‘Nobility’ in my bloodline

I have in my possession the story of my ancestors, dated in the mid-1600s. This story is archived in the church records of the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, my home church, in Goessel, Kansas. The document I have, which was written by a Wedel family member in 1957, tells the story of “nobility” and how that manifested itself through the generations that followed. My father’s mother—my Grandmother Mathilda Wedel Goertzen—was a Wedel before marriage.

I did not “modernize” this story or even attempt to edit it as it is precious to me just as it is. The name “Wedel” is a name given by the nobility (ein Adel Namen) and comes from Holland.

In 1660, Peter Ratzlaff lived in Holland. He was a very wealthy man and owned a large amount of land. Holland was a country with a lot of good valley land but also rocky land, primarily the highlands. One day Peter Ratzlaff decided to buy a piece of land that included a large table mountain as well as valley land. Upon this table mountain he decided to build expensive homes for himself and his children: Benjamin, Jacob and Peter. Since rock was plentiful, he built a wall around the top rim of the mountain from the native rock, and placed an iron gate into the wall.

Peter Ratzlaff, however, was not satisfied with spending his money only for himself and his family and decided to give many thousand (gulden) to the government of Holland. This sum was received gratefully, and since it was custom when any money was given to the government, the government would in turn give a name of nobility to the donor. Thus, the government gave the name “Wedel” as a name of nobility to Peter Ratzlaff Wedel. After the parents passed away, their children lived in this castle on the table mountain, well protected by the stone wall and iron gate which was the only means of entrance. Since the parents had passed to their reward, the three sons—Benjamin, Jacob and Peter—left out the name “Ratzlaff,” and they became the “Wedel” family of Holland, and as far as records are established the forebearers of all descendants of the “Wedel” name.

In 1695 Holland was threatened with war with France. The nation instituted militarism for its protection against the assaulting nations. The three brethen were threatened with deportation. Their table on the mountain with its palatial homes and walls proved to be a good fort to carry on war if it comes. They placed rock hurling machines on this mountain since cannons were not invented at that time.

Since these brothers had become very unpopular because of their non-resistance faith, Benjamin Wedel fled to Switzerland. He was then still a single man and later married in Switzerland. Jacob Wedel fled to Poland. Peter Wedel remained in Holland and suffered intense persecutions because of his faith. He joined the Alexanderwohl Church where his uncle was the first elder in 1700.

All the elders with the name “Wedel” in the Alexanderwohl Church as well as all others who bear the name Wedel according to records by the elders of the church as well as records of other leaders to save them for future use to testify to the origin of the Wedel family. Various family trees indicate the same truths. We find the name Wedel amongst various branches of the Mennonite faith in practically all countries of the world, however their immediate origin dates back to 1660 when Peter Ratzlaff Wedel was living.

The Ratzlaff Church remained in Holland 80 years. The Wedel Church, as it was later named, remained in Germany 40 years. For 53 years, the Alexanderwohl Church lived in Russia, and for 87 years, this same church has been in America (152 years in 2022). About 300 years have been lived by our forebearers, and you as descendants, as a Wedel family.