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Family Tree of Henry Foote

And
Fragments of Family History
Gathered and Compiled by
Paulina Foote,
Daughter of Henry Foote

Transcribed into digital form,

Preserving,
Of the
Original:

Pagination, excepting blank pages;

Formatting most generally and as implied;
Spelling of names, places and other words,
Excepting obvious typographical errors;
And
Handwritten corrections applied to manuscript
By
Paulina Foote,

In order to
Preserve the
Original
Character, quality, and historical nature
Of the
Contents herein,

By
Daniel Foote,
Great-Grandson of Henry Foote
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A Little of the History of Henry Foote and His Forefathers.

Heinrich Voth, father of Henry Foote, died before Father’s birth. Very little of the Voth family is
known. There is a legend that a man from Holland traveled on foot to Poland and thus was called De
Vothgaenger, meaning the foot traveler. He was supposed to have a large button made of a seashell on which
he had engraved his name or nickname,”De Vothgaenger”. He willed this to his oldest son with the request
that the button should be passed on to the oldest sons of the following generations. Later the “De” of the
name was left off and still later the last part of Vothgaenger, that is “gaenger” meaning traveler was also left
off. The name Voth is still in use. Since our forefathers emigrated from Holland to Poland, we may be
descendents of this Vothgaenger. That button was passed on for a number of generations and was brought by
a Voth family in Minnesota. When the oldest son of the family moved to Canada, a trunk of his things was
lost on the way and was never found. In that trunk was that button..
Since father’s mother was poor, she dad to work out. He was left to stay with his grandparents
Penner. His mother was later married to Franz Ewert. When the grandparents emigrated to the United States,
they took Henry along. His mother and stepfather never came to America. To the Ewert union there were
three children born, John, Maria Ewert-Goertz and Bena Ewert-Wolf. The aunts and their families
disappeared after World War I in the Russian Revolution when the Communists took over. Whether they
were killed outright, sent to labor camps or what happened to them we do not know. Uncle John and family
managed to get to Poland, while the aunts lived in Russian Poland. Uncle John and aunt Emilie had one son,
Leonard, who came to this country, was married to Mary Stuckle of Bessie, Oklahoma. Later they made their
home at Herbert, Saskatchewan, where he died in 1954.
When the German army retreated in World War II, uncle and aunt Ewert tried to flee with this army
into Germany. Uncle was very sick. He begged to be left by the roadside to die and asked aunt and their
adopted daughter to continue their flight. Aunt went a ways but could not forget him. She went back to him.
He died. The pursuing soldiers abused her and brutally put her to death as other fleeing people reported later.
The maiden name of Father’s grandmother was Maria Kurzhals. She outlived grandfather and died
Jan. 25, 1899 at the age of 85 years. My sister Anna and I still remember seeing her. She gave each of us an
enamel ware cup. She spent the last years of her life with her daughter, Henrietta, Mrs. David Karber.
Father Foote’s original name was Heinrich Voth. When he came to the United States with his
grandparents, they stayed in Illinois for a short time among the Amish Mennonites. There was a man by the
name of Zehr who took a liking to the then eleven year old boy. He made an offer to the grandparents that if
they would let him have the boy, he would send him to school and when he became of age he would give
him a team of horses, a wagon and $200.00, which was at that time worth quite a fortune. Mr. Zehr became
his guardian and changed his name from Heinrich Voth to Henry Foote. The grandparents moved to
Hillsboro, Kansas. In the fall of 1884 he went to be with his grandparents and relatives. In October 1886 he
married our first mother, Eva Block. They lived on eighty acre farm about six miles southwest of Marion,
Kansas. Besides farming father quarried some stone. Some of these stones were used in the buildings of the
alexanderwohl Church, Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church and the Old People’s Home southeast of
Hillsboro, Kansas.
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Some Interesting Experiences out of Greatgrandma Maria Penner’s life. Written by Maria Karber-Martins

On September 16, 1893, at high noon, homesteaders made a run into the Cherokee Strip, located in
northwestern Oklahoma, for settlement. Many went to stake a quarter of land, built a dugout and then they
went home to return in spring. My parents who lived in Marion County, Kansas, had a difficult time to pay
the overburdening high interest on loans. It was not an easy decision for father (Karber) to make with eight
children and blind grandmother, age seventy-eight, to provide for. But by spring 1894 we were preparing to
leave. Grandmother, who was medium height and fleshy, could not go on a high lumber wagon. It was too
hard for her to climb up and down. So father wrote to uncle Peter Penner at old Cheyenne, Oklahoma. I,
Maria, was a girl of seven and my grandmother’s namesake. For three months I had attended grammar
school and knew a few English words. She knew no English, but I felt no fear to travel with her. Father had
written to uncle Peter Penner to meet grandmother and me at the depot in Kingfisher.

One day, in the latter part of March, father took us to cousin Henry Foote, who lived near Aulne,
Kansas, where we were to board the train at midnight. As the town was small, my cousin had to flag the train
to a stop by swinging a lit lantern in the air. After we were on, nearly every time the train stopped at a
station, grandmother told me to ask the conductor if the next town was Skinfisher, as she pronounced it. In
the morning we arrived at our destination. Some one helped my grandmother, and I was lifted down by a
Negro, the first one I had seen in my life. My uncle was not at home so my aunt Peter Penner and her niece’s
husband, Fred Fruechting, were to meet us, which was a blessing, for the letter, we had sent, could have been
lost. The mail was carried by horseback over the wild unsettled country.

We started for uncle’s place on a spring buggy without a top. It was a fair day and just when the sun
was setting we drove into uncle’s yard. The sun did not look good to me. It was quite red, because of all the
smoke and dust in the air caused by the many travelers who left camp fires burning that destroyed many
black jack trees. Almost every evening we could see some woods burning.

I had plenty of company at my uncle’s house. There were eight girls and one boy in the family, and
by cousin’t daughter, age seven, stayed with them, too. I remember very well how we slept. They had a two
room house and a cellar near by. On the dirt floor in the cellar they spread comforts, and quilts on which we
girls slept in a row from one end of the cellar to the other.

It was springtime and we younger girls played in the sunshine most of the day. We picked up nice
little stones after a rain, made up games to play or dug just around in the ground. The older girls had to herd
cattle while riding horseback. Once in a while they took us along.

Meanwhile my folks left Marion, Kansas, March 19th with two wagons. One a covered wagon, called
a prarie schooner, and the other a big hayrack, pulled by six horses, three to each wagon. They were
accompanied by another moving party. In the rear of this caravan my older sister, Lizzie, age thirteen and
brother John eleven, had to walk most of two hundred miles driving our seven cows and some for the other
party.
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Some of the cows had calves. They were put on the hayrack. How they kept them there I do not
know. It took them thirteen days to make this move to uncle Gertze’s place, five miles southeast of Fairview,
Oklahoma. Uncle Gertz had built a small blacksmith shop, which was the only building in the territory.

In the latter part of April my parents came by to get me. Grandmother stayed with Penners until fall.
It was a cloudy day. On the way back we stopped for dinner at some of our relatives, Weber by name, (she
was cousin to Wm. Penner, who for many years worked for the M.B. Publishing House at Hillsboro,
Kansas.) We had to feed the horses and wanted to warm ourselves. They lived in a small granary. I still
remember what we had for dinner, beans, and were they good! After we had eaten, the lady of the house
went to a big trunk and found an apple. She cut it in pieces and gave me one. It was the first apple I had ever
eaten.

The first summer we lived in a tent and the cover wagon top on the ground. It was very hot and dry.
Mother was sick. Often she would go down to the creek and cry. Father was not so heavy hearted as she, but
energetic. What he wanted he worked for with dauntless spirit. Some years ago he had filed eighty acres and
could file only eighty acres more. Two men living on a quarter near by were willing to relinquish their claim
for a certain amount of money. This father paid. He and grandmother filed these two eighties with the
understanding that she could stay with us as long as she lived.

There were two dugouts on the land. One small, size 20x12, and the other a little larger, built into a
bank of a creek running across one corner of the land. We were warmer that winter, but our living quarters
were rather crowded. When we had eaten, we cleaned the table and put the chairs on the table to have room
to walk. At times we fared on kaffircorn bread and drank barley coffee. It did not seem so bad to me as I was
too small to realize the seriousness of our situation and not having known a more convenient life.

One day after we had eaten our simple supper, two men on a cart stopped at our place. They asked
for something to eat. Mother hurried to prepare it. We recognized them to be the notorious robbers, Yager
and Black. One was very nervous. He ate with his gun on his lap. When he heard a canvass flapping against
the dugout, he told father to go outside and tell him if anybody was coming. Soon they left again on their two
wheeled cart. They were known to take what they wanted and then go on.

As long we were well it was alright. But when one of the family was sick, we worried. No money
and very few doctors. Father and one of the sisters had typhoid fever one summer. I suppose from the
unclean water we had to drink.

We had happy times, too. Especially do I remember the first Christmas tree we had in the Cherokee
Strip. It was the most wonderful Christmas for me! We did not buy any candles. Grandmother and I made
them. Maybe we could have bought them in the little store, but we did not have the money. Grandmother had
some wick string stored away in her trunk she had brought along from Russia. We had some tallow. We cut
the string into short lengths, just long enough to make two candles. She dipped the ends into hot tallow, then
I hung them on a branch to cool. I had to do this several times until they were large
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enough to use. Some of the men got a nice green cedar tree, which were plentiful. We tied the candles onto
the tree branches, for we had no candle holders. When it was lit I thought it the most beautiful tree I had ever
seen. We had a short program with the family living near us. My uncle Cornelius Gertz led in singing “Silent
Night”, and other songs. Then we said our readings. I remember my piece consisted of two long stanzas of a
German song. When we were relaxing from doing our part on the program, in walked two older boys of our
visiting family. What to do no? There were no extra gifts to give to the boys. The older sisters were in a
predicament. No candy to pass around. At that time the stores had one kind of candy, the banana candy. One
piece was the size of a split banana. Alas, our sisters asked us to let the boys have ours, with the promise that
they would get us some after Christmas Day. I can’t remember receiving the candy later, but I do know that I
did not have candy that Christmas. There have been quite a few Christmas Days in my life. I had little
presents and big presents, but remember the first Christmas in the Cherokee Strip best of all.

After the third winter in these dugouts, the family had grown to nine children. With father, mother
and grandmother we were twelve, too many for comfort. In the large dugout we ate, visited and father and
mother and the baby slept there at nights. The small dugout was the sleeping room for grandmother and the
rest of the children. In winter, when zero weather, we would hurry to our dugout bedroom. In spring when it
rained, for it had to be wet to break the sod, father built a nice big sod house, about thirty feet long, fourteen
feet wide and seven feet high. The walls were twenty-four inches thick. Sod was placed upon sod until the
walls were high enough. In the center was a big wooden pillar for the reach log to rest on lengthwise. Across
they but black jack posts, one close to the other, then hay, sod and dirt. The roof had to be repaired after
every big rain. Many times we sat around after a rainstorm, bedding covered with the table oil cloth and most
of our pans and crocks sitting under the leaks to catch the water dripping through the roof. Seems as though
we got more rain those days.

I was still my grandmother’s girl to lead her around and to read to her from an old songbook several
inches thick. That is where I learnt to read German, for I have only five weeks of German instruction.
Grandmother could not go to church often. One of us girls had to stay at home with her and the smaller
children. I recall one Sunday after the parents had gone to church, my little brother, age five, was naughty.
Grandma wanted to spank him. Brother always walked around the big post in the center of the house. She
could not catch him because she could not see him. Under such circumstances it must have been hard for her,
but she never grumbled much. The first thing in the morning we had to get her a cup of hot milk, and it had
to be hot. Then she would stay in bed for a while. One day, when I was alone in the room with her, she went
to the big trunk and gave me a black prune for helping her. I had to eat it right away for she did not have
enough for all the children. She lived with us for two years in the new sod house. There were two weddings
and two deaths in that soddie. Two of my oldest sisters, Emilia, Mrs. Wm. Bartel, and Lizzie, Mrs. A. A.
Kliewer, were married there. My brother David, who fell off the roof of the new church while he was helping
to shingle it, died there.

In January 1899 grandmother took sick with the grippe. My mother said, “Grandmother is very
sick.” About twelve o’clock one night she went to be with her Lord and Saviour in the heavenly home.
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It was very cold on her funeral day. Uncle Gertz made a wooden coffin and some ladies covered it
with black muslin on the outside and lined it with white muslin. Hanging over the sides of the coffin were
white scallops of muslin. These were punched on t he edges with a leather punch to give a lace effect.
Grandmother was laid to rest in the South Hoffnundsfeld [Hoffnungsfeld?] graveyard at the age of eighty-
four years and six months.

This ends the years and days of my dear grandmother as a pioneer in the Cherokee Strip.
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Some of That Which is Known of Henry Foote’s Grandparents Benjamin Penner’s Family Record.

Name Birthday Date of Death Number of Number of Place of Death

Sons Daughters
Parents:
Benjamin Sept. 17, 1807 Summer of Two Five Hillsboro,
Penner 1883 Kansas
Maria July 11, 1814 Jan. 25, 1899 Two Five Fairview,
Kurzhals- Oklahoma
Penner
Children:
Eva Penner- Two Two Russia
Ewert
Jacob Penner Two Three Poland or
Russia
Susanna Dec. 20, 1844 Five? Two? Poland or
Penner-Ediger Russia
Peter Penner Sept. 14, 1845 May 30, 1918 Two Nine Balko,
Oklahoma
Maria Penner- June 5, 1851 Aug. 6, 1921 Five Four Fairview,
Gertz Oklahoma
Elisabeth April 12, 1853 South Dakota
Penner-Beier
Heinrigetta June 10, 1857 Dec. 20, 1940 Three Eight Fairview,
Penner-Kärber Oklahoma

Of Jacob we know that he had the following children: Benjamin who live and died at Homestead,
Okla., Jacob who lived at El Reno, Okla. and died there, Maria Gerbrecht, Susie Christ and Annie Rupp lived
in California. The first two daughters died at Glendora and Mrs. Annie Rupp lived and died at Reedley,
California.
Peter married Eva Wohlgemuth Schroeder. Their children were Frena (Mrs. H.H.Karber), Mary
(Mrs. Peter Gertz), Bena (Mrs. Corn. Penner), Eva (Mrs. Jake Karber), Emilie (Mrs. Peter Penner), Martha
(Mrs. George Kliewer), Henrietta (Mrs. Ebel Bartel), Susie (Mrs. Alex. Wall), Julia (Mrs. Menno Bartel),
Peter married Martha Ratzlaff and Benjamin died when he was small. Some of these children and their
descendants still live in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Susanna was married to Peter Ediger who both died in the old country. I am not sure how many
children they had. Some children of their son Peter, who was deaf and dumb, live at Drake, Saskatchewan.
Elisabeth was married to Peter Beier and lived and died in South Dakota. They had some children
but nothing is known about them.
Maria was married to Cornelius Gertz July 12, 1872. They emigrated to America via Hamburg to
New York landing in July 1874. She was baptized in 1897 by Abraham Schellenberg and joined the
Hillsboro, Kansas Mennonite Brethren Church. The following are their children: Peter married Maria Penner,
Cornelius a Miss Ratzlaff Zielke, David to Lydia Ratzlaff, do not remember whom Jacob and Arthur
married, Mary (Mrs. Dan Neufeld), Lydia (Mrs. Ratzlaff), Martha (Mrs. Wm. Penner), and Henrietta (Mrs.
Arthur Nickel).
Heinrigetta was married to David Kärber. Their children were Emilie (Mrs. Wm. Bartel), Lizzie
(Mrs. A.A. Kliewer), John married Justina Cornelson, David died in an accident, Maria (Mrs. P. A. Martens),
Susie (Mrs. Corn. Schroeder), Henrietta (Mrs. Dick Cornelson), Benjamin married Louise Warkentin, Eva
(Mrs. J. C. Wichert), Tena (Mrs. P. J. Unruh) and Martha who died when small. Father Kärber was baptized
by Jacob Ehrlich and joined the Mennonite Brethren Church at Marion, Kansas the day before the family
moved from Kansas to Oklahoma.
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Of Eva, daughter of Benjamin and Maria Penner, too little is known. Not even her birthday nor date
of death can seemingly be found. Father Henry Foote was born after the death of his father Heinrich Voth.
His mother later was married to Franz Ewert. They never emigrated from Russia to the United States. Father
Foote came to America with his Grandparents Benjamin Penner in 1874.
To the union of Franz and Eva Ewer were born one son and two daughters, Johann, Maria and
Jacobina. Johann’s wife’s first name was Emilie. They had one son, Leonard, who came to America. Here he
married Mary Stuckle of Bessie, Oklahoma. They made their home at Main Centre and Herbert,
Saskatchewan, Canada. Both Johann Ewert and son, Leonard, were millers by trade. Leonard also did some
farming. He died of cancer in 1954. He had been a backslidden Christian, but got right with God on his sick
bed and went to be with the Lord Jesus.
The two daughters Maria Ewert-Goertz and Jacobina Ewert-Wolf lived in Russia at the time of the
Revolution after World War I. Father Foote once sent them food packages, among other things containing
bacon. When they had received them, one of Father’s brothers in law took the piece of bacon and pressed it
to his breast and said, “Speck, Speck!” meaning , “Bacon, bacon!” They had been on a starvation diet so long
that bacon was something precious to them. After their letter of thanks for the food packages, no more letters
from them reached their relatives living in America. Some news leaked out that these families had
disappeared. Most likely they were killed by Communists or sent away like many other people at that time.
Grandparents Ewert both died before the Revolution. Grandmother got to be about 83 years old. She
has done much good by being a midwife. She has helped many babies get a start in life.
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An Account of the Emigration Trip of Heinrich Block and Family from Russia to the United States and Other
Incidents in their Life.
(Gathered from Peter H. Block’s Record and translated by
Paulina Foote.)

Our Grandfather was Heinrich Block who was married to Aganetha Janzen. They lived in a village in
Pommern near Graudenz, Prussia. He died in 1825 and she died in 1829. Their son Heinrich was born
February 11, 1813 in Prussia. He was left an orphan at the age of sixteen years.

Heinrich Block Jr. spent the time from September 3, 1839 to May 11, 1841 in Russia at the
Molotschna. He wove linen cloth by trade and was a tailor. He was married to Katharina Buller December 2,
1841.

In 1853 they moved from Prussia to Poland and lived in the village of Sady where he bought some
land and they made their home. After the first year here he made a trip on foot back to Prussia. He did this to
visit friends, relatives and to dispose of some of their things he had left there. During this time his wife died
and was buried on a Saturday three days after her death which was June 21, 1854. She was buried on the
Deutsch Wymishle Cemetery near the Weichsel (Vistula) River in Poland. The day after her burial her
husband arrived at home. To him it seemed impossible that she was really dead. His grief and sorrow was
almost imbearable. To convince himself, that she was really dead, he dug up the grave and found that she had
passed on. She reached the age of 35 years, born four children, namely, Heinrich H., Helena, Aganetha and
David I. Son Heinrich was married three times. The first marriage was with Anna Gertz, the second to Anna
Ebel and the third to Elisabeth Doering. Helena was married to Johann Kiehn, Aganetha was married to
Johann Nickel and David I. died when he was nine years old.

Father Heinrich Block remarried. This time he married Susanna Unrau, daughter of Tobias Unrau.
They were married November 3, 1854. Her mother was a God fearing woman. The daughter had the
assurance that her mother went to heaven at her death. Susanna was born August 12, 1828. The following
children were born to this union: Maria, who died when she was a little over a year old, Peter H., Anna, John,
Eva, Paulina and David II., who died when he was less than two months old.

The parents lived in Poland in the Village of Sady near Gombin. Father got restless and in the fall of
1872 they sold their land and most of their things. On the 20th of October they started to move on two wagons
to Russia. Some other people on nine wagons moved at the same time. They moved about 700 verst or about
465 miles southeast into Russia. They arrived in Warsaw on the 22nd where they had to wait for their
passports until the 26th. They reached Schitomer on November 10, 1872.

Here father bought a hufe of land which is 30 morgen, where we lived until May 31, 1875. After this
the parents with us five youngest children and our two oldest sisters with their families emigrated to
America.

A wagon took us to a railway station, where we arrived early on June 3rd and at six o’clock in the
evening we took the train to Warsaw which we reached on the 4th at noon. The next day a Polish man took us
to
2.

Gombin. From here a friend of ours, a Heinrich Unruh, took us to Wymischle where we stayed with friends
and relatives for eleven days.

June 17th there was a farewell service in Uncle Heinrich Unruh’s home. Early the next morning
David Bartel took us to the train. At one o’clock in the afternoon we reached the boundary where we were
required to go to an office where our passports were examined. At 3 o’clock we boarded the train, but were
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asked to show our passports again. We left the train at a station near Thoren, Germany, where we spent the
night. My father and I went over the large bridge to Thoren where we saw part of the city. For the night we
went back. The next morning we left for Bromberg where we arrived at 9 o’clock and waited there until 6
o’clock in the evening. On we went until 7 o’clock in the morning when we reached the large city of Berlin,
the city for the Emperors. I walked through the city and got very tired. At 11 o’clock the train took us to
Hamburg where we arrived at 8 o’clock in the evening. At 9 o’clock we went to the emigration house.

The 20th of June I went to a very large church. In the beginning I could not see nor make out where
the preacher stood, but I could hear him preach. The next few days I could get around in the city. On the 22nd
a small man came to see us and invited us to an evening meeting where they sang the good song, “Himmelan
geht unsere Bahn.”

Many of Hamburg’s streets consist of canals on which small ships sail, especially in the morning
when the tide is in. June 25th we boarded the ship that left at 8 P.M. We soon went to bed. In the morning we
saw no land and the boat went up and down so that many people were sick. Early June 27th we saw land. By
11 o’clock we were in Hartlepool. We had travelled 400 miles by sea. We stayed on the ship for that was
Sunday.
The next day at 9 A.M. we took the train and travelled through England. The eastern part looked
beautiful, the prettiest area I had ever seen in the world. We saw small farms, houses, pastures, planted fields
and fat cows. The western part was very stoney and mountainous with many factories. The air was dark with
smoke. Our train went through 13 tunnels where it was very dark. The 4th, 12th, and 13th were long. The 11th
about four miles was the longest. There were a number of shorter tunnels yet where it was not all dark. By 6
P.M. we had gone clear across England about 212 miles. We arrived in the large city of Liverpool, where we
were taken to the emigration house.

On July 1st, 9 A.M. we boarded a boat which took us to the large ship and 5 P.M. this started going
out westward. The next day at 3 P.M. we reached Ireland where several passengers boarded our ship.

On July 4th near noon a fire broke out in the lower part of the ship near the coal pile. God was
merciful. The sailors used the large water hose and were able to quench the fire. Some of the large freight
trunks had to be replaced. One trunk fell onto a sailor and injured his leg so that he was very lame. During
this time I was in
3.

my cabin on my bed silently praying to God and was very much afraid. In the afternoon the sea-sickness let
up. For a week, which seemed very long, we saw only water. Sunday July 11th we were still on high sea. On
Monday I asked a sailor when we should see land. He answered in English which I did not understand. But
Tuesday we saw land and that night we were near New York. The next morning we anchored in the large
harbor, where a small boat took us to Kesselgar where we stayed in a house until evening. At 6 P.M. we were
on a train bound for the West. On we went from one large city to another, day and night until Saturday at 9
o’clock we left the train and had arrived in Florence, Kansas. Quickly the train left us and we were left to our
fate. We lay down on the platform in front of the depot and slept well. On July 18, 1875 when the sun came
up we awoke for the first time in Kansas.

Then my brother in law, Johann Kiehn, Johann Nickel and I walked about fourteen or fifteen miles to
the old Heinrich Gertz place where my oldest brother Heinrich already lived. Along the way lived a widow
whose name was Flaming who gave us breakfast. At 1 o’clock in the afternoon we arrived at my brother. It
began to rain and my parents had to stay in Florence until the next day when they were gotten on a wagon.
We lived with the Gertzes for some time. Since everything was so strange, father began to worry and
became despondent. He was so sad that he got very weak. But after he began to work for himself, he got
courageous again. He bought an eighty acre farm, if I remember right at $3.00 an acre. This eighty was part
of the section on which the town of Hillsboro was built. The northeast eighth of this section became our
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home. Our first house was about a yard in the ground with walls of sod above the ground. The roof was of
boards. The south end had a room in which we lived. The north end was a barn for two horses and two cows.
We moved into the house before Christmas 1875.

We enjoyed our home except when it rained hard. Then the water came in through the entrance
places and we had to dip much water. In the summer of 1877 we built a new house of stone. Late in the fall
we were able to move into the north end of the house, for we had already put a roof of Prairie grass on that
part. We finished the south end during the winter.
I had my attention on a faithful Maria Unruh and wooed her. She gave me her hand and heart to go
with me the rest of her life. We were married February 2, 1878 and were very happy together. We lived a life
of prayer which brought us treasurers we needed.

My parents lived a very pious life and hoped by doing good they could be saved. After we came to
America we heard the Gospel of Grace through Jesus Christ preached to us and that one could know that his
sins were forgiven when one in repentance and faith would accept Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. The
result was that a revival broke out in the French Creek area north of Hillsboro, Kansas. Among the many
who were saved at that time were our mother and all of us children except Paulina, the youngest. We were
saved in 1880 and baptized the spring of 1881. All the others in the family, except my brother Heinrich and I
joined the Mennonite Brethren Church and became Charter Members of the Hillsboro, Kansas Mennonite
Brethren Church. Father and Paulina were saved later, were baptized May 21, 1891 and

4.

were added to the Mennonite Brethren Church. Father was 79 years old at that time. Heinrich and I were
baptized by Elder Jacob A. Wiebe and joined the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church south of Hillsboro.
In September 1896 father became blind and spent the last five years without his sight. He reached the age of
88 years, 8 months less one day. He had an easy death. He went to sleep and did not wake up.

Mother died November 21, 1904 after she had a vision of Heaven where it was very bright and light.
So anxious was she to die that she asked her son, Peter, if her feet were already getting cold.

Thus far I have gathered the above from Peter H. Block’s Record Book.

Shall add a few things I remember of Grandparents Block.

Both were small people. Grandpa had some golden hair among the gray white. I remember him as
being blind and his age made him forgetful which seemed strange to me, a little girl. My second mother told
me that when he still lived in Poland, he would go to market with his basket over his arm skating to the
market place, that is in winter. In summer he would go by boat. The grandparents lived near the Weichsel
(Vistual) River. I was told that he went to Russia pushing a wheelbarrow. That must have been when he went
from Prussia to Russia before he was married.
Grandma was small and humpbacked. Mother told us she had had a bad fall when she was small and
the result was a crippled back. I was always considered small for my age, but when I was twelve years old, I
was taller than Grandma. She was very kind and lived a life close to the Lord Jesus. Although she was not
strong, she was always ready to help wherever she could. Her name was Susanna Unrau, a daughter of
Tobias Unrau. She had a cousin who lived near Goessel, Kansas and I was told that this was her only cousin
she had. We do not know anything more of her parents or the family from which she came. Her relatives
changed their name from Unrau to Unruh. Unrau reminds us that she was of Dutch descent. Unruh is the
German translation of that name.

Paulina Foote
 12

Record of the Henry Foote Family on Maternal Side.

Of the Grandparents of Eva and Pauline nee Block Foote we have the following information:
Their Grandfather Heinrich Block lived in a village near Graudenz, Pommern, Prussia. His wife was
Aganetha Janzen. He died in 1825 and she in 1829. We know of only one son they had who was Heinrich the
father of Evan and Paulina. The following record begins with their Father Heinrich Block and his family.

Name Birthday Birth-place Date of Who Baptized Church Death

Baptism Affiliation
Heinrich Feb. 11, Graudenz, May 21, 1891 Cornelius Hillsboro, Oct. 10,
Block 1813 Pommern, Wedel Kansas M.B. 1901
Prussia Church
Katharina July 25, 1818 June 21,
Buller-Block 1854
Children of First Marriage:
Heinrich H. Dec. 15, Prussia Palm Sunday Jacob A. Hillsboro, Kan. Mar. 10,
Block 1844 1881 Wiebe Gnadenau, 1930
K.M.B. Church
Helena Dec. 7, 1846 Prussia April 24, Abr. Hillsboro, Dec. 12,
Block 1881 Schellenberg Kansas, M.B. 1933
Church
Aganetha Dec. 27, Prussia 1887 David Dick Hillsboro, Feb. 2,
Block 1849 Kansas, M.B. 1926
Church
David Block Sept. 21, Prussia May 25,
I 1851 1861
Second
Marriage:
Susanna Aug. 12, April 24, Abraham Hillsboro, Nov. 21,
Unrau-Block 1828 1881 Schellenberg Kansas, M.B. 1904
Church
Children of Second Marriage:
Maria Block March 31, Poland June 30,
1856 1858
Peter H. March 19, Poland Palm Sunday, Jacob A. Hillsboro, Ks., Nov. 5,
Block 1857 1881 Wiebe Gnadenau 1932
K.M.B. Church
Anna Block Sept. 20, Poland Apr. 24, 1881 Abraham Hillsboro, Ks., Mar. 16,
1860 Schellenberg M.B. Church 1934
John Block May 29, Poland Apr. 24, 1881 Abraham Hillsboro, Ks., Sept. 6,
1863 Schellenberg M.B. Church 1939
Eva Block Oct. 16, Poland Apr. 24, 1881 Abraham Hillsboro, Ks., Aug. 19,
1865 Schellenberg M.B. Church 1903
Paulina Mar. 12, Poland May 21, 1891 Cornelius Hillsboro, Ks., Nov. 10,
Block 1868 Wedel M.B. Church 1919
David Block Aug. 31, Poland Oct. 12,
II 1869 1869

The family emigrated from Prussia to Poland in 1853. In the fall of 1872 they moved to Russia
where they lived until May 31, 1873 when they started out for the United States of America and reached
Florence Kansas, July 17, 1875. The parents made their home at Hillsboro, Kansas the rest of their life.
 13

The Family Tree of the Henry Foote Family

Name Birthday Place of Date of Church Who Baptized Date of
Birth Baptism Affiliation Death
Henry Foote Dec. 4, 1863 Russian Oct. 1885 Marion, Kas. Jacob Ehrlich June 3,
Poland M.B. Church 1951
Eva Block- Oct. 16, Russian Apr. 24, Hillsboro, Abraham Aug. 19,
Foote 1865 Poland 1881 Kansas, M.B. Schellenberg 1903
Church
Children:
Susie Foote Feb. 2, 1889 Marion, Nov. 4,
Kansas 1891
Henry I. Sept. 24, Marion, Dec. 30,
Foote 1890 Kansas 1890
Paulina Nov. 13, Marion, Aug. 7, 1910 Corn, Okla. Abraham
Foote 1891 Kansas M.B. Church Richert
Anna Foote Dec. 14, Marion, Aug. 7, 1910 Corn, Okla. Abraham
1893 Kansas M.B. Church Richert
Lena Foote Nov. 9, 1895 Marion, Nov. 9,
Kansas 1895
Eva Foote June 12, Marion, Sept. 15, Hillsboro, Peter P.
1897 Kansas 1912 Kansas, M.B. Rempel
Church
Albert Foote July 12, 1900 Aulne, Aug. 20, Bessie, Okla., Jacob Reimer
Kansas 1916 M.B. Church
Henry II. Sept. 25, Aulne, May 13, Bessie, Okla., Jacob Reimer May 25,
Foote 1902 Kansas 1917 M.B. Church 1921
Father Foote’s second marriage:
Paulina Mar. 12, Russian May 24, Hillsboro, Cornelius Nov. 10,
Block 1868 Poland 1891 Kansas M.B. Wedel 1919
Church
Children by second marriage:
Peter Foote June 22, Aulne, July 14, 1918 Bessie, Okla. Jacob Reimer Jan. 3,
1905 Kansas M.B. Church 1927
Lydia Foote Aug. 24, Bessie, July 12, 1924 Bessie, Okla. Henry D.
1908 Oklahoma M.B. Church Wiebe
Martha Foote Nov. 1, 1910 Bessie, Aug. 29, Bessie, Okla. J.J. Kroeker
Oklahoma 1926 M.B. Church
Manual Dec. 2, 1913 Bessie, Aug. 29, Bessie, Okla. J.J. Kroeker
Foote Oklahoma 1926 M.B. Church
Marriages of Father Foote:
The fist marriage was to Eva Block on Oct. 10, 1886. This union was of 16 years, 10 mo. and 9 days
duration. She died in an accident when the parents were on their way home from town. The horses ran away.
Mother fell from the spring wagon and broke her neck.
The second marriage was to Paulina Block, youngest sister of Eva, on April 18, 1904. She died of
cancer. Duration of this union was 15 years, 7 months and 2 days.
The third union was with Anna Funk-Bartel-Johnson. Father was her third husband. She had ten
children of her own living, eleven stepchildren in the Johnson family and nine stepchildren in the Foote
family, in all thirty children. The parents were married in March, 1921. She died of a stroke June 10 1948.
This union consisted of 27 years and 3 months.
 14

Family Branch of Otto and Anna Foote-Miller

Name Birthday Birth Place Date of Who Church Wedding

Baptism Baptized Affiliation Date
Otto Miller June 19, Russian May 31, Jacob Bessie, Okla. Jan. 6, 1918
1893 Poland 1914 Reimer M.B. Church
Anna Foote- Dec. 14, Marion, Aug. 7, 1910 Abraham Corn, Okla. Jan. 6, 1918
Miller 1893 Kansas Richert M.B. Church
Children:
Herbert Sept. 11, Bessie, Okla. June 4, 1950 Elmo Bessie, Okla. Feb. 21,
Miller 1919 Warkentin M.B. Church 1943
Esther Mar. 20, Bessie, Okla. May 6, 1950 Milton Kingsdown, Nov. 10,
Miller-Haley 1922 Immersion Halcomb Kansas, 1st. 1946
Presbyterian
Walter July 18, 1926 Bessie, Okla. Oct. 10, H.W. Stigler Clinton, Mar. 8, 1952
Miller 1948 Okla., 1st
Baptist
Alfred Jan. 23, 1931 Bessie, Okla. May 26, Henry R. Bessie, Okla. Mr. 14, 1952
Heinrich 1946 Wiens M.B. Church
Miller
Raymond Apr. 1, 1933 Bessie, Okla. May 26, Henry R. Bessie, Okla. Sept. 2, 1956
Lee Miller 1946 Wiens M.B. Church
Loyd Willie Mar. 10, Bessie, Okla. June 4, 1950 Elmo Bessie, Okla. Dec. 26,
Miller 1936 Warkentin M.B. Church 1954
Married Children and their families:
Herbert Feb. 21,
Miller 1943
Clara Evelyn Oct. 10, Cordell, June 4, 1950 Elmo Bessie, Okla. Feb. 21,
Frey-Miller 1921 Okla. Warkentin M.B. Church 1943
Gary Keith Oct. 29, Corn, Okla.
Miller 1948

Esther Mar. 20, Nov. 10,

Miller-Haley 1922 1946
Wendell Jan. 27, 1924 Kingsdown, Jan. 17, 1937 R.J. Kingsdown, Nov. 10,
Stevens Kansas Wohlgemuth Kansas, 1st 1946
Haley Presbyterian
Carla Jo July 19, 1956 Kansas Adopted:
Haley Oct. 12,
1956
Charla Sue July 19, 1956 Kansas Adopted:
Haley Oct. 12,
1956
Walter Mar. 8, 1952
Miller
Thirsa Ann Oct. 3, 1930 Sayre, Okla. June 15, H.W. Stigler Clinton, Mar. 8, 1952
Hardin- 1941 Okla. 1st
Miller Baptist
Steven Dale June 28, Clinton,
Miller 1954 Okla.
 15

Family Branch of Otto and Anna Foote-Miller. Continued:

Name Birthday Place of Date of Who Church Wedding

Birth Baptism Baptized Affiliation Date
Sharon Kay Feb. 14, Elk City,
Miller 1957 Okla.

Alfred Mar. 14,

Heinrich 1952
Miller
Leota Jean Aug. 11, Kingsdown, Apr. 23, Elmo Bessie, Okla. Mar. 14,
Davis-Miller 1933 Kansas 1954 Warkentin M.B. Church 1952
Rodney July 12, 153 Houston,
Dean Miller Texas
Rebecca Ann Nov. 17, Cordell,
Miller 1955 Okla.

Raymond Sept. 2, 1956

Lee Miller
Herwanna July 14, 1932 Cloud Chief, Sept. 23, John K. Corn, Okla. Sept. 2, 1956
Janzen- Okla. 1945 Warkentin M.B. Church
Miller

Loyd Willie Mar. 10, Dec. 28,

Miller 1936 1954
Helen Jane Oct. 9, 1937 Cordell, June 15, John K. Bessie, Okla. Dec. 28,
Bartel-Miller Okla. 1947 Siemens M.B. Church 1954
Rickie Don Sept. 23, Cordell,
Miller 1957 Okla.
 16

Family Branch of Aaron William and Eva Foote-Krause. * Indicates additions in pen

Name Birthday Birth Place Date of Church Who Wedding

Baptism Affiliation Baptized Date
Eva Foote- June 12, Marion, Sept. 15, Hillsboro, Peter P. July 14, 1927
Krause 1897 Kansas 1912 Kansas M.B. Rempel
Church
Aaron Oct. 11, Peach Nov. 7, 1909 Hooker, Jacob Fast July 14, 1927
William 1896 Springs, Okla.
Krause Butler Co., K.M.B.
Kansas Church
Children:
James Apr. 3, 1931 Kansas City, Aug. 15, Enid, Okla. Peter C. Aug. 9, 1953
Harold Kansas 1943 City M.B. Grunau
Krause Church
Lois Ann Dec. 22, Wichita, June 5, 1949 Enid, Okla. Jack Adrian
Krause 1938 Kansas City M.B.
Church
Married
Children and
their
Children:
James *April 3d *Kansas City *Aug 15th *M B *Peter C Aug. 9, 1953
Harold 1931 Kansas 1943 Church Enid, Grunah
Krause Okla
Betty Jean Sept. 10, Route 2, Easter 1944 First Aug. 9, 1953
Miller- 1932 Enid, Okla. Methodist
Krause Church,
Enid, Okla.
James July 18, 1955 Oklahoma
Winston City,
Krause Oklahoma
Gregory Sept. 9, 1957 Oklahoma
Dean Krause City, Okla.
*Michael *Sept. 6 *St. Louis
Alan 1959 Mo.

*Lois Ann *Dec 22

Krause 1938
*Married to
*Robert *Jan 2 1937
Wayne
Decker
*Paul Wayne *July 14 *Oklahoma
1967 City St.
Anthony
Hospital
 17

The Albert Foote Family Branch. *Indicates additions in pen

Name Birthday Birth Place Date of Church Minister Marriage

Baptism Affiliation Who Date
Baptized
Albert Foote July 12, 1900 Aulne, Aug. 20, Bessie, Okla. Jacob Aug. 3, 1927
Kansas 1916 M.B. Church Reimer
Elisabeth Feb. 3, 1899 Hillsboro, June 20, Herbert, Heinrich Aug. 3, 1927
Janz-Foote Kansas 1920 Sask. M.B. Neufeld
Church
Children:
Lelia Aug. 5, 1931 Kansas City, April 1, 1945 Kansas City Rev. R.O.
Virginia Mo. Chelsea McCray
Foote Baptist
Wilbur July 23, 1933 Inman, April 1, 1945 Kansas City Rev. R.O. Sept. 24,
Lawrence Kansas Chelsea McCray 1955
Foote Baptist
Virginia An Dec. 25, Akron, Iowa Aug. 15, Kansas City J. Clark Sept. 24,
Bohlen- 1933 1943 Bethany Hensley 1955
Foote Baptist
Marceda Mar. 31, Hillsboro, Nov. 11, Kansas City Rev. R.O.
Ann Foote 1937 Kansas 1945 Chelsea McCray
Baptist
Leland July 18, 1939 Hillsboro, Nov. 28, Kansas City David G.
Wallace Kansas 1948 Chelsea House
Foote Baptist
Priscilla Mae Nov. 1, 1941 Hillsboro, May 2, 1948 Kansas City David G.
Foote Kansas Chelsea House
Baptist
*Married
Children and
their
Children:
Wilbur
Lawrence
Foote
Virginia Ann
Bohlen-
Foote
*David Lorin *Nov. 22, *Portland,
Foote 1957 Oregon
 18

Family Branch of Manuel and Mathilda Dyck-Foote. *Indicates additions in pencil

Name Birthday Place of Date of Who Church Marriage
Birth Baptism Baptized Affiliation Date
Parents:
Manuel Dec. 2, 1913 Bessie, Okla. Aug. 29, J.J. Krö*ker Bessie, Okla. Dec. 22,
Foote 1926 M.B.Church 1940
Mathilda Ja. 24, 1916 Corn, Okla. May 19, J.J. Wiebe Corn, Okla. Dec. 22,
Dyck-Foote 1929 M.B. Church 1940
Children:
Howard Nov. 13, Bessie, Okla.
Eugene 1949
Foote
Diane Grace Dec. 21, Bessie, Okla.
Foote 1955
*Mary Louis No. 1 1942 Bessie, Okla.
Foote Deceased

Ordinations.
*
Umlaut added in pen
 19

Name Date By Whom What Kind of Church and Place

Ordained Ministry
Paulina Foote Aug. 12, 1922 Jacob Reimer Missionary Bessie, Okla., M.B.
And Church
Johann Foth
Albert Foote 1950 David House Licensed Preacher Kansas City,
Chelsea Baptist
Church
Wilbur Lawrence Dec. 25, Jan. 1, Gale Tush Minister of the Kansas City,
Foote 1955 And Gospel Springvale Bible
A.E. Janzen Church

Members of the Family Who Have Educational Degrees. * Indicates additions in pen
 20

Name Year of Graduation Name of School Degree

Paulina Foote 1925 Tabor College, Bachelor of Arts
Hillsboro, Kansas
1932 Central Baptist Bachelor of Theology
Theological Seminary,
Kansas City, Kansas
Albert Foote 1928 Tabor College, Bachelor of Arts
Hillsboro, Kansas
1929 Kansas State University, Master of Arts
Lawrence, Kansas
Lelia Virginia Foote 1954 Northwestern Bible Bachelor of Arts
School, Minneapolis,
Minn.
Wilbur Lawrence Foote 1955 Northwestern Bible Bachelor of Arts
School, Minneapolis,
Minn.
Lydia Foote 1941 Southwestern State Bachelor of Science
College, Weatherford,
Oklahoma
*1959 *Master of Arts
Martha Foote 1950 Southwestern State Bachelor of Arts
College, Weatherford,
Oklahoma
Manuel Foote 1954 Tabor College, Bachelor of Theology
Hillsboro, Kansas
1940 Tabor College, Associate of Arts
Hillsboro, Kansas
Aaron William Krause 1930 Kansas City College of Doctor of Osteopathy
Osteopathy and Surgery
Kansas City, Mo.
James Harold Krause 1953 Philipps University Enid, Bachelor of Arts
Oklahoma
Betty Jean Krause 1955 Philipps University Enid, Bachelor of Arts
Oklahoma
American Society of
Clinical Pathologists,
University Hospital,
Oklahoma City
Lelia Virginia Foote 1955 Minneapolis College of Bachelor of Music
Music
*James Harold Krause June 1 1958 Oklahoma University, Doctor of Medicine
Oklahoma City, Okla.

Occupations of the Henry Foote Family.

 21

Father Henry Foote was a farmer. Early in his life after he was of age he bought an eighty acre farm.
He borrowed a considerable sum to buy it. The debt became a burden to him. Since the land had some good
limestone suitable for building purposes, he opened a stone quarry and worked very hard. By moving and
lifting heavy stones with a crowbar he injured himself. He claimed that his ulcerated leg was the result of
lifting too heavy stones. He had a leg with open wounds nearly all the time the rest of his life. In spite of the
fact that he worked so hard, his debt was pressing him heavily. He turned to the Lord, asked Him to forgive
hi from going into debt so deep and prayed that if [He] would help him to get rid of this burden, he was never
again go into a large debt. The Lord heard his prayer and granted his desire. Later he admonished his
children not to go into heavy debts for that was sin.

The Lord blessed Father Foote materially. In his old age he owned 720 acres of good land which was
all debt free.

Occupations of the Henry Foote Descendants.

 22

Name Occupation Remarks

Father Henry Foote Farming and Quarrying of stone Besides farming he quarried stone for several
years
*************************************************************************************
Paulina Foote Teacher in Rural Schools. Taught rural schools in Okla. For 7 terms.
Missionary to China 1922-1950 Spent 1922-1929 in Fukien, China. Had an
Retired and Pensioned 1950 etc. extended furlough 1929-34. Spent 1934-46 in
Shantung, Honan, Kansu, Shensi, Szechuan,
China. Did deputation work 1947-49. Retired
and taken care of in the M.B. Home for the
Aged, Corn, Okla.
Anna Foote-Miller Farming They have lived on the same farm at Bessie,
and Otto Miller Okla. since their marriage in Jan. 1918
Family
Miller Children:
Herbert Miller Farming and Carpentry work Farming was supplemented by carpentry done
in spare time
Esther Miller-Haley Farming and Managing of Grain In the beginning they farmed and worked in
and Wendell Haley Elevators an elevator at Kingsdown, Kas. Later moved
to Ashland, Kas. where he managed larger
elevators and did not farm.
Walter Miller Farmer and Storekeeper In addition to farming he worked in a TG&Y
Store at Cordell, Okla. Later was transferred
to a larger store at Elk City, Okla. And
promoted to assistant manager of the store.
Alfred Heinrich Farming supplemented by work in The bulldozer was used in Soil Conservation
Miller a store and by operation a Projects. Worked in a store only a short time
bulldozer
Raymond Lee Miller Farming, working out and pursuing Works for farmers, takes jobs in Oklahoma
a medi-course City and attends night classes in the
University
Loyd Willie Miller Farming and clerking in an Since farm machinery is so expensive, farmers
electrical appliance store take up work to supplement farming
************************************************************************************
Eva Foote-Krause Physician Aaron has a Doctor of Osteopathy degree.
and Aaron Wm. Started practice at Inman, Kas. Later moved to
Krause Enid, Okla.
Krause Children:
James Harold Krause Is a medical student in a University in
Oklahoma City. Is to graduate in 1958
Mrs. James Krause Medical Technician in Hospital
Laboratory
Lois Ann Krause Student in Tabor College at Hillsboro, Kas.

Occupations.

Name
Albert Foote
Albert Foote Children-
Lelia Virginia Foote
Wilbur Lawrence Foote
Marceda Ann Foote
Leland Wallace Foote
Priscilla Mae Foote
**************************************************************************************
Lydia Foote
Martha Foote
Manuel Foote
23
Occupation Remarks
Teacher, Newspaper Carrier, Taught in high schools, Tabor
Turkey Raiser, Manufactor of College and Kansas City Bible
Packing Paper College, Has a Kansas City route
of about 1000 subscribers. For
about 6 yrs. Raised from 10,000 to
20,000 turkeys a yr. After that he
got a paper shredder to produce
packing paper.
Teacher in Band Music in High
School
Missionary for Youth for Christ Organizes and supervises Bible
Clubs in high schools in southern
California
Bookkeeper Keeps book in a clinic for four
doctors in Kansas City
Teacher Between 1934-44 taught 7 yrs. In
grade schools. During spring term
of 1940 and all of 41 was student
teacher of Zoology & Agricultural
Botany at SW. State College
Weathorford, Okla. Taught Gen.
Sciecne, Math., Biology,
Chemistry, Home Economics,
Physical Ed., and Art in junior and
senior high schools 1944-
Teacher Taught rural schools 1938-47.
Since 1952 taught Mathematics,
Biology, Gen. Science and Sunday
School Pedagogy at the Corn
Bible Academy at Corn, Okla.
Farming and Electrical Wireing Farming was supplemented with
electrical wireing.
Active in church work. Has been
member of the church council and
is member of the Corn M.B.
Gospel Team and is Sunday
School Superintendant