HEINRICH ROEPKE AND MARGARET ADELHEIT WEHAUSEN
Meeme Township, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
Röp(ch)ke (ndd)., Hbg., Meckl. oft) wie Röbke (s. dies!) = Robert, Ropert.
Joh. Ropke, Sohn des Ropeke v. Tribsees 1325/32 Strals.; noch 1535 in Settin:
Ropeke Graßhorn. Auch Röpe, Röpkes, Röpking (patr.).
******************
Henry Roepke & Margaret Adelheit Weheusen were born in Hannover, Germany.
I have not found the exact dates or their parents or a marriage for them
to date. They had children Catharine (Trine) Margaret, born November 22,
1839, Anna Margaret, born in December, 1844, Johan Heinrich (Henry) born
March 21, 1847 and Albert, born July 1849. They boarded the ship Gaston
in Bremerhaven, Germany and arrived in New York on August 21, 1850.
(I found the family on the 1850 U.S. Census in Mequon, Washington, County,
WI family #1331 Roll M432_1008, Page 222B, Image 450).
With the family on this ship was Albert Wehausen, age 22. (born 1828).
The family did not stay in Mequon very long. Sept 5, 1854, William Ernst
Roepke was born in Meeme Township, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. The entire
family was listed on the 1855 Wisconsin State Census in Meeme Township.
4 Males, 3 Females.
In the 1860 Census of Meeme Township, the household consisted of Henry, and
children Anna, Henry, Albert and William. Daughter Catherine, was married,
in the town of Herman, Sheboygan County on May 15, 1859 to William T. L.
Zillman, marriage recorded in Vol 1 pg 157, Sheboygan County. Apparently,
Margaret Adelheid Wehausen Roepke had died between 1855 and 1860. I have
found no record of a burial for her in either Sheboygan or Manitowoc County
as of this date.
By 1870, the 3 boys, William, Albert & Henry Roepke had moved on to Minnesota,
Henry being a farmer, Albert a shoemaker and William a blacksmith by trade.
Father Henry was living alone and still farming in 1870, in Meeme township as
per the Census record. Anna, by that time was married to Charles (Karl) Eckert
(also spelled Eikert & Eickert). Their first child, Ellen was born in Plymouth,
Sheboygan County, 11 February 1868 and the family was listed in the Plymouth
Township Census in 1870.
(The marriage record for Carl and Anna was a Religious ceremony done in 1882
in Kiel, after the children were all born and shortly before they relocated
to Des Moines, IA. Carl left Anna and the children in 1881 and disappeared
without a trace according to a news item in the Nord Western. No doubt he
came back to get her and they renewed their vows, or perhaps they never were
legally married up to that time)
Zillmann of Schleswig Township, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
Catherine Roepke and William T. L. Zillmann were married in the town of Herman,
Sheboygan County. Their first four children George, William, Helena (Ellen) and
Annie were born in Herman and son Alfred was born in the Town of Rhine. The
family moved to a farm in Rockville, Schleswig Township, Manitowoc County in
1871. In May of 1871, Son Herman was born in Rockville, followed by Edwin,
Richard and August.
August died as a young child and Helena took her own life in 1885, after a
lifetime of battling illness. Both are buried in the Schleswig Cemetery in
Rockville.
George Zillmann married Mary Allen Nichols in New York in 1891 and lived in
Thorp, WI. They had children Harold Allen and Ruth. George died in August 1941
in Eau Claire, WI and Mary died 19 Feb 1950 in Littleton, Colorado at the home
of her daughter Ruth Polkingham. George & Mary are buried in the East Thorp
Cemetery in Clark County, WI.
William Zillmann was a bachelor and lived on the family farm with his parents.
He died in Rockville and is buried in the Schleswig Cemetery.
Annie Zillmann lived with her parents on the family farm and when her parents
gave up farming and moved to Manitowoc, she went with them. Her father died
in Manitowoc in 1900 and Annie and her mother moved to Colby, Wisconsin where
several of the younger brothers were in the Hardware business. After her mother
died, she married Frank Ebert at Colby, Wisconsin. He was a widower with
several children. The couple never had any children together. Annie died in
Marinette, WI and is buried in the Colby Cemetery.
Alfred Zillman, born 2 November, 1868 married Louise Voland at Kiel in 1895
and spent his entire life on the Family Farm. They had Children Clarence who
married Thiela Kraemer and Thekla who married first, Anthony John Wasner who
died in a farm accident when quite young and then married Fred Dekker at Kiel.
Alfred and his wife Louise are buried in the Schleswig Cemetery at Rockville.
Herman Zillmann also never married and was a partner in the hardware business
in Colby. He died in 1911 in Colby and is buried in the Schleswig Cemetery at
Rockville.
Edwin Zillman born Sept 23, 1873 married Pauline Hermann (Lena) at Colby, WI.
He was a partner in the hardware business with his brothers. They had children,
Irma A. who was killed in an automobile accident in 1920, Donald H. who lived
in Eau Claire, WI, Herman (H. Richard) who lived in Baldwin, WI, and Marie Ann
who married Glenn Lein, an undertaker in Marinette, WI . Edwin Died in January
1951 and Pauline died in 1957 and are buried in the Colby Cemetery.
Richard Zillmann born 26 of Jan. 1876 in Rockville married Myrl Elsie Gray in
Colby, WI. Richard was also a partner in the hardware business. They had 2
daughters, Sylvia and Kathryn. Richard passed away in 1927 in Colby, and Myrl
passed away in Milwaukee in 1952 at home of the daughter. Richard, Myrl and
daughters Sylvia and Kathryn are all buried in the Colby Cemetery
******************
Eikert (Eickert, Eckert) Centerville, Schleswig Tswp and Des Moines, IA.
Anna Margaret Roepke married Charles (Karl) Eikert, son of Johann and Maria
Hasselmann Eikert of Centerville, Township. Johann and Maria came to Manitowoc
County in 1852, from Brunn, Mecklenberg-Strelitz, and are buried in the Saxton
Cemetery, Centerville. Karl's brother, John Freidrich Eickert farmed in Rantoul,
Calumet County and raised a large family there. He is buried in the Peace
Church Cemetery, Rantoul. Sister Mary Eikert married Freidrich Ohldrich and
lived at the Centerville farm. Mary and her husband are also buried in the Saxon
Cemetery. The Ohldrich family is still represented on the old Family farm in
Section 30, Centerville Tswp. Anna & Charles both died in Saylor Township, Polk
County, Iowa and are buried in the Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines, Polk County,
Iowa.
Anna and Charles Eikert had Ellen, born 1868 in Sheboygan County, Charles born
1870 in Centerville, Sarah, born 1873 Centerville, Siegmund (Harry) 1875 in Kiel.
In April of 1876, Charles Eikert purchased land in Section 17, Schleswig Township
outside of Kiel. Paul, born 1877 and Martha born 1879 were born while they lived
on this farm.
In 1882, Charles and Anna Eikert deeded that land to William Zillmann, his wife's
sister Catherine's husband and the Eikert's moved on to Des Moines, Iowa
Ellen Mary Eikert married Frank Hamlin Allen in 1887 in Des Moines, IA. They
had a family of 9 Children, and resided in Maxwell Story County, IA. Frank died
in 1932 and Ellen (Ella) in 1945. They are buried in the Center Grove Cemetery
in Maxwell, IA.
(I have not found a recorded birth document for the other children of Anna and
Charles Eikert(Eckert) however death certificates and subsequent Iowa census
records indicate they were born in Centerville, Manitowoc County and/or in Kiel,
Wisconsin).
Charles William Eikert born 1871, married Lillian Mae Fisk in Ankeny, IA. He
died in 1946 and she in 1970 in Saylor Township, Polk County, IA just north of
Des Moines and are buried in the Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines, IA
Sarah Eikert Born 1874 married Frank Larsen in Des Moines Iowa. They had a son
Harry Larsen, in 1909. (I do not have any further information on Sarah after
1925 in Des Moines.)
Harry Eckert (Siegmund) was born in 1875 and married Anna Cron in Chicago, IL
in 1900. He lived in Des Moines until 1895 and went to Chicago to seek his
fortune. Harry and Anna had 2 Children, Clara and Russell, both born in Chicago,
IL.
Harry drowned in Lake Michigan in 1913 and is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in
Chicago. Anna married John Hohner and subsequently divorced and is buried with
her parents in St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Joliet, IL. Clara married Les
Gardner and moved to California and Russell married Rachel Ross and lived in
Joliet, IL and died in Rockford, IL in 1941. Many of his descendants live
currently in the Joliet region.
Paul Eikert born 1877 married Bessie Parkhill in Des Moines, Iowa. They had
Dorothy Helen and Kenneth Parkhill Eikert who married Lorraine Fouche. Paul
died February 22, 1914 in Des Moines, Iowa and is buried in Woodland Cemetery
with daughter Dorothy. Bessie then married Sam Sheffield and moved to Dermott,
Arkansas.
Martha Eikert, was born in Kiel in February. 1880. She had Daughter Ruth Anna
Eikert born August 1897 in Des Moines, IA. Martha married Henry Kroeger in Des
Moines about 1906. He had daughter Marie Kroeger and a step-son Ludwig Simmel
when he married Martha. Ruth took the Kroeger name and married James A. McKinney
in Des Moines. They may have had a son, Henry born 1912.
******************
ROEPKE BOYS IN MINNESOTA
Henry John Roepke, (Johann Heinrich on passenger list) moved from Meeme township
to Minneapolis and then to Marshall County, Minnesota and did farm work there.
In 1889 he married Adelgunde (Adelia) Freida Dohrmann. They lived in Excel Township,
Marshall County, Minnesota. Henry died in Sedalia, MO in 1928 and Adelia in Cole
Camp, Mo in 1941. They are buried in Union Cemetery, Cole Camp, MO.
Emil Herman Roepke was born in 1891 in Excel. The family later moved to Cole Camp,
Benton County Missouri to farm. There Emil joined the Military and served in WWI
and WWII. Staff Sgt Emil Roepke died in 1961 in Dade County, Florida.
******************
Albert Roepke, who was the last child born in Hannover before the family came to
America, was a shoemaker in Minneapolis. He married Henriette Miller on April 13,
1876 in Minneapolis. Albert died in 1915 and Henrietta in 1940 and are buried in
Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. They had children, Annie, Clara, Edith,
Laura, Otto, Jennie and Hattie.
Annie Roepke born 1877 died 1928, buried in the family plot in Lakewood
Cemetery in Minneapolis
Clara Roepke born Sept 18, 1878 married Walter Merton Jennings, in 1907 in
Minneapolis. They moved to Fargo, North Dakota, and had children Marguerite
who married Lowell B. Stalcup and Earl. Clara died 1957 and Walter in 1951.
Both buried in Riverside Cemetery in Fargo.
Edith Ida Roepke born June 8, 1880 married George M. Day in Minneapolis in
1909. She died in December of 1960 and he in June of 1965. They are buried
in Minneapolis in Lakewood Cemetery.
Laura M. Roepke born 15 November 1881, married George Demeules in 1910 in
Minneapolis and had Raymond S. Demeules, George died in 1914 and she and
Raymond went to King county, Washington. She wed John H. Tutmark in 1922 in
King County, Washington, and died in December 1962 in Seattle, Washington.
Otto Bismark Roepke, born 03 January 1884 worked for the United States Patent
Office and And was the Grand Master of the Mason Lodge in DC in 1936. He was
married to Alverite, who died in DC in 1961. Otto died in 1974 in Washington,
DC.
Jennie Roepke born in 1886 married Robert R. Rausch in 1908 in Minneapolis
and had children Marian, Melvin and Evelyn. Robert was the mill manager of
the Pillsbury mill in Sangamon County, Illinois in 1930. Melvin moved to
Michigan and his parents moved there to be closer to him. Robert died
Feb 21, 1962 and Jennie on Sept 1 1960. Both were brought back to Minnesota
and are buried in the Crystal Lake Cemetery in Minneapolis. Marian remained
in Springfield, IL. married Marshall Murphy & had daughter Elaine. Evelyn
also remained in Springfield, married Henry Bokamp and had 5 Children.
Hattie Roepke, married Frank C. Hayes in 1909 in Minneapolis. He died in 1909.
She then married Percy Allard in 1918 also in Minneapolis. They were the
parents of James Donald Allard, born in 1919 in Minneapolis and are buried in
the Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.
******************
William Ernst Roepke, born 5 September, 1854 in Centerville, Manitowoc County,
WI was a blacksmith by trade and opened shop in Minneapolis. He married Emelie
Baker May 31, 1879 in Minneapolis. They had 9 children, 7 of them buried in the
Family Plot in the Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. William Ernst Roepke died
in 1907 in Minneapolis and Emelie died in 1938 and are buried in the Lakewood
Cemetery in Minneapolis
Emma (Emelia) Roepke, 1880-1884; buried in the family plot
Henry Roepke, 1881–1901; buried in the family plot
Luetta Roepke, 1883–1885; buried in the family plot
Laura Roepke, 1884-1884; buried in the family plot
Eddie Roepke, 1885–1891; buried in the family plot
Alfred Roepke, 1885–1907; buried in the family plot
Martin Louis Roepke born 15 April 1887 married Nora Strandmark in 1911 in
Minneapolis. They had children, Russell, Willard Louis, Eugene and Evelyn.
Louis Roepke died in Minneapolis in 1943, Nora Married Stephen Arthur
Milton. She died March 24, 1964 in Hennepin County, MN. Russell Chandler
Roepke married Larayne E. Ellis died in Orange County CA, 3/3/1983.
Eugene married Grace Pagani & had son Donald (Kay), Willard died when he
was 3 and is buried in the Family plot with his grandparents. (I have not
found additional information on Evelyn)
William Roepke born February 6, 1889 married Winifred Flaherty in Minneapolis
October 6, 1914 and they had children Rosemary Winifred (Thomas J. Walsh)
born 1916, William born 1918 died 1968 (Grace Pagani), Lawrence Berton,
(Beverly Johnson) born 1920, died 1976 buried in Fort Snelling Cemetery:
and Winifred, born & died 29 April 1923.
Frederick Roepke, 1894–1898 buried in the family plot in Lakewood Cemetery.
******************
There are more chapters, and numerous descendants of Henry and Margaret Adelheid
Roepke, Pioneer Residents of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin scattered throughout
Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota and more. The weather in Joliet this
summer was exceedingly warm and this project was the fruit of an old lady sitting
in front of a computer during the heat wave, and a very patient husband who is a
direct descendant of the Original Roepke family in Meeme.
I have compiled this information from internet sources, libraries and historical
societies and Newspapers. Special thanks to Shari Milks of Manitowoc County for
her assistance, and for the Great Manitowoc County Resources page at 2manitowoc.com.
The Clark County, Wisconsin website and queries, the Minnesota Historical Society,
Ancestry.com, Family History Center, Iowa Historical Society, City of Des Moines,
Iowa cemetery records, Ankeny, Iowa Genealogical Society, Bob Allen, Mary Rausch
and everybody else who helped me with this research. This story is far from complete,
but I hope it will help other researchers in tracking their families.
Additional information and any corrections would be appreciated. I am sure there
are errors in this information as all the sources have not been verified by
personal visits or original documents.
*******************
The following contributed by another researcher:
I do have a correction about my grandmother Winifred Roepke nee Flaherty
(wife of William E. Roepke d.o.b. 2 Feb 1889), she was born 29 April 1889
in Ottawa, KS and died 26 March 1983 in Gardner KS of colon cancer. She is
buried at St. Patrick's Catholic Church at Emerald Isle, KS outside of
Williamsburg, KS. The gravesite is next to her father's, John Patrick
Flaherty.
(See contributors page for contact info.)