Als Beginndes Christentums im Oldenburger Land melden Chronisten übereinstimmenddas Jahr 780.Im Jahr 787 wird die Missionszelle Visbek gegründet.

 Der Missionar Gerbert wird als Abt Castus bekannt. Gegen den erbitterten Widerstand des Sachsenführers Wittekind hatte der Franken Kaiser Karl,b esser bekannt als Karl der Groβe, die Christianisierung unter Strafandrohung durchgesetzt.  Jede Empörung und jeder Rückfall ins Heidentum wurde in der bRegel mit der Todesstrafe geahndet

.Der Name Ahlers oder Aalders/Alders, die Holländische Variante des Namens, ist abgeleitet vom Vornamen Alerdt oder Alardus.

 Im Laufe der Zeit wurde aus dem Vornamen der Familienname Ahlers, Alers, Ehlers, Eilers oder Aalders und Alders.  

Die meisten Nachkommen aus dem Landkreis Vechta, den Orten Langförden, Spreda, Bakum und Visbek mit den Ortsteilen Hogenbögen,  Varnhorn und Erlte sind bNachkommen jenes Alerdt to Varnhusen. Einanderer Zweig Alert to Aschehusen - um 1390 - in der Nähe von Bad Zwischenahn ist Lutherischen  Glaubens und steht in keiner Beziehung zur katholischen Familie Ahlers.

Als groBe Hilfe erwies sich die von Prof. Dr. Clemens Pagenstert geleistete Erforschung der Bauernhöfe im Amte Vechta, erstmalig erschienen im Jahre1908. Demnach bewirtschaftete Alerdt ein 81. ha großes Stück Land in Varnhusen, einer kleinen ländlichen Gemeinde, 1,2 km nördlich von Visbek, im Südoldenburger Land, zusammen mitTole to Boghen, Meyer, Janlüers, Hinrichto Bogen und Diedrich. Gemeinsam mit ihren Familien waren sie die einzigen nEinwohner von Varnhusen. Alle Ahlers finden ihren Ursprung dort.

Abgehende Söhne, die nicht in der glücklichen Lage waren Zeller zu werden, siedelten mehr oder weniger in den umliegenden Gemeinden des heutigen Landkreises Vechta Ahlers Nachfahren sind in Visbek noch heute unterdiesem Namen vertreten. Während eine große Anzahl Holländischer oderAmerikanischer Nachfahren ihren Namen änderten in Aalders , Alders oder Aylor

Ca. 1200 Jahre nach Alerdt to Varnhusen leben seine Nachkommen  in den USA, Australien,  Neuseeland, Holland und Deutschland. Dieses ist der erste Versuch einer umfangreichen Darstellung verschiedener, gemeinsamer Forschungsergebnisse der Familie Ahlers/Alers. 

In einer Arbeit wie dieser,sindviele Fragen unbeantwortet geblieben und Mutmaßungen, wie wir sie heutemachen, müssen auf ihre Richtigkeit überprüft werden.

Jeder Leser dieser Website,der den Namen Ahlers trägt oder der mit der Familie auf irgendeine Art verwandtschaftlich verbunden ist, wird aufgerufen sich korrigierendoder/und ergänzend einzumischen

Art verwandtschaftlich verbunden ist, wird aufgerufen sich korrigierendoder/und erganzend einzumischen.

Wir sind dankbar und offen fürHinweise, die zu einem so weit wie möglich korrekten Ergebnis führen. Jeder Forschersteuerte auf Grund seiner Kompetenz und seines Sachverstandes aufunterschiedlichen Gebieten zu dieser Website bei. Wollen Sie helfen diese fürkommende Generationen besser zu gestalten wenden Sie sich bitte zuerst an haalders@bigpond.net.au melden

For those interested to read about Alerdt tho Vernhusen or Hinderich Alers see Dropbox (German)    

Alerdt tho Vernhuesen  (980-1035) 

Alerdt we may assume was the G G G G G Great grandchild of Evorhund ,"farmer of Farnthorpe" , as mentioned in the Deed of settlement of A D 834 . Little had changed in the farming community of Visbek parish sinve the days of enperor Charlemagne ( Karel der Grosse ).  Alerdt with neighbour Meijer  ,or being both Alerdt as well as Meijer,were now recorded officially at the Abbey  records as " Zinnspflichtigen "  to the Benedictine abbey of Corvey.  This meant  that their status had been raised to official debtors of the abbey responsible for 50 % between them of the taxation expected to be received from the farm of just over 340 hectares  farmed by them and their immediate neighbours.  We know this because Rev  Dr Clemens Pagenstert, himself a farmers son from Dinklage ,researched this and recorded same in his book about "the farming families of Greater Vechta" which was his doctoral thesis published prior to  WW I .  

Hinderich Alers born Varnhorn 1594

Hinderich was bom in Vamhorn near Visbek before 1594,when his name was recorded as tenant or lessee of the 59 hectare farm in Varnhorn . We know that he was the son of Johann Alerdt and grandson of Johann's father also Johann Alerdt .

Prof dr Clemens Pagenstert in his 1908 book "Bauerhoefe von Landkreiss Vechta " says this about the farm at the time when Henderich was the owner/lessee..."Ahlers in Varnhorn, 59 ha. GroB,1545 und 1568 Johann Alerdt,1594 Hinderich Alers. Hofhtirig an die Kirche zu Visbek (?),1777 schon frei. Leibdienst an die Landesherrschaft. Lasten: ,, Am Amthause Vechta 70 Gr. Herbstsch., I Huhn dem Vogten 1 % .." Dienstgeld (fiir den Leibdienst). Am AmtWildeshausen % Sch.(effel?) Goroggen und 1/2 Gr.(oschen?) An den Amtsvogten in Twistringen 20 Roggengarben. PrOv. An den Pastor und Kiister wie hei Hackstedt. An die Kirche zu Visbek 12 Gr. Canon I  aus Sf. Viti Busch."Monatschatz 1 ... 17 Sch. 6 ...Vhst.l545: 3 Pferde, 2 Ochsen,7 Kiihe, 8 Nnder, 11 Schweine, 50 Sciafe; 1608: 4 Pferde, 3 Kiihe, 10 Rinder,5 Schureinq 85 Schafe,'f 669: 2 Pferde, S Kiihe, S Rinder,20 Schafe.1545:3 % Mlt. Einsaat.

Hofhoerig an die Kirche zu Visbek means that he was under an obligation to that Church,which had legal ownership over the land ,occupied for centuries by Hinderichs forebears . lt seems that with the brlnging of Chrlstianity to Saksen hy Charlernagne ,the local farmers were all dispossessed  and legal ownership was granted to the newly created Churches  and monastries .

Hinderich was also required to provide services for free for life to the "Landesherr:schaft",which obligatory service could be bought off by the paying of "Dienstgeld"  ...ie money in lieu of services not required to be rendered .      He was also required to provlde clergy with free firewood ...

The overlords in Wildeshausen and Twistringen appear both to be church authorities and he was required to support the parish priest and civilian assistant near Hackstedt and seemingly also in Visbek. Church people in those days seemed to have been proper parasites ,who imposed themselves on ther poor with impunity and promised salvation to the dying In return for land which the church did not already poasess ".

Anyway the record shows that Hinderich owned 4 horses ,3 milking cows ,10 horned non milking cattle ,5 pigs and 85 sheep . By todays New Zealand standards that would require 35 acres of reasonably good land or 14 hectares. 

ln that Hinderich owned 59 hectares ,some idea might be gleaned of how poorly this land provided by todays standards .lt seems that for the privilege of working very hard on his own piece of land ,Hinderich had to pay 14 Schillings a months to the various church authorities ,which was seemingly based on the value of the livestock which he possessed .

lf we take into account the dowries required to be provided by Hinderich in order to see his daughters married off , he was not too well positioned in life .

For those interested in Plattdeutsch spoken by our forefathers , see Dropbox (German)   

THE LANGUAGE OF OUR FOREFATTIERS ...Plattdeutsch ...                                                                      Bishop Otto III von Rietberg (1301-1308) ,clearly a nobleman ,  (as were most bishops in those days) said this on 18 February 1302 about the desirability of his village Billerbeck ,(closely tied to the seat of his bisdom in Muenster), to receive elevation to that of a small town and the desirability to obtain city rights. . "Wij Otto von der gnade Godes bisschop tho Munster maket kundlich,... dat wy wyllet hebben ein stedeken von unsen dorpe tho Bilrebecke ..." Der Bischof garantierte:  ... Voertmer soe de borgerie (:Buergerschaft) ...dat selve recht und privtlegien, alse dat recht und privilegien hebbet de borgere van Miinster ...

 In Modern Dutch Wij Otto door (de) genade van God,bischop van Munster maakt het bekend (kundelijk) dat wij een stadje van ons dorp Billerbeck (willen maken)....De bischop garandeerde...Verder zodat de burgers het zelfde recht en privileges (zullen krijgen) als de rechten en privileges die de burgers van Muenster (hebben ) ( verbs or nouns in brackets inserted)

 In English ....We Otto by the grace of God ,bishop of Muenster announces that we want (to elevate) our village Billerbeck( to the status of a small town ...The Bishop guaranteed ...Further (in order) that the citizens (will enjoy) the same rights and privileges as (those enjoyed) by the citizens of Muenster .. 

In reality by saying what he did ,he in fact granted City rights for in those days no Court in the land would oppose those rights. .... "that had come from his shoulders"  After all ,he was a bishop and those days that meant something . ( Faktisch schriinkte er die Stadtrechte aber zu sogenannten Wigboldrechten ein, indem die Rechte seines Schulten auf dem "Richthof' nicht beschnitten werden sollten.)  Wigbold means the bold = right of the Wig =Wijk (in Dutch)  or suburb or city outer areas  to which city rights were requested to apply .

Making allowance for colloquial speech imperfections ,( the bishop by today's standards does not seem to properly finish his sentences or leaves out the ending verb ) ,and   7 centuries of language development both in High German and High Dutch...the bishops announcement clearly shows how the local speech of our forefather, when written down , clearly shows how Platt Deutsch was more reminiscent of Dutch rather than High German .                                                                                      It lacks the refinements and declensions and the more complex verb tense requirements of modern High German see above "Richthof' nicht beschnitten werden sollten.) Plattdeutsch and Not High German nor High Dutch was the language used in the Hanse trading ports of Europe such as Riga, Rostock, Bremen, Hamburg, Amsterdam ,Rotterdam ,Antwerp and of course also Muenster and possibly also in the Scandinavian trade centres .Language experts say that today 16 million people understand Plattdeutsch and about 2 million still speak it 

Landkreiss Vechta

What and Where is Landkreiss Vechta  ?       

Henrich, Casper Oto and  Henrich Arnoldus , who  married  Dutch girls and settled in Holland ,all came from Landkreiss Vechta in Southern Oldenburg .

Landkreiss Vechta is the seat of an administrative division based in Vechta Lower Saxony Germany. It comprises the districts of Visbek (parish) in the north, Goldenstedt north- east of Vechta district   ,Bakum (parish) to its west , Lohne and Dinklage south of Vechta. Steinfeld and Holdorf lie immediately south of Dinklage and Lohne . Damme  and Neuenkirchen Voerdern lie at the bottom of the division, furthest south.

Visbek is situated  57 km south of Oldenburg city and 51 km nor-east of Bremen . Its southern town  of Damme lies 34 km north of Osnabruck .

The entire Ahlers family has its roots in the St Vitus church in Visbeck , where most of them went to church on Sundays .Whether they came from Hogenboegen or Varnhorn ,Siedenbogen ,Erlte or Rechterfeld ,they all belonged to the R C Ahlers family which Dr Clemens Pagenstert had identied as Original local farmers  around A D 1000 . Over time ,the “spare” Ahlers not entitled to inherit the family farms ,spread to Bakum, Vechta ,Oythe , Lohne or elsewhere.

From  “ Die Bauernhöfe im Amte Vechta “  ,written by Dr Clemens Pagenstert as his pre WW I doctoral thesis, we learned that the Ahlers farm in “Farnthorpe” supposedly close to the river Hunte ,its owners and all they possessed became church property and became Wildeshausen Kirche tax payers around A D 872 . It is that research work which gave us the history of the family which church records ,non existing in its earliest days ,could  never have provided.

It  also records how Southern Oldenburg for many years a possession of the RC Bishop of Munster remained Catholic in an otherwise Protestant Oldenburg Duchy . Belonging to the local church ,the church of the local ruler , was taken seriously .lf one did not show up in church ,members came to fetch you and forced attendance . They always insisted on the tithe due .   One did not marry outside the faith .  In a more positive vain , Church membership created community which was essential to belong to.

If this article interested you , we suggest you read “Der Holland gang “: by Bernard Volkerding edited by Henry Aalders

Use of multi column Worksheets ( Excel schedules)

The earliest known history of the Alers /Ahlers is recorded on the Early Ahlers of Visbek (Hogenboegen and Varnhorn farms ) NO Alers or Ahlers lived in Visbek . Visbek is where the family worshipped in the R C Church St Vitus ,which is one of the oldest pasrishes in Germany .  They were baptised ,married , and buried from there.. Some church records were irretrievably lost in fires . Thus this composition of the  Alers family history  is a "patch work " effort .

select from ....

The earliest Ahlers of Visbek (Hogenboegen ) 2023 edition

The Ahlers Families Frome Varnhorn (Visbek Parish) Oldenburg

The Ahlers from Vechta and Lohne 2023 edition

Ahlers langfoerden 29 jan 2023

The Oythe Ahlers to Cincinnati via Langfoerdn 13 April 2024 edition (Also see The Ahlers of St Henry)

The Alers from Bakum 14 Jan 2023 revision

The Ahlers of St Henry  12Jan 2023 edition

Index Cincinnati & St Henry OH

W S Index Bakum

Index Oythe Ahlers family members  2020 edition

NOTE CHANGE EVORHUND 

EVERHUND Copy of  Actual Deed Of Gift AD 872

Ahlers of Halen Garthe Emstek Halter and Sirdenbogen 27Jan 2023

Der  Wigmann Glocke  A D 1710

for those interested in Herbert Alers, aka Wigmann ,der Glockengiesser  click here 

300 Jahre alte Glocke in der Oyther Kirche

Die Inschrift der groessten Oyther Glocke (Durchmesser 105 cm ) lautet ………. (Henrich  K Wilch ) Geschichte der Kath Pfarreien im Herzogtum Oldenburg B D 11 s 308 )  

1 Zeile  Maria bin ich geheten …. "Die Kirche zu Oite haft mir laten geten,",,, Frans Anton von Elmendorp

2 Zeile Henrich Arent Bergmann  und Johan Thesing  Provisoren mit Gottes Gnade

3 Zeile Herbort Wigmann und Henrich Bergmann Kirspelgenossen haben mir Anno 1710 gegossen an zwei Seitene in Engelkopf

Die Geschichte des einzigen Glockengiessers des Oldenburger Muensterlandes Herbert Wigmann der mehrere Glocken hinterlassen hat ist noch nicht erforscht . In den Heimatsblatten Nr 5 vom 30  Nov 1920 schreibt dazu der Gymnasialprofessor Dr Phil Clemens Wichmann geboren am 25 jul 1853 in Oythe aus Esen Ruhr ….. Es ist eine eigentumliche  Erscheinung  dass der einzige Glockengiesser den das Oldenburgische Laendchen gehabt hat  in eimem der kleinsten Doerfer des Landes naemlich in Oythe Amt Vechta geboren ist .und dort seinen Wihnsitz gehabt hat  An schriftlichen Ueberlieferiungen  besitzen wir ueber ihn weiter nichts als seinen Namen ,das datum seiner Geburt, und seines Todes .und die Inschriften auf den Glocken swelche er gegossen hat Wir edass der Glockengiesser Herbert Wigmann hies sim Jahte1669 in Oythe geboren ist und am 27 September 1719 beerdigt wurde .

Die besitzer des Zellers Wigmannschen Hofes hiesen frueher Alers .Waehrend des dreissigjahrigen Krieges ist ein aus dem Westfalende stammende Soldat namens Wigmann in Oythe zurueck geblieben und durch Heirat in den Besitz  van Hof Alers gelangt sein ,dessen Besitzer sich von da an Wigmann nannten . Dieser Soldat waere also der Grossvater des Glockengiessers gewesen .  

Thus having established that Herbert was a great-grandson of Herribert Alers  who later decided that he change his name to Wigmann ,the commentary from Clemens Wichmann describes that bell making was a highly specialized art possessed by few  who were very secretive and made sure not to pass on their skills to others . A few years before 1710  Glockgiessers  cane to Vechta to settle . The  city fathers  made a property available  to them which was fenced with a super high fence to keep prying  eyes out and preserve the How it is done factor .Herbert was an excellent actor and brilliantly played the part of a simpleton who was also a “Spassmacher” ,a joker . Fun he was to be with ,but “the full quid”, the bell makers  thought  he was not . So Herbert achieved his plan , The workers were amused by him and what he said . They committed the cardinal sin to let him into their workplace and Herbert knew how to hang around . In fact Herbert had a brilliant photographic memory  and there was not much of their secrets he missed to observe and assess . Just before 1710 Herbert had spied and absorbed enough to dare set out on his own .He had no money . He approached the Oythe church who liked the prospect of getting a new bell at a reasonable price made by a new  chum  , whose skill and competence was unproven . Herbert got the contract but no money until the bell hang in church. Henrich Bergmann financed Herbert . Henrich had nothing to do with making the bell but insisted that his name was inscribed into the bell with that of Herbert and so it was .       

Farms if owned or held by inheritable tenancy were handed over to usually the eldest son . Any siblings of later births missed out . They became the "Spares ".inevitably they became the  majority . It seems that between 1500 and 1600  the landless Alers moved in first instance to a "Fruit/vegetable bowl " in Langfoerden close to Bakum and after a stay there of a few generations , the young people moved on to Oythe , Lohne , and Schledehuesen , a settlement close to Vechta but under the RC church administration of Bakum church ,   As marriages took place Alers men moved to other villages .Some were liked and or respected for their work ethic and became patriarchs of Alers cells elsewhere.

 Plattdeutsch was the working man's language . It was until the 16 th century also a written language . All Ahlers family members were Alers . As the influence of Hoch Deutsch as the language of the better educated grew , it surplanted Plattdeutsch .Priests and oficials started to write Johann for those named Johan  and Alers  became Ahlers .The keeping of baptismal records had not until 1563 been a compulsory function to be administered by each Catholic Church . The references on the work schedules " S A " refer to the "Status Animarum "  a census held by the Catholic diocese to determine from time to time who of its parishoners and their families  were still alive and could be expected to contrinute financially to parish finances. Copies of the S A are an extremely valuable tool to determine who was related to whom and where they happened to have lived 

You will find a drop down menu setting out a number of Alers local communities from which you may select which local group of Alers you wish to look at .

We learned that the Vechta Landkreiss area of AD 872 was very thinly populated , small communities having to fend for themselves against thieves and marauders and rioting unpaid soldiers on the loose .

I learned and chose to believe, that the tenant farmers most named Ahlert listed on the tax assessments are the descendants of Alhart, and that there was initially considerable intermarriage.

It was astonishing how in 2009 when we visited Hof Ahlers in Varnhorn ,descendants of “Zeller Ahlers “ were still in residence . They held on to their land for 1000 years .. There was extreme reluctance to leave the family farm .It was the priceless jewel ,a family possessed .

Thus to me Pagenstert has established that my roots are from Southern Oldenburg and since they lived there around AD 1000 ,and I still found my family occupying the farm in A D 2009. it is extremely probable that those who consult this book may well conclude that their forefathers were very much involved in the battles against Karl der Grosse (Charlemagne) .with Saxon Chief Widekund ,particularly those who trace their origins to one of  the first Catholic Churches  built in Germany in Visbek ,our family's parish church of origin .

 A negative is ,that the original printed version of " Die Bauernhöfe im Amte Vechta, "was printed in the old German lettering ,which for non Germans ,even those who learned the language does present a problem . It does not make for easy reading.

Putting matters in perspective.

The villages in which our forefathers lived in 1831 …. In Bauerschaft Varnhorn lived… 6 Zeller, including Zeller Ahlers, 8 Brinksitzers and 9 Heuermanner, 23 families at say 10 people each …. Total population 230

In Bauerschaft Hogenboegen ….11 Zeller, including Zeller Ahlers ,1 koetter, Neubauern 2, and 13 Heuermann 27 families at say 10 people each Total population 270 In Bauerschaft Endel ….7 Zellern, 1Neubauer, 12 Heuermanner,

20 Families at say 10 each …..makes a population of 200 In Bauerschaft Siedenbogen …….  5 Zeller, 2 Brinksitzer, and 9 Heuermann, 16 families at say 10 people each Total population 160

(Source Chronik Visbek )

 Without exception nearly all of our forefathers were peasant farmers. They lived in small farming villages. Their social order determined by dividing the farmers children as a potential  “Zeller “ or farmer, i.e. he owns the tenancy or title, a Brinksitzer, a second or subsequent born son or son in law who would not own the farm but was given an unbelievably tiny bit of poor  land on the margins and the Heuermann ,the farm worker who works for pay .

To recap ….

a "Brinksitzer" was the poorest among farmers. He cultivated the smallest parcel of land at the "Brink", his place being at the edge of the village.  He tended to be a son other than the first born who would inherit the farm , or a son in law with dependant children . Originally the brink constituted wood lands or heather , but later the term came to refer to any undeveloped land.  

a Zeller was king pin . He owned outright either the property or the tenancy of it. German laws forbade the proliferation of tiny farmlets which in the end would all be unable to support a family.

Heuerling or Häusler  was a contract farm worker who receives a house and small plot of land on the farm in return for labour and an annual fee (HW) today he is a  farm hand

Kötter one who lives in a  cottage

 For details of folk who lived in Varnhorn and Hogenboegen ( once named Vernhuesen and Suedbogen)  and the various villages around there ,see ...

The AHLERS OF  OYTHE 

The Alers (we use the Plattdeutsch name ) of Oythe has been the most difficult task to research .We have produced the best we can on what we have learned. We are the first to admit that it could do with lots of help from those who have material for us to include or amend .

The  first issue not resolved is to determine who came to work in the orchards or fruit/food  bowl in Langfoerden . Were they Alers attending church at St Vitus in Visbek or were they from Billerrbeck as an early priest Kieffer’s  report suggests?  We know that some Alers once in Langfoerden ( today a suburb of Vechta ) largely moved to Oythe.  

Then there are the conflicting views on an already complicated issue . a Dr Clemens Wiegmann ,a college teacher wrote in 1920 in Heimatsblatt 5 dated 30 Nov 1920 that a female member of the Alerdt Alers family married a fusilier from Westfalen named Wigmann ,his must have been quite an impressive man for the entire Alers family to change their name to Wigman which we date around A D 1671

A man whom we hold in high regard because he has got so much right , Werner Honkomp does not share this view and believes Heribertus was the son of Alerdt Wichmann and not descended from Alerdt Alers . Suffice we have a lot of Wigman’s  who would have been Alers  were it not for Heribertus’ action,

Then we have Joseph Heinrich Ahlers marriage to Franciska Lammers ,widow of Herr Kallage in 1795 which resulted in Alers calling themselves Kallage for quite some years and then reverted to Ahlers .

Then there was the 30 year war and fires …

We did what we could with what wee had . Can you help make it a reliable source of Alers information ? Then please help us do so .

Henry Aalders  haalders@bigpond.net.au 

The “Aangewaaide'' Ahlers of St Henry Ohio

 An elderly dutch widow came to consult me about leaving a remembrance to her grandchildren in her Will. She differentiated between the kids who were related by blood and those who were “aangewaaide kleinkinderen “ ie those youngsters to whom she was “Oma “ even though there was no blood connection.

“Aangewaaid” in dutch means blown there (into her lap) by the wind .It was so beautifully and sensitively put ,that I chose to refer to the descendants of Johann Henrich Ahlers as the “aangewaaide” Ahlers of St Henry .

The scene is the Varnhorn farm on 12March 1812 . Catharina Maria Ahlers Zellerin has just died aged 34 . She left behind husband Johann Alerdt Hurrelberg with a baby boy ,Herman Henrich Ahlers born during 1811 . By rights Herman should have been a Hurrelberg child  ,but Johann upon marrying  Catharina became automatically “Zeller of Hof Ahlers”  and chose to be known as Johann Ahlers.Thus his child by Catarina was an Ahlers .The prestige of becoming Zeller og Hof Ahlers, counted for more than the value of the family name inherited by him upon birth.

Johann needed  a  new wife to take care of the baby , so he married  Varnhorn born  Maria Elizabeth Nemann ( born1779) ,. He saw no need to revert back to his original family name  .  Thus Miss Nemann now became the new Mrs Ahlers .

Soon after Johann died also . Now the relatively new Mrs Ahlers required a new husband. Thus on 11April 1815 .she married  Johan Herman Luers ( also known as Janluers ) ,who upon marrying her became Johan Herman  Ahlers .

Johan Herman Ahlers and Maria Elizabeth Ahlers had a son , who since their parents were named Ahlers was  baptized as an  Ahlers.  Johann Heinrich Ahlers was born on 17 May 1818 in Varnhorn.   Even though his parents ran Hof Ahlers in Varnhorn ,there was no future for him there. Johan Herman ,as did Prince Harry of Windsor, knew that he was a “spare”.                                                    Unlike Prince Harry ,he did not “winge” about that, but he got on in lfe, took decissions and turned his life into a sccess story. 

So who ran the Varnhorn farm ? Clearly after Johann (Hurrelberg)’s death it was being run by Johan Herman Luers  as “ stand in” Zeller .   Upon the son of Anna Catarina and Johann (Hurrelberg),  Herman Heinrtich Ahlers ,born 1811,reaching adulthood  he sought to claim his inheritance and the ownership of Varnhorn located Hof Ahlers .  

The family had no further use for Johann Heinrich. We may presume that Johan Herman Ahlers was pensioned off or otherwise made redundant and clearly there was no future for Johann Heinrich in Varnhorn.  Johann Heinrich decided in 1846 to migrate to the U S A and initially settled in Cincinnati  on where he,now aged 31  found and married the rock of his life, Anna Maria Heilman on 4 Feb 1849 in Cincinnati . The couple settled in and raised a large Ahlers  family in St Henry Ohio. The details relative to this family were kindly made available by Prof Dr Allan Bernard ,one time professor of Education in Cincinnati, and are detailed in his book "The North German Connection" (Berco publications)