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#23, Johanna "Hannah" Folkerts is the daughter of Harm Hillrichs Folkerts and Gretje (Gretchen) Herminia Geiken.

Born 11 Mar 1873 at Peoria, IL. Died 15 Apr 1936 at Belvidere, Thayer Co., NE

Hannah was the second of eight children. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith in Peoria by Rev. Bess who also administered her wedding vows.

It was while living at the Milford, IL farm that Hannah gave birth to her last six children and reared them during their formative years. She completed the task after their 1911 move to Nebraska.

Christmas was always a very special time for her; she loved having her children home for the holidays. Christmas was not complete without having someone play Santa Claus; she always assumed the role herself until the very last couple years. She would come around the house, knock on a window or two, then ring Christmas bells and cry "Merry Christmas to All" as she bounded into the room where the tree and gifts were located. She enjoyed passing out the gifts that she had spent all year making or purchasing when she found a bargain. She was always sacrificing for others to bring joy to them. For her daughters, and daughters-in-law, and their girls she would spend all her spare time all year long embroidering, crocheting, making aprons etc. For the men and boys she would buy socks, ties, tools, or other special things using the money she had so carefully saved in her little black drawstring bag which she kept hanging secretly in the spare bedroom closet.

The little bag held her "pin money." She kept adding a coin or two that she would save from the milk and egg money so she could buy lunch meat or cheese when unexpected guests arrived, or to buy Christmas and birthday gifts for her children, grandchildren, and even a neighborhood child. The men would tease her about her little bag, asking if she could buy them a beer when the weather was hot. Even during the 1920s and 1930, when times were hard, she always had a little gift for all her family. Most of the time she sacrificed and did without something she might like to make this possible. It brought her real joy: giving to others.

She enjoyed Easter. She loved her grandchildren and would dye a half bushel basket of eggs and hide them for an Easter egg hunt.

One of her favorite pastimes was piecing quilt tops of bright prints coordinated with matching plain colors saved from her sewing, and sometimes even good discarded wearing apparel. Many people gave her scraps to use, but sometimes she would run out. During the depression years new cotton material could be purchased by the inch for a penny or two. The clerks patiently pulled out the many bolts of cloth from the shelves just to cut a couple inches from each for Hannah. After she spent sometimes months piecing the quilt, Herman would assemble the quilt frame on top of 4 kitchen chairs, and the finished quilt top, back and batting would be attached to the frame. Often Hannah's friends would come over to her home to help Hannah quilt the beautiful and often quite intricate design that she had stenciled onto it. She made quilts for all of her daughters and daughters-in-law, and then started making them for her granddaughters. Her last one, a treasured birthday gift to granddaughter Lucille, was a flower garden quilt made of pieces about the size of a silver dollar.

Hannah's bread baking day often meant a delicious spice cake with raisins, made from some of the bread starter, filling the whole home with the aroma. Home-churned butter always complimented her baked bread, and her sugar cookies were favorites too. She gardened and canned the many vegetables for winter use.

Hannah's children and grandchildren who lived close by liked to visit her on Wednesday nights and accompany her to the free movies Belvidere provided. Sometimes there were also dramas put on by the "Chick Boyce Players" who traveled through the country putting on plays. Other times there were "Medicine Shows" when, between acts of the play, they would sell tonics that healed all ailments.

There were joyous times for Hannah when her family all came home; with children and grandchildren home for a holiday there would 30 or more. She enjoyed the work it took to prepare. Tables would be set up in the dining room and kitchen; the children would have to wait and eat after the adults were finished. She especially enjoyed the 1934 visit from her sisters, Katie, Annie and Maggie from Illinois, a special event since people didn't usually travel that far in those days. One afternoon Hannah served watermelon to everyone. Later, to everyone's mirth, while posing for a picture the four sisters patted their stomachs and declared they looked like they had eaten the whole melon.

Hannah developed a serious heart condition, then believed to be caused by a neglected goiter condition for which she had belated surgery. She was bedfast for a few months before the end. On her last day, Theda, Grace, and their husbands were visiting. Feeling better, Hannah sat at the table to lunch with them. Suddenly she gasped and passed away at the relatively young age of 63.

She lay in state at her home until final memorial services conducted, first at home and later at the Trinity Lutheran Church at Bruning. Interment was in the local cemetery.

She married Herman Garrelt Casper.