The Story of HH Laumeier and AM Niemeier

Hermann Heinrich Lahmeyer (Laumeier)

His father, Steffen Heinrich, was born December 17, 1763 at Handarpe 23a. His mother Catharina Margaretha Sparenberg was born March 3, 1766, though the location was not noted.  They were married on March 4, 1789 in Westerkappeln and lived at Handarpe 23a where Steffen Heinrich died on January 1, 1831 and Catharina Margaretha on January 2, 1839.

This information is based on the Bevölkerungslisten (Population Register) for Handarpe 23a, an extract of which may be found on Attachment 1 which was provided by Dr. Gunter Bohlke, archivist for the community of Westerkappeln.  This extract indicates that Hermann Heinrich had two younger sisters, Margaretha born May 17, 1806 and Maria Elizabeth born May 4, 1813.  It further may indicate that Hermann Heinrich may have learned and/or worked this trade with the blacksmith Kaste in Ladbergen, then with a Belm in [illegible] and after a time with yet another blacksmith received a journeyman’s pass on April 2, 1834.  He received a first notice of military service from the Landwehr in Lotte, but apparently was in service with a blacksmith Räuwer and subsequently others.  Presumably he left the community with this legal certification, but then went straight to a port to emigrate without permission to America.

Anna Maria Niemeyer (Niemeier)

Anna Maria Niemeier was born November 8, 1800 to Steffen Heinrich Niemeier and his second wife, Catharina Maria Sophia Tiemann.  She most likely grew on the outlying farm area, Sennlich, in her parent’s (Colon) farmhouse, Sennlich 9.

Her father, Steffen Heinrich, was born a Grönemann on April 27, 1749, was the independent farmer (Colon) of Sennlich 9 where he died on April 22, 1827.  Her mother, Cath Maria Sophia Tiemann was born on January 6, 1771 in the surrounding area of Hambüren to Johann Hermann Tiemann and Anna Catharina Niemeier.  They were married on May 26, 1795 in Westerkappeln.  Cath Maria died on February 28, 1803 in childbirth at Sennlich 9 having given birth to Johann Adolph Niemeyer on February 12, 1803.  Anna Maria’s direct and step siblings are listed along with supplementary information in Attachment 2, which again was provided courtesy of Dr. Böhlke.  In this attachment Anna Maria is listed as the 10th child with the name “Niemeyer, Cath. Maria Elsabein”.  This is the name entered in the Birth Register (No. 138/1800).  Dr. Böhlke noted that for the various first names there is a commonality “Maria” and that in the opinion of his collaborator, Brigitte Jahnke who is a historian for the Tecklenburg region, there enough to identify a person.  It is known that first names of a person are registered differently in the church books (births, confirmations, marriages and death registers) and there are also variants in the population lists, emigration lists etc.  “So no reason for further doubt.”

Additional copies of source documents provided by Dr. Böhlke are included as follows:

• Attachment 3 – The Bevölkerungslisten (Population Register) for Sennlich 9 (Anna Maria Niemeier entered on the 2nd page)
• Attachment 4 – The Confirmation Records of Westerkappeln Church for 1817 (Anna Maria Niemeier listed as No. 12)
• Attachment 5 – The Auswanderersliste (Anna Maria Niemeier entered a the bottom)

Attachment 3.1 41-1825Sennlich_09 Attachment 3.2 42-1825Sennlich_09

Attachment 4: 50-K361

Attachment 5 30-008-1834

How Hermann Heinrich and Anna Maria Probably Met

The two most certainly already knew each other in Westerkappeln.  They lived in Westerkappeln, a small town, went to the same church, lived less than two miles apart and were about the same age.  Since there was no record of Hermann Heinrich’s official “Auswanderung” from Westerkappeln and passenger lists for the likely ships they may have taken together to America have apparently been lost, it cannot definitely been established that the met (or perhaps got engaged?) on board the ship.