Starting with the word "Dirk" in the first line, it basically indicates that Dirk (can't read last name--Frieden?) shot himself in the barn of Enne Koffman and that an "English girl" is in mourning.
Noentje was living in Bear Creek Township, Hancock County, Illinois and was from the Wiesens area of Ostfriesland, Germany. The Ufkes family was also from that area of Germany as well. Because of those common connections, I am assuming that either the suicide victim or the barn's owner had some connection to the Hancock/Adams County, Illinois, area or to the Wiesens area of Ostfriesland. [Lesson/reminder: include your "reasons" as to why you think things--just be certain to clearly mark off your commentary as your commentary and not part of the actual document. There's nothing blatant in the letter that indicates the geographic connections I've mentioned--those connections are based upon my perceptions.]
The names of Dirk and Enne make it fairly clear to me that there's an Ostfriesian connection (those are Ostfriesen names)--it is just determining what that connection is.
It's been a while since I've tried to find out more about this reference in Noentje's letter. Maybe it's time to try again.
I find this interesting. My great grandparents were from Aurich Weissens area and when they first came to this country in 1881 they were in Hancock, Illinois. They later settled at Hildreth, Franklin County, Nebraska. And I have a Dirks Everts in my tree that was in the same area, his wife's name was Anna Hinrichs Franzen.
ReplyDeleteMathew Lawson
ml938181 on Ancestry.com
Had relatives in that area and they came from Aurich Germany. One of them was a Dirk Evert and Anna Hinrichs Franzens. They ended up at Brule, Keith County, Nebraska. My others ended up at Hildreth, Franklin County, Nebraska.
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