Claus Rohde (1885 - 1957)

Born 26 Apr 1885 in Prinzenmoor, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Ancestors

Husband of Sophia (Stange) Rohde — married 12 Apr 1920 in Burwell, Garfield, Nebraska, United States

Died 7 Jul 1957 at age 72 in Burwell, Garfield, Nebraska, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Patti Richey [send private message]

Biography

Claus Rohde has roots in the region now known as Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Claus and brother John (Johannes) were the second group of this Rohde family to come to America. They came on the ship "Cleveland", sailing from Hamburg on 28 September 1910. The Cleveland was capable of holding 2,841 (mostly 3rd class) passengers. They arrived on October 9, 1910.^[1] The manifest shows they came from Rendsburg and listed their father Heinrich as nearest relative. They stated they were going to Ithaca, Nebraska to their uncle August Eichmeier's.

Note: Elsewhere records or family tradition had their Aunt and Uncle Eichmeier of Ithaca, Nebraska accompanying them on the trip as they were returning from a visit to Germany. I cannot find documentation of this.

Claus was born April 26, 1885 in Prinzenmoor, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and died July 7, 1957 in Burwell, Nebraska.^[2] He was a carpenter by trade.

Rohde Family. Top: Henry Jr., Agnes (Henningsen), Claus, Alvina (Stange), Hans, Amanda (Sievers), John. Bottom: Anna (Mahrt), Heinrich Sr., Freida (Rokosky), Antje (Hennings) Rohde, Mary (Suhr).

H.D. Sr and Antje Hennings Rohde family in 1915

He married Sophia Stange-Rohde in Burwell on April 12, 1921. Sophia was born July 27, 1901. Sophie's mother, Mary Matzen Stange died in 1910 (the same year Claus came to the U.S.). Sophie's father, Herman H. Stange married Alvina Rohde -- Claus's sister. So, Claus was her step-uncle when she married him! Sophie wrote her memoirs in an unpublished, typed booklet and some of this biography for him comes directly from it. ^[3]

Claus and Sophie (Stange) Rohde family

They had nine children:

• Otto Claus. Otto never married.
• Henry David. Henry never married.
• Frank Herbert. No record of a marriage for Frank.
• Caroline Mary married Arthur Mentzer. They had four children: Brian, Ruth Ann, Sharon, and Eric.
• twin Dorothy May married twin Sidney Eugene Brown. They had two children: Ronald and Janet (married Marvin Zelazny).
• twin Doris Marguerite married twin Dwight R. Brown. They had two children: Lois (married Eddie Smith) and Ray.
• John William married Velma Daffer. John and Velma had three sons: Dennis, Matthew and Jerald.
• Mary Angie married James Coffey. They had two children: Sheila and Teresa.
• Ruth Annabelle married Leonard Venturelli. They had two children: Scott and Mark.

Sophie recalls before she married Claus, that his sister, Alvina Rohde had come to be their housekeeper and babysitter. Alvina only spoke German. So, Sophie and the rest of the children learned German again (they used to speak German but had lost the language until Alvina came to care for them). ^[3]

In Sophie's memoir recalling her wedding day, she writes, "Claus bought Katie, brother Han's wife (and Sophie's sister) a sack of flour and 100 pound sack of sugar for her to do the baking for their wedding. His sister, Agnes Rohde Henningsen and her whole family came. She and Henry had two boys and two girls at the time. Then a cousin of his and her husband, Claus and Anna Eichmeier Frahm, her mother Aunt Margretha Hennings Eichmeier and her son August Eichmeier came from Ithaca for our wedding. Auntie was Grandma Rohde's sister. Then for flowers we picked wild plum blossoms. The canyons were all white, were so many plum bushes everywhere and were loaded. We had these on our table at dinner time. Katie and Alvina had cooked the dinner. Frank Mahrts' were all there, they lived at Burwell at the time. I don't remember of anyone else being there besides all the immediate family. We were married by Judge Fenner. Hans and Katie went with us then in P.M. everyone visited and that evening the furniture was pushed aside and we danced for several hours. Claus never did dance so he sat on the side. I don't remember what music we had but think someone had an accordion but couldn't say who." ^[3] [Note: This may have been H.D. Rohde, Jr. because he did play the accordion and was living in Nebraska at the time. His family was also mentioned by Sophie in her recollection of the family billygoat. Patti Stanton Richey]

Claus and Sophia were found in the 1930 Garfield, Nebraska Census.^[4]

"Late winter in 1929 or 1930 when an Evangelist came to Burwell and started meetings in what they called then "the Old Farmer's Store. We started going to the meetings and we enjoyed them. We then later were saved through their meeting and found the Lord as our personal Savior and that is when the Burwell Assembly of God Church was started later in the year of 1930. Later they held meetings in an old Church in Ord and it had a baptistry and that is where we were baptised." ^[3]

Sophie also recalled raising a billygoat which grew to give them alot of trouble. They finally had to butcher him and gave him to "Claus's brother and family, Henry Rohde. He had the shoe shop and was a shoe cobbler."^[3]

Claus and Sophia are found in the 1940 Garfield, Nebraska Census, still farming with a few more children. ^[5]

Claus died from a stroke in the hospital on July 7, 1957 at the age of 72.^[6]

Their son Henry took care of Sophie after Claus died. He never married.

Sources

1. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJD6-9M6 : 2 March 2021), Claus Rohde, 1910.
2. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGD-R5P6 : 5 August 2020), Claus Rohde, ; Burial, Burwell, Garfield, Nebraska, United States of America, Cottonwood Cemetery; citing record ID 116602628, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Unpublished, typed memoir, "Eighty Years, by Sophie Stange Rohde", Written in July 1981 at Burwell, Nebraska.
4. ↑ * 1930 Census: "United States Census, 1930"
   citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 4A, line 26, family 83, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1281; FHL microfilm 2,341,016.
   FamilySearch Record: XQKK-6MV (accessed 21 September 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9RCF-JDL Image number 00843
   Claus Rohde (44), married head of household in Rockford, Garfield, Nebraska, United States. Born in Germany.
5. ↑ 1940 Census: "United States Census, 1940"
   citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 1;
   FamilySearch Record: K9M9-WBW (accessed 21 September 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89M1-9KJP
   Claus Rohde (54), married head of household in Midvale Election Precinct, Garfield, Nebraska, United States. Born in Germany.
6. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116602628/claus-rohde