My Richter forebears came from the little village of Wöbbel in Germany. It is a beautiful village in the southeastern mountain country of Lippe. Wöbbel is at the intersections of Routes 239 & 252. It is about 17 km west of where the modern state of Hesse begins & 30 km sw of Hamelin (of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story).  Wöbble today is a part of Schieder-Schwalenberg in East-Lippe of NRW(NR-Westfaly), on the river Emmer which flows 4 km NE forming the Emmersee (Emmer lake) & then continues NE 20 km to flow into the river Weser. The Weser is the large river that flows north to Bremen and then further North into the North Sea at Bremerhaven. In olden times the Weser was used by smaller boats to go from Porta Westfalica (approx 30 km NNE of Wöbbel) to Bremen where emigrants boarded ocean going vessels. Wöbbel is in the area called the "Weserbergland", which literally translates to "Weser mountain country". Just south of Wöbbel is an area called the "Eggergebirge" which means Egger mountains.  Europeans get a little carried away and call mountains what elsewhere are considered hills (elevations in the vicinity are 100-400 meters or 328-1300 feet which by US standards would probably be considered foothills).  Wöbbel has an   elevation of 35 meters - 114 feet. The Lippischer Wald (forest of Lippe) is 15 km east of Wöbbel and is part of the famous Teutoburger Wald. Note that burg means fortress and berg/wald means forest. Because it is where our ancestors defeated the Roman legions and stopped them from expanding northward, the area is called Teutoburger Wald (transliterated = German peoples' forest fortress).

  A bit of history
Wöbbel was primarily a farming community, but rich in history and many of it's structures have been preserved. The first mention of the town is in the 1300's, while Lippe was established as a town in 1123. It is difficult for us in this country to visualize conditions at that time in what we now call Germany. It was then made up of kingdoms and each had a king, duke, or emperor to serve. That meant paying taxes, subscription into the army, and practicing the religion of their emperor. Any violation of these was a crime, subject to either a jail sentence or forced emigration. Lippe's emperor, Count Simon VI. (1554-1613), and later Prince Leopold I., and then Princess Pauline (1769-1820), were Evangelische (reformed), other areas of Germany were Lutheran or Catholic. In all of these areas it was against the law to meet in a private or secret meeting. In Lippe, for instance, if they were caught attending a Catholic rite or meeting, they were subjected to a choice of prison or expulsion from Lippe.  In 1538, Lippe joined the Lutheran doctrine. The Lutheran faith was replaced by the Reformed faith in 1602/05 and remains the religion of choice even today. Lutherans, Catholics and the Calvinist country church were legally accorded equal status in 1854.  The 30 Years War of 1618-1648 was devastating, not just for Wöbbel, but for all of Germany. From the beginning of the religious wars in Germany, to the peace of Munster, scarcely anything great or remarkable occurred in the political world of Europe in which the Reformation had not an important share. All the events of this period, if they did not originate in, soon became mixed up with, the question of religion, and no state was either too great or too small to feel directly or indirectly its influence.  A war of thirty years, which, from the interior of Bohemia to the mouth of the Scheldt, and from the banks of the Po to the coasts of the Baltic, devastated whole countries, destroyed harvests, and reduced towns and villages to ashes; which opened a grave for many thousand combatants, and for half a century smothered the glimmering sparks of civilization in Germany, and threw back the improving manners of the country into their pristine barbarity and wildness. The real losers in the war were the German people. Over 300,000 had been killed in battle. Millions of civilians had died of malnutrition and disease, and wandering, undisciplined troops had robbed, burned, and looted almost at will. Most authorities believe that the population of the Empire dropped from about 21,000,000 to 13,500,000 between 1618 and 1648. Even if they exaggerate, the Thirty Years War remains one of the most terrible in history.

  Other events in Wöbbel during that period:
- From 1635-1637 the plague was in Wöbbel and killed many inhabitants.
- About 1636 the priests house and a shed in Wöbbel burned down.
- By the end of the war, all farms were still inhabited, though the population was less than before the war.
- From 1696-1700, the church in Wöbbel renovated and partly rebuilt. Church records prior to this were destroyed.
- In the mid 1800's Wöbbel consisted of about 60 houses (farms). In 1911 - 102 houses, 152 Households, and 548 residents. In 1939 - 681 inhabitants.
Note:- Click here For more on History for the Richters of Wöbbel

Below are my direct forebears that I've identified, however I have many records of Richters in the 300 year span of my research for which I have not establishd their association. These records are included in the file 'All Name Genealogy' as unknown. If you have any information on them, I would appreciate hearing from you. For genealogy records click 'RICHTER GENEALOGY'  below.

Johann Franz Richter, my ggggg-grandfather, born 1689 married 1st Catherina Agneta Gertz of Belle, Germany 8/3/1714, no known children. Married 2nd, Catherina (Trina) Margareta Klems 2/2/1725 in Wöbbel, Germany and had 5 known children.
Johann Simon Heinrich Richter, my gggg-grandfather, born March 10, 1725 in Wöbbel, Germany. Married 1st Catharine (Trina) Maria Möllenbein in Wöbbel. Germany, and had 7 children. Married 2nd Amalia Mantöus and had 1 child.
Johann Simon Ludwig Richter, my ggg-grandfather, born April 21, 1755 in Wöbbel, Germany, died 5/2/1828 in Wöbbel. Married Anna Dorothea Ilsabein Schmidt 5/28/1780 in Wöbbel and had 9 children.
Anton (Anthony) Joseph Richter, my great-great-grandfather, was born August 3, 1792 in Wöbbel, Lippe, Germany, died in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Anton married 1st, Johanna Maria Dorothea Richtersmeier 9/15/1815 in Wöbbel and had 6 children. After her death 2/5/1831, married her sister, Maria Dorothee Ilsabein Richtersmeier and had 3 children. He was a ‘Kolon', (owner of large farm). More about that later. Anton arrived in New York on the ship Hermine from Bremen 7/16/1857 as cabin passenger, listed as a weaver, w/wife Marie, son Anton listed as shoemaker - age 16, and daughter Emile listed as shoemaker - age 19. Two sons had preceded them to America.

There are a couple of conclusions we can make based on the information for Anton. He should have been well-to-do, based on the time he emigrated. He would have had property to sell before leaving Germany and he traveled what would have been 1st class as a cabin passenger. Education was minimal or nonexistent. Note son Anton was serving apprenticeship as a shoemaker at age 16.

Kolon or Colon originates from the 18th century draining of low lying land and opening it up to new farming, hence the word related to colonist. At that time all land was owned by church or nobility, so the ones who farmed it paid a tithe to the real owners and were called the Kolons. The Kolons had a hereditary right to pass that status on to their heirs even though none of them actually owned the land in the modern sense. Even after 1808 when real ownership passed to the Kolons there was a catch. The former owners were owed extremely large "compensations", typically in the form of farm output.  One bad crop or catastrophe and the Kolons had to give up their ownership, by selling or reversion to the former owners. That is why we see so many Kolons emigrating in the 1830-1850 time period. The economy was very bad and there were periodic droughts.

Anton, and his descendants continued to practice Evangelisch (Reformed) religion in this country, attending the St John's Reformed Church, now a part of Faith United Church of Christ, current address is 4040 E Thompson Rd, Indianapolis.

Anton and Maria's Children were:
Christoph Wilhelm Ludwig b:February 16, 1819 Wöbbel. Married Nov. 22, 1843 Sophia Wilhelmina Körber, she was born March 25, 1811 in Wöbbel. No record that they came to this country.
Heinrich Friedrich Christian b: Aug. 2, 1822 in Wöbbel, Germany. Did not emigrate.
Charlotte Catherine Amalie b: Jun. 16, 1825 in Wöbbel, Germany. No record of immigration.
Dorothee Amalie & Caroline Marie (twins) b: April 5, 1829 died April 5, 1829.
August Conrad b: Jan. 13, 1831 in Wöbbel d: May 5, 1894 Indianapolis, Mar. 28, 1856 married Christina Boise in Indianapolis who was b: Nov. 21, 1834 in Germany. Died Nov. 21, 1906 in Indianapolis. Both are buried in Crown Hill Cemetery. Their children were: Sarah, William, August & Louis.
August was the 1st of the family to come to this country. He sailed from Bremen 4/13/53 arrived 6/23/53 listed as a joiner (cabinet maker) from Blomberg, a town a few miles from Wöbbel. He was naturalized 3/5/63, Marion County, IN, owes allegiance to Duke of Lippe. Died from an injury, lived 16 Shelby St. Divorced from Christiana 5/18/1881. There is evidence that he and brother Frederick had a construction business as August Richter & Bro. He became Indianapolis Street Commissioner for a few years 1866 -67.
Carl Friedrich Anton Richter b: Oct 10, 1835 in Wöbbel, Germany. My great grandfather.
(See below for the information on this family)
Johanna Emelia Christina b:June 1837 in Wöbbel, known as Emilie. Came to this country with parents 7/16/1857, age 19, shoemaker. No other information on her.
Simon Anton b:March 8, 1841 in Wöbbel died March 29,1896. Came to this country with parents at age 16, 7/16/1857. Married Dec.12, 1865 Catherine Reister in Indianapolis. She was born Aug. 1848 in Würtemberg, Germany. Their children: Otto, Antone Frederick, John Michael, Alphonse August, Eli, & adopted son Arthur.
Simon Anton, known as Anton, was a car inspector died of Addison disease at age 55 in Indianapolis. In 1889 was watchman, lived 1135 Beecher St. East of Shelby, a house owned by his brother Frederick. Buried 3/30/1896 Crown Hill Cemetery, section 38 lot 355.
Anton served in the Civil War:
Eleventh Infantry INDIANA (3 months and 3 years)
Richter Anton B 11 Indiana Infantry. Private Richter Andrew 0005400064
[Note: this means he enlisted as Andrew but disability and widows pension claim was as Anton.]
Andrew Richter [pension as Anton Richter]
Residence Plainfield IN; Enlisted on 8/31/1861 as a Private .On 8/31/1861 he mustered into "B" Co. IN 11th Infantry He Re-enlisted on 2/1/1864 He was Mustered Out on 7/26/1865 at Baltimore, MD. Source: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana
Carl Friedrich Anton Richter, (my great grandfather) known as Frederick, b: Oct. 10, 1835 in Wöbbel. Came to this country 10/21/1856 on the ship Dorette, Bremen to New York, and then to Indianapolis. Worked as a stonemason and the following year sent passage money for Wilhelmina Helle of  Lippe, Germany, an orphan. They were married December 19, 1857 in Indianapolis. She was baptized 9/15/1839 Evangelisch, Church Herden, Lippe, Germany as Wilhelmene Konrodine Amalia, and I believe came here from a nearby village called Horn in Lippe-Detmold, and her parents were Hermann and Amalia Gronemeier Helle. Frederick died 12/23/1903, Wilhelmina 4/3/1918 in Indianapolis and are buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, lot 242 sec 38.

Their children are: Louisa, Amalea Sophia, Matilda Emilie, Anna Marie, Frederick Anton (my grandfather), Rosa Katherine, Henry, and Lawrence.
Lived with Anthony Richter (father) at 309 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis in 1860's. In 1866 lived 9 Fletcher Ave. They lived 1111 Beecher St. and owned considerable property on the East side of Shelby St. from the Belt RR to Fountain Square. They owned several houses on Beecher Street, a warehouse, and a grocery store at 149 1/2 Shelby in1890.Frederick and his brother operated a business ‘August Richter and Bro' for a few years. In 1861 was member and officer of the American Protestant Association, an anti Pope hate organization. In 1867 the name changed to German American Protestant Association and held meeting every Friday in Germania #3, Judah's Block, across the street from the Court House on Washington St. between Delaware & Alabama Sts.
 AMERICAN CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS:
Frederick Richter Claimed Residence in Marion County
Enlist Date 09 July 1863 Priv
Served Indiana Enlisted K Co. 103rd Inf Reg. IN Mustered Out on 18 July 1863
Source: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana
Story of the 103rd Regiment:
103rd Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry Organized at Indianapolis, Ind., July 10, 1862, to repel the Morgan Raid. Left Indianapolis for Vernon, Ind., July 11. Pursuit of Morgan from Vernon to Harrison and Batavia, Ohio, July 12-15. March to Sauman's Station July 15, thence to Indianapolis, Ind. Mustered out July 16, 1863.
Source: A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer. Copyright, 1908.
One Hundred and Third Infantry INDIANA

Frederick Anton Richter (my grandfather) born February 14, 1870 in Indianapolis. Married Ida Clistain Bisplinghoff 8/18//1890 in Indianapolis. Ida was born August 18, 1869 on Lookout Mountain, TN, died 10/7/1962 in Loogootee, IN at age 92 from a brain concussion caused by a fall. Frederick died of Sleeping Sickness (inflammation of the brain caused by a tick bite) 6/3/1925.  Both are buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN, section 69 lot 280.
It was the custom when Frederick died to have the funeral service from the home without embalming. His body was cleansed and clothed, laid out in the parlor, and a two night ‘death watch' with a member of the family in constant attendance.

Frederick was a stonemason. Existing works still standing include 2 RR bridges over Raymond St. and brick walks and stone in Garfield Park's Sunken Gardens. They lived 2126 Singleton St., purchased for $500 from Anton Richter, his nephew. Baptismal record from St. John's Reformed Church Indianapolis; baptized May 15, 1870, godparent Anton Richter, his uncle. Ida was born Clistain L. but at about age 10 decided to change her name to Ida. The family moved to Peoria, IL and then to Indianapolis to join her sister there. She was tall and slender, hard working, and a stern no-nonsense woman, but would faint at the sight of blood.  She was an "E'er", Dad was Petey, brother Bud was Buddee and I was Freddie. To this day when I hear someone yell "EE", I come in for supper. In her later years was blind and crippled with arthritis. The Frederick A. Richter family converted to Catholicism in 1913.
Their children were: Ida L., Rose, Anna, Freda Marion, Frederick, Horace Peter (my father), Joseph H., Charles L., & Susan Rose. In addition, they raised their oldest grandson, Urvin Laughlin, son of Rose who died of blood poisoning when he was two years old.

Ida had a hard life, but was a proud woman, and after Grandpa died, "ruled the roost". Her mind was sharp until the day she died, taking an interest in the news events, particularly the political news. A staunch Democrat, and believer that Roosevelt was the savior of the country, and swore you would go to "hell" if you voted otherwise. While with us in Richmond, two of our children, Sandra Ann and Linda Marie, her favorites, took care of her needs, for which they received a piece of candy for every trip upstairs. Candy was a large item in our budget. The great-grandchildren were the love of her life, and she would sit holding a baby for hours on end. A woman of her time, who had an influence on every member of her family, and is more appreciated today than in her lifetime.

During the Depression years of the 1930's, and after the death of Frederick Anton, were extremely hard times for this family. Daughter, Anna, who had been married but was divorced and working at the Indianapolis Athletic Club had moved back home with her mother to help support her. My father and his family and Charles with his family also moved back home. Charles had lost his job when the banks closed and my father, a bricklayer, had very little work. Often times working for food, including slab bacon, chickens, pigs, etc. This ended when under the Roosevelt administration the economy improved and work was available. Each family moved back to their homes, the house on Singleton Street was sold, and Grandma Ida alternated living with my father's and Charles' family. In 1957 she lived with us in Richmond, Indiana for a year, before finally going into a nursing home in Loogootee, Ind. She had outlived her body.

We went to Loogootee after a call from the nursing home that Grandma had fallen and was in the hospital. I asked her how she had fallen, when she hadn't walked in twenty years. She had wanted to go to the bathroom and "forgot she couldn't walk". She died a few days later. Mom and Aunt Rose went down to make arrangements for the funeral and bring back her personal belongings. One cardboard box contained her entire lifetime.

Horace Peter Richter, my father, known as Pete, was born July 10, 1900, died October 31, 1971 of cerebral hemorrhage at age 71. Married Mary Catherine Michaelis June 13, 1923, b: 2/13/1902, d: 3/26/1993 of complications from an infection at age 91. Both are buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, Indianapolis. Their children are: Frederick Joseph, Robert Horace, & Joseph Michaelis.

Mary worked for Hibbon-Hollweg as a bookkeeper, later owned a Dairy Queen at Troy and Madison Ave., Indianapolis.

Pete was born at home, 2126 Singleton Street, Indianapolis, IN., the sixth child. A neighborhood consisting of nearly all Germans, many of whom did not speak English. The house had a front parlor, living room, dinning room, very large kitchen and pantry, 4 bedrooms and 1 bath. A hand dug basement with just enough room for a coal bin and furnace. The street and sidewalks were brick and an unpaved alley with a 3 carriage garage. In the garage was a large workbench with shoe lasts mounted for repairing shoes. A large back porch which annually was covered with morning glories and a grape arbor in the yard. Everyone in the family was required to help with the canning and jelly making. The kitchen contained a sink, gas stove, and a huge icebox which was replaced by a window box in the winter. In later years a wringer washing machine was added.

Pete enlisted in the Navy January 15, 1919 reporting to Great Lakes Training Station at a salary of $17.60 per month. His first assignment was in New York on the ship Leviathon (SP-1326) with the rating of A. Seaman and served from June 30, 1919 to November 24, 1919 spending the entire time transporting Troops home from Europe after the end of WW I. The Leviathon had been seized by the U. S. from Germany at the beginning of the war. It had been Germany's largest passenger liner.

His next assignment was on the destroyer Welles (DD-257) a brand new ship based in San Diego, California. He served from November 30, 1919 to June 28, 1920 in training, where he achieved the ranks of Seaman-3/c & Seaman 2/c.
Then to the ship Walker (DD163) another destroyer where he served from July 7, 1920 to August 9, 1921 in San Diego. The Walker had just been placed in Reserve Duty and this is the ship where he attained the rank of seaman 1/c and probably where he became a hard hat diver. He was in the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego, for 2 weeks starting October 1, 1920. The record did not state the reason.

His last assignment was on the Farenholt (DD-332) where he served from July 25, 1921 to May 13, 1922 in San Diego. The term on the Farenholt was spent on maneuvers from the Northwest Pacific to the Canal Zone. Then shipped to Great Lakes for his discharge on May 25, 1922, at which time his pay was $54.00 per month.

My father was a small man, 5' - 9", and in his younger years, never weighed more than 150 pounds. His arms and upper torso were huge from laying brick, but had no hips and skinny bandy legs. His only interest was his work. He had no hobbies, and never took a vacation. He was a master at his trade and his work his canvas.

His work in those days took him out of town to prisons and schools which was about all the work available. The family spent one summer with him in Chillicothe, Ohio in one room at a hotel. He was working on a prison for most of that year.

He was a man of habits, rarely changing them. He had fried mush with eggs every morning for breakfast. On week ends it was my job to help him on the volunteer jobs of repairing, pointing up, and laying brick for the various Catholic projects throughout Indianapolis. I was his gofer and mixed his mortar. In literally hundreds of batches of mortar, not one ever suited him. When working he chewed tobacco. Everyone knew he chewed tobacco, except our mother. He was cutting the grass one day chewing tobacco and forgot to get rid of it before coming into the house. Mom was furious. She threw him out and told him to get rid of it and never, ever, come into the house chewing tobacco. He took up cigars. He didn't smoke them, he chewed them down to a 3" stub, then stuck the stub in his pipe and smoked it. Never before, or since, have I seen anyone smoke a cigar in a pipe, but that was his way.
Pride plays a large part in everyone's life and so it was with Pete. He was a very proud man, of his family, his heritage, his work. At the same time a very stubborn man.

Who was Pete Richter? To me he was a better than average parent, a man whose word was his bond, working for the benefit of his family his only interest. Perhaps not the most educated, but certainly the most dedicated. He was a survivor. His friends were not widespread, but those he had were devoted and everlasting. He was stubborn to a fault, mellowing some in his later years, on occasion accepting advice from his children. I'm reminded that you're really not an adult until you can accept your parents as human beings with their mistakes and still love them.