If the trunk could talk...

by Mary Reiman

Looking to the future and guessing what the city, the state, the world, will look like in 100 years, seems overwhelming and too scary/sketchy right now. Continuing to form our more perfect union seems more difficult every day. So today I spent time reflecting on the past. 

I would love to sit across the table from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the host of ‘Finding Your Roots,’ the weekly, hour-long inquiry on NPM delving into the histories, the stories of a variety of famous personalities. How they locate so much history, so many documents and photographs and historical data from around the world makes the heart of this librarian soar. Rich and robust research.

Watching Julia Roberts’ face when she learned why her real last name is McDonald. Hearing Queen Latifah’s response when she learned that a woman, on October 1, 1792, set in motion the freedom of her ancestors with a handwritten document. “People still think that one person can’t make a difference...Mary Old, one person, made a difference to my whole entire family line.” 

Now, instead of watching television, I look below to what has become the TV stand. The wood trunk with the letters FR engraved on the front. 

I believe this handmade trunk carried the world of Freidrich Reimann to the United States. Freidrich was born on March 13, 1839 in Paderborn, Germany. When he arrived in Templeton, Iowa, in 1872, he was Frederick Reiman. 

In the late 1800s, people in many parts of the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to the United States. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came to the U. S. because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity. Others came seeking personal freedom or relief from political and religious persecution, and nearly 12 million immigrants arrived in the United States between 1870 and 1900. During the 1870s and 1880s, the vast majority of these people were from Germany, Ireland, and England... Although immigrants often settled near ports of entry, a large number did find their way inland. Many states, especially those with sparse populations, actively sought to attract immigrants by offering jobs or land for farming. Many immigrants wanted to move to communities established by previous settlers from their homelands... Often stereotyped and discriminated against, many immigrants suffered verbal and physical abuse because they were "different." While large-scale immigration created many social tensions, it also produced a new vitality in the cities and states in which the immigrants settled. The newcomers helped transform American society and culture, demonstrating that diversity, as well as unity, is a source of national strength.        (Library of Congress: Immigration Challenges for New Americans)

According to family records, Frederick married Bernadine Henkenius in 1873 and they farmed near Preda, Iowa before moving to the Templeton area. The Henkenius family came from Schmechten, Germany. 30 kilometers from Frederick's hometown. All immigrants. To Frederick and Bernadine were born 12 children: Joseph, Elizabeth, Bernard, Mary, Fred, John, Theresia, Kathryn, Bernadine and Bertha. Two older children, Anna and Anton died early in life. 

We’ll never know exactly what brought Freidrich Reimann's family to Iowa. His reasons for leaving Germany are not in any records I have found. Perhaps he was following the love of his life. Perhaps the family was fleeing persecution or poverty.  We can only create our own stories of hardship, or hope for a better life, or even a spirit of adventure. But it could not have been an easy journey. Just as it is not an easy journey today for those who arrive at our borders. 

According to the most recent Vintage 2022 population estimates (The Census Bureau creates a new “vintage” of estimates each year based on the latest data available.), Foreign-born individuals now make up almost 15 percent of the U.S. population. The main reason most immigrants came to America in 2022 was for employment opportunities. Other reasons were to escape a violent conflict, deal with environmental concerns, pursue educational opportunities, or reunite with family. The immigrants who came were primarily attracted to Florida, Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina. In addition, more than 900,000 immigrants living in the U.S. became U.S. citizens in 2022, according to a Pew Research Center estimate based on government data released for the first three quarters of the year. (Forbes, December 30, 2022: U.S. Immigration-2022 Year in Review by Andy J. Semotiuk.)

Immigrants, then and now. Do we look at the photographs from Ellis Island with the same mindset as the photographs we now see from El Paso? Maybe, maybe not. 

100 years from now, when historians describe the immigration patterns and policies of 2023, how will they describe the photographs of those lined up at our southern borders, having walked hundreds of miles or having traversed the waters in a boat. They came because they simply wanted to leave their home, their family, their language? The reasons for going through such great hardship in today's world?  

What is most controversial about immigration? The same things that were controversial in the 1800s? Most of our ancestors came from another country, whether forced to come or arriving voluntarily. Arriving from across an ocean. From Africa. From Asia. From Europe. 

I don’t live in the epicenter of the massive number of people standing in line to cross the border today. Knowing how to support those in need is a major issue, a divisive issue in our country. 

There are no easy answers. No straightforward solutions. Are our souls filled with kindness and support or with fear and hatred? Many different perspectives, just as there were many years ago.

I am thankful for Freidrich Reimann, my great-grandfather. I wish I had pictures of him. I'll keep looking. For now, I will continue to conjure up stories of him from the facts we do have.  

Frederick passed away in 1911 at age 71. One of his sons, John, and his wife, Josephine, moved to Milford, Iowa, in 1914. John was 27 years old. They purchased farmland. They built a house, made it their home, raised their family. 4 daughters and 2 sons. Loretta, Clara, Clarence, Dorothy, Bernard and Gertrude. The wood trunk arrived in Milford with them. It was still in the attic of the farmhouse 50 years later, during my childhood, after my dad, Bernard, purchased the farm. 

I am thankful for John Reiman, my grandfather. Grandpa was witty and kind with a twinkle in his eye and goodness in his heart. He was loving and gentle and very fun! I wish I knew more about his childhood, his parents, the decision to move to Milford, and the trunk he brought with him. 

If only that trunk could talk...