Johann Freidrich "Fredrick" Buerk

1840 - 1915  (74 years)

• Name	Johann Freidrich "Fredrick" Buerk  [1, 2, 3]
  Nickname	Fredrick
  Born	16 Sep 1840	W?rttemberg, Germany   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	27 Mar 1915	Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [1, 2, 4]
  Buried	Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [2]
  Notes	Frederick Buerk was a carpenter and undertaker, making caskets of wood, in Waldhausen, Germany. He made the wooden trunks bound by iron straps to carry the families possesions during their journey to America. He bought land from John Striffler to establish a farm. The Buerk's lost their possessions in the fire of 1881. Fred had just erected a new grainery and completed thrashing, leaving a large straw stack when the fire swept through in September. It ignited Fred's straw stack and burned the barns and house. The family survived by lying face down in a sugar cane patch, which kept them from suffocating from the smoke of the sorgum field, which was still green. They were forever grateful to Reverend Fred Klump, who carried a dish of water to wet his eyes as he walked through the woods until he found them still alive. Those families who were spared the tragedy of "burning out" formed a relief agency from which the Buerk's and others received hay, lumber, furniture and other supplies. Starting over again, the family picked blackberries in the woods which Catherine carried in a basket on her head to town and traded. The next summer the buildings were rebuilt and the family carried-on. The family rebuilt one half mile south of the original buildings on what is now the Lawrence Buehrly farm. (From Art Peck book, recounting the memories shared by Mrs. Elsie C. Anthes of Cass City, with additional information from an article about the Frederick Benkelman family from Volume 27 of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, published September 4, 1967, as well as from BonnieMargaret Jacobs unpublished 1981 manuscript, p. 161). Cass City Chronicle September 6, 1912 Local Items, Page 5 While driving to Cass City Saturday afternoon the horse of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Buerk became frightened and ran into the ditch. Mr. Buerk was thrown from the buggy and dragged some distance in the water. Fortunately neither Mr. or Mrs. Buerk sustained any serious injuries and aside from a few broken eggs no damage was done. Cass City Chronicle April 2, 1915 Elkland Twp. Pioneer Fred Buerk Laid to Rest Tuesday, March 30 Elkland township loses another pioneer in the death of Fred Buerk who passed away Saturday night, March 27, following an illness of several years duration. Fred Buerk was born in Walthausen, Wuertemberg, Germany, Sept. 16, 1840. In 1867 he was married to Catherine Benkelman. Two children were born to this union, one dying in infancy. In 1873 he and his family came to America, locating at Cass City where he endured the hardships of pioneer life, clearing the farm on which he lived and where he passed away. He was converted to God in 1874 under the labors of Rev. Berge. He continued a faithful member of the Evangelical Church and held many important offices of the society. Besides his wife, he leaves one daughter, Mrs. Leonard Buehrly, six grandchildren and one great grandchild. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon. Rev. J. A. Schweitzer of Bay City, a former pastor of the deceased, preached a short funeral service in German at the residence and Rev. D.J. Feather, pastor of the local Evangelical Church, officiated at the church service. Interment was made in Elkland cemetery. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, Spring 2007) (Research): Census Listings: 1880 Federal Census Household: Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Oc cupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace John F. BURK Self M Male W 39 WERTENBERG Carpenter WERTENBURG WERTENBURG Cathrine BURK Wife M Female W 36 WERTENBERG Keeping House WERTENBURG WERTENBURG Cathrine BURK Dau S Female W 14 WERTENBERG At School WERTENBURG WERTENBURG Christina BURK Mother Female W 63 WERTENBERG WERTENBURG WERTENBURG Source Information: Census Place Elkland, Tuscola, Michigan Family History Library Film 1254607 NA Film Number T9-0607 Page Number 96C
  Person ID	I12667	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Johannes B?rk,   b. Bef 1815, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany ,   d. Abt 1866, W?rttemberg, Germany  (Age ~ 51 years)
  Mother	Christina Reinert,   b. 4 Jan 1817, W?rttemberg, Germany ,   d. 11 May 1907, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 90 years)
  Married	Abt 1835	W?rttemberg, Germany   [5]
  	They were the parents of four sons and one daughter
  Family ID	F9406	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Anna Catharina Benkelman,   b. 6 Aug 1843, Bartenbach, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany ,   d. 12 Sep 1917, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 74 years)
  Married	1867	Schneiderhof, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Children	1. Catherine Buerk,   b. 16 Aug 1865, W?rttemberg, Germany ,   d. 20 Mar 1954, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  (Age 88 years)
  Last Modified	19 Jul 2013
  Family ID	F5209	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 16 Sep 1840 - W?rttemberg, Germany Married - 1867 - Schneiderhof, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany Died - 27 Mar 1915 - Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Buried - - Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Headstones

  Buerk, J. Frederick

  
  

• Sources

  [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982. [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, April 2, 1915 (Reliability: 3). [S1610] Jacobs, BonnieMargaret McDonald "The Family Benkelman" Unpublished Manuscript, 276 pages, October 1981 Version, (Copy owned by Barney Benkelman, Helena, Montana; which he xeroxed and sent to Melinda McLemore Strong in San Antonio, Texas), p. 160 (Reliability: 3). [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, September 14, 1917 (Reliability: 3). [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, Friday, May 19, 1907 (Reliability: 3).