John Niedens was born on October 15, 1859 in Messer, Russia (a small German-Lutheran community on the Bergselte (mountain) side of the Volga River) to John Adams Niedens and Marie Katherine Keil. In September 1880 John married Katherine Elizabeth Diehl. He called her "Betta" which was short for "Beth" in German. While married they lived with John's family but conditions were politically and domestically poor. John and Katherine left Russia and came to America with two or three children in 1887-1888. Another source states they left Russia with their three children: John Jr, Katherine, and Molly. Katherine also took two of her sisters, Katie and Molly. They traveled by freighter that hauled cattle. Their trip to America was long and hard which took at least three to six weeks before arriving at the port of New York known as Castle Gardens. From New York they went to Olmitz, Kansas where John found work on the railroad. He saved enough money to buy a farm in Barton County, Kansas. The Niedens family farm is located today between Susank and Galatia in Barton County, Kansas. John and his son John Jr. fenced in the land with stone posts. John and Katherine had ten children:
1. John Niedens, Jr. born April 11, 1881 in Russia
2. Katherine Niedens born September 10, 1883 in Russia
3. Molly Niedens born Feb 4, 1886 in Russia
4. Fred Niedens born June 30, 1888 in Kansas
5. Mary Niedens born September 28, 1890 in Kansas
6. Henry G. Niedens born March 25, 1889 in Kansas
7. Lydia Niedens born November 1, 1903 in Kansas
8. Jacob Niedens born March 25, 1899 in Kansas
9. Pauline Niedens born September 4, 1901 in Kansas
10. Alexander "Alex" Niedens born on October 11, 1904 on the family farm near Hoisington, Kansas
John remained on the family farm until 1937 where he and Katherine bought a small home in Barton County, KS. It was at this home where John died on April 10, 1940 at 5pm from a cerebral hemorrhage and a bowel obstruction. He is buried at the Bazine Cemetery in Barton Co., KS.
Source for birth, parents, immigration, children, and death from a loose page found in the book "Niedens" by Donna Frances Rejman-Borre, great-granddaughter of John Niedens.
Ship Lists: 1887 Jan 3 SS Saale NY port
The following is all recorded on Rootsweb World Connect page http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wiesenmueller&id=I1216
Name: John Niedens
Death: 16 Apr 1940 in Bazine, Ness County, Kansas, USA
!INFO: Donna F. Borre, great granddaughter, 1993
!SHIP: Johan age 28, wife Elisabeth age 26, Johann 5, Catherine 4, and Maly 6/12, aboard the ship Saale which arrived NY 3 Jan 1887 along with several other families, from Wiesenmueller confirmed by Merlyn Niedens after being published in, JERUSLAN NACHRICHTEN Sep. 1998
1900 US Census of Wheatland, Barton co., KS lists John Nedens 41, wife Kate 39, children: John Jr. 19, Kate 16, Mollie 14, Fred 11, Mary 9, Henry 5 and Jacob 1. The couple plus John Jr., Kate and Mollie are Russian born and entered the US in 1886. The remainder of the children are KS born . The couple have been married 19 yrs and have had 8 children of which 7 survive. John owns a mortgaged farm and is a farmer.
1910 US Census of Wheatland, Barton co., KS lists John Niedens 51, wife Kathrina 49, children: Mollie 24, Fred 21, Mary 19, Henry 15, Jacob 10, Paulina 8, Alexander 5 and a grandson Ruben Miller 5. The couple plus Mollie and Fred are Russian born and entered the US in 1886. John owns a farm and is a general home farm farmer. Daughter Mollie does dairy work in the home dairy. Fred works at farming on the home farm. John and Kathrina have been married 29 yrs and have had 10 children of which 8 survive. Mollie is a widow and has had 1 child.
1920 US Census of Wheatland, Barton co., KS lists John Niedens 60, wife Katie 58, children: Henry 25, Jacob 20, Pauline 18, Alexander 15 and Reuben 15. The parents are Russian born and entered the US in 1886. The children are Kansas born. John owns a mortgaged farm and is a wheat farmer. Henry and Jacob are laborers on their father's farm.
Father: Johannes Adam Niedens b: Abt 1829 in Müller, , Russia
Mother: Maria Katherine Keil b: 22 Jan 1830 in Mueller, , Russia
Marriage 1 Katherine Elisabeth Diehl b: 2 Oct 1861 in Wiesenmueller, , Russia
Sources: