My last name is German but a majority of my family has been in the country since the 17th century. I didn't know much about my most recent ancestors to immigrate to the US until I was given permission to rummage through some of my great-grandmother's belongings and found this Bible. My great-grandmother kept everything. Letters and photographs and nicknacks and eyeglasses and baby boots, but there was very little belonging to this particular line of the family. The Bible that I found lent me insight into the heartache that was 19th century motherhood for so many women. Upon traveling to the United States from Germany in 1869 only 2 or 3 of my 4th great grandmother, Christina's children came with her. I was never clear on why this was, until I found the family record page of the Bible which listed ten children, the first four of which died prior to reaching even adolescents. She didn't have a child who reached adulthood until her sixth, Charles who went on to become my ancestor and a farmer in Michigan and have several children of his own. Her first born children though, Christina, Louisa, Caroline and Wilhelm all perished before she immigrated and were left behind in Germany. I know that there were joys in their lives, at least I hope so, but reading the names and imagine the heartache on top of the voyage she was taken is almost inconceivable. 

– Terra Vetter

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more