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Family Tree for Edward Albert Steffens
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 with regards to his parents and surname.  It is believed he was also known as Joannis Gietz.  Church records in Luxumbourg before 1780 sometimes 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
Nicholas Steffens
Born 1739
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

Nicholas 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).

Nicholas and Antoinette had 1 known child (1 son)

Jean-Baptiste
Jean-Baptiste was the only child to Nicholas and Antoinette

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 was a farmer working/managing the Chateau Chibourg estate lands, married Marie, 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

Biography    
Joseph Hubert Steffens
Born 1-24-1786
in Chibourg, Luxembourg
Died 8-28-1868
in Appleton, WI
Buried in Appleton, WI
at St. Mary Cemetery
married
5-24-1815
Luxembourg
Marguerite-Josephine Mathelin
Born 1-31-1793
in Neufchateau, Luxembourg
Died 8-4-1872
in Appleton, WI
Buried in Appleton, WI
at St. Mary Cemetery

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
12-27-1858
Little Chute,
WI
Katharina (Eva Catherine) Herb
Born 4-19-1836
in Baden, Germany
Died 5-6-1892
in Osborn, 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 Catherine had 5 children (3 daughters, 2 sons)

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

Biography
Albert A Steffens
Born 5-21-1859
in Freedom, WI
Died 4-1931
in Freedom, WI
married
10-28-1888
Freedom, WI
Matilda Johana 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
Freedom, WI
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 served in the Army during World War I.  He was a paper mill worker at Appleton Coated Paper for 27 years.  He retired in 1959 after a large stack of rolled paper fell on him, he sustained very serious injuries, taking many years to recover, and was permanently disabled as a result of that.

Dora was a mother/homemaker, an exceptional baker, and later worked at St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Monte Alverno Retreat Center with her daughter Mary as a housekeeper.  She made the most wonderful rolls (in batches of 60 at a time), the smell of those baking would fill the house, and have us all flocking to the kitchen.

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

Cecelia, Edward, Charles, Marjorie, Florian, Mary, Lawrence, Eugene, Kenneth
Ed was the second child and first son to Lawrence and Dora

 
Obituary    
Edward Albert Steffens
Born 1-26-1922
in Kaukauna, WI
Died 7-16-2004
in Santa Barbara, CA
Buried in Santa Barbara, CA
at Calvary Cemetery






married
5-2-1944




married
7-10-1971
Dolores Peternella Gustman
Born 1-6-1925
in Neenah-Menasha, WI
Died 11-26-2005
in Minneapolis, MN
 
Marian Emilia Bruch
Born 4-19-1924
in Butternut, WI
Died 11-20-2023
in Brookfield, WI
Buried in Butternut, WI
at St Cecelia Catholic Cemetery






Obituary

Ed graduated from Appleton High School in 1939 and joined the Army serving throughout WWII under General Patton.  After joining the Army, Ed and Delores, who met in high school, were married prior to Ed shipping out.  In the Army, Ed acquired the rank of corporal, was given command of a howitzer gun and crew, and grew more confident and assertive with his armed services experience.  When Ed left the Army, the GI Bill gave him the opportunity to get a 2-year Electronics Technician degree from a school in Milwaukee, and he hired into Delco Electronics as an Engineer in Milwaukee in 1959.  He and Delores had two sons (James 1950, Gary 1952), but their relationship ended in divorce in 1960 with Delores taking custody of the boys.  Ed started a side business fixing televisions, radios and other electronic equipment, was quite good at it, and had a small workshop in his Milwaukee apartment.  While working at Delco, Ed met Marian, they married in 1971, and were transferred together to Santa Barbara in 1972.  They both retired in 1984 after 25 years with the company.  Ed enjoyed playing cards, golfing, working on house projects and traveling.

Delores was a beautician, a working mother, and was eventually able to open her own salon in Milwaukee.  Delores was an extremely talented bowler, a passion she pursued her entire adult life.  She had the opportunity to go professional and compete on TV, but unfortunately couldn't perform well on camera.  She remarried in 1967.

Marian graduated from Butternut High School in 1941.  Her first job was sewing at a clothing factory, she was so bored she quit after a month.  She moved to Milwaukee and worked as a steel pipe inspector at a factory during the war and was soon given a secretarial position in their office working there for 6 years.  In 1948 she hired into GM-Delco Electronics as a Secretary, was eventually promoted to an Administrative Assistant, met Ed, got married, transferred to Santa Barbara in 1972, and they retired together in 1984.  She enjoyed playing cards, golfing, travel, and picked up watercolor painting as a hobby in her late 60s.  She lived in and loved the Santa Barbara area, painted, played golf, and was still driving in her mid-90s.

Ed lived in Milwaukee, WI (1959-1971) and Santa Barbara, CA (1972 to 2004)

Ed and Delores had 2 children (2 sons)
James, Gary