The Molotschna census lists a Kornelius Kornelius Quiring (b. ca. 1790) who lived in the village of Gnadenheim where Peter Quiring (b.1835) was born. According to records this Kornelius was born in 1791, in Prussia. Between the years of 1811 and 1816 he married Elizabeth. In 1818 he is listed as living in Rosenkranz, Kreis Stuhm, Prussia. We know he owned a small plot of land there in 1818. He sold that land shortly before emigrating to Franztal, Molotschna colony in 1819. Apparently they could not obtain land in Franztal as the record shows the family moved to Gnadenheim in 1821. His brother Peter, born in 1806, either came with the family when they immigrated or came a few years later.

In any case, the Molotschna Census of 1835 has an entry indicating that Kornelius' brother Peter and wife Elizabeth were living in the same household. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, age 3 at the time of the census. On this evidence we can suggest the following probability. Keep in mind that in this primarily agrarian society people did not move from town to town except for two primary reasons: one, due to marriage, and two, to obtain farmland in the case of the landless families.

The parents of Peter Quiring , born on Dec 6, 1835, would be Peter Kornelius Quiring, born in 1806, and Elizabeth Unruh, born in 1811. They were married in Wernersdorf, Molotschna colony. Peter was born to them in Gnadenheim, Molotschna colony, after the census was taken, which occurred in the spring and summer months. Subsequently, two more children were born to them according to the family history. Family records indicate both parents, Peter and Elizabeth died fairly young. The four children were taken into various homes at that time. We do not know how or why Peter and Elizabeth passed away but it would probably have occurred within about 10-15 years, since the children were not yet grown and on their own. This family line requires more detailed research; a great project for some dedicated sleuthing.

The Crimean War which took place between 1853 and 1856 was a pivotal event for the Mennonite communities. The Mennonites felt very strongly about avoiding involvement in military conflicts and combatant duty. However, they felt equally loyal to the Russian Monarchy. During the Crimean War, the Mennonite community became very active in providing non-combatant aid in the form of food, transportation, wagons, supplies, etc for those fighting at the front. Many of the wounded were brought back to the Mennonite communities, not so distant, for recuperation and/or medical assistance.

Peter Quiring was involved in this war. (He was most likely a non-combatant.) His job was to haul clean drinking water and bring the meals to the soldiers on the front lines. On one occasion he was taking meals to the front lines when the wheels were shot off the wagon he was using. He escaped unharmed by God's protecting hand and went home.

Peter married Kathrina Fast on Mar 10, 1857, possibly in the village of Wernersdorf where Peter's parents had been married some 27 years before. The village of Wernersdorf was made up of some 30 landowners farming about 5,000 acres.

Peter and Katherina emigrated, arriving in Mt Lake, MN, on July 30, 1875, according to the record left by Anna Quiring. The family moved to a farm nearby on August 7, 1875.

Katharina passed away on March 5, 1900 after being sick for about two months. Peter passed away just 12 weeks later, after 11 months of waging a battle with stomach cancer. He died on May 28, 1900.

Kathrina Fast was born Mar 23, 1833, to Abraham Kornelius Fast and Helena Harder in the village of Sparrau, Molotschna colony. Abraham immigrated to the Molotschna colony arriving the year before the village of Neukirch was established in 1819. It could be assumed that he moved to Neukirch as soon as it was formed as he would have been about 32 years of age then and very keen to obtain his own farm. In 1830 he moved his family to the village of Sparrau, a village consisting of 48 partial or full farm acreages. Sparrau was organized in 1828 so their family would more than likely have arrived while land was still available. Abraham had one son named Abraham (b. 1811) by his first wife. Helena was his second marriage.

Children of Abraham Fast (1786-18??) and Helena Harder (? - ?)
Anna Fast	1818	?
Helena Fast	1824	?
Jacob Fast	1827	?
Johann Fast	1830	?
Katharina Fast	Mar 23, 1833	Mar 5, 1900

Grandfather Gerhard P Quiring was born just one year before the family packed their things and left on the long journey to Canada. Family records say they left Antwerp, Belgium on the "Vaderland", a steamer built in 1873 and owned by the Red Star Line. The shipping lists, however, show the steamer's name as the "Nederland" which arrived in Philadelphia on July 25, 1875. The birth dates on the shipping list may have been approximated. The shipping company information was notorious for its minor errors, with names being spelled various ways and other details not being reported with accuracy. The 11-day difference between the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar does not fully explain this discrepancy.

Peter and Kathrina settled 5 miles north and 3/4 miles west of Bingham Lake, MN on an 80 acre farm. Peter Quiring built the buildings on the farm. The house and barn combination was 99.5 feet long.

They made their own bricks to build the walls. The bricks were a mixture of grass and mud that was left in the field to dry. This process took all summer. Then the bricks were stacked to create the walls of the building. The building would be finished by the time winter set in so they could move in.

The house had a living room, two bedrooms, dining area, kitchen and a pantry. From the pantry a stairway led into the cellar, which housed the potatoes, vegetables, meat, etc. for food until the garden produced fresh produce. There was also a hallway from the kitchen to the barn. From this hallway a stairway went up to the attic of the house.

This attic served for storage of extra parts for the car and farm machinery. It also served for drying all the seed corn over the fall and winter until next planting season. This attic was separated from the barn hay-mow by a wooden wall. The hay-mow served to store all the hay and straw for the feed of the horses, cattle, and calves.

Jacob's father, Kornelius, is likely Kornelius Kornelius Siemens (b. 1784) who came to Russia in 1817. He lived in the village of Ohrlof, Molotschna colony from 1817 until 1820, when he moved to Franztal, Molotschna colony. He appears in the Molotschna Census of 1835 in the village of Franztal with a 19 year old son named Kornelius.

Jacob Siemens' grand-parents likely were Cornelius Siemens (? - 1828) and Justina (surname unknown) (b. abt 1759).

Jacob's mother, Elizabeth Flaming, was born into a family of five brothers and one sister in 1818. Her parents were Heinrich Johan Flamming (b. 1782) and Elizabeth Flamming (b. 1792). She lived in the village of Marienthal, 12 kilometers from Franztal, perhaps most of her life. She married Cornelius Siemens sometime between the years 1838 and 1842 and they set up their household in Franztal where Jacob was born.

Jacob Siemens, born on August 19, 1842, in Franztal, Molotschna colony, married Maria Janzen (b.1845 in Wernersdorf) on Dec 8, 1870.

They had three children, two of whom died in infancy, before embarking for the U.S. They arrived in the U.S. sometime prior to August of 1876 as Elizabeth was born in Mountain Lake, MN on Aug 13, 1876. Their names do not appear in the shipping list of known Mennonite immigrants so it is hard to pinpoint. Six more children were born in the next 10 years in the Mountain Lake area. Maria and Margareta died of diphtheria during their childhood. Cornelius died of consumption. Four of the total of 9 survived to marry and start homes, one of those being Anna Siemens, Mary G Quiring's mother. All four families lived in the vicinity of Mt Lake, MN.

Maria Janzen is pictured here in March of 1914. As the story goes Jacob Siemens didn't like having his picture taken so no known photographs exist of him.

Jacob and Maria lived south of Mt Lake, MN, until 1907 when they moved into the city. This picture includes from left to right, Anna Siemens, Mrs Neufeld, Jacob Siemens, Great-Grandparents Maria Janzen and Jacob Siemens in front of their house in Bingham Lake, MN, in 1897.