Photo By Sgt. Devin Klecan | One of the village signs in Klitten welcomes travelers to the community, Klitten,...... read more read more
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KLITTEN, Germany - Timothy Parnell traveled to the small village of Klitten, Germany, to discover and reconnect with family history that tells the story of perseverance.
Parnell, a sergeant major assigned to V Corps in Camp Kosciuszko, Poland, took the opportunity to travel to a place of high personal significance to himself and his family. Due to one document, and the coincidental proximity to his family’s original community, he was the first one in generations, since 1869 in fact, to visit the small village of Klitten. His family, the Schneider’s, migrated to Serbin, Texas, to start new and better lives.
“Right before our trip to Klitten, we [Parnell and his wife] started Googling the name of Ernst Schneider, and on Google we found a 17-page document,” said Parnell. “My wife started pulling all the names out of it and, of course, with all the names and the family members that are still alive, she built a family tree.”
Ernst Schneider, Parnell’s great-great-grandfather, was a child during his family’s migration to the United States in 1869. In 1939, at the age of 77, Schneider documented the motives behind the bold decision to move to Serbin.
"My father had an uncle in America, Carl Teinert, from whom we often received letters from, in Serbin, Texas,” said Schneider in his testimony. “Every time a letter arrived from America, the neighbors were all invited every time while the letter was read aloud. The letter described how it looked in Serbin, at the Wendish colony, and how they were all more content and happier than they were in Germany. I can still remember the last letter from Carl Teinert, and it was very praising. He wrote that they were building a new church, and had a wonderful site where the new church was being constructed.”
Teinert was one of many from the Klitten community and the immediate surrounding villages that took part in the mass migration in 1854, in search of greater religious freedom that did not adhere to LandesKirche State policies of that era. Upon arrival to America, with the blueprints of the original Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in hand, the community built another church, almost identical to the one they were familiar with in Klitten. The church was completed in 1872.
Parnell saw an opportunity to see that church in person and asked U.S. Army Chaplain Benjamin Sprouse, also assigned to V Corps at Camp Kosciuszko, to take a trip with him.
“I was inspired to figure out where I come from,” said Parnell. “Klitten is such a short drive [from Poznan], and I wasn’t sure If I will be able to have a chance to visit again. I wanted to go and see where my family came from, see the church and any family related history there, too.”
Parnell and Sprouse arrived at the village early on a Sunday morning in January. Parnell was met with smiles and curiosity as villagers were introduced to him inside of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church before services by the pastor.
Parnell became a person of high interest throughout the day, as he talked with the locals and told them how he is a descendent of the Schneiders. Many villagers recognized the name, due to the close ties the family had with the village and their journey to America.
“I am the first one of the family to visit Klitten since 1869,” said Parnell. “Chaplain Sprouse and I recently met another German, who said he has information on ancestral burial plots on his computer. That may build out an even greater tie to the community, because, right now, I only have two people who are actually tied to Germany who never went to the U.S.”
Parnell and Sprouse were invited to eat lunch and enjoy the day with the local community treating them as if they were members of one large, hospitable family. During lunchtime, Parnell met the man who can be credited for providing the information that led Parnell to Klitten in the first place, Siegfried Matzke.
Matzke, a former pastor of the church in Klitten, was the individual who translated Schneider’s testimony of travel. The 17-page document that was discovered on Google by Parnell’s family, was verified by the man who wrote it. After discussing family history with Matzke, Parnell was invited to the former pastor’s home to continue the conversation over dinner. Matzke provided more details about Parnell’s family and their mission to go to America.
Parnell’s trip to Klitten allowed him to discover more details of his family history and make new friends in a community that welcomed him as if he was returning to a home he never knew he had.
Today, the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Klitten and its sister in Serbin stand tall. Even though they are located on different sides of the world, they remain connected through family and religion over 150 years later.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2023 08:53 |
| Story ID: | 437195 |
| Location: | KLITTEN, SACHSEN, DE |
| Hometown: | SERBIN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 312 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, V Corps Soldier discovers family history in German Village, by SGT Devin Klecan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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