| From the dates given, the marriage witness Ludwig Lettow would have been
born about 1839. In my Lettow family book is information about a Ludwig Lettow, born 28 Feb. 1839, married in 1864
or 1865 to Caroline Kruger. About him is written, Ludwig was a soldier and began his training at age 18. He served in the army and was involved in three wars. While serving in the third and final war, he was partially blinded by a gunpowder explosion. This was a tragic event ... in that he had three sons Wilhelm, Frank (Franz), and Ludwig, and one daughter Emilie. After his accident he received a pension, but it was meager. In August, 1891, Ludwig, his wife Caroline, Wilhelm and Emilie, departed from Pommern and went directly to Pipestone, Minnesota.. The sons Ludwig and Frank had already come in June, 1890 and March, 1891. Assisting the first two sons in America was Ludwig's brother, John Ludwig Lettow, who had arrived in 1885, and who lived in Hardin County, Iowa, although he lived Pipestone, Minnesota for a year (believed to be 1887) where he grew an outstanding crop of flax, and with the profit therefrom was able to return to Iowa and purchase his family farm at Alden in Hardin County. SO FAR WE HAVE NOT MENTIONED LOCATIONS IN POMMERN, so now try to provide evidence beyond the already stated birth date that there is a chance the Ludwig described above is the same as the Ludwig stated in the marriage document from Ristow. First, we know that Ludwig, and John Ludwig, and sister Friedericke (married Carl Kruger), came from Ploetzig, and later Besswitz, (towns originally in Kreis Schlawe but after 1878 or so in Kreis Rummelsburg. A Pipestone County, Minnesota naturalization document shows Ludwig Lettow's son Wilhelm was born in 1866 in Besswitz ('Basweitz'). So far still no tie to Ristow. But what is interesting is that John Ludwig's son John August was known to be an "Inspector" at Karwitz, only 2 km SW of Ristow, and perhaps had been an Inspector at Besswitz earlier. Moreover, John August and his family emigrated from Pommern in early 1892, essentially the same time Ludwig's family was emigrating, not the earlier 1885 period when his father, John Ludwig, had emigrated. Another brother of Ludwig, John Ludwig, and Friedericke was Wilhelm, who lived in Gross Quaesdow and did not emigrate. One of his daughters was intermarried with the Bottin family, a family name associated with Ristow in "Der Kreis Schlawe." The Bottin family came to American and is found in NW Iowa not too far from Pipestone, Minnesota. There may have been another Lettow sister of Ludwig who stayed in Pommern and married a Genz or Gentz, but we know nothing more about her. Lewiston, Minnesota has also been mentioned in the messages. This town, like Pipestone, is in southern Minnesota, both very near the Iowa border. But they are many miles apart -- Pipestone in SW Minnesota and Lewiston in SE Minnesota, although that should not deny searching these areas of Minnesota and NW Iowa and north central Iowa for Parpart and other names that have been mentioned in the various messages. I am hopeful that we can develop further this general theme over time In any event, it was very helpful for you to have shared this family data with the list in response to Margret's appeal. |
| J. M. Liittschwager |