VINKE FAMILY - A WebsiteBuilder Website

This page is dedicated to my wonderful mother, Betty Marlene VINKE STEELE, born 30 Jan 1925, in Beloit, Wis. to Raymond VINKE and Lulu AMERINE VINKE.

Hans VINKE born 16 Nov 1801 in Germany and buried 26 June 1884 in the Arcadia Cemetery in Iowa. He married Katherine LAMPE, Germany. They immigrated to the United States in 1864. He may of had more children than Peter, but, I am still searching ......

Peter VINKE (maybe FINK) was born in Feb. 1836 in Germany and died in 1932 in Scott County, Iowa and he married on 23 Apr 1864 to Anna KLINDT born in August 1842 in Germany and passed away in 1924. They are both buried at the Ingwersen Center Grove Cemetery.

The 1895 US Census shows Peter as being 58 years old and residence was Deep Creek, Clinton, Iowa.
The 1900 US Census shows Peter's residence was in Deep Creek Township, Clinton, Iowa with his wife, Annie and 2 children, Alvina (a seamstress) and Amelia. Peter was a shoemaker and they immigrated to the United States in 1864.
The 1910 US Census it states that Peter was 73 years old and Annie was 68 years old. The 1920 Census shows residing in Clinton, Ward 7, Clinton, IA.

Great Grandma Minnie Martens VINKE and Lulu and Minnie in the backyard in Rockton, IL. Julius in back with Raymond, Harold and Leslie

1. Julius VINKE was born on 9 July 1866 in Davenport, IA and passed away on 25 June 1943 in Milwaukee, WI at the Veteran's Hospital. He married Minnie MARTENS on March 15, 1892 in Davenport, IA. Minnie was born on 21 March 1870 in Daveport and passed away on 24 May 1929 in Rockton, IL. at the age of 59 years.

Raymond Wesley VINKE was born on 8 Sept 1893 in Clinton, IA and passed away on 12 July 1974 in Rockford, IL. He married Lulu Lucile Whittle AMERINE on 23 Nov 1921 (born 29 Sept 1893 in Goshen, Elkhart, Ind and passed away on 12 Sept 1942 in Rockton, IL). (See information below on Lulu's family history)

Betty Marlene VINKE married Theodore Frederick STEELE
- Marlene Pearl STEELE ABBOTT
- Theodore F. STEELE, Jr
- Anita Nadine STEELE LIVESAY
  - Heather Joy LIVESAY LUTZEN
    - Tyler James LUTZEN
    - Ryan Andrew LUTZEN
Thelma Jean VINKE born 7 Apr 1927 in Beloit, Wis. and married Frank SCHUBERT born 7 Feb 1926 and died on 16 July 2003 in Vacaville, CA.
- Shari SCHUBERT born 6 Aug 1950
- Rick SCHUBERT born 16 Dec 1952
- Valeri SCHUBERT born 10 Feb 1955

Harold Julius VINKE was born on 13 Oct 1894 in Davenport, IA and passed away on 16 July 1962 in Beloit, WI and is was buried on 18 July 1962 in the Rockton Cemetery. He married in Beloit, WI 15 May 1913 to Ruth Ethel ALLEN, born to Robert and Lucy A (HARRISON) ALLEN on 7 Oct 1896 in Roscoe, IL and she passed away 26 Jan 1983 in Beloit. Their children were:
- Dorothy VINKE 19 June 1919 - 24 June 2004 and she married in Dubuque, IA on 17 Nov 1940 Travis BERNSTEIN 1919-1986.
  - Karen BERNSTEIN married Royden NELSON and he died in 1942
    - Kathryn NELSON; married 1stly to Brad LAWVER and 2ndly to Otis TINDER
      - Stephanie LAWVER
      - Courtney LAWVER
      - Alexandria LAWVER
    - Todd NELSON; married Sara _______
    - Kimberly NELSON; married 1stly to Robert NORMAN and married 2ndly to David GARCIA
      - Brody NORMAN
      - Logan NORMAN
      - Hudsyn GARCIA
    - Tippy NELSON; married Dusty ANDERSON
  - Lynn L. BERNSTEIN, born Beloit 12 July 1946 died 18 Oct 1996; married there 26 Oct 1968 to Raymond C. DARNELL, born 1942.
- Beverly VINKE and she married Bernard FERGE
Alta VINKE was born 30 Jan 1897 in Davenport, IA and passed away 17 Mar 1976 in Beloit, WI and was buried 19 Mar 1976 in Beloit by her husband Alva SNYDER which she married 27 Aug 1927. (First wife was Lucille MATHISON)
Leslie George VINKE was born 2 Dec 1898 in Clinton, IA and passed away 5 Mar 1974 and was buried in the Rockton Cemetery 8 Mar 1974. He married in Rockford, IL. 14 Sept 1929 to Mildred Lake GLEASMAN, daughter to Charles Hiram GLEASMAN and Katherine LYFORD, born 26 June 1903 in Owen Township and passed away 24 Sept 2001. Services were on Wed., 26 Sept 2001 at the Rockton United Methodist Church and she is also buried at the Rockton Cemetery.
- Charles Leslie VINKE born 11 Jan 1936 married Cheryl Ann HESSLER, born 7 Aug 1937 (they divorced 16 June 1975) and their children were:
  - Belinda VINKE born 1960
  - Pamela VINKE born 1961
  - John VINKE born 1963
Norma VINKE was born 22 Dec 1900 in Miles, IA and passed away 23 Dec 1975 in Beloit and was buried 27 Dec 1975 at the Rockton Cemetery. Norma never married.

2. Gustave VINKE was born in 1874 in Manning Iowa and passed away 1932 in Manning, Iowa. He married Mary KARSTEN born 23 Dec 1873 in Holstein Paris and passed away 3 Feb 1953. In the 1910 US Census it shows they resided in Warren, Carroll, Iowa and he was 36 years old and on the 1939 US Census they resided in Pocohontas, Iowa. Their children were:

Lena VINKE was born 10 Jan 1898 in Manning, IA and passed away Dec 23, 1984.
Henry VINKE was born 31 Oct 1900 and married Malinda E born abt 1905 and in the 1930 US Census shows to have resided in Carroll, Iowa
Julius VINKE was born 18 Mar 1902 in Manning and passed away 28 Nov 1976 in Mannng.
Emilie VINKE was born 22 Mar 1904 in Manning and passed away 3 June 1977 in Manning.
LaRoy VINKE was born 25 Nov 1908 in Manning and passed away 19 May 1988 in Manning. 1930 US Census shows residing in Crawford, Iowa.

3. Rose VINKE was born in 1875 and passed away in 1953. She married Fred HANSSEN born 1872 and died in 1953 and both are buried at the Ingwersen Center Grove Cemetery.

4. Delia VINKE

5. Bertha Alvina VINKE born on May 6, 1880 in Bryant, Iowa and passed away on Oct 25, 1906 in Bryant, Iowa.

6. Amelia VINKE was born in June 1882 in Iowa and she married Paul PAASCH born 14 May 1882 in Clinton, Iowa and died 21 Feb 1930. In Jan 1925 they resided in Clinton, IA. In the 1925 US Census it shows Peter as being 88 years old and living with his daughter.

Alta and Alva The VINKE Clan, Harold, Raymond, Alta and Norma in Rockton, IL.

Betty grew up as a child in Rockton, IL and worked as a waitress at the Wagon Wheel to put herself through nursing school in Rockford, IL at St. Anthony's Hospital. It was in Rockford, IL that she met my father, Theodore Steele, at a corner drugstore, and fell in love. He was in the stationed in the army at Camp Grant in Rockford. They were married in 1946 in Chicago, IL. and lived briefly there before moving to Waukegan, IL. My parents had three children: Marlene Pearl Steele Abbott, Theodore F. Steele, Jr., and me, Anita Nadine Steele Livesay. Below are pictures of: Betty and her sister Thelma (Schubert) in the early 1930's, her graduation picture from Rockton High School in 1942 and her nursing picture.

Betty Marlene VINKE gradutating from St. Anthony's School of Nursing in Rockford, Illinois is 1946. Anita and Betty STEELE in front of Thelma Schubert's house in Vacaville CA in 1974. Her high school diploma and nursing diploma

This is Betty at age 2 mos. with Lulu Rebecca Defreese Rebecca, Wallace & Lulu

Rebecca DeFREESE parents were John DeFREESE born 1837 in Netherlands and Mary A McNAUGHTON March 1851-1909 born in Indiana.

In the 1880 US Census Rebeca DeFREESE was a residence of Wayne, Kosciusko, Indiana and being 4 years old.

The 1900 US Census shows the family living with Mary in Elkhart City, Elkhart, Indiana and that she was widowed and 49 years old and that Wallace (Walace) AMERING (AMERINE) was residing with them and that Rebecca was married to him. It also states that Mary's parents birthplace was Pennsylvania. Also residing with them were Claud Ulrich, Cerry D. Bryant and John Dennis. John and Mary's children were:

Charles DeFREESE 1867 in Missouri

George DeFREESE 1870 in Indiana and married Ellen DILLMAN

Lucy C E DeFREESE (Lucyle E DeFREESE) Apr 1874 in Indiana

Rebecca "Belle" DeFREESE born 27 Aug 1875 in Benton, MI married John WHITTLE and Wallace AMERINE

Lulu Lucille WHITTLE AMERINE married Gustave SCHOEPSKI and Raymond VINKE. Born 29 Sept 1893 in Gosher, Elkhart, Ind and passed away 12 Sept 1942 in Rockton, IL.
Eleanor E. AMERINE April 22, 1916-1916

John DeFREESE 1879

Rebecca married John WHITTLE, but divorced him in 1896 and married Wallace AMERINE. Lulu was just a small child at the time and either they changed her name to AMERINE from WHITTLE or WALLACE adopted her. I have not been able to obtain any adoption papers from the state of Indiana on this process. Lulu Lucille's biological father was John WHITTLE from Elkhart, Ind.

Wallace AMERINE'S family history: Wallace AMERINE was born on 12 Aug 1874 in Piqua, OH and passed away 29 Mar 1938 in Elizabeth, NJ. Rebecca was born on 27 Aug 1875 in Benton, Mich and passed away on 13 March 1949 in Rockton, IL

Henry AMERINE, Sr. - 1789-1864 and married Mary Latham Powers 1785-1851

Jeremiah AMERINE 1801-1883 and married Susan Mahaffey born 1822. Children were:

Isaiah AMERINE born 28 Aug 1844 in Piqua, Ohio and died 1 Jan 1901 in Piqua and married Matilda Ryan Ragan born 1844 and died 28 Sept 1885 in Piqua. Their children were
Amy AMERINE born 1847
Mary Bell AMERINE born 1849
John AMERINE born 1850
George AMERINE born 1853
Charles C. AMERINE born 1856

Lulu was married previously before marrying Raymond VINKE, but her first husband, Gustave SCHOEPSKI 1890-1917, died of tuberculosis. Gustave also had a sister, Martha SCHOEPSKI, born 1894 and died 1914 and a brother William SCHOEPSKIborn 1897 and died 1973.

John Whittle and his mother. Ind

Raymond VINKE with his car back in the 1940's

THELMA VINKE SCHUBERT'S LIFE..Thelma married Frank SCHUBERT on Dec. 29, 1949. She had Shari, Rick, and Valerie. This is Frank Schubert and Rick and Shane

FOUR GENERATIONS....