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Gerhard Siemens Story

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Peter and Lena Siemens
1905
Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada
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My great grandparents arrived in Herbert in 1905 with my grandfather, Gerhard P. Siemens, his first wife Maria, and their 3 year old son.

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Gerhard and Maria Siemens
1911
Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada
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After arriving in Herbert, Gerhard worked at a local store to improve his English. In 1910 Gerhard P. Siemens and Dan Neufeld bought the Herbert Mill from Jacob Zacharias. In 1911 Dan Neufeld sold his share of the mill to Gerhard.

He and his first wife, Maria, had three more children - Peter, Marie, and Helen- but in April 1911, Maria died in childbirth and their 5th child died as well.

Gerhard Siemens then married Maria Barkman from Kansas. This photo is of the second wife.

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Wedding day for Siemens
1911
Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada
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The wedding day of my grandparents, Gerhard and Maria Siemens, included the four children from the first marriage. This is their home and their car.

In 1913 Gerhard sold the Herbert Mill back to Jacob Zacharias. He then took out a homestead in the Greenfarm area, southeast of Herbert. His second wife wanted to raise the children on a farm away from the temptations of the big town.

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Siemens, January 1916
1916
Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Gerhard and his second wife, Maria had five more children. On this photo Daniel is 31/2 and David is 8 months old. After this they had John, Lydia and Anne Siemens.

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Gerhard and Maria Siemens
1921
Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Gerhard Siemens died in 1922 of leukemia after a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York.

After Gerhard died Maria raised the large family by herself. Three of her sons, Daniel, David and John, went to war during the Second World War. The boys had convinced their mother that the beautiful land of freedom in Canada was worth protecting.

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Grade Nine SS with teacher
24 March 2004
Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada
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I, June Siemens Buhr, came to Herbert as an infant with my mother, a war bride, after the Second World War. Herbert has been home to my family since its earliest beginnings.

For many years I have enjoyed teaching History and doing historical research in my home community.

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The story of Gerhard Siemens and his descendants is an example of many similar family stories in Herbert. There are still many residents who can trace their roots to the first homesteaders.

Gerhard Siemens' granddaughter, June Buhr, has taught in the school in Herbert for many years and her Grade Nine Social Studies class did an assignment to assist with this Community Memories project.