Emma Theresa Boock: Interconnected Families

by Jim Graupner, with Julie Humes

Among the first attempts at broadening out the rudimentary Boock genealogy provided by Albert Peter Boock, was to search through family correspondence, including letters from A.P. Boock, Esther Solsrude, and Minnie Broecker for information about the families of Christian Friederich Boock and Wilhelmine Plath Boock.

Along the way, I published my notes as "The Boock Genealogy" in my first edition of "The Settler." Since we now have several Keepers who are interested in the Boock and Plath family lines, perhaps it would be interesting to begin with a call for additional information on the Cordes and Ruemke families of Emma Theresa Boock. The following diagram is a simple sketch of Emma Theresa's family put together with Julie Humes, who provided authoritative genealogical revisions and whose mother, Carol, and I would be second cousins. Julie has offered to write a separate article on the William Ruemke Jr. family for a future edition of The Keepers.

Christian Friederich Boock (1826) m. Wilhelmina Ernstine Boock (1855)
Seven Children: Ida (1872), Emma Theresa (1874), Albert (1877), Frieda (1879), Arthur (1881), Wilhelmina (1883), Oscar (1886)

Emma Theresa (1875) m. William C. Cordes (b. 1873 d. 1897)
1. Elmer (1894) m. Nelle Rae in 1953
2. Estella (1896) m. Ervin Schmidt (ca. 1892)
a. Shirley (1926)
b. Renee (1929) m. Phil Sessions

Emma Theresa (1875) m. William Frederick “Wills” Ruemke, Jr. (1866)
1. Olivia (1901 died as a child)
2. Ruth (1902-1924) m. Fred Schapekahm (1899)
a. Elaine (1923) [Indexed as Elainie R. Schapekahm, 26 May 1923 Ref. DKB]

3. Edgar (1904) m. Gladys Bille (1904)
a. Carol (1936) m. William Harris (1935)
1: Julie (1957) m. Floyd Humes (1953)

Emma Theresa, born on May 16, 1874, was the second of seven children born to Christian Friederich and Wilhelmine Plath Boock: Ida (married Adolph Klause), Emma Theresa (married William C. Cordes, then William Ruemke Jr.), Albert Peter (married Emma E. Ruemke, sister to Bertha), Friedricka (married Hermann Hardt), Arthur Lincoln (married Emma Aufderheide), Wilhelmine O. (married Louis Frederick Broecker), and Oscar M (married Cora Gustman). [Note: Portrail of Emma Theresa Boock Cordes]

Two children were born to Emma Theresa and Wm Cordes: Elmer and Estella. According to my notes, Elmer was married four times, the only one I have listed was to Nelle Rae in 1953.


Estella Cordes, born October 13, 1897, married Ervin Schmidt on June 14, 1920. They had two children: Shirley, born in 1926, and Renee (1927).

About the turn of the century, Emma Theresa married William Ruemke Jr. of California, born May 16, 1874). William's father was William Ruemke Sr.

[William Ruemke Jr. and Emma Teresa nee Boock]

Here's where things get complicated and interconnected:

William "Wills" Ruemke Jr. was the son of William Ruemke Sr. and ___Hellmann. As a young man, Wills was in partnership with Herman Schapekahm, the brother to both Maria and Elisa Schapekahm, in the contracting business. Later William and and his brother, Christian (married George Gieseke Jr.'s sister, Alwina; George was married to Hertha Aufderheide) had the Ruemke Grocery on Third and Minnesota.

Edgar Ruemke and his father William Ruemke Jr. at the Ruemke Grocery in New Ulm

After William Jr.'s mother died, his father, William Sr., married Maria (Mary) Schapekahm on July 4, 1877. To that union were born Lena Ruemke (Mrs. Gustav) Hillemann, Emma Ruemke (Mrs. A. P. ) Boock, and Bertha Ruemke (unmarried). [William Sr.'s nephew Fred Schapekahm (son of his wife's brother, Gerhard Jr.) married William Jr.'s daughter Ruth.]

The union between Emma Theresa Boock and William Ruemke Jr. exaccerbated the interconnections because Emma Theresa was a sister to both Albert Peter (A.P.) and Arthur Lincoln (A. L. ) Boock. Emma Ruemke (A.P.) Boock was Emma Aufderheide (A. L.) Boock's first cousin (mothers were sisters) and sisters-in-law by virtue of their marrying Boock brothers. But, Emma Ruemke was also a half sister to William Jr., whose daughter Ruth, married Emma's first cousin and his nephew, Fred Schapekahm. William's niece Olga Klause (through his marriage to Emma Theresa) was married to Walter "Dan" Hellmann, his mother's grand nephew.

In addition to Elmer and Estella from her first marriage, the marriage of Emma Theresa Boock Ruemke and William Oscar Ruemke, Jr. was blessed with three children: Olivia (died as an infant 1901), Ruth (March 21, 1902), and Edgar (June 9, 1904). Ruth married Frederick Schapekahm, son of Gehard Jr. and Weddendorf. Ruth gave birth to Elaine, who died as an infant in 1924. Ruth died in 1925.

[Emma Theresa's children: Elmer and Estella Cordes; Ruth and Edgar Ruemke]

Edgar married Gladis Loretta Bille of El Monte, California; they had one child, Carol Wilhelmine Ruemke, born December 19, 1936. Carol's marriage to William Harris produced one child, Julie Lynn, born September 25, 1957 in Arcadia, Los Angeles. Julie married Floyd G. Humes (b. November 14, 1953) and they have two children: Lauren Christine (b. March 1, 1986) and Kenneth Ryan (b. February 27, 1990), both born in Carmichael, Sacramento, California.

[Father's Day 1933: Edgar Ruemke, ?, William Ruemke, Emma Theresa Ruemke, Estella Cordes, and Gladys (Edgar) Ruemke.]

The William Ruemkes lived in California. These photos show a wonderful Father's Day al fresco dinner on June 18, 1933 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles and a greeting from "Bill and Em" at Shady Point, California, in 1935.

I was telling my brother, Philip, on the phone that the rest of the Boocks sort of missed the boat for California. Emma Theresa's family, except for Estella, who stayed in Chaska (where I visited her with my mother, Gertrude, and Granda Emma Aufderheide Boock), migrated to California. Such is life.

Boock Cousins (ca. 1911); Grandchildren of Christian Friederich and Wilhelmine Plath Boock: Back Row, l to r: Estella Cordes Schmidt, Edgar Ruemke, Olga Klause Hellmann Stoltenburg and twin, Olivia Klause Gluth, Ruth Ruemke Schapekahm. Front Row, l to r: Elmer Cordes, Norma Klause Ford with Norbert Boock, Dorothy Broecker Atcheson, Aurelia Klause Walker (holding Esther Broecker Solsrud.