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I am a descendant of John G. Saathoff (Jan), grandson of Gerd Saathoff.
The following information is compiled by my grandmother Lena Claudine Skrdlant of Norton, Kansas.
John G. Saathoff and Flora Folkerts were married in Germany August 28th, 1892. to this union were born 12 children, 7 girls and 5 boys. The names of the children are George, John William, Fred, Earl, Anna, Motje, Flora, Tena and Amanda.
Soon after their marriage they came to America. They settled at Gothenburg, Nebraska, on November 12, 1892. They lost their first baby girl there.
After two years they moved to the Hildreth Vicinity. They had planned to homestead the Meyer farm, but after 2 years they decided it was too far from town, so they bought 80 acres, two miles east and one mile south of Hildreth. On this farm there was a sod houas and John built a small barn. When it rained the sod house would leak and then they would have to move into the barn.
Several years passed and then they brought the farm directly north, which had a 2-room frame house. They move their littl barn here and built onto the house.
Besides farming John was a carpenter. He built many houses and bards in the Hildreth community. He also built the first St. Peter Lutheran church in Hildreth.
In 1928, they again built improvements on their first 80 acres. In 1930 a tornado took all thebuildings on both farms, except the houses. After the tornado they rebuilt the buildings. Even with all the tragedies they were a close family.
On Christmas day we would all go home and enjoy all the good food and Christmas goodies. After a program to which all contributed with readings and recitations, Mother and Father would sing a duet, "Am Weinacht baumde lickter brennan," translated in English "On the Christmas tree lights are burning." Ther rest of the family sat watching a candle-lit Christmas tree.
If the weather was bad and we couldn't go to church, we would have our own service at home. Our parents had a book of sermons from a well-known pastor. Mother would read a sermon from it and we would all sing and join in prayer.
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