From the Top (as I know it)

1.  Johann Backen

sp.  Catharine Kuhn 1707-March 15, 1781

2. Johann Backen 1731 - February 5, 1802

sp. Margarete Peters 1738 - December 8, 1812

3.  Frens Backen Sept 20, 1773 - June 18, 1850

sp. Catharine Greve

4.  Johann Backen  April 26, 1816 - April 12, 1885

sp. Lucia Junge Sept 8, 1818 - February 28, 1891

This information was given to me by Hilma Backen, Glucksburg, Germany.  It was hand written, I hope I got all the details correct!

Carl Backen (Section 1)

Carl married Bertha Backen and had *3 children
(Complete and up to date as of 2008)

*1. Dorathy Louise-Died as an infant

*2. Carl - Died while serving his country from a hernia surgery which didn't go well. No children.

*3. Roy Kieth who married Ruby Katherine Castle Church and had **4 children

**1. Rodney is married to Lynda Backen and has ***1 daughter

***1.Stacy Backen (Single, no children)

**2. Larry -Died as an infant

**3. Cindy -Died as an infant

**4. Terry married to Sheila (Bouquet) Backen and had ****3 children.



(Pictured above: Terry Backen and his wife Sheila Backen. Terry is the son of Roy Keith and Ruby Backen.)


(Pictured above: Ryan, Sarah and Lindsey Backen as small children. Pictured below: Sarah, Ryan and Lindsey Backen in 2008. )

****1. Sarah Backen (Single, no children)
****2. Ryan Backen (Single, no children)
****3. Lindsey Backen (Single, no children)

George Backen (Section 1)

George Backen who married Anna Nagel and had *5 children



(George Backen pictured here with his wife Anna and two of his sons. Carl and Claude Backen.)

*1. Carl Backen married Bertha Backen and had **3 Children (complete)
**1. Dorathy who died in infancy.
**2. Carl died as a young man
**3. Roy who married Ruby Church and had four children

*2. Claude Backen who married Myrtle and had ***(? to be filled in)

*** 1. Ruth



*3. Roy Earl Backen who married Evelyn and had ****2 children. (If you have this part of the family line let me know.)

****1. Patricia who married William
****2. James

*4. Edna who married Vernon Dale and had *****( ? ) children (If you have this part of the family line let me know.)

*****1. Donald Dale
*****2. Barbara Dale Smith
(Not sure if this a the wife of Donald or his sister. Any clarification?)

*5. Pauline (Died in infancy.)

I am working from an incomplete list. If anyone has corrections or additions please send them to Texasgal1983@gmail.com. Thank you. ~Sarah

John Backen family (section 1) In progress...

John Backen Sr (1816) married (Lucy) Lucia Margaretha Junge Backen. (1818) They had *3 Children

*George John Backen (1853) who married Anna Marie Nagel and had **5 children

**1. Carl Mordaunt Backen (1885) married Bertha Louise Lipscomb Backen (1889)
**2. Claude Julius Backen (1887) who married Myrtle Voegle
**3. Roy Earl Backen (1897) who married Evelyn Marie Kane (1898).
**4. Edna Irene (1899) who married Vernon Dale
**5. Pauline (Died in infancy.)

* Julius Backen Sr. who married Mathilda Jacobsen and had ***4 children

***1. John Backen who married Minnie
***2. Herman Backen (28 Apr 1887 - Oct 1966) who married Bertha
***3. Gustav Backen (8 Jun 1895 - Jun 1971) who married Alma
***4. Julius Backen Jr. who married Vera



(Pictured above: Three children of Julius and Mathilda Backen. John, Gus, and Herman Backen. Julius Jr. was not yet born when this picture was taken.)

* Catherine (Backen) who married Fred Davids they had no children but Catherine was known as Tante Tina (Aunt Tina) to many!

Julius Backen, Mathilda Backen, Catherine Davids, and Fred Davids.

The shorter lady is Mathilda Backen, known as Anna. The taller lady is Catherine, known as Tante Tina. -Julius and Catherine are siblings (along with George). The car belonged to Julius Backen.

Pictures courtesy of Sandy (Backen) Barton from the collection of her Aunt Mildred.

St. John Luthern Church near Maple Grove Cemetery

This is St. John Lutheran Church. Across the road is Maple Grove Cemetery. That is where Johann and Lucia Backen, Mathilda (also known as Anna) and Julius Backen, and Catherine and Fred Davids are all buried. I think George is buried there too as there is a tombstone for him, although I never knew why he was there alone without his wife and family. Interestingly, on their tombstones Johann and Lucia are listed as John and Lucy.
Johann and Lucia, Mathilda and Julius, and Catherine and Fred are all listed as founding members of the church, although neither Johann or Lucia lived to see the building actually built. They were meeting in local school houses until 1894.
I think this photo was taken in 1934 at the 40th anniversary of the church building. In the front row behind the hitching post and holding his hat is Julius Backen. To his right is Mathilda. To her right is Catherine and Fred. I know I am related to many of those other people, but I can't identity most of them.
In later years, the church building was expanded. I can send an updated photo if you'd like. But this is the way it looked when your ancestors were here.

Submitted by Sandy (Backen) Barton

Claude M. Backen

Claude Julius Backen
Born: July 23, 1887 in Larrabee, Foster County, North Dakota
Died: Nov. 30 1945 in Los Angeles, California

(From a letter written on June 1, 1994 to Kieth and Ruby Backen from Don and Jeanette:)

"I was unable to get any information on Claude, other than that which Barbera and I could remember. Claude was a carpenter. He would build two or three houses a year, sell them and buy some lots, then take a long vacation – I think to visit his children. He would return and stay at our house. He built a living quarters behind our garage. During the war he traveled the country building military barracks. He passed away in 1947. "

There's also a "Pages from the Past" newspaper clipping.
It was published on Mon. July 9, 1990 by Foster County Independent. It has a section that has a section that says 50 years ago, "Claude Backen, son of a former Juanita farm couple, spent last week visiting friends in Carrington and in the Juanita community. Mr. Backen has just published No. 1 of Volume 1 of a monthly magazine, "The Voice of Democracy" at Los Angeles, CA. This new magazine advocates a system of monetary reform. It centers around a depreciation charge of one per cent a month on all amounts of $1 and over. This depreciation charge would become due on a certain day, each month, and tax stamps would have to be affixed to the money to bring it up to par value. This, the magazine explains, would lead to more rapid circulation of money to avoid depreciation charges; and everyone would benefit by the increase in trade. The plan also involves tax exemption on real estate, up to a limit of 2,500, to promote the ownership of homes."