Goering family history, part 2

by Jan Regier

back to part 1

To continue with the Goering story. For the first year or so they lived on the NE corner of section 23 of the Turkey Creek Township. Then they built a larger house and moved to the NW quarter of the same section. This would be just a half mile west of the first homestead. It was here that all the children were born including Grandpa John B. Goering. Then in 1892 they purchased the NW quarter of section 24 of Turkey Creek Township. Here they lived until all the children were raised and established homes of their own. The story continues that when Grandpa Goering married Grandma Jessie in 1912 Grandma Freni and Grandpa Johann built their 4th house and reestablished themselves in the same quarter just in the extreme NW corner. John and Jessie had been living with Grandpa’s parents. Eventually they went on a honeymoon. When they returned Johann and Freni had this house built for themselves a quarter mile west of the home place. There they lived until Grandpa John died in 1921. Then Grandma lived with her children and she died in 1933. It should be noted that the “wash house” was moved at some time to the 3rd farm on the NW quarter of section 24. This of course is where all of Grandpa John and Grandma Jessie’s children were born.

I would like to insert here a bit about Grandma Jessie’s side of the family…the Schrag side. Grandma’s roots are also Swiss Volhynian. On April 10, 1874 they left Russia under the leadership of Andreas Schrag. The group they traveled with consisted of 55 people. Among this group was our Grandparents Johann G. Schrag (24) and Anna Schrag (20) and their small son Andreas (20 mo.). On the day they left Russia their 4 month old daughter died and left without a proper burial. They also sailed on the “City of Richmond” and arrived in New York on May 18, 1874. They chose to settle in Yankton, South Dakota. They remained there until 1882 when Johann and Anna decided to move to Kansas. They sold their land to a brother and by horse and covered wagon traveled to Moundridge, Kansas. It is important to note that out of the 14 children that our grandparents had the first 5 died within the first 2 years of their lives. When they came to Kansas they bought only Leon and Elias. The reason for the move was probably due to milder Kansas winters, family in Moundridge and better opportunities. Johann and Anna Schrag purchased on August 22, 1882, 160 acres in Harvey co. from the railroad for a total of $906.65.

For many of us our link to the past, to the history and lifestyle of our ancestors, has been made by the stories told by Grandpa Johnnie B. Goering. Our family has been gifted by an oral tradition few are afforded. Grandpa told stories of farm life, of growing up as a small boy. He told of his courtship and marriage to Grandma Jessie and Anna. Grandpa told of the things the “boys” did. He told sad stories of when Grandma died and of the accident in which Ralph was injured. He spoke of the various ways he made his living and kept his sons employed. He talked of well witching and planting by the moon. I cannot begin to tell the story of Grandma and Grandpa and their family. Below is simply a sketch of the moved and other significant events that happened in Grandpa’s and Grandma’s lives.

Grandpa was the last of 8 children born to Johann and Freni (Krehbiel) Goering. Grandma Jessie Schrag was the last of 14 children born to Johann and Anna (Schrag) Schrag. Grandma and Grandpa were married May 5, 1912. Grandpa was 22 and Grandma was 17. After their marriage they lived on and inherited the home grandparents farmed and the rented ground from neighbors. Eventually for financial reasons they decided it was necessary to look for another place to live. They investigated a farm by Canton and made the verbal agreement to move there. Grandma was pregnant at the time with twins and as we all know she experienced complications for delivery and died. Grandpa then decided to go ahead and move to Canton anyway. This was in 1936. While at Canton a number of significant things happened. In 1937 or 38 a tornado went through and took off part of the roof the house. Alvin died in 1939 from heart problems. While at Canton the brooder house burned and a herd of cows (Grandpa had a dairy) got mastitis and they couldn’t sell the milk and the cows had to be sold but not as dairy cows. Finally in 1946 Ralph, Jim, and Leonard were in the bicycle accident which left Ralph permanently disabled. Obviously Grandpa experienced a number of losses in his life. In 1947 the family moved to Peabody. This was again an economic move as Grandpa had bills mounting from the accident. It wa while at Peabody that they decided to move their church membership from Eden to Zion Mennonite Church in Elbing. Grandpa farmed at Peabody and had a dairy there also. Eventually Grandpa decided to retire from farming. The dairy was sold and Grandpa moved into Newton and worked at the Bethel Clinic. It was during this time that he met Anna Schrag Ratzleff and married in 1957. They lived for many years on West 10th Street in Newton until it was necessary for them to move into the Bethel Apartments. There in 1977 Grandma suffered a stroke and died. At the age of 90 Grandpa moved into the Bethel Deaconess Home and died there in 1988.