Christian Heinrich Steinhoff, Jr

STEINHOFF YOST ROSE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 20:54:15

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Christian Heinrich Steinhoff, Jr
By Ellen Washburn Bryan

Christian Heinrich ‘Henry’, Jr, 1845-1915, eldest son of Christian Heinrich, Sr, and Julia (Yost) Steinhoff, and wife, Mary (Rose) Steinhoff moved from Lewisville, Ohio, to the German City community by train in 1881. They settled on a one hundred sixty acre farm in what is now Section 24 of Willow township. This farm is very hilly and not too productive. It does have a rich deposit of gravel. Henry said, ‘There’s money in these hills.’ The county has hauled gravel from this site to resurface its roads for fifty years.

Henry and Mary had nine children:

1( John, born in Lewisville, 1869-1953, married Maggie Ferguson. Their children were Blanche Washburn and Mary Alma Streeby DeLorme.

2( Jacob, born in Lewisville, 1870-1955, married Anna Unkel. Their children were Esther Scholles Cox Adams and Ada.

3( Anna, born in Lewisville, 1873-1958, married Herman Claus. Their children were Lottie Tresham, Marie Watson, Lester and Paul.

4( Edward was born in Lewisville, 1878-1950.

5( Minnie, born in Lewisviile, 1878-1957, married Clyde King. Their children were Clifford, Alvina Burkhart and Alan.

6( Alvina, born in German City, 1881-1960, married Rolland Eichhorn. Their children were Mildred Cleveland, Wilfred and June Vaught.

7( Louise, born in German City, 1884-1933, married Jacob Claus. Their children were Yetta Gallagher, Iva Roarson, Oraval and Marion Herron.

8( Yetta, born in German City, 1889-1972, married Gean Cox. Their children were Cleo, Ethel McCoy and Bonnie.

9( Herman, born in German City, 1892-1964, married Clara Washburn. Their children were Eva Humphrey, Elda Byers and Lois Kluver. Clara died of blook poisoning in 1924. Herman married Cora Patterson. John ‘Jack’ of Smithland, Iowa, is their son.

Steinhoff men have a tendency to be short, stocky, bowlegged, and bald. All of the children’s name (except Yetta) were shortened with an ‘ie’ added. We were quite grown before we knew that Aunt ‘Weecie’ was Louise or Aunt ‘Vinnie’ was Alvina.

This was a close knit family and quite the cut-ups. They did enjoy getting together and telling tales. With the Gean Cox band, Skeeter Eichhorn and Franz Cleveland included in this family, there were lots of lively tunes.