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In Germany it was manditory for young men to go into the Army at age 21. My grandfather, Henry W. Schuermann, was turning 21 in July of 1883, so he decided to "get out of Germany". He worked in a coal mine and one night in late April or early May, after his shift was over, he made his way to the coast, boarded a ship and left for America. He arrived at the Port of Philidelphia, made his way to Ohio where his older brother, William, met him. They then went on to Dickinson Co. KS where his brother lived. He later married a sister of William's wife. In 1893 he went to Anthony KS joined in the Run for free land in Grant Co. OK. "The Cherokee Strip" He drove a horse and buggy and staked his claim. He received a messge that his wife had just given birth to a son so he went back to Dickinson. He did not register his claim and when he got back some one had "jumped his claim". He then had to choose from the School sections. These were sections set aside for shools to be built later. He chose a section near what is now Jefferson, Grant Co. OK, which he later had to pay for. He worked his farm until 1929 when he lost it due to the "Crash of '29". He rented another farm where he lived until about 1941. He then moved into an apartment above a store in Medford. I remember him taking me to the movie, Gone With The Wind, in about 1949. He won a 3 lb.can of Folgers in the ticket raffle during the intermission. Grandpa loved music and started his own band in 1900, known as the Jefferson Band. This band played for dances and such for several years.When he came to CO to visit he always made me go to the piano and sing with him while my mother played. He had some crippled fingers on his right and and he would "tap" me on the chest with his knuckles and say " Sing from der chest not from der nasal". Those knuckles hurt, but he had no idea. I remember him saying, he was not afraid of lightning, but when it clouded up he would holler for mother to come and play the piano and he went around closing all of the curtain. He never spoke German and did not allow hi family to. He rode on a Trailways bus in 1945 from Medford OK to Fowler CO to visit us and had to stand or set on his suitcase most of the way. His legs were so swelled I was sure they would always be that way. Henry died in July of 1954 at the age of 92. He was a good and loving grandfather whom I loved very much.

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