The story begins with the big brother of CONRAD FRIEDRICH DIETRICH HARMS. His name was Johann Heinrich Hermann Harms, born May 29, 1814, the oldest son of Andreas Lorentz Conrad Harms (1780 - 1856) and Sophia Henrietta Schutten (1785 - 1842), who were married in Walsrode, Germany, in 1812. Johann Heinrich Hermann Harms married Sophia Christinia Julie Holste on August 10, 1848. After 5 1/2 years of marriage, Johann Heinrich Hermann Harms died May 12, 1854, leaving Sophia with 2 sons: Heinrich Wilhelm Friedrich Hermann (born May 25, 1849) and Friedrich Diedtrich Conrad (born Oct. 2, 1854), who was born five months after his father died. On Nov. 1, 1858, Sophia Christinia Julie (Holste) Harms married her brother-in-law, CONRAD FRIEDRICH DIETRICH HARMS (born Sept. 12, 1833), the youngest of the Harms family. Sadly, Sophia died the following Feb. (1859), leaving Conrad with his brother's 2 sons -- his stepsons -- and no mother to care for them.
CONRAD FRIEDRICH DIETRICH HARMS met and married Maria Doris Hude (born Mar. 18, 1840) on June 7, 1860, and she instantly became mother to the two boys and, then, added THIRTEEN children to the family.

Around 1867, the family came to America with stepson, Friedrich Diedtrich Conrad Harms -- Heinrich Willhelm Friedrich Hermann had passed away Feb. 1865 -- and their three little daughters. The couple's 1st born son, Jorgen Heinrich Wilhelm was born Apr. 11, 1861, but had passed away Feb. 1, 1863. The voyage took six long weeks. The family came to Nemaha County, NE to live with CONRAD FRIEDRICH DIETRICH HARMS' next oldest brother, named Conrad Friedrich Harms (therefore, CONRAD FRIEDRICH DIETRICH HARMS must have gone by the name DIETRICH to separate him from his next oldest brother, Conrad Friedrich). Conrad Friedrich Harms had come to America in 1860 and homesteaded 4 miles west and 1 mile south of Auburn, NE. Later, C. F. DIETRICH and Maria Harms and family moved to the northeast corner of the section as their family grew larger. C. F. DIETRICH Harms was a farmer and a blacksmith.
Maria died at the home near Auburn, NE, on July 17, 1896, at age 56, from complications from diabetes. After C. F. DIETRICH HARMS retired from his farm, he lived with one or the other of his children's families, depending on the years, and passed away, suddenly, from heart failure on Feb. 20, 1911. He was 78 yrs. old and was living at the home of his daughter Bertha Emma, wife of Frederick Scheele, at Leland, Idaho. Contributor: Brenda D. (49921693)
The children of Conrad Friedrich Dietrich and Maria Doris (Hude) Harms are as follows :

Jorgen Heinrich Wilhelm Harms --- born April 11, 1861 --- died Feb. 1, 1863 in Germany
Justine Loretta Maria IDA Harms Eitzmann Ropers--born Aug. 21, 1862--died June 13, 1917 in Oklahoma
Doretta Maria Wilhelmina ANNA Harms Heidzig --- born Dec. 14, 1863 -- died Aug. 28, 1945
Maria Doris Sophia EMMA Harms Bergmann -- born Oct. 30, 1865 -- died Oct. 24, 1915
The family came to America around 1867. The voyage took 6 long weeks.
Doris AGNES Marie Harms Ehlers -------born June 11, 1867 --- died Dec. 29, 1901
Anna DORIS Harms Oestmann --------- born Aug. 3, 1869 ------died June 16, 1934
SOPHIA Anna Harms Hector ----------- born March 4, 1871 ---- died Oct. 7, 1931
BERTHA Emma Harms Scheele -------- born Dec. 26, 1872 ---- died July 24, 1965
DIETRICH Friedrich Carl Harms ------- born Dec. 14, 1874 ----- died Dec. 3,1955 wife--Sophia Volkmann
Fredrich Wilhelm LORENTZ Harms --- born Dec. 24, 1876 ---- died June 27, 1949 wife--Marie Zumhofe
Johann Nicklaus Albert Harms -------- born Dec. 7, 1878 ---- died Jan. 9, 1929 wife -- Emma Sasse
Heinrich Dietrich Karl ERNST Harms -- born Mar. 30, 1881 ---died Feb. 7, 1973 -- wife -- Sophia Hoops
RANATA Maria Mathilde Wilhelmina Harms Dittbrenner--- born Jan. 27, 1884---died Mar. 4, 1952

There were 2 stepsons from Conrad Friedrich Dietrich Harms' 1st marriage to Sophia Christinia Julie (Holste) Harms -- the wife of Johann Heinrich Hermann Harms, oldest brother of C. F. Dietrich Harms, whom he married upon the death of his eldest brother :
Heinrich Wilhelm Friedrich Hermann Harms --- born May 25, 1849 -- died Feb. 1865 in Germany
Friedrich Dietrich Conrad Harms -- born Oct. 2, 1854 -- died Dec 7, 1941 in Auburn, Nebraska. He came to America in 1866
Contributor: Brenda D. (49921693)