| Notes |
- ALBERT A. STEFFENS, a highly respected citizen of Black Creek township, Outagamie county, carrying on operations on a tract of 100 acres lying in section 25, Black Creek township, belongs to one of the old and honored families of this part of Wisconsin, and one that traces its ancestry back to the nobility of Belgium was born on the farm on which he now lives, May 21, 1859, a son of Joseph J. and Catharine (Herb) Steffens, natives of Belgium and Baden, Germany, respectively. The paternal grandmother of Albert A. Steffens was a member of the Royal family of Belgium, who by reason of her marrying below her rank was disinherited and given a, pension of $1,400 yearly. Leaving that country with her husband, she came to the United States in 1849, or about that time, the sailing vessel on which they were passengers taking a year and six months to make the journey, on account of terrific storms, disabling of the vessel and various accidents. One daughter of this couple had died in Belgium, and a son, Theopholus, remained in Belgium, being an officer in the Belgian army, but the remainder of the family came on to this country and made their way to Green Bay and thence by way of boat to Appleton, Wisconsin, there being no railroads at that early day the grandparents spent their lives here. Their eldest son, Edward, who never married, was a member and chairman of the board of aldermen of Appleton for twenty years and died about 1895, in Clark county, Wisconsin. The second son, August, was an officer in the Belgian army before coming to America with his parents, and when the Civil War broke out he enlisted and was commissioned a captain. After the war he returned to Belgium, where he was married, and brought his wife back to America, settling in Appleton, where he engaged in the retail liquor business for a few years and then establishing himself in the wholesale liquor trade at Red Wing, Minnesota, becoming quite wealthy. In 1888 he started on a trip to Belgium, to pay a visit, and met his death in railroad accident in Pennsylvania. The fourth son was Theopholus, who spent all of his life in Belgium. He was brought up and educated to become an officer in the Belgian army, in which he spent forty years, and at that time was retired and placed on the pension list with the rank of major general. He was given the Badge of Honor, which signifies continual service without violation of any rule or command while in the service for which punishment is inflicted, and this badge is now in the possession of Albert A. Steffens, who prizes it very highly. The eldest daughter was Alexandria., who married Nicholas Fresch, of Appleton, and died in Prescott Hospital about 1870. The second daughter, Leopoline, married Harry France, and died about 1876. The youngest daughter was Pauline, who married Francis Bernard and died in 1866. Joseph J. Steffens, father of Albert A., was the third son of his parents, and he was a young man when the family came to this country from Belgium. He worked at various occupations in and around Appleton, Wisconsin, but eventually took up farming, as his father had claimed for each of the sons forty acres of land from the Government, under an act passed by the Government for the reclamation of the Wisconsin swamp lands. He sought out the forty acres that was his share, and this is a part of the land now owned by Albert A. Steffens in Black Creek township. He built a log shanty, where he lived all alone, working at various tasks for other settlers who needed his services, and as soon as he had accomplished the clearing of a small portion he planted it and carried the harvested crop to Appleton on his back. There were no roads at this time, and Mr. Steffens endured many hardships in his trips on foot through the woods, but soon he was able to purchase a team of oxen and he then considered himself a full-fledged farmer. During one of his twelve-mile trips to Appleton, he became acquainted with Catherine Herb, the daughter of one of the early settlers of the county, and they were eventually married and settled down to live in the little log home in the woods. In 1864, Mr. Steffens enlisted in Company E, Fifth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war, participating in the battles of Hatches Run, Fort Fisher and Petersburg, and being present at the surrender of General Lee. After completing his army service he returned to his farming operations, and acquired by purchase the land taken up by his brothers which had changed hands several times. Mr. Steffens served as assessor of Black Creek township from the time of its organization for fifteen years, and named the township after the creek that runs through its northwestern part. He died May 4, 1886, at the age of sixty-one years and is buried in the Catholic Cemetery near Five Corners, in Freedom township, while his widow survived him until May 6, 1892, and is buried near her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Steffens had five children: Albert A.; Amelia, who married Patrick Richev and died in Oregon in 1891, leaving seven children; Alexander, who died at the age of seventeen years, being accidentally shot while hunting deer; Pauline, who married John Raddemacher, and now lives in California, having four children; and Mary, who married John Nabbefeld, and lives in Saskatchewan, Canada. Albert A. Steffens received but a limited education in the schools of his district, but this he later added to through much reading and study. He remained at home with his parents until his marriage, October 28, 1888, to Miss Matilda Huven, a daughter of Peter and Johannah (Nabbefeld) Huven, natives of Prussia, Germany, who came to the United States and settled in Washington county, Wisconsin about 1860, five years later coming to Outagamie county and settling in the town of Freedom. The mother died there in 1879, aged forty-four years, and the father then came to live with Mr. and Mrs. Steffens, at whose home he died January 11, 1899, aged seventy-two years. Mrs. Steffens was the fourth of her parents' twelve children, and was born April 12, 1863. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Steffens: Joseph, Johannah, Henry, Lawrence, Leo, Fred and Paul. Mr. Steffens has engaged in general farming and stockraising and market dairy products, hogs and cattle and some grain. He is breeding to full-blooded Holstein cattle and Poland-China hogs and has a team of Percheron horses. His farm is fenced with barbed and woven wire and about ninety acres are under cultivation, and is a well-appearing, fertile and highly productive tract. Mr. Steffens is a member of the Catholic Knights Lodge No. 6, of Appleton, and is a Democrat in his political views, serving as clerk of the school board for four years. The family have always been connected with the Roman Catholic Church, and Mr. and Mrs. Steffens attend the church of that denomination in Freedom township.
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1859 - 1931 (71 years)
