Susan Hall Collection

Collection

Identifier: GRHC SC 047

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Susan Hall Collection consists of two handwritten notes on small notebook paper that were found in a crochet booklet in South Dakota. These notes detail the descendants of two families: Jakob Bickel and Selma Herbolt, and Jakob Fehr and Christina Bickel.

A notation states that these were written for Christina Bickel’s great-niece. These notes also contain some brief biographical information about the families.

Dates

1974 - 1989

Creator

Hall, Susan. (Person)

Access

Access to the physical collection is available upon request. Request must be made at least three (3) business days prior to ndsu.grhc@ndsu.edu.

Copyright

Copyrights to items in this collection remain with original copyright holders or are in the public domain.

Biography

Jakob Bickel emigrated from Hoffenheim, Germany in 1819 and settled in the Rohrbach in the Zerigul Valley. Jakob Bickel married Selma Herbolt, and they had five children: Christina, Henry, Adam, Barbara, and Elizabeth.

Jakob Fehr, Sr. was born in 1850 in Worms. He married Christina Bickel, who was born in Worms in 1852. They had eight children: Jakob, Elizabeth, Peter, Carl, Katherine, Adam, Christina, and Henry. Jacob Fehr, Sr. died in 1894 of throat cancer. Christina (Bickel) Fehr was later remarried to Peter Mehrer. Peter and Christina Mehrer moved to Johannestal, where Peter worked as a blacksmith. Peter Mehrer had seven children from a previous marriage. Peter and Christina Mehrer had two girls: Alvina and Magdaline. During World War II, the Soviets forced many Germans living in Russia to relocate. As a result of this, in 1944, Christina Bickel died in a forced march to Siberia at the age of 91.