John "Johann" Steffen was born to Jakob Steffen and his second wife Mary Elizabeth (Houbreck) Steffen in what was then Prussia,on March 19, 1825. He was the oldest of at least 7 children produced by the union (6 boys and 1 girl in the record: John, Mathias, Leonard "Conrad," Ignatz, Katharine, Franz/Francis, and Jacob Jr.),and joined two half-brothers from his father's first marriage to Katharine (Richartz), who had died in 1823 (John Jacob and Nicholas). John Steffen's own mother died in 1838 at age 40, and his father remarried again, to Anna sometime after 1838 and before 1848 (no children in record from that marriage).
According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley, 1895, pages 828-30 (which cover the Steffen family), John married Appolonia (Stark) Steffen in 1845 while still in Prussia.
John and Appolonia Steffen came to the United States on the ship "Luconia," arriving in New York on June 12, 1848. According to the ship manifest, they came with his father Jakob and his third wife Anna, sister Catharine, half-brother Nicholas, brothers Mathias, Conrad and his wife Lucy/Lucia, Franz and Jacob, and two other Steffens that may have been the older Jakob's nephews. In addition, they had their first child Anna, still a baby.
Census records suggest that step-brother John Jacob Steffen had already come over earlier, in 1846 (date the latter gave on 1900 Federal Census).
In addition to Anna (who died early, in 1850 soon after arriving in the U.S.) John and Appolonia (Stark) Steffen had 8 more children, all born in the United States (oldest to youngest): Jacob, Nicholas, Peter, Ignatius David (I.D.), Frank Lewis, Martin, Mary E. and John Henry.
When they arrived in the U.S. they lived first in the area of Saratoga Springs, NY where John did wage labor. The rest of the Steffens (father, siblings) were there too. Then most of the Steffens began to relocate to the area of Hortonia, Outagamie, Wisconsin (later including Dale and Hortonville). First was John Jacob in 1850, then Leonard "Conrad" in 1851. The next year, their father Jakob joined these two sons there, with his wife Anna and son Franz/Francis, and also son Jacob (who appears in the local records when he got married,and then enlisted in the Union Army, in 1862 in Hortonville). Then came John and Appolonia and 3 boys they had in New York State (leaving Anna buried in NY),in Spring 1855. John's brother Ignatz Steffen then came over from Germany sometime between 1854 and 1857 (records vary, latter date is one Ignatz gave on 1900 Federal Census) and joined his siblings and father/stepmother there. Siblings Matthias and Nicholas chose to stay in New York and appear in the Census established there. Sister Katharine appears to have died there in NY and so never made it to Wisconsin, according to the above Commemorative Biography.
The Steffen "clan" was certainly a pioneering, founding family in the Dale/Hortonville area of Outagamie County.
John Steffen was a farmer, by all accounts quite prosperous and prominent, and his wife Appolonia a farmer's wife. Their farm adjoined that of Peter and Margaret Olk, and the Steffens and Olks enjoyed by all accounts a close relationship. John and Appolonia's daughter Mary married Peter and Margaret Olk's son John J., their son John Henry married the Olk's daughter Annie, and John's nephew Frederick, son of brother Ignatz Steffen, married Peter and Margaret's daughter Lucy Olk. Three Olk/Steffen marriages in one generation.
John's wife Appolonia died in mid-December 1893 when a blood vessel in her head burst, while she was at home and her husband out. He came home to find her. John died less than two years later, after being stricken with "bowel trouble" for a few days, on October 7, 1895.
Both lifelong devout Roman Catholics, they were buried together in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Hortonville, Wisconsin.
According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley, 1895, pages 828-30 (which cover the Steffen family), John married Appolonia (Stark) Steffen in 1845 while still in Prussia.
John and Appolonia Steffen came to the United States on the ship "Luconia," arriving in New York on June 12, 1848. According to the ship manifest, they came with his father Jakob and his third wife Anna, sister Catharine, half-brother Nicholas, brothers Mathias, Conrad and his wife Lucy/Lucia, Franz and Jacob, and two other Steffens that may have been the older Jakob's nephews. In addition, they had their first child Anna, still a baby.
Census records suggest that step-brother John Jacob Steffen had already come over earlier, in 1846 (date the latter gave on 1900 Federal Census).
In addition to Anna (who died early, in 1850 soon after arriving in the U.S.) John and Appolonia (Stark) Steffen had 8 more children, all born in the United States (oldest to youngest): Jacob, Nicholas, Peter, Ignatius David (I.D.), Frank Lewis, Martin, Mary E. and John Henry.
When they arrived in the U.S. they lived first in the area of Saratoga Springs, NY where John did wage labor. The rest of the Steffens (father, siblings) were there too. Then most of the Steffens began to relocate to the area of Hortonia, Outagamie, Wisconsin (later including Dale and Hortonville). First was John Jacob in 1850, then Leonard "Conrad" in 1851. The next year, their father Jakob joined these two sons there, with his wife Anna and son Franz/Francis, and also son Jacob (who appears in the local records when he got married,and then enlisted in the Union Army, in 1862 in Hortonville). Then came John and Appolonia and 3 boys they had in New York State (leaving Anna buried in NY),in Spring 1855. John's brother Ignatz Steffen then came over from Germany sometime between 1854 and 1857 (records vary, latter date is one Ignatz gave on 1900 Federal Census) and joined his siblings and father/stepmother there. Siblings Matthias and Nicholas chose to stay in New York and appear in the Census established there. Sister Katharine appears to have died there in NY and so never made it to Wisconsin, according to the above Commemorative Biography.
The Steffen "clan" was certainly a pioneering, founding family in the Dale/Hortonville area of Outagamie County.
John Steffen was a farmer, by all accounts quite prosperous and prominent, and his wife Appolonia a farmer's wife. Their farm adjoined that of Peter and Margaret Olk, and the Steffens and Olks enjoyed by all accounts a close relationship. John and Appolonia's daughter Mary married Peter and Margaret Olk's son John J., their son John Henry married the Olk's daughter Annie, and John's nephew Frederick, son of brother Ignatz Steffen, married Peter and Margaret's daughter Lucy Olk. Three Olk/Steffen marriages in one generation.
John's wife Appolonia died in mid-December 1893 when a blood vessel in her head burst, while she was at home and her husband out. He came home to find her. John died less than two years later, after being stricken with "bowel trouble" for a few days, on October 7, 1895.
Both lifelong devout Roman Catholics, they were buried together in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Hortonville, Wisconsin.
John "Johann" Steffen was born to Jakob Steffen and his second wife Mary Elizabeth (Houbreck) Steffen in what was then Prussia,on March 19, 1825. He was the oldest of at least 7 children produced by the union (6 boys and 1 girl in the record: John, Mathias, Leonard "Conrad," Ignatz, Katharine, Franz/Francis, and Jacob Jr.),and joined two half-brothers from his father's first marriage to Katharine (Richartz), who had died in 1823 (John Jacob and Nicholas). John Steffen's own mother died in 1838 at age 40, and his father remarried again, to Anna sometime after 1838 and before 1848 (no children in record from that marriage).
According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley, 1895, pages 828-30 (which cover the Steffen family), John married Appolonia (Stark) Steffen in 1845 while still in Prussia.
John and Appolonia Steffen came to the United States on the ship "Luconia," arriving in New York on June 12, 1848. According to the ship manifest, they came with his father Jakob and his third wife Anna, sister Catharine, half-brother Nicholas, brothers Mathias, Conrad and his wife Lucy/Lucia, Franz and Jacob, and two other Steffens that may have been the older Jakob's nephews. In addition, they had their first child Anna, still a baby.
Census records suggest that step-brother John Jacob Steffen had already come over earlier, in 1846 (date the latter gave on 1900 Federal Census).
In addition to Anna (who died early, in 1850 soon after arriving in the U.S.) John and Appolonia (Stark) Steffen had 8 more children, all born in the United States (oldest to youngest): Jacob, Nicholas, Peter, Ignatius David (I.D.), Frank Lewis, Martin, Mary E. and John Henry.
When they arrived in the U.S. they lived first in the area of Saratoga Springs, NY where John did wage labor. The rest of the Steffens (father, siblings) were there too. Then most of the Steffens began to relocate to the area of Hortonia, Outagamie, Wisconsin (later including Dale and Hortonville). First was John Jacob in 1850, then Leonard "Conrad" in 1851. The next year, their father Jakob joined these two sons there, with his wife Anna and son Franz/Francis, and also son Jacob (who appears in the local records when he got married,and then enlisted in the Union Army, in 1862 in Hortonville). Then came John and Appolonia and 3 boys they had in New York State (leaving Anna buried in NY),in Spring 1855. John's brother Ignatz Steffen then came over from Germany sometime between 1854 and 1857 (records vary, latter date is one Ignatz gave on 1900 Federal Census) and joined his siblings and father/stepmother there. Siblings Matthias and Nicholas chose to stay in New York and appear in the Census established there. Sister Katharine appears to have died there in NY and so never made it to Wisconsin, according to the above Commemorative Biography.
The Steffen "clan" was certainly a pioneering, founding family in the Dale/Hortonville area of Outagamie County.
John Steffen was a farmer, by all accounts quite prosperous and prominent, and his wife Appolonia a farmer's wife. Their farm adjoined that of Peter and Margaret Olk, and the Steffens and Olks enjoyed by all accounts a close relationship. John and Appolonia's daughter Mary married Peter and Margaret Olk's son John J., their son John Henry married the Olk's daughter Annie, and John's nephew Frederick, son of brother Ignatz Steffen, married Peter and Margaret's daughter Lucy Olk. Three Olk/Steffen marriages in one generation.
John's wife Appolonia died in mid-December 1893 when a blood vessel in her head burst, while she was at home and her husband out. He came home to find her. John died less than two years later, after being stricken with "bowel trouble" for a few days, on October 7, 1895.
Both lifelong devout Roman Catholics, they were buried together in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Hortonville, Wisconsin.
According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley, 1895, pages 828-30 (which cover the Steffen family), John married Appolonia (Stark) Steffen in 1845 while still in Prussia.
John and Appolonia Steffen came to the United States on the ship "Luconia," arriving in New York on June 12, 1848. According to the ship manifest, they came with his father Jakob and his third wife Anna, sister Catharine, half-brother Nicholas, brothers Mathias, Conrad and his wife Lucy/Lucia, Franz and Jacob, and two other Steffens that may have been the older Jakob's nephews. In addition, they had their first child Anna, still a baby.
Census records suggest that step-brother John Jacob Steffen had already come over earlier, in 1846 (date the latter gave on 1900 Federal Census).
In addition to Anna (who died early, in 1850 soon after arriving in the U.S.) John and Appolonia (Stark) Steffen had 8 more children, all born in the United States (oldest to youngest): Jacob, Nicholas, Peter, Ignatius David (I.D.), Frank Lewis, Martin, Mary E. and John Henry.
When they arrived in the U.S. they lived first in the area of Saratoga Springs, NY where John did wage labor. The rest of the Steffens (father, siblings) were there too. Then most of the Steffens began to relocate to the area of Hortonia, Outagamie, Wisconsin (later including Dale and Hortonville). First was John Jacob in 1850, then Leonard "Conrad" in 1851. The next year, their father Jakob joined these two sons there, with his wife Anna and son Franz/Francis, and also son Jacob (who appears in the local records when he got married,and then enlisted in the Union Army, in 1862 in Hortonville). Then came John and Appolonia and 3 boys they had in New York State (leaving Anna buried in NY),in Spring 1855. John's brother Ignatz Steffen then came over from Germany sometime between 1854 and 1857 (records vary, latter date is one Ignatz gave on 1900 Federal Census) and joined his siblings and father/stepmother there. Siblings Matthias and Nicholas chose to stay in New York and appear in the Census established there. Sister Katharine appears to have died there in NY and so never made it to Wisconsin, according to the above Commemorative Biography.
The Steffen "clan" was certainly a pioneering, founding family in the Dale/Hortonville area of Outagamie County.
John Steffen was a farmer, by all accounts quite prosperous and prominent, and his wife Appolonia a farmer's wife. Their farm adjoined that of Peter and Margaret Olk, and the Steffens and Olks enjoyed by all accounts a close relationship. John and Appolonia's daughter Mary married Peter and Margaret Olk's son John J., their son John Henry married the Olk's daughter Annie, and John's nephew Frederick, son of brother Ignatz Steffen, married Peter and Margaret's daughter Lucy Olk. Three Olk/Steffen marriages in one generation.
John's wife Appolonia died in mid-December 1893 when a blood vessel in her head burst, while she was at home and her husband out. He came home to find her. John died less than two years later, after being stricken with "bowel trouble" for a few days, on October 7, 1895.
Both lifelong devout Roman Catholics, they were buried together in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Hortonville, Wisconsin.
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