Dear Listers:
I am new to your list and this is my first posting Although my family
information is scant am hopeful of finding out more about them and am
hopeful you will give me some guidance in researching records in
Germany. They all originated from the area of Langhorst located in the
State of Niedersachen. The families were all of the Lutheran faith.
My grandmother was RENATE RUCH born on 14 July 1855 in Germany.. I
know that she was the daughter of JOHN RUCH and (?) KRUMM. (The
document I took information from was hard to decipher, it may be that
her first name was Olet.) I have no information about any siblings.
RENATE RUCH married my grandfather, JOHN EDWARD FOLCHERT who was also
from the Langhorst area. He was born on 03 March 1854. I don�t know
if their marriage took place in Germany or after immigration to the
USA. Their first child was born on 15 June, 1883 in Cleveland, Ohio,
USA. Family records show that John Folchert was a merchant seaman
traveling on ships between Germany and New York. He may have came from
a farming background as this was his profession later in life.
Renate�s father, my g grandfatherJOHN RUCH, had a sister, ELIZABETH
RENATE RUCH. ELIZABETH married GUSTAV DISCOE in Germany and their four
sons were born there, Gustave, Jr. (no date of birth found) John
Gottlich in 1873, Henry David in 1878, Charles David in 1880. I have a
copy of the Naturalization papers of of Henry David and it shows the
family left from Hamburg on March 22, 1881. The name of the ship is
missing as he stated he was too young to remember. Their arrival date
in New York is not noted either. After immigrating to the USA in 1881,
Gustav established a lumber yard in the Cleveland, Ohio (USA) and later
was in farming and ranching.
In addition to John and Elizabeth RUCH, I have found a LIZZIE RUCH. My
first thought was this was Elizabeth but now know, she was a different
individual. I have no idea as to what her relationship was to John and
Elizabeth....just know that she was family to them.
In 1885, the Ruch, Discoe and Folchert families migrated to Wellfleet,
Nebraska (USA) where they applied for Homestead lands.
I am open to any suggestions of where to find additional information.
Does your list have a Home Page where I can find other sites pertinent
to my research? Would any census that might have been taken confirm
that my family were in the Langhorst area prior to 1881?
With appreciation to the list for any help offered,
Dixie R. Greenwood, Nebraska in the USA