"On the 12th of October, 1832 Freerkje (Fredericka) van der Schaaf (means the carpenter) was born in Dokkum, Friesland, Netherlands to Jan Jans van der Schaaf and Jennetje Ruurds deJong van der Schaaf. History shows the family had business reverses and lost their property. That is when friends persuaded them to come to America. The entire family (nine children) arrived in New York in 1849. The trip across the Atlantic took six weeks in a sailboat. They first lived in Lancaster, N.Y., then during the winter of 1849-50 moved and settled in Buffalo, New York area. It is recorded that Jan Jans was a cement-maker and timber merchant.
"August and Fredericka met and married in Buffalo, New York in 1852. There they started their family: Fannie, Jane and Anna. Some records show Fannie being born in Buffalo and others Toronto, Canada. Jane was born in Toronto, Canada and Anna Buffalo.
"The August Weinert family took a boat from St. Louis to Arago on the Missouri River, arriving in the hot summer of 1859. Besides being very hot the mosquitoes were very bad. There were no homes to be found like the already established ones along the eastern seashore. Their first home was a "dugout" in a hillside. Imagine that, if you can, with a small family. Winters were cold and blustery and it wasn't long till their third child, Anna, passed away. She wasn't yet three years of age. Fredericka said there were four families living in one cabin at one time. Chalk marks were used as partitions.
"The first home of record in picture form looks to be a crude one, small, but undoubtedly a big improvement over a dugout in the hillside. The family continued to increase in number and in November of 1859 their fourth child, John was born to which they gave the name of Anna (again). Minnie was born in 1865; August in 1867, and then came a set of twins boiys in 1870 who lived only several hours. In 1873 another set of twins arrived; Louise and Willie. However, Willie died at the age of six months of summer complaints. Older sister Fannie took care of him and felt bad about his death. Louise was nursed by her mother but there wasn't enough milk for Willie. The four children who died at young ages are all buried in the Arago Cemetery, but the markings have not survived over the years, and with no one to look after them they are deemed lost. However, there are some family members who have a general idea where they should be in the Cemetery.
"August was a Catholic in the old country. Now the Weinert's attended an Evangelical Church and Tabor Evangelical Church and Zion Evangelical Church after the Arago Church and parsonage were sold in 1873. Several of the family members were charter members since they were some of the first living in that part of Nebraska. Neither churchg is standing today. Naturally they were the focal point of not only worship but social activities. The German language was spoken everywhere in the area. However, August spoke English with the family and "slop bucket," a German/Dutch mix, with his wife Fredericka.
"Fredericka was a gifted person also in that she created beautiful pencil drawings of floral bouquets.
"It seems that when August and Fredericka retired in 1896 and moved to town Fannie Weinert and Fred Scholl and family moved into the farm house and were there when a formal photograph was taken in 1889.
"Fredericka made her home, rotated among children and with daughter Fannie after August's death. We have been told that she feared passing away in that home and the family wouldn't be able to carry her out because the doors were so narrow. Well, she did die there on Wednesday, August 1st, 1906 at one a.m., (newspaper report) which was indeed the home of her daughter, Fannie. Her death certificate records the time of day being 12:30 a.m. and the cause was "heart failure." The death certificate is signed by son John Weinert of Preston. She had been ailing for years but even then her death came suddenly and unexpectedly. In the evening she complained of being very tired and in the morning at one o'clock the Lord called her to Himself. The funeral was "from the residence of Fred Scholl," north of Falls City, Thursday, August 2nd, 1906 and she was buried alongside August in Zion Cemetery five miles east of Falls City." (Source: Beth Weinert)
Fredericka's Parents and Siblings
Old Vander Schaaff Photos
Vander Schaaff History by Thelma Heil
Vander Schaaff Slide Show
Documents related to Fredericka Vander Schaaff:
 |
| Jans Jans Vander Schaaff, Fredericka's father, skilled wood carver. |
 |
| Jan Jans Van Der Schaaf birth 24 Jan and baptism 12 Feb 1800 film 476529 page 292, Dokkum church records 1543-1911 |
 |
| 1832 Netherlands, Friesland Pr...Church Records, 1543-1911 page 461 baptism 18 Nov 1832 and birth 12 Oct 1832, Freerkje Van Der Schaaff, film 476529 |
 |
| Fredericka aka Freerkje van der Schaaff born Oct 12, 1832, birth record. Leeuwarden (Netherlands). Civil registration births Burgerlijke Stand Dokkum. |
 |
| Dokkum, Holland, The difference between the Netherlands and Holland is: the Netherlands is the term for the country as a whole (12 provinces), while Holland refers to just the two provinces of North and South Holland. |
 |
The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of four
constituent countries: the Netherlands, Aruba,
Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
|
 |
| 1849 Passenger list for the Pieter Floris Ship
Son Frederick 18; Daughter Frikje 16; Son Jan 27; Wife Jentje Raands 49;
Daughter Lamarigje 10; Son Lambertus 12; Son Ruisre 20
|
 |
| 1850 US Census, Lancaster, Erie, NY |
|
| Frederick aka Barbara Vander Schaaff |
 |
| 1860 Nebraska Territorial Census |
 |
| About 1870 Arago Cemetery record of two sets of Weinert twins. |
 |
| 1880 US Census, Arago, NE |
 |
| 1880 Fredericka's granddaughter Lizzy Scholl kept an autograph book. |
 |
| Fredericka's entry in her granddaughter Lizzy's autograph book. This and the entry below show that Frederick spoke and wrote english. |
 |
| English translation of August's German entry in Lizzie's autograph book |
 |
| 1906 The child is Fred Apel, with his mother behind him Lizzie (Scholl) Apel, Fannie (Weinert) Scholl, Fredericka (Vander Schaaff) Weinert, 4 generations!!! |
 |
| 1898 about February 1, Weinert/Scholl Grandchildren, Arago, NE |
LtR back row
Lizzy 1879 Nov 22 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 18 years 2 mo
George 1886 Aug 6 Frederick/Fannie Scholl 11 years 7 mo
Henry 1889 March 19 John Weinert/Anna Kaiser 9 years 0 mo
Fred 1886 Jan 30 Minnie Weinert/ Edward Julius Voegelein 3 years 2 mo
Gus 1888 Dec 6 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 9 years 3 mo
Edwin 1883 July 31 Jane Weinert /Christian Hofer 14 years 8 mo
Charlie 1885 Oct 16 Jane Weinert/ Christian 12 years 5 mo
Clara 1887 Apr 27 Charles Weinert/ Mary Voegelein 10 years 11m
Ida 1881 Sep 9 Jane Weinert /Christian Hofer 16 years 6 mo
Laura 1881 Aug 27 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 16 years 7 mo
Second row
Anna 1880 Oct 8 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 17 years 5 mo
Melinda Edna 1891 Mar 5 John Weinert/Anna Kaiser 7 years
Carl 1888 Sep 27 Charles Weinert /Mary Voegelein 10 years
Lula 1887 July 3 Jane Weinert/Christian Hofer 10 years 8 mo
Alma 1890 May 10 Charles Weinert/ Mary Voegelin 7 years 10 mo
Eddie 1888 Sep 19 Minnie/ Edward Voegelein 9 years 6 mo
Front row
Edna 1895 July 9 to Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 2 years 8 mo
Clara 1891 Aug 16 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 6 years 7 mo
Luella 1895 Oct 10 John Weinert/Anna Kaiser 2 years 5 mo
Arthur 1893 May 13 to John Weinert/Anna Kaiser 4 years 10 mo
Elmer 1896 Dec 24 August Weinert /Amelia C. 1 year 3 mo
Kate 1889 Nov 3 to Minnie/ Edward Voegelein 8 years 4 mo
Elmer 1889 June 9 Jane Weinert/Christian Hofer 9 years
Walter 1895 Jan 12 August Weinert/Amelia C.Ernst 3 years 2 mo
Fritz 1897 Oct 9 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 5 mo 23 days
Emma 1877 March 22 Frederick/ Fannie Scholl 21 years
Rosa 1886 March 30 John Weinert/Anna Kaiser 12 years 2 mo
 |
| 1900 Fredericka with grandson Irving Wiltse |
 |
| 1889 The August and Fredericka Weinert Family |
 |
| Hand pump used by the Weinert family located outside the side door, by the kitchen. |
 |
| Fredericka's crochet work |
 |
| Fredericka's pencil drawing |
 |
1889 Barn built by August Weinert & sons in 1877/78, 12 1/2 miles NE of Falls City, NE. LtR: Louise Weinert Wiltse: John and Anna Weinert with Rosa and Henry: August Weinert Jr: Fredericka and August Weinert: Emma Scholl: Edward, Minnie Voegelein with Fred and Edward: hired man holding gray horse: Fred, Fannie Scholl with George and August: girls front R. Elizabeth Scholl, Anna Scholl, Laura Scholl. Arago Township, Section 15, 1889.
|
 |
| 1889 Fredericka and August in buckboard. |
 |
| The Winerts in their church records, Fredericka was also called Barbara. |
 |
| Fredericka and August Weinert portrait |
 |
| Fredericka Vander Schaff Weinert |
 |
| 1905 Letter from Fredericka to Katherine Voegelein Daughtery page 1 |
 |
| 1905 Letter from Fredericka to Katherine Voegelein Daughtery page 2 |
 |
| This is the church August and Frederick's family attended. In fact they very well could be in this photograph. |
 |
| 1880-1881 August and Frederick's names on the church rolls. Fredericka was also known as Barbara. |
 |
| Fredericka in her old age. Her vision was failing. |
 |
| August built this home and then retired, 2009 |
 |
| August and Fredericka's home in Falls City which was built by August and where he retired, photo taken in 2009 |
 |
| 1906 Falls City Tribune |
 |
| Obituary in local newspaper |
 |
| 1906 Fredericka's funeral announcement |
 |
| 1906 Fredericka's death certificate |
 |
| 1906 Found in Fredericka's daughter's hymnal in German |
 |
| 1906 Falls City |
 |
| Zion Cemetery which sits across the street from what used to be Zion Evangelical Church where the Weinert family attended church. |
 |
Zion cemetery grave marker for
August and Fredericka, located
across the street where they
used to attend church
|
 |
| Card of thanks after the funeral from the Weinert family. |
