Û Rickels
50th ANNIVERSARY OF MR. & MRS. HENRY RICKELS — 4 April 1896
"Many of the people who have lived in Wayne Township that are of
German decent have relatives on this photo. The location of the house
was about one mile north of the Wayne Center School (geographical center
of the township) on the west side of the Amber Road. The house was torn
down a number of years ago, but the barn still remains that was behind
the house. Again, identification is lacking, but I know that someone has
the names that go with this photo. So here is hoping that my e-mail
account will be filled!" Steve
Hanken
You can click on any person to view an enlargement of
that section.
Update, 25 Feb 2012 — The wedding anniversary was
for Heinrich Rickels and his wife Gesche Marie Rickels (still working to
find a maiden name). The "Happy?" couple are seated to the right of the
table in front of the group. Standing behind Heinrich is the minister,
probably the only one of the bunch save maybe the guy on the far left
who is either a photographer or the doctor! I kept finding photos of
this minister in every family album I came across and finally it dawned
on me he wasn't a family member but the minister who served both St.
John's Lutheran and Wayne Zion Lutheran Churches! As luck would have it,
Heinrich Rickels son, Gerd, married Talke Katharina Tobiassen 2 February
1876, and they are likely in this photograph. It also makes a family
connection to me as my great grandmother Anna Bohlken nee Tobiassen was
Talke Katharina's sister. The barn I mentioned that was behind the
former Rickels house is now history, no buildings remain at the site of
this portrait.
Steve Hanken
