The name Preheim, as most of us now pronounce and write it in both the German and English, was derived most likely from an old Holland or Belgian family name.

Some years ago when I visited our Congressional library in Washington D.C., I asked to see some of the old Wappen-books or Geneology Records of Holland. I did not find the name "Preheim" but found many similar names such as Brem-Praem-Prehm-Priem and so I do not doubt that the name Preheim comes from one or the other of the above mentioned family names.

We can not be certain as to the time and place where our great-great-grandfather was born and raised. We haven’t been able to establish for certain whether his name was Henry Moses or Henry Phillip Preheim. As I remember it from boyhood, I heard the older people who lived in his days say that he somehow tried to conceal his identity. This helps me to understand why his read name may have been kept a secret.

Tradition has it that Great-great-grandfather Henry was a wanderer (some kind of knight) who came from Holland through Europe to Russian Poland. By trade he was a cabinet maker and upholsterer. He even worked at the courts of the nobility of Holland and Russia.

He finally came to a Mennonite community and got acquainted with Maria Lichty, who was a Mennonite girl. She was lame, having been born with one leg shorter than the other. Her son, Karl, was also born that way.

This family had four children, three boys and one girl. Solomon their oldest son had ten daughters and no son, therefore, the other two sons, Peter and Karl, became the fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers of all the Preheims living in America.

Our great-great-grandfather spoke a different dialect or language when he came to our Swiss-German Mennonites in Poland and also belonged to a different church which practiced infant baptism. He learned to speak the German language and stayed in the neighborhood of our people as long as he lived.

It was his trade and profession or it may have been other causes that often took him away from home for journeys that were for longer or shorter periods of time. It was on one of these journeys that he took sick and died. He was buried away from home somewhere in Russian Poland.

Sometime later a traveler or messenger came by and brought his family the information about his passing on. (It may be that our great-great-grandfather gave orders to do this before he died.) When our great-great-grandmother asked the messenger whether his end was peaceful, he said, "Oh, yes, the priest who attended him absolved him from all his sins and gave him the last rite and he died peacefully."

Since Henry Moses Preheim never joined the Mennonite church, we have no written record of his life. He must have lived in the later part of the century (about 1780) at a time when Western Europe and especially France went through a period of great social unrest and revolution.

He died in the year 1834 and our great-great-grandmother followed him six years later in 1840. May their earthly remains rest in peace until the great resurrection morning.

(Source: "The Peter Preheim Family Record 1813-1951" - Compiled and Published by Jacob M. And Anna J. (Graber) Goering, Galva, Kansas, 1951, pp. III-IV, Printed by Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, Hillsboro, Kansas)

Brief History of Peter and Barbara (Strausz) Preheim - By John S. Preheim

Peter and Barbara (Strausz) Preheim, were both born in Horodisch, Volhynia, Russia. They immigrated to America in 1874 and lived the remainder of their lives in South Dakota.

According to tradition, Henry Moses Preheim (grandfather of Peter) came from Hollard to Russia. By trade he was an upholsterer and worked for many noble persons including the courts of the Czar at Petrograd. Because of the natuare of this work, he moved frequently from place to place to practice his craftsmanship. One of these moves brought him to Edwardsdorf, Russia and to the Mennonite settlement there. Here Henry met and married Maria Lichty who had come to Edwardsdorf from Switzerland. Henry, who did not come from a Mennonite background, learned the German language and remained in this area for the remainder of his life. However, he was off somewhere else when he died and was presumably buried at the location of his death. Whether this absence was related to this occupation or for other reasons is unknown. Henry Preheim died in 1834 and Maria Lichty Preheim died in 1840. There were four children born to this marriage; Solomon, Peter, Maria, and Karl.

Peter Preheim (father of Peter) was born on June 18, 1813, in Edwardsdorf, Russia. He was a harness maker by trade. On Oct 17, 1837 he married Maria Graber. She was the daughter of Daniel and Maria (Rupp) Graber whose ancertors left Switzerland for Monteliard, France in 1673. Here they lived more than a century and in 1790 moved to Einsiedal (near Lemberg) Austria. In 1815 they moved again, this time to Michelsdorf, Poland. Maria was born on February 12, 1820. Peter and Maria later moved to Horodisch and came to America in 1874. They settled in South Dakota [Dakota Territory] and lived there until they died. Peter and Maria had four children; Mary, Jacob, Peter and Frances.

Peter Preheim, the third child of Peter and Maria (Graber) Preheim, was born on September 4, 1848 in Horodisch, Russia. It was here that he grew up and became a professional weaver. On November 7, 1869 he married Barbara Strausz, daughter of Fredrick and Magdelena (Schrag) Strausz.

Frederick Strausz was born near Lemberg, Austria in 1809. He was the son of Johann and Barabara? Strausz. He, with the rest of his family, migrated to Edwardsdorf, Russia in 1818. Magdelena Schrag was the daughter of Johann and Susan (Zerger) Schrag. She was born in 1809. Frederick and Magdelena moved to the village of Horodisch around 1837 and immigrated to America in 1874. They settled in Kansas where Frederick died in 1880 and Magdelena in 1894.

In the early 1870’s the Russian government recalled the Mennonite exemption from military service. This led to a large immigration of Mennonites to America in 1874. Peter and Barbara and their first child, Anna, were among this group. They arrived in the United States aboard the ship, S.S. City of Chester, which landed in New York on August 24, 1874. Peter, Barbara and Anna spent their first winter in the United States in Yankton (then Dakota Territory) where their their son John was born. The following year they moved to Walshtown aboaut fourteen miles north of Yakton. In 1878, they moved to Turner County and settled on a homstead claim relinguished to them by Andrew Gering. This property later became the home of their youngest son, Henry, and is presently the home of Henry’s son, Jasper and his family. This land is located southeast of Freeman in the fertile Turkey Ridge Valley. Peter and Barbara lived here for the remainder of their lives, even after retirement.

During their early years in South Dakota [Dakota Territory] they experienced many of the hardships of early pioneer life. These included grasshoppers which brought about ruin to crops, prairie fires and severe blizzards. With hard work they were able to provide for the needs of their family and turned their land into one of the most productive farms in the county. Both Peter and Barbara made numerous comments that they had no idea that the climate in Dakota would be as severe and difficult as it was.

Peter took special pride in raising hogs. He fed them slop. This is a mixture of ground barley, milk and water which was mixed together in the evening and fed to the hogs early the next morning. He fattened the hogs to well over 300 pounds because lard was in great demand. He sold these hogs to William DeWald in Freeman or Carry in Hurley and almost always was paid premium price for them.

He was considered a brilliant person although he had very little chance of attending school. He helped organize the townships and school districts in Turner County. For many years he was a member of the school board in Childstown Township and helped build the first schoolhouse in the township. He assisted in organizing the old Salem congregation and was a charter member of the present Salem Mennonite [South] Church. He was chosen as a candidate for the ministry. He helped build the Milwaukee railroad from Marion to Freeman.

Barbara was a devoted wife and mother who worked hard to provide for the needs of her family, especially those needs brought on during the struggle of pioneer life. She was a meticulous housekeeper which is naturally difficult under the circumstances in which she lived. Barbara was the only one of her family to live in South Dakota and she often felt lonely for the rest of her family which lived in Kansas. She enjoyed reading and in her later years looked forward to mail time and letters from Frances and Sam. [Note: She loved flowers.]

Peter and Barbara were the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters. Two of the daughters died in infancy. The other eight children married. Six of these eight settled down on farms just a few miles from the "home place". Sam was a minister and lived a number of places around the country. Frances was a nurse in Chicago. Barbara was particularly proud of the service these two were doing, through she often wished that Frances would be closer to home. Anna’s husband "Graber Jack" was a person whom Peter depended upon a great deal for help and advice on many projects. Although Peter was a well read person, he felt that Sam and Pete were too interested in education. He was very pleased when Jacob decided to emphasize hog raising in his farming operation. Peter and Barbara also had their share of marital spats which continued throughout their entire married lives. Even though Peter was adventurous and a kind person, he was quite patriarchal in his family and both Peter and Barbara could be stubborn.

In their retirement years, Peter and Barbara made their home with their youngest son, Henry and his family, who lived on the home place. Peter helped his sons with many projects, especially carpentry. He also enjoyed mending shoes, especially for his grandchildren. Reading also occupied his time. They were frequently visited by their children and grandchildren.

Although Peter and Barbara did not live model lives [Note: Peter smoked cigarettes], they did pass on many skills, ideas, and values to their children and grandchildren. As each generation continues to pass on skills, ideas and values, many will have been influenced by Peter and Barbara Preheim.

[Much of this information was taken from "A Brief History of the Life of Mr. and Mrs. Peter P. Preheim" by Adina Graber Waltner which was presented at Peter and Barbara’s Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration. Also, from "Some History of Our Family in the Pioneer Days" by Jacob P. Preheim, who wrote these memoirs at the age of 85 so that history could live through future generations.]

(Source: "The Peter Preheim Family Record 1813-1951" - Compiled and Published by Jacob M. And Anna J. (Graber) Goering, Galva, Kansas, 1951, pp. 1-3, Printed by Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, Hillsboro, Kansas)

As I remember my grandmother, Anna Preheim Graber, I picture her during her later years of life sitting and piecing quilts. This, plus gardening and tending flowers were her hobbies and pastimes. The quilts. Were a piece of art, often sewn by hand, and were pieced accurately with Anna’s precision color matches.

Anna was born in Russia and came to America with her parents. She married Jacob G. Graber and they lived on a farm. The church played an important role in the life of the family. The "Graber Jacks" were great entertainers and grandpa often waited after church to make sure that everybody had a place to eat. Grandmother was a good cook. Singing was very much a part of the Graber family, although Anna herself was not a singer.

Anna had a sympathetic listening ear for her mother, Barbara (Strausz) Preheim and took care of her before her death. Being the oldest in the family she always tried to get along well with the other family members and tried to live a peaceful life with everyone.

(Source: "The Peter Preheim Family Record 1813-1951"- Compiled and Published by Jacob M. And Anna J. (Graber) Goering, Galva, Kansas, 1951, p. 6, Printed by Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, Hillsboro, Kansas)

(Sources:" The Peter Preheim Family Record 1813-1951" - Compiled and Published by Jacob M. And Anna J. (Graber) Goering, Galva, Kansas, 1951, pp. 1-3, Printed by Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, Hillsboro, Kansas; "Swiss Russian Mennonite Families Before 1874", Compiled by James W. Krehbiel; "Swiss Mennonite Ancestors and Their Relationship from 1775", Compiled by Arthur Graber; "Descendants of Pierre and Marie (Riche) Graber: A 4-Generation Listing".)

*3U HEINRICH M. PREHEIM (b. 1785? d. ?) m. MARIA LICHTY (b. 1790? d. ?) (Great-great-great-great-Grandparents (twice)) four children (see 2u’s)

2u Solomon Preheim (b. 1811 d. 1873) m. Barbara Albrecht (b. 27 July 1820 d. 4 Feb. 1870) ten daughters
*2U PETER PREHEIM (b. 18 June 1813 d. ? ) m. MARIA GRABER (b. 17 Oct. 1837) (Great-great-great Grandparents) four children(see *1u’s below)
2u Maria Preheim (b. 1814 d. ?) m. Rev. Peter Kaufman (b. 15 Oct. 1815 d. 30 Oct. 1884) nine children
2u Karl Preheim (b. 30 Nov. 1828) m. Katarena Graber (b. 1 Dec. 1837 d. 1874) four sons, two daughters
................................2^nd. m. Elizabeth Schrag (b. 6 July 1841 d. 2 April 1925) two sons, two daughters

*A&J ANNA PREHEIM (b. 2 Aug 1872) m. JACOB G. GRABER(Great-grand parents) nine children (see 1d’s below)
John Preheim (b. 6 Dec. 1874) m. Maria Graber two sons
Mary Preheim (b. 21 Jan. 1877) m. Wm. Brockmiller three sons, one daughter
Elizabeth Preheim (b. 1 March 1879 d. 30 Dec. 1879)
Rev. Samuel Preheim (b. 5 March 1881) m. Emma Wittrig seven sons, one daughter
Peter P. Preheim (b. 8 April 1883) m. Myrtle Wittrig four sons, one daughter
..........................................2^nd m. Edith Wenger two sons, three daughters
Jacob P. Preheim (b. 13 July 1885) m. Maria Waltner six sons, two daughters
Frances Preheim (b. 11 Nov. 1887) m. Richard Hahnemann children?
Henry Preheim (b. 26 March 1890) m. Dora Gering six sons, two daughters
Lena Preheim (b. 1892 d. Infancy)

*2D MAXINE MAE MUELLER (b. 1 July 1932) m. DELMAR D. ORTMAN (Parents) three children (see 3d’s below)
2d Bruce Mueller (b. 19 May 1934) m. Elva Nase five children: B .Kent, Joan, Lisa, Tracy (d.infancy), Kristen
2d Harriet Mueller (b. 3 April 1940) m. Elrod Kaufman three children: Jill, Sue, Don

*3D DAVID E. ORTMAN (b. 28 March 1953) m. ANN E. MARCHAND two children (see *4D’s below)
3d Jean Y. Ortman (b. 13 March 1955) m. Karl Detrich two children: Sarah, Anna
3d John C. Ortman (b. 19 March 1960) m. Linda (Demick) Wentzel

*4D Michael D. Ortman (b. 25 Sept. 1985)
*4D Neah E. M. Ortman (b. 30 June 1989)

[NOTE: The Graber family came from Huttwil and Kirchdorf, Canton Bern, Switzerland. In 1672 they settled in Alsace. After 1712 when Anabaptists were expel by the King of France many moved to Comte de Montbeliard, Wurttemberg.]

*?5U (PIERRE) PETER GRABER (b. ca 1682?) m. Elizabeth? (b. ca. 1682 d. ?) eight children (see ?4u’s below)

[Note: Christian Graber and Maria Roth had eight childern. The oldest daughter remained in France, another daughter died in childhood. The remaining six children migrated from Montbeliard (a separate parcel of Wurttemberg between 1396 and 1801. After 1801 it was acquired by France.) to Adampol, Podolia (a Polish Province immediately south of Volhynia). Podolia was absorbed by Russia in 1793, so they moved to a little village of Michelsdorf near Urszulin, Poland. After Christian died, Maria moved to Eduardsdorf, Vohynia, Russia in 1815, but other Grabers moved to Horodyszcze, Volhynia, Russia where they remained until their children left for Dakota Territory in 1874. I (David E. Ortman) am directly related to six (of eight) children of Christian Graber and Maria Roth.]

1u Rev. Christ Graber (b. 28 Feb 1818) m. Elizabeth Schrag
1u John Graber (b. 31 July 1821) m. Freni Kaufman
1u Jacob Graber (b. 11 Feb. 1825) m. Freni Stucky
1u Peter O. Graber (b. 12 March 1830) m. Freni Gering
*1U Rev. JOSEPH GRABER (b. 30 Oct. 1832 d. 7 May 1895) m. FRENI GRABER (b. 26 Dec. 1837 d. 7 Aug. 1906) (Great-great Grandparents) seven children (see *J&A below)
1u Daniel Graber (b. 3 Aug. 1835 d. 13 April 1846)
1u Andreas Graber (b. 18 April 1838) m. Anna Graber
1u Anna Graber (b. 14 Dec. 1841) m. Jacob Strauss

[Johann Strauss (Strausz) came from a German Luthern or Evengelical Reformed Background. He and his wife joined the Mennonite Church in Eduardsdorf, Volhynia, Russia.]

*2U FRIEDERICH "FRITZ" STRAUSS (b. 1809 d. 1894) m. MAGDALENA SCHRAG (b. 1809 d. 1880) (Great-great-great Grandparents) seven children (see 1u’s below)
2u Katharina Strauss (b. 1813?) m. Johann Schrag (b. 26 Feb. 1812 d. 26 Nov. 1860)
2u Maria Strauss (b. 1815?) m. Peter A. Graber (b. 30 Sept. 1816 d. 1889)
2u Christina Strauss (b. 1819) m. Johann C. Graber (b. 1818? d. 1882)
2u Christian Strauss (d. infancy?)
2u Margareta Strauss (b. 1823?) m. Peter Krehbiel (b. 1814 d. 1878)
2u Eva Strauss (b. 1825?) m. Jacob Krehbiel (b. 1826 d. 1881)

1u Johann Strauss (b. 26 December 1833 d. 10 July 1834)
1u Anna Strauss (b. 4 July 1835) m. Rev. Jacob D. Gering
1u Jacob Strauss (b. 7 Jan. 1838) m. Anna Graber four daughters (one d. infancy), two sons (both d. infancy)
.................................2^nd m. Barbara Kaufman Kaufman
1u Katharina Strauss (b. 3 Feb. 1841) m. Christian D. Gering
1u Freni Strauss (b. 16 Jan. 1844) m. Peter Kaufman
1u Barbara Strauss (b.14 June 1847 d. 14 April 1848)
*1U BARBARA STRAUSS (b. 26 March 1849 d. 1934) m. PETER P. PREHEIM (Great-great Grandparents) ten children (see *A&J below)

*A&J ANNA PREHEIM (b. 2 Aug 1872) m. JACOB G. GRABER nine children (see *1D above)
John Preheim (b. 6 Dec. 1874) m. Maria Graber two sons
Mary Preheim (b. 21 Jan. 1877) m. Wm. Brockmiller three sons, one daughter
Elizabeth Preheim (b. 1 March 1879 d. 30 Dec. 1879)
Rev. Samuel Preheim (b. 5 March 1881) m. Emma Wittrig seven sons, one daughter
Peter P. Preheim (b. 8 April 1883) m. Myrtle Wittrig four sons, one daughter
..........................................2^nd m. Edith Wenger two sons, three daughters
Jacob P. Preheim (b. 13 July 1885) m. Maria Waltner six sons, two daughters
Frances Preheim (b. 11 Nov. 1887) m. Richard Hahnemann children?
Henry Preheim (b. 26 March 1890) m. Dora Gering six sons, two daughters
Lena Preheim (b. 1892 d. Infancy)

[The name Schrag can only be traced to four small villages in Switzerland before 1800: Wynigen in Canton Bern, Feuerthalon in Zurich, and Aberswil and Eggiswil in Canton Lucern. There is no clear information on when the Schrags moved to the Palatinate area, but they were there by 1735 and thereafter were found widely. Many Schrags went directly to the United States. But Johann Schrag and some of his children went to E. Galacia, Austria in 1784. In 1796, part of the family went to check out the Hutterities living in Wischenka, Tchernigov, Russia. One daughter, Katharina, married Andreas Waltner, one of the Hutterite "bruders". She returned to the Swiss Mennonite group with her childern after her husband died. Johann Schrage and his wife Elisabeth Albrecht left the Hutterite Colony in 1797 and moved to Michalin, Kiev, Russia. However, by 1801, the Schrags and other Michalin Mennonites moved to Beresina near Dubno, Volhynia, Russia and then nearby to Wignanka where they also spread out to nearby Eduardsdorf from where the Schrags ultimately departed for America in 1784.]

3u Jacob T. Schrag (b. 1 Sept. 1765) m. Katharina Bergtold
...........................................2^nd m. Eva Bachmann
...........................................3^rd m. Barbara Kinzi seven daughters, all remained in EGa. Austria
3u Andreas Schrag (b. 1774) m. Barbara Albrecht (2^nd m.) (Great-great-great-great-great Grandparents and Great-great-great-great Grandparents) three stepchildern, one daughter
3u Elisabeth Schrag (b. 6 Sept. 1777) m. Michael Ewy family all remained in EGa, Austria
*3U JOHANN SCHRAG (b. 1777? d. 1815) m. SUSANNA ZERGER (b. ? d. 1814) (Great-great-great-great Grandparents) six children (see 2u’s below)
3u Magdalena Schrag (b. ?) m. Kasper Schmalenberger (family remained in EGa. Austria)
3u Katharina Schrag (b. 11 January 1781) m. Andeas Waltner of Wischenka, Russia Hutterite Colony six children
3u Rev. Joseph Schrag (b. c. 1783) m. Freni Stucky (Great-great-great-great Grandparents) eight children
3u Daniel Schrag (b. 1788-90) m. Maria (Van) Hubin) (Great-great-great-great Grandparents (twice)) seven childern
3u Anna Schrag (b.c. 1789) m. Jerg Waldner (brother to Andreas of Wischenka, Russia Hutterite Colony) family remained with Hutterite Colony
3u Maria Schrag (b. c. 1792) m. Johann Wipf of Wischenka, Russia Hutterite Colony
............................2^nd m. Ecnoch Kleinsasser of Wischenka, Russia Hutterite Colony family remined with Hutterite Colony

2u Katharina Schrag (b. 3 Jan. 1797 d. 28 Dec. 1813)
2u Jacob Schrag (b. 29 April 1798) m. Maria Gering
2u Anna Schrag (b. 26 April 1802) m. Johann Wedel
..................................2^nd m. Johann Flickinger
2u Andreas Schrag (b. 21 March 1807) m. Barbara Gering
*2U MAGDELENA SCHRAG (b. Sept. 1809 d. 1880) m. FRIEDRICH "FRITZ" STRAUSS (Great-great-great Grandparents) seven children (see 1u’s below)
2u Johann Schrag (b. 26 February 1812) m. Katharina Struass