Page 4 - Frankenmuth Insurance 150 Years Anniversary Booklet

The first neighbors: 1868

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? In 1868, if you couldn’t understand this question —

and answer “Ja!”— you could not be a part of the Deutschen Frankenmuther
Unterstützungs-Verein (the German Frankenmuth Aid Association),

the group that became Frankenmuth Insurance. The verein
was a true mutual insurance society. Members listed the

buildings and goods they wished to insure. When a member
had a loss due to fire or lightning, the other members all

contributed to cover it, knowing they would be supported the
same way in their time of need.

The association had written rules and bylaws, trustees
appointed to handle business dealings, and restrictions on
membership. Only German-speaking members were allowed, all members

had to be Lutherans in good standing, and those with questionable morals

were barred from joining. One man was denied membership because he
once held a dance in his house; after promising never to repeat the offense,
he was given membership. Since the agreement relied on all members

to help when other members sustained losses, the character of its members

was a critical concern.

These requirements didn’t limit the growth of the association; by the late
1870s, German-speaking Lutherans from as far away as Birch Run and

Saginaw were joining up. Soon the association had nearly 500 members —
more than double its original roster — and was insuring property worth about

a half-million dollars.

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