First Generation

1. Johann Hinrich LÜHRS was born on 21 September 1873 in Walle bei Verden, Hannover, GER. He died on 29 July 1964 at the age of 90 in Walle bei Verden, Hannover, GER. "Opa Luhrs" was also known as "Jan Smit", John the Blacksmith in the Plattedeutsch dialect of northern Germany. He served in the German army in World War I. Between the wars, he served as the village blacksmith and storekeeper, and was somewhat of a community leader. In his later years he was rather distraught over the death of two sons --Siegfried and Wilhelm -- and serious injuries to Hermann, in World War II. His story is told in the 1983 book "Wenn Nix Dortwüschen Kummt" by Hinrich Gerken (not a relative).