ERNST SCHOWENGERDT FAMILY MAUSOLEUM
PRESERVATION SOCIETY Erected in 1886 by Ernst Schowengerdt The Ernst Schowengerdt Family Mausoleum in Bellflower, Missouri Photographed by Richard N. Schowengerdt on Memorial Day in 1997
Bellflower, Mo. Map - Mausoleum Location
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TO THE DESCENDANTS OF THE SCHOWENGERDT, STRACK, KAMP, MIDDLEKAMP, BLATTNER, HILGEDIECK, HUCKREIDE, AND STEUART FAMILIES AND/OR OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE A CULTURAL OR HISTORICAL INTEREST IN THE SCHOWENGERDT FAMILY MAUSOLEUMIN BELLFLOWER.
Richard Neal Schowengerdt Son of John Herman Schowengerdt Grandson of John William Schowengerdt GreatGrandson of Ernst Schowengerdt
NEWS FLASHES!
Greetings from Southern
California and Happy Holidays!
You will find Richard's
and Emiko's holiday message and some choice photos of events below.
We had another fantastic
Schowengerdt Reunion on 5-6 June in Higginsville, again orchestrated by
Dean Schowengerdt
from the Frederick
Clan; the
family heritage bus trip similar to the one in 1999 was taken along the towns
where our ancestors settled and lived. We started from Higginsville
and first visited our Mausoleum in Bellflower and then on to the Ernst Schowengerdt
home in Warrenton that is now owned by the Warren County Historical Society.
Then from Warrenton we drove through several small towns in a southwesterly
direction through Berger, Hermann, and Chamois where some of our Frederick
ancestors lived and travelled on their way from Marthasville, Hopewell, and
Berger to Independence in the late 19th Century. We returned to Higginsville
and had our formal reunion in the other Richard Schowengerdt's (Frederick
Clan) Church. It was a most memorable reunion; below are a few shots
but later I will plan to post a link to this site with more photos.
MAUSOLEUM IMPROVEMENTS
We are most grateful
to Helen Hoffman Schowengerdt Bassen for her most generous donation and installation
of two concrete benches in front of the Mausoleum, both securely anchored
in concrete. A beautiful edition and most useful for folks who need
a little rest when they visit the cemetery...thank you so much, Helen!
Concrete Benches
Donated By Helen H. S. Bassen
NATIONAL HISTORIC
SITE RECOGNITION AND MAINTENANCE
Since our Mausoleum has been essentially restored, it
is appropriate that we now rename this site as the Ernst Schowengerdt Family
Mausoleum Preservation Society.
A new challenge is now before us. How long can we preserve this historic
and cultural treasure? Two years ago Richard made an appeal asking
that someone take up the work originated by one of the cousins, Theresa Blattner,
to obtain recognition of the Mausoleum as a National historic landmark.
However, to this date no one has volunteered and because the number of our
family members who are willing and able to help maintain the Mausoleum has
been dwindling over the years and the burden is resting now upon only a few,
it is necessary that the family take steps soon to ensure its survival.
This could best be provided by donating the Mausoleum to some
institution in exchange for historic recognition and preservation. Since
none of the family members objected to this proposal Richard plans to again
contact prospective institutions this year and present a proposal that would
include donation of the Mausoleum in exchange for establishment of historic
site recognition, maintenance of the building, continued visitation privileges
by family members, and burial rights within the Mausoleum if desired by any
family members, all of which would extend into perpetuity. If an institution
accepts the proposal, the family would then go forward with the necessary
legal documents that would need to signed by all living members who have
a vital interest in the Mausoleum. Richard would appreciate any comments
concerning this plan.
Please note the changes to this site such as the new name, new counter, map,
and additional links.
*
* *
2001 EVENTS
- New Shutters Installed -
Donated by Franklin and Ellen Schowengerdt
Before - Outside
After - Outside
After - Inside
- New Front Door Installed -
Donated by Richard and Emiko Schowengerdt
Workmanship and Photos Courtesy of Ruth Schreiner
In late May and early June 2001 Emiko, Michael, and Richard S. enjoyed a
nice motor trip to Missouri in Michael's F350 truck. They followed
portions of the historic Route 66 and then visited Bellflower where they
attended the Bellflower Cemetery Association Dinner, attended Church, and
spent several hours at the Mausoleum. They took photos of the new shutters
donated by Richard's brother, Franklin D. Schowengerdt, and his wife, Ellen,
and made arrangements with Ruth Schreiner to replace the front door.
The family owes a debt of gratitude to Frank and Ellen for their donation
in time, effort, and money in maintaining the Mausoleum. Subsequent
to our trip, Ruth completed the work on the door and did a beautiful job.
The family finally got around to scanning and posting these nice photos of
the new Mausoleum door. Ruth sent these photos to Richard in December
2001 illustrating the before and after condition. The total cost of
the new door was $1,158.15 ($628.15 for materials and $530.00 for labor).
The balance on hand in the Schowengerdt Family Mausoleum Fund was only $267.34
when the account was closed in June 2001. The remainder of the funds
($890.81) required for the door was donated by Richard and Emiko Schowengerdt.
The Mausoleum is in very good condition now and should not require any major
work for quite some time. The family does not intend to establish another
Mausoleum fund until such time as additional work is needed and donations
are received. You will see a few selected photos of this trip on the
following link.
A major event
in 2001 was the marriage of Richard's and Emiko's daughter, Maria Tomiko Schowengerdt,
to Dr. Otto-Georg Richter in December 2001; they now reside in Adendorf,
Germany.
Another family marriage also
occurred during 2001 in Arizona where Richard's neice, Jennifer Schowengerdt,
married Jose Jesu Rico.
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When this homepage was launched on the Internet over five
years ago, Richard thought it best to summarize the history of the Schowengerdt
Family Mausoleum and the prior ten years of effort in maintaining this splendid
edifice.
Ernst Schowengerdt - A Brief Biography
Ernst Jacob
Schowengerd ("t" was added in the U.S.A.) was born in Lienen near Munster,
Germany, in 1824. His mother was Anna Maria Rahen and his father was
Johann Adolph Brinkmann. Johann's previous wife was Anna Catharina
Schowengerd and Johann had assumed the Schowengerd farm name as his surname.
Anna Catharina died in 1808 leaving only one son Friedrich Wilhelm Schowengerd
as a result of that union. After the death of her husband in 1830,
Anna Maria decided to sell their farm in Lienen and planned to emigrate to
the U.S.A. with her two sons and two daughters. Friedrich Wilhelm,
later referred to as simply "William," left first for America with his wife,
Catharina Sophia Elisabeth Hilgedieck, in 1834. William and Elisabeth
lived most of their lives near Marthasville, Missouri, where they died and
were buried. Another son of Anna Maria's, Eberhard Friedrich Wilhelm
Schowengerd, also preceded his mother to America in 1835; he was later referred
to as simply "Friedrich" and initially settled in Marthasville, probably
with William. Friedrich later moved to Berger, Missouri, and finally
to Independence where he died in 1899. Ernst came to America in 1837
at the age of thirteen with his mother Anna Maria and two sisters, Anna Catharine
and Friederike Elisabeth. The youngest sister, Friederike Elisabeth,
is believed to have died of cholera in the port of New Orleans shortly after
their arrival. The eldest sister, Anna Catharine, later married and
moved to Illinois but her husband's last name is unknown. At age 20
Ernst married Elizabeth Huckriede, resided on his farm in Hopewell, and reared
seven children. Two sons, John W. and Franklin E., played a significant
role in the development of Warren and Montgomery Counties. In 1880
Ernst and two associates, Henry Kamp and John Middlekamp, bought one thousand
acres of land at one dollar per acre. In 1867 Ernst moved to Warrenton
and purchased a mercantile store where he and his sons, John and Franklin,
built an extensive trade. Ernst was very public spirited and served
two terms as treasurer of Warren County. He also built a spacious home
for himself and family in Warrenton which remains to this day a beautiful
and historic monument to his achievements. Elizabeth died in 1885 and
in 1887 Ernst married Sarah Shellorz Wightman, widow of Thomas F. Wightman
of St. Louis, at the same time that his son, Franklin, married Laura Lorena
Wightman, Sarah's daughter, in a most unique double wedding ceremony of Father-Son
marrying Mother-Daughter! Franklin continued to live in the Warrenton
home until his death in 1960. This property was later donated in trust
to the Missouri Historical Society by Margaret and Neal, children of Franklin
and Laura; Margaret continued to live in the home until her death in 2002
at age 101 after which it was turned over to the State of Missouri in accordance
with the trust agreement. Neal died at age 93 on 16 August 1992.
In 1873 John W. Schowengerdt married Caroline Marie
H. Strack, daughter of Rev. Charles Strack of Pitts, and continued in the
mercantile business with his brother, Franklin, for several more years in
Warrenton. However, in 1882 failing health compelled John to take up
residence on a farm in Bellflower which Ernst had given to him. In
1886 Ernst built this beautiful mausoleum for his family in Bellflower where
he was buried upon his death in 1891. John's health improved on the
farm and laid out the town of Bellflower in 1891. He built a handsome
residence in town and established a thriving merchandising business there.
The children of John W. and Caroline were: Maggie E., born in 1875; Ernest
C., born in 1877; George H. V., born in 1881; Lizzie Mary, born in 1884;
Carry L., born in 1886; Katie A., born in 1889; Henry B., born in 1891; and
John H., born in 1894. All of these children are now deceased and their
descendants are residing throughout the United States but predominantly in:
O'Fallon, Jefferson City, Mexico, Winfield, St. Peters, and St. Louis, Missouri;
Long Beach, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Mission Viejo, San Luis Obispo, Foster
City, and Costa Mesa, California; Alexandria, Virginia; and Tucson, Arizona.
Note: Major source was Rev. Charles Wesley Schowengerdt,
Our Schowengerdt Heritage, 1973. Clarifications of emigration
records were obtained courtesy of : (1) Don Ebbeler citing excerpts from Friedrich
E. Hunsche, Auswanderer - Chronik der Gemeinde Lienen, 1990;and (2)
Wilhelm Hilgedieck who provided copies of original emigration papers from
Lienen.
History
of Mausoleum Maintenance
Oscar A. Kamp, son of Sophie Caroline
Schowengerdt and Henry W. Kamp, was a prominent attorney and judge for many
years in Montgomery City, Missouri, and managed the Mausoleum Trust Fund
left by John W. Schowengerdt in 1912. Oscar is survived by his daughter,
Mildred, now married to Kerry N. Dowling, a prominent businessman in Montgomery
City. Mildred has been very helpful in placing Kamp artifacts in the
Mausoleum, assisting in various clean-up tasks, and has occasionally been
involved in contracting for Mausoleum maintenance. Bernice Berger (now
deceased), a granddaughter of Sophie Caroline Schowengerdt, was also most
helpful over the years in making curtains for the Mausoleum and cleaning
on special occasions; she is survived by Mary Berger Eisele who is continuing
the work of Bernice. Since the erection of the Schowengerdt Mausoleum
in 1886, those largely responsible for its maintenance and restoration are
as follows:
1886-1891 - Ernst Schowengerdt
of Warrenton 1891-1912 - John W. Schowengerdt of Bellflower 1912-1930 - Oscar Kamp of Montgomery City under Trust Agreement 1930-1958 John H. Schowengerdt of Bellflower
1958-1986 - Ernest W. Schowengerdt of O'Fallon as occasionally assisted
by
William E. Schowengerdt of O'Fallon and Franklin E. Schowengerdt of Golden,
Colorado
1986-1988 - Richard N. Schowengerdt of Costa Mesa, California, as founder
and manager of the Schowengerdt Mausoleum Fund
1988 & On - Bellflower Cemetery Association under perpetual care trust
and assisted by the Ernst Schowengerdt descendants
As indicated above, John William S.
maintained the Mausoleum until his death in 1912 when he left a trust fund
administered by Oscar Kamp and John Herman S. Over the years many other
family members assisted in various aspects of the maintenance. In 21
November 1986, Richard Neal S. explained the condition of our family
Mausoleum in the Bellflower Cemetery, and asked for donations to help maintain
this beautiful historic treasure. Family members and other relatives
were most generous in donating the required funds. Between 1986 and
1989 the SCHOWENGERDT FAMILY MAUSOLEUM FUND was established and extensive
repairs were made to the Mausoleum. On 15 June 1988, a TRANSFER IN
TRUST was negotiated with the BELLFLOWER CEMETERY ASSOCIATION which constituted
an agreement by the Association to provide perpetual care of the Mausoleum
in exchange for a modest gift of $2,000. However, this agreement was
to cover only maintenance of the basic structural integrity of the building
short of a natural calamity or act of God such as an earthquake or tornado
which may destroy the building or make its restoration impractical. Consequently
the agreement did not extend to cosmetic features such as plaster and painting.
Over the next ten years the Mausoleum further deteriorated and it was observed
that the building was sinking slightly on the south side causing the brick
structure to crack periodically.
The Association had wisely used the
funds donated to maintain the mausoleum over the past decade but we could
see that some additional help was needed from the family. In 1996 the family
voted by an overwhelming majority to provide additional funds to cover the
cost of labor and materials to excavate under the foundation corners, pour
a footing pad, jack up the corners, and complete additional foundation work
as necessary to stabilize the structure. This work was satisfactorily
completed in May 1997 at a cost of around $3,426. Completion of the
foundation work was followed by sealing of the external walls from the weather,
restoration of the inner walls, and painting at a cost of around $1,290.
In
November 2000 Richard and Emiko were surprised and greatly pleased by a visit
to California by their relative and Chief Genealogist for the Bernbeck Family,
Dr. Otto Richter, who just happened to be attending a conference in their
town of Costa Mesa, of all places in the world! This was a great but
short visit; see the link below for a few select photos.
Emiko and Richard S. had a wonderful vacation in June 2000; they visited
England for the first time and were met by a lovely Masonic couple, Douglas
and Ann Black, who were their hosts for a visit to the Grand Lodge of England
and showed them around London where Emiko and Ann enjoyed the play "Cats"
while Douglas and Richard attended lodge. Richard was initiated into
the English "Table Lodge" procedure with an excellent dinner and a series
of "toasts" following a Third Degree. In spite of confusion with the
"round-a-bouts" or "traffic circles" as we would call them, Richard and Emiko
still managed to drive from the London area to Portchester, Winchester, and
Windsor Castle where they traced the paths of some of their royal ancestors
on the Strack-Bernbeck side of the family, mostly the early Anglo-Saxon kings.
Then they drove to Dover where they saw the the famous White Cliffs and took
a high speed ferry boat to Ostende, Belgium. They picked up another
car there and drove to Utrecht, Holland, where they stayed while visiting
Amsterdam and Den Haag. Then they drove on to Kattenvenne, Germany,
for a reunion with Anna and Gerhard Schowengerd, Wilhelm and Inge Hilgedieck,
and others in the Kattenvene area. Finally they left for Bad Neuenahr
where they visited with Otto Richter and family and on to the Bernbeck Reunion
near Giessen; Joseph & Gisela Lischka were their hosts for this reunion
and provided a beautiful golf course and restaurant facility in Winnerod
for this event. Everyone Richard and Emiko met along the way provided
them with the most gracious hospitality and they will always cherish the
memory of this glorious trip. It was a great vacation and they
have a treasure trove of photos and documents to share with the family members.
You will find some of these photos at the first link below. Richard
and Emiko would also be very remiss if they failed to mention the hospitality
of Alex & Ingrid Rabenau who invited them to their home in Frankfurt
and gave them a tour of Frankfurt Am Main. Dr. Otto Richter has provided
his page with German text and some very nice photos of the reunion shown
in the Bernbeck links below:
There was a great SCHOWENGERDT REUNION
on Friday, June 4th, which began at Christ United Methodist Church, 14506
39th Street, Independence, Missouri, with over 120 relatives in attendance.
The family members visited local Schowengerdt sites around Independence on
Saturday and the Heritage Trip across Missouri started on Sunday morning,
6 June, and concluded on Monday, 7 June. Sites of early German ancestors
visited included Chamois, Herman, Berger, Marthasville, Warrenton, and Bellflower,
among others. Highlights on June 7th were: (1) the Warren County
Historical Museum, founded by Neal and Margaret Schowengerdt; (2) the former
home of Ernst Schowengerdt in Warrenton and at the time of the reunion was
occupied by Margarent Schowengerdt (now deceased), daughter of Franklin Schowengerdt;
(3) the Ernst Schowengerdt Mausoleum in Bellflower; (4) the Schowengerdt Memorial
Church in Bellflower; and (5) the private museum of Raymond and Vivian Layer
in Bellflower. The family has Dean Schowengerdt of the Frederick Schowengerdt
clan to thank for this most successful reunion. Further details on
this reunion may be obtained from:
Dean Schowengerdt
and photos may be viewed at:
Shortly after this website
was launched back in 1997 Richard was contacted by Dr. Otto-Georg Richter
from Germany and acquainted with the illustrious side of his Grandmother
Strack's family. The Bernbeck family in Germany has traced the Strack
and Bernbeck connection all the way back to most of the leading royalty in
Europe, including such notable persons as Karl der Gross (Charlemagne) and
all of the Anglo-Saxon Kings in England prior to William The Conqueror.
Subsequently Richard and Emiko had another great reunion on Grandmother Strack's
side of the family in Washington, Missouri, on October 23rd! There
were over 80 present counting small children who are also the descendants
of this line.
See the report and lots of nice photos at:
Emiko and Richard spent a wonderful vacation in Missouri and Europe in May-June
1998. They spent the Memorial Day weekend in Bellflower, inspected and
cleaned up the Mausoleum, and attended the Bellflower Cemetery Association
Dinner and Annual Meeting. Richard made a report on the Mausoleum work
which was just completed. The structure was in good condition at that
time and Richard reported that the family need only replace the door and shutters
and complete some inside refinements to restore it to first class condition.
Then Richard and Emiko continued on to Germany where they visited relatives
and made interesting motor trips along the Rhine. You will see some
of the photos collected in Missouri below but for the Germany ones click
on the link below:
This portrait of Richard's dear favorite Grandmother Karoline
Marie Strack Schowengerdt is in the Mausoleum.
She often held Richard on her lap
and fed him "Eine Brokfast" (hot milk and bread) when he was a child.
Richard has many fond memories of life with her when he lived in the big
house in Bellflower during the depression years. The family would shut
off some of the rooms in the Winter months to save heating costs and
Richard had lots of fun playing hide-and-go seek in this big fourteen room
house.
The family is deeply grateful for the following donations
received during 1996/1997:
Mindy Schowengerdt Scott/Mark
Scott, St. Peters, Mo. Cindy Schowengerdt Bush/Mike Bush, Winfield,
Mo. Harold E. Schowengerdt/Sandy, Foster City, Ca. John W. Schowengerdt (Bud)/Inez, Livingston,
Ca. Thelma Schowengerdt Loring/Philip Loring, Sacramento,
Ca. Dean Schowengerdt/Marjorie Schowengerdt, Wamego,
Ks. Margaret Schowengerdt (Daughter of Henry S.),
Jefferson City, Mo. Margaret Schowengerdt (Daughter of Franklin
S.), Warrenton, Mo. Mildred Kamp Dowling/Kerry Dowling, Montgomery
City, Mo. Helen Hoffman Schowengerdt Bassen/Ray
Bassen, St. Louis, Mo. Franklin D. Schowengerdt/Ellen J. Schowengerdt,
Golden, Co. Margaret & Henry B. Schowengerdt,
Jefferson City, Mo. Mary Berger Eisele, Mexico, Mo.
The family is very grateful
for the major donations in 2001 by Franklin and Ellen Schowengerdt for the
new shutters and for Richard and Emiko Schowengerdt for the new front door.
The family also appreciates other donations received on a regular basis from
Mildred Dowling.
As mentioned earlier,
at the present time the family no longer has a Mausoleum Fund but if anyone
wishes to donate toward future maintenance, the family would gladly receive
any amounts, however small; please make your donations payable to:
THE SCHOWENGERDT FAMILY
MAUSOLEUM FUND
and send them to:
Richard N. Schowengerdt P.O. Box 3284 Lakewood, CA 90711
