Christian Scharenbroch 

(1845-1926)

Christian Scharrenbroch and his wife, Mary Magdalena Herr

This story applies to all of us who descended from Heinrich Scharenbroch. Christian came to America with his parents and siblings at the same time.

Christian Scharenbroch, son of Immigrant Heinrich Scharenbroch, is from whom I descend. As a young boy, only seven years old, he came with his family, from the small community of Eil, Prussia, on the most exciting adventure of his life. The trip, from Eil to Antwerp, Belgium, would have been the first time that he had travelled away from his home and all that was familiar. With wide eyes, he would have gazed upon the ocean-going ship, August. Never before would he have seen anything, as large as the August, on the Rhine River that ran near his home. The August was a new ship, and the smells of wood, ropes, and sails would have delighted and stimulated his young nose. Most likely, as the ship pulled away from the dock, the sails would have been raised to their full glory, catching the wind, snapping and billowing, thus further amazing the young boy. At this point of the journey, he may have been imagining himself as the Captain of such a ship adventuring forth to exotic, mysterious, foreign places.

Scharenbroch, Scharenbrock, Scharenbroich, or Scharrenbroich?

Why is Heinrich's last name spelled Scharenbroich and his father, brothers, and sisters all spelled their last name as Scharenbroch? When in Germany, Heinrich's father (Heinrich Scharenbroch 1804-1888,) spelled his name Scharrenbroich. However, when he came to America it was changed to Scharenbroch. I imagine that when pronounced the ending sounded more like "ch" not "ich." However, Heinrich obviously wanted the German spelling. Somehow, he must have forgot about the double "r" in "Scharren." In Germany, our relatives all spell their name Scharrenbroich.

Heinrich's brother's son, Anthony, and his descendants spell their name "Scharenbrock."

Heinrich Scharenbroich

1839-1910

Heinrich Scharenbroich 1839-1910 (Second part) Heinrich Scharenbroich, better known as Henry, established a homestead through the New Ulm land office in Minnesota on October 15, 1873. The land was granted through the government's May 20, 1862 Homestead Act. The number was 206, total acres: 74.48, and the land description was: 1 W1/2 SW 5th PM No 109 N 33 W3. This location is probably near (if not in the present day city limits) St. Cloud, Minnesota. Being the third son, it would have been unlikely that he would have inherited his father's land. To be able to acquire land, with a stipulation of improving the land by farming for five years, would have been very attractive to a 34 year old man with a young family. He was married to his second wife, Theresa Forster, and at this time, they had four children to feed and cloth. He arrived in Minnesota somewhere between 1867, when he married Theresa in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and 1870 where he is found listed in the 1870 census. Anna was the only child born to his first wife, Franciska Forester, as she died from childbirth. Heinrich had 14 additional children by his second wife, Franciska's sister, Theresa. They were: Maria, Charles, Henry, Philomena, Joseph, Helen, George, Clara, Maria, Josephine, Eugene, Mary, Estella, and Leona--all born between 1867 and 1891. Heinrich died between 1905 and 1910 probably in St. Cloud, Minnesota.