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Hired Hands

 
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roger.pape
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Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 414
Location: Liverpool, NY

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:21 pm    Post subject: Hired Hands Reply with quote

A common practice in the early days of Concordia was that of hired hands on the farm. Most of these hired hands were younger men who had just immigrated from the old country (Germany in the case of Concordia).

There is an obvious explanation for this practice. First of all, there was little mechanization at that time and farming required a lot of manual labor. Those who arrived in the U. S. purchased farms considerably larger than they were accustomed to back in Germany. The young men that became hired hands were also used to working for someone else rather than striking out on their own. In Germany, the oldest son inherited the family farm and the younger sons either had to work for an older brother or find another trade.

The hired hands lived with the family receiving room and board as part of their compensation. Living together, some of them also became romantically involved with the daughters of the family. In other postings, I have noted several cases. John Runge Sr. married Mathilde Bruns, the youngest daughter of H. D. Bruns. John von Glahn married Anna “Marie” Stuenkel, a younger daughter of my great-great-grandfather Conrad Stuenkel.

Can you think of some other cases?
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