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Note: Written by Edna (Meyer) Bentz- "Agatha Marina Staal was born the 12 of November 1853 in Burkal, near Tondern, Denmark. Her father was Hans Heinrich Staal and her mother Maren Hansen. Her mother died when she was 4. Her father remarried the 17th of June 1858 to Ingeborg Jessen in Burkal. Ingeborg died the 25th of July 1874. He then married Maria Erickson Sorensen on the 11 December 1874. He and his 3rd wife came to America in 1881. Hans Heinrich Staal died 26 July 1901 in Chalco, Nebraska. Agatha emigrated to America with her sister, Katherina Henrietta Dorothea Staal in early 1873 going directly to St. Louis, Missouri where two brothers lived. Hinrick Friedrich and Hans Nielsen Staal (Stahl) had emigrated earlier. Shortly after they arrived they received word from a friend from Tonder, Denmark who was living in Omaha that his wife had died. August Friedrich Nickolaus Prinz had married Catherina Magdalena Langfeldt in Tondern. The Staal girls had attended the wedding and saw them off to America. He had written to his mother-in-law back in Tonder about his problem and didn't know what he was going to do with two small children. She wrote back informing him that the Staal girls were in St. Louis and perhaps they would come and help him. The two sisters came to Omaha and Katherine Henrietta Dorothea Staal became his housekeeper. Agatha was employed at the old Brownelle Hall on 16th and Jones St. It is not known whether she was a housekeeper, a cook, or worked in the laundry there. On August 31, 1873 August Prinz and Henrietta Staal were married in their home by J. Hilgendorf, pastor. It was at this wedding that Agatha met Heinrich Friedrich Hamann who worked with August Prinz on the first railroad bridge over the Missouri. On August 30, 1874 Agatha Maria Staal was married to Heinrich Friedrich Hamann at the Prinz home. The First Lutheran Church was not completed until November, 1874. They were married by J. Hilgendorf, pastor. Agatha and Henry were married 60 years. Henry died about 3 months later. Agatha worked in the laundry with her husband supervising the handling of the lace curtains which had to be put on special stretchers for drying. She did beautiful handwork including the Tonder pillow lace made with bobbins. She made quilts for her children and grandchildren. During World War I she received a pin in recognition for the many pair of socks she knitted for the Red Cross. Agatha Maria Staal Hamann died on 15 January 1937 at her home at 5233 Jones Street of stroke. Funeral services were at First Lutheran Church in Omaha by Rev. Lawrence Acker. Burial was at Prospect Hill Lot 540. She was the mother of 9 children. 4 died as babies and 2 as teenagers." Death Notice - Omaha World Hearld 17 January 1937 - "HAMANN, Agatha M., widow of the late Henry F. Hamann, entered into rest Friday evening at her home, 5233 Jones St. at the age of 83 years. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Henriette Gerland and Mrs. George A. Meyer, and one son, Martin L.; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild and a brother, Lorenz Stahl. Funeral services Monday at 2:30 p.m. at the First Lutheran church, 31st and Jackson Sts. Interment Prospect Hill cemetery. Hulse & Riepen service." Obituary - The Omaha World Hearld 20 January 1937 - "Agatha Hamann Mrs. Agatha M. Hamann, 83, died Friday evening at her home, 5233 Jones street, after an illness of two weeks. She was the widow of Henry F. Hamann, founder of the Leavenworth laundry, who died in 1935 after they had been married 60 years. She is survived by two daughter, Mrs. Henry Gerland and Mrs. George A. Meyer; and a son Martin L., all of Omaha. Mrs. Hamann came to Omaha from 64 years ago. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at First Lutheran church, of which Mrs. Hamann was a charter member. Rev. Lawrence Acker officiated and burial was in Prospect Hill cemetery." From Tagliche Omaha Tribune (translated) -17 January 1937 "Obituaries Mrs. Agathe M. Hamann At the age of 83 yrs. Mrs. Agathe M. Hamann died in her home at 5233 Jones St. after having been ill for only 2 weeks. She was the wife of the late Henry Hamann and was a native of . The deceased was a resident of Omaha for 64 yrs. She leaves: 2 daughters, Mrs. Henriette Gerland and Mrs. George A. Meyer, her son Martin L., all residing in Omaha, her brother Lorenz Stahl in Gretna, 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Funeral service Monday 2:30 p.m. in the First Luth. Church, Rev. Lawrence Acker officiating. The body will lie in state until Monday 11 a.m. in the chapel of the Hulse & Riepen Mortuary house. The deceased will be buried on Prospect Hill Cemetery." Will - 9 December 1935 "LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF AGATHA M. HAMANN KOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That, I, AGATHA M, HAMANN of Omaha, Nebraska, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do hereby make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following, hereby revoking any former will by me be made: 1. I hereby give, devise and bequeath to my daughters HENRIETTA GERLAND and MAYME MEYER each a one-third interest in and to all of my estate, real and personal, wheresoever situated, to be their absolute property. 2. I hereby give, devise and bequeath the remaining one-third interest in my said estate, real and personal, to my said daughter Henrietta Gerland, in trust however, for the objects, uses and purposes following: Said trustee shall hold, manage and control said trust estate and lease the real estate belonging to said trust estate and collect all income from said trust estate and pay all taxes and assessments levied against the property belonging to said trust estate, maintain insurance on the buildings on the real estate belonging to said trust estate against loss or damage by fire or windstorm, keep said buildings in repair and pay the installments of principal and interest on the indebtedness secured by mortgage on said real estate. Said trustee is also hereby authorized to sell and convey said real estate or any part thereof for such price and on such terms as in her judgment may be for the best interests of said trust estate in conjunction with any sale which may be made of the other two-thirds interest in said real estate. Said trustee is also hereby authorized to join with the owners of the owners of the other two-thirds interest in said real estate in the execution of any instrument or document which may be deemed advisable by them for the extension or removal of the mortgage liens now on said real estate, or any part thereof, and said trustee is also authorized to join in the execution of any note or notes, together with the mortgage or mortgages securing the same, constituting a lien on the real estate belonging to said trust estate executed by the owners of the other two-thirds interest in said real estate for the purpose of refinancing the indebtedness secured by mortgage liens now on said real estate. The trust hereby created shall continue until my grandson FREDERICK H. HAMANN attains to the age of twenty-one years, at which time said trust estate shall terminate and all the property then belonging to said trust estate, together with any undistributed income therefrom shall go to and become the absolute property of the children of my son MARTIN L. HAMANN, viz, HARRIET H AMANN, MARTIN L. HAMANN, JR. and FREDERICK H. HAMANN, in equal shares, share and share alike, provided however, that during the continuance of said trust estate said trustee is hereby authorized and empowered in the exercise of her judgment and discretion to pay any or all the surplus income from said trust estate remaining in her hands after the payment of the several items above specified to my said son MARTIN L. HAMANN, or to his wife ALMA H. HAMANN; that said trustee is also hereby authorized and empowered during the continuance of said trust estate in the exercise of her judgment and discretion to transfer or convey to my said son MARTIN L. HAMANN, or to his said wife ALMA M. HAMANN, all or any part of the property, real or personal, belonging to the principal of said trust estate without the payment of any consideration there for, such transfer or conveyance to vest in the grantee therein the absolute title to the property so transferred or conveyed, said trust estate to be terminated as to any and all property so transferred or conveyed by said trustee to my said son or to his wife, by such transfer or conveyance. In the event of the death of my said daughter HENRIETTA GERLAND before the termination of said trust estate or if for any reason she should be unable to act as trustee of said trust estate, the and in any such event I hereby appoint her son HERBERT H. GERLAND as trustee of said trust estate in her place and stead, said HERBERT H. GERLAND as such trustee to have, exercise and perform all the duties, powers and authority hereby conferred on my said daughter HENRIETTA GERLAND as trustee of said trust estate. 3. I hereby appoint my said daughter HENRIETTA GERLAND as executrix of this my last will and testament and request that she be not required to give any bond as such executrix. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of December, 1935. Agatha M. Hamann, Testatrix. Witnesses: Truman W. Moreuran Henry E. Ragswell
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