Elizabeth Mueller wrote the following story in 1941 about her Grandparents making the voyage from Germany to the U.S.

About one hundred twenty-years ago, many German families emigrated to America because they did not have the religious freedom in the old country which they would like to have, and for young people who did not have any help from their parents financially. It was very hard to start a home and household of their own. These two reasons brought many young people to the United States.

There was a young man by the name of John Dittmer (Johann Friederick Dittmer) who was a devout Christian. (Note) John was researched in Germany in 1994.  He was born in the farm town of Armsen, State of Hanover). He kept company with Margaret Hesse, a nice young girl Living in the neighborhood. (Who lived about 6 km in the farm town of Verdenermoor)? . After several years of close friendship they became engaged. Margaret's parents were among those people who had decided to go to America.  John and Margaret asked for advice from their parents as to what would be best for them to do. They finally decided that Margaret would emigrate with her parents and John would also go to the new country.  Where the young couple intended both to work hard and save all they could and then, with the help of god, after about years they married and start housekeeping for themselves.

The day for the departure from the old country came, December 23 1844.  Both John Dittmer and the Hesse family boarded the ship Astracan. The Hesse family consisted of Father- Christopher, Mother- Margaretha Hohgrefe Hesse, and 6 children, Catherina Margaretha, Christian, Margaretha Elizabeth, Johann Heinrich, Anna Sophia, and Anna Metta. They spent much of their time on the Ship Knitting. They had to have plenty of stockings and gloves, shawls, hoods, etc. ready to wear when they reached the new country. They did not want to spend their time making clothes right away when they landed, but wanted to do things more worthwhile. 

Our young mans heart was full of joy and good hope for the future, thinking that now before long his dearest wish would be fulfilled, to have a home of his own and have his best friend share it with him as his beloved wife.  But alas, the plans of the Lord were different.  After they had been on the ship for a few days, a very contagious disease, the cholera, broke out on the ship. Our two young people, being young and strong and always having a warm heart toward anyone who was sick or in trouble, went about the ship helping and taking care of the sick wherever they could. In a few days, Margaret too, had the cholera.  In spite of all the care she had from her lover and her parents, She grew worse every day, and finally the Lord called her home to the Heavenly Mansions.  Words cannot express the grief of the young man. The New world, as it was called, had no attraction for him any more, and he thought seriously of returning to Armsen Germany on the first ship that would take him back after they had landed. But upon advice of some older friends he stayed in America after all. And there also came brighter and happier days for him again. Many plans were made as to what they would do in the new country. One of the main objects of discussion was how soon they could build a little church and could have a minister, so they could hear the word of god, in all its purity. So they would have some one to help them instruct their children and teach them the way to Heaven.

In those days traveling was not so fast as in our days. Our friends were on the ocean seven weeks. Most everyone on the ship became seasick.  Some were quite ill from it, others not so bad.  Except for this and the cholera, they had a very

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