyers who are now in possession of the Brink home in Germany. They were both born in Germany and came to America after maturity.

Mrs. Steinwald's maiden name was Rodekopf, and her girlhood home, her father's home, was located within a few hundred feet of the Brink home, consequently she was familiar with the whole surroundings in that locality. During the conversation with the Steinwalds, Mrs. Steinwald, then in her eighties, told us the following which we here quote. "Many, many years ago, before Christianity was brought to our ancestors, the Rodakopf home was used for heathen worship. Then the missionaries came into that community preaching Christ and our forefathers and their neighbors were converted to Christianity, and the Rodokopfs, near of kin to the Brinks, opened their home, and here the first Christian religious services were held.

"To this day," Mrs. Steinwald continued, "There are a great number of glass panes stored in a barrel on the attic of the old, old large Rodekopf home, with pictures that were used in heathen worship. My brothers and sisters and I would sometimes bring some of these glass plates down and would ask Grandmother's permission to play with them. But her answer usually was, "No, no children, take those back into the attic and let them alone. They were used in heathen worship, you should not even touch them."

"In this home is also one of the first Bibles that was brought to that community. It is a very large Bible weighing twenty pounds and was printed in 1500.

In the home of the Brink family in the year 1790, God gave to gladden the hearts of the parents, a little son whom they named Earnst Frederich William. Eight years later, in 1798, the home of the Meier family was blessed with the arrival of a little baby girl. The parents named this wee daughter, Anna Mariea Dorthiea Charlotte Illsabein. With these two babes, who after their maturity, were united in marriage and later came to America, the record of the next generation of the Brink Family begins.

Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea were born in the same little village scarcely a stones-throw apart. Earnst Frederich was eight years Anna Mariea's senior. Their address compared favorably in length with the length of their names. Had anyone wished to write to the little son, they would have addressed him in this fashion. Earnst Frederich William Brink, Eikzen, Roten Ufel, Berg Kirche, Kreis Minden, Westfalen, Prussen, Deutschland.

Just why our great, great grandparents gave their little daughter five long names we do not know. While some parents used three names, just as some American fathers and mothers do, yet it seems to have been very unusual to use five names.

The long names and lengthy address in Gemany may seem very strange to us in our day of abbreviation of words and names such as N.R.A., A.A.A., W.P.A., and hundreds more. However, it took quite a bit of space on an envelope if anyone wrote to our grandparents to their new home when they first came to America. It would have been like this: Mr. Earnst Frederich William Brink, Nashville, Washington County, Hoyleton Township, North Prairie, Illinois, United States of America.

Eikzon was the little dorf, (village,) in which the Brink home was located. The Bauern, (farmers) in that section of Germany lived in small groups of houses, called Dorfs of from six to twelve homes. These little villages were surrounded by the owners' farms located near enough to enable the owner to walk back and forth to cultivate and harvest his crops.

Roten Ufel was the Bauerschaft somewhat like a township in our country.

Berg Kirche was the parish or the ecclesiastical district. In this parish was located the State church. One pastor had the spiritual oversight in this district. This usually included several Dorfs.

Kreis Minden was the Regirungs Bozerg. This was very much like our counties. Here they had their own lower courts.

Westfalen was the province and might be likened unto our states.

Preusen was another division of the country including several provinces or states.

Deutschland, as we are all awhere, means Germany in the English language and is the country in which our ancestors were born and where they lived.

Earnst Frederick William and Anna Mariea were not only born in the little village of Eikzen but here they spent their happy childhood days in their parents' homes which had been built side by side with only a little path between. Here in Eiksen, when tiny babes, they were carried in the arms of proud parents to the house of God, to the little church known as Berg Kirche, (Church on the hill). They were taken to the altar of this church for Christian infant baptism while Godfathers and Godmothers, respectively, held them in their arms. At this same altar they were confirmed and here they partook of their first communion.

In this little village they attended the same school and here they grew up to young manhood and young womanhood. Here was born in their hearts that friendship which later ripened into that sacred love which led them to the altar, in this same church, where they were united in holy wedlock. Here, after their marriage, they set up their own Christian home, and here their ten children were born.

We have often wished that we might have been privileged to get a little glimpse into the home in Germany where our forefathers lived, a glimpse into their daily affairs and their family life and see some of the surroundings where our ancestors resided. This has been denied us and we can here record only the things that were related to us by our parents who left their Eikzen home when they were young. We are happy for what information has been handed down to us by word of mouth by those who lived there, and herewith we pass it on to younger generations.

The homes of our ancesters somewhat different than our homes today. Usually there were from four to six connecting rooms built in a row on the first floor and about the same number of rooms on the second floor.Most of the houses were a story and a half, with attractive, gable or roof windows. To the rear of this dwelling was a very wide hallway with a floor laid of very smooth stones. This was from fifteen to twenty feet wide and reached the full length of the house. Across this hallway, to the rear was the barn.

In 1939, Dr. Sylvester T. Ludwig, while on a trip through Europe, visited in Eikzen and called at the old Brink home which was built by his ancestors in the year 1798, almost a century and a half ago. He was amazed how well the old house was preserved and said, that from its appearance, he would have judged that it was about thirty or forty years old.

When the visitor observed with what beautiful substantial walnut furniture the house was furnished, he remarked, "Such furniture would bring a very fancy price in America". The owner replied, "When we build our homes and buy its furnishings, it is not only for our own lifetime, but when we build and buy, we have in mind our children and children's children."

The visitor was also convinced that his forefathers must have taken religion more seriously than many people do, for as he stood there in the front yard, viewing the beautiful structure, there met his eyes an inscription carved above the large arched front door. This inscription was taken from the word of God: Psalm 127: 1. Directly under this was the date when the house was built and the names of the builders.

The attire of the people in those years when our grandparents lived there was of a rather striking appearance. The men wore beautiful colorful vests usually made of velvet. Little girls wore full skirts almost floor length with snugly fitting waists. The little Miss in this garb must have presented a quaint and charming appearance. The women wore tight fitting basques or waists with very full skirts. The women's skirts were shorter than those worn by little girls, the women's reaching to about seven inches from the floor.

The women wore "tie around the waist" aprons, and there was often a friendly rivalry as to who could make and wear the most beautiful apron.

The majority of the people in that day in Germany, just as was the case in our country in that century, did not have carpets on their floors, neither did they have any stoves in their homes. The dwellings were constructed with large fireplaces similar to the ones we have seen in the old home of George Washington at Mt. Vernon. The fireplace in the kitchen served for cooking, the kettles being hung on a rod with a hook above the fire. Their full meals were sometimes cooked in one kettle, somewhat like an American stew.

They served their meals in a fashion that seems very strange to those of us living in the twentieth century. After the stew was well cooked, it was emptied into a large bowl and placed in the middle of the table. After the head of the family said grace, all with home-made wooden spoons ate from this one common bowl. Let us remember, however, that all this was a century and a half ago.

They did not use plates for serving as we do today, nor any other numerous side dishes. How wonderful life must have been for little Anna Mariea Dorthea Charlotte Ilsebein not to be compelled to wash large stacks of dishes as little girls must do today. For a family of six, the little Miss of today must set herself to the wearisome task of washing six water glasses, six soup plates, six dinner plates, six salad plates, six broad and butter plates, six cups, six saucers, six knives, six forks, six salad forks, six pie plates, six pie forks, besides this a meat platter, several vegetable dishes, a pickle dish, a jelly dish, several mixing bowls, a roaster, pie pans, and several utensils for cooking vegetables, an egg beater and a potato masher. But instead of all this, little Anna Mariea washed one kettle, one bowl and six spoons and then was ready for play. Could little girls of today only make the words of the poet come true when he said, "Backward turn backward, 0 time in your flight," how happpy they would be.

Our great grandparents ate wheat or barley bread which they baked at home instead of purchasing it at a bakery. Since they had no stoves, and therefore no ovens in the home, they constructed outside ovens of brick and clay. The appearance of these ovens was very much like the roof that is built over an outside cellar or cave as may be seen it some farmhouses today. Of course, the ovens were altogether above ground. The floor space was from five to seven foot square. The roof over it was much like a dome with a small chimney on top. The whole structure, floor, roof and all was constructed, or fashioned of pliable clay. Then a fire was built inside until the whole structure would harden almost like brick. Now the oven was ready for use.

On baking days, which was only once a week, great grandmother would get out her wooden "bake trough" as they called it. This trough about four feet in length and about eighteen inches in width. This had perhaps been constructed from oak or elm lumber by our great grandfather who presented it to our great grandmother after their engagement before they were married. She doubtless placed it into her hope chest -- providing the chest was large enough.

The bread was mixed similar to the way housewives mix their bread today, except that grandmother made her own yeast cakes using hops that were raised on their own farm. "Most of the people had large families and since they baked only once a week they made from fifteen to twenty large loaves at one baking. While the bread in the pans was raising they stacked the fuel, usually wood, on the floor in the oven. The fire was left to burn for some time and then the live coals were scattered all over the floor space of the oven to make an even heat. After about twenty minutes the coals were all carefully raked out and the large bread pans with their snowy contents were placed, with long handled wooden paddles, into the oven and the door, about two feet square, closed. About an hour and fifteen minutes later, great grandmother drew from this oven fifteen or twenty loaves of beautiful brown, wholesome light bread such as we seldom see anymore today with all of our modern improvements.

The people at that time in Germany seem to have enten about the same kinds of vegetables that we eat today, except that they did not raise sweet potatoes, and tomatoes were planted in their yards and gardens for ornaments only. They did not know that tomatoes were good for food. Meat was served only once a week. Just why they ate meat only once a week we do not know but we have been informed that this was their custom.

Our great grandparents, of course, had no matches. They kindled their fires with flint rock when necessary. However, when once the fire was started in the fireplace it was seldom permitted to go out. They bedded the live coals in the fireplace for the night and thus kept fire from day to day. If it happened to go out over night, then grandfather would hasten to the next door neighbor with a "holsken" (wooden shoe), and place some live coals from the neighbor's fireplace into it, hasten home again shaking the wooden shoe all the while to prevent the live coals from burning the shoe, dump the coals into his own fireplace and soon have a cheerful fire burning that perhaps would not again be permitted to go out for months.

It seems that everybody attended church services in Germany, although there was much physical discomfort connected with it. The climate in Germany is very cold, yet they had no way of heating the church and therefore wore very heavy wraps during the services. However, they did have somewhat of a heating system even though it was not strictly modern and up to date. We are informed that many of the worshippers took with them to church their pet dogs and had these lie on their feet to keep them warm, while others took heated flat irons on which they placed their feet during the service. Neither had they electric fans in the hot summer season, yet, we are informed that they did not offer these inconveniences as excuses for missing religious services. Comparing the conditions of that day with the comforts that we are privileged to enjoy in our day and then beholding the empty pews, we are made to wonder how many would attend in America today if no heat were provided in winter and no fans in the summertime.

After their marriage Earnst and Anna Mariea set up their own home and were performing the daily duties common to people of their standing, Earnst cultivating the land, overseeing his farms on which their tenants lived, preparing the soil, sowing the seed and harvesting the crops. Anna Mariea ruled in the home seeing that the many duties were properly performed. The cooking, the baking, making up the beds, tidying up the rooms, spinning and weaving cloth, sewing their garments without the aid of a machine, laundering the family washing without even the aid of a washing machine, ironing without the convenience of an electric iron and thus performing the many hundreds of tasks common to the duties of a home maker.

The women wove their own flax and made beautiful linen cloth. Some of our ancestors brought with them beautiful linen, home-spun and home-woven cloth that outlived their generation. Our mother had one of these Wonderful bedspreads.

Our great grandmothers must have presented a very picturesque appearance sitting at their spinning wheels attired in a full skirt and tight basques, wearing their white aprons and a neatly arranged white cap on their heads.

The young maiden of that day was very industrious beginning early in life to prepare for the day when she would become a partner in building a new home. Hence she would begin to spin, weave and sew at a very early ago, filling her "hope chest" with beautiful linens of which she might justly be proud.

Little wonder that she was better fitted for wifehood and motherhood than some modern maidens of the twentieth century who spend all of their spare time joy riding, dancing and attending picture shows gazing on scenes that can not but break down morals. Our grandmothers fitted themselves for that high and holy calling unto which God, in his wisdom, has called pure womanhood.

In her hope chest our grandmother had, besides her home-spun linens, some very beautiful quilts, and every maiden desired to add to the contents of that chest a feather bed. Some of the farmers raised geese and ducks on their farms and it was perhaps not such a task for their daughters to come in possession of the much coveted article. However, we are informed that those who did not have this advantage did not despair but picked up every feather that the wind, by chance, might carry across their pathway. It is said that in this way some maidens really succeeded in accumulating a light feather bed. There was a saying that if a maiden was not willing to climb over several fences to pick up a feather, she could not be considered very ambitious.

It seems that about the time of 1840 to 1845, a great many people from that part of Germany - as perhaps from elsewhere also - migrated to America. Some of the relatives and friends of the Brink family had already established homes in the United States of America, and thus a desire began to spring up in their hearts to also make this adventure. Some of the older children who had now grown to maturity had also preceded the parents in coming to this country. Just how long before we do not know, however, it is quite certain that at least two sons, Christian and Frederich, were already here when the parents arrived.

Earnest Frederich and Anna Mariea, our Grandparents, were considered quite well-to-do financially, in Germany, although their children, our parents, modestly refrained from speaking much about this fact. However, they were large landowners and had many tenants. This writer remembers well that her father, Charles L. C. Brink, always seemed to be reluctant in speaking about that period of time when his father and mother had sold their beautiful home in the old country and had come to America. For a time we could not understand, however, later we learned why. Father was only a lad of ten when they came across the ocean to this country. In the first place, it could not be a pleasant experience for any child his age to leave the home he loved, his school-mates and even his native land and be asked to go to a strange country, among a strange people whose language he could neither speak nor understand.

Not only this, but during this period of time this little lad, as well as his brothers and sisters, passed through other experiences that might well break any child's heart. It was during the first twelve months of this boy's stay in the new and strange country that death claimed both his mother and Father. He was left an orphan at the tender age of ten.

Our Mother, however, coming from the same locality in Germiny would speak more freely about both, the Brink families and her own, the Kroughoff family. In this way, we learned many little details regarding the Brink family that father refrained from speaking about.

We recall how one evening we children were gathered around Mother's chair sitting on the floor. She was knitting while father was reading his paper. We were entreating Mother to tell us again the story about her childhood home in Germany and about their ten-weeks voyage on the ocean when they came to America. One of the smaller children said, "Mother, why didn't you bring your nice big home along when you came to America?" "O, we could not do that, we sold it," she replied. "And how much money did you get for it?" was the next question.

"We got ten thousand dollars for our home," she answered. Father looking over his paper at mother, said, "That was exactly what my father got for our home ten years before."

"Yes," Mother replied, "but had he waited and sold when my father did, he could have sold his home for twenty thousand."

These little glimpses into the lives of that generation of Brinks were quite interesting to us children. A number of Grandfather Brink's tenants desired, also, to come to America when Grandfather came but they had no money to undertake the voyage. They entreated Grandfather Brink to advance the money and promised that they would reimburse him later. Out of the goodness of his heart, Grandfather complied with their wishes, spent much money to get them across to this wonderful country. Some of them, however, when once here, and all was going well forgot their obligation to pay back what they owed.

The land in America that became the Brink home had been purchased before their arrival, either by their sons who had preceded them or else by friends from Germany who were already in this country.

In the year 1845 they sold their possessions in Germany and Earnst Frederich and Anna Mariea and their family, and the tenants who came with them, bade farewell to their beloved native land and sailed to the most wonderful country in the world, the United States of America.

This voyage was of much more consequence in that day than if we should undertake to cross the ocean today. We board a large ocean steamer in the harbor and in five days we touch shore and cast anchor on the other side. But not so when our Grandparents came across in 1845. They made the long wearisome journey on a sail ship and sailed for ten weeks. All this with very few accomodations and comforts that are worth mentioning as compared with the comforts that we may enjoy on the ocean palaces that glide smoothly across the waters in these days and provide all manner of comfort and luxuries.

We need not stretch our imaginative faculties much when we say that we can almost see our grandparents, when crossing the ocean's expand, looking, longing and praying to got a glimpse of land--a glimpse of the shore of the country that was to be their future home. As days slipped away into weeks and weeks into months and the straining eye beheld nothing but a vast expense of water how their hearts must have leaped for joy when finally, -- finally after two months and two weeks of sailing their eyes caught sight of America's shore.

It was November, the year 1845, when the ship cast anchor in the New Orleans harbor. Though they were now on American soil they had yet a long wearisome journey before them, one that might yet be beset by many perils. Their destination had not yet been reached, for there still lay before them several hundred miles of travel before reaching the place that they would call home.

They now boarded a ship at New Orleans and sailed up the "Father of Waters" the great Mississippi River. In those early days the boats on the river made very slow progress and winter with its cold chilly blast had already set in and settled down upon them. This proved to be one of those extremely cold winters that caused even the swiftly flowing waters of the Mississippi River to freeze over and alas, finally the good ship was frozen in at a place where is now located the little village of Grand Tower and was unable to sail for several weeks. To make matters worse, the ship's provisions began to run low and there was scarcely any place to resort to purchase food, for the towns and houses were few and scattered in the new country in that day. However, the men braved the storm, and succeeded in getting some game even though they had no guns and no ammunition. They also located a few houses in the vicinity where families were living. Here they purchased food from those farmer's scant supply.

An experience that later, when those perils were past, seemed rather amusing was often related to us children by our father. The men while in search of food came upon a farm house and finally succeeded, in spite of their German tongue, to make the English speaking farmer understand that they wanted food. The farmer's supply of food had also run low, but he offered them a large quantity of sweet potatoes. They do not raise sweet potatoes in Germany and those men had never before seen any and thought they were "Runkel roben", (Rutabagas). These were raised in great abundance in Germany and fed to the stock. What they especially wanted was Irish potatoes, but the farmer led them to this large heap of sweet potatoes. They emphatically shook their heads saying, "Runkel roben not .... potatoes we want. Finally, hungry as they were, and while their women and children at the ship were awaiting their return to bring them food, they left the farmer standing in disappointment by his abundant supply of sweet potatoes while they wound their way back through the snow to the ship with empty stomachs. When our father used to relate the above incident to us children his mouth fairly watered, for he was unusually fond of sweet potatoes.

When leaving Germany, the plan of Earnst Brink and family had been to sail as far as St. Louis by boat and from there to drive over land to their new home in Washington county, a distance of only about sixty miles. But since the ship was ice-bound at Grand Tower, they changed their plans. They wrote to their sons in Washington County, Christian and William, to meet them at Grand Tower instead of St. Louis. When the sons did not arrive, after some time of waiting they hired a man to take them over land by wagon and an ox team.

There is some difference of opinion as to where the ship was ice bound and also as to where they left the river to go by wagon. Some think that they were ice bound farther down stream and that when the ice melted they traveled by boat as far as Grand Tower and from there went over land, and it is so stated in the Poem. However, after gathering information from many sources, we are quite convinced that the ship was ice bound at Grand Tower, and that from there they traveled the rest of the way by ox team.

After leaving Grand Tower and having traveled for same distance, they discovered that a man on horseback was following them. When the man overtook them they recognized him as the owner of the little inn where they had lodged the previous night. The man accused them of having stolen some articles at his place and demanded that they permit him to search all of their belongings.

They protested, declaring their innocence. They reasoned with him, telling him that it would take hours to unpack, search and repack a11 the luggage they were carrying and that would delay them too long. When the man insisted, they told him frankly that they could not permit the search without a search warrant. He continued following them, saying that he would get the warrant when they reached a certain town.

Grandfather was kind to the man and when the noon hour arrived they insisted, over the man's protest, that he eat dinner with them. After the family had bowed their heads and Grandfather had said Grace, the man ate in silence. When he arose, he thanked Grandfather heartily for his kindness, then mounted his horse saying, "I will now go back, for I do not believe that people like you would stoop to steal another man's property."

After having traveled on for some distance farther with the man whom they had hired, they met their sons who had come to meet them. They decided however, to continue their journey and the sons drove on to Grand Tower to get the baggage that had been left behind.

The long overland journey that yet lay before them, with the ox team was wearisome and even perilous. It was midwinter and there were scarcely any roads nor bridges. The mother, Anna Mariea, was very ill. Slowly and courageously they wound their way onward, enduring the cold, eating what stale bread they had in supply and purchasing provisions here and there as they chanced, in that sparsely settled country, to come across some little village or farm house. Finally, on Christmas day, they reached their destination.

We are convinced that their joy must have been unbounded when the long, wearisome journey was at last ended. It was now four months since they had left their comfortable home in Eikzen. Doubtless it was a joyous Christmas day even though they had no Christmas tree, no gifts to present to each other, no toy, and no candy for the children and no church service to attend. Yet they acknowledged that God in His tender mercy had protected them on their long perilous journey and they gave Him Praise.

On the farm that Earnst Frederich and Anna Mariea had purchased was located a house, but this was yet occupied by the former owner who held possession for some months after their arrival. Two miles south west of the newly purchased Brink farm stood a little vacant cottage, this they occupied until the former owner of their own home could give possession.

We would rejoice if we might omit some of the sad events that befell the family during the first twelve months of sojourn in their newly-adopted country, but in order that it may be true to facts, we herewith record it.

While the family was living in the little rented cottage, before they could move to their own home, the dear Mother's physical condition became alarming and before three months had passed she had slipped away. The Angels had come to bear her pure spirit away to be with Jesus in the Heavenly Home that He had promised to prepare for those who love and serve Him, that home whose builder and maker is God, where His children shall "go out no more forever."

The joy of the family was now turned to mourning. Earnst Frederich William Brink was bereft of his wife and loving companion. Anna Mariea had left him. Bravely, for his children's sake, he dried his tears and courageously faced the future, endeavouring to make a home and be both father and mother to his children. The youngest was only ten and several others yet in their teens the very age when children need the sure, guiding hand of a mother most.

This is a sad chapter, but there remains yet another sad one to be written. Before that year ended, after they had moved into their new home, the father became ill and he too, slipped away to his Heavenly Home, leaving the children with neither father nor mother in a new and strange country.

Both Father and Mother, Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea were laid to rest on their own farm, scarcely a stones-throw east of the house. Both died in the year 1845. (1846). They were yet in the prime of life. Earnst Frederich having reached the age of fifty (probably 58), while Anna Mariea was only forty seven (probably 53).

The Brink descendants may now visit the graves of these their courageous ancestors who so bravely endured hardships giving their very lives in the struggle that the coming generations of their descendants might have a home and enjoy life in this wonderful country in which they themselves were premitted to sojourn for but a very brief space of time.

To the time of this writing, July, 1945, the farm that Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea purchased, which was the Brink family's first home in America, is still in possession of their descendants. Their second oldest son, William lived there until his death in the year 1888. When the grandson, Henry J. Brink, son of William, came in possession of it and lived there until his death in the year 1925, and now a great grandson of Earnst Frederich, a son of Henry J. Brink, is residing there with his family. His name is Waldo Brink. He lives in the house that was built on the ground where stood the home that Earnst Frederick William occupied.

This location is in Washington County, Illinois, near the beautiful little North Creek, about five miles northeast of where Nashville is now located. About three miles southeast of the little village called New Minden and six miles southwest of Hoyleton and two miles west of the R. R. station called Huegely.

It seems that the land first owned by Earnst Frederich and Anna Mariea and later divided among the children, consisted of about one thousand and fifty, or perhaps tweve hundred acres. All within a few miles of the old home place, most of it lying in an easterly direction. A chart inserted in this book will show the location of the land and how it was divided among the children and also what is yet in possession of the Brink heirs. Those charts are as nearly correct as we could obtain information.

In the years that followed, more and more people from different localities in Germany began to settle in that community purchasing land and building homes.

In the immediate vicinity the settlers were all of that sturdy and industrious stock of German people of whom so many migrated from Germany in those early days and built up prosperous communities and became devoted and loyal citizens of the country of their adoption.

This writer of this sketch of history is of the fourth generation of Brinks, as recorded in this booklet, a daughter of Charles L. C. Brink. She was reared on her father's farm in the midst of the above-described community and, be it said to the credit of those sturdy honorable German people who lived in that immediate vicinity, that she grew to maturity and was about twenty years of age before she ever heard any person use profanity or ever saw anyone intoxicated.

Before closing this part of the brief history of the Brink family, we will yet add a few facts regarding the ten children of Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea Brink who constitute the third generation.

The union of Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea was blessed with ten children, six sons and four daughters. One of the daughters died in infancy in Germany while the other nine grew to maturity and came to America. We here give the son's and daughter's names beginning with the oldest.

Christian -	diod	1873
Louisa -	died	in infancy, in Germany
William -	died	1888
Christana -	died	in her early twenties
Louisa Brink Meyer -	died	1904
Frederick -	died	1905
Henry -	died	1894
Carolina Brink Hoffman	died	1897
John Earnst	died	1860
Charles	died	1926

These six sons and four daughters of Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea Brink, the third generation of Brinks as recorded in this history, have at the time of this writing, 1945, also all reached the end of their earthly pilgrimage, the youngest son, and last to pass away, Charles, having departed in the year 1926, at the ripe old age of ninety-one years.

Christian, the eldest son of Earnst and Anna Mariea Brink returned to Germany some time after the family had arrived and before his return was married to Christena Kroughoff. They lived on his farm one-fourth mile east and three quarters north of the old home-place, directly across the road from where Elm Point school house is located. Christian lived here until his death in 1873. Nine children were born to this union, five of whom lived to maturity while four died in infancy. Those who lived to maturity are: Martha Brink Fieker, Theodore Brink, Anna Brink Heitmeyer, Lydia Brink Bruhn and Julius Brink.

Louisa, the second oldest child died in Germany before the family migrated to the United States of America. She died in infancy.

William, the third eldst child, was married to Mary Woepke Gerken. He came in possession of the old Brink home-place which his father and mother, Earnst Frederich William and Anna Mariea purchased before they come to the United States, Eight children were born to this union, four of whom died in infancy, while the following four sons lived to maturity: William, Charles , Henry, and Theodore Brink. He died in 1888. But the land is still in possession of his heirs Albert Brink, son of Charles, owns a part of the land where he now resides with his family. Waldo Brink, the son of Henry, owns that part of the farm where the first Brink home was located.

Christena died several years after the family had come to America while yet in her early twenties and is buried on the Lutheran cemetery at New Minden.

Louisa was married to William Meyer and lived for some time on her part of the Brink estate located three-fourths of a mile east of the old home. Later they bought a farm about five miles farther southeast. Here she lived with her family until her death in 1904. Her part of the former Brink Estate is still owned by the Brink heirs and is now in possession of the heirs of Charles Brink, the son of William Brink. To Louisa were born twelve children, one of whom died in infancy while the following eleven grew to maturity: William Meyer, Carolina Meyer Voelkel, Joseph Meyer, Charles Meyer, John Meyer, Sarah Meyer Guyer, Eve Meyer Lyons, Louis Meyer, Theodore Meyer, Samuel Meyer and George Meyer.

Frederich owned that part of the farm three-quarters of a mile east and a half mile south of the old home-place. Later he purchased a farm three and one-half miles east and while living there was elected State Senator in which capacity he served with honor, for twelve years. During part of this time, he resided in Hoyleton, Illinois, where he was also engaged in the milling business. Frederich's wife's maiden name was Carolina Hoffman. He died in the year 1905. To this union were born eleven children, two of whom died in infancy, while the following nine lived to maturity: Fred Brink, Carolina Brink Krueger, Louisa Brink Rolf, Mary Brink Kohlmeyer, Henry Brink, Anna Brink Kohlmeyer, Elizabeth Brink Greiman, Edward Brink, and Flora Brink Greiman.

Henry lived on his part of the estate one and one-fourth mile east and one-half mile north of the first Brink home. His wife's maiden name was Whilemene Weihe. He lived on this farm until a few years before his death when he moved to New Minden, where he died in the year 1894. Eight children were born to this union, one of whom died in infancy, while the other seven reached maturity. All of those seven are living to this date. They are, Minnie Brink Kracht, Henry Brink, William Brink, Fred Brink, Lydia Brink Synder, Julius Brink, and Arthur Brink.

Carolina was married to Earnst Hoffman and lived, with her family, several miles southwest of Nashville. Carolina's husband was a brother to her brother Frederich's wife. Carolina passed away in her home near Nashville in the year 1897. To this union were born ten children of whom two died in infancy or in childhood, while the following eight grew to manhood and womanhood. Henry Hoffman, Fred Hoffman, Christena Hoffman Ruhmig, Louis Hoffman, John Hoffman, Philip Hoffman and Mary Hoffman Syler.

John Earnst, the ninth child of Earnst Frederich and Anna Mariea Brink was united in marriage to Mary Wolfman. He lived on his part of the Brink land which was located one and one-fourth miles east of the old homeplace where he died in early, young manhood in the year 1860. To this union were born one son, John, who after his marriage resided in Clay County, Illinois, from which place, a few years ago, he also went to his home in heaven.

Charles, the youngest of the ten children owned that part of the Brink land located one and three-quarter miles east of the first Brink home. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Krughoff. Charles owned this place before his marriage and lived there until his death in the year 1926 at the age of ninety-one years. He was the last one of that generation -- the ten children of Earnst Frederich and Anna Mariea Brink -- to pass away. His farm is yet in possessim of his heirs. A son, William G., and a daughter Louisa, are now living there. To the union of Charles and Elizabeth Brink, thirteen children were born. Four of those died in infancy, while the following nine grew to maturity: Charles Brink, Henry Brink, Fred Brink, Mary Brink Rademacher, Clara Brink Tschudin, Minnie Brink Ludwig, Elizabeth Brink, Louisa Brink and William Brink.

BRINK

In Eikzen, Rotenufel, Berg Kirche,
Kreis Minden and Province West Phale,
In Preusen, in beautiful Deutschland,
Stood a home in a lovely green vale;
Here was living in peace and contentment,
A man with a family of ten,
His name was Earnst Frederick William,
Who was known as "A man among men."

But one of these names was his surname,
It was Brink, -- like the brink of a stream,
He had chosen for wife and companion,
The girl of young manhood's fair dream;
'Twas Anna Mariea Dorthiea,
Charlotte and Ilsabein Meier,
The last name, of course, was her surname,
The name of paternal grandsire.

Both Anna and Earnest,
In the same little village, they say,
Were born in the Dorf of fair Eikzen,
Where they saw first the light of the day;
One seven nine 0, says the record,
Our grandfather Earnest was born,
While not until eight years in future,
Little Anna Mariea came on.

They were taken to worship in childhood.,
And confimed in the Lutheran church faith,
The chapel was known as Berg Kirche,
To all of their kindred and race;
Here Anna Mariea and Earnest,
Oft bowed in their worship to pray,
And here at the same holy altar,
Were united in marriage one day.

And then in their own little cottage,
they vowed that to God they'd be true,
And always on each Sunday morning,
They sat in their own sacred pew;
They sang the good songs of the Kingdom,
While the organ pealed forth the sweet strain,
Then bowing their heads in great reverence,
Their petitions were not made in vain.

In those ancient days in the church house,
In Deutschland - yes all o'er the world,
They had not a stove nor a furnace,
For comfort while preaching the word;
E'en though in the cold of December,
The sermons ne'er seemed to be long,
For their hearts grew warm in the service,
As they worshipped in sermon and song.

As time was now hastening onward,
To the parents ten children were born,
Six stalwart sons and four Daughters,
Were given to brighten the home;
The oldest was Christ, then Louisea, -
She was buried in Germany's soil--
The next in the family was William,
Then Christena, who died as a girl.

Now Louisa. a girl, and then Frederick,
Were given the home to adorn,
Then Henry, Carolina and Earnest.
In the happy Brink family were born;
And now came the baby named Charley,
The last in the family of ten,
While two of the daughters died early,
The boys all grew to be man.

Still time hurries on in its journey,
They toil, they labor, they pray,
And God in his mercy was with them,
And blessed in a financial way;
They purchased more land and had tenants,
Who lived on the land they now own,
But Grandfather's house was not modern,
Our comforts to them were unknown.

They did not have gas nor a furnace,
For gas in that day was not known,
Nor had they a heater or cook stove,
But a hearth stone was all they could own;
They did not have coal in a coal bin,
Nor wood in a woodshed to spare,
But "torf" that they dug from the hillside,
Was Grandfather's fuel out there.

No one had matches in Eiksen, --
How then could they kindle the fire?--
They bedded live coals on the hearthstone,
' When the family was 'bout to retire;
Perchance it went out in the night time,
They always knew just what to do,
For Grandfather Brink went to neighbers,
To get coals in his old wooden shoe.

They did not buy bread at a bak'ry
As often we've heard father say,
But baked in a big outside oven,
Constructed of brick and of clay;
Tho oven on top had a chimney,
The roof was like to a dome,
The fire was made on the floor-space,
Which was almost as large as a room.

But one of the things that seems strangest,
To those of us living today,
Was to hear them tell of their mixing,
The dough in the old-fashioned way;
Where we have our pans and our mix-bowls,
They mixed in a trough made of wood,
'Twas big--'bout the size of a manger,
But the bread -- they say it was good.

There was plenty to eat for the family,
But their menu was different from ours,
They had vegetables out of the Garden,
That grew among the beautiful flowers;
But meat was scarce in their larder,
They served it but one meal a week,
We think not a meal is quite perfect,
If we have not our pork or our beef.

Another strange thing we remember,
That often our parents would say,
Was the way of them cooking at meal time,
'Twas different than we do today;
They stewed the whole meal in one kettle,
That hung in the fireplace there,
Boiling carrots, potatoes and cabbage,
Runkolroben and onions to spare.

Then the serving began for the family,
When the clock on the mantle struck twelve,
They placed a big bowl on the table,
And everyone helping themselves;
But no--. we're ahead of our story,
For all of them wait a brief space,
All heads first bow in great reverence,
For Grandfather always said grace.

At last they are ready for serving,
The family and friends who chance there,
But looking once more at the table,
To us it looks empty and bare;
Not a plate we behold there to eat from,
For not one that whole family did own,
But placing the stew in the center,
They all eat from one common bowl.

But wait! -- we should always remember,
Before we indulge in a smile,
At the way things were done there in Eikzen,
We should stop and consider a while;
These things were not done in this century,
But long ago in the distant quite vast,
For Grandfather Brink and his family,
Lived a century and a half in the past.

A century and a half has wrought changes,
The old we've exchanged for the new,
But let's stop for a moment our boasting,
This change was in Germany too;
Most all that we proudly call modern,
Was invented the last hundred years,
If we should go back now to Deutschland,
'Twould silence our little pet jeers.

But now to come back to the family,
It's their history that we want to know,
Did they always remain there in Deutschland?
If not -- pray where did they go?
No, those were the days of migration,
So they moved, tho strange it may seem,
Yes strange, for their farm was a "Free hold",
Where they ruled as a king and a queen.

But they heard of a wonderful country,
Where some of their kindred had gone,
So they sold the dear home there in Eikzen,
The home where ten Children were born;
In autumn, When crops had been garnered,
Eighteen hundred and forty and five,
The father and mother and children,
At the harbor of Hamburg arrive.

Now Grandfather Brink and his family,
Were leaving their dear native land,
They boarded the ship in the harbor,
To cross the ocean's expand;
They arrived after ten weeks of sailing,
On America's southernly soil,
Where they sailed up the "Father of Waters"
To the Wonderful state, Illinois.

But alas e'er the long journey ended,
The ship could travel no more,
For the surface of old Mississippi,
Had frozen from shore to shore;
And then as if fate were against them,
Provisions began to run down,
No bread and no meat in the larder,
And scarcely a house or a town.

And there while the good ship was stranded,
While women were offering prayer,
The men with grim desperation,
Felt duty to do and to dare;
Bravely they faced the cold north wind,
To hunt the wild game in the snow,
Though they had not a gun nor a rifle,
Nor even a slingshot nor bow.

And God in his great loving kindness,
Who promised us our daily bread,
Gave blessing on them in their efforts,
And the women and children were fed,
And then God in mercy sent sunshine,
And the ice and the snow went away,
The ship now resuming its journey,
Dropped anchor at Grand Tower one day.

They leave now the good Mississippi,
Whose waters had borne them along,
And journey to Washington County,
There they expected to build them a home;
A great many miles lay before them,
'Twas a long and a wearisome way,
With no train and no bus and no auto,
But by ox-team they traveled that day.

No highways were built then for travel,
For the country at that time was new,
Scarce tavern or house for night's lodging,
Hence the comforts they found were but few;
So the mother, the dear precious mother,
With body so broken and frail,
Could scarcely endure the long journey,
O'er the rough and the unbroken trail.

But at last their journey is ended,
And they offer thanksgiving to God,
For the day they arrived was on Christmas,
And O! -- such a Christmas it was;
Though they had not a gift for each other,
And not for the children a toy,
No doll to give little daughter,
No candy to give to the boy.

Though the mother is ill with a fever,
Leaving father to carry the load,
But had they not known God's protection
On the long and perilous road?
And now with glad hearts they adore Him,
On this their first Christmas day,
Which they spent in this wonderful country,
This "Land of the free," as we say.

Their land and new home had been purchased,
By writing to those who lived near,
But the late owner held its possession,
Till early the next coming year;
So they found a small house that was vacant,
One mile to the south and one west,
Here they moved with all of their baggage,
Where at least for a time they could rest.

But alas, the frail health of the mother,
Is nearing the break from the strain,
They watch and they weep by her bedside,
They hope and they pray -- but in vain,
For early in springtime one morning,
At the dawn of a beautiful day,
The chariot swung low to receive her,
And the angels bore Mother away.

They could not obtain a nice casket,
Wherein to lay Mother so dear;
By the help of kind friends and some neighbors,
They constructed from lumber a bier;
They lined it with spotless clean linen,
And a pillow beneath her dear head,
They tenderly laid the frail body,
To rest in its snowy white bed.

And now the day came for the funeral,
They scarcely new what they should do,
There's no preacher, no church and no graveyard,
In this country where all is so new;
So they sing a good hymn for their comfort,
And then humbly they bow and they pray,
Then wending their way to the home place
They lay the dear Mother away.

And now the lone father -- God bless him --
Is left with eight children of ten,
Though the eldest have passed from their childhood,
And now are young women and men;
With courage he faces the future,
In submission he bows to his God,
Yes, Anna Mariea has left, him,
But his faith is still strong in the Lord.

But alas, the year is not ended,
Till again the angels come down,
The chariot swings low to call Father
To give him his heavenly crown;
Their eyes dim with tears, now the children,
Must lay that dear loved one to rest,
Tho' heads bowed in grief, they acknowledge,
That God in his mercy knows best.

Now Anna Mariea and Earnest,
Though both were yet in their prime,
Have come to the end of their journey,
And entered that haven sublime;
Fifty-five was the age of the father,
The mother was forty and seven,
God grant that all their descendants,
May meet them some day up in heaven.

And now would know the location,
Where Grandfather Brink made his home,
Can we, their descendants, locate it,
If anywhere near we may roam,
0 pray, we would know where they landed,
Long ago on that dear Christimas day,
Where they lived, where they died and were buried,
Can someone inform us we pray?

0 yes, it is easy to locate,
By all their descendants we think,
For the home-place is still in possession,
Of the heirs of Grandfather Brink;
The land is in Washington county,
Five miles from Nashville, north east,
Six miles south westward of Hoyleton,
and from Minden three miles, at the least.

On the moss-covered banks of the North creek,
Where the children might play in its foam,
Under low hanging boughs of the elm tree,
Is where Grandfather builded his home;
And now for a moment we will linger,
Between a green cluster of trees,
For here we behold a small graveyard,
Where only two graves may be seen.

Just east of the house, scarce a stones-throw,
They buried Grandmother that day,
And only about a year later,
The children laid Father away;
Shall we stop for a moment in reverence,
Bow the knee and uncover the head,
And offer to God our thanksgiving,
For the godly grandparents we had?

And now we must turn to the children,
The children of grandfather Brink,
All ten have now answered the summons,
For death came and broke the last link;
'Twas twenty years past at this writing,
That the last ones' race here was run,
When Charles the youngest one left us,
At the age of ninety and one.

From the time we're recording this history,
Just seven generations have past,
From the parents of Earnst Frederich William,
To the little wee baby born last;
And now at the date of this writing,
Nineteen hundred and forty and five,
We number the total descendants,
Five hundred and sixty and five.

And now in concluding this record,
For descendants of Grandfather Brink,
We have one more petition to offer,
Of greatest importance we think;
We do not ask wealth for the family,
Nor that they climb ladders of fame,
But we pray that no Brink nor descendant,
May ever dishonor that name.

(Back Cover)

AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUI,

0 beautiful for spacious skys,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties,
Above the fruited plain.
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

0 beautiful for shining feet,
Whose stern impassioned stress,
A thoroughfare for freedom beat,
Across the wilderness.
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

0 beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

- Katharine Lee Bates.

---

Return to the Table of Contents

---

E-Mail me at Ron_Gines@connexusinc.com

Site Hosted by CONNEXUS, Inc.

Last modified: 06/07/1998

Copyright © 1998 by Ron Gines