A journey of more than 7,000 miles began with one decision. In 1848, Georg and Louesa Herre knew they had no choice but to leave their ancestral home in the Kingdom of Hanover. Their small farm was insufficient to support their growing family. Taxes to the wealthy ruling class and the church left little for the Herre family. They scrimped and struggled to survive. Then things got worse. A blight infested the crops. The Great Famine raced across northern Europe from Ireland to the Germanic states and beyond reducing crop yields by eighty percent. That time would be remembered as the hungry years. Social unrest spawned rumors of war setting the stage for the Prussian Revolution! The family became desperate; Georg and Louesa made a wrenching decision. They would go to the ends of the earth to provide their children a better life. Enduring profound loss, sickness, cramped quarters, hurricanes and pirates they made their way to the western edge of the United States of America settling in Jackson County, Missouri. Along the way they discovered the depth of their love and strength as they became Harra, an American family.
