Gensmer Siblings in Minnesota
They were well established in Wisconsin when the pioneer spirit lured Martin, Maria Kiese, Elisabeth Steinbach, and Louisa Voight to Minnesota during the 1860s and 1870s.
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Martin Frederic moved to Lewiston, Minnesota near Winona. His obituary provides a good description of his life.
Lewiston, Jan. 28,_ Born, May 10, 1809 - Died, Jan. 26, 1902. Thus do we record the death of Martin F. Gensmer, Sr., who died Sunday afternoon at 4:30 o’clock at the home of his son, P.F. Gensmer, in the town of Norton having reached the age of almost 93 years. The deceased was born on May 10 1809, in Alt-Ruednitz, Prussia. In 1833 he was married to Miss Caroline Kastner of the same village. in the year of 1851 he with his family immigrated to this country and landed in Milwaukee, Wis., as far as trains ran at that time. From thence they had their household goods moved to Mayville Dodge county, Wis. Mr. Gensmer and the older children walking the distance of 48 miles, where he bought a forty acre farm composed of wood and marsh land and erected a small log cabin. After residing there ten years the family decided to move to Minnesota. Loading their household goods they moved with oxen to the present farm now owned by P. F. Gensmer, in the township of Norton. In making this trip the passed through La Crosse, Wis., and Winona, which at that time were small villages. Mr. Gensmer has always been hale and hearty, doing some of the work about the yard until about a year ago, when he began to fail. During all these many years he has taken but two trips on the trains having strong aversion to riding on cars. His wife now nearly 92 years of age survives him, and six children as follows: Mrs. Minnie Hilke of Mayville, Wis., Mrs. Mary Roemhildt of Elysian, Minn., Martin F. Gensmer of Caledonia, Minn., Ludwig Gensmer of Lewiston, Minn., Henry Gensmer and P. F .Gensmer of Norton township. In addition there the 46 grand-children and 72 great grand-children. The funeral will be held on Wednesday afternoon from the Evangelical Lutheran church in the town of Norton, Rev. A. Klaus, officiating. |
Maria Kiese married Gottfried Kiese shortly after arriving in Williamstown, Wisconsin. According to the 1910 US Census, they had eight children with three surviving at that time. They moved to Utica, Minnesota near Winona. After her husband died August 2, 1894, she lived with her son Charles' family. She died December 14, 1910 in Lewiston, Minnesota.
Louisa was the youngest child and immigrated in 1847 with her brother Christian and her sister Elizabeth. She married August Voight October 29, 1850 at the age of sixteen. They had thirteen children. They initially lived in Hustisford, Lebanon, Dodge County, Wisconsin and around 1878 moved to Lansing, Mower County, Minnesota which is near Austin. After her husband's death on 15 Sep 1885, Louisa, her son August, Bertha, and William continued to farm on their homestead through 1900. Louisa and Bertha moved to Saint Louis Park in 1902. City directories show her living at 3857 Nokomis Avenue in Minneapolis with her daughter Bertha. Louisa died in Minneapolis November 2, 1916. Elisabeth was born in Alt-Rüdnitz December 25, 1825. She immigrated to Williamstown, Wisconsin in 1847 and married John Paul Steinbach May 8, 1848. Unfortunately, very few records exist for women that aren't derived from their husband's activities. So much of what we know about her is related in the pages on John Paul Steinbach. She had ten children. Only four of them were still living when she died. She had a difficult life in Minnesota, would wander around the area, and ultimately spent the last thirty years of her life in the St Peter Insane Assylum. She died there April 3, 1902 and is buried in the New Ulm City Cemetery along with her daughter Emma. While we cannot know the specific mental illness Elisabeth had, her brother Ludwig also wandered and her daughter Anna spent at least twenty-four years in an assylum. One possibility is that they suffered from a form of dementia called Frontotemporal Dementia. Onset for those who had it seems to be around their forties. It is genetic and inherited from a parent. |
