Immigrant Dirksens from Dakota and Duerksens from Kansas

IMMIGRANT DIRKSENS IN DAKOTA AND DUERKSENS IN KANSAS
On June 14, 1953 many Dirksen and Duerksen families were in theVeterans Memorial Hall at Shafter, CA.Most were members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, but religion was not their only bond. Their shared earliest common ancestor is Kornelius Dircks, a Dutch Mennonite who lived nearDragacz, Polandbetween 1760 and1850. He is called Kornelius Duerksen onGRANDMA(#70539) and Ancestry.com (#13422620045). Kornelius' son Johann Kornelius (1765 - 1855) emigrated in 1819 to the Mennonite Molotschna Colony, Alexanderthal, farm #11 in Ukraine. Johann's sons Johann "Oel-Ohm" and Heinrich both lived and died on their father's farm but their children came to America during the 1870s. Johann's children spelled their surname Duerksen when they came to Kansas starting in 1874. Heinrich's children spelled it Dirksen when they came to Dakota Territory in 1876. Descendants from both groups came to Shafter, CA, starting in 1914.

Shafter CA
1914 N Dakota
1900 MB to SDA
1881 S Dakota
1876 Kansas
1874 Russia
1820 Prussia
1760

Resources

Their Dutch ancestors emigrated first to Prussia, then to Russia and then to Kansas or South Dakota in the 1870s.

Abraham came to South Dakota, Jacob came to Kansas, John recorded their history and Alvin published it.

Tobias Schmidt (1852-1937) was an early (1874) settler in Brotherfield Township. His Diary contains entries from 1886 through April 1898. when he left for Canada where he continued his diary. Tobias' great-great grandson Victor made a pdf copy of the diary available here. It is a 78mb file. Please expect a brief delay in opening or downloading theTobias Schmidt's Diary 1886-1911.

Cornelius W Duerksen (1824-1888) emigrated to Kansas from Alexanderthal in Molotschna Colony, South Russia (now Ukraine). His family was related to the Brotherfield Dirksens and the Kansas Duerksens also from Alexanderthal. Cornelius' emigration diary reveals much of their common emigration experiences. 1874 Emigration Diary.

Clifford Wall (1926-2011) grew up in Canada. His family also settled first in Brotherfield Township, SD. Cliff's 1998 family history book Remembering Our Heritage is long out of print. This is a 53mb pdf file. Remembering Our Heritage.