Heinrich H. Dirks was born near Ostrog in the village of Karolswalde, on the Ukraine/Russian border, one of many Dutch-German Mennonite villages located in the Province of Wolhynia. He was the 4th child, of 14 children born to Rev. Heinrich J. and Susanna (Dircks) (Dirks) He was a stone mason by trade, and carved many of our ancestors headstones. He was also a weaver by trade and yet he was color blind. His wife Aganaetha would arrange the different colors in a certain sequence and Heinrich would remember the colors in order to apply his trade. He wove many yards of linen which was made into work clothes in Karolswalde. Later when they came to Pennsylvania he wove many pretty carpets. The family immigrated in 1874 from Karolswalde, Ukraine via Liverpool, England. They sailed on the SS CITY OF LONDON and landed in NEW YORK harbor on November 18, 1874.
They were processed through Castle Garden at that time in Battery Park, on the Hudson River, in New York harbor.

Times were difficult and the sale of their property and farm implements provided them with little money prior to coming to America. The Mennonite Brethern churches in America paid for their passage, which in turn had to be worked off after their arrival in America. They left the village of Karolswalde by wagon to the nearest train station. From here they went by rail to Hamburg, Germany and sailed into England. Once they were ready and the captain had the US immigration list prepared they set sail from Liverpool, England for NEW YORK harbor. This trip was in 3rd class or steerage in the hull of the ship. They were dark, dirty living conditions and the trip took 3 weeks to reach New York.

They were processed through Castle Garden (now Clinton Castle ) located in New York harbor in Battery Park, on the Hudson River. I was fortunate enough to have three generations on the SS CITY OF LONDON. My great grand father (Benjamin Dirks), his parents Heinrich & Aganetha Dirks and Heinrich's parents Heinrich J. and Susanna Dircks

I was fortunate enough to visit New York in 2000 and visit the old "Castle Garden" which was still standing. It is still a busy tourist attraction where immigrants that came into the United States came through this port in New York prior to Ellis Island being built.

Heinrich and Aganetha Dirks came with their 10 children to America, and remained in the Belleville, Pennsylvania area to work off their passage until around 1879. Work was very hard and working with limestone affected Heinrich's lungs and breathing was difficult. He suffered with an ailment called consumption which he had acquired while working with the limestone which farmers used for fertilizer. The dust was harmful to his lungs which took his life at an early age. Their last child Lydia was born in 1875 in Belleville, Pennsylvania.

In 1879 they joined relatives and settled with families at Marion Junction, South Dakota where they homesteaded for their remaining years. They had a 160 acre homestead 8 miles NW of Marion, in the Swan Lake area, near Dolton, SD. Their 1st. born son John passed away at 5 months old in 1852 in the village of Karolswalde.

G.G. Grandson Bob Dirks