Shakin' the Family Tree

A little late posting this entry, since Saturday is winding down...

The Lensing family was headed by German Catholic immigrants to this country. Their arrival in the 1880s was likely due, at least in part, to a concerted "outreach" effort in 1877 by the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad to recuit families such as theirs to western Arkansas.

I also think - rightly or wrongly - a big part of their reason for coming was what we call the American dream.

Henry (Heinrich) Lensing was born on 12 Feb 1836 in Klaster, Burla, Westfalen, Germany. He came to Arkansas with his first wife, Maria Anna Roessing, who died in 1881 in Logan County. This information fits the responses to the United State census that Henry gave in 1900, when he said the year of his immigration was 1880. Henry and Maria Anna had at least one daughter about whom I have documentation. She was Anna Marie Christina E Lensing, born 2 Feb 1872 in Borken, Prussia. She married Henry Duelmer.

By the time Henry answered the 1900 census enumerator's questions, he had remarried to Christine Duelmer in 1884, and the couple had six children. (I have been able to document eight children total for Henry and Christine - if someone else has more, please let me know.)

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Christine Duelmer was born on 20 Jun 1866 in Westphalia, Prussia.

Christine's family had also immigrated from Germany to Logan County. In the 1900 census, Christine Lensing's year of immigration was 1884. She came with her parents, Josef Duelmer and Maria Catherina Belker, on the ship Rhein on 13 Aug 1884. Port of departure was Bremen.

Children of Henry and Christine were:

• Alois Lensing was born on 9 Oct 1885 in Logan Co., AR. He died on 18 Aug 1969 in Logan Co., AR. He was buried in Saint Scholastica Cemetery, New Blaine, Logan Co., AR.
• Caspar Lensing was born on 6 Jan 1888 in Logan Co., AR. He died on 8 May 1936 in Logan Co., AR. He was buried in Saint Ignatius Cemetery, Scranton, Logan Co., AR. He married Anna C Heim, daughter of George Michal Heim and Elizabeth L "Lizzie" Raible on 5 Sep 1911 in Logan Co., AR. Anna was born on 4 Apr 1892 in Logan Co., AR. She died on 18 May 1984 in Logan Co., AR. She was buried in Saint Ignatius Cemetery, Scranton, Logan Co., AR.
• Herman Benedict Lensing was born on 21 Mar 1890 in Logan Co., AR. He died on 4 Nov 1967 in New Blaine, Logan Co., AR. He was buried in Saint Scholastica Cemetery, New Blaine, Logan Co., AR. He married Anna Schulte. Anna was born on 4 Feb 1893. She died on 4 Jul 1959 in Logan Co., AR. She was buried in Saint Scholastica Cemetery, New Blaine, Logan Co., AR.
• Henry Lensing was born on 30 Sep 1892 in Logan Co., AR. He died on 23 Apr 1973 in Logan Co., AR. He was buried in Saint Scholastica Cemetery, New Blaine, Logan Co., AR. He married Ida Engel on 15 Feb 1916. Ida was born on 11 Nov 1896. She died on 22 Jun 1961 in Logan Co., AR. She was buried in Saint Scholastica Cemetery, New Blaine, Logan Co., AR.
• Tresia (Thressa) Lensing was born in Feb 1895 in Logan Co., AR.
• Rosa Lensing was born in Feb 1898 in Logan Co., AR.
• Joseph Lensing was was born on 10 Oct 1901 in Logan Co., AR. He died on 18 Jul 1977 in Logan Co., AR. He was buried in Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cemetery, Morrison Bluff, Logan Co., AR. He married Mary N Anhalt. Mary was born on 2 Apr 1903. She died on 30 Nov 1977 in Logan Co., AR. She was buried in Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cemetery, Morrison Bluff, Logan Co., AR.
• Anna Lensing was born on 21 Feb 1905 in Logan Co., AR. She died on 29 Nov 1928 in Logan Co., AR. She was buried in Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cemetery, Morrison Bluff, Logan Co., AR. She married Henry Joseph Wewers, son of John Raesfeld Wewers and Theresa Raible. Henry was born on 21 Mar 1895. He died on 11 Oct 1951 in Logan Co., AR. He was buried in Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cemetery, Morrison Bluff, Logan Co., AR.

I'd be interested in finding out what happened to two of the Lensing sisters, Thressa and Rosa, after about 1920.  If other Lensing or Logan County researchers know, please comment.

ETA on 4 Nov 2013: A comment submitted to me via email by Simone Steiner said: As to Henry Lensing you mentioned in your article that he was born in "Klaster, Burla". I assume that this is "Kloster Burlo" (Burlo monastery), which is part of the village of Burlo, which again belongs to the city of Borken. In the past, there was a Gross Burlo (big Burlo) and Klein Burlo (small Burlo).

Some quick search on Google showed that from 1724 the Burlo monastery was the liege of the Lensing farm. Lensing might also be spelled Lensingh or Lensink. To find more information about the family you might also search for "lensing borkenwirthe". Borkenwirthe is the name of the neighborhood.

Also the surname Roessing (Rößing) already existed in Borken in 1498 spelled Rosinck.

Some good information to have...