"Heinrich Ahrens, the ancestor in America of the Ahrens family in question, had a very interesting career. He was born about 1759, in Bremerhaven, Germany, of parents in good social standing in that city. When but twelve years of age he played truant from school for.a week. A neighbor, seeing him about the streets of the town asked his father the next Sunday in Church, why the boy had not been attending school instead of roaming the streets. The father shaking his finger at Heinrich frightened him so, that, securing money from his mother, he left home, intending to return in a few days when his father's anger would have subsided. He wandered down to the wharf, where he was noticed by the captain of a Dutch vessel, who was much impressed by his appearance. The Captain talked with Heinrich, and, taking a fancy to the boy, asked him to go with him to Holland, promising to return him to his parents in a short time. Heinrich sailed with him, but the good captain died off the shores of Holland, and Heinrich was left alone in a strange land. As the lad was wandering about the shore another captain bound for America, kidnapped him and forced him to go with him. Landing on the New England coast, probably at Boston, the boy was turned over to a rich, man, who manifested a liking for him, but before letting him go, the captain cut all the bright buttons from his coat saying he wished to have them as a memento. He had been sold as a redemptioner to the rich man, who became so fond of the lad that he decided to educate him. At the time he was building a mill in his place, and noting the boy's liking for the tools of the wheelwrights and his keen interest in everything the men did, he offered to let young Heinrich learn the trade. This he did and followed it for nine years in New England. At the end of that time he started for Pennsylvania on foot and walked all the way to Berks county. He was then aged twenty-two years. He followed his trade in Bern township for a time and there he met Catharine Leppert, who afterward became his wife. He was considered an excellent mechanic. He erected many of the mills along the Tulpehocken and at Wernersville, as well as in different districts in the lower end of Berks- county. He and his wife moved to Friedensburg, in Oley township, where she had relatives living, and there he built a home and passed the remainder of his life, dying at the age of eighty-one years. He was buried in the graveyard at Spies's Church. He and his wife had four children as follows: Henry, who was a wheelwright and carpenter by trade, owned and conducted a farm at the "Half Way House" in Maiden-creek township; Jacob is mentioned below; Hannah married Jacob Miller; John, born in 1794, died in 1883. John learned the carpenter and wheelwright's trade, commencing when but twelve years of age, and this he followed all his life. He served in the war of 1812 in the Berks county militia and in 1814 went with it to Baltimore. He married Christiana Reber, daughter of Johannes Reber, and they had the following children : Louisa; Anna; Catharine; Maria and Henry. All were members of the Bern Church." (1)
Kidnapped.
Children:
1) Henry Ahrens
2) Jacob Ahrens
3) Hannah Ahrens, m. Jacob Miller
4) John Ahrens, b. 1794, d. 1883
(1) Morton L. Montgomery, Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania: Embracing a Concise History of the County and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families, Vol. II (Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1909), 1407-1408.