This first section is a general history, discussing the three major geographical areas in which the Mennonites were to settle, followed by a sketch of what life was like in this particular part of Europe.
It is recommended that you look at this first section before checking out the separate family histories. These histories are found by clicking "Histories" in the menu on the left.
Henry Foote (Heinrich Voth), my great-grandfather. The history will follow the events of his life chronologically, supplemented by primary sources (records from Europe, immigration lists, U.S. censuses, legal documents), secondary sources (histories compiled by people who weren't there), maps, photos, and historical descriptions of the time, area, or event.
Currently the furthest back known of Henry Foote's ancestors. They raised Henry Foote from about age 5, took him to the U.S. and left him in the care of an Amish man Illinois until Henry came of age. He is listed as part of Benjamin and Marie's family on the Hamburg departure ship list as well as the New York arrival ship list. For a short time after he finally went to Kansas, he lived with his aunt's family, Henrietta Penner Karber.
Henry Foote's father, Heinrich Voth, died before he was born. When he was about 3, he moved from Poland to Volhynia with his mother, Eva Penner, and her parents, Benjamin and Marie Penner. Soon, he was left in the care of her parents, supposedly because his mother was poor. His mother eventually married a 2nd time, to a Franz Ewert, but neither immigrated. Connections were maintained, however, and a grandson of theirs did immigrate, was in Bessie and then Fairview, Oklahoma for a short period, married and then moved to Saskatchewan, Canada.
Henry Foote married Eva Block in 1886, who then died in an accident in 1903. Less than a year later, Henry married Eva's younger sister, Paulina. The Block family can actually be traced back quite a ways, both paternally (Heinrich Block) and maternally (Susanna Unrau).
Albert Foote, my great-(half)uncle. His descendants are one of just 2 lines that carry our Foote name. Our 2 lines have the interesting distinction of being completely unrelated to any other Footes in the rest of the world. Albert's history will follow the events of his life chronologically, supplemented by primary sources (U.S. censuses, legal documents, letters), secondary sources (histories compiled by people who weren't there), maps, photos, and historical descriptions of the time, area, or event.
Although an Aunt to Henry Foote, the Karber family was quite involved in the lives of the Penner Grandparents, Henry himself, and Leonard Ewert. Much of what is known about Henry Foote's childhood is due to the stories and records of the David Karber family.
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