History

Who We Are

As noted above, this is the "History of the Family of Henry & Elizabeth Bals of Nebraska". {f visitors to this website came here looking for royal ancestors or a family coat of arms to put on their stationary, they will not find them here. Hopefully, what they will find on this website is what it means to be a Bals. The emphasis here is on the History of the family and the region of Germany that nurtured them.

The Ancient Ones

All of my research points to the family's origins as part pf the ancient Saxon people that came to the low country of northern Germany from the north before the Fifth Century.Th Bals, Balz & Baltz name supports that assumption. Their language was the old Saxon "Low German" even to the time that Henry & Elizabeth ame to Nebraska. They were farmers, horsemen; they established isolated farmsteads, their religion was rooted in the pagan traditionsof northern Europe. They were the nemisis of Charlemagne ; they were the only unconquered tribe of Germany. Only after years oi warfare abd the slaugher of thousands of Saxons , did they yield to Charlemagne and about 784 AD accepted Christianity. However, it is said that ehen the cold of wintercaused Charlemagne's armies to retreat to France, the old pagan traditions resurfaced around the open fires in the traditional Lower Saxon BauernHouses.

So ...... if you are a Bals and you are assemling your plastic Christmas tree, stringing Holly, or coloring eggs to assist the Easter Bunny, ...... stop for a minute ........ look to the North ........ a nod of recognition to your Saxon ancestors. Don't worry, Charlemagne is no where in sight, but we are still here.

If you have a love for the details history, you can read the terms of the Saxon Capitulation of 784 AD.

And if you really can not live without that coat of arms, the white horse is said to be the traditional symbol of the Old
Saxons. Go for it! You have as much right to it as anyone..

Leaving Germany

It has not been determined exactky when Henry keft Germany or the name of the ship he had passage on. Family tadition is that they they first attemped to purchase farm land in Ohio, but finding it too expensive, traveled on to Nebraska

Whatever their route, the first record we find of the brothers in the United States is rthe Nebraska State Gazetteer Farmers Directory for 1890 -91 whixh lists Ferdinand in David City and Henry at Bellwood, both in Butler County. The Butler County School Census for 1890, dated llllJune 21, 1890 lists a "Mr. Bals" Paying school tax for one six year old female. H is listed as living on a farm owned by Geo. W. Nelsonl. We can be reasonably certain that this "Mr. Bals" was Ferdinand and the child wouold have been Bertha. This also tells us that Ferdinand was renting farm land just southwest of David City. and Henry would also have been renting just to the north in the Bellwood precinct.. Had they purchased land, their names would have appeared on the plat maps for Butler County for 1890, but we don't find this

Whatever their route, the first record we find of the brothers in the United States is rthe Nebraska State Gazetteer Farmers Directory for 1890 -91 whixh lists Ferdinand in David City and Henry at Bellwood, both in Butler County. The Butler County School Census for 1890, dated llllJune 21, 1890 lists a "Mr. Bals" Paying school tax for one six year old female. H is listed as living on a farm owned by Geo. W. Nelsonl. We can be reasonably certain that this "Mr. Bals" was Ferdinand and the child wouold have been Bertha. This also tells us that Ferdinand was renting farm land just southwest of David City. and Henry would also have been renting just to the north in the Bellwood precinct.. Had they purchased land, their names would have appeared on the plat maps for Butler County for 1890, but we don't find this

Elizabeth.

In the Spring of 1891Henry returned to Germany to marry Elizabeth Rickert (Berkemier. in Germany). Elizabeth was from the village of Herringhausen. Her parents were Caspar Theodore Hacke aka Rickert of lHerringhausen and Elisabeth Kuplerschmidtof of Erwitte. They were married on March 19, 1891 in St. Clemens Parish Church at Helinghausen, Germany. The portrait made at the Smith Studio in Crete, Nebraska appears to be a wedding
portrait and was probably made shortly after their return from Germany. From information supplied by Delmer, agrandson who lived with Henry & Elizabeth for some time following the death of his father, Elizabeth agreed to marry Henry if she could return to Germany at least one time. He kept his prmise and they returned in 1894 with sons Theodore and Henry. On their return they brought Elizabth's sister Lena with them. She was 20 years old at the time. Lena had an artificial leg as a result of falling into a threshing machine in the old Rickert-Berkemier family barn-house in Herringhausen. Lena was known in the family as "Tante Lena" or "Aunt Lee". The name appearing on her tombstone in the Catholic cemetery in Crete is Carolyn Rickert. According to Rickert family geneaology from Herringhausen her full

According to Rickert family geneology from Herringhausen, her full name was Caroline Maria Antonette Rickert. Both Elizabeth and Lena received an inheritance equivalent to approximately $900.00 from their eldest brother Heinrich upon leaving Germany.

Crete, Nebraska

Henry left Bellwood and purchased 80 acres on Section 24 in Dorchester Precinct, Saline County on March 2, 1891. The farm was purchased from Henry & Lucy Ann Enfield for the sum of $3,000 with Henry assuming a mortgage of $1,000 against the lalnd. The deed was recorded on March 10, 1891 with the Saline County Register of Deeds.

If Henry signed the deed on March 2nd, he must have left for Germany immediately to be lthere for a wedding on March 19th.

The Saline County Census Data for 1900 provides considerable information, although portions are very difficult to read. It tells us that Henry lwas still on the farm on the East 1/2 NE 1/4, Section 24, Dorchester Precinct and there were five childre: Theodore, Henry, Elizabeth (Ella), Augusta (Gus), and Matilda (Tillie) by this time. It also tells us that Ferdinand has moved to the Crete vicinity as he appears on the census in the Crete Precinct on Section 32, southwest of Crete, with seven children: Berha, Anna, Clements, Joseph, Fritz, William, and Theodore.

The family on Bals-Lusebrink farm have graciously provided copies of three letter back to Germany from Henry. See Henry's Letters to Germany

A personal note: I stood in the barn door in the 1950's with my Dad while milking cows. I asked him where he was born. He pointed to the North and said "Where that line of Plum Thickets is". This would have been Section 24. I guess that was my first answer to the question of who I was and who We were. That was the real beginning of this website.

On March 31, 1905, a deed recorded with the Saline County Register of Deeds tells us that Henry & Elizabeth sold the 80 acres on Section 24, Dorchester Precinct, to Henry Wild for the sum of $5,100. On April 7, 1905 a deed is recorded for 120 acres on Section 21, Crete Precinct, purchased from William Fuhrer by Henry Bals for the sum of $8,100.

The next piece of information is a Crete Precinct Plat Map & Farmer's Directory, undated but likely to be from 1918. It shows Henry on the 120 acre farm in Precinct ll, Section 21, the farm just northwest of Crete above Tuxedo Park. All the children were living at home except Ella. The plat map shows the farm on Section 32 is still owned by Ferdinad, but the Directory shows his son Clements and wife Josephine living on the land. From this it is assumed that Ferdinand had made the move to the Pierce, Nebraska vicinity by this time.

See Henry's Letters to Germany.

On February 28, 1922, Henry & Elizabeth sold the 120 acres on Section 21, Crete Precinct to John L. Jorgensonl of Seward County for $21,000.

The Move to Loup City

A deed recorded in Sherman County tells us that on February 20, 1922 Henry Bals purchased 400 acres of Sectiion 1, Logan Precinct, and 160 acres on Section 6 llfrom Mike J. Chmelka for $42,000 including a mortgage of $25,000 at 6% interest. Henry would have been 62 years old at the time. It is of some interest that Mike J. Chmelka was a resident of Butler County where Henry & Ferdinand first farmedupon their arrival from Germany.

From information supplied by their grandson Delmer, Henry & Elizabeth moved to the 560 acre farm north of Loup City in 1922. The children: Herberts, Alfred, Carl, and Thelma moved with them. Herb may have already been in Loup City. Herb was 16 and had gone there to farm for Ella, whose husband John Patz died of appendicitis in 1921. Delmer lived with Henry & Elizabeth for a year and a half after his father died and again for a year after his graduation. His notes are the only first hand recorded information we hae available of their personalities, their life & times. See Memories of Delmer Patz.

On May 19, 1933 in the middle of the Depressiion and draught, at 73 years of age, Henry's farming career ended with a Sheriff's sale on ection 1, Logan Twp. Sherman County, Nebraska.

Elizabeth died on April 14 1948 and Henry died on January 26, 1949 in Loup City.They are buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Crete Nebraska, four miles from where they began their married life.

Some verbal family history concerning their move to Loup City: Loup City, having had a number of years with ideal weather conditions, had a reputation as a kind of "Land of Milk and Honey". A number of neighbors of Henry & Elizabeth also moed to Loup City. All of their household goods, farming equipment and stock were loadedl on a train that carried them to Loup City. This would not have been unusual at the time as other accounts exist of similar moves.
After a year or two, there was a dlrastic change in weather conditions and the Draught began. A number of the families returned to Crete. And no doubt, with Ella and Herb in Loup City, they stuck it out.

Notes to Bals, Balz & Baltz visitors to this website

This website is definitely intended to be a work in progress. Anyone having information on the family that they wish to have added to the website, corrections to any information, or any other comments are asked to email genebals@bals.info.

This website started in a cow balrn in Nebraska lunder light from a kerosene lantern, asking Dad lwho we were, where id we come from? This computer is a long way from that cow barn, but the questions are still there and still the same. This webite is only the beginning of the search for the answers. The field is unlimited for futute generations to research.

Even without all the answers, I grew up with the sense that being a Bals was somehow special. The answers I have found only reinforced that sense.