Peters, Herman (1851-1931)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1931 Jan 21 p. 4

Birth date: 1851

text of obituary:

IMMIGRANT OF THE EARLY 70' PASSED AWAY

When in 1874 the great migration of Mennonites from Russia to the United States was in progress, a considerable number of the poorer immigrants were brought to Summerfield, Illinois, through the editor's father Christian Krehbiel where they were fed, clothed and given an opportunity in Mennonite families to earn their living and learn American ways. After a year or two most of these people located in Kansas, however a few remained in Illinois. A letter the editor received from his boyhood neighbor friend Sam J. Baer reports the death of the last remaining member of that group. Here is the letter:

Summerfield, Ill., Jan 11, 1931

Dear Brother Krehbiel: — Enclosed find funeral notice of the last one of those immigrants who landed here in the early 70's, with the exception of a few descendants of that tall Dirks, who as you will remember worked for my father (Chr. Baer). With best wishes and the hope that this finds you well.

Sincerely yours Sam J. Baer.

In order to complete this information and particularly as there may be among the Review readers persons who know of the person referred we append here the

Funeral Notice

Died: — Thursday, January 8, 1931, at 9:45 a. m., our dearly beloved husband, father and grandfather, Herman Peters, Sr., aged 79 years, 1 month and 10 days.

Funeral services will be held at the family residence, 2 miles southeast of St. Jacob, at 1:00 p. m. Saturday, January 10th. Interment in the Summerfield cemetery.

The Bereaved Relatives.

Thus a chapter closes for the part the Summerfield Mennonite group played in the Mennonite migration of 1871-1878. The editor wonders whether any of the Review readers were among those whose first stopping place in the new world was Summerfield, Ill., and whether any of the readers knew the man Herman Peters whose death was reported by Mr. Baer.