NEWSLETTER

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SERVING THE GREATER LIVINGSTON COUNTY AREA

NUMBER 2 / FEBRUARY 2001

FAIRBURY BLADE

JAN. 31, 1913

ULRICH STEFFIN

ULRICH STEFFIN WAS BORN IN SWITZERLAND IN 1835, AND DIED AT HIS OLD HOME NEAR CROPSEY, WHERE HE SETTLED AND HAS LIVED SINCE 1868, HIS DEATH OCCURING TUESDAY EVENING, JAN. 28, AT 8:30 O’CLOCK. MR. STEFFIN WAS ONE OF A FAMILY OF FIVE CHILDREN. HE CAME TO AMERICA IN 1855. HE SETTLED IN TAZEWELL COUNTY WHEN HE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY. HE WAS UNTIED IN MARRIAGE TO MISS ANNA WENGER IN 1863 IN TAZEWELL COUNTY. IN 1868 THEY MOVED ON THE OLD HOMESTEAD, A HALF MILE NORTH AND HALF MILE EAST OF CROPSEY. FOUR CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THEM, TWO DAUGHTERS TOGETHER WITH THE WIFE AND MOTHER HAVING PRECEDED HIM TO THE BETTER WORLD. THREE SONS ARE LIVING: ALBERT, ANDREW, CHRISTOPHER ALL LIVING NEAR CROPSEY. MR. STEFFIN MADE HIS HOME WITH HIS SON ANDREW ON THE HOME PLACE SINCE HIS WIFE’S DEATH. HE ALSO HAS TWO SISTERS AND TWO BROTHERS LIVING: MRS. CARL HUBER OF STRAWN, MRS. GOTTLIEB HARRI OF STRAWN, CHRIST AND FRED, BOTH LIVING IN KANSAS. MR. STEFFIN WAS AN EXCELLENT CITIZEN AND HELD THE RESPECT AND ESTEEM OF ALL WHO KNEW HIM. HE WAS AN EARNEST MEMBER OF THE GERMAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH THIS, FRIDAY, AFTERNOON AT 2:00 O’CLOCK. THE BEREAVED FAMILY HAVE THE SYMPATHY OF ALL.

FAIRBURY BLADE

FEB. 7, 1913

ULRICH STEFFEN

ULRICH STEFFEN WAS BORN IN SWITZERLAND IN 1835, AND DIED AT HIS OLD HOME NEAR CROPSEY WHERE HE SETTLED AND HAS LIVED SINCE 1867. HIS DEATH OCCURING TUESDAY EVENING, JAN. 28, AT 8:30 O'CLOCK. MR. STEFFEN WAS ONE OF A FAMILY OF FOUR CHILDREN. HE CAME TO AMERICA IN 1856. HE SETTLED IN TAZEWELL COUNTY. HE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO MISS ANNA MAY WENGER IN 1859 IN TAZEWELL COUNTY. IN 1867 THEY MOVED ON THE OLD HOMESTEAD A HALF MILE NORTH AND HALF MILE EAST OF CROPSEY. SEVEN CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THEM; TWO DAUGHTERS TOGETHER WITH HIS WIFE PRECEDED HIM TO THE BETTER WORLD.

THREE SONS AND TWO DAUGHTERS ARE LIVING. ALBERT, ANDREW AND CONRAD STEFFEN, MRS. MINNIE HUBER AND MRS. LENA HARI. MR. STEFFEN MADE HIS HOME WITH HIS SON ANDREW ON THE HOME PLACE SINCE HIS WIFE'S DEATH. HE ALSO HAS TWO BROTHERS, CHRIST AND FRED, LIVING IN KANSAS, AND ONE SISTER, FRENA, LIVING IN IOWA. MR. STEFFEN WAS AN EXCELLENT CITIZEN AND HELD THE RESPECT AND ESTEEM OF ALL WHO KNEW HIM. HE WAS AN EARNEST MEMBER OF THE GERMAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH AND FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD AT THE SOUTH CHURCH LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT 2 O'CLOCK.

LIVINGSTON COUNTRY HISTORY

BY RICHARD STEFFEN

ULRICH STEFFEN WAS BORN SEPTEMBER 11, 1835 IN ERISWYL (SUBURB), BERN (CITY), KONTON (STATE), SWITZERLAND. HE DIED JANUARY 28, 1913 AT THE AGE OF 78 AT CROPSEY, ILLINOIS. HE CAME TO AMERICA WITH HIS FATHER, JOHANN ULRICH STEFFEN, AROUND 1855. THEY SAILED FOR ABOUT 40 DAYS TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. HE ARRIVED IN NEW YORK, BUT NOT MUCH IS DEFINITELY KNOWN OF HIS TRAVELS IN THIS NEW LAND UNTIL HE SETTLED IN THE GOODFIELD-CONGERVILLE, ILLINOIS AREA IN THE LATE 1850’S. HE MARRIED ANNA MARIE WINGER (WENGER) IN ROANOKE, ILLINOIS ON DECEMBER 18, 1859. THEY WERE MARRIED BY BROTHER BENEDICT WEYENETH FROM PEORIA, ILLINOIS. ANNA WAS BORN FEBRUARY 18, 1835 IN INGROSHEZOGTON BADEN BROMBACH, GERMANY AND CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH HER FATHER WHOSE NAME WAS CONRAD WINGER (WENGER). THE WINGERS LIVED ON A FARM NEAR FORREST, ILLINOIS. SHE DIED MARCH 27, 1902 AT THE AGE OF 67. IN THE EARLY 1860’S ULRICH BECAME ILL WITH CHOLERA. HIS DOCTORS ADVISED HIM TO MOVE TO AN AREA OF MORE PRAIRIE LAND. SO AROUND 1865, THE STEFFENS MOVED FROM THE GOODFIELD-CONGERVILLE AREA TO CROPSEY, ILLINOIS. THEIR VIRGIN PRAIRIE HOMESTEAD WAS LOCATED ½ MILE NORTH AND ½ MILE EAST OF CROPSEY IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE LAND BECAME THE HOMESTEADER’S LEGAL PROPERTY ONLY AFTER HE HAD LIVED THERE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS AND MADE CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THE LAND PRODUCTIVE, THE NORTH ½ OF SECTION 24, IN TOWNSHIP 25, NORTH OF RANGE 6, EAST, CONTAINED 320 ACRES. THE TOTAL PURCHASE WAS $3,200.00 OR $10.00 PER ACRE. THE "RELEASE OF MORTGAGE DEED" SHOWS THE MORTGAGE WAS OBTAINED ON MARCH 16, 1867. THE TAX BILL PAID IN 1867 FOR THE YEAR OF 1866 DOES NOT SHOW THIS TOTAL AMOUNT OF ACRES, BUT IT’S POSSIBLE ALL THE ACRES WERE NOT YET PRODUCTIVE.

THE ENTIRE AREA AROUND CROPSEY HAD NO DESIGNED ROAD, ONLY PATHS OR TRAILS TO FOLLOW. THE LAND CONSISTED OF PRAIRIE GRASS, WEEDS AND SWAMPS. AFTER ULRICH’S HEALTH IMPROVED, HE BEGAN DRAINING SWAMPS, CLEANING BRUSH AND TIMBER, TILING AND ERECTING A HOME STEAD. WOLVES AND ALLIGATORS WERE PRESENT IN THE AREA. SEVERAL OF THE OLDER FOLKS HAVE TOLD THE INCIDENT OF AN ALLIGATOR NEARLY GRABBING A CHILD (ANDREW) AT ONE TIME. THERE IS SOME DOUBT TO THIS TALE BECAUSE THE ILLINOIS HISTORICAL MUSEUM HAD NO RECORD OF ALLIGATORS EVER REPORTED OR REMAINS FOUND IN ILLINOIS. HOWEVER, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF CORN BELT LIBRARY SYSTEM, I HAVE FOUND THAT IN THE MIDDLE TO LATE 1800’S THOUSAND OF ALLIGATORS HATCHLING WERE SOLD TO TOURISTS WHO TOOK THEM NORTH AS PETS. WHEN THE ANIMALS BECAME CUMBERSOME, MANY WERE SET FREE INTENTIONALLY, AND OTHERS GOT AWAY ACCIDENTALLY. MANY OF THE REPTILES ESCAPED FROM TRAVELING CARNIVALS, ROADSIDE ZOOS, AND GYPSY VAGABONDS. ANOTHER WILD LIFE EVENT OCCURRED WHEN A WOLF JUMPED THROUGH AN OPEN BEDROOM WINDOW AT THE STEFFEN HOME AND ATTEMPTED TO SNATCH A BABY FROM ITS CRIB. THE WOLF WAS DRIVEN OFF WHEN ULRICH’S WIFE THREW BOILING WATER ON ITS BACK. THE ANIMAL JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW AND, HOWLING, CRASHED INTO THE THICKETS.

ULRICH WENT TO FAIRBURY ONCE A YEAR FOR HIS FAMILY’S MAJOR NEEDS OF CLOTHING AND OTHER STAPLE GOODS. HE WOULD LEAVE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING. BECAUSE HE EXPECTED TO RETURN HOME LATE AT NIGHT, HIS WIFE WOULD PLACE TWO CANDLES IN THE ATTIC WINDOW. WHEN ULRICH LEFT FAIRBURY, HE WOULD HEAD IN A SOUTH-SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION LOOKING FOR THE TWO CANDLES TO GUIDE HIM HOME SINCE NO MAJOR ROADS OR FENCE BOUNDARIES EXISTED IN THE AREA.

THE STEFFEN FAMILY

ULRICH STEFFEN 1835 - 1913

(WIFE) ANNA MARIE (WENGER) STEFFEN 1835 - 1902

(SON) ALBERT STEFFEN 1860 - 1860

(DAUGHTER) CAROLINE (STEFFEN) HUBER 1861 - 1900

(SON IN LAW) CARL HUBER 1867 - 1953

(SON) ALBERT STEFFEN 1863 - 1948

(DAUGHTER IN LAW) (1ST WIFE) ELIZABETH (HARI) STEFFEN 1859 - 1912

(DAUGHTER IN LAW) (2ND WIFE) ELIZABETH (BROQUARD) STEFFEN 1872 - 1950

(DAUGHTER) MARY (STEFFEN) HARTMAN 1895 - 1911

(SON IN LAW) EDWARD HARTMAN 1858 - 1940

(SON) ANDREW STEFFEN 1867 - 1942

(DAUGHTER IN LAW) (1ST WIFE) LYDIA (GRIEDER) STEFFEN 1864 - 1902

(DAUGHTER IN LAW) (2ND WIFE) LOUISE (WAIBEL) STEFFEN 1871 - 1920

(DAUGHTER IN LAW) (3RD WIFE) MARY (ANLIKER) STEFFEN 1871 - 1956

(SON) CONRAD STEFFEN 1869 - 1922

(DAUGHTER IN LAW) CATHERINE (HARI) STEFFEN 1869 - 1952

(DAUGHTER) WILHELINA "MINNIE" (STEFFEN) HUBER 1872 - 1944

(SON IN LAW) CARL HUBER 1867 - 1953

(DAUGHTER) MAGDELENE "LENA" (STEFFEN) HARI 1874 - 1947

(SON IN LAW) GOTTLIEB HARI 1874 - 1958

(SON) DANIEL STEFFEN 1878 - 1878

(SON) WILHELM STEFFEN 1879 - 1879