Nelle, John 1861-1928 & Teresa Borgfectal Family

NELLE, BORGFECTAL, EBBESMEIER, RUEVE

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 6/11/2026 at 06:31:10

Nelle, John 1861-1928 and Teresa Borgfectal Family

This biography of the John Nelle family was taken from a family story in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church book of Granville Iowa page150 and 151. It was further researched and composed by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

The full narrative including additions to the church book story were made from various sources including records from the web site www.iagenweb.org/sioux; family reports and vitals collected from ancestry.com records and ancestry’s public member trees, Find A Grave index, internet searches and various local archives.

Disclaimer: Names, dates and places may vary from one source to another, but have been stated in this biography as presented in the source. Family data taken from ancestry.com public member trees is subject to the submitter of data to ancestry.com and was not fully verified by this submitter.

John Nelle family story from the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church book page 150 & 151.

John Nelle was born at Fort Madison, Iowa in 1861. He married Teresa Borgfectal of West Point, Iowa on Jun 2, 1885 at St. Mary’s Church, Fort Madison, Iowa. He died in 1928 at Minneapolis, Minnesota and was buried at Granville, Iowa. Teresa was born a West Point, Iowa on October 8, 1861 and died at Granville, Iowa on March 26, 1942 at 50 Years of age. Buried at Granville.

Children:
Sons: Edward Francis, John 1, Fred, Robert, John 11,
Daughters:
Rose Laurette, Helen, Lenora (Luken), Jenaette, Viola. Rose, Laurette, Lenora and Jeanette are also buried at Granville.
The John Nelle Family lived at Fort Madison until 1898 then they moved to Granville. John was the owner of a lumber yard situated north of the railroad tracks in Granville.
(end of the John Nelle family story from the St. Joseph’s church book)

RESEARCH notes
1870 Census of Fort Madison IA lists Joseph Nelle age 38, wife Mary C. age 33 Theressa Nelle age 15, Herman age 13, Joseph age 11, John age 9, Elizabeth age 7, Anna age ?, Liborius Nelle age 79, Catherine Nelle age 65

Sources: Find a Grave, local archives and Ancestry.com’s public member trees.

John Henry Nelle born 23 Jan 1861 Fort Madison, Iowa died 6 May 1927 Minneapoils MN buried St.Joseph cemetery Granville IA. Parents – Joseph Heinrich Nelle born 8 Sep 1831 Padenborn, Westfalen, Prussia died 1 May 1913 Fort Madison, Lee, Iowa; and Maria Catharina Ebbesmeier born 3 Jul 1837 Germany died 12 Aug 1910 Fort Madison IA. John married Theresa Borgfechtel June 2, 1885 Fort Madison IA In 1920 he married Nettie Caroline Ingels 1864-1964

Theresa Borgfechtel born 8 Oct 1861 West Point, Lee County, Iowa USA died 26 Mar 1912 Granville IA buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery Granville IA. Her parents were Frank J. Borgfechtel born 16 Oct 1831. Westfalen. Germany, died 5 Feb 1906 Fort Madison IA; and Anna Maria Rueve born 25 Mar 1834 Oldenburg, Germany died 14 May 1903 Fort Madison IA. John and Theresa were the parents of eleven children:

CHILDREN:

1. Jeannette Mary Nelle born 12 April 1886 Fort Madison, Lee, IA died 9 June 1973 buried St. Joseph’s Cemetery Granville IA. See her obit on this web page.

2. Helen Katharine Helena Nelle born 23 Aug 1887 Fort Madison, IA died 12 Nov 1934 Warm Springs, Deer Lodge, MT. She married Ernest Oscar Jenkins 1881-1973, Children – Marvelle M. Jenkins 1908-1909, Marvin Edward Jenkins 1909-1997, Doris Kathryn Jenkin 1914-1980

3. John Joseph Nelle born 11 Mar 1889 died before 1900

4. Edward Frank Nelle born 14 Jun 1890 Fort Madison IA died 18 Mar 1974 Le Mars, IA He married Carrie Iwerks 1893-1981, children – Myron F. Nelle 1915-1991, Phyllis Eleanor Nelle 1917-2013, Vernon Charles Nelle 1918-2005, Maxine Caroline Nelle 1923-1993, Lois Marie Nelle 1926-1990 and Kenneth Edward Nelle 1931-1994.

5. Fred John Nelle born 9 May 1892 Fort Madison IA died 25 May 1926 Hennepin MN

6. Robert H. Nelle born 3 Apr 1894 Fort Madison IA died 2 Oct 1964 Primghar IA He married Mary Fedalla Mich 1895-1993 children – Rosemary Rita Nelle 1922-2015 and Robert Raymond Nelle 1925-2012.

7. Lenore F. Nelle born 15 Apr 1896 Orange City IA died 20 Mar 1983 Granville IA She married August Herman Luken 1893-1958 Children – Colleen Marie Luken 1921-2012, Carol J. Luken 1923-1923, Ruth Lenore Luken 1928-2009, Three more children listed but not named.

8. Viola Mary Nelle born 26 Mar 1898 Granville IA died 13 Dec 1984

9. John Henry Nelle born 9 Jan 1900 Granville IA died Apr 1979 Omaha, NE He married Florence Edna Brown 1896-1988, children John H. Nelle Jr 1929-2015, Raymond Joseph Nelle 1931-2011, Joanna Clare Nelle 1938-2014 and two other children not named.

10. Rose C. Nelle born 12 Apr 1903 Granville IA died 19 Sep 1918 Sioux county IA. See her obit on this web page.

11. Lauretta M. Nelle born 27 May 1904 Granville IA died 8 Feb 1930 Cherokee, IA , buried at Granville IA. See her obit on this web page.

DEATH of John Nelle
Nelle, John H. 1861 died 1927 buried in St. Josephs Cemetery Granville, IA. He died in Minneapolis and no obit was found in the local papers.

OBITUARY of Theresa Mrs. John Nelle 1861-1912
Source: Alton Democrat issue of 30 March 1912 Alton column. Word reached here Thursday that the wife of J.H. Nelle of Granville had passed away. The Nelle family is well known to many Alton people. Mr. Nelle manages the Queal lumber yard at Granville.
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Granville column. The sad death of Mrs. John Nelle occurred at her home in Granville Tuesday evening after an illness of several months standing. The deceased had been ill for about two months but of late seemed to be improving when pneumonia set in. All that medical skill could do had been done and she had been faithfully and tenderly nursed by her children who were constantly at her bedside during the few remaining hours in which she was among them. Mrs. John Nelle was born at West Point Iowa October 8th, 1861 her maiden name being Theresa Borgfechtel. On June 2nd 1885 she was married to John Nelle at Fort Madison Iowa where they resided until fourteen years ago when they moved to Granville. Besides her husband, ten children are left to mourn her untimely demise, one dying in infancy. Those living at home are Fred, Robert, John Jr., Jeanette, Leonora, Viola, Lauretta, Rose. Ed of Monroe and Mrs. Helen Jenkins of Great Falls, Mont. Since living at Granville, Mrs. Nelle has made a large number of friends by her genial manner and pleasant disposition and her presence will be greatly missed by those with whom she was intimately acquainted. The funeral services were held Friday morning from St. Joseph's church. Father Gerleman having charge of the services. Interment at Granville cemetery. Those from afar who attended the funeral were: Mrs. Joseph Potting of Fort Madison; Mrs. Ben Inkman, Miss Francis Borgfechtel of Davenport, Herman Borgfechtel of Marshalltown--sisters and brothers of the deceased.

If anyone has an early family story of John and Theresa Nelle family contact our page coordinator to add it to this narrative.

This family picture was found on page 151 of the St. Joseph’s church book.

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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