their fourteen grandchildren and twenty-one great grandchildren would in 1966 be filling some important rank of our country from coast to coast, such as: professors, editors, mechanics, farmers, barbers, aviators, postmasters, geologists, railroad fireman, druggists, bookkeeper, librarian, newstand operator, nurses, stenographers, teachers and what not. It was in the year of 1883 that Christena and Jacob Essig with their five children: Katie, 17, Domian, 14, John, 9, Mary, 7 and Anna, a baby of one year, left their home in Studerheim, German, and began their long journey to America. The voyage began at Breman, Germany, on the ship Elba; they left their native homeland.on April 1, 1883. Before the Essigs came to America, they operated an inn or hotel in Studerheim This was sold and only a few belongings could be brought with them. The inn, after 83 years, still stands and was recently visited by a great granddaughter, Audrey Kissinger. After three weeks on the storm tossed Atlantic, they landed in New York City. John, a lad of nine, looked at the big city and said, ''If New York is this big, what will Bennington be?" After going through the immigration inspection and taking the smallpox vaccination, where incidentally, they were robbed of some of their prized possessions, such as a set of pearl  knives and forks, Katie's new shawl and high-buttoned shoes, and a German hoe they were bringing for Uncle Eishehhauer. They purchased their tickets for Bennington, but upon reaching Kansas City, they were notified that that was as far as the ticket went, so they had to buy oither tickets. When they reached Solomon, Kansas, they had to stay all night in a hotel. It was here they first beheld the American bedbug, unheard of in Germany. Not much sleeping was done their first night at an American hotel. The next morning they partook of the Kansas ''Flap-jack'' and syrup, something unheard of in their nativeland. They boarded a freight train in Solomon and finally reached their destination about 9 o'clock in the morning. Grandpa Essig went over town to inquire about Valentine Eisenhauer, whose wife was Grandma Essig's sister. He was told to go two and a half miles east of town, but being turned around he started north, but was soon told of his error. He walked out to the Eisenhauer farm, now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Herman Eisenhauer, the Eisenhauer family hitched up the lumber wagon and came to town for the family which was waiting in the depot. Upon their arrival at the Eisenhauer home, Domian spied two guns hung above the door and was ready to take off for Germany. The Essig family spent their first winter at the Geissert and Reinhardt homes. The next spring they settled on a farm a mile south of the Eisenhauer farm. Mr. Jake Fisher built the house; he was the grandfather of our present Jake Fisher. Many hardships were encountered their first years in America. Sickness, death of a small son, Willie, born after coming to their new home, grasshoppers, heavy rains and drought were endured, but brave hearts kept up their spirits and they never thought of returning to their far away home they had left. The younger children attended Germany School district. With good neighbors, Pankiller on the south, where Dan Rehbergs' lived, George Slick's and John Peters, on the east and Uncle Eisenhauer on the north they got along as well as could be expected. The entire family had .a seige of typhoid fever in the fall of 1885; the older children worked out and assisted the family at the time. In 1887, Katie worked at the William Rehberg home and on June 15 1887, she was united in marriage to Joseph S. Boyle. The ceremony was performed at the Rehberg home and the Bennington band serenaded the couple. Mr. Boyle was a member of the band. The Boyle's settled down in Bennington, where Mr. Boyle was in the real estate business. Nine children blessed this union. John Essig was united in marriage to Carrie Mocker on Nnvember 23,1899. They were the parents of seven children. Mary Essig was married to August Hohensee January 31, 1900, two children were born to this couple. Anna Essig on January 16,1901, married Will Hogrefe. They had a family of four. Many happy days were enjoyed at the Essig farm, especially on Grandma Essig's birthday, when all of the clan gathered for a feast. Jacob Essig passed away in 1903, his wife in 1924. RETURN NEXT