HUMBKE & RELATIVES

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HELLO to all those interested in the Humbke and related relatives’ family names — I have been working on a family tree, on a part time basis, for 30 years and would like to thank Dennis George, grandson of Joe and Mary (Humbke) George, and Daniel Williams, grandson of Fred and Hulda (Wickland) Humbke, on behalf of all kin for their efforts in researching our ancestors and the locations of presently living relatives

My name is Roger Albert Humbke –  b. July 20, 1943, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. My parents, Lawrence and Marvaline Humbke (Vanouck), were married on Nov. 15, 1937 and lived on his father’s homestead 11 miles East, 2 miles South and 1/2 mile East of Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Both were born on homesteads 1/2 a mile apart and went to a one room rural school which my grandfather and relatives helped to build in 1902. The school was originally named “New Berlin” but had its name changed in 1918 to “Verdun” (after the WW I battle that involved Canadian Troops). Sentiment against Germany created the fear that the school may be damaged or set on fire.

Humbkes in Canada could not tell me where my great grandfather was buried, so in 1999 I spent two weeks in Courthouses, local libraries and civic buildings in South Dakota and Iowa going through primary documents, deeds, bills of sale etc. Tracing the family’s movement from Germany to South Dakota and then to Iowa, my great grandfather’s grave was discovered at the Immanuel Lutheran Church cemetery, Hancock County, Iowa. It was learned that he had died as the result of an accident while unloading logs to build that church, 100 years previously on July 21, 1899.  It was unfortunate that I arrived at the church the day after the community had held their 100 year celebration of the founding of the church and the minister told me that I was the first Humbke, which he knew of, that had returned since the family left in 1902.

His widow (Marie Louise Humbke), and the rest of the family, with the exception of one married daughter, left by train from Woden, Iowa for Alberta, Canada in 1902.

In most cases I like to read and write about the past before I get into the present, so I am starting with my Great Grandfather, Ernst Dietrich Christian Humbke – a German farmer who came to North America in 1883 with his wife (Marie Louise Schnepel), 5 of their 9 children and his younger brother from Windheim, Germany. In my North American travels and when people had phone books, I use to look up the name Humbke and ring the number. I seldom found the name spelt Humbke, but if I did – we were related.

If you’re interested in your ancestors, relatives, their families, where they lived, what they did and where they are buried, leave me an email address where you can receive information. It goes without saying that I need help in filling in all the blanks and would love to receive information, stories and photos about you and your family. My email address is roger@humbke.com.

A large amount of the information on this website is from secondary sources (family and local histories, newspapers, family stories  etc.)  which are often written later . Primary sources (civil, church, census, military, immigration, wills etc.) are used to verify data and will result in numerous changes, as new information regarding photos, names, locations, dates and activities becomes available.

Please drop me a comment below. I would appreciate your feedback and will consider all suggestion to make this a more informative, useful website.

 

 

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