Nolles Family History
Duppach, Preussen - Iowa
Family of Joseph and Anna Maria (Finken) Nolles
Gertrude (February 02, 1845 - bef 1855), born and died in the area of Duppach
Magdalena (February 05, 1846 - May 1928), married Herman Schwarte
Johannes Matthias (May 26, 1847 - bef 1857), born and died in the area of Duppach
Valentine (November 08, 1848 - Bet. 1873 - 1880), said to have immigrated about the same time as his father
Anna Maria (June 15, 1850 - March 16, 1911), married Benedict Leuschen at St Boniface in Westphalia, Iowa
Anna Barbara (January 10, 1852 - July 09, 1927), married William J Arkell at St Boniface in Westphalia, Iowa
Eva (February 24, 1854 - May 23, 1855), born and died in the area of Duppach
John (September 11, 1855 - Bet. 1900 - 1910), married Elizabeth Douglas, perhaps in Missouri
Sophia (October 23, 1857 - January 04, 1860), born and died in the area of Duppach
Background
Joseph NOLLES is believed to have been born around 1815-1817 in Prussia, and died February 10, 1900 perhaps in Shelby Co., Iowa. He is buried at St Boniface Cemetery in Westphalia, Iowa. Joseph married Anna Maria FINCKEN on April 25, 1844 in the Catholic church in Duppach, Kreis Bitburg, Rheinland, Preussen (Prussia). Anna was born about April 02, 1815 in Duppach, a daughter of Peter Fincken and Gertrude Cremer. Joseph and Anna raised their family in the Duppach area, where all their children were born. The following transcription of birth/baptismal records in Duppach reflect the names of family members:Feb 1845 - Gertrude. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken (who were married in Apr 1844) Jan 1846 - Magdalena. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken May 1847 - Joannes Matthias. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken Nov 1848 - Valentinus. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken Jun 1850 - Anne Marie. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken 1852 - Barbara. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken Feb 1854 - Eve. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken Sep 1855 - Joannes. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie Fincken Nov 1857 - Sophia. Father: Josephus Nolles. Mother: Anne Marie FinckenThe above records are supplemented by Katholisch christening records, extracted by the LDS from the locality of Duppach, as follows:Gertrudis Nolles - christened 7 Feb 1845, daughter of Josephi Nolles and Annae Mariae Finken Magdalena Nolles - christened 28 Jan 1846, daughter of Josephi Nolles and Annae Mariae Finken Joannes Matthias Nolles - christened 26 May 1847, son of Josephi Nolles and Annae Mariae Finken Valentinus Nolles - christened 9 Nov 1848, son of Josephi Nolles and Annae Mariae Finken Anna Maria Nolles - christened 15 JUN 1850, daughter of Josephi Nolles and Annae Mariae Finken Barbara Nolles - christened 11 Jan 1852, daughter of Josephi Nolles and Anna Mariae Finken
Similar christening records at Duppach point to the parents and siblings of Anna Maria Fincken, who was christened in Duppach on 02 APR 1815, a daughter of Peter Fincken and Gertrudis Cremers. The same records indicate this Anna Maria Fincken married Josephus Nolles in Duppach in April 1844. Unfortunately, the same records offer no apparent clues to the christening or to the parents of Joseph Nolles.
Joseph and Anna raised their children in the Duppach area, and family history alludes to what happened next - after Anna's death in 1871 in Duppach, Joseph and five surviving children came to America beginning about 1872 and first located in Mills County, Iowa. Four children had died in infancy. By 1874 Joseph located in Westphalia twp, Shelby Co., Iowa. The names of the 5 surviving children are believed to have included Magdalena, Valentine, Anna Maria, Barbara, and John.
It is interesting that Joseph is said to first located in Mills County, Iowa. This is where members of the Finken family, brothers and sisters of Anna, had established farms, having immigrated to the U.S. over 15 years before. By the time Joseph brought the family over from Germany, Anna's brothers Matt and John (Red) Finken, and her sister Maria Katherine Kuhl (widow of Peter), were farming in Oak township, Mills Co., Iowa. In fact, the story goes that Matt Finken was a sponsor at the baptism of Joseph's daughter Magdalena, and upon hearing of his sister's death Matt sent money over to Germany for some of the Nolles family to make the trip to the U.S.
Nolles family members are next found in Shelby County, Iowa. On May 7, 1874, daughter Magdalena Nolles married Herman Schwarte, according to records at St. Boniface Church in Westphalia, Iowa. According to family records the marriage occurred at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Carroll, Iowa, the place that Father Kempker had been transfered in January of the same year. The following year, the marriage of daughter Anna Maria Nolles to Benedict Leuschen is recorded at St. Boniface on May 22, 1875. Two years later daughter Barbara Nolles married William Arkell at St. Boniface on November 12, 1877.
By 1880 Joseph Nolles is found in the Westphalia township household of his daughter Anna Leuschen. The family of his daughter Magdalena Schwarte had settled in the same place, while daughter Barbara Arkell had located to the Avoca, Iowa area before her family would later relocate to Murray County, Minnesota. As for Joseph's two sons, Valentine and John, they also made the trip to the U.S. Nothing much is known about the whereabouts of Valentine, who is said to have arrived about the same time as his father. He may have been the Valentine Nolles who died August 2, 1878 and who is buried in the Snohomish Pioneer Cemetery in Snohomish County, Washington. Joseph's son John Nolles arrived in the timeframe before 1880 and he married Elizabeth Douglas, a native of Missouri, about the year 1888. It was in Missouri their three surviving children were born: Albert, Joseph and Marie Nolles. Albert and Joseph raised families in Nebraska, while daughter Marie Nolles served as Father Hubert Duren's housekeeper for 35 years in Westphalia, Iowa.
Joseph Nolles would spend the majority of his remaining years in Shelby County, and on February 10, 1900 he passed away and was laid to rest at St Boniface Cemetery in Westphalia. His legacy lives on with numerous members of the Arkell, Leuschen, Schwarte, Nolles, and allied families.
Postscript:
Reviewing the German baptism/birth records turns up an interesting possibility for Joseph's parents. Although Joseph Nolles is believed to have been born between 1815-1817 (his gravestone says 1817, his wife was born in 1815), the following is the closest record this author was able to locate. A Joannes Joseph Nohles/Nolles was christened on 16 Mar 1814 at Barweiler, Rheinland, Preussen, the son of Bernhard Nohles/Nolles and Anna Maria Schaff/Schaaff. This family lived in the area of Wiesemscheid-Barweiler-Pomster before the apparent death of Anna Schaff about 1817. Bernhard Nolles remarried in 1818 to Susanna Henze (Henzler/Hensler) in the area of Esch Hillesheim, an area about 13 miles west of Barweiler. Bernhard and Susanna's children were baptized at Esch Hillesheim, including daughter Magdalena Nolles who married Nicolas Leuschen in 1851 Schönecken-Wetteldorf. This was the same Nicolas Leuschen who was the father (through his first marriage to Anna Maria Molitor) of immigrant Benedict Leuschen; as well as the father (through his second marriage to Magdalena Nolles) of immigrants Katherine Leuschen and Frank Leuschen.
The latter children of Nicolas Leuschen were:
* Benedict Leuschen who married Anna Maria Nolles (daughter of Joseph Nolles) at St. Boniface, Westphalia, Iowa, and whose family lived in Shelby County, Iowa.
* Katherine Leuschen who married Nicholas Thielen at St. Boniface, Westphalia, Iowa, and whose family lived in Audubon County, Iowa.
* Frank Leuschen who married Dora Miller in Marathon County, Wisconsin, and who lived in Marathon and later Phillips, Wisconsin.
If Joseph Nolles was a son of Bernhard Nolles, this would mean that Joseph's daughter Anna Maria Nolles was not only the daughter-in-law of Nicolas Leuschen, but also a half-niece of Nicolas Leuschen's second wife Magdalena Nolles. Stated another way Anna Maria Nolles would have been a half first cousin of Frank and Katherine Leuschen, yet not related to her husband Benedict Leuschen. Confusing connections to say the least, but at this time this is only a theory.
There is another interesting coincidence which makes this theory seem plausible. Joseph, son of Bernhard Nolles, had sisters and half-sisters named Maria Eva, Anna Gertrude, Anna Maria, Valentine, and Anna Magdalena. Joseph Nolles, husband of Anna Maria Finken, had children which included Eva, Gertrude, Anna Maria, Valentine, and Magdalena.
Article compiled by Dennis Walsh, February 2007, postscript added November 2008. I would be curious if anyone has information related to the parents of Joseph Nolles, or to the death of his son John. For additional discussion or details contact walsh004@gmail.com
Finken Family History
Duppach, Preussen - Wisconsin - Iowa
As mentioned above, Anna Maria Finken, wife of Joseph Nolles, was a daughter of Peter Finken and Gertrude Cremer. Peter was born September 25, 1778 near Kalenborn, Rheinland, Germany. Gertrud was born April 12, 1786 near Duppach, Rheinland, Germany. Peter and Gertrud married at Duppach on February 28, 1808 and had a family of at least 11 children, many of whom passed away at a young age. Peter died in or near Duppach about. January 03, 1831 and Gertrud was left to raise their children. In addition to Anna Maria Finken, wife of Joseph Nolles, the other children of Peter and Gertrud who are known to have immigrated to the U.S. included:
(a) Margaret Finken, christened January 25, 1820 in Duppach - married Joannes Casper Blum on November 30, 1844 in Ormont, Rheinland, Prussia.
(b) Mathias Joseph Finken, christened September 17, 1821 in Duppach - married Anna Catharina Gans on January 20, 1847 in Duppach.
(c) Joannes (Red) Finken, christened March 12, 1824 at Duppach - married Anna Margaretha Linden on December 15, 1853 in Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin
(d) Maria Kathrina Finken, christened December 09, 1825 at Duppach - married (1st) Johann Baptiste Koenigs abt. February 08, 1848 in Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin; and married (2nd) Peter N Kuhl abt. August 04, 1851 in Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin.
U.S. immigration information suggests that Margaret (Finken) Blum's family arrived in the U.S. in 1846, aboard the ship Stadt Antwerp. Aboard the same ship was the family of Valentine and Susanna (Leuschen) Kuhl, their son Peter later becoming the 2nd husband of Maria Kathrina Finken (above noted).
About the same timeframe widowed Gertrude Finken and children John and Maria Kathrina also arrived in the U.S., settling in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. It was there that Gertrude died on February 18, 1851, and also there that two of her children married.
The family of Mathias Finken and Catharine Gans arrived in New York aboard the ship Gaston on June 22, 1855. Shortly after their arrival the families of Mathias Finken, John (Red) Finken, and Mary K (Finken) Kuhl, relocated to the vicinity of Oak township, Mills County, Iowa, while the family of Margaret (Finken) Blum remained in Wisconsin. As suggested previously the family of Anna Maria (Finken) Nolles remained in the Duppach area until after her death.
(a) Casper and Margaret (Finken) Blum's children included Rev. Leonard, Elizabeth, John, Anna, Mathias, and Clara. They remained in Wisconsin.
(b) Mathias and Anna Catherina (Gans) Finken's family settled in Mills County, Iowa and their children included Anna Maria (wife of Joseph Kuhl), Maria Anna (wife of Michael Schomers), Joseph, Catherine (wife of Nicholas Liewer), and Michael (husband of Susanna Koll). Mathias and Anna Catherina later moved to Westphalia, Shelby Co. Iowa, where they are buried at St. Boniface Cemetery. A number of Finken families of Shelby County, Iowa descend from son Michael.
(c) John and Margaret (Linden) Finken's family settled in Mills County, Iowa, and their children included Anna Maria (wife of Morris Jensen), Margaret Philomena (wife of Hans Brandt), Thomas John (husband of Margaret Kramer), Anna G (wife of John Toller), Helena Maria (wife of Henry Brandt), Mary Teresa, Katherine, John, and Henry. John and Margaret Finken are buried at St. Bonaface Cemetery in Oak township, Mills County. A number of Finken families of Harrison County, Iowa descend from son Thomas.
(d) Maria Kathrina Finken married twice. Her first marriage to Johann Baptiste Koenigs produced son John N Koenigs (husband of Katherine F Costello), who settled in Monona Co., Iowa. From her second marriage to Peter Kuhl were children Anna (wife of Nickolas Leick), Mathias Peter (husband of Addie M Martin), Margaret Ann (wife of John Gilbert Wilcox), Angelina M (wife of Wendell Leik), Mary Amalia (wife of Henry Heese), Joseph Peter (husband of Mary Kathryn Altmanshofer), and Nicholas Peter (husband of Flora Mae Gove). Second husband Peter Kuhl died November 23, 1867 and is buried at St. Bonaface Cemetery in Oak township, Mills County, Iowa. Maria K died September 09, 1902 and is buried at St. Josephs Cemetery in Earling, Shelby County, Iowa.
Article compiled by Dennis Walsh, May 2007. For additional discussion or details contact me.