| Notes |
- _P_CCINFO 2-14330
Claus came to the US because he did not want to serve in the German Army. The Kaiser signed a paper granting him permission to go to the US.
He emigrated on the Vessel LESSING from Hamburg, GER. on May 3, 1882 and arrived in New York, NY. on May 18th at the age of fifteen (GERMANS TO AMERICA PASSENGER LISTS, Ira Glazier and Robert Philby). He then came to the Omaha, NE. area on May 27th and worked on farms near Millard, NE. at one time for the grandparents of Leigh School Principal, Mrs. William J. Dunn.
When he arrived in Omaha, NE., there were about 500 people living there. 16th and Farnum Streets had mud holes and board walks. He had $3.00.
According to a note received by Vera Ehlers Hardung, he carried a six shooter as he walked from Richland to Leigh to keep the wild dogs away.
He came with his father, mother, and brother to Wilson Precinct, Colfax County, NE where his parents purchased land about four miles south and one mile east of Leigh. He bought another farm in 1904.
Through the years he worked hard like many other pioneers and acquired more land. The farms were lost in the Great Depression of the 1930's. President Roosevelt closed the First National Bank of Leigh with the "Banker's Holiday Act" where Claus and daughter Katie had their savings. It never reopened. The Bank of Leigh succeeded it. Originally , the First National Bank was started as the Maple Valley Bank and J. H. Wuerdemann was one of it's organizers. Later it was consolidated with the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank and then became the First National Bank.
A story related by son Will Ehlers in 1981- When he and his Dad would go to town, they would go into the saloon. The bartender would call out,"What do you need today, Claus?" His reply would be,"Your best whiskey!" The gallon jug would be filled up with thirty year old whiskey and the charge would be $1.50.
In 1999, his Daughter, Lena Ehlers Sellers related how her father, Claus, had a bobsled and when someone would die in Leigh and had to be buried at St Paul's Lutheran Church, southwest oftown, Claus and three or four men would then ride the bobsled into Leigh and pick up the body in the casket. They then, with four men, would balance the casket on the bobsled, and take itback south to the church for the funeral.
Grandson Bill Ehlers writes-
"I remember when Grandpa was buried. Dad and I stayed at the cemetery after everyone else went back to the church basement to eat lunch. At the age of nine years old, I got to see for thefirst time how a casket was placed into a grave. Seeing the men lower the casket was a sight I never forgot."
Facts about this person:
Burial
Leigh Cemetery; Leigh, NE.
Emigration May 18, 1882
Castle Garden, NY
Confirmation
St Marien Lutheran Church, Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, GE.
Baptism May 22, 1866
St Marien Lutheran Church, Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, GER.
Claus came to the United States because he did not want to serve in the German Army. The Kaiser signed a paper granting him permission to go to the US.
He emigrated on the Vessel LESSING from Hamburg, Germany on May 3, 1882 and arrived in New York, NY. on May 18th at the age of fifteen (GERMANS TO AMERICA PASSENGER LISTS, Ira A. Glazier and P. William Philby) and then came to the Omaha, NE. area on May 27th and worked on farms near Millard, NE. at one time for the grandparents of Leigh School Principal, Mrs. William J. Dunn.
When he arrived in Omaha, there were about 500 people living there. 16th and Farnum Streets had mud holes and board walks. He had $3.00.
He came with his father, mother, and brother to Wilson Precinct, Colfax County, NE where his parents purchased land about four miles south and one mile east of Leigh. He bought another farm in 1904.
Through the years he worked hard like many other pioneers and acquired more land. The farms were lost in the Great Depression of the 1930's. President Roosevelt closed the First National Bank of Leigh with the "Banker's Holiday Act" where Claus and daughter Katie had their savings. It never reopened. The Bank of Leigh succeeded it. Originally, the First National Bank was started as the Maple Valley Bank and J. H. Wurdeman was one of it's organizers. Later it was consolidated with the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank and then became the First National Bank.
A story related by son Will Ehlers in 1981- When he and his Dad would go to town, they would go into the saloon. The bartender would call out,"What do you need today, Claus?" His reply would be,"Your best whiskey!" The gallon jug would be filled up with thirty-year old whiskey and the charge would be $1.50.
In 1999, his daughter, Lena Ehlers Sellers related how her father, Claus, had a bobsled and when someone would die in Leigh and had to be buried at St Paul's Lutheran Church, southwest of town, Claus and three or four men would then ride the bobsled into Leigh and pick up the body in the casket. They then, with four men, would balance the casket on the bobsled, and take it back south to the church for the funeral.
Grandson Bill Ehlers writes-
"I remember when Grandpa was buried. Dad and I stayed at the cemetery after everyone else went back to the church basement to eat lunch. At the age of nine years old, I got to see for the first time how a casket was placed into a grave. Seeing the men lower the casket was a sight I never forgot."
Original individual @I00278@ (@MS_WURDEMANNGM.GED1@) merged with @I1019@ (@MS_WURDEMANLEGACYG0@)
@NF0086@
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1866 - 1956 (90 years)