Börninghausen (Boerninghausen), Germany to Missouri, USA - Part 1

Where in the world is Börninghausen, Germany?  Well, let me tell you, it is not easy to find this place on a map because it is a rural village in the northwestern region of Westphalia, Germany.  Literally 60 miles due east of the border of the Netherlands (Holland), it was part of Prussia until after WWI and was in West Germany after WWII.  Hannover is 30 miles to the east of this village.   It is about 30 miles south by south west of Bremen, a German port where many left Germany for the "New World".

Much of Germany has a bit of an anglicized translation that has been applied to their geographic location titles.  When you look on a Google Map, most likely, you're finding one in "English" rather than in the traditional German names.  As a result, Börninghausen with the umlat (those double dots over the ö), is spelled Boerninghausen.  Now that I know how to type the umlat (ALT 0246 gives you the lower case ö), I am all over updating my family tree to indicate the traditional spelling of the name as Börninghausen with more details in the description, or in parthentheses, indicating the modern spelling of Boerninghausen.

As I've mentioned before, my direct line ancestors (Vinup - Vienop, Koch) had all left this part of Germany by 1889.  What I find interesting is what appears to be droves of people who specifically left Börninghausen via Bremen to Baltimore, MD, and went directly onto Missouri to settle in and around the St. Louis area.  There's a story and history there for sure and it most definitely includes the Lutheran Church.  Will I ever find the entire history and explanation?  Maybe.   I have found bits and pieces online.  It makes for an interesting bit of history but does not exactly get me to my specific ancestors.  However, the fascinating part is the number of times I find Börninghausen origins for the various immigrants to Missouri between the 1840s and 1880s.  Let me explain further why this seems so interesting. 

Today Boerninghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is a rural community with about "914 people per square mile".  When I read that statistic, I thought to myself, "That sounds like a lot of people!"  Well, I think that number deserves some qualification.  The closest city of more than 50,000 people is over an hour away from this village.  In comparison to where I live, the City and Metro Sacramento Area in Northern California has 4,660 people per square mile.   Mind you, this is all based on averages.  I can totally believe that there are 2,000 people living right around me in my square mile of the world.

Given the population density, or lack there of, for the "Village" of Boerninghausen these days, it does surprise me that Missouri was a bit of a mecca of the this German Village's transplants to the USA in the mid 1850s.  So, what was the population of Boerninghausen (or rather Börninghausen, Westphalia, Prussia) in the mid 1850s?

So far, all I have about the population of Germany from 1850 to 1880 is that it grew.  I also find a whole lot of websites online in the German language.  At some point, I will need to translate them into English using that Google translation toolbar.  For now, I end Part 1 of my research and notes about Börninghausen.  I'm sure that a Part II will come around at some point.

Those 4 Vinup (Vienop) Brothers - Real Quick!

My  plan with this post is to say it fast and throw out what I know about the Vinup Brothers coming to America.  I'll work on sourcing it later, or rather as my uncle would say, proving it!

Ernest (Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Vinup b. 1848) and Fred (Friedrich Wilhelm Vinup b. 1844) Vienop were brother's who immigrated to the USA in 1865.  Why they left Germany is a question that I have.  There were basic reasons people immigrated back then.  They wanted religious and political freedoms, land that they could call their own, and/or thought the new world was the way to go. 

Anyway, they showed up in the U.S. and settled in St. Louis.  They seem to be the ones who changed the last name to the spelling of Vienop.  It is very possible that happened during their immigration and arrival.  Both of them got married.  For the life of me, I can't seem to tell what happened to Ernest's wife.  Fred and his wife, Charlotte Spricks, had 4 children that we know of.  Fred died in 1877.  His son Ernest Julius made his way to Napa, California by 1901 and I'm assuming he made his stop in Daykin, Nebraska like several other Vienop's.

Back to 1878.  Ernest went back to Germany after his brother Fred had passed away.  He returned to the U.S. with him his baby brother, John Henry Vienop b. 1862.  They were in Baltimore, MD for a while and then moved to St. Louis.

During this time, an older brother, John Henry Vienop, b. 1850, immigrated from Germany in 1881 with his family to Ohio.  He had a lot of children.  They moved onto Daykin, Nebraska.

Confused yet?  Yes, there were two brothers in the same family both known at John Henry Vienop.  They had the same parents - Ernst Vinup (b. 1799) and Anne Marie Gurges (b. 1820).  In my experience with German naming patterns both John Henrys' probably had a third given name in there and were not both called Henry or John Henry in Germany (Prussia at the time).  I think that we are missing the third name for both of them.   I do know that the 1862 John Henry went by Henry in the U.S.  I think that the 1850 John Henry went by Henry in Daykin, NE.  I guess we might refer to this naming and surnaming issue as "lost in translation via immigration".   

In 1889, the 1862 John Henry went back to Boerninghausen, Germany and returned to Missouri with his wife, Anna Marie Koch, and his mother, Anne Marie Gurges Vienop.  John Henry and Anna Marie had a few children while living in Missouri.  They moved onto Daykin, Nebraska, where they had at least one more child.  Anna Marie Gurges Vienop passed away in Daykin.

From Daykin, Nebraska, 10 Vienop's (John Henry 1862, Anna Marie, Ernest, Mary, John Henry Jr., Minnie, Cousin Ernest J., Ricky, George, and Uncle Ernst) moved to Napa, CA in 1901 while the oldest John Henry (1850) remained on his farm with his family for the rest of his life in NE.  I'm not sure what came of the Vienop's in Missouri.  The Vienop's moved to Napa, CA for a more temperate climate for Anna Marie Koch Vienop's health issues.

Wow, that's the quick version.  By the way, my uncle has proven most of this already.  Thank you!

My Napa Origins and Surnames - Part 5 - Borchers

As near as I can tell, my great grandfather, Herbert Herman Leohardt Borchers, was the first Borchers to live in Napa, California.  He was the baby in his family.  He was born in Minnesota, moved to North Dakota, and then onto Santa Rosa, California.  It would appear that his parents followed the older children, in particular, the oldest daughter, wherever they moved.  I am very interested in who's idea it was to move to Santa Rosa, California.  I would have to say that was a good choice!

My great grandfather lived with his parents in Santa Rosa even after he was married.  He and his wife, Mary, lived as a married couple there briefly before moving to Napa.  Herb's parents, Henry and Anna, signed their home in Santa Rosa over to Herb and Mary in exchange for them to care for them for the rest of their lives.  Mary Vienop had lived most of her life in Napa and they ended up making their home in Napa around 1920.  Henry and Anna Borchers did live with them until they passed away.

I know a lot about my great grandfather, Herbert Borchers.  He was a jeweler and watchmaker in Napa for many, many years.  He was very tall and thin.  As a rather quiet person, he did interact me when I was little and made me smile.  I have photos and memories of him for sure.

I suppose that I do have more to say about my Borchers of Napa, California.  I'll have to gather my information together and write it down.  Suffice to say that I have found the that the following siblings of Herbert Borchers, Sr. either moved to California or remained in North Dakota.  The Northe Dakota location was the place where the family moved after all of the children were born in Minnesota.

California Borchers
-Herbert Borchers
-Clara Borchers Gruenhagen
-Elizabeth "Lizzie" Borchers Strehlow
-William Borchers
-Albert Borchers
-Tillie Borchers Weber (later Adams)

North Dakota
-Henry Christian Ludwig Borchers
-Martha Borchers Joersz

It is interesting to note that later generations of the North Dakota Borchers appear to have moved West too.  Are there still Borchers in North Dakota?

My Napa Origins and Surnames - Part 4 - Vienop

I have barely scratched the surface of my research on my Vienop family line.  Now, I do think it is time for me to dig in a bit.  I do so with caution though.  Let's just say that in this family line there are people that I grew up with and some of them are long lived.  My own great grandmother, Mary Borchers (Maria Luise Katharine Vienop), lived to be 96 years old.  She passed away in 1989 and I knew her quite well.

I have her death certificate and probably won't be posting it anytime soon online or Ancestry.com.  There is nothing shocking or surprising about what is on it but something stops me inside from putting too much public information about someone who was so near and dear to me even almost 23 years after she passed away.  I will write more about her as I've already done but I need to figure out how to share her life without including all of the currently living people who were part of it.  This is a tough one for sure.  She was loved by so many people including those she was not related to.  Her contagious lovely laugh is burned into my memory along with her wonderful smile.  She was my petite little great grandma with a huge heart, great listening skills, patience, and a great wisdom about everyday life that she shared.

The first Vienop's to arrive in Napa, California did so at the beginning of 1901 by train from Daykin, Nebraska.  I have even more specifics but suffice to say, there were 10 Vienop's.  They were John Henry (Johann Heinrich Vinup) Vienop, Anna Marie Koch Vienop, Ernest Henry William Vienop, "Mary" Maria Luise Katharine Vienop, John Henry Ernest Vienop, "Minnie" Anna Christina Minna Vienop, Ernest (Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Vinup) Vienop, Ernest Julius Vienop, "Ricky" Fredericka A. Schiffman Vienop, and George Ernest Henry Vienop. 

John Henry Sr.'s wife was Anna Marie and their children were Ernest, Mary, John Henry Jr., and Minnie.  Ernst Vinup was the brother of John Henry Sr. and Ernest Julius was their nephew.  Ernest Julius's father was the oldest brother of Ernst and John Henry, Sr.  His name was Friedrich Wilhelm Vinup and he lived in St. Louis, MO.

When it comes to my Napa, California Vienop's, Ernest Julius was known as Cousin Ernest as were his children referred to as our Vienop cousins.  Ernst Vinup was referred to as Uncle Ernest.  My great grandma's brother, Ernest Vienop, was apparently also referred to as Uncle Ernest but only after all of the children of John Henry Sr. and Anna were adults and the first grandchild, my grandma, came along.  Her name was Dorothy Marie Borchers.  She married Richard J. Flanagan in 1940.   

My final comment for now is that the surname "Vinup" originates in Germany but was switched to Vienop upon immigration to the U.S.  It is unclear at which juncture the name was changed.  I have more to write about the the 4 Vinup brothers who immigrated to the U.S.

Hickey's of Derrycon, Clare, Ireland

I received a comment about William Hickey and Bridget Minogue.  Can the person who commented, please email me at kristin@zelsersk.net?  I am very interested in discussing our family connection.

The following was your comment to me....And yes, I see Patrick had a sister named Elisabeth.

Must ask my Aunt about Walter Hickey - My Mum RIP used to speak of him - Elisabeth Hickey was my Grandmother - My Aunt is still alive and we are keeping her updated with your site - Many thanks on The Children of William Hickey and Bridget Minogue

My Napa Origins and Surnames - Part 3 - McLaughlin

Whatever happened to the McLaughlin's in Napa, California.  I realize that it is unlikely that my family was the only ones to hold this surname in that location.  However,  I am looking for information about Thomas Michael McLaughlin when he and his family lived in Napa, California.

In 1886, Thomas, his wife Ellen, and their children (Mary, Ellen, Catherine, Anna, Thomas,  and Joseph), pulled up stakes in Austin, Nevada and headed for Napa, California.  From about 1870 until 1886, this McLaughlin family had been in the Grass Valley/Austin Area of Lander County, Nevada.  I'm still wondering why they left Nevada but then again, there really is not much there even these days.  It is high desert.  Napa had more to offer in the way of fertile soil and it sounds like the McLaughlin's were dairy farmers in Napa.

The first six children were born in Austin, Nevada while the seventh child, Hugh Robert, was born in Napa. So, where were Thomas and Ellen from?   Thomas Michael McLaughlin was born and raised in Newport, Herkimer County, New York.  His own parents were Irish immigrants.  Ellen McLaughlin (maiden name - Maxwell) was born in Ireland and immigrated to the Newport, New York Area, as a child.

When I first discovered Newport, New York, it was written down as "The Irish Settlement" in my family's "box of treasures".  The name alone peaked my curiosity and I had to know more.  And know more I have.  Several descendants of the McLaughlin's and Maxwell's helped me.  I thank them for that.

Now, I continue to yearn for more information about the McLaughlin's lives in Napa, California.  I have very little.  I often wonder if our Duffy and Malloy relatives have anything about Thomas and Ellen.  Someone may have information and photos without knowing it or really knowing who these people were.  I continue to hope for a miracle of sorts on that front.

I'd loved to know more about Thomas Michael McLaughlin, Ellen Maxwell McLaughlin, Catherine "Katie" Maxwell Duffy, and Philip Duffy of Napa, California.  I do have some information for sure and the Malloy's shared some of what they had years and years ago with my grandfather, their cousin.

The Irish Settlement and Beyond

My Napa Origins and Surnames - Part 2 - Flanagan

I have written down so much information about my Flanagan's in this blog that when I go back and re-read my posts, I am even amazed.  I am most amazed at the number of stories that I have about them.  While I do now have an excellent family tree developed on Ancestry.com for my Flanagan's, I do need to go back and apply any sourcing to the tree to make it all good.

Patrick and Kate (Catherine Mary O'Brien) Flanagan arrived in San Francisco, California in 1870.  They had immigrated from Australia.  While this was not their first immigration, as Kate had left Ireland with her family when she was about 11 years old for the world "Downunder" and Pat had done so as a young adult, it was their last big move.   They were married shortly thereafter and moved to Napa, California.  Patrick purchased some land from Judge Stanly where he made his initial farm.  The farm was in the now famed Carneros Region of Napa right next to and/or near the Stanly Ranch.  By 1871, Patrick's brother, Michael Flanagan, had joined them from Australia.  He worked for the Stanly Ranch as the manager.  By the early 1870s, Patrick had traded up his land with Stanly again for something a bit larger.  Even today, the Flanagan Ranch house sits off Hwy 12/121 at Cuttings Wharf Road in Napa, pretty much next to the Stanly Ranch. 

When it comes to my Flanagan's in Napa, I do feel like I have yet to discover fully what I can about Patrick, Kate and their children.  Patrick stands out for me though.  I don't even have a photo of him.  I wonder what information is lurking out there unbeknownst to the holder.   What do I mean by that?  I mean that until I actually opened "my box of treasures" and read every word on every page, I did not know who all of the Flanagan children were.  Is there a Flanagan in a similar situation who has yet to open and discover what they have?  I wonder.

Let's just say, Jack (John Francis) Flanagan's side of the family has probably exhausted our information and I've posted the "heck out of it" here in my blog.  I accept anything scanned as a document and in JPEG photo form over email for anyone who has Napa Flanagan information.  In turn, I can share with you my research.  Where would you like me to begin?

If you are interested in reading about my Flanagan's, link below to my index of hyperlinked posts.

Napa Flanagan's and County Louth Ancestor Lines

My Napa Origins and Surnames - Part 1

In my recent research of my ancestors, time and time again, I land on my family surnames from Napa, California.  In as much as I would like to pursue my Hickey ancestors in Ireland, at every push of the button on my computer, sign-on to Ancestry.com, or review of email, I find requests and information associated with my ancestors who ended up in Napa, California.  I guess I need to take that as a sign.

My mother's side of the family is from Napa and has been for generations.  While I have relatives remaining in Napa and they are aging, I have a special affinity for the place and a family history that I only started to truly realize a few years ago.  The connection to Napa spread to relatives of present and past outside of Napa.  The explosion of family tree information resulting from simple inquiries that I am of the Napa Flanagan's, McLaughlin's, Borchers', and Vienop's, is quite amazing.  I barely mention to various family researchers of my interest in these lines and receive a plethora of information from blood relatives, even if somewhat distant, that many family tree researchers would envy.

So, what does my mother's side of the family have in common with each other from my Irish relatives to my German family?  They liked to keep track of our family tree including holding onto photos.  I have always said that there is this strong desire on my Flanagan side of the family to write things down.  This also applies to my McLaughlin's.  As I've known for a long time, my Vienop and Borchers side of the family like to keep track of things too.  I only wish that I had taken notes when I was younger and had more time to spend with my relatives some of whom have passed away.

My Napa Direct Line Relative Surnames:
-Flanagan*
-McLaughlin*
-Vienop
-Borchers
*Indicates that there were other surnames.  Kate Flanagan was born Catherine Mary O'Brien and Ellen McLaughlin was born Ellen Maxwell.

My Irish family in Napa predates my German family by about 30 years.  This applies particularly to my Flanagan's.


Napa Arrival Timeframe and Family Members:
-Flanagan - Patrick and Kate 1870, Michael - 1871
-McLaughlin - Thomas, Ellen, Mary, Ellen, Catherine, Joseph, Anna, Thomas - 1886
-Vienop - John Henry, Anna, Ernest, Mary, John Henry, Minnie, Ernest, Ernest, Ricky, George - 1901
-Borchers - Herbert Herman Leonhardt Borchers - 1920

My Napa Cousin's:
-Duffy - Philip and Katie (Maxwell)
-Malloy
-Gruenhagen
-Bruns
-Reidenbach
-Ruffino
-Mueller
-Skilling

In the cousin department, I have to admit that there could be more but I am just not all that familiar with the all of the family connections associated with St. John's Lutheran Church in Napa, a church that my Vienop Family helped start. 

I was initially thinking that this would be it for my post about my Napa surnames but I do have more to say about this very topic.....To be continued......

Ernest J. Vienop

You've got to love the State of California.  It can be so random what information you might find online that exists within the walls of the California State Library located in downtown Sacramento.  900 N Street is the current and temporary location of the California History Room.  The State is refurbishing the old library.  That project has taken on a history of its own.  We'll see how long the renovation and restoration takes while much of the catalog of books and documents lives in warehouses in West Sacramento.  Thank goodness the California History Room is not boxed up in a warehouse.  Have I had time to visit the "temporary" (which looks rather permanent to me) library.  Well, I have not.

I do love it when I find information online.  The book can be found under the following call number:

Calif. State Library History Room (RR)
CALL NUMBER: [Alcove] 979.452 G8 -- Book NC
CALL NUMBER: [q] -- 979.452 G8 -- Book
CALL NUMBER: \MICRO-\FICHE\G3\LH11176\

 CA Gen Web

After 100 years, I suppose Copyright is not really in effect so I am posting the following biography about Ernest J. Vienop.  He was and still is referred to as Cousin Ernest and not be confused with the other 2 Ernest Vienop's in Napa at the same time.  All three were related.  I've got to sit down to figure out the exact family tree connection and then write about it.

                                                                   

ERNEST J. VIENOP.

The immediate progenitors of Ernest J. Vienop, Fred H. and Charlotte (Shrick) Vienop, were born in Germany, and upon immigrating to this country they settled in St. Louis, Mo., where the father followed his trade of cigar manufacturer until his death. The mother is still living and a resident of St. Louis. Five children were originally comprised in the parental family, but of these only three are living, and Ernest J. is the eldest of the number. He was born in St. Louis, Mo., November 26, 1871, and his boyhood and youth were passed in the locality of his birth, the public schools of that city also furnishing him with a fair education. When he was about sixteen years old he apprenticed himself to learn the brick-layer’s trade under H. Hartman. a well-known brick contractor of that city. Four years of conscientious and constant work under this instructor found the young man full-fledged and ready to undertake work as a journeyman, and for about eighteen years, or until 1898, he found plenty of work in St. Louis and vicinity.

Mr. Vienop’s first venture from native haunts occurred in 1898 and took him to Fairbury, Jefferson county, Neb., in which vicinity he established himself on a farm and continued farming there for two years, or until coming to California. He reached the Golden State February 22, 1900, coming directly to Napa county, which has ever since been his home and the scene of his activities. Near Napa he purchased a small ranch of five acres on the Monticello road, where he engages in horticulture and the poultry business. His ranch activities may be regarded more properly as a recreation than as a business, however, for he is actively engaged in following his trade of brick contractor. Among the buildings that have been erected un­der his supervision are the Register building, California bakery and Migli­vacca warehouse in Napa, besides which he has erected structures through­out Napa and Solano counties, in fact his services have also been employed on numerous structures in different parts of northern California.

While still a resident of St. Louis. Mo., Mr. Vienop was united in mar­riage in that city with Miss Ricka Schiffmann. who was born there. Four sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Vienop : George, William, Walter and Albert. The family attends the Lutheran Church and politically Mr. Vienop is a Republican.  - Written in 1911-12