By Jared L. Olar
May-June 2020
Among my wife's ancestral families from Ostfriesland in northwest Germany is a family of poor 17th-century farmers who alternately bore the patronymics of Janssen and Erdwiens (which mean, quite simply, "child of Jann (John)" and "child of Erdwien"). The meaning of the East Frisian given name "Erdwien" (or "Erdwin") is uncertain, but may perhaps mean "Earth Friend," that is, a friend of the soil, a farmer. My wife's descent from this family traces back to a man named Jann or Johann, who probably lived around the middle of the 1600s in the Electorate of Hannover. Jann had a son named Erdwien, the first known appearance of that name in this lineage. The following account of our Janssen-Erdwiens lineage is derived from Lutheran church registers of the districts of Norden and Aurich in the old Electorate of Hannover (now in the German state of Niedersachsen).
1. JANN (NN), parentage and ancestry unknown, born perhaps circa 1625 in Ostfriesland in the Electorate of Hannover, in the Holy Roman Empire. Nothing is known of Jann (or Johann) apart from his name, which is attested as the patronymic of his son Erdwien Janssen in the Lutheran church registers of Ostfriesland. The name "Jann" is a Low German variant form of "John" (which derives from the Jewish name Yochanan, meaning "the Lord is gracious" or "the Lord's gift").
Jann's son was:
2. ERDWIEN JANSSEN, born 1650 in Westerende, Norden District, Hannover.
2. ERDWIEN JANSSEN, son of Jann (NN), born 1650 in Westerende, Norden District, Hannover. Erdwien's wife was TRIENKE GERDES, born 1655 in Westerende, Norden District, Hannover, daughter of Gerd (NN). Trienke's name is a diminutive variant of the name "Catherine" or Katrina. Erdwien and Trienke are known to have had a son named Jann.
The son of Erdwien and Trienke was:
3. JANN ERDWIENS, born perhaps circa 1695 probably in Aurich District, Hannover.
3. JANN ERDWIENS ("Johann"), son of Erdwien and Trienke (Gerdes) Janssen, born perhaps circa 1695 probably in Aurich District, Hannover, died May 1746 in Aurich District, Hannover, buried 31 May 1746 in Aurich District. On 3 Feb. 1722 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, Jann married GESCHE ANDRESSEN, born 1700 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, died 11 Dec. 1774 in Extum, daughter of Andres Eilt. Jann and Gesche are known to have had three sons and two daughters.
This detail from page 267 of the marriage register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1722 marriage record of Jann Erdwiens and Gesche Andressen, identified in the record as, respectively, the son of Erdwien Janssen and the daughter of Andres Eilt.
This detail from the top of page 89 of the burial register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1746 burial record of Jann Erdwiens.
The known children of Jann and Gesche were:
4. ERDWIEN JANSSEN, born in late April 1723 probably in Aurich District, Hannover.
-- ANDRES JANSSEN, baptised 16 March 1725 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover.
-- GERD EILS JANSSEN, baptised 7 Jan. 1727 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover.
-- TRIENKE JANSSEN, baptised 4 March 1728 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover.
-- MARGARETHE JANSSEN, baptised 21 Dec 1733 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, married Franz Conrad Harms.
4. ERDWIEN JANSSEN, son of Jann and Gesche (Andressen) Erdwiens, born in late April 1723 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, died 20 Aug. 1794 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, buried 26 Aug. 1794 in Extum. Erdwien was baptised 2 May 1723 in the Lutheran church of Extum. His baptismal record identifies his parents as "Johann Erdwien" and "Gesche Andreessen." Erdwien married 4 June 1748 probably in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, to FRERKJE HINRICHS, born 2 Aug. 1722 in Wallinghausen, Aurich District, Hannover, died 11 May 1784 in Extum, daughter of Hinrich and Christine (Frercks) Steffens. Frerkje's name, which also sometimes appears as "Frertje" or "Frerichen," is a Low German variant of the name "Frederica." Erdwien and Frerkje are known to have had two daughters and three sons. One of their sons, Hinrich, had a daughter named Frerkjen whose descendants emigrated to Adams County, Illinois.
This detail from the bottom of page 247 of the baptismal register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1723 baptismal record of Erdwien Janssen, identified in the record as the son of "Johann Erdwien" and "Gesche Andreessen."
This detail from page 358 of the marriage register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1748 marriage record of Erdwien Janssen and Frerkje Hinrichs, identified in the record as, respectively, the son of "Jan Erdwins" and the daughter of "Hinrich Stephens."
This detail from page 115 of the burial register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1794 burial record of Erdwien Janssen in Extum, Hannover.
The known children of Erdwien and Frerkje were:
-- GESCHE ERDWIENS, born circa 1748 probably in Aurich District, Hannover, married Christian Boÿen.
-- JANN ERDWIENS ("Johann"), born circa 1752 probably in Aurich District, Hannover, died 4 May 1814 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, married Frauke Willms.
5. CHRISTINA ERDWIENS, born circa 1756 probably in Aurich District, Hannover.
-- HINRICH STEFFENS ERDWIENS, born 26 Oct. 1757 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, died May 1814 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, married Margarethe Hinrichs Reemts.
-- ANDREAS ERDWIENS, born circa 1763 probably in Aurich District, Hannover, married Helenst Maria Sibelts.
5. CHRISTINA ERDWIENS, daughter of Erdwien and Frerkje (Hinrichs) Janssen, born circa 1756 probably in Aurich District, Hannover, died 19 Jan. 1839 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, buried 23 Jan. 1839 in Extum. When she was about 27 years old, Christina married on 13 June 1783 in Walle, Aurich District, Hannover, to ONKE MENSSEN, born 22 June 1750 in Dunum, Wittmund District, Hannover, died 12 Nov. 1824 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, son of Mensse and Taalcke (Onken) Harms. Onke married twice, and Christina was his second wife. His first wife, whom he married on 27 April 1779 in Walle, Aurich District, Hannover, was GERRELTJE JANSSEN ("Gerdje"), born 1740 in Rahe, Aurich District, Hannover, died circa 1782/3 in Walle, Aurich District, Hannover, widow of Behrend Janssen Cordes and daughter of Jann Gerdes. Onke and Gerreltje had a son named Mensse, while Onke and Christina had a daughter named Frerkje.
This detail from page 223 of the marriage register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1783 marriage record of Onke Menssen and Christina Erdwiens, identified in the record as the children, respectively, of Mensse Harms and Erdwien Janssen.
This detail from the bottom of page 321 of the burial register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1839 burial record of Christina Erdwiens, wife of Onke Menssen.
Christina is known to have had a daughter:
-- FRERKJE ONKEN, born 2 Feb. 1783 in Walle, Aurich, Hannover.
Erdwiens Genealogy Resources:
The Reed Family Tree of Albuquerque, N.M., with Dirk Wobben Janssen descendants and Johnson and Oltman family photos. Find-A-Grave memorial: Fannie Ferden (sic - Marie) Oltman Johnson (1864-1933), with links of husband and children. Map of Norden District, showing locations of Norden and Westerende in the District of Norden, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany. Map of Aurich District, showing locations of Extum/Haxtum and Walle in the District of Aurich, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany.