Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois (INCLUDING WOODFORD COUNTY) GENEALOGY Part One of Five Completed January 2022 ▪ Compiled by Joseph Peter Staker HISTORICAL BACKGROUND BELSLEY - ENGEL - OYER - ROGGY/ROCKE ROPP - SCHERTZ - STAKER - VERCLER Genealogy and history of 103 families that came to Tazewell and Woodford Counties 1830-1856 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois Above, a slip at Le Havre in 1856. On the cover, clockwise from upper left: Tazewell County, Illinois; the flag of Steffisburg; the Groveland home of Christian Staker and Magdalena Ropp circa 1916; the sign for the Evangelical Mennonite Church on the corner of Springfield and East Queenwood Roads in Groveland; the Iutzi family piano on display at the restored Chrisholm Homestead, as photographed by Jim Schrock of Dublin, Ohio during the Augspurger reunion in July 2003, copyright © 2003 Jim Schrock; Christian Ropp Jr. & Sons advertisement for Ropp's New Commercial Calculator, 1906; the seal of Lorraine; and the flag of Hilterfingen. TAZEWELL COUNTY IN 1833 (BOLD OUTLINE) AND TODAY (GRAY) https://tcghs.org/research-guides/amish-mennonites-in-tazewell-county/ courtesy of the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society, Pekin. Because this text is posted online in a format identical to hard copies, page numbering starts from the cover (page 1). Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois (including Woodford County) Part One of Five Text only copyright © January 2022. Permission is given to reproduce up to 50 lines without a formal request. [email protected] 2 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois “Mennonite immigration came in three waves. Persecution, improved ships, William Penn's invitation, and Quakers helped bring the first one. Better conditions in Europe checked the flow between 1740 and 1815, when opposition to the new military draft brought the second wave. Up to Napoleon's day armies consisted of hired soldiers, with volunteers of plunderers, thieves, cutthroats, and every kind of worthless human riff-raff, making it easier for decent men to stay out. But now [following the Congress of Vienna in 1815] the restored kingdoms copied Prussia's new draft, so Mennonites had to take it or go, with America the best door. This included the Ropps, Litwillers, Berkys, Roths, Schlegels, Farnis, Zehrs, Heisers, Strubhars, Sommers, Gerbers, Schertz, Stakers, Stalters, Kaufmans, Engels, Waglers, Zimmermans, Richs, and Kinsingers. Look over the Illinois list; they are almost all there. Thousands went elsewhere; our state was new then. The third wave began with the steamship and railroad." ⸻ Christian Ropp (1812-1896), from his 1892 recollections “Despite their protestations, they were very afraid of death, but denied it. They were very afraid of the opinions of others, but denied it. And they were proud of their properties. In that way they were no different than you or I. They just had different customs, all meant to express Demut und Bescheidenheit [humility and modesty].” ⸻ Peter Hochstettler (1834-1924), Groveland Sunday school teacher, on the differences between Amish Mennonites and Defenseless Mennonites 3 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois Preface In the 1870s and '80s, residents in every county of Illinois were approached by flack writers of commercial biographies, gazeteers, and atlases. Members of the older generation were badgered for the recollections of early pioneers. Within a few months, families that seemed receptive were approached again by a traveling salesman. For only a few dollars they could purchase a flattering hardbound copy of their memories from a publisher in Chicago or St. Louis. These publications painted a picture of an idyllic past. Like Lake Wobegon, where 'every child is above average,' it was proposed that every family had come to America seeking religious freedom, and succeeded through industry and thrift while others fell behind. The descriptions of well-to-do families - who subscribed for a number of copies - generally fared better than those with less generous pockets. Over time, the flattering portrayals found in these commercial publications were accepted as history. In contrast, we have attempted to write this account from an objective historical perspective. This may not be agreeable to all readers. Microfilm or online images of original documents were consulted when they could clarify an event or timeline. Political and social events were taken into account to show that 'push' was just as much a factor as 'pull' in the process of emigration from Europe. The resulting history is peppered with accounts of false starts, interrupted journeys, and failed ventures. It also makes the point that our Amish Mennonite forebearers found it just as difficult and impractical to practice idealistic 'avoidance' as we would find it today. The positive characteristics that emerge in this picture of the early generations include adherence to the established Mennonite values of simple lifestyle, principled non-aggression, mutual cooperation, and contribution to the immediate community. 'Amish' can describe customs, clothing, dialect, or religious practices. In the title the word is used in its original meaning: to describe the followers of Jacob Amman of Erlenbach, Canton Bern and their descendants. Four of the 16 national assemblies of Amish Mennonite ministers [Ger. Diener Versammlungen] took place in Central Illinois: at Danvers, McLean County in 1866; at Gridley Prairie, Livingston County in 1871; at Hittle, Tazewell County in 1875; and at Roanoke, Woodford County in 1878. We have occasionally been asked, “If there were Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, where are the old photographs of people wearing black?” The practice of wearing plain clothing to express humility was somewhat different in the 19th century. The idea that males should dress in black is a 20th-century notion formed in the Old Orders of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. An argument can be made that the Old Order turning point into regression came at a national assembly of ministers held in deacon John Strubhar's barn near the Rock Creek meeting house at Danvers, McLean County May 20-23, 1866. Illinois and Iowa residents had been heavily influenced by two events in 1854-55: an Asian Cholera epidemic that made them more reliant on their ‘English’ neighbors, and the invention of the stainless steel self-cleaning plow. The enhanced plow enabled farmers to move out of the riverbottom lands and cultivate the hard-baked soils of the prairies, encouraging a wider distribution of large families. But ministers representing the Old Orders of Pennsylvania objected to mingling with outsiders, and wearied of arguments over concessions to current fashion - ‘pearls, lace, shellacked hair, and bow ties.’ Even lightning rods on barns caused heated debate. They returned to their homes and encouraged their own congregations to simplify. 4 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois In The Riddle of Amish Culture, author Donald Kraybill makes the point that what you might see in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania today is more conservative than the clothing of a century ago: "An elderly member noted that around 1910 men wore different colors of corduroy trousers - brown, gray, and blue - and they rarely had a suit coat that matched their pants. Gradually, male dress suits became a uniform black, and corduroy became taboo." In Amish Society, John A. Hostetler also observed regression to an artificial concept of the past: "Some of the aged Amish persons of very conservative groups have observed that the hair is worn longer today than it was fifty years ago. The most conservative Old Order Amish groups today may in fact be groups that have become more conservative by overconforming through the years, just as other groups have become more progressive. There is a kind of aggressive humility in seeing who can conform the most." The first person we asked to proofread this text was born in Pennsylvania. She recalled that her local historical society had been unable to find old tintypes of farm families in the now- familiar black plain clothing. And now she was flatly amazed to find the explanation coming out of the Midwest. The choice of plain clothing focuses on the avoidance of specific bright colors. This has provoked a variety of explanations from outside observers. Behavioralists point out that the color red is associated with sexual excitation. Historians note that red is worn by the Catholic clergy. And culturalists point out that Amish Mennonite communities are gerontocracies, where norms are dictated by the elderly - and traditional European folk medicine held that wearing red aggravated arthritis, bursitis, and inflammation. But light blue, gray, and purple have recently found great favor for dresses, shawls, bonnets, and summer shirts. Over the past century the Amish Mennonites of Tazewell County have disappeared. The older generations passed on, and their children were largely absorbed into the Mennonite Church or Protestant denominations. They no longer follow the archaic European customs of simple dress and social isolation. This transition was entirely in step with the mainstream population of Tazewell County. But the familiar surnames are still represented. These family histories cross county lines, particularly into Woodford County. Tazewell County was established in 1827 from a part of Sangamon County. The original boundaries encompassed parts of present-day DeWitt, Livingston, Logan, Mason, McLean, and Woodford Counties. The reduced present-day boundaries were set in 1841, when Woodford County was created from parts of Tazewell and McLean Counties. We have provided cultural background in the stories of the first three families: Rŭpp/Ropp, Stücker/Staker, and König/King. All three could be found in the Protestant Reformed Church congregation of Steffisburg, Canton Bern before the Amish division of 1693. The descendants of Rŭpps have shared a common history with the descendants of the Stückers for over 500 years. In the early 1500s they intermarried in the village of Hilterfingen. In the 1830s they worshipped with minister 'Apostle Peter' Naffziger in Butler County, Ohio. In the 1840s and 1850s they came together in the Dillon Creek meeting that became Pleasant Grove Amish Mennonite Church. The portion of text on the Rŭpp/Ropp family gives background on the principality of Salm and Alsace; the Stücker/Staker portion touches on issues from Lorraine, military conscription, and emigration; and the König/King portion provides background unique to the families that first settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. The selection of additional families simply followed the flow of historical events and intermarriages. For example, Christian Roggy settled in a part of Tazewell County that later became Woodford County, and had only daughters. There are few direct Roggy descendants to press a case for inclusion. Yet he illustrates the life of those who came to America on a forgotten ship, possibly under an assumed name. That is worth including. The stories of these families are necessary to understand the forces that moved a population from one continent to another. 5 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois There was never any question that these families knew each other before emigrating from Europe. It became immediately obvious that our biggest problem would not be in making connections, but in keeping track of the numerous cross-references and cross-matches. In many instances this helped to point out contradictions and errors of fact in early records. Jump ahead to the acknowlegements at the close of the Appendix for the names of the many contributors who made this project possible. This is not a census. We have not named all of the children in every family – often only those relevant to the North America migration. Full sets are given when there has been question or confusion in older sources. Phrases like “Two children were…” or ‘One child was…” indicate that there were others, but their inclusion would not draw interest or add value. In modern France, place names are uniformly ‘dashed’ to meet requirements of the postal system. Ste. Marie aux Mines is now written as Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines or Ste.-Marie-aux-Mines. In this instance we have not been entirely consistent with either style, using the popular form Ste. Marie-aux-Mines. On Jan. 1, 2016 the French regions of Alsace, Lorraine, and Champagne-Ardenne were administratively merged to form Grand-Est. To avoid confusion we have not modified the text. This text is not always consistent in writing format. The entirety might be thought of as a collection of articles written over the period 2001-2021. Recognizing that it is often difficult to follow descendant branches down through generations, we have varied type sizes, capitalizations, and numbering in the interest of readability. 6 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois PART ONE OF FIVE Bernese Anabaptists 8 Swiss Anabaptist Emigrants 13 The Amish Division 19 Jacob Amman of Erlenbach 22 Refuge in Alsace 24 Northern Migrations 25 The Second Wave of Immigration 27 The Packet Ships 30 Illinois 33 Woodford County 36 The Congregations 36 The Third Wave of Immigration 42 Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War 43 The Mennonite Transition 47 ROPP Rŭpp to Ropp 51 The Jean Rupp Branch 89 Ropp Background 95 More Rŭpps from Hilterfingen to Steffisburg 95 ‘Other Rŭpps’ at Salm and Le Ban de la Roche 96 Rŭpp of Hochburg 100 The Unfortunate Rupp Family of Danvers 102 Rupp of Fulton County 104 STAKER Stücker to Staker 106 Barbarians 106 Along Lake Thun 108 Beyond Switzerland 120 Other Children of Joseph and Barbe 141 BELSLEY Belsley: Baltzli of Bolligen 155 SCHERTZ Schertz of Oberstinzel (Woodford/McLean Counties) 165 Schertz of Bühl (Blue Town/Fon du Lac) 173 Schertz of Reherrey (Hopedale) 180 Schertz of Bistroff (Washington) 186 Schertz of Sarralbe (Butler County) 190 ENGEL Engel of Bowil 193 Engle of Lancaster County 194 Engel of Woodford County 199 VERCLER Würgler of Hellocourt 218 ROGGY Rogi of Buchholterberg 225 Rocke of Ismannsdorf 231 OYER Eÿer of Riggisberg 235 7 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois Bernese Anabaptists B efore 1353 Bern was not only a city, but the largest of several independent city-states. Its name was derived from the dialect equivalent of 'bear,' the animal that appears on its crest. Bern remained relatively detached from European squabbles. Instead of following the dictates of a foreign prince, each city-state ran its own affairs. Citizens who were freemen were even allowed to voice their interpretations of religious matters at public meetings, as long as their ideas fell relatively close to the mainstream. In 1353, the city-state combined with other loose states to form the Swiss confederation of cantons (later called the Old Swiss Confederacy) under the protection of the Holy Roman Empire. By 1499, the stability of the confederation had allowed it to become relatively more prosperous than the rest of Europe. It pulled away from the Holy Roman Empire, and its army occupied territory as far as Milan. However, Swiss troops were badly routed when they went up against a combined French and Venetian force in 1513. This prompted the confederation to pull back from expansionism and declare permanent neutrality. It was inevitable that the Protestant Reformation in Europe would find a foothold in a place that already provided a relative degree of security and religious tolerance. In 1518 Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) became a public voice for citizens who resented the power of the Roman Catholic Church. Although he was the leading priest in the Great Church of Zürich, he protested against the unique authority of Rome and the rituals that had evolved there. Delivering sermons in the open, speaking the Swiss-German dialect [Ger. Schwyzerdütch] rather than Latin, he proposed the new belief that life should be guided by the literal word of die heilige Schrift [the holy scriptures, or Bibel].1 In March of 1522 Zwingli attended a dinner in the home of printer-engraver Christoffel Froschauer. It was also attended by Froschauer's workers, who were celebrating the completion of an edition of The Epistles of Saint Paul. Zwingli may not have eaten, because it was a week of Lenten fasting. But others did. Froschauer was arrested for eating smoked sausages during Lent. Zwingli gave a sermon saying the sausages were not prohibited by the Bible, and individual choice should be allowed. The bishop of Constanz responded by issuing an edict prohibiting discussion of Reformation throughout Switzerland. Zwingli's appeal to the public rested on two points. He felt that forgiveness of sins was possible without money changing hands, through “salvation by grace through faith alone.” He also denounced the practice of hiring out Swiss citizens as mercenary soldiers. He felt the soldiers would return to their homes disillusioned and corrupted by outside influences. In 1522, foreign services and military pensions were forbidden in Zürich. At first, Zwingli stated that it was important to baptize at an age sufficient to imply belief and consent - in agreement with examples from Scripture. However, as he gained popular support, he backed away from positions that favored Scripture over political realities. By the close of 1522 he had come full circle to endorse the baptism of infants. Some of his student followers saw his retreat on the issue of baptism as a concession to the politics of the Zürich City Council. They felt that infant baptism – not mentioned in the Bible, but the invention of governments – was simply a political tracking device that prevented residents from slipping past tax collectors. In time, they also came to see Zwingli's ideas for a reformed church as a thinly veiled transfer of power - from the Roman Catholic Church to the trade guilds of the growing upper middle class. The invention of a reformed church would mean that revenues from taxation and produce would no longer end up in Rome, but with wealthy families in the cities of Zurich and Bern, where presumably it might be re-invested. State church religious leaders would be proxies for business interests. But it would come at a price for the common people: the distance between the classes would grow deeper, and average citizens would no longer have the ability to question religious interpretations or new laws. A few of the students secretly broke away from Zwingli to form their own group. While Zwingli accepted the Zürich City Council as a religious authority, the students believed in separating the theology of the New Testament from politics. They tried to heed the Biblical admonition to “…Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2). While state clerics debated church reform, Anabaptists met secretly. 1 Today about two-thirds of Switzerland's citizens speak the Schwyzerdütch or High Alemannic dialect of the German language; others speak Italian or French. 8 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois Then the peasants of northern Germany revolted and demanded land reforms. The event is now known as the Peasants' War of 1524-25. Unfortunately, many of the peasants stated Anabaptist beliefs before being indiscriminately slaughtered. The uprising made Zürich and Bern authorities wary of Anabaptist practices. On Jan. 21, 1525, Zurich dissenters secretly re-baptized each other. Zwingli's reformed concepts were officially adopted by the Zürich City Council in 1526. The council skirted the issue of infant-versus-adult baptism by prohibiting public discussion. MICHAEL SATTLER It was suspected that Zurich authorities played a behind-the-scenes role in an exceptionally infamous execution the following year. On Feb. 24, 1527 a former Benedictine prior named Michael Sattler convened a 'brotherly union' of Anabaptist leaders at Schleitheim in Canton Schaffhausen (north of Zurich). The group drafted a simple statement of faith that was widely circulated and became known as the Schleitheim Articles. The seventh and final article forbade the taking of oaths; this was generally assumed to mean oaths of loyalty or service to governments. After the assembly concluded Sattler went north for a second meeting at Strasbourg. When he eventually returned home to Rottenburg, Württemberg, he was surprised to find the municipal secretary of Ensisheim (now in Upper Alsace) waiting at his door with manacles.2 Ensisheim was the administrative center of the Hapsburg possessions in Alsace. The judgement against him: "Governor of his Imperial Majesty versus Michael Sattler, judgment is passed, that Michael Sattler shall be delivered to the executioner, who shall lead him to the place of execution, and cut out his tongue; then throw him upon a wagon, and there tear his body twice with red hot tongs; and after he has been brought without the gate, he shall be pinched five times in the same manner." Martyrs Mirror: "After this had been done in the manner prescribed, Sattler was burned to ashes as a heretic. His fellow brethren were executed with the sword, and the sisters drowned. His wife, also, after being subjected to many entreaties, admonitions and threats, under which she remained very steadfast, was drowned a few days afterwards. Done the 21st day of May, Anno Domini 1527." In Bernese Anabaptists (1953), historian Delbert Gratz differentiated between the movement in the city of Zurich, spurred by intellectual differences over the form of the coming Reformation (withdrawal from Catholic influence), and the movement in rural Canton Bern. He felt that the Bernese who later became Amish Mennonites were drawing on much older traditions. “…There were two strains of Anabaptism…the one located in the cities of Bern, Biel, and Aarau and being nourished (and perhaps founded) by Anabaptists from other Swiss cities such as Basel and Zurich, and the other movement of a much older origin in the more secluded areas in the state of Bern. It was the latter strain that survived two centuries of persecution and has lived on to the present day.” They became known as Wiedertäufer or Anabaptists. Anabaptismus means 'second baptism.' The Anabaptists of the Old Swiss Confederacy and the Rhine Valley actually called themselves Brüder (brethren). Not only did they believe that religious choice could be the informed decision of an adult, but more dangerously, they showed that religious functions could be separated from the state. On Aug. 14, 1527 the cities of Bern, St. Gall, and Zurich agreed to a Concordat forbidding Anabaptism. They warned against outsiders coming into their cantons to make converts. If caught, they would be banished; if they refused exile, they would be drowned. Ministers from abroad and those who had escaped prisons would also be drowned. One of Zwingli’s correspondents in Canton Bern was Berchtold Haller. In 1513 he had been appointed as a speaker on behalf of the Catholic St. Vincent Münster [cathedral] in the city of Bern. This structure is now called the Protestant Reformed Cathedral [Ger. Berner Münster, or Bern Minster]. In 1520 he was ordained as a priest. By 1527 the movement for a reformation (withdrawal from Catholic influence) had grown in momentum to a point where Haller could speak in its favor from the cathedral’s pulpit. On Jan. 4, 1528, the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor Charles V issued a mandate to ruling princes, "...That each and every Anabaptist and rebaptized person, man or woman of accountable age, shall be brought from natural life to death with fire and sword and the like." On Jan. 7, 1528 the Council of Bern prohibited Anabaptism throughout the canton. The announcement of the mandate came only 15 days before a planned debate-disputation on religion in general in the city of Bern. Anabaptists were to be given temporary amnesty to attend. But when eight arrived and were identified, they were placed in confinement lest their comments detract from the appearance of a united front against Rome. 2 In geographical descriptions we have made two concessions for the convenience of the majority of our readers. The French departments Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin are given in their English versions, as Upper Alsace and Lower Alsace. Upper Alsace is in the south, and Lower Alsace in the north, bordered on the east by the Rhine River flowing south-north. 9 Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County, Illinois Though they were not allowed to speak publicly, they met privately with the mainstream clergy on Jan. 17 and 22. There they were rebuked and threatened. The main speakers of the debate-disputation were Haller, theologian Wolfgang Capito from Strasbourg, and painter/engraver Niklaŭs Manuel. Together they cited the Vatican’s disregard for the city of Bern in 1526, a plague year. This led approximately 450 attendees to support a reformation in the canton. On Jan. 27 the Council of Bern decreed that throughout the city there would be no more Catholic masses. An edict issued Feb. 7, 1528 further declared that in effect the Reformation had already been established throughout the canton. This edict marked the establishment of the Protestant Reformed Church [Ger. Evangelish Reformierte Kirche]. It could be argued that the religious upheaval was an emotional response to exert control, in the face of a recurring threat of plague. The illnesses in the city of Bern in 1526 had only forshadowed the approach of a wave. The plague had appeared in scattered seaports circa 1623, affected Great Britain in 1625, and reached central Europe by 1625. It spread to southern Europe and throughout the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1628-29.3 It would have its greatest impact on Italy in 1630. Whether or not it was anticipated, the Reformation may have saved many Swiss lives by reducing the number of religious pilgrims traveling to and from Rome. But the formation of a new church had bypassed the Anabaptists. Soon they were being beaten, imprisoned, tortured, branded, exiled into slavery, or put to death by drowning. Others were forced from their homes and agreed to leave the region under penalty of death (see the Appendix, LAWS OF CANTON BERN). Former priest and freethinker theological historian Sebastian Franck wrote in Chronica, Zeitbuch und Geschichtsbibel (1531): "...Their doctrines soon overspread the whole land and they obtained much following, baptized thousands and drew many good hearts to them; for they taught, as it seemed, naught but love, faith, and endurance, showing themselves in much tribulation patient and humble. They break bread with one another as a sign of oneness and love, helped one another truly with precept, lending, borrowing, giving; taught that all things should be in common, and called each other ‘Brother.’ They increased so suddenly that the world did fear a tumult for reason of them. Though of this, as I hear, they have in all places been found innocent. They are persecuted in many parts with great tyranny, cast into bonds and tormented, with burning, with sword, with fire, with water, and with much imprisonment, so that in a few years in many places a multitude of them have been undone, as is reported to the number of two thousand, who in diverse places have been killed.” On July 31, 1831 another mandate issued by authorities in Cantons Bern, Zurich, and St. Gall required mandatory attendance at Sunday services and communion. THE MÜNSTER REBELLION Because adherents were dispersed over a wide area with little communication, Anabaptism took a number of forms. Melchior Hoffman was the leader of a 'praying community' at Strasbourg, Alsace. He was baptized as an adult there in 1530. The following month he began travels through the Low Countries. There he encountered baker Jan Matthys, a persuasive speaker with radical views. Hoffman returned to Stasbourg. He later claimed to have had a vision that told him to return, because God would destroy his opponents there. When his predictions failed to come true, he lost some of his followers. Those remaining were known as Melchiorites and advocated pacifism. In contrast, Matthys the baker became militant. He encouraged his followers to gather in the city of Münster in the Duchy of Westphalia, to prepare a site for the 'New Jerusalem' and the second coming of Christ. They seized the town hall in February of 1534. They practiced polygamy and forced their religious views on Catholics, threatening those who refused to be re-baptized before a 'second coming' deadline. In a rare show of unity, Catholics and Protestants cooperated to storm the city. Matthys was seized and beheaded when he came outside the gates with only a small group. The Anabaptist extremists surrendered June 24, 1535. Some were tortured with hot blacksmith’s tongs before being stabbed to death before an audience of Protestant Reformed clerics. The encouragement of Hoffman had indirectly brought about Matthys' downfall. Hoffman died in a Strasbourg prison in 1543. It may be impossible to find an unbiased account that describes the events at Münster as they actually took place. Contemporary official versions of the story exaggerated the actions of the Matthys group to show how the two major religions had overcome an evil adversary. Those who sympathized with Anabaptism saw the events as a political use of torture to enforce conformity. 3 The Thun Rathsmanuele (1628): "This year there was a great wave of plague-like illness that swept away over 3,000 people in our canton; in the neighboring village of Reŭtigen 53 people, here in Thun 237. At a place in Wimmis called Elendgreth only four women named Margreth survived." 10