Ehrmann & Böpple Family in Cataloi, Romania (1857-1902)

Before emigrating to the United States, the Samuel Ehrmann and Anna Maria Boepple family lived in Cataloi, Dobruja, Romania.  The German name for this place is Katalui (also Catalui), Dobrudscha, Rumanien. 



The village was founded in 1857 by Thomas Lutz, most likely due to religious reasons.  Friedrich Boepple and his wife Johanna Maria Lutz of Teplitz, Bessarabia accompanied Thomas and his family, as Johanna was his sister.  They had left Bessarabia in 1842/43 and were in Kischla (by Tulcea) in the early 1850s and then in Korusche, Dobruja 1853-1855 with the Lutz, Gruen, Nagel, Klein and Lang families.  However, due to the Crimean War they had all returned to Bessarabia and were in Teplitz in 1855 and near Sarata (Gut Hadlischar) in 1856.  From Hadschilar they returned to Dobruja, this time to Cataloi.  Friedrich and Johanna Böpple's daughter, Anna Maria Boepple was born 2 Feb 1859 in Cataloi. 

Samuel Ehrmann (born in Brienne 1840) left Brienne, Bessarabia, some time between 1868 and 1872 and went to Cataloi.  He married Anna Maria Boepple in 1872 at Cataloi and their daughter Anna Ehrmann was born there on 14 Aug 1887.  The family later moved to North Dakota in 1902. 



The present Baptist Church in Cataloi



Cataloi was the site of the first Baptist Church in Dobruja.  In the summer of 1864, persecution of German Baptists in Neu Danzig, Bessarabia led to a large migration to Cataloi.  The following familes were part of this group: Jakob Klundt, Joseph Edinger, Friedrich Engel, Martin Engel, Georg Leitner, Martin Heringer.  Martin Engel previously been arrested in 1861 for his Baptist beliefs.  Upon arrival in Cataloi, they sent a letter to the famous English Baptist "Prince of Preachers" Charles Spurgeon, who in turn contacted Johann Gerhard Oncken.  Oncken was the founder and leader of the Baptist movement in Germany, and he sent missionary August Liebig from Bucharest to Catalui to firmly establish a Baptist congregation. 

August Liebig served as head pastor of Cataloi from 1866-1869.  Oncken visited Cataloi and Atmagea in 1869.  In 1873, Ludwig Liebig (August's brother) became Pastor.  In 1878, Ludwig retired to farm his land, but served as a lay minister from then on.  In 1879 Johann Adam of Atmagea was the church deacon, while Ferdinand Massier was the itinerant pastor.  Martin Issler was ordained Cataloi pastor by August Liebig on 24 Sep 1884.  By 1897, Benjamin Schlipf was the pastor (Schlipf later moved to North Dakota, where he bapitzed Samuel Bettcher's son, Andrew Bettcher in 1906).  Cataloi was the central location for Baptists in Dobruja and still has a Baptist congregation today.