Great grandfather Frank Thomas is buried in the northeast corner of St. Mary's Cemetery, near Humphrey Nebraska. The Pastor wanted the grave marked, so Ferdinand, being a mason, laid cement around the grave. Frances Mary Thomas, an infant daughter of Ferdinand and Agnes who died in 1918, is buried at the foot of Frank's grave.

Frank THOMAS, father of Ferdinand Joseph Johann THOMAS, was born November 21, 1839 somewhere in Germany and was a farmer by trade. He came to America with his daughter, Augusta, born July 15, 1881 and Augusta's husband, Joseph PETERMANN, born January 2, 1879. Frank THOMAS married Wilhelmina CLOEDER, who passed away before Frank came to America.

Frank and Wilhelmina had 18 children, some of whom settled in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The names of their children are Wilhelm, Bernard, Albert, Herman, August, Robert, Ferdinand (our grandfather, born March 19, 1867, the place is unknown, maybe near at Louisenthal), Frank, Joseph, Emma, Alvina, and Augusta. Six children died in infancy or at birth. We do not know whether Frank, Augusta and Joseph Petermann came to America at the same time as Ferdinand, his wife, and two sons. Great grandfather Frank THOMAS lived in the US with his daughter Augusta. He lived a retired life, and died on December 23, 1915 at Humphrey, Nebraska from pneumonia. He was 76 years, 1 month and 2 days old. He is buried at St. Mary's Parish Cemetery, east and south of Humphrey, Nebraska, just off highway 81. The buildings of St. Mary's Catholic Church and school still stand even though they have been closed for many years.

In a letter to Mary E. BIERMAN dated December 30, 1988 the Polish Embassy in Washington said, "please be informed that the place called Luisental/not Luisenthal/probably at the moment is called Mysliborzyce". The Polish Embassy is mistaken. Louisenthal, also spelled Luisenthal, is the place where our grandparents, Ferdinand and Agnes THOMAS, came from. It is also the place where their relatives who came to the US came from. The story is told, that while Joseph PETERMANN was courting Augusta THOMAS, Joseph used to skate across the Dammscher Sea. Using a bed sheet as a sail, Joseph skated from the westside, where he lived, to the eastside to Louisenthal, where Augusta lived.

Both Luisenthal and Luisental existed in the 1930's as found in an older world Atlas in the Omaha Public Library. It is quite possible that Luisenthal no longer exists as it was a tiny village on the northeast side of the Dammscher Sea. On the southwest side of the Dammscher Sea is the city of Stettin, now called Szczecin, Poland. This was the city's original name, Szczecin--meaning bristle--and called "brush castle". Its population in 1816 was 25,091; in 1849 47,202; in 1939 268,915 and almost entirely German and Protestant, in 1960 268,900 and then almost entirely Polish and Roman Catholic, in 1964 303,000. Stettin passed to Prussia in 1720 and remained a part of Prussia until after W.W.II when the Allied Control Council abolished Prussia on March 1, 1947. At that time it was given back to Poland. Two-thirds of the area was destroyed or damaged during W.W.II and is now rebuilt. Stettin lies 41 miles south from the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the Oder River. It is about 79 miles N.N.E. of Berlin. It is a seaport and is one of the most picturesque areas in all of Poland with its lakes, parks, and green spaces covering nearly 1/5th of the area. The area surrounding Stettin is lush with its scenic hills and the Bukowa (spruce) forest.

It is in such a setting as this that the flower called "Forget-me-not" thrives and blooms. The forget-me-not was grandmother Agnes' favorite flower. It is a tiny delicate flower, about the size of a dime, with five true blue petals and a white center the size of a drop of water. A favorite flower of poets, it has the symbol of constancy, and frequently ornaments brooks, rivers, and ditches. According to an old German tradition, it received its name from the last words of a knight who drowned in his attempt to procure the flower for his lady. It is often used for garden borders.

Proud of our German heritage, and our ancestors have always said they were from Germany, Louisenthal, nevertheless, was situated in the country of Prussia. The Prussian Imperial Government ruled the German Empire from 1721 until 1918. The "Release Document" for our grandparents, their two children, and Maria Magdalena SCHNECK, verifies the existence of Louisenthal and that it was located in Prussian territory. County Naugard, where Louisenthal is located, is on the northeast side of the Dammscher Sea, not south to Luisental, now called Mysliborzyce. Following is an English translation of this document, and a photocopy from the original German document

PRUSSIAN     Stettin, 6 April 1893
SEAL

I (hereby) verify that the worker Josepf Johann Ferdinand Thomas, 26 years old, from Louisenthal, County Naugard, upon his petition and on behalf of his immigration to North America, has been released from Prussian citizenship, as well as his wife, Agnes Anna Magdalena, nee Schneck, 20 5/12 years old and the following children:
1. Hermann Karl August, son, 3 3/12 years old.
2. Adolf Georg Thomas, son, 8/12 years old.
and his mother-in-law, Maria Magdalena Schneck, nee Thomas, 51 7/12 years old.

This Release Document is effective for those persons expressly named herein, from the time of the issuance of the loss of Prussian citizenship. It is, however, ineffective if the released persons have not left their residence within the country or have applied for citizenship in another state of the nation within six months from the day of the issuance of the Release Document.    (See para 18)
(page 2)


Para 18 of the law for acquiring and losing citizenship of the nation and state from 1 June 1870. Federal Law Sheet, page 355.

The Imperial Prussian Government President
in representation
/:/ signature E. ???


Release Document
Prussian A. IV No. 587 J. Kuch.
Click here to see page 1 of original document

Grandfather Ferdinand Joseph Johann THOMAS was born on March 19, 1867 possibly near Louisenthal, Prussia to Frank and Wilhelmina nee CLOEDER THOMAS. Wilhelmina died in Prussia; Frank died in this country near Humphrey, Nebraska on December 22, 1915 and is buried in St. Mary's Catholic cemetery, near Humphrey. Ferdinand is buried in Holy Family cemetery, Lindsay, Nebraska.

Grandmother Agnes Anna Magdalena SCHNECK was born on November 8, 1872 at Louisenthal, Prussia to Carl and Maria THOMAS SCHNECK. Maria Magdalena came to this country with Ferdinand and Agnes, but stayed with Anna SCHNECK DOLLERSCHELL. Maria died November 20, 1901 in Norfolk, Nebraska and is buried in Prospect Cemetery in Norfolk. Agnes is buried in Holy Family cemetery, Lindsay, Nebraska.

Ferdinand THOMAS and Agnes SCHNECK were married in Louisenthal, Prussia on November 21, 1891. It is said that Grandpa Ferdinand Thomas had been in the German Cavalry and took care of the horses. He was short in stature, shorter than his wife. As a result, he would not take a picture standing next to his wife, Agnes, as this picture attests:

Fritz, Grandma Agnes, and Grandpa Ferdinand.
Probably taken around the mid-1920's.
Must have been a tasty watermelon

On April 6, 1893, Ferdinand and Agnes THOMAS with their two sons and Agnes's mother were released from their Prussian citizenship and journeyed to Bremen, Germany, where they obtained passage on a vessel (name unknown) and sailed for the United States. According to the American citizenship papers of their son, Herman Thomas, who became a US citizen on March 28, 1917, all four arrived in the New York harbor around June 15, 1893. At this time Grandma Agnes was expecting her third child, Helmuth, who was born in Norfolk, Nebraska on July 13, 1893. Adolph became an American citizen on February 10, 1926 at Albion, Nebraska.

We do not know for sure why Ferdinand and Agnes came to this country with their two sons, and Agnes' mother, Maria Magdalena. We do know that Agnes' sister, Anna DOLLERSCHELL, was already in Nebraska and our grandparents received money from Franz and Anna DOLLERSCHELL to come to this country. They must have been very poor in Prussia, since they did not have the money themselves to come to the United States. It is even said that another brother of Ferdinand's, a brother named Robert, wanted financial help so that he could also come to the United States. But Grandpa and Grandma did not have the money to help Robert. On the other hand, we know that Ferdinand had brothers who settled around Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Perhaps our grandparents came to this country because Grandpa Ferdinand did not want to serve in the Prussian Cavalry. Another possibility is there may have been some religious persecution, which certainly was not as severe as years before.

Whatever their reason for coming to the United States, Grandpa Ferdinand and Grandma Agnes THOMAS settled in Norfolk, Nebraska where Franz and Anna DOLLERSCHELL were living. It was here they began their life in America. Before dwelling on their everyday lives in America, let us relate the vital statistics with respect to their 16 children.

Back row: Rose, Rudolph, Veronica, Margaret, Erna, Adolph, Helmuth, Herman, Raymond
Front row: Martha, Ferdinand, Hildegard (standing), Fridolin (sitting), Agnes, Joseph

Herman Charles, born on January 17, 1890 in Louisenthal, Prussia, married Elsie KING, born December 5, 1892, on December 25, 1912 in Kansas City, Kansas. Herman died on June 8, 1966 (age 76) and was from Newman Grove, Nebraska. Herman and Elsie are both buried at Hope Cemetery in Newman Grove.

Adolph George, born on July 21, 1892 in Louisenthal, Prussia, married Julia ZACH, born April 19, 1891, on February 15, 1916 at St. Mary's, Humphrey, Nebraska. Adolph died on February 16, 1980 (age 87) and was from Albion, Nebraska. Adolph and Julia are both buried at St. Michael Catholic Cemetery in Albion.

Helmuth Paul, born on July 13, 1893 in Norfolk, Nebraska married Elizabeth BROCKHAUS, born November 13, 1892, on February 13, 1917 at St. Francis, Humphrey, Nebraska. Helmuth died on September 15, 1946 (age 53) and was from Rosholt, South Dakota.

Francis Joseph (called "Frank"), born on December 30, 1895. Francis died on January 26, 1896 (1 month) in Norfolk, Nebraska and is buried in Battle Creek, Nebraska. Erna THOMAS STEINER's records show that Frank died in August of 1896 at 8 months old.

Raymond Frank, born on March 18, 1897 in Norfolk, Nebraska married Gertrude Mae (BOCK) SWIENER, born December 17, 1897 in Canada, on May 31, 1949 probably in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Raymond died on October 10, 1981 (age 84) and was from Wyandotte, Michigan,

Ernesta Magdalena (called Erna), born on March 18, 1899 in Norfolk, Nebraska married William STEINER, born February 17, 1893, on November 11, 1919 at St. Francis, Humphrey, Nebraska. Erna died on December 28, 1986 (age 87) and was from Columbus, Nebraska. Both Erna and William are buried at St. Bonaventure Cemetery, in Columbus.

Margaret Agnes, born November 7, 1901 in Norfolk, Nebraska married Rudolph STEINER, born October 24, 1896, on January 11, 1922 at St. Francis, Humphrey, Nebraska. Margaret died on January 21, 1976 (age 74) and was from Clarkson, Nebraska. Margaret and Rudolph are both buried in the Clarkson cemetery.

Rudolph Bruno (called "Rudy"), born January 28, 1904 in Norfolk, Nebraska married Lauretta Mae MATTESON, born April 4, 1909, on December 20, 1928 at Wheaton, Minnesota. Divorced. Rudy died on December 2, 1963 (age 59) at Huron, South Dakota and was buried in Rosholt, South Dakota. Lauretta THOMAS lived at Bothell, Wash.; she died December 26, 1997 in Washington.

Veronica Mary (called "Verona"), born December 2, 1905 in Norfolk, Nebraska married Henry KUHLEN, born April 26, 1900, on September 1, 1937 at St. Bonaventure's, Columbus, Nebraska. Verona died on November 7, 1975 (age 69) and was from Platte Center, Nebraska. Veronica and Henry are both buried at St. Joseph-St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery, 5 mi SE of Platte Center.

Mary, died at birth in 1906 in Norfolk, Nebraska and she is possibly buried in Battle Creek, Nebraska.

Rose Irene, born October 24, 1907 in Norfolk, Nebraska married Raymond KOCH, born March 25, 1907, on January 21, 1931 at Lindsay, Nebraska. Raymond died in the spring of 1936. Rose married Frederick HOFFMAN, born May 5, 1910, on July 9, 1941 at St. Bonaventure's, Columbus, Nebraska. Rose died on May 20, 1997 in Norfolk, Nebraska and was from Battle Creek, Nebraska. Rose and Frederick are both buried at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, Battle Creek.

Martha Mary, born on [private] near St, Mary's, Humphrey, Nebraska married Everett JONES, born January 16, 1908, on July 27, 1933 at St. Bonaventure's, Columbus, Nebraska.

Joseph Henry, born an October 22, 1910 near St. Mary's, Humphrey, Nebraska married Eleanor ZACH, born [private], on November 7, 1939 at Pierce, Nebraska Joseph died on December 7, 1985 (age 75) and was from Platte Center, Nebraska. Joseph is buried at St. Joseph/St. Patrick Cemetery in Platte Center.

Hildegard Adala (called "Hilda"), born on [private] near St. Mary's, Humphrey, Nebraska eloped with Paul FRANKS, born December 26, 1911 in Duluth, MN., on May 1, 1937 to Elk Point, South Dakota Their marriage was blessed in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Sioux City, Iowa on June 23, 1937.

Fridolin John (called "Fritz"), born on May 15, 1915 near St. Mary's, Humphrey, Nebraska married Rosella KUMPF. Divorced. Fritz married Margaret KRUMWIEDE, born [private] on March 31, 1946 at Norfolk, Nebraska. Fritz died on June 3, 1973 (age 58) and was from Norfolk, Nebraska. Fritz is buried at the Lutheran Cemetery in Norfolk.

Mary Frances, born on January 28, 1917 at Creston, Nebraska died at one (1) year of age on February 6, 1918 of pneumonia and was buried at the foot of great grandfather Frank THOMAS' grave in St. Mary's Cemetery, Humphrey, Nebraska. (Note: cemetery record shows date of birth as January 20, 1917.)

There were 8 boys and 8 girls. 2 children were born in Louisenthal, Prussia, 9 children were born in Norfolk, Nebraska, 4 were born near St. Mary's, Humphrey, Nebraska and one was born at Creston, Nebraska. Herman, Adolph, Helmuth, Erna, Margaret, Rudy, and Rose in her first marriage, married before their mother, Agnes, died on December 8, 1932. Helmuth was the youngest to die in adulthood at the age of 53. Erna's husband, William, and Margaret's husband, Rudolph, were brothers.