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 click on any
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Biography or Obituary to read those,
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Family Tree branch |
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Family
Tree for Gary Lawrence Steffens
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Joannis
Steffen
Born 1688
in
Ernster, Luxembourg
Died 1754
in Ernster, Luxembourg
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married |
Maria
Koel Hansen
Born 1691
in
Junglinster, Luxembourg
Died 1732
in
Ernster, Luxembourg |
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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)
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Nicolas was the
seventh child and third son to Joannis and Maria
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Nicholas
Steffens
Born 1739
in Ernster, Luxembourg
Died 12-26-1799
in Ernster, Luxembourg |
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married
12-8-1754
Ernster,
Luxembourg |
Susanna
Junck
Born 11-11-1731
in Manternach, Luxembourg
Died 9-20-1790
in
Ernster, Luxembourg
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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
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Jean-Baptiste was the only child to Nicholas and Antoinette
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Biography
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Jean-Baptiste Steffens
Born 10-8-1761
in Ernster, Luxembourg
Died 11-23-1839
in Heinstert, Luxembourg |
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married
9-19-1785
Junglinster,
Luxembourg |
Marie Elizabeth Charneaux
Born 6-11-1764
in Bourschied, Luxembourg
Died 6-1-1834
in Hachy, Belgium |
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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
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Joseph
was the first child and only son to Jean-Baptiste and Marie
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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 |
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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
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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
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Joseph
was the fifth child and second son to Joseph and Marguerite
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Biography
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Joseph
Jerome Steffens
Born 1825
in Hachy, Belgium
Died 5-4-1886
in Freedom, WI
Buried in Freedom, WI |
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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
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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
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Albert was the first child and son to Joseph and Catherine
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Biography |
Albert A
Steffens
Born 5-21-1859
in Freedom, WI
Died 4-1931
in Freedom, WI |
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married
10-28-1888
Freedom, WI |
Matilda
Johana Huven
Born 4-12-1863
in Freedom, WI
Died 2-27-1953
in Freedom, WI
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Biography |
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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
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Lawrence
was the fourth child and third son to Albert and Matilda
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married
6-24-1919
Freedom, WI |
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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
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Ed was the second child and first son to Lawrence and Dora
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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
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Obituary
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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 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 and
worked 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. Marian 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 |
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Gary
was the second child and son to Ed and Delores
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Gary graduated from West Allis Central High School in 1970,
from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1980 with a BA
in Communications (with a specialty in Film Production), and
from UW-Stevens Point/UW-Oshkosh with a MS in Counseling in
1984. Gary then moved from Stevens Point, WI to
Minneapolis, MN and was an Adolescent Emergency Shelter
Therapist at St. Joseph's Home for Children (1984-1987), a
Employee Assistance Counselor at Ceridian Corporation
(1987-2005), a
part-time Individual and Group Counselor at
Central Counseling Center community counseling clinic in the
Minneapolis suburb of Anoka (2000-2010). In 1993 Gary
started a side business, Fresh Images Video Productions, which
specialized in psychological and human services video
productions on coping with chronic illnesses and disabilities
and helping employees ease into retirement. Gary was
introduced to Mike Hanson in 2008, a blind man who wanted to
hike the Appalachian Trail to publicize the 70% unemployment
in that population. Gary decided to join him in 2010 and
make a documentary series of the journey spending 6 and half
months hiking the trail together, and since then has been
solely producing the 12 episode documentary series. Gary
loves sailing, kayaking, other water sports, and enjoys
fiberglass boat building and repair, renovating a 1967 14'
Larson runabout of his own. He plays bass and 6 string guitar,
and has been doing Japanese karate since 1974 at a black belt
level.
Gary lived in Milwaukee, WI (1952-1984) and Minneapolis, MN (1984 to present)
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