The DEWITZ or DREWITZ surname is German, and the earliest ancestor in my branch of the family hails from Alt Ruednitz, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica), a small hamlet on the banks of the Oder River on the modern-day border between Germany and Poland. The Family Search site maintained by the LDS Church lists my ancestor’s name as Dorothea DEWITZ, but I have also found several with the last name of DREWITZ living in or near Alt Ruednitz, so I feel like DREWITZ is probably the correct spelling.

I started research on this family in 1973 and visited Waterville, and Elysian, Minnesota in 1977 and 1978 to meet distant relatives there and to learn more about the Quiram, Roemhildt, and Gensmer family history. The DEWITZ/DREWITZ connection comes through the GENSMER family. An interesting history of the Gensmers was written by Elmer Genzmer in the 1920s; however, it does not list Dorothea’s name. Her name was found on the Family Search site.

Others of the Minnesota cousins are also researching this family. My last visit to Minnesota was in August 1995. I hope to return soon to do more research.

An interesting sideline is that in my work at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (Assemblies of God Archives), I have come across a Reverend Drewitz who was a leader in the early German District of the Assemblies of God in the United States. Wouldn’t that be interesting to maybe find a connection with this family.

Here is my DEWITZ/DREWITZ lineage as far as it has been proven:

1. Dorothea DEWITZ or DREWITZ, b. abt. 1788 Alt Ruednitz, Brandenberg, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica, Germany), d. ca. 1848 Dodge Co., WI; md. ca. 1808 Alt Ruednitz, Brandenberg, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica, Germany) to Martin GENZMER, Sr., b. ca. 1788 Alt Ruednitz, Brandenberg, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica, Germany), d. ca. 1849 Dodge Co., WI
2. Martin Friedrich GENSMER, Jr., b. 10 May 1809 Alt Ruednitz, Brandenberg, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica, Germany), d. 26 Jan. 1902 Winona Co., MN; md. ca. 1830 Alt Ruednitz, Brandenberg, Prussia (now Stara Rudnica, Germany) to Caroline KASTNER, b. 8 March 1810 Hohenkranig, Brandenberg, Prussia, d. 1907 Winona Co., MN (both buried in Norton Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Norton Township, Winona Co., MN)
3. Maria Louisa Dorothea GENSMER, b. 27 Aug. 1831 Grenneberg, Konigreich, Prussia, d. 22 Dec. 1922 Elysian, Le Sueur Co.,. MN; md. 24 Oct. 1852 Mayville, Dodge Co., WI to Traugott ROEMHILDT, b. 26 Aug. 1824, Bohlen, Schwarzburg, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Thuringen, d. 1 May 1898 Elysian, Le Sueur Co., MN (both buried in St. Peter’s “Bell” Lutheran Cemetery at Elysian, Minnesota)
4. Holda Augusta ROEMHILDT, b. 1 Jan. 1855 Mayville, Dodge Co., WI, d. 15 Aug. 1926 Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co., CO; md. 19 Dec. 1878 Elysian, Le Sueur Co., MN to Christoph August QUIRAM, b. 25 Dec. 1853 Schonlanke, Posen Province, Prussia (now Trzcianka, Poland), d. 29 Nov. 1937 Porterville, Tulare Co., CA (both buried in the Monte Vista Cemetery)
5. Frieda Helma QUIRAM, b. 24 May1890 Elysian, Le Sueur Co., MN, d. 18 July 1987 Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co., CO; md. 25 Nov. 1917 Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co., CO to Alexander Fredrick Emil GOHR, b. 31 Jan. 1887 Kossuth Co., IA, d. 18 June 1968 Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co., CO (both buried in the Monte Vista Cemetery) *These are my grandparents.
   

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Last updated November 10, 2004.