Hermann Christian Heinrich Friedrich BORNEMANN

Name, Vorname, Herkunft: Bornemann, Magelsen

Geburtstag/Alter: 07.08.1862

Beruf/Stand:

Eltern:

Mitauswanderer:

Konfession:

Ziel (Land/Ort): Amerika

Datum der Auswanderung/Passerteilung: 1881

Vermögensverhältnisse:

Sonstiges: Strafverfahren wegen Umgehen der Militärpflicht gegen ihn beantragt

Died at 89 years old

Information provided by: Nancy at KNDKritters

Christian Sr and Elisa Bornemann Oliver County 1885-1985, Pages 584-585

Christian Bornemann, an early Dakota Territory pioneer was born August9, 1862 to Johann and Anna (Clausen) Bornemann in Hannover, Germany. The Bornemann name goes back to the year of 1754 in Germany. When Christian was six years old he began attending German common school. He was confirmed when he was fourteen, and this was the extent of his education.

In the spring of 1880 a couple of neighbor boys who were close friendsof his, interested him in coming to America to seek employment. They were unable to earn any money in Germany since the times were hard and jobs scarce. Their parents farmed only small tracts of land, and their income was barely enough to provide a living for their families.

With the money these boys had earned from various jobs they had in their home community, they managed to pay their fare to America. On May 25,1880, they went on board a boat named the "Emden" at Gotterberg, Germany. They were at sea seventeen days. When they arrived at New York on June 10th, they boarded a train for Elsmore, Illinois, where relatives of his two friends lived. They all secured employment on farms shortly after their arrival.

Christian continued to work on various farms in this community for three years until, in the fall of 1883, he went to Bremen, Illinois and secured a job in a creamery. While employed there he became acquainted with some people who had moved there from the locality in Germany where Christian had been born. Their names were Henry and John Alders. Both menwere married and had families but were not satisfied with the location. They had been informed of the good homestead land that was open for filing in the western part of Dakota Territory. Thus in the spring of 1884, Henry Alders and his son went to Mandan, Dakota Territory, where they hired a team and wagon, bought groceries, feed for the horses, and some seed grain, then drove the forty-five miles north west of Mandan where they found a large tract of good land which was still vacant.

After spending two days in examining the soil, to determine its quality, and the lay of the land, they were satisfied and returned to Mandan,and from there Mr. Albers went to Bismarck and filed on the land he hadselected. They went back to their home in Illinois, and made arrangements to move west to the new land they filed on. Christian was asked tojoin the two Albers families, so he resigned his job at the creamery and went with them to locate a homestead.

They arrived in New Salem, Dakota Territory on June 10, 1884, with theAlbers Brothers, having shipped their household goods, three horses, two cows, chickens and machinery in an emigrant car. They had to wait inNew Salem three days, after their arrival before the car came. They loaded their wagon with food and bedding and all rode out to the Albers homestead. They returned the following day to New Salem, for lumber to build their first shack. Christian stayed and helped the families build and make improvements on their homesteads that summer and winter.

Christian also selected his homestead that same winter and built a sodhome 12' x 14'. He was then single and spent part of his time living onhis homestead when he was not out working for the neighbors. He was granted a patent on the SE1/4 of 2-142-85 on June 1, 1901, signed by thenPresident William McKinley.

In the fall of 1889 Christian secured employment in a small creamery inNew Salem, which was operated in the back part of Henry Mann's home. Mr. Mann was the owner and proprietor. They had a very small outfit, butthey managed to make enough profit to provide Christian's salary and also a living for themselves. Christian continued to work in the creamery until the fall of 1892, when he was married to Elisa Henke on November 2nd.

Elisa Henke was born in Cook County, Illinois on May 18, 1872, the daughter of Frederick and Maria (Feischen) Henke. She came to Oliver Countywith her parents in 1886, settling on a homestead 16 miles north of New Salem, North Dakota. Her parents were among the first settlers in theHannover community. Their marriage, by Pastor Elhan, a missionary at her parents home, was somewhat of a historical event, as it was the first wedding in the Hannover community.

In the spring of 1893 Christian bought three horses and a old plow. Hebroke twelve acres and seeded it to wheat, which yielded fairly well. He would exchange work with his farm machinery with his neighbors. Theythreshed their grain with a horse power thresher. This was a cheap wayof threshing since they all joined together with teams and wagons. In the course of a few years Christian had bought five good work horses anda lot of machinery, and had 100 acres of crop every year. In 1896, hebuilt a large frame home which was their home for many years. In the summer of 1909, Christian built a large barn, which held a number of barndances during the summer.

Mr. and Mrs. Bornemann lived, in later years, in a private house they built on their home place. After renting the home farm to their son Christian, Jr. the senior Bornemann's no longer took active part in the farm operation, but attended to the garden and the poultry. Elisa Bornemann died May 23, 1934. In 1938, Christian Sr. had his private home movedinto Hannover, where his daughter Anna DeCamp kept house for him.

Christian died November 16, 1944. They were the parents of 7 children:

William, born July 23, 1893, married to Dora Kern; Henry, born March 13, 1895, married to Emma Hintz; Christian Jr., born December 22, 1896, married to Hattie Wolff; Maria, born January 25, 1899, married to William Hintz; John, born November 15, 1901, died October 21, 1973, married to Irene Scherer; Fred, born February 9, 1903, not married; Anna, born July 11, 1905, died June 15, 1981 married to Reuben DeCamp.

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