I want to thank the following people who have helped to extend and expand this Oetjen Family tree.  First, Daniel Oetjen from Germany, who grew up in the region where Johann Jürgen Oetjen was born.  His Oetjen branch is identified as the "Ostervesede Family Tree" whereas my Oetjen branch is identified as the "Helvesiek Family Tree."  Daniel pointed me in the right direction in identifying the ancestors of Johann Jürgen Oetjen.  Second, Marianne Ryan from Las Vegas.  She is an Oetjen fourth cousin of mine who has done extensive Oetjen genealogy.  She identified the earliest Oetjen ancestor that appears in this Oetjen Family Tree Peter Oetjen (1679 - 1749).  Third, Jon Wiedenheft of Flagstaff, AZ who has helped with Oetjen relatives who were born, lived, are currently living, and died in America.  He has recently assembled an Oetjen Photo Album that gives faces to many of the Oetjen relatives identified here.

It was originally thought that the name Oetjen, with the "jen" ending, suggested a family of Danish origin.  Note that the names Rathjen and Tietjen, having married Oetjen daughters who are siblings of Johann Jürgen Oetjen, were thought to suggest that the Oetjens associated themselves with other Danish familes. However, recent information (2013) provided by Daniel Oetjen states that the "jen" ending  is quite common in German surnames.   He states Danish families are most likely to have a surname ending of "sen," meaning "son of."  He also states that this region of Hannover would more likely have Swedish familiy names, whereas the region of Schleswig-Holstein, located farther to the north above the port city of Hamburg, would be more likely to have Danish family names.

Use these links to skip ahead to specific Oetjen generations:

My 3rd Oetjen Great Grandparents are Peter Wilhelm Oetjen and his wife Gesche Miesner Oetjen.  This limited information is from the Die MAUS genealogical website provided by Daniel Oetjen.   Using the family tree provided by Daniel Oetjen, the children of Peter Wilhelm Oetjen and his wife Gesche Miesner Oetjen are:

It is noted here that Marianne Ryan is descended from Engel Sophie Oetjen and her 2nd husband Hans Meyer, makiing her a fourth cousin.

My 2nd Great Oetjen Grandparents are Harm Oetjen (may have been called "Hans" by his family) and his wife Marie Riebesehl Oetjen.  Harm was born in November 1793 in Helvesiek, Germany and died on May 14, 1859 in Riepe, Germany.  Marie was born in December 1793 in Wittkopsbostel, Germany and died on February 11, 1865 in Scheeßel, Germany.  Harm and Marie married on October 31, 1819 in Scheeßel, Germany.  Marie Riebesehl was the widow of Johann Friedrich Bellman before her marriage to Harm Oetjen.  It is noted here that the children of Marie's first marriage to Johann Friedrich Bellman are in my genealogical database for those interested.  Some of these descendants immigrated to America and were known by my aunts and uncles.  I am in contact with one of these descendants, Paul Henry Weseloh.

The children of Harm Oetjen and Marie Riebesehl Oetjen are (using the Die MAUS spelling and dates where possible):
 

My Great Grandfather Johann (John) Jürgen Oetjen was born in Riepe, Hannover, Germany on January 6, 1836 and died on February 28, 1919 in Gotha, Florida.  Johann was considered to be quite worldly in his youth. He was a soldier for three years, and a fellow soldier advised him to study for the Lutheran ministry and emigrate to America.  This he did.  He studied first in Germany and became engaged to Auguste Bormann.  After emigration, he completed his studies at Concordia St. Louis Seminary three years later.  At this time Auguste emigrated to America and they married in Homestead, Iowa on October 19, 1868.  He served congregations in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Florida.  My Great Grandparents lie buried in the St.John's Lutheran Church cemetery in Hay Creek, Wisconsin.  A record of these burials is in my possession.

The Johann Jürgen and Auguste Bormann Oetjen Family. Top Row Left to Right: Helene, Augusta, Ida, and Julius. Middle Row Left to Right: Ferdinand, Auguste, Johann Juergen, and Adolph. Front Row: Ottilie. (I estimate this photo was taken about 1891, thinking that Ottilie, the youngest, is about eight years old and that Auguste died in 1892)

Johann (John) Jürgen Oetjen and his second wife Hulda Mueller Oetjen.	John and Hulda Oetjen and their daughters Margaret and Johanna. Margaret and Johanna never married and lived together in Chicago. My cousins Joel and John Hinck would visit them occasionally.

The children of John Jürgen Oetjen and Auguste Marie Christine Bormann Oetjen are:
 

Ida Amelia Henrietta Oetjen Berger is my maternal Grandmother.  Ida married the Reverand Gustav Herman Berger on June 18, 1896.  The children of Gustav Herman and Ida Amelia Henrietta Oetjen Berger, including my Mother Paula Marie Berger Hilgendorf, can be found on the Berger page.

The following photos are from Ida Oetjen's photo album.
 
 

Ida Oetjen as a young child (center).  On the left is her sister Augusta and on  the right is her sister Helene.	Ida Oetjen as a young woman at age 18. The photo was taken in 1891.	The wedding photo of Ida Oetjen and Gustav Berger. Wedding date: June 18, 1896.

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