Our Family Tree contains a genealogy records for my father’s and mother’s families.

On my Mother’s side, there are seven generations of the Ehrmann family and descendants in the eighth generation. There are also genealogy records on my mother’s side for the Bretzke, Eisenbeisz and the Haug (Hauck) families.

On my father’s side, there are Christianson (Christiansen) and Andersen genealogies.

Information on my Smith, Manor, Johnson and Pederson ancestors will hopefully be coming soon...

• Andersen family tree (4 KB)
  The Anderson family tree contains two generations, dating back to 1740 in Tønder, Denmark (Tönder, Prussia for awhile). Ellen Anderson was the wife of Jacob Christiansen.
• Haug (Hauck) family tree (3 KB)
  Margaretha Haug was the wife of Johann Melchior Ehrmann. This tree contains nine generations of Haug's, dating back to 1544. They lived near Heidelberg, Germany throughout those nine generations.
• Bretzke family tree (3 KB)
  This is my Bretzke family tree dating back to 1762 in Alt Storkow, Prussia (now Storkowo, Poland). Fannie (Bretzke) Ehrmann was my Grandmother.
• Ehrmann family tree (5 KB)
  This includes seven generations of the Ehrmann family, dating back to 1762, and later generations of descendants. The earliest Ehrmann's in this tree came from Bonfeld, Germany which is near Heidelberg. They later immigrated to Russia and helped found the village of Hoffungstal (now Tsebriovo, Ukraine) near Odessa. My great grandfather Adolph Ehrmann came to the United States and settled in Eureka, South Dakota.
• Christianson (Christiansen) family tree (8 KB)
  The Christianson (Christiansen) family tree contains seven generations, dating back to 1772 in Tønder, Denmark (Tönder, Prussia for awhile). The family name changed a few times in preceding generations which was the custom in Denmark. The earliest known ancestors were from Holzhausen & Hattingen, Prussia (now Borgholzhausen & Hattingen, Germany) and went by the name Reuter dating back to about 1600.

• Kimball German Evangelical Church (174 KB)
  This is the German Evangelical Church of Kimball, Minnesota (near St. Cloud) around 1900. The Bretzke family went to this church. The German Evangelical Church became part of what is now the United Methodist Church. (Minnesota Historical Society photo)
• Zion Lutheran Church - Eureka (23 KB)
  This is the original Zion Lutheran Church building in Eureka, South Dakota where the Ehrmann's originally settled after coming to the U.S.
• Bretzke family, circa 1939 (314 KB)
  Mathilda is my Great-Great Grandma. My Grandma Fannie and her sisters are not in the photo, as her father Gustav Bretzke (Mathilda's son) had died many years earlier and the families had apparently lost touch. This photo was most likely taken in Browns Valley, Minnesota around 1939. (Thanks to bretzke.com for this photo.)
• Mathilda Bretzke obituary (380 KB)
  This is the obituary that appeared in the Browns Valley, Minnesota newspaper for Mathilda Bretzke. (Minnesota Historical Society newspaper collection)
• Christianson family crest (16 KB)
  This is the family crest for the Christianson surname.
• William Bretzke obituary (195 KB)
  This is the obituary that appeared in the Browns Valley, Minnesota newspaper for William Bretzke. (Minnesota Historical Society newspaper collection)
• Aberdeen United Methodist Church (210 KB)
  One of the Tiffany stained glass windows in the Aberdeen United Methodist Church where Fannie and Al Ehrmann were faithful members for many decades.
• Bretzke family crest (9 KB)
  This is the family crest for the Bretzke surname. (Thanks to bretzke.com for this image.)
• Bretzke family, circa 1890 (222 KB)
  The parents in this photo (Wilhelm and Mathilda) are my Great-Great Grandparents. The young boy (Gustav) to the right of Mathilda is my Great Grandfather who was my Grandma Fannie's father. This photo was most likely taken in Kimball, Minnesota around 1890. (Thanks to bretzke.com for this photo.)
• Eisenbeisz family crest (78 KB)
  This is the Eisenbeisz family crest.
• Storkowo, Poland church (56 KB)
  This is a present-day photo of Storkowo, Poland (Alt Storkow, Prussia) where the Bretzke family may have attended. They are listed in the 1813-1860 Kirchenbuch (church book) for the Evangelische Kirche (Evangelical Church) of Alt Storkow. Most German Evangelical churches in this area were converted to Catholic or other Protestant (mainly Methodist) churches after World War II.
• Al Ehrmann (62 KB)
  This is my Grandpa Al Ehrmann at his retirement party in 1962. Al worked for Bell Telephone Company for over 42 years.
• Grave of Ernst and Charlotte Bretzke (113 KB)
  This is the grave of my earliest Bretzke ancestors who lived in the U.S., Ernst and Charlotte. The grave is located in the Kimball Cemetery in Kimball, Minnesota (near St. Cloud). The inscription says, "Uns ist das Loos gefallen aufs Lieblichste." (Ours is the prize that pleases the best.)
• Kimball, Minnesota (49 KB)
  This is the Main Street of Kimball, Minnesota (near St. Cloud) in 1888. The Bretzke family lived here at this time right after emigrating from Prussia. (Minnesota Historical Society photo)
• Ernst F. Bretzke grave (129 KB)
  The inscription says, "Ernst F. Bretzke Geb. (born) 22. Sept. 1820 Gest. (died) 5. Mai (May) 1900."
• Charlotte M. (Müller) Bretzke grave (92 KB)
  The inscription says, "Charlotte M. Müller Geb. (born) 22. Febr. 1824 Gest. (died) 16. Jüni (June) 1894."
• Alden, Minnesota (31 KB)
  This is a picture of Alden, Minnesota (near Albert Lea) taken around 1880. My Great-Great Grandparents Eliza and John Smith were married there in 1878. Eliza's step-mother also lived there since the record says they were married in her house. Eliza’s father died in the Civil War and her mother later died when Eliza was four years old. (Minnesota Historical Society photo)
• Storkowo, Poland (79 KB)
  This is a present-day photo of Storkowo, Poland (Alt Storkow, Prussia) where the Bretzke family came from.

• Eisenbeisz Family Genealogy (2044 KB)
  Barbara (Eisenbeisz) Schlaht, born September 7, 1854, is my Great-Great Grandmother. Eisenbeisz family was originally from Reutin, Germany.
• Eureka Golden Jubilee Book (854 KB)
  This book was done in 1937 and has a biography of Adolph Ehrmann who came to Eureka from Odessa, Russia.
• Eureka Centennial Book (2439 KB)
  This book was pulbished in 1987. The only relative that I know of who lived there at the time as Emma (Ehrmann) Stroebner, my Grandfather's sister.
• Hoffnungstal, Russia village history (30 KB)
  This document describes the early history of the Hoffnungstal, Russia village which was near Odessa. The Ehrmann's and Eisenbeisz's came to the U.S. from there.

• Eureka, South Dakota
• Alpirsbach (and Reutin), Germany
• Bad Rappenau (and Bonfeld), Germany
• Tønder, Denmark
• Hattingen, Germany
• Borgholzhausen, Germany
• Christianson.us
• Bretzke.com

David Alan Christianson
david.alan.christianson@gmail.com

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