Josephine Herdes was born November 21, 1820 in Lüchtringen, Westphalia, Prussia (now Germany) to parents Johann Friedrich Herdes and Maria Christine (Krekeler) Herdes of the same village. She married Philip Ploeger (1821-1907) in Lüchtringen on January 18, 1844. Her mother died on December 31 of the same year of their marriage, and her father died five years later on November 9, 1849. Lüchtringen is a small village on the Weser River. In the 1840's the area suffered greatly from crop failures and great poverty and its population actually declined from 1,900 in 1846 to 1,700 ten years later.
Their son Albert was born October 18, 1852 and a daughter Theresa was born two years later. Four other children had died young so the family experience in Germany was a hard one. On July 8, 1871 Josephine, then 50, Albert 18, and Theresa 16, arrived in New York aboard the ship 'Rhein' which sailed from Bremen and joined husband Philip who was then living in Leavenworth, Kansas, and who had preceded the family to America, arriving at Baltimore in 1865. In Leavenworth Philip worked as a stone cutter, brick mason and later became a fire brick and clay work manufacturer, according to the 1879 city directory which also lists son Albert as a stone mason. Son Albert married Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Johle in Leavenworth on December 27, 1874 and they had twelve children, eight of whom survived childhood. Their first child was born in Leavenworth in 1876. The 1888 Leavenworth city directory shows Philip residing there but no occupation listed. In 1884 son Albert and his family moved to Winchester, Kansas not very far west of Leavenworth. Josephine and Philip remained in Leavenworth until 1889 when they joined son Albert and his family to homestead near Guthrie, Oklahoma and where they lived the remainder of their lives. Josephine died September 1, 1906 and Philip passed away February 27, 1907, and are both buried at Seward Cemetery. In 1910 son Albert, his wife Lizzie and a number of their adult children moved to Burley, Idaho where they lived for many years.
Their son Albert was born October 18, 1852 and a daughter Theresa was born two years later. Four other children had died young so the family experience in Germany was a hard one. On July 8, 1871 Josephine, then 50, Albert 18, and Theresa 16, arrived in New York aboard the ship 'Rhein' which sailed from Bremen and joined husband Philip who was then living in Leavenworth, Kansas, and who had preceded the family to America, arriving at Baltimore in 1865. In Leavenworth Philip worked as a stone cutter, brick mason and later became a fire brick and clay work manufacturer, according to the 1879 city directory which also lists son Albert as a stone mason. Son Albert married Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Johle in Leavenworth on December 27, 1874 and they had twelve children, eight of whom survived childhood. Their first child was born in Leavenworth in 1876. The 1888 Leavenworth city directory shows Philip residing there but no occupation listed. In 1884 son Albert and his family moved to Winchester, Kansas not very far west of Leavenworth. Josephine and Philip remained in Leavenworth until 1889 when they joined son Albert and his family to homestead near Guthrie, Oklahoma and where they lived the remainder of their lives. Josephine died September 1, 1906 and Philip passed away February 27, 1907, and are both buried at Seward Cemetery. In 1910 son Albert, his wife Lizzie and a number of their adult children moved to Burley, Idaho where they lived for many years.
Josephine Herdes was born November 21, 1820 in Lüchtringen, Westphalia, Prussia (now Germany) to parents Johann Friedrich Herdes and Maria Christine (Krekeler) Herdes of the same village. She married Philip Ploeger (1821-1907) in Lüchtringen on January 18, 1844. Her mother died on December 31 of the same year of their marriage, and her father died five years later on November 9, 1849. Lüchtringen is a small village on the Weser River. In the 1840's the area suffered greatly from crop failures and great poverty and its population actually declined from 1,900 in 1846 to 1,700 ten years later.
Their son Albert was born October 18, 1852 and a daughter Theresa was born two years later. Four other children had died young so the family experience in Germany was a hard one. On July 8, 1871 Josephine, then 50, Albert 18, and Theresa 16, arrived in New York aboard the ship 'Rhein' which sailed from Bremen and joined husband Philip who was then living in Leavenworth, Kansas, and who had preceded the family to America, arriving at Baltimore in 1865. In Leavenworth Philip worked as a stone cutter, brick mason and later became a fire brick and clay work manufacturer, according to the 1879 city directory which also lists son Albert as a stone mason. Son Albert married Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Johle in Leavenworth on December 27, 1874 and they had twelve children, eight of whom survived childhood. Their first child was born in Leavenworth in 1876. The 1888 Leavenworth city directory shows Philip residing there but no occupation listed. In 1884 son Albert and his family moved to Winchester, Kansas not very far west of Leavenworth. Josephine and Philip remained in Leavenworth until 1889 when they joined son Albert and his family to homestead near Guthrie, Oklahoma and where they lived the remainder of their lives. Josephine died September 1, 1906 and Philip passed away February 27, 1907, and are both buried at Seward Cemetery. In 1910 son Albert, his wife Lizzie and a number of their adult children moved to Burley, Idaho where they lived for many years.
Their son Albert was born October 18, 1852 and a daughter Theresa was born two years later. Four other children had died young so the family experience in Germany was a hard one. On July 8, 1871 Josephine, then 50, Albert 18, and Theresa 16, arrived in New York aboard the ship 'Rhein' which sailed from Bremen and joined husband Philip who was then living in Leavenworth, Kansas, and who had preceded the family to America, arriving at Baltimore in 1865. In Leavenworth Philip worked as a stone cutter, brick mason and later became a fire brick and clay work manufacturer, according to the 1879 city directory which also lists son Albert as a stone mason. Son Albert married Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Johle in Leavenworth on December 27, 1874 and they had twelve children, eight of whom survived childhood. Their first child was born in Leavenworth in 1876. The 1888 Leavenworth city directory shows Philip residing there but no occupation listed. In 1884 son Albert and his family moved to Winchester, Kansas not very far west of Leavenworth. Josephine and Philip remained in Leavenworth until 1889 when they joined son Albert and his family to homestead near Guthrie, Oklahoma and where they lived the remainder of their lives. Josephine died September 1, 1906 and Philip passed away February 27, 1907, and are both buried at Seward Cemetery. In 1910 son Albert, his wife Lizzie and a number of their adult children moved to Burley, Idaho where they lived for many years.
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wife of Philip
