Johann Ernst THRUM was born in Staitz, Weimar, Thüringen, Germany. His parents are Johann Friederich and Marie Rosina MARTIN. His father was a Craftsman in Staiz, which is 50 miles southwest of Leipzig. Ernst as he was called, met Anna Marie VESTERLING in Haberstadt while he was a Kries Reservist. He married Mary as she was called, in Leipzig at St. Nicholai Church on 21 July 1870. The marriage was in the evening, Ernst was going into the Army as the church record stated. They had their first child in Haberstadt , a boy. They had eight more children in Leipzig before he left for the U.S.A. in July 1881. Ernst sailed from Rotterdam on the SS Rotterdam. He arrived at Castle Garden in NY on 25 July 1881. He traveled to Paterson, NJ and started working as a Tailor awaiting the arrival of Mary and their five surviving children. After their arrival on 8 April 1882, they attended St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Van Houten St.. From there they moved to Poor House Lane closer to the Prospect Park section off of Straight St.. This is where Wilhelm was born in 1883. At that time they attended the First German Presbyterian Chr.. The places they lived after that: 1884-111 Hamburgh Ave., 1886- Burhans La., and Herny St., 1887-Clinton and Straight Sts., 1889 and 90-Main and Broadway. In 1895 they moved to Union, which was later named Lyndhurst. They moved from Kearny to Newark where his son Oscar owned Center Meat Market where his other sons Ernest and William worked, and Fred worked as a baker. In 1922 they moved to Arlington where Ernst died at his daughter Katie's house. Ernst was a hard worker he managed to bring his wife and five children here. He and Mary loved their children and tried to protect them as best they could. He was wounded in the process of trying to protect one of his children. The wound on his hand also affected his livelihood and the ability to support his family. He had his trials and tribulations, but through all this, his surviving children grew to be responsible caring and loving adults. His children and grandchildren who remembered him said he was a very serious man and refused to speak English. Grossmama was more fun and playful. He had "whiskers" which made him look meaner. He would holler and chase them with a broom if they bothered him. They laughed as they told the stories. They would hide under the bed and scare him and he would chase them with the broom. Maybe it was a game, but they knew he loved them. They called him "GROSSPAPA" and we are here because of him. You will never be forgotten, you will be in our hearts forever.

Your great granddaughter Phyllis.