Picture taken approximately 1920. Henry and Elizabeth were the parents of ALBERT STEFFEN and other siblings. Henry went to live the the Norse Friesen family when his parents died of smallpox within a month of each other when Henry was 5 years old leaving 8 children to be raised by friends. He lived with them until he was 21. He was given a team of horses and harness when he left. He went to Waukan, IA. He later moved to Lexington,(Plum Creek), NE with a group of German people. He married Elizabeth Marie Dorothea Velte in 1885. In 1900 they moved to Ellis, NE. Later moved to Harvine, Diller and Beatrice, NE. In 1921 they moved to Boila, California. Elizabeth came to the US in 1870. She was better known as Lizzie by her fmaily. According to her daughter Esther Steffen, the long name came from her aunts. She was born on January 28, 1866 at Wehrheim, Hessen-Nausau, Germany, to Henry C.A. Velte and Catharine Huffman. The Velte family lived in what was known as a Dorf( where a group of families lived together and went out all in all directions to farm). In 1870, Henry Velte, his wife Catharine and children: Adam 16, Henry 12, Charlotte 8, and Elizabeth 4 (Albert Steffen's mother) along with Henry's sister Charlotte left Bremen, German for New York. On the trip across the ocean, Elizabeth was the only passenger who wasn't sea sick-the crew had to look after her. From New York, they went to Fulton, MO. where a brother of Henry's was already living. On June 1870, the Fulton, Callaway Co. MO census listed the Henry Velte family and the Charles Velte family living in the same household. They build a double house with one family in each half. Both Henry and Charles did masonary work and Adam was a brickyard laborer. Henry passed away the first year, leaving Adam to care for the family. Catharine was sickly with asthma. Adam was troubled every summer with a form of asthma so they moved to Waukau, Iowa after about four years. Charlotte and Elizabth worked for different families for their keep. Catharine died 4 or 5 year after coming to Iowa. She was bedridden most of the time they lived in Iowa. She died during the winter time as her daughter Elizabeth (Albert's mother) froze her feet at the funeral. In 1885 Dawson County Census listed Henry and Lizzie Steffen as owners of 160 improved acres and 160 unimproved acres-value of land, fences, buildings as $5000 , farm implements as $200, livestock as $1060 which included 8 horses, l milk cow, 1 other cow and 2 pigs. During the next 15 years they became the parents of 6 children, Joseph John, April 19, 1886; ALBERT BENJAMIN, May 21, 1887; Alvina Martha, April 25, 1889; Carl Henry, May 2, 1892; Esther Lydia, April 5, 1896; and Martin Arthur, April 26, 1900. In June 1900, records indicate they were renting a home. Shortly afterward, they moved to eastern Nebraska having lost the farm due to poor crops mainly caused by the drought. Henry worked on farms. They moved to a farm at Diller and in 1917 Henry went to work at iron foundry in Beatrice. Henry's brother William lived in California and ecouraged the family to try California. They purchased a 20 acre raisen ranch near Boila, California in 1921. Elizabeth was delighted to move to California. Esther and Carl went with them. Alvena was working at the Bureau of Engineering and the Navy Dept. in Washington, D.C and Albert and Joseph were married and stayed in Nebraska. Henry passed away on May 31, 1925 in Kerman, California following a stroke. Elizabeth died July 25, 1960 after breaking her hip in a fall in April. Esther remained on the ranch as long as she was able before moving into a retirement home.
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