Dietrich Heinrich Wilhelm Oehlkers

Dietrich was the sixth child of Johann and Mette, born on December 2, 1858 in Adolphshausen. He got married to Anna Maria Kruer in 1882 and was released from his citizenship in March 1883 and given six months to leave Germany. It seems as though this was in preparation for the birth of his first child, Meta Anna Helene, born on June 13, 1883. Dietrich went ahead of his wife to Colorado, which is confirmed by her letters to him while they were separated. However, after their eventual reunion, there is no further mention of their child Meta, leading us to believe the child may have died early in life. They ended up settling in Brighton where Dietrich set up a combination business of tavern, pool hall, barber shop and bicycle shop, and the building itself still stands in downtown Brighton.