Gerhard J. Duerksen
Born: May 13, 1871
Place: Gnadenthal, South Russia
Died: December 28, 1943
Place: Marion County, Kansas
MOTHER:
Aganetha Balzer
FATHER:
Johann Duerksen
SIBLINGS:
Maria B. Duerksen
Johann J. Duerksen
Heinrich J. Duerksen
Helena B. Duerksen
Peter J. Duerksen
Katherina B. Duerksen
Jacob J. Duerksen (1/16/1867-1/25/1867)
Cornelius Duerksen
Aganetha Duerksen
Eva B. Duerksen
Anna B. Duerksen
Susanna B. Duerksen
David B. Duerksen
SPOUSE:
Maria Woelk (5/31/1872 - 12/15/1936)
Married: September 9, 1893
Place: Marion County, Kansas
CHILDREN:
Abraham Duerksen (8/5/1894 - 8/12/1894)
Jacob A. Duerksen (10/17/1895 - Unknown)
Maria Ann Duerksen (10/22/1896 - Unknown)
Margaretha Duerksen (1/20/1898 - Unknown)
Agnes Duerksen (11/22/1899 - Unknown)
Justina Duerksen (7/19/1901 - 7/25/1901)
Gerhard A. Duerksen (8/23/1902 - Unknown)
Ernest Duerksen (8/11/1904 - Unknown)
Abraham Adolf Duerksen (10/14/1908 - Unknown)
Alvin Duerksen (11/2/1910 - Unknown)
Paul Duerksen (3/18/1912 - 9/16/1978)
August Duerksen (8/2/1913 - Unknown)
Elsie Duerksen (12/3/1915 - Unknown)
Widowed: December 15, 1936
SPOUSE:
Kath. Doerksen (7/20/1871 - 10/31/1949)
Married: March 17, 1940
Place: Marion County, Kansas
No children born to this marriage
IN MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS GERHARD J. and MARIA (WOELK) DUERKSEN
Written by Children Gerard and August Duerksen
Gerhard J. Duerksen was born in Gnadenthal, South Russia in the year of 1871, to Johann and Aganetha Balzer Duerksen, the 8th of 13 living children. In 1878 the family migrated to Kansas and bought a farm from a bachelor by the name of Ries, 6 miles southwest of Hillsboro.
Father did not enjoy school. A typical boy he enjoyed the outdoors and the work on the farm. He told stories of how they fished, hunted wild plums on Sunday afternoons, or swam in the Cottonwood Creek, and in other ways enjoyed his boyhood. The Duerksens were a hard working family. Grandfather Duerksen had 160 acres plus some debts for each of his 13 children when he died of a heart attack at the age of 56. The evenings after supper were spent at working at some projects. Father had worked with oxen and always claimed that they were stronger than horses.
Mother was the daughter of Rev. Abraham and Justina Friesen Woelk. She was born in Schoenau, Russia. When the immigration to Kansas took place they moved to start a new village. In the spring of 1893 they migrated to Kansas to Grandmother's brother Heinrich Friesen and some cousins. Mother worked for Uncle C.B. Duerksens. There father and mother learned to know each other. After some arrangements (father was very bashful), they were married at the Duerksen farm, September 9, 1893, in a double wedding ceremony with John and Anna Duerksen Krause. They lived with the Duerksen family the first winter. Then moved to the farm where all of us were born and raised.
Back Row: Paul, Mary, Alvin, August, Elsie
Second Row: David J. Buller, Edward P. Unruh, Adolph, Ernest, Jacob, Gerhard
Front Row: Margaret (Mrs. Buller), Agnes (Mrs. Unruh), Wife Maria, Gerhard J.,
Mrs. Jacob A. Duerksen, Mrs. Gerhard A. Duerksen
Father was quiet, a very hard worker but not very aggressive. Mother was very intelligent but also very near sighted because of a childhood disease. Mother was the brains, father was the worker and disciplinarian, strict but not extreme. Mother was easy going. For favors we went to Mother. For obedience we knew it was father who had the last word. Mother always let father make the final decisions. Father never used any bad words but I remember once while father tried to lead a horse that wouldn't come, he said, "Du Fula oas knoki" (you lazy rotten bone). What father believed he did, honest to the last dime. Fair or more than fair to everybody, a good sense of humor but a poor story teller. Father loved to go to church, rain or shine. If the weather was bad it was a challenge to him to find enough of us to go along. He was very religious, not a deep thinker but he lived thoroughly what he believed. Some of his high points in life were Jake's success as a government employee and visiting them in Washington, D.C. He loved to travel. His highest point was being a trustee in the Alexanderwohl Church and serving on the building committee as a trustee during the extensive remodeling of the church in 1928. He was always willing to go with mother to religious meetings, such as Western District Conference, Bible Studies, revival meetings and extended meetings. He depended very much on mother. When mother passed away he was very lonesome. His second marriage of about 3 ½ years was a very congenial affair. They were happy. Her children were happy and we were happy. He was very active. When his health began to fail he lost interest in life. When he suffered a stroke he lost all will to live and died December 28, 1943.
Mother was a rapid reader. She was a terrific story teller. She would read a chapter then tell it to the children, making it very vivid (Goliath's spear was a big as a telephone pole). Having grown up in a lay minister's home she was very religious and pious. She could not understand that we would have fun just for fun, to enjoy oneself was alright, humor incidentally experienced was alright, but life was too serious just to be funny. She wrote many letters before her cataract surgery. She expressed great relief when the last of us grew up.
In the 30's she started to read English. The headlines in the Daily Paper gave her good reading lessons. A tumor in her stomach necessitated surgery and the doctors gave her three years to live. During this time she had the cataract removed from one eye. In 1936 Father, Mother, Mary and Elsie took a long trip on the Model A Ford to Sask., Washington, and Idaho. This she enjoyed very much and wrote a lengthy description of this trip. When her time was up after the three years, she preferred to stay at home with Mary as her nurse and passed away peacefully December 15, 1936.
