Faith, Health and Hands to Work
I was happy as a lark yesterday when the chance arose to visit Pastor Christopher and Bethany Maronde and their beautiful family.?The Marondes have a vision that is community and world changing unfolding on the farm outside Shenandoah, Iowa. It’s called the The Lutheran Institute of Regenerative Agriculture and the Graze Master Group is so enthused to be a small part of this amazing dream.?
I can’t help but sit and ponder the divine connections we make in life. It’s really something to consider that Pastor Christopher and I are the great, great grandchildren of Frederick and Carolina (Zanzig) Maronde. I am filled with joy thinking about how proud Frederick and Carolina would be of Bethany and Christopher’s efforts. To honor their memory, I brought out a copy of Frederick and Carolina’s story written by Hazel Kaeding, that was shared with me by my Aunt Norma (Tonniges) Troester. Soon you will be reading about Pastor Christopher and Bethany too, but I am starting with our shared history to honor the agricultural efforts of the past and to inspire us all to reach into our family stories and ourselves to better our world today.
Frederick and Carolina Maronde’s story:
Frederick Maronde was born in Prussia, Germany on December 14, 1845. His parents died when he was a young boy. As he grew in manhood, Frederick herded sheep for a living and acquired an earning of $12 per year. Around 1872 to 1873, at the age of 19, Frederick came to America and landed in Chicago. He worked for a farmer by the name of W.M. Brahmsteadt at Englewood Chicago, Illinois, where he was hired to haul prairie hay to Chicago to the livery barns there.?
Carolina Zanzig, who was born in Mackleburg, Germany on July 11, 1853, also had to work out on the land as a young girl. She herded geese for the rich people of the town where she lived. As she followed the geese, she picked up all the feathers the geese would lose. She picked up enough feathers in this manner to make a feather bed.?
When Carolina was a young girl, she contacted measles and due to a setback became blind at her young age. Later, she and her brother William, went to see a man that managed to help her and she received sight back in one eye. By this time, Carolina was expected to go and work for her living and was not permitted to go on to school.?
Carolina’s neighbors were coming to America, so she decided to travel across the ocean to America with them. Her plans were to go to Indiana to be with an aunt that lived there, but due to the misfortune of having her birth certificate and all other valuable papers stolen as she came across the ship, she went to Chicago to search for a job instead.?
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It so happened that Carolina’s employment was close to the W.M. Brahmsteadt farm. This is where Frederick met Carolina as she was pitching hay to cattle. After a short and sweet romance, they were married in April of 1872. Frederick Maronde remarked that he didn’t have anything money wise, but that he did have his Savior, his health, and two hands to work.?
In 1885, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Maronde and a family of six children moved to York, Neb. They bought 160 acres and later had a carload of lumber and a carpenter sent out from Chicago to build the farm home.?The growing family lived through many hardships, but they seemed to prosper well. Frederick bought several farms, but above all he saw to it that all their children were raised with faith and knowledge of Jesus. They lived on the same farm until they retired and moved to 815 E. 7th St. in York, Neb.?
Frederick passed away in July 1927. Carolina lived 10 years longer and passed away on March 28, 1937. Frederick and Carolina had 12 children total. As of the writing of this story by Hazel several years ago, there were 205 living descendants of Frederick and Carolina Maronde and Pastor Christopher and I are proud and humbled to be among them.?
May we all reach back for wisdom to help us move forward for generations to come. With God all things are possible, and our meeting in Iowa still proves this to be absolutely true. Stay tuned very soon for more good news from an Iowa farm intent on connecting people to the soil and each other again …?
Thank you Pastor Maronde, Bethany, and your precious family for being such gracious hosts. My heart is full and my hands are ready for the work you need us to do. They need more workers too. I know some German Lutheran farmers who aren’t afraid to work. German Lutheran farmer or not, whoever feels moved to help out this vision with their time, treasure and prayers, please reach out to Pastor Christopher, Bethany, and team at:?https://lutheransinag.org
Thank you. More about this family in service to the God they love, and that loves them so much and all of us too, is coming very soon.?