The motivation that causes a person, or even a group of people, to leave their Fatherland for another land thousands of miles away, must start with a deep, urgent desire to get away from something, a dislike of government-demanded military service, or possibly just to improve one<@146>s freedom. For this story we can only assume that a group of people and families planned to migrate to America in small groups, and to rejoin there, in hopes of beginning a better life.

This story begins in the town of Voltlage, Hanover, Germany. It is here that we find the Kaisers, Steinkes, and Schnippels.

Herman Heinrich Steinke was born in Voltlage on August 26, 1765, and was the son of Johann and Margareth Sander Steinke. He married Margaretha Ruwe from Neuenkirchen on September 20, 1801 in Voltlage. Hermann died in Voltlage on January 22, 1842. We have no dates for his wife, Margaretha. Hermann and Margaretha had seven children.

Maria Anna (Margaret) Steinke, born September 11, 1807 in Voltlage.
John Theodore Steinke, born September 11, 1807 in Voltlage.
John Hermann Steinke, born September 21, 1809 in Voltlage.
Margaret Adelheid Steinke, born July 19, 1812 in Voltlage.
Joseph John Lambert Steinke, born May 1, 1815, in Voltlage. He married Mary Anna Kaiser.
George Henry Steinke, born November 10, 1817 in Voltlage. He married Mary Catherine Meyer.
Mary Catherine Steinke, born April 11, 1820 in Voltlage.

The fifth child, Joseph, set out for America around 1837. We have found a Joseph Steinecke listed as a passenger on the ship ELISE, which left from Bremen, Germany and landed at Baltimore, Maryland on June 4, 1838. He is listed as being a farmer, age twenty-three, and headed for Cincinaty (sic). It is very likely that this is our Joseph Steinke, but we can<@146>t know for sure.

We do know that at about this same time, another family, the Kaisers, left Voltlage. Mary Anna Kaiser was born in Voltlage on May 24, 1825, and was the only known child of George Henry and Elizabeth Wernke Kaiser.

The Kaisers arrived in Dinsmore Township, Shelby County, Ohio and procured this land tract:

The north end of the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 36, Township No. 6, south of Range No. 6 east, containing 40 acres.

This tract was to become the homeplace. The land was cleared and buildings erected. The first part of the <@147>old<@148> cabin was possibly built by Mr. Kaiser at this time.

George Henry and Elizabeth Kaiser also acquired this tract of land:

The south end of the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 36, Township No. 6, south of Range No. 6 east, containing 40 acres.

This land is located south and adjacent to the homeplace.

We believe that Joseph Steinke may have lived with the Kaisers when they settled in America. During this time he ecame very well acquainted with them.

Two years later, on February 6, 1840, Joseph Steinke married Mary Anna Kaiser. (Marriage record is at St. Augustine Church, Minster. Perhaps here we should mention that in this record, and in may records at Shelby County Courthouse and U.S. Census, Steinke is listed as Stoner.) From the 1840 U.S. Federal Census, we can be reasonably certain that Joseph and Mary Steinke lived with George Henry and Elizabeth Kaiser after their marriage.

On May 18, 1844, Henry and Elizabeth Kaiser deeded the 40 acre tract of the homeplace to Joseph and Mary Steinke. On June 21, 1845, Henry Kaiser deeded 40 acres of the land to Joseph and Mary Steinke. This 40 acre tract is adjoining and south of the homeplace. On September 30, 1852, Joseph Stoner acquired 40 acres in the north east quarter of Section 36, Dinsmore Township.This tract was sold to George and Catherine Stoner and in 1857 it was transferred to Diedrich Schulte. Possibly here we may have overlooked some of the transactions of Joseph Steinke. At the time of his death in 1858, he owned 240 acres of land in Section 36, all adjoining the homeplace to the east and south.

Elizabeth Kaiser died on March 4, 1843. There is no record of her burial, but assumed to be an unrecorded burial at St. Peter and Paul Cemetary at Petersburg. The death of Gerhard Kaiser is recorded at Rhine. (He lived with his oldest grandson, Diedrich Steinke, until his death on January 8, 1866).

Other lands neighboring the Steinke<@146>s were, four, eighty acre tracts across Botkins Road on the south. These lands were purchased on July 4, 1853 by Bernard H Schnippel, Bernard Schnippel, Henry Schnippeland Joseph Schnippel. Diedrich Schulte owned 80 acres of land west of the Joseph J. Steinke tract, four acres of which was donated for the site of St. Lawrence Catholic Church

.John B. Schipper was owner of the 120 acres to the west of Diedrich Schulte. Later other lands were entered on by immigrants whose names were Soder, Reineke, Borges, Platvoet, Hemmert, Wertz, Schmerge, Schwab, Wempe, Wahler, Gray, and Greve to name a few.

As time passed the family of Joseph J. Steinke grew larger and larger. It was necessary to build new additions to the old cabin. A lean-to was added allalong the rear (east) side. This was used for cooking and eating. In the old cabin there were two rooms divided by a hall. The upstairs was one large room. A partition about four foot high divided the room. A crawl hole was located in the center of the partition. A steep stair provided access to the second floor. The only protection from the elements on this floor were the rafters, slats and shingles. Heating and cooking in the cabin was achieved by cast iron stoves. If fireplaces were ever used, there is no evidence to show of their existence. Around 1860, an addition with a cellar was added to the west end of the old building. The old cabin was occupied until 1945. The last tenants were the family of George and Minnie (Koenig) Steinke. After George died in 1936, Minnie and her family remained another eleven years before moving to Sidney. The cabin was used as a grainery by the Greve family, who still own the property. The old cabin stood until its destruction and removal in 1981.

The cabin and Joseph and Mary'<@146>s family grew together until Joseph died on March 4, 1858, at which time they were parents of thirteen children.

The children of Joseph J. Steinke and Mary Anna Kaiser:

Henry Steinke, born 1840, his baptism record possibly among the lost Petersburg records. He died August 13, 1853, and is buried at Fryburg.

Diedrich Steinke, born October 17, 1841, his baptism record possibly also among those lost Petersburg records. Diedrich married Theresia Werling, the daughter of Stephen and Rosalia Knapper Werling, on August 16, 1859. Diedrich died November 19, 1904, buried at Rhine. See chapter 2 for his descendents.

Elizabeth Steinke, born January 4, 1843, and was the first recorded baptism at Petersburg. There is no record of her death and burial, but from the U.S. Federal Census, we know it was before 1850. We assume she is buried at Petersburg.

Maria Anna Steinke, born June 6, 1844, a recorded birth and baptism at Petersburg, died October 24, 1859 at Rhine.

John Edward Steinke, born February 10, 1846, a recorded birth at Petersburg. On October 6, 1868 he married Caroline Wiss, the daughter of John and Catherine Adams Wiss. John died at Cranberry Prarie, Mercer County, Ohio, on September 23, 1922 and is buried there. See chapter 3 for his descendants.

George (Gerhard) Steinke, born May 6, 1847, a recorded birth at Petersburg. On January 17, 1871 he married Mary Graf, the daughter of Ignaz and Helena Kressig Graf. George died at Botkins on December 18, 1928 and is buried there. See chapter 4 for his descendants.

Joseph Steinke II, born August 25, 1848, a recorded birth at Petersburg. On August 11, 1874 he married Philomena Wempe, daughter of Rudolph and Philomena Suttman Wempe. Joseph died February 19, 1926 at Rhine and is buried there. See chapter 5 for his descendants.

Leo John Steinke, born August 11, 1850, a recorded birth at Petersburg. On May 8, 1876 he married Elizabeth Schipper, daughter of John B. and M Catherine Schulte Schipper. Leo died February 15, 1918 at Rhine. See chapter 6 for his descendants.

Elizabeth Steinke, baptized December 28, 1851 at Fryburg (birth date isn<@146>t recorded). There is no record of her death and burial, but it was before 1860.

Margaret Steinke, born January 6, 1854, a Fryburg record of birth. She died may 20, 1870, buried at Rhine.

Maria Catherine Steinke, born April 15, 1855, a Fryburg record of birth. She died August 27, 1855, a Fryburg burial.

Theresia Steinke, born August 15, 1856, baptized at Fryburg. She married Bernard Schipper, the son of John B. and M. Catherine Schulte Schipper on February 3, 1874. She died September 26, 1933 in Botkins, buried at Rhine. See chapter 7 for descendants.

Henry Eberhard Steinke, born May 30, 1858, and was the only one of the Joseph<@146>s children baptized at Rhine. On September 30, 1879 he married Elizabeth Werling, the daughter of Joseph and Aralia Studer Robbins. Henry died at Burkettsville, Ohio on July 23, 1923, andis buried there. See chapter 8 for descendants.

After Joseph<@146>s death, Mary remained on the homeplace with the help of her growing sons. On August 29, 1860, she married Bernard Thiemann at Rhine. The became the parents of four children, making seventeen in all for Mary Anna Kaiser Steinke Thiemann.

Bernard Henry Thiemann, born June 6, 1861 at Rhine. He moved to Canada.

Elizabeth Anna Maria Thiemann, born November 30, 1862. She married George Monger, son of John and Anna Miller Monger.

Steven Thiemann, born January 3, 1865 at Rhine. He married Mary Ann Gelhouse of St. Henry and made that his home. He died there may 18, 1926.

Bernardina Thiemann, born May 7, 1866 at Rhine, died February 20, 1868.

See chapter 9 for the known descendants of the Thiemann family.

When Joseph Steinke died, he left all his land to his wife, Mary. We have no record of this land being transferred to Bernard Thiemann. Evidently it was transferred when Mary Kaiser Steinke married him in 1860.

On September 23, 1876 Bernard Thiemann deeded the 40 acre homeplace and the 40 acres due east of the homeplace, a total of 80 acres to Leo Steinke. Leo farmed the tract and lived in the oldest part of the cabin. Mary and Bernard lived in the added western rooms of the cabin. Also on September 23, 1876 the remaining portions of the land was divided among Joseph J. and Marys sons, Diedrich, John, and Joseph. The tracts are shown on the Dinsmore Township 1900 map, which is about 20 years later than the transactions described. John sold his tract and moved to Cranberry Prarie in Mercer County, Ohio. Joseph remained on the 80 acres on the north side of Botkins Road a very short distance east of the St. Lawrence Church. Diedrich moved to Auglaize County near Fryburg but later returned to the tract of land between Rhine Church and the land owned by his brother Joseph. Diedrich, Joseph, and Leo, sons of Joseph J. Steinke, alldied on parts of the original 240 acres once owned by their father. We know of no record of land going to Joseph J.<@146>s sons George and Henry or to the daughter Theresa Steinke Schipper.In her final years, Mary Anna Thiemann was bedridden and had to be fed by othersas her obituary in the Sidney Daily News states. The wife and mother died March 27, 1897 at the age of 72. The funeral took place in the Rhine Church, and also according to her obituary, May 8, 1898. Both are buried at Rhine Cemetary.