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Family Tree for Cecelia Patterenill (Steffens) Smith
Joannis Steffen
Born 1688
in Ernster, Luxembourg
Died 1754
in Ernster, Luxembourg 
married
Maria Koel Hansen
Born 1691
in Junglinster, Luxembourg
Died 1732 
 in Ernster, Luxembourg
Joannis was a herdsman.  There is some confusion as to his parents.  It is believed he was also known as Joannis Gietz, church records sometimes in Luxumbourg before 1780 designated individuals not by their family surname, but by the traditional name of the house they were born in.  His marriage date to Maria and his death date were not recorded.  Joannis lived in Senningen, Luxembourg until 1747 (age 59) and looks to have moved to Ernster sometime between 1747 and 1754. 

Joannis and Maria had 9 children (4 daughters, 5 sons)
Margaretha (1717), Catherine (1719), Mathias (1720), Joannes (1721), Elisabetha (1724), Susanna (1725), Nicolas (1727),
Petrus (1729), Henricus (1732)

Nicolas was the seventh child and third son to Joannis and Maria
Nicolas Steffen
Born 1727
in Ernster, Luxembourg
Died 12-26-1799
in Ernster, Luxembourg
married
12-8-1754
Ernster,
Luxembourg
Susanna Junck
Born 11-11-1731
in Manternach, Luxembourg
Died 9-20-1790 
 in Ernster, Luxembourg

Nicolas was listed in records as a "farmer of a better class".  Steffen was the original version of the surname Steffens, with the conversion to Steffens at John-Baptiste's generation. Susanna Junck was found in official Luxembourg church records to be Nicolas' wife.  Antionette Hardy was Nicholas' wife and John-Baptiste's mother from my original source (which I changed to Susanna Junck based on the actual church records and other sources).

Nicolas and Susanna had 7 children (3 daughters, 4 sons)
Pierre (1756), Anna Maria (1759), Jean-Baptiste (1761), Jean (1765), Elisabetha "Elise" (1767), Barbara (1770),
Nicolaus (1775)

Jean-Baptiste was the third child and second son to Nicolas and Susanna

Biography
Jean-Baptiste Steffens
Born 10-8-1761
in Ernster, Luxembourg
Died 11-23-1839
in Heinstert, Luxembourg
married
9-19-1785
Junglinster,
Luxembourg
Marie Elizabeth Charneaux
Born 6-11-1764
in Bourschied, Luxembourg
Died 6-1-1834
in Hachy, Belgium

Jean-Baptiste from an early age worked with his father in the fields.  He became a farmer working/managing the Chateau de Schuttbourg estate lands outside Kautenbach for Joseph Hubert Chareaux (a government official of the Canton of Clervaux in Luxembourg).  He married Marie (the daughter of his employer), and later established his own very successful farm in Bois Rond, Luxembourg.

Jean-Baptiste and Marie had 4 children (3 daughters, 1 son)

Joseph, Charlotte, Marianne, Ambroise
Joseph was the first child and only son to Jean-Baptiste and Marie
 
Joseph Hubert Steffens
Born 1-24-1786
in Chibourg, Luxembourg
Died 8-28-1868
in Appleton, WI
married
5-24-1815
Marguerite-Josephine Mathelin
Born 1-31-1793
in Neufchateau, Luxembourg
Died 8-4-1872
in Appleton, WI

Biography

Joseph was a farmer, forester, and school teacher.  He helped his father on the Bois Rond farm for many years.  He served in the military campaigns of Germany and Poland under Napolean from 1805-1809, was wounded in the knee in the battle of Wagram, spent a year in the hospital recovering, and was honorably discharged with a yearly pension. He was appointed the position of Forester in Bois Rond, before the decision to emmigrate to America in 1849.  He and Marguerite settled in Wisconsin and established their own farm in Freedom.  He and Marguerite are responsible for the Steffens family heritage in America.

Marguerite was a member of the Belgian royal family.  Upon her marriage to Joseph, she was disinherited by her family (losing her royal status) for marrying below her rank, and as a result given a yearly pension as compensation.

Joseph and Marguerite had 10 children (5 daughters, 5 sons)

Alexandrine, Leocadie, Edouard, Leopoldine, Joseph, Theophile, Alfred, Aphasie, Auguste, Leopold
Joseph was the fifth child and second son to Joseph and Marguerite
 
Biography
Joseph Jerome Steffens
Born 1825
in Hachy, Belgium
Died 5-4-1886
in Freedom, WI
Buried in Freedom, WI
married
12-26-1858
in Little Chute, WI
Katharina Herb
Born 1836
in Baden, Germany
Died 5-6-1892
in Freedom, WI
Buried in Freedom, WI

Joseph worked various occupations in and around Appleton, settled into being a farmer, and was an assessor for Black Creek township naming the township after a creek that runs though it's northwestern corner

Joseph and Katharina had 5 children (3 daughters, 2 sons)

Pauline, Albert, Amelia, Alexander, Mary
Albert was the second child and first son to Joseph and Katharina

Biography
Albert A Steffens
Born 5-21-1859
in Freedom, WI
Died 4-1931
in Freedom, WI
married
10-28-1888
Matilda Huven
Born 4-12-1863
in Freedom, WI
Died 2-27-1953
in Freedom, WI

Biography

Albert was a grain farmer, raised stock (hogs, cattle and horses), and marketed dairy products in Freedom, WI

Albert and Matilda had 7 children (1 daughter, 6 sons)

Joseph, Johannah, Henry, Lawrence, Leo, Fred, Paul
Lawrence was the fourth child and third son to Albert and Matilda
         
Obituary            
Lawrence August Steffens
Born 12-22-1894
in Freedom, WI
Died 7-27-1967
in Appleton, WI
Buried in Appleton, WI
at St. Joseph Cemetery
married
6-24-1919
Dorthea Harriet Ebben
Born 3-8-1899
in Freedom, WI
Died 8-6-1977
in Appleton, WI
Buried in Appleton, WI
at St. Joseph Cemetery
 
   Obituary

Lawrence was a paper mill worker at Appleton Coated Paper

Dora was a mother/homemaker and later worked at St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Monte Alverno Retreat Center with her daughter Mary as a housekeeper

Lawrence and Dora had 9 children (3 daughters, 6 sons)

Cecelia, Edward, Charles, Marjorie, Florian, Mary, Lawrence, Eugene, Kenneth
Cecelia was the first child and daughter to Lawrence and Dora
   
Obituary   
Cecelia Patterenill (Steffens) Smith
Born 4-2-1920
in Freedom, WI
Died 11-23-2007
in Little Chute, WI
Buried in Appleton, WI
St Joseph Cemetery
married
3-27-1940
Appleton


Wilford (Robert) Joseph Smith
Born 2-24-1919
in Kaukauna, WI
Died 9-18-1982
in Janesville, WI
 
 

Obituary

Ceil was a mother/homemaker and ???.

Robert was a roofer in Janesville for many years and prior to his retirement was a custodian at Regal-Beloit Corporation.

Ceil and Robert had 10 children (5 daughters, 5 sons)

Gerald, Marion, Shirley, Charlotte, Kathleen, Charles, Grace, Wilford, Henry Joseph, Henry John