My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM C. WERRE, a merchant of Wine Hill, and the owner of valuable farming land near this village, is one of the most substantial men of Randolph County. He is a native of Germany, having been born in Rethem, Hanover, May 24, 1839, and is a son of Frederick and Marie (Clasen) Werre, natives respectively of Rethem and Oldendorf. When our subject was ten years of age his father, who was a farmer in the Old Country, disposed of his house in the village and his outlying lands and started with his family for America.

Embarking at Bremerhaven on the four-mast vessel “Burgundy,” the family commenced the voyage to the New World. Early in the third night out, the vessel ran into a sand bar in the English Channel and was wrecked. Clad only in their night clothes, the passengers escaped in the small boats, losing all they possessed. The old men, the women and children were taken to France. Some of the men were put aboard a coal vessel, while the others were taken to England. The family was separated for four weeks and none knew whether the absent ones were living or dead. Finally all were assembled in London and the voyage was renewed. The English were very kind in supplying the unfortunates with clothing, money and food. Mr. Werre lost in property about $600, but saved about $800 in gold that he and his wife had secured on their persons, a goodly fortune for emigrants in those days.

After about a month’s delay the family again took ship, this time on a London vessel, the “Rio Grande” and after a voyage of about thirteen weeks landed in New Orleans, February 20, 1849. After remaining there a week they took a river steamer for Chester, which was reached in a week’s time. Fritz, a son by Mr. Werre’s first wife, who had come to America in 1842 and owned forty acres near Bremen, Randolph County, died leaving the land to his father. As forty acres of land was considered a fortune in the Old Country, Mr. Werre expected to live at his ease on that amount of land here. Finding it insufficient, an additional eighty-acre tract was purchased and life in the new country began.

The father of our subject was twice married and had six children, of whom William was next to the youngest. Only two members of the family now survive. Our subject had attended school in the Old Country but found none on his arrival here. However, by self-culture he acquired a fairly good English education. On account of his father’s illness the care of the family fell upon him when he was but sixteen. Together with his younger brother he conducted the farm and cared for his father, who for the last seven of his twenty years’ suffering was not out of the house but twice.

November 13, 1861, at the age of twenty-three, our subject married Miss Christina, daughter of Conrad and Wilhelmina (Handelman) Wolter, natives of Klein Elbe, Hanover, where Mrs. Werre was born August 27, 1842, and where she lived until attaining her tenth year. Mr. and Mrs. Werre were the parents of nine children, eight of whom survive, as follows: William, Edmond, Herman, Ernest, Amelia, Carolina, Adolph and Sigmond. Anna is deceased. Mr. Werre, his wife, and all the children are members of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church at Wine Hill, in which they take a deep interest, promoting all that pertains to the cause of religion. They are also deeply interested in the advancement of the parochial school, which is conducted at present by August Wilde.

Besides conducting a well stocked country store at Wine Hill, Mr. Werre operates some two hundred acres of fine farming land near the village and also owns nearly one hundred acres in addition. In politics he is a stanch Democrat and supports the party principles by his influence and ballot. Socially, he and his entire family are held in high esteem by all who are so fortunate as to call them friends.