In 1847, Robert, the oldest son of Dr. Christian
William STEMPEL and
Christian’s 2nd wife, Dorothea
SCHINDLER, stayed behind,
when Christian’s younger children immigrated to the USA. Robert
STEMPEL was already married
with two daughters, believed to be living in
PEITZ; so perhaps was not
offered the opportunity to go to the USA at his father’s expense.
Robert’s third and fourth
daughters were born in
DRACHHAUSEN; Maria Elise, 19 Apr, 1848 and Jenny, 18 Oct 1850.
The family sailed with about 160 others on the ship
“George,” from
BREMEN,
GERMANY;
arriving in NEW YORK CITY,
on May 13, 1852. They must have left on one of the earliest ships in the
spring, around April 1st. This was a distinct change from the
two previous STEMPEL groups,
who arrived in the
USA
in November.
1)
Robert
STEMPEL, 34, shoemaker (in
all USA records he
is listed as an artist or painter)
2)
Emile
STEMPEL, 36, wife (nee
SCHEGEL)
3)
Anna
STEMPEL, 8
4)
Teresa
STEMPEL 6
5)
Mary
STEMPEL, 3
6)
Jennie
STEMPEL, 1 (She is
NOT listed on the ship
roster, but shows up in USA)
7)
Pauline
URBAN, 17 (perhaps a nanny
to the children; may have been going to her Aunt Wilhelmine, who
immigrated in the 2nd wave of
STEMPELS in 1848)
The family likely headed to Robert’s siblings,
already living in
FORT
MADISON, IOWA.
By 1856, the Robert
STEMPEL family lived in ILLINOIS,
likely in OQUAWKA,
HENDERSON
COUNTY, which is situated directly
across the MISSISSIPPI RIVER,
from GREEN
BAY
TOWNSHIP, LEE
COUNTY, IOWA; where the original
STEMPEL land and farm home
is believed to have been located. Here, they had two more children, this
time boys: Herman
STEMPEL, born in 1856, and
William STEMPEL in 1858.
Their home in 1860-1900 census is located in
OQUAWKA, HENDERSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Robert’s profession, listed as a shoemaker on the
ship, changed in the US census; where he is shown as
being either and “artist” or a “painter.”
Because his younger brothers, Hermann and Guido, were very
interested in nature, collecting and recording birds, butterflies and
bugs; one can’t help but speculate that perhaps Robert was also doing
this and his paintings, might have been of a similar vein. It is
interesting to note that in the 1880 census, his oldest son, Herman
STEMPEL is also listed as an
artist.
Daughters Anna and Mary may never have married.
Anna STEMPEL went to FORT
MADISON, IOWA and becomes the housekeeper in the
KOEHLER household after the
death of her Aunt Adleheide
STEMPEL KOEHLER, around 1869, when she is about 24, returning home
by 1880. Both girls are shown as
dressmakers by 1880, living at their home in
OQUAWKA, for presumably the
rest of their lives.
Daughter, Teresa
STEMPEL, was listed as
“Theresa” in her marriage, 27 Jan 1868, to brickmaker Gustavus (“Gustave”)
POERSCHMANN (from
Liepzig, Prussia), in Henderson County, Illinois.
They have only one child, Emilie
POERSCHMANN, born in about October 1869. They are found in Township
11, Range 5, Henderson County,
Illinois, in 1870 and 1880 census. In 1880,
Teresa was identified as “Rosa”
Daughter, Jenny is listed as a milliner, at 26, in
1880 census. Jenny STEMPEL
marries August HARTMANN, 02
December 1880, in Henderson
County, Illinois.
Herman becomes the head of the household, in
OQUAWKA, ILLINOIS, by 1900; but neither he nor
William appear to ever marry, so no one from this family carries on the
STEMPEL name.
(Revised 2 Nov
2009)
