Heidersdorf, Christian and William

1861 partial map of Somers Township, Kenosha County
Northwest Corner historically known as Kellogg's Corners
Location today I-94 and Racine Kenosha County Line Road
Heidersdorf parcel, Section 6 West, Somers Township

Heidersdorf, Christian
Christian Heidersdorf, Sr. was born in Prussia on Feb. 22, 1813.  He was the son of Conrad and Minnie (Griese) Heidersdorf, both of whom died in Germany.  He worked for several years in the mines in Germany.  After serving his time in the German Army, he came to America in June of 1849 with his brother, William.  They settled first at St. Louis, MO, but when an epidemic of Cholera broke out, they came to Wisconsin and settled in Somers Township.  This family farmed in Paris and Somers Townships.
Christian married Miss Margaret Myers on the Heidersdorf farm on February 15, 1857. Margaret was born December 29, 1836, in Hessen-Homburg, Germany. They had ten children:  5 boys and 5 girls.  Christian died May 5, 1878 and Margaret died September 18, 1913.  They are buried at Sylvania Cemetery.

Children of Christian and Margaret:
William E. married Alice Murray
Christian E. married Caroline Biehn, daughter of Heinrich and Margaret (Myer) Biehn
Frank C. is twin to Frances (Fanny)
Frances (Fanny) Emilia is twin to Frank.  Married Henry Biehn some of Heinrich & Margaret (Meyer) Biehn
Margarette (Maggie) married to William Coughlin.
Harriett (Hattie) is twin to Adaline.  Married Frank Holmes of Kellogg's Corners.
Adaline (Addie) is twin to Harriet.  Married Myron A. Gould, son of Amon T. and Laura (Baker) Gould.  They had four children:  Loren Jay, Max A., Gladys Tabbert, and Gernice, who died in infancy.  The lived in Somers Township.  Gould was a blacksmith at Somers Station.
Wilhelmina (Minnie).  Married to John Woodward.
Henry Walter married Elsa Augusta Alma Reck.
John.  Not married.
(Source:  Mary Ann Culshaw Falk and the Sylvania Cemetery Trustees)

More About Christian Heidersdorf
Christian Heidersdorf (deceased) was one of the excellent farmers and upright citizens of Somers  Township, where he had accumulated a large property through his own exertions.  He was born in Prussia, Germany, January 13, 1813.  He was the son of Conrad and Minnie (Griese) Heidersdorf, both of whom died in Germany.  They had two sons and two daughters, the one survivor being Lizetta, widow of Jacob Barnes, of Paris Township, Kenosha County.
Christian Heidersdorf received a good common school education in his youth, but as his father died when he was still small he was obliged to begin work at an early period in his life.  He worked for several years in the mines in Germany, and later became a mine superintendent.  After serving out his time in the regular army, according to the laws of his land, in 1851 he came to America and settled with his brother William at St. Louis.  When the cholera broke out there they left Missouri and came to Wisconsin, settling in Somers Township.  There he and his brother bought sixty-seven acres of  land, the same on which Mrs. Heidersdorf still lives, and here they built a small frame house.  Later Mr. Heidersdorf added fifty acres to his first land, and later bought ninety acres in Paris Township, and ten acres of woodland.  William never married but lived on this land until his death, and in this home our subject died two years later, in 1878.  He was a man much respected by all who knew him, kind in his family and helpful to his neighbors.  Politically he was a Republican.  He was a member of the Lutheran Church.
On February 14, 1857, on the farm on which his widow now resides, Mr. Heidersdorf was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Meier, who was born in Hessen-Homburg, Germany, December 29, 1835, daughter of Peter and Margaret (Rohr) Meier, the former of whom died in 1842, when his daughter Margaret was seven years old.  Mrs. Heidersdorf was reared in Germany, and came to America with her mother, two brothers and a sister when eighteen years old, and they settled in Parish Township, where the mother died aged eighty-nine years.  Her grandfather, Jacob Meier, was a farmer in Germany, and both he and wife died there, the parents of five sons and one daughter.  Mrs. Margaret (Rohr) Meier was a daughter of Anton and Elizabeth Rohr, farming people who lived to be about seventy-five years old.
To the marriage of Mr. and  Mrs. Heidersdorf were born five sons and five daughters:  William; Christian; Frank and Fannie, twins; Margaret; Hattie and Addie,  twins; Minnie; Henry; and John.
William, was a merchant at Chapin, Paris Township, married Alice Murray, and they have two children, Edna and Harold; Christian, a farmer in Yorkville married Caroline Biehn, and they have three children, Frances, Ethlyn and Alvin; Frank, unmarried, carries on a threshing machine business; Fannie married Henry Biehn of Paris Township and they have two children, Camilla and Howard; Margaret is the widow of William Coughlin of Paris Township, and has two children, Frances and Stanely; Hattie married Frank Holmes, of Yorkville and they have two sons, Ross and Roy; Addie married Myron Gould, a blacksmith of Somers Township, and they have three children, Jay, Max, and Gladys.  The others live at home with the mother in the old homestead in Somers Township.  They are members of the Lutheran Church.
(Source:  Biographical Record of Prominent and Representative Men of Racine and Kenosha County Wisconsin, J.H. Beers & Co., 1906)

More About Heidersdorf
"Frank Heidersdorf and his brother Chris, left for Rush Medical College in Chicago on Saturday morning.  The later had his right limb injured just above the knee several years and and it will be examined by the surgeons."
(Source:  Racine Journal, News Feb. 6, 1895)

"Frank C. Heidersdorf and the Frederick Brothers have purchased new corn shredders."
(Source:  Racine Journal, News Nov. 14, 1900)

"Heidersdorf Bros. made good use of the wind on Friday, sawing twelve cords of wood with their wind mill."
"Messrs. F.S. Heidersdorf and J. Biehn will attend the poultry show in Chicago this week."
"Mr. and Mrs. M.A. Gould of Somers visited at the home of her mother, Mrs. Heidersdorf last Sunday."
(Source:  Racine Journal ,January 23, 1902)

"Philip Horning, who is the employ of the W.E. Heidersdorf of Chapin, erected a Swanson windmill for the F.E. Holmes last week."
(Source:  Racine Journal, June 3, 1902)

"Heidersdorf Bros. will extend their telephone line to Heinry Biehn's this spring."
(Source:  Racine Journal, May 1, 1901)

"Henry Heidersdorf is the happy possessor of a new buggy."
"C.E. Heidersdorf and family attended the Biehm-Adams wedding in Paris on Wednesday."
(Source:  Racine Journal, May 24, 1900)

"Mr. and Mrs. William Coughlin and John Heidersdorf attended the social at Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Smith's of Union Grove last Thursday evening."
(Source:  Racine Journal, February 21, 1901)

"Heidersdorf Bros. shipped some fancy bronze turkeys to Gray, Iowa, the first of the week."
(Source:  Racine Journal, March 27, 1901)

"Henry Beihn, Frank C. Heidersdorf and Frank Holmes returned from a successful deer hunt in Northern Wisconsin on Saturday evening, bringing the evidence of their efforts in the form of three fine bucks."
(Source:  Racine Journal, November 19, 1901)

"Mr. Christian Heidersdorf of Somers moved to the Grimshaw house."
(Source:  Racine Journal ,March 30, 1905)