Benjamin Buller 26

One last post (for now) about the Benjamin Buller family in the Heinrichsdorf church book. The 1850 census introduced us to Benjamin and Helena’s fourth and apparently last son: Peter (see here). At that time Peter was seventeen, single, and living at home; by the time of the compilation of the church book in 1858, he warranted his own pages.

Three males are listed on the left-hand page: Peter and his two sons, Heinrich and Benjam[in]. Note first that Peter and family are still identified as family 22 (far left column), as a part of the Benjamin Buller larger family.

The record for Peter includes his date of birth (23 September 1832) and his date of baptism (17 May 1851). Based on his year of birth we know that he was born in Volhynia (precisely where is another matter), before the family made their first journey to Waldheim; in light of his baptism date, we can state with confidence that it took place in Heinrichsdorf (or the immediate area), after the Benjamin Buller family moved there from Waldheim.

Peter’s firstborn son, named Heinrich, had a short life: born on 24 October 1857, he died before the age of two, on 22 February 1859, at 9 in the morning (9 Uhr Morgens). Then came Benjamin, who was born 31 January 1861, at 5 AM (Uhr 5 Morgens).

On the right-hand page opposite are the females of the Peter Buller family, Peter’s wife and their three daughters.

Peter married Maria Ratzlaff, who was born 6 February 1837 and was baptized at age fourteen on 17 May 1851, the same day of Peter Buller’s baptism. The 1850 census seems to indicate that Maria was the youngest daughter of Benjamin and Helena Ratzlaff. (GRANDMA does not know that Maria was the daughter of 353925 and 353926.)

Peter and Maria’s first child was a daughter, Anna, who was born on 23 January 1855. Their second child was also a daughter, Helena, born 22 March 1856. After Heinrich was born the following year, a third daughter was born on 6 September 1859: Maria.

So much for the Heinrichsdorf records on the Peter Buller family. But that is not the end of the story. We will circle back to take a broader look at the church book and then follow that with additional information provided by the GRANDMA database. There remains more that we can say about our family’s residence at Heinrichsdorf.