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Note: Other spellings of the name has been Abelunge, Abelunke, Ameling, Amelunck, Amelung and Amelungk, however, the spelling in Germany is Amelunke for this lineage. I have been told that the "ke" ending indicates they're farmers, which would hold to be true as Gordonville is primarily a farming community.
As to when the family arrived, the ledger of Dr. J.W. Cramer, M.D. indicated that he treated Christian Abelunke primarily by emetic and purging from 26 Dec 1847 to 19 May 1849 in Jackson, Missouri. This ledger is presently in the possession of the Bollinger County Historical Society, Marble Hill, MO 63764. How amazing it is that medical records should exist this far back.
This also brings up another possible question - when exactly did the family arrive in Gordonville. We know from church records in Germany that William was born January 14, 1846 in Klein Rhuden-Seesen, Braunschweig, Germany and Dr. Cramer had medical records for Christian beginning December 26, 1847 in the United States. So we definitely have the time narrowed down to these two years. But we also have a notation in Christian, Jr.'s obituary stating that he immigrated at the age of 14 which would be between September 1846 to September 1847.
One of the first records of the family is found in the 1847 Cape Girardeau Tax Records. Henry Abelman is listed as owning the property at Section 8, Township 32, Range 15, valued at $200. This was not the land they later owned in Gordonville as this property was listed with the original claimant of Walter Mills.
By 1851, the property is shown in Christian Abelunke's name with the original claimant being Clamont Freeza. It is possible that as with the Bodenstein family, Henry might have come first and bought property then sent for the family, but this is uncertain since no passenger lists have been found with their names. By 1854, the property is listed in Mary Abelunke's name with Christian's death date being estimated between 1852 and 1853. There is actually two sections of ground listed under the Amelunke name, both having been formerly owned by Clamont Freeza. These sections include 27 and 59/100ths acres in Section 3, Township 30, Range 12, and 54 acres in Section 10, Township 30, Range 12 with a total valuation of $225. As an added note, the property in Section 3 is listed as owned by Walter Bodenstein in 1972 with the property in Section 10 owned by W.H. Hennecke. Henry's daughter married a Hennecke and is most likely the one who inherited that land.
The 1860 Cape Girardeau County Census records (Page 68, Item 488) indicate Clamont Freeza to be Clemens Freeze of Hannover however, I've seen his name spelled Clamont Freeze most often with an August Freeze also listed in the tax records.
It is hard to determine Heinrich "Christian" Amelunke's death date since he was most likely buried on the family farm and no record was kept. However, we can narrow it down to sometime between February 13, 1852 to March 13, 1853. Reverend Umbeck's church book indicated under entry 36, dated February 13, 1852, that Johanna Maria Amelunke geb. Clausmann was not a widow, however in entry 76, dated March 13, 1853, it does. (Wittwe means widow.) This, along with the tax records showing the property in his wife, Mary's name in 1854 pretty much confirms that he died between February 13, 1852 to March 13, 1853.
After Christian's death, I believe that Maria had a hard time keeping the farm running. She and her son, Henry, took out a mortgage on the property with Andrew Suedekum (Sidikum), her son-in-law, recorded in Cape Girardeau County on May 16, 1857. But for all her work, the farm was put up for sale by the court to pay the debts due to Clamont Freeza, the seller as was indicated in the settlement of Christian's will (Cape Girardeau County, Box 14, No. 283). Sale of Real Estate in obedience to an order of the court on August 18, 1857 of said deceased. Dated 1859. The property was auctioned on the courthouse steps with Henry Amelunke being the highest bidder. The following two notations are made in the Cape Girardeau County records regarding this sale. Christian Amelung, Dec. by Public Administrator to Hy. Amelunge - Deed for 54 acres. Recorded 15 November 1858 and Christian Amelung, Dec. by Public Administrator to Hy. Amelunge - Deed for 56 acres. Recorded 17 November 1858. This is how the farm came to fall into Henry Amelunke's hands where he managed it until 1903 when he died.
It is unknown exactly where Christian and Maria are buried. Since Christian's wife, Maria, was a baptism sponsor for a granddaughter at the German Evangelical Church of Dutchtown, they may have attended this church but there is no record of their burial in the church cemetery. It was quite customary for the family members to be buried in a private cemetery on the farm, as was the case with the Suedekum family, but to date, no private cemetery has been found on this property. I have heard stories of farmers pushing the headstones into a ditch then farming over the gravesites. This may be the case in this instance as well as I was recently told that they were buried on the farm and that the markers are now gone. All that remains of the original property are the foundation stones of the house. The rest is a field.
It should be noted that Mary, age 58, and her youngest son, William, age 14, are listed in the 1860 Cape Girardeau County, Missouri census records as living with Henry Amelunke. There is no notation for either one of them in the 1870 Cape Girardeau County Census although William would have been marrying age and could have moved away like his brother Christian did, but to where I do not know. Mary has most likely passed away by then.
And just to make things harder to research, there was a Henry Andreas Amelunke (not Christian's son Henry), who also lived in Cape Girardeau at this time. On his tombstone in the Cape Girardeau City Cemetery is inscribed, "died March 31, 1889, married, born Dahlum, Bockenem, Hannover, Germany, residence 41 years" This would mean that he immigrated in 1848. I wrote to Konigsdahlum, Germany, hoping that they were all from the same area, and received records on Henry Amelunke tracing him back several generations, but I could not connect the two families until years later.
This second Henry Amelunke is currently being researched by: Silke Schellmann, Negenbornstr. 35, 3205 Konigsdahlum, Germany and Melvin Amelunke, 2589 Co. Rd. 383, Whitewater, MO 63785
Tax Records: Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, for years 1847, 1851, 1852 & 1854. In 1854 the name of property owner changes to Mary Abelunke. On Microfilm at the Missouri State Archives, Records Management & Archives Service, 600 West Main Street, P. O. Box 778, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Cape Girardeau Tax Records: 1847 - Henry Abeleman & Armelong. 1851 - Christian Abelunke - Clamont Freeza. 1852 - Christian Abelunke - Clamont Freeza. 1854 - Mary Abelunke - Clamont Freeza.
1850 District 14, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Census; Roll: M432_394; Page: 413; Image: 200. Christian Ameling, age 55 (born circa 1795), male, farmer, born Germany.
Maria Ameling, age 53 (born circa 1797), female, born Germany.
Henry Ameling, age 12 (born circa 1838), male, born Germany.
Hannah Ameling, age 8 (born circa 1842), female, born Germany.
William Ameling, age 4 (born circa 1846), male, born Germany.
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, Estate of Christian Amelunge, dec., Petition for Sale of Real Estate, May 26, 1857, Box 14, Bundle 283, to pay debts due to Clamont Freeza, seller.
Settlement of Will: Cape Girardeau County, Box 14, No. 283. Sale of Real Estate in obedience to an order of the court on August 18, 1857 of said deceased. Dated 1859. (Sold property on the Courthouse steps to pay debts.) Medical Records: Dr. J.W. Cramer, M.D. who practiced in Jackson, Mo. had a listing in his ledger for years December 1847, 1848 and 1849 for Christian Abelunk. This ledger is presently in the possession of the Bollinger County Historical Society, Marble Hill, MO 63764.
Mortgages: Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. Maria Amelunke & Hy. Amelunke to Andrew Sidikum - Mortgage on Personal Property. Recorded 16 May 1857. Christian Amelung, Dec. by Public Administrator to Hy. Amelunge - Deed for 54 acres. Recorded 15 November 1858. Christian Amelung, Dec. by Public Administrator to Hy. Amelunge - Deed for 56 acres. Recorded 17 November 1858.
There was a family cemetery on the farm but I'm told there are no headstones. The headstones were made of wood which has since rotted away. So the cemetery is unfortunately lost to time.
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