HISTORY OF

 THE STOLTENBERG FAMILY
  The Earliest Date on Record Beginning in
Sixteen Hundred and Twenty Five
The Year of Our Lord
 Translated in 1928

 By

Charles (Carl) Stoltenberg


Thought I would write and tell you about the document I just typed from a
hand-written copy (attached).  It is a diary of Stoltenbergs dating back to
1625 in Holstein.  It gives information on births, deaths, marriages,
disasters such as floods, etc. 
Since some of the people emigrated to Scott County, Iowa, I was wondering if
you'd help me post this document to the Web at the Scott County site.
I cannot identify any of my ancestors in the document, but perhaps others who
access the site can.
I believe it was obtained off microfiche at some library.  It was sent to me
in hand-written form by Frank Jurenka.

Dave Stoltenberg


1625 - The sea covered our meadows and much property was destroyed.

 1627 -- We came under (control of) the Kaiser government.

 1643 -- Our land (Probstei) was invaded by Sweden. 

1657 – Our land invaded for the second time by Sweden. 

1694 – A big flood… Many lives lost in Fernwisch… Many cattle and all our hogs and sheep were lost.  May the Lord that made Heaven and Earth protect us in the name of the Father… Amen. 

1710 – Narrative taken up by Hinrich Stoltenberg 

1710 – Two weeks after Whit Sunday*, I, Hinrich Stoltenberg, was united in matrimony to Lencke Wiesen from Krokau. 

1711 – My son Hans was born, God bless him. 

1712 – Three weeks after Whit Sunday* a daughter was born.  May God bless her. 

1713 – One week before Michaelmas** my daughter Trinke was born; God bless her.

____________________________________________________________________

* The seventh Sunday after Easter, traditionally Day of Pentecost.

** The Feast of Archangel Michael, celebrated September 29. 


-2-

 1716 – Three weeks before Whit Sunday* my daughter Becke was born. 

1718 – On January 30th, my dear daughter Lenke was born.  Her chosen Godfathers were Abel Stoltenberg of Passade; Lenke Gotteh of Barsbeck; and Paul Schultz of Heikendorf. 

1719 – On Christmas Eve my daughter Gretje was born.  May God bless her.  Amen. 

1722 – Five weeks before Easter my beloved son Heinrich was born.  May he live and thrive. 

1728 – On the 18th day of March my beloved twins, Hans and Claus, were born.  May God protect them from all evil; let them grow up to be worthy men. 

1728 – On April 25 my beloved wife Lencke went to sleep, never to wake again. 

1733 – Narrative taken up by Heinrich Stoltenberg (age 11) 

1733 – On the Friday after Ascension Day [1], my father Hinrich Stoltenberg died.  May he rest in peace.  Amen. 

1745 – In this winter, the Great God sent into our country, Probstei, a cattle plague.  I lost 22 head of milk cows; have 7 head left. 

1746 – On June 15th I was united in Holy Matrimony to Trinke Schneekloth from Schoenberg. 

1747 – On August 20th my son Heinrich was born. 

1747 – On August 27th my beloved wife was taken to her Heavenly home.  Amen. 

1748 – On September 16th, my son Heinrich followed his mother into eternity. 

1750 – On January 3rd, I was again united in marriage to Becke Muhs from Barsbeck. 

1751 – On August 15th my dear son Heinrich was born.  May God bless him, and may he thrive and live in peace. 

1753 – On March 28th my dear daughter Lehnke was born; God bless her.  Amen 

1754 – On March 12th, my beloved son Heinrich was called by our Heavenly Father to rest.

 

[1] The 40th day after Easter, also called Holy Thursday.


-3- 

1754 – On October 24th, my son Jochim was born. 

1754 – On Christmas Eve, my son Hans was born; God bless him. 

1755 – On October 25th, my beloved daughter Lehnke left this earth to go to our Heavenly Father. 

1756 – On January 3rd, my dear son Hans went to his Heavenly home.  God bless him. 

1757 – On May 15th, my son Peter was born.  On June 30th of same year he went to rest forever.  May God give me strength to bear my sorrow. 

1758 – On September 20th, my son Claus was born. 

1760 – On December 30th, my dear daughter Antje was born; God bless her. 

1762 – On July 16th, my daughter Silke was born. 

1764 – On February 3rd, my beloved daughter Trinke was born; God bless her. 

1769 – On January 20th , my daughter Gretje was born. 

1771 – On April 3rd, my son Claus was taken to his Heavenly home.  May he rest in peace. 

1773 – On November 6th, my dear daughter Weibke on this world was born. 

1790 – Narrative taken up by Jochim Stoltenberg (age 35) 

1790 – On July 24th, I, Jochim Stoltenberg, was married to Becke Wiesen from Krumbeck. 

1792 – On July 9th, my dear son Heinrich was born; and died on November 12th of the same year. 

1794 – On January 13th, my daughter Becke was born. 

1796 – On March 16th, my mother, Becke Stoltenberg (nee Muhs) died. 

1796 – On July 2nd, my beloved daughter Becke died at age 2. 

1797 – On June 29th, my son Paul was born. 

1799 – In February, my father, Heinrich Stoltenberg died at age 77.


-4-

 1800 – On May 11th, my daughter Antje was born. 

1800 – On July 28th, my wife, Becke Stoltenberg (nee Wiesen) died. 

1801 – On February 10th, my son Paul died, age 3. 

1801 – On April 8th, I, Jochim Stoltenberg, was married the second time to Antje Horsten from Schoenberg. 

1801 – On August 28th, my daughter Gretje was born. 

1802 – On January 2nd, my wife Antje Stoltenberg (nee Horsten) died. 

1802 – On March 22nd , I, Jochim Stoltenberg, was married the third time to Trina Wiese from Stein. 

1803 – On March 24th, a son was born to Jochim and Trina. 

1804 – On February 3rd, my son Claus was born [2]. 

1806 – On October 29th, my daughter Becke was born. 

1816 – On April 27th, my daughter Trin was born. 

1818 – Narrative taken up by Trina Stoltenberg, wife of Jochim

1818 – On March 22nd, my husband, Jochim Stoltenberg, died at age 63. 

1819 – I, Trina Stoltenberg, widow of Jochim, was married the second time to Heinrich Wellendorf of Wisch. 

1820 – My daughter Lena Wellendorf was born. 

1821 – We build the large dike to protect our land. 

1821 – Narrative taken up by Claus Stoltenberg (age 17) 

1828 – On November 30th, I, Claus Stoltenberg, was married to Trin Schneekloth. 

1829 – On October 27, my daughter Trin was born. 

1831 – On June 23rd, my daughter Antje was born.

 

[2]  In a marginal note, Charles states that Claus was his grandfather.


-5- 

1832 – On October 5th, my daughter Becke was born; she died on May 3rd, 1833. 

1834 – On April 23rd, my son Jochim was born (father of Charles/ Carl). 

1835 – On October 25th, my son Thomas was born. 

1835 – On December 17th, my wife Trin (nee Schneekloth) died. 

1840 – On July 24th, I, Claus Stoltenberg, was married the second time to Margaretha ___ 

1844 – On September 20th, my son Peter was born. 

1854 – On March 30th, my son Gustav was born. 

1856 – On September 26th, my son August was born. 

1858 – On October 19th, my daughter Emilie Dorothea Margretha was born. 

1864 – On January 9th, my son Thomas (age 28) went to America, and settled near Davenport, Iowa. 

1866 – On January 22nd, my son Peter ( age 21) went to America, and settled near Davenport, Iowa. 

1869 – On January 13th, my son Jochim (who had gone to America earlier) returned for a second visit.  His wife had died in 1865.  He married for the second time Doris Suhrkohl, and on March 3rd they left for America. 

1872 – On November 13th, the North Sea broke all the dikes and flooded all the lowlands.  The water was higher by 2 ft than the flood of 1694.  A total of 21 houses and 3 people were swept away.  I lost 47 head of cattle, 80 head of sheep, and all my hogs.  All of my buildings were damaged to some extent. 

Narrative taken up by Jochim Stoltenberg  (age 38 in 1872)

(The following events apply to Jochim’s life, out of chronological order of narrative) 

1855 – I, Jochim Stoltenberg, was married to Gretchen Wiese.

(Note:  Though not stated, it was about this time that Jochim and Gretchen emigrated to America, settling near Davenport, Scott County, Iowa.) 

1858 – On September 15th, our daughter Emma Cecilia was born. 

1860 – Our son Ferdinand was born.


-6- 

1862 – Our daughter Trina was born. 

1864 – On September 1st, our son Carl (Charles) was born. 

1865 – My beloved wife Gretchen and children Ferdinand and Trina died of the dreaded disease, Black Diphtheria. 

1869 – On January 13th, I, Jochim Stoltenberg, returned to Germany for a second visit.  I married for the second time Doris Suhrkohl. 

1869 – On March 3rd, my wife Doris and I left for America, returning to Davenport, Iowa. 

1872 – I moved with my family from Scott County to Benton County, Iowa. 

1873 – On January 24th, our son Albert was born. 

1886 – We left Iowa and moved to Keya Paha County, Nebraska. 

Narrative taken up by Carl (Charles) Stoltenberg (age 21 in 1885) 

1885 – I, Carl Stoltenberg, left Iowa and moved to Nebraska, landing at Grand Island on July 12th.  That same fall, on November 22nd, I moved to Keya Paha County, Nebraska, and established a homestead. 

1886 – On January 12th, the never to be forgotten blizzard hit Nebraska and Kansas.  Hundreds of cattle died, and a lot of people also perished.  Drifts were so high that trains were stopped on their tracks. 

1893 – I moved from Keya Paha County to Grand Island in Hall County, Nebraska. 

1894 – On August 22nd, I, Carl Stoltenberg, was married to Minnie Ewoldt of Grand Island, Nebraska. 

1896 – On February 12th, our daughter Violet Sylvia was born. 

1898 – On October 3rd, our daughter Margaret Cecilia was born. 

1901 – On June 26th, our dear father Jochim Stoltenberg died; he was laid to rest in the cemetery at Wills, Nebraska.  May he rest in peace. 

1901 – On November 15th, our daughter Alice Elizabeth was born. 

1905 – I moved with my family to Cairo in Hall County, Nebraska.


-7- 

1905 – On November 25th, our beloved daughter Violet died. 

1928 – I, Carl (Charles) Stoltenberg, translated this diary from the original German. 

1930 – On January 22nd, Carl (Charles) Stoltenberg died at age 65 at Cairo, Nebraska.  According to his obituary he died of apoplexy, and was survived by his wife Minnie and daughters Margaret Powers and Alice Hollstein.


Return to Scott County Descendants Links and Family Histories