Goering family history, part I

by Jan Regier, November 1992.  Originally published in issue #6 of the Goering Gazette, November 1992.

Our ancestors were among a community or village of 73 families which left Kotosufka, Russia August 6, 1984.  The group was led by Jacob Stucky. The immigration to America began with a two day trip by wagon to a railroad station in Stolbanow [sic]. For most this was the first time they had seen a steam locomotive. It was a time of high anxiety and curiosity. From Stolbanoe [sic] they traveled to Hamburg, Germany. From here they went by ship to England. At Liverpool they boarded the “City of Richmond” which was the ship which was to take them to America. They traveled aboard this ship 3rd class in the lowest cabins and in crowded conditions. The voyage took 10 days and they arrived in New York either August 31 or September 3, 1874. It was reported that during layovers on the trip from Kotosufka to Liverpool the travelers would do exploring in the cities. When others heard they were going to America they would be told that this was the place where thieves and Indians were. This must have heightened the anxiety. Upon their arrival in New York the group split and some went on to South Dakota and 53 families including our ancestors continued on to Peabody, Kansas by train. The trip for Kotosufka to Peabody took over a month.

At Peabody they were able to find temporary shelter while some of the men went exploring on foot for land in surrounding counties suitable for the new community. After 3 week they eventually agreed upon the Mound and Turkey Creek townships in McPherson Co. and returned to Peabody. The families then went to Halstead and again lived in temporary shelters while the men went to make final decisions about where their families would actually settle. Halstead was closer to where they had decided to settle. Moundridge was not yet established. A little berg named Christian was established. The majority decided to purchase land from the SantaFe Railroad. The railroad had agreed to reserve a number of sections for Russian Mennonites to settle on. The price of the land was between 3 and 6 dollars an acre most of it $3.60. Plots of land were 160 acres. The men then hurried back to Halstead and gathered the families together, some bought wagons and oxen and began the two day trip, 15-20 miles back to McPherson Co.

Our family, which made the trip to Kansas, consisted of Grandfather, Johann Goering (24) and Grandmother Freni Krehbiel Goering (23), their first daughter Anna who was 1 yr, Great Grandmother Elisabeth Graber Goering (41) and her family which consisted of a number of young siblings of Grandpa Johann’s.  They too drove by wagon to section 23 in Turkey Creek Township. This is where they, along with another family, built their first home … the “wash house” (materials for the house must have been brought out from Halstead). They did this at the end of September. This was where they spent their first winter. Since the house was very small it is reported that the men and boys spent nights sleeping in a make shift shelter down by the creek. In October the railroad built an immigrant house and 15-20 families moved into this shelter for the Winter but as far as we know none of our family did this.

Also in late September, together with others Grandpa helped prepare a small field for wheat. Their choice of farming ground was excellent. The prairie soil is ideal. But it required a lot of hard work to “break” the virgin ground thick with blue stem and buffalo grasses. They could do maybe one or two rows a day. A concern for the pioneers was the timing of their move as it not advantageous in terms of the growing season and by the next summer when the first crops came in there was a lot of relief. That first winter must have been very difficult, finding those basic necessities such as food, water, shelter and materials to heat with.

The first winter they ate the simplest of foods. Corn and cornbread were the main foods. For coffee roasted barley or wheat were used. Also chicory was used instead of coffee. Wild game in the area such as fish, rabbits, prairie chicken, turkeys, ducks and geese and an occasional antelope supplied our ancestors with meat. Foods with sugar were rare.

Clothing was also simple. In Russia they spun and wove their own cloth from hemp and flax. Because of the lack of wood to make tools in which to do this they found this practicality impossible. They soon realized that it was just as cheap to buy the material as make it themselves. This marks a significant change in the type of economy that they had become a part of. In Russia it was more of a barter economy and in Kansas it was a cash economy.

Another obstacle for our ancestors was finding fuel to heat with during the winter. This must have been quite a surprise for them as they came from wooded areas and now wood was scarce on the open prairie. Coal was too expensive. During the winter they experimented with prairie hay which was a bit dangerous, they used corn stalks once they had corn and buffalo chips.

It is important to remember that these were the days when bridges only existed close to town and roads crossed open prairie. To sell wheat, or buy building supplies or etc. they had to go into town which was a one or two day adventure. This was ok when it was dry but when it rained or snowed it became more risky especially if they had to sleep out on the prairie at night. For these reasons they rarely traveled alone but went together with each other to town.

Our grandparents experienced a lot of changes: they came from a village community surrounded by forest. One of their concerns was having enough land for the next generations. Now on the prairie there was no question about the availability of land. But the close community atmosphere was hard to recapture as now they were separated on individual 160 acre plots. The immigrant house was used for a church meeting house, and probably represented somewhat of a community meeting place, but even this meant a long walk of 6 or 7 miles for some families. Our ancestors were also very intentional about working together, planting, harvesting, building houses and barns, digging wells and butchering together. Living in a close knit community was a fundamental Christian belief for our grandparents.

The church was central to the community and to the lives of our ancestors. The first few years the congregation met in the immigrant house. In 1882 a church building was built next to the immigrant house. This became the Hoffnungsfelt of Hopefield Mennonite Church. Our Family attended there until the Hopefield Eden split and then it began attending Eden. I should note here that Grandpa John B. Goering helped construct the Eden Mennonite church. The church was led by a church elder who was assisted by a church minister and deacons. All were called out of the congregation (perhaps by lot) and none were paid positions. The first Hopefield church, as with many Mennonite churches, had two doors. These were doors one for the women and one for the men. Inside they sat on opposite sides of the church. women were not allowed to attend congregational meetings or vote. Services often lasted 2-3 hours with a sermon spanning at least one hour. Communion was taken about twice a year and grape juice hadn’t replaced wine yet. Baptism upon confession of faith remained the most significant and universal doctrine in Mennonite churches.

Next:  The Goering story

See also: http://johnbgoering.com/?p=1976