Minnesota Genealogy of the Windhorsts, Seebachs & Vandervoorts and of the Bottges, Jepsons, Leistikows & Bratsches

compiled by Peter Windhorst, Menlo Park, California

 

William/Wilhelm Windhorst (1855-1927)	Dick/Diedrich Windhorst (1851-1942)
Two Windhorst brothers who emigrated from the province of Hanover to Minnesota. William/Wilhelm emigrated to Wisconsin in 1867 and founded the family branch in Olivia, MN. He married another German immigrant, Mary/Maria Seebach. Dick/Diedrich came in 1877, founding the branch in Red Wing, MN, and Goodhue & Wabasha Counties.

Downloadable files concerning Windhorst and Seebach genealogy Richard Windhorst's booklet: The Windhorsts of Olivia, Minnesota (pdf file) (An appendix has been added, incorporating additional material from Pete Luehring, Brenda Wiech and Patricia Bordewich as well as an expanded discussion of the Seebach family, including Seebach Castle in Thuringia.) William and Mary Windhorst's descendants simple list (pdf) full text with notes (rtf file) Dick/Diedrich Windhorst's descendants simple list (pdf) full text with notes (rtf) early Hanover Windhorsts plus the first U.S. born generation simple list (pdf) full text with notes (rtf) Seebach descendants from 1740 simple list (pdf) full text with notes (rtf) Don and May Seebach's 1995 book of Seebach genealogy, in three parts (pdf files): 1. Chapters 1-8 2. Chapter 9     3. Appendix    Pat Bordewich's photographs of the Windhorsts of Olivia (Power Point file) selected Windhorst family photos from Will Schendel's albums (pdf file) the Lühring/Luehring family tree of Anna (Windhorst) Lühring, William's aunt simple list (pdf) full text with notes (rtf) footnote on the Windhorst-Seebach double connection (rtf)

Family Tree Maker website on Genealogy.com Windhorsts of Wesenstedt (Germany) and Minnesota

German website (in English translation) devoted to Windhorst genealogy www.windhorst.name

Pertinent County Histories History of Renville County (1916) - vol. 1 (full text online) History of Renville County (1916) - vol. 2 (full text online) History of Goodhue County (1909) - (full text online)

Vandervoorts The Vandervoorts from Holland to Minnesota (rtf) Four generations: Peter Van Horn Vandervoort b.1831, Myrtle Vandervoort Windhorst b.1888, John W. Windhorst b.1912, Abraham Lincoln Vandervoot b.1861 Abraham Lincoln Vandervoort (1861-1927) with his wife Dulina Manning and children Celia, Harvey & Myrtle Vandervoort connection to Hudson Valley Schuylers and Oyster Bay Roosevelts

 

Bottges, Jepsons, Leistikows and Bratches

The Bottges of Renville County (Minnesota) and Denmark (PDF) Hans and Anna Bottge, who emigrated from Denmark in 1876 with their one year old son Peter   The Jepsens/Jepsons of Renville County (Minnesota) and Denmark (PDF) Hans Jepson with his three sisters in Renville, Minnesota (Anna Jepson Bottge top left) Sadie Jepson, daughter of Hans Jepson and cousin of Peter Bottge

The Leistikows of Renville County (Minnesota), Green Lake (Wisconsin) and Germany (PDF) E. Friedrich Leistikow and his wife H. Friedricke Reck, who emigrated from Germany in 1866 with five children, including A. Fred Leistikow. They lived in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Their son Fred married Emma Bratsch, of Green Lake, and the couple then moved to Renville, Minnesota. Marriage photo of Fred Leistikow and Emma Bratsch (January 27, 1884) Emma and Fred Leistikow with their first born, Alvina. Fred initially farmed but then moved into Renville where he ran a saloon. Fred Leistikow's mother Friedricke with her six daughters, in Ripon, Wisconsin. Back row: Alvina (Mowers), Christina (Timm), Anna (Hoth), Lena (Bailey) Front row: Martha (Wilson), Friedricke, Augusta (Ferg) Alvina, Martha and Lena are also seen in the picture below. Fred Leistikow's brother Will and his sisters Martha, Lena and Alvina (the latter not to be confused with Fred's daughter Alvina, below) Alvina Leistikow, age 18 in 1904. She married Pete Bottge three years later. Letters to Alvina Leistikow Bottge (1903-1922) (pdf) Standing l to r: Ruth Leistikow (Grunert), Frieda Leistikow (Smith) and an unidentified Leistikow cousin in Wisconsin. Seated: Ada Leistikow (Shoemaker). The water lilies draped on them are real. Fred Leistikow, left, taking delivery of spirits to his Renville saloon in 1910. Fred Leistikow's long oak bar, now installed in the Calumet Hotel, Pipestone, Minnesota   The Bratsches of Green Lake (Wisconsin) (PDF) Tony (Antonia) Bratsch's wedding to Theodore Kudert, 1905. Alvina Leistikow (Bottge), second from left, was her cousin's bridesmaid.