continued;
Into life in the early seventeenth century; Jodocus and
Margarethe Sachse were married in the year before the formal outbreak of the Thirty Year's War which was so devastating to Central Europe and particularly to the German principalities. Ruethen was not spared from this conflict. Witch - hunting was at its height during this time and pursued diligently in Ruethen.
The plague had swept across Europe three times before the seventeenth century. In the summer of 1625, just eight years after Jodocus and Margarethe were married, a fourth plague swept across Europe and wreaked havoc in their lives. On September second they buried their third born daughter, on the fourteenth their fourth child, and on the twentieth Jodocus was buried. Margarethe was now solely responsible for two daughters under seven years of age. Sometime following this month of personal tragedy or very early in 1626, Margarethe gave birth to a son -- JOST (JODOCUS) in der HELLE, called KRUSE.
Women and children were the prime target of witch - hunting. Margarethe, alone with an infant and two small children, needed a husband for protection from the madness of superstition and of the war -- which would continue throughout the remainder of her life, lacking one year. On the twelfth of January, 1626, she married PETRUS KLEINE. The record does not indicate if Petrus and Margarethe had children.
The Plague of 1625 is commemorated each year in Ruethen. In that year the surviving parishioners of St. Johannes made a solemn promise to march around the entire town wall three times in praise of their lives being spared. A photo of a painting by Eduard Bufe' commemorating this annual event appears on page fourteen.
The children of JODOCUS and MARGARETHE were:
1.
MARGARETHA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 21 Apr. 1618
MARGARETHA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 21 Apr. 1618d.After 16 Dec. 1625
After 16 Dec. 16252.KATHARINA HELLE
KATHARINA HELLEb.Unknown
Unknownd.Ruethen; 7 Oct. 1665
Ruethen; 7 Oct. 16653.INFANT
INFANTb. Unknownbr.Ruethen; 2 Sept. 1625 (Plague!)4.AGNES HELLE
AGNES HELLEbp.Ruethen; 18 Mar. 1624br.Ruethen; 14 Sept. 1625 (Plague!)(5. JOST (JODOCUS) in der HELLE, called
KRUSEb.Ruethen; ca. 1625/26
Ruethen; ca. 1625/26d.Ruethen; 23 May 1702
Ruethen; 23 May 1702(How fragile was the Line of [descent for it is through this child, conceived before and born after the plague decimated his family, that these Helle families continued.) see footnote;
VII.JOST (JODOCUS) in der HELLE, called KRUSE
JOST (JODOCUS) in der HELLE, called KRUSEb.Ruethen; ca. 1625/26
Ruethen; ca. 1625/26d.Ruethen; 23 May 1702
Ruethen; 23 May 1702m.1st - Ruethen; 25 Apr. 1655
1st - Ruethen; 25 Apr. 1655ANGELA CLAES: from Drewer, near Ruethen
b. Unknown
c. D. On or after 6 July 1681
m.2nd - Ruethen; 9 July 1686 CLARA ANNA MELMEKE
2nd - Ruethen; 9 July 1686 CLARA ANNA MELMEKEbp. Ruethen; 18 Dec. 1661
d.Ruethen; 10 June 1716
Ruethen; 10 June 1716JOST (JODOCUS) in der HELLE, called KRUSE, was a burger (1654-55) of Ruethen, a baker and a brewer. He first lived in House Number 116 then 239. The children of the first marriage were:
1.JOHANNES REINARDUS in der HELLE, "HERMANN"
JOHANNES REINARDUS in der HELLE, "HERMANN"bp. Ruethen, 23 July 1656
d.Ruethen; 10 Mar. 1700
Ruethen; 10 Mar. 17002.JOHANN JOST in der HELLE
JOHANN JOST in der HELLEbp. Ruethen; 27 Jan. 1658
d.Ruethen, 25 Sept. 1717
Ruethen, 25 Sept. 17173.ANNA KATHARINA in der HELLE, called KRUSE
ANNA KATHARINA in der HELLE, called KRUSEbp. Ruethen; 25 Apr. 1660
d.Ruethen; 21 Apr. 1705
Ruethen; 21 Apr. 17054.JOHANN BERNHARD (ADRIAN) in der HELLE
JOHANN BERNHARD (ADRIAN) in der HELLEbp. Ruethen; 21 May 1663
d.before 17255.MARGARETE GERTRUD (ELISABETH)? HELLE
MARGARETE GERTRUD (ELISABETH)? HELLEbp. Ruethen; 24 Oct. 1666
br. Ruethen; 14 Sept. 1676
6.MARIA ELISABETH HELLE bp. Ruethen, 25 Oct. 1672
MARIA ELISABETH HELLE bp. Ruethen, 25 Oct. 1672d.Unknown
Unknown7.CHILD (JOHANN)?
CHILD (JOHANN)?bp. Ruethen; 10 June 1674
d.Unknown
Unknown8.CHILD
CHILDbp. Ruethen; 1 Aug. 1677
d.Unknown
Unknown9.ANNA ELISABETH HELLE bp. Ruethen; 20 June 1680
ANNA ELISABETH HELLE bp. Ruethen; 20 June 1680d.Ruethen; 20 June 1680
Ruethen; 20 June 168010, ANNA MARGARETHA HELLE
bp. Ruethen; 20 June 1680
d.Ruethen; 27 June 1680
Ruethen; 27 June 168011.CHILD
CHILDbp. Ruethen; 6 July 1681
d.Ruethen; 29 June 1686~
Ruethen; 29 June 1686~Note:ANGELA died sometime after the birth of the eleventh child. At the age of sixty plus, JOST married CLARA ANNA MELMEKE, then 24 years of age, on 9 July 1686. Their seven children were:
ANGELA died sometime after the birth of the eleventh child. At the age of sixty plus, JOST married CLARA ANNA MELMEKE, then 24 years of age, on 9 July 1686. Their seven children were:12."puerulus anonymous" -- little boy, unnamed bp. and d. Ruethen; 12 Sept. 1687
"puerulus anonymous" -- little boy, unnamed bp. and d. Ruethen; 12 Sept. 168713. JODOCUS CASPAR in der HELLE, called KRUSE
bp. Ruethen; 29 Aug. 1688
d.Ruethen, 16 Nov. 1728
Ruethen, 16 Nov. 1728(All Lines of Descent traced in this book are through this second child of the second marriage and the thirteenth child of his father.)
14.MATHAUS in der HELLE bp. Ruethen; 12 Dec. 1690
MATHAUS in der HELLE bp. Ruethen; 12 Dec. 1690d. Ruethen; 12 Apr. 1758
15.WILHELM GEORG in der HELLE bp. Ruethen; 29 May 1693
WILHELM GEORG in der HELLE bp. Ruethen; 29 May 1693d. Ruethen; 22 June 1761
16.MARIA KATHARINA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 4 Dec. 1696
MARIA KATHARINA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 4 Dec. 1696d. Ruethen; 9 June 1729
17.ANNA URSULA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 6 Apr. 1698
ANNA URSULA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 6 Apr. 1698d. Ruethen; 6 Oct. 1741
18.JOHANN C HR IS TOPH in der HELLE, called DROSTE
JOHANN C HR IS TOPH in der HELLE, called DROSTEbp. Ruethen; 19 Sept. 1700
d.Ruethen; 26 Dec. 1768
Ruethen; 26 Dec. 1768A Moment in Time" -- Family Vignette
When JOHANN CHRISTOPH, the last child of this marriage, was born, his father was about 75 years of age and lived one and one-half years longer. CLARA was left a widow with six children under 14 years of age. Apparently she did not remarry. Only three children of the first marriage were still living when the father died. JOST (JODOCUS) must have prospered during his lifetime and left an estate large enough to provide for the needs of his widow and young children.
VIII.JODOCUS CASPAR in der HELLE, called KRUSE
JODOCUS CASPAR in der HELLE, called KRUSEbp. Ruethen; 29 Aug. 1688
d.Ruethen; 16 Nov. 1728
Ruethen; 16 Nov. 1728mn. 1st - Ruethen; 19 May 1709 ANNA KATHARINA ADAMS
bp. Old Ruethen; 18 Jan. 1682
d.Ruethen; 1 Mar. 1717
Ruethen; 1 Mar. 1717m.2nd- ELISABETH KOSTERS
2nd- ELISABETH KOSTERSb.Old Ruethen; 9 Apr. 1690
Old Ruethen; 9 Apr. 1690d.Ruethen; 10 Feb. 1760
Ruethen; 10 Feb. 1760m.2nd - Ruethen; 3 Nov. 1729 JOHANNES CLAESSEN
2nd - Ruethen; 3 Nov. 1729 JOHANNES CLAESSENb.Herzogenbusch, Nordbrabant, Holland
Herzogenbusch, Nordbrabant, Hollandbr. Ruethen; 11 Mar. 1748
JODOCUS CASPAR in der HELLE, called KRUSE, was a baker and a farmer. He lived in House Number 239. He served on the Town Council in Ruethen from 1714-1716. At age 20 he married ANNA KATHARINA ADAMS. Less than eight years later she died. Their children were:
1.JOHANN KONRAD in der HELLE, called SOLTJOST
JOHANN KONRAD in der HELLE, called SOLTJOST bp. Ruethen; 28 Oct. 1710
d.ca. 17702.JOHANN ADRIAN HELLE bp. Ruethen; 31 Aug. 1714
JOHANN ADRIAN HELLE bp. Ruethen; 31 Aug. 1714d.Ruethen; before 23 Oct. 1772
Ruethen; before 23 Oct. 17723.ANNA MARIA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 2 Nov. 1716
ANNA MARIA HELLE bp. Ruethen; 2 Nov. 1716d.Ruethen;
Ruethen;The date of the marriage to ELISABETH KOSTERS is not on the scroll. There were seven children in this second marriage:
4.CASPAR THEODOR HELLE bp. Ruethen; 15 June 1718
CASPAR THEODOR HELLE bp. Ruethen; 15 June 1718d.Buren; 10 Oct. 1788
Buren; 10 Oct. 1788footnote; if it was not for this man, there would be a hugh gap in history.
