Renke ALBERS immigrated to America and settled in Pekin, Tazewell Co, Illinois where he married the widow Janken Hinderks Freerks JANNSEN SCHLUETER in 1869. She was from Ostfriesland Germany and it is believed that he was also. Their children were Trientje, Jacob, and Johanna. By 1880, the family had moved to Flannagan, Livingston Co, Illinois. Renke apparently farmed until blindness in his later years forced a move into town. Renke and Janken are buried in Flannagan. --Trientje is the Friesian/Dutch for Katherine and she was known as Katie. She married William ERKS and they were my grandparents. --Johanna was known as Jennie. She married a ZEHR and lived to age 106 in Flannagan. --Jacob also married and lived in Flannagan. I'd love to get in contact with any of the descendants of Jennie ALBERS ZEHR or Jacob ALBERS. Gretchen Kohl [Alameda,CA] - GretchenKohl@aol.com

Hello Cousin Gretchen and List Members, Just a further note to your letter on Renke Albers, he was the janitor at the Windtown (St Petri) church for many years. He and his wife are buried next to the church. His wife had two children when they married about 1869. Detje Schlueter (my grandmother)b. 1860 in Wybelsum, GY who married Albert Manhusen and Henry Schlueter b.1864 in Wybelsum, Gy. Many of the Schlueter descendants still live in the Flanagan area. I show that Jennie married Fred Zehr and Jacob married Edna Zehr. I have a lot of information on the Schlueter, Manhusen/Menhusen and Janssen ancestors but almost nothing on the Albers name. Renke was born 4 Jan 1820 in Ostfriesland and died in March of 1910 in Flanagan, IL. There may have been an obituary for him but I have not been able to get the local newspaper to look for it or to allow me to see if I could find it. Maybe one of you will have more luck. Perhaps it was in the Pontiac Leader if it existed in 1910. Dorothy Nanninga Sewell dsewell@alaska.net Eagle River, Alaska Ostfriesland Ancestors http://www.alaska.net/~dsewell