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Henning Dietrich August Thiessen (1820 - 1902)

Henning Dietrich August (Henry) Thiessen aka Tiessen, Thießen
Born in Reinsbüttel, Dithmarschen, Duchy of Holsteinmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , , , , , , and
Husband of — married 6 Apr 1845 in Wesselburen, Dithmarschen, Holsteinmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , and
Died at age 81 in Cedar County, Iowa, United Statesmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Traci Thiessen private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 22 Mar 2018
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Contents

Biography

Origins

Henning Dietrich August "Henry" Thiessen was born in Reinsbuttel, Duchy of Holstein,[1] on 17 September 1820 (date on headstone)[2] or 14 June 1821 (marriage record, see below). According to his marriage record transcribed below, he was the son of Claus Thiessen and Wiebke Thiessen. His birth/baptism records have not yet been located.

At the time of Henry's birth, the Duchy of Holstein was part of the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund), but it remained under Danish rule as the King of Denmark was also the Duke of Holstein, and he represented Holstein in the German National Assemblies.

Marriage

Henry married Margaretha Ehlers in Germany.[3][4] Their marriage record below was found in the parish of Wesselburen and is dated 6 April [or August?] 1845, translated as follows:

"Henning Dietrich August Thiessen born 14 June 1821, 24 years old, son of the local househusband Claus Thiessen deceased and also deceased wife Wiebke Thiessen with Margaretha Elisabeth Ehlers there of the local househusband Hinrich Wilhem Ehlers only fermer[?]. Wife Anna Margaretha née Kok married, daughter" (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)

Immigration

Flag of Holstein
Henry Thiessen migrated from Holstein to United States.
Flag of United States

The mid-to-late 1840's in Holstein was marked by strife and, after continued uprisings against Denmark by the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein (the First Schleswig War, 1848-1851), Denmark emerged victorious. The Danish rule became increasingly oppressive and many Schleswig-Holsteiners opted to emigrate.

On 16 April 1854, H.D.A. Thiessen, landmann (farmer), with frau and 5 kinder aged 9 months to 9 years, emigrated to America, departing from Hamburg, Germany. The family arrived in New York, New York, aboard the Princess Louise[1] and then made their way half-way across the country, settling in the state of Iowa.

Henry become a naturalized citizen of the United States on 6 August 1860 in Scott County, Iowa.[5]

Property

In 1872, H.D.A. Thiessen owned two 80-acre parcels of land in Farmington Township, Cedar County, Iowa: one in Section 15 and one in Section 16.[6] He likely farmed this property before retiring to the town of Durant.

In 1880, he was a saloon-keeper in Durant, Cedar County, Iowa.[7] The site on which Henry Thiessen's home and tavern sat was purchased by The Farmers & Merchant Bank, who built the present building in 1903 and operated there until 1931, the building then became the Durant Post Office (from 1936-1946) and is now the home of the American Legion.[8]

Census and Residence History

  • 1860 - Buffalo Township, Scott County, Iowa - "Leisen" household: Henry 40, Margaret 36, Clous 15, John 13, Mary 11, Augusta 9, Matilda 7, Emma 2.[9]
  • 1870 - Farmington Township, Cedar County, Iowa - Thiessen household: Henry 51, Margaret 48, Clem 25, John 23, Margarett 22, Augusta 20, Matilda 17, Janca 12 and Lueena 9.[10]
  • 1880 - Durant, Cedar, Iowa, USA - Thiessen household: Henry 59, Margaret 57 and Lena 18.[7]
  • 1885 - Durant, Cedar, Iowa, USA - Thiessen household: Henry 64, Margret 62 and boarder, Dr. Clifford Bills 27.[11]
  • 1895 - Durant, Cedar, Iowa, USA - Thiessen household: Henning 74 and Margaretha 72.[12]
  • 1900 - Durant, Cedar, Iowa, USA - "Tiehsen" household: Henry 79 and Margaretta 79.[4]

Children

According to the 1900 US Census, Henry and Margaretha had twelve children, but only four were living in 1900:[4]

  1. Claus Hinrich, born 1845[3]
  2. Johann Wilhelm, born 1846,[3] aka John
  3. August, born 1847, died in infancy in Germany[13]
  4. Wiebke Margaretha, born 1849[3] aka Mary
  5. Maria Augusta, born 1850[3]
  6. Johanna Mathilda, born 1851[3]
  7. Hinrich, born 1852, died in infancy in Germany[13]
  8. Emma, born 1858 in Iowa[10]
  9. Paulina, born 1860 in Iowa[10]
  10. 3 others that died before 1900,[4] (probably before 1854 in Germany)

Death and Burial

Henry Thiessen died 8 July 1902 in Iowa[14] and was buried at Durant Cemetery, Durant, Muscatine County, Iowa,[2] range: 7, lot: 31, grave: 10.[15] Letters testamentary were granted in Cedar County, Iowa, to his wife, Margaretha Elizabeth Thiessen, as executor, and bond was paid on 19 September 1902.[14]

Research Notes

Last Name Spelling

The spelling of the last name is found in most American records as "Thiessen" and appears in the 1900 census as "Tiehsen". Other misspellings are also found. The last name has also been recorded in Germany as "Tiessen" and "Thießen".

German Records

"Henning Friedrich August Tiessen" and family (six children) appear in "Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1518-1921" in the Wesselburen, Norderdithmarschen, Tauf u Index [Baptism & Index], 1775-1870.[16] These records need to be requested from Dithmarschen eventually. Thanks for the tip, Paige!

Other Henry Thiessens in Iowa

In the 1884-1885 Iowa Gazetteer and Business Directory, there appears to be two Henry Thiessen's operating Iowa businesses in 1884: a Henry Thiessen meat market in Keystone, Iowa (pages 614 and 1256) and a Henry Thiessen, shoemaker, in Davenport (pages 354 and 1073).[17] Neither of these men are the Henry of this profile, although they are in neighboring counties. This profile's Henry Thiessen was listed as a saloon keeper, residing in Durant in 1885.[11]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934." Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008, Provo, UT, USA. "Staatsarchiv Hamburg; Volume: 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 006/007; Seite: 1S-H." Ancestry image. Ancestry Record 1068 #5671161: birthplace Reinsbuttel, Holst,; dep. 16 Apr 1864 from Hamburg, arr. NY, ship "Princess Louise", HDA + 4 others.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #103258427, Memorial page for Henning Dietrich August Thiessen (17 Sep 1820-8 Jul 1902), citing Durant Cemetery, Durant, Muscatine County, Iowa, USA (plot: Range 7 Lot 31 Grave 10); Maintained by Gert (contributor 47935225): headstone photo has DOB/DOD in German.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Rootdigger - online database of emigrants from Schleswig-Holstein, created by Claus Struve, accessed 16 Aug 2018: b.c.1820, emigrated 1854, names parents, wife, children.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch: accessed 16 Aug 2018, Henry Tiehsen, Farmington Twp., Durant, Cedar Co., IA, US; enumeration dist. 27, sheet 3B, family 76, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington DC: NARA, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,422: Mar. 54 yrs, 12 ch., 4 living.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992", (Indexed in World Archives Project) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Ancestry image, Ancestry Record 1629 #5201092: 6 Aug 1860 in Scott County Iowa.
  6. ↑ "U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918." Collection: G&M_80; Roll: 80. Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Provo, UT, USA. Ancestry image. Ancestry Record 1127 #5623611
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch: 17 Aug 2017, Henry Thiessen, Durant, Cedar, IA, US; citing ED 357, sheet 202A, NARA microfilm pub T9 (Washington DC: NARA, n.d.), roll 0331; FHL microfilm 1,254,331.
  8. ↑ Cedar County, Iowa - Durant Centennial Book pages 27-49. History and Location of Durant Business Establishments and Professions, accessed on IA GenWeb.
  9. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch: 13 Dec 2017, Leisen, 1860.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch: 12 Apr 2016, Thiessen, Iowa, US; citing p.12, family 91, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: NARA, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,879. US citizen over age 21.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Iowa State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch: 11 Mar 2018, Henry Thiessen, Durant, Farmington, Cedar, IA; citing p. 3, 1885, State Historical Society, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,021,450.
  12. ↑ "Iowa State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch: 10 Mar 2018, Henning Thiessen, Cedar, Iowa, US; citing p. 291, 1895, State Historical Society, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,020,340.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 GEDBAS German family trees/database - Profile of Henry "Hin" Thiessen, unsourced.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Iowa, Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997." (Probate Records, 1835-1953; Indexes, 1839-1975; Iowa Circuit Court, Cedar Co.). Ancestry image.
  15. ↑ Durant Cemetery Records online database accessed 16 Aug 2018.
  16. ↑ Ancestry.com. "Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1518-1921" [database on-line]. Original data: Mikrofilm Sammlung. Familysearch.org Originale: Lutherische Kirchenbücher, 1518-1921. SEARCH: Schleswig-Holstein, Wesselburen, Tauf u Index 1775-1870 - page 603.
  17. ↑ Ancestry.com. "Iowa Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1884-1885" [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Ancestry.
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