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About the Bohmbach name

In American records, I have seen it spelled as Bohmbach, Bombach, Bohmback, Bomback, and Bumbeck. Bohmbach, the accepted spelling in America and Germany for our family, is a German name meaning swamp brook according to one source. Actually, it should be tree brook as in Low German. A High German equivalent would be Baumbach. Family legend had it that it was originally Bohnenberg, which means bean hill, and changed upon emigration. Many different spellings are adopted because of dialectical differences between High and Low German. For example, Riggers and Richters or Cohrs and Cordes. A progression from Bohmbach to Baumbach would be logical, but how did that come from Bohnenberg?

The baptismal records for our emigrant family in Bargstedt parish indeed show that these surnames were synonymous. Sometimes the name Bohmbach or Bombach was used. Sometimes the name Bohnenberg was used. Twice I found Bohmbach alias Bohnenberg. The parents' marriage record in Neukloster showed Bohnenberg and that the father came from Agathenburg. It was finally explained to me by people at the city and church archives in Stade (Agathenburg was part of the parish Stade St. Wilhadi) that the progression from Bohnenberg to Bohmbach did come from the way different dialects pronounced words. I had long known that pastors spelled in church records the way they thought something sounded. There was no standard spelling since most people couldn't read or write in earlier days, and it could change from one pastor to the next. A pastor could have originally been from a place that spoke a slightly different dialect, and he would write the way he was used to. Of course, maybe he was also a little hard of hearing or one of his members mumbled.

It was explained to me that barg and bach are pronounced similarly. Thus, Bohnberg, Bohnbarg, Bohnenberg, Bohnenbarg, Bohnbach, and Bohmbach were all found as spellings for this family in Agathenburg. Our apparent progenitor in Agathenburg, Johann Christian Bohnbarg, can be found earlier in the parish records of Bliedersdorf with the spellings Boneberg and Baumbach. He was recorded as being born in Horneburg. I was unable to find him there because of gaps in the microfilmed records, but I did run across a family with the spelling Bahrenborg. Coincidence?

Our Bohmbach ancestors in Germany

Our family lived in the area around Stade in the old Kingdom of Hannover. Johann Bohmbach, a shoemaker from Agathenburg, married Anna Höper 25 Nov 1821 in Neukloster. Their first child was born in Hedendorf, their second in Bargstedt, and the rest in Brest of Bargstedt parish. It was this family that came to America. Johann was born in 1798 to Diedrich Bohnenberg and Catharina Margaretha Bohngarten (or Baumgarten). Diedrich, a shepherd, was born in Agathenburg in 1772 to Johann Christian Bohnbarg and his wife Maria Cordes. They are so far the earliest and only of that generation to be found in Agathenburg. They had lived previously in Bliedersdorf, where they were again the only of that name, and Johann Christian was apparently born in Horneburg and Maria in Apensen.

Bohmbach in the USA.

My Emigrant Bohmbach Ancestors
	Name	Birth	Married	USA	Died/Buried
F	Johann Bohmbach	08 Jan 1798 Agathenburg, Hannover	25 Nov 1821 Anna Höper	19 May 1855 on the Emigrant from Bremen to New York	20 Jan 1863/65 probably St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
M	Anna Höper	03 Jan 1799 Hedendorf, Hannover	25 Nov 1821 Johann Bohmbach	19 May 1855 on the Emigrant from Bremen to New York	05 Aug 1881 probably St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
s	Diedrich Bohmbach	7 Jan 1822 Hedendorf, Hannover	unknown Catharina Margaretha Borstelmann	no	Unknown
s	Johann Hinrich Bohmbach aka Henry	30 Jun 1823 headstone 17 Jun 1822 Bargstedt, Hannover	21 Mar 1848 Catharina Margareth Tomhave 18 Feb 1865 Fredricka Lisetta (Friedricks) Luebeck	02 Oct 1854 on the Caroline from Bremen to New York	07 Jan 1917 St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
d	Katrina Maria Bohmbach aka Maria	23 Aug 1825 Brest, Hannover	21 Jul 1853 Claus Holst	02 Jun 1853 on the Helene from Bremen to New York	16 Nov 1917 Belvidere Union Cemetery, Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN
s	Johann Bohmbach aka John	07 March 1827 headstone 09 Mar 1827 Brest, Hannover	18 Sep 1849 Catharina Burfeindt	02 Jun 1853 on the Helene from Bremen to New York	27 Nov 1913 Summit Cemetery, Morris, MN
d	Anna Margretha Bohmbach	24 Feb 1829 Brest, Hannover	bef 1855 Heinrich Vollmers bef 1859 Johann Peter Vollmers	14 May 1888 on Sorrento from Hamburg to New York	3 Nov 1919 St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Goodhue Twp, Goodhue Co, MN
d	Anna Gesche Bohmbach	21 Mar 1831 Brest, Hannover	no	no	24 Mar 1833 Brest, Hannover
d	Magdalena Bohmbach	8 Jul 1833 Brest, Hannover	no	no	8 Aug 1833 Bargstedt, Hannover
s	stillborn son	4 Mar 1834 Hannover	no	no	4 Mar 1834 Brest, Hannover
s	Lütje Bohmbach aka Louis	06 May 1835 obit 05 May 1836 Brest, Hannover	Adelheid Kroner	25 Mar 1880 on the Frisia from Hamburg & Havre to New York	21 Jan 1904 St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
d	[Anna] Adelheid Bohmbach	12 Dec 1837 headstone 1836 Brest, Hannover	Frederick Siebrasse	19 May 1855 on the Emigrant from Bremen to New York	Jun 1922 St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
d	Margrete Bohmbach aka Margaretha	17 Apr 1840 headstone 07 Apr 1840 Brest, Hannover	15 Oct 1858 Valentin Degendorfer	19 May 1855 on the Emigrant from Bremen to New York	03 May 1921 Summit Cemetery, Morris, MN
d	Johann Friederich Bohmbach aka Frederick	10 Aug 1843 Brest, Hannover	no	19 May 1855 on the Emigrant from Bremen to New York	19 Jan 1862 Battle of Mill Springs, KY Mill Springs National Cemetery, Nancy, KY
Personal Photos			Gravestone Photos

All of these people came to Goodhue County, MN. Johann and Anna Bohmbach and children Anna Adelheid, Margaretha, and Frederick arrived in New York in 1855. The other children emigrated at various times.

Johann and Anna first lived with Henry in Hay Creek Township. After Johann died, Anna lived with Valentine and Margaretha Degendorfer in Red Wing. She later lived out her days with Fred and Anna Siebrasse in Featherstone Township. We don't know exactly where Johann and Anna are buried, but there is some open area near the graves of Henry Bohmbach and the daughters of John Bohmbach. As of 1995, my family only knew of three children of Johann and Anna. They were Henry, Anna Vollmers, and Louis. It was a thrill uncovering the other nine. A descendant of one of the "new" branches had notes indicating as many as fifteen children. I found only twelve in the German birth records. (Anna's mark was on her application for the military pension of Frederick Bohmbach).

Diedrich stayed in Germany and was listed as an apprentice shoemaker in Hagen circa 1855. His grandson, Diedrich Bohmbach (1872-1953), was sent by his mother to America in 1888 to avoid compulsory military service and because he didn't get along with his step-father. It was said that he lost both his father and grandfather in the military, though there is that record of his grandfather being an apprentice shoemaker. Young Diedrich travelled on the same ship as his grandaunt and my gr-gr-grandmother, Anna Vollmers, and supposedly stayed with a grandaunt in Red Wing for about two years before moving to North Dakota and then Akeley, MN. His son, Wallace, remembers hearing of Anna Vollmers and Maria Holst as a child.

The History of Goodhue County says Henry Bohmbach came to New York in 1849 but also skips his first wife, so there are problems with that source. It lists him being born in 1823, which is more accurate than his headstone. He actually arrived with his first wife and children Anna, John, and Henry in America in 1854. He supposedly arrived in Hay Creek on 5 May 1855 and farmed in section 32, but I didn't find him in the 1857 census. He married Catharina Margareth Tomhafe in Germany, and she later died here. After he married his second wife, Fredricka Lisetta (Friedricks) Luebeck, he was drafted for the Civil War at age 43. He served from 8 Mar 1865 to 11 Jul 1865 in Company K of the 2nd Minnesota Infantry Regiment. They moved to Red Wing in 1875 and operated a saloon. (Henry's signature was from his military pension application.)

Maria Bohmbach emigrated with the family of her brother, John, in 1853 and married Claus Holst in Auglaize Co, OH. They later moved to Goodhue County and farmed in section 5 of Belvidere Twp. Their farm was bordered on the southwest by the John Bohmbach farm. They eventually moved to Red Wing. Their nephew, Henry J. Holst, married their niece, Margaretha Bohmbach, the daughter of Louis.

John Bohmbach married Catharina Burfeindt in 1849 and emigrated to Ohio in 1853. They settled on a farm in sections 5 and 6 of Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN in May of 1855, apparently the same time as Henry arrived in the county. John served from 14 Feb 1865 to 27 Sep 1865 in Company I of the 1st Minn Heavy Artillery in the Civil War. During this time he met Charles Dablow, the future husband of his eldest daughter. He served with a John Dablow who was probably Charles' brother. They moved to Red Wing in 1867 and went into the saloon business before opening a grocery store in 1876. They later bought a flour mill and moved back to the country. When the mill burned, they moved back to Red Wing, rented a house and took in boarders. John spent time as a mason while living in Red Wing. Two of their daughters are buried next to Henry Bohmbach in Red Wing. They moved to Stevens Co, MN in 1889 to live with their daughter and son-in-law, Charles and Anna Dablow. Read an interesting account written by their grandaughter Kate (Dablow) Drovedahl. (John's signature is from his military pension application.)

Anna (Bohmbach) Vollmers and children Mary and Fred came to America, it was said, after Anna's husband died in 1887 while crossing a stream. The ship record shows them arriving in May of 1888, though legend says they took a train from Brooklyn to Red Wing in October. Children Heinrich and Margaretha emigrated with uncle Louis Bohmbach in 1880. Diedrich and Catherine came to America in about the early 1880s, but Catherine returned to marry in Germany. Another daughter, Anna, never came to America. Anna (Bohmbach) Vollmers lived with John and Mary (Vollmers) Augustine in Featherstone and later Belvidere. Anna basically raised the kids while Mary helped with the chores and field work.

Louis and Adelheid Bohmbach farmed in Featherstone. Like Anna Vollmers, Louis emigrated much later. His son, Diedrich, married a sister to my Grandma Dahling. Diedrich's daughter married the great grandson of my Gr-Gr-Gr Grandpa Dahling. I'm related to their children three different ways. It sure gets complicated sometimes. As soon as I uncovered the last Dahling connection, I mailed the info to one of those cousins, Lois (Drenckhahn) Wood. She died in a car accident the day before my letter arrived. I'll always regret that.

Fred and Adelheid (aka Anna) Siebrasse also farmed in Featherstone. He had emigrated with his parents and sister and married Adelheid in America. They then lived in Red Wing until 1904, when they moved to Iowa to live with their daughter. They each died there but were buried in Red Wing. Most of their children died fairly early in life, and many of them may be buried in the large unmarked area around the graves of their parents. The family of one daughter drowned when the Sea Wing capsized on Lake Pepin. This disaster is well documented at the Goodhue County Museum. His sister is buried in an unmarked plot near his.

Margaretha and Valentin Degendorfer lived in Red Wing after their marriage at least through the 1865 census. They then moved to near West Union, IA until 1878, when they moved to Stevens County. Valentin died within a year and Margaretha ran the farm with the aid of her sons. She must have been a very strong woman to get thru such a tough life. (Valentin's signature was as a witness for Anna (Höper) Bohmbach on her application for the military pension of Frederick Bohmbach).

Frederick Bohmbach emigrated with his parents and later served in Company G of the 2nd Minnesota Infantry Regiment. Minnesota in the Civil War and Indian Wars shows he was mustered into service on 8 Jan 1865. That must be 8 Jan 1861 because he was killed at The Battle of Mill Springs on 19 Jan 1862. The battle was fought near the banks of the Cumberland River in Kentucky. It broke the Confederate defensive line in Kentucky which was never repaired. Witnesses were called in to prove that he was his mother's son since all of the letters he wrote while in the service were lost when the house burned down. This is probably the same reason I can find no surviving letters from family in Germany. What a terrible shame to have lost those valuable sources.

An emigrant nephew of Johann Bohmbach (b. 1798)
	Name	Birth	Married	USA	Died/Buried
F	Heinrich Ludwig Bohmbach aka Henry L.	09 Dec 1845 Agathenburg, Hannover	24 Dec 1871 Anna Metta Bolland (later) Anna Diercks	13 May 1873 on the Vandalia from Hamburg to NY	21 May 1929 Belvidere Union Cem, Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN
M	Anna Metta Bolland	06 Dec 1845 Helmste, Hannover	24 Dec 1871 Johann Bohmbach	same	unknown perhaps Belvidere Union Cemetery
s	Johann Heinrich Bohmbach	10 Aug 1867	no	no	20 Aug 1867 Bargstedt, Hannover
d	Anna Margaretha Bohmbach	28 Sep 1872	no	no	15 Oct 1872 Bargstedt, Hannover
d	Margaretha Adelheid Bohmbach	28 Sep 1872 Helmste, Hannover	1897 Antonio J. Zignego	same	25 Dec 1942 Oakwood Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
s	Johann Heinrich Bohmbach	9 Jul 1875 Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN	27 Nov 1901 Clara L. Bang	n.a.	24 May 1968 Oakwood Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
d	Anna Engel Bohmbach	15 Nov 1876 Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN	1898 Christ Hinck	n.a.	03 Jun 1945 Oakwood Cemetery, Red Wing, MN
d	Mary Bohmbach	abt. 1878	no	n.a.	1894 in Warrenton, MO
s	Fred Bohmbach	unknown	unknown	n.a.	before 1942
d	Elize Mathilde Bohmbach	abt. 09 May 1881 Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN	no	n.a.	17 May 1881 probably Belvidere Union Cemetery
s	Henry L. Bohmbach	26 Nov 1882 Belvidere Twp, Goodhue Co, MN	21 Sep 1910 Anna Mahncke	n.a.	04 Feb 1960 St. John's Lutheran Cem, Lake City, MN
d	Bertha Bohmbach	7 Oct 1884	Anton R. Berg	n.a.	11 Feb 1931 Marysville, Yuba Co, CA

An emigrant Bohmbach cousin of unknown degree
	Name	Birth	Married	USA	Died/Buried
F	Heinrich Stechmann	abt 8 Jul 1868 Germany	16 Aug 1891 Anna Margretha Bohmbach	unknown	20 Jan 1949 Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
M	Anna Margretha Bohmbach	13 Mar 1871 Neukloster, Hannover	16 Aug 1891 Henry Stechmann	1891	29 Mar 1949 Zumbrota Cemetery,Zumbrota, MN
s	John Stechmann	private	no	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
d	Minnie Stechmann	private	Albert H. Bredehoft	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
d	Lydia H. Stechmann	private	Henry William Bredehoft	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
s	Arnold H. Stechmann	private	Lilly Geisha Borgschatz	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
?	baby	private	no	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
s	Henry F. Stechmann	private	Gertrude Zemke	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
s	Elmer Stechmann	private	Margaret	n.a.	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
s	Herbert Stechmann	private	unk	n.a.	private

Another emigrant Bohmbach connection
	Name	Birth	Married	USA	Died/Buried
F	Fred C. W. Ohlrogge [mother was a Bohmbach]	25 Jun 1881 Hannover, Germany	Betty Blohm	1926	5 Jul 1962 St. John's Lutheran Cemetery Red Wing, MN
M	Betty Blohm	25 Aug 1883 Hannover, Germany	Fred C. W. Ohlrogge	1927	10 Apr 1962 St. John's Lutheran Cemetery Red Wing, MN
s	John Peter Frederick Ohlrogge	private	Grace Schliep	1927	private Zumbrota Cemetery, Zumbrota, MN
s	son	unknown	unknown	unkown	unknown

 

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In Memory of Lance Corporal Nathan Wood, killed in Iraq

US Marine Lance Corporal Nathan Wood from Kirkland, Washington was killed by enemy gunfire on Tuesday 9 Nov 2004 while clearing an apartment in Fallujah during the US operation to clear the city of those responsible for murder and terrorism. Unofficial reports say he was shot once in the head and once in the chest and died instantly. Nathan was the son of Rex and DeEtte Wood and was a Bohmbach descendant in the Degendorfer line. He graduated from Juanita High School in 2003 and was part of Lima Company in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Expeditionary Force, out of Camp Pendelton, California. We mourn his loss and are thankful for his sacrifice. Our prayers are with his family.

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