The Jaspers Genealogy

Among the Low German speakers of Ostfriesland in northwest Germany, the surname Jaspers is a patronymic indicating a family descended from a man named Jasper, which is a form of "Gaspar" or Casper, which became popular among medieval German Catholics as the traditional name for one of the three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The traditional name "Gaspar" derives from the ancient legend of St. Thomas the Apostle, who brought Christianity to the regions of Bactria (modern Afghanistan) and India in the first century A.D., preaching the Gospel before a king named Gondopharnes (Gudafara). Our ancestor Jasper was an Ostfriesisch German who lived in the early 1700s. Everything we know or can infer about this family comes from the Lutheran church registers of the District of Aurich in the Electorate of Hannover (today known as the German state of Niedersachsen, "Lower Saxony"), as indicated here:

1. JASPER (NN), parentage and ancestry unknown, born perhaps circa 1705 in Aurich District of Ostfriesland in the Electorate of Hannover, in the Holy Roman Empire. Nothing is known of Jasper apart from his name, which is attested as the patronymic of his son Dirk Jaspers in Dirk's 1805 death record and in the 1810 marriage record of Dirk's son Jasper.

     2. DIRK JASPERS, born circa 1731 probably in Aurich District, Hannover.

2. DIRK JASPERS, son of Jasper (NN), born circa 1731 probably in Aurich District of Ostfriesland in the Electorate of Hannover, in the Holy Roman Empire, died 10 May 1805 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, buried 15 May 1805 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover. In addition to the evidence of Dirk's burial record, Dirk's name and the name of his son Jasper Dirks are both attested in the 1827 marriage record of Dirk's granddaughter Fentje Jaspers, daughter of Jasper Dirks.

This detail from page 272 of the burial register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1805 burial record of Dirk Jaspers of Extum in the Electorate of Hannover.

Dirk is known to have had a son:

     3. JASPER DIRKS, born perhaps circa 1785 probably in Aurich District, Hannover.

3. JASPER DIRKS, son of Dirk Jaspers, born Oct. 1773 in Aurich District of Ostfriesland in the Electorate of Hannover, in the Holy Roman Empire, died 5 Dec. 1815 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, buried 12 Dec. 1815 in Extum. Jasper's name, the name of his father Dirk, and the name of his daughter Fentje Jaspers are all attested in the 1827 marriage record of Jasper's daughter Fentje. On 4 Sept. 1810 in Extum, Jasper married FRERKJE ONKEN, born 2 Feb. 1783 in Walle, Aurich District, Hannover, died 7 March 1860 in Extum, daughter of Onke and Christina (Erdwiens) Menssen. Jasper and Frerkje are known to have had at least one son and two daughters. Evidently some terrible tragedy overtook this family, for Jasper's life was cut short at the age of 42 years and 2 months, and his 5-year-old son Dirk also died the very same day -- Jasper and his son Dirk were buried together the same day.

This detail from page 997 of the marriage register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1810 marriage record of Jasper Dirks and Frerkje Onken, identified in the record as the children, respectively, of Dirk Jaspers and Onke Menssen.

This detail from page 408 of the death register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1815 death records of Jasper Dirks and his little son Dirk, who both died and were buried the same day.

The known children of Jasper and Frerkje were:

     --  DIRK JASPERS, born circa 1810 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover, died 5 Dec. 1815 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover.
     4.  FENTJE JASPERS, born circa 1811 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover.
     --  MOODJE JASPERS, born circa 1812 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover.

4. FENTJE JASPERS, daughter of Jasper and Frerkje Dirks, born circa 1811 in Extum, Aurich District, Hannover, died 10 June 1849 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover, buried 15 June 1849 in Extum. On 21 April 1827 in Walle, Aurich, Hannover, Fentje married HINRICH PUPKES SCHWEERS, born 26 April 1802 in Walle, Aurich, Hannover, died 18 May 1841 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover, buried 25 May 1841 in Extum, son of Pupke Hinrichs and Anna Maria Hinrichs Schweers. Hinrich was baptised 28 April 1802 in Walle. His baptismal record identifies him as "Hinrich," son of "Pubke Hinrichs" and "Anna Hinrichs." The marriage record of Hinrich and Fentje identifies the spouses as "Hinrich Pupkes," son of "Pupke Hinrichs," and "Fentje Jaspers," daughter of "Jasper Dirks." Fentje and Hinrich are known to have had at least one daughter and one son.

This detail from page 54 of the marriage register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1827 marriage record of Hinrich Pupkes Schweers and Fentje Jaspers, identified in the record as the children, respectively, of Pupke Hinrichs and Jasper Dirks.

This detail from a page of the burial register of the Lutheran churches of Aurich District, Hannover, shows the 1849 burial record of Fentje Jaspers Schweers.

The known children of Fentje and Hinrich were:

     --  MARIA HINRICHS PUPKES SCHWEERS, born 15 Feb. 1829 in Walle, Aurich, Hannover.
     --  PUPKES HINRICHS SCHWEERS, born 22 Jan. 1831 in Extum, Aurich, Hannover.

Jaspers 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.
Wikimedia Commons: Walle, collection of photos from the village of Walle in Ostfriesland, Germany.
Map of Aurich District, showing locations of Extum/Haxtum and Walle in the District of Aurich, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany.

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