Del Recalls Special Moments
Christian
J. Waltke history as told by his grandson Delmar Leroy Carstens in 2003.
ChristianJhistorytold.htm
Christian WALTKE; b. 1864
Christian
Janssen Waltke arrived in Baltimore on March 24 1889 on the ship Weser.
Wilhelm Waltke arrived in Baltimore on May 23, 1890 on the ship Munchen.
(No information on Fred's immigration. He most likely stowed away.) At 21
years old all German boys were drafted for at least three years. I think
Chris served his three years since he emigrated at age 24. I think he
stowed Fred with him since there is no record of his immigration. Fred
would've been 18 then which would've made it illegal for him to emigrate without
having served. signed John Williams
Chris and Anna Franzen married and had 5 children.
Descendants:
They
had 6 children Elizabeth, Gertrude, Meinert, Atja(Ella) my mother, John and Anna.
They raised another girl. Unknown origin.
Mabel came to live with them and nobody knew where she came from.
It is thought it may have been from Anna Franzen's first husband who threw
her off a bridge and left her for dead. She survived after reaching a barn with
a haystack.
Mother tells how one day someone came to their house and dropped off this little
girl named Mabel. She was a redhead and mother never liked her. She was never
picked up again by anyone. Mother and her sisters didn't know anything about her
past, but were very much aware that thier mother took good care of her and
treated her special. This made the other girls jealous. Mabel married a
farmer and moved to McCook, Nebraska and had 11 or 12 children as the story
goes.
1. Anna married Henry Eggert. No children She died very young (in her 30's) and the family never seemed to recover from her loss. They spoke of her as being almost perfect. She treated everyone so well.
2.
Elizabeth
married Fred
Eggert
They had 4 children
1.
Donald. Married Carole Mae Rasmussen (Fred) 3
children
Caroline
married Hans and lived in Germany for many years and had 2 children, Divorced
Gary Eggert
Married Karen and had 4 boys
Diane Falshaw Married Bill from Tucson and had 3 children 2 girls and 1 boy.
2.
Delores
Kuntz (Del) Lived in California
Adopted 2 children Boy and girl
Boy Kuntz no children
Kim 2 children Jason and ...
3.
Freida
Heshmeier
(no children)
Husband was a trucker.
4.Anita
who
married a farmer lived near Beatrice and had no children.....
3.
Gertrude
Married Dick Deike Williams and they had Grace who married Bill Kelley and
had one son Lauren, Lauren lost one daughter who committed suicide.
Lois wife (daughter committed suicide) and Lauren died at 52.
Edna married John Kelley, brother to Bill, and a son Chrissy who was never married. He always lived with Gertrude and Dick on their little farm.
4. Meinert Waltke married Marie and had one son Laverne never married and died of alcohol abuse.
5. And then there was Mabel Chris..- Sounds to us like she was raised as one of the Family but never spoken of as such.
6. John Waltke Stayed with his parents and tended the farm. He died in 1948 (car accident) caused by his drinking. Grandmother Waltke stayed with her daughters on a rotating basis as she was unable to be alone again. At the time of his accident she was very ill and hospitalized. Pictures were taken of John in his casket so she would believe he was gone.
7.My Mother Altje, or Ella Married John Carstens
March 4, 1931, I was born Delmar Leroy Carstens
The story goes that it was a very big blizzard that night when I arrived and a very cold winter followed. I slept in my parents bedroom in the top drawer of a dresser. Mother fixed a soft bed there for her new baby.
I met Judy Haag when I came home on leave from service in Korea. She became Mrs. Del Carstens on August 26, 1956 when I took her as my bride.We were married at St. Luke's Lutheran in Sioux City, Iowa. I completed college and seminary in Fremont, Nebraska with Judy by my side.
In 1957 Wendy Jo Carstens was born to our union. Wendy had a son Joseph Daniel DeWees and Matthew Aaron Carstens. She married Ted DeWees the boys father February 14, 2004. They divorced in 2007. Matthew died after playing and hanging himself from his bunk bed at 4 years of age. Joey as he was referred to for years grew up to be a fine young man. He graduated from high school and joined the Army the same year.
1962 brought another Carstens into our family, named Cindy Leigh. Cindy married Phil Kolo in 1985. Paul James Kolo joined them July 1, 1986. Cindy and Phil Divorced in 1992. Cindy was married for 5 years to Nick Castro from Oregon. That marriage ended in 2005. Paul graduated from air-conditioning training in 2007 and soon purchased his first home.
Jon Philip Carstens was born in Omaha, Nebraska August 17, 1965 and moved into our home on August 26, of the same year. It was our 9th wedding anniversary and we lived in Cozad, Ne where father served as Pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church. Jon moved to Phoenix in 2007 from Tucson, AZ.
Minh Nguyen came to live with us at 17 years of age from Viet Nam after the take over caused him to flea his country. The next year his friend Minh Hai moved in from Viet Nam also, but having first locating in Michigan. Both of the boys completed their education in Iowa and moved to California where they live today with their families.
Minh Nguyen married Christine (Chi) Duong in December 1985. They have 3 children. Julie 1986, Jackie 1987, and Ryan 1992 .Julie graduated from the University in 2009. They live in Yorba Linda, California.
Minh Hai married Rosa from El Salvador and they have two children. Stephani 1990 and Bryan 1996. Stephani is studying for medical degree since 2007. They live in Anaheim, California.
1934 when I was 3˝, almost 4 we had a surprise at our house when Mother came in with a new baby. That was my special brother Ken.
Birth of Brother Ken on December 9, 1934 in Beatrice
Nebraska Deceased April 21,
2008 51st Wedding Anniversary!
2.Kenneth Wayne Carstens
was his name.. At first I
remember mother and daddy always called him
Kenneth. Later I remember...
April 21, 1957 was a special day when brother Ken married Sandra
Beth Adams. -DOB- May 15, 1938.
Ken met Sandy while working at the Sioux City Airport in Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa
He served in the Army and was stationed in North Carolina and Junction
City, Kansas It was there that their first daughter was born.
Sheryl Beth Carstens Zellmer - DOB - March 30, 1958
Married to David Zellmer of
Lawton, Iowa
Children from this marriage are
Beth Ann Zellmer
Sandy Ruth Zellmer
John Zellmer
Julene Faye Carstens was born in May of 1959.
Rebecca, Adam, Kevin are her children
Kenneth Hunter Carstens -DOB-11/11/1962
married Robin from Lemars, Iowa.
Had two girls
Drove his own rig while trucking all over the US.
2007 married Dedra from
Washington state.
Ken had many interests and abilities in his life. He worked in Air Rink as a flight controller Air Port in Sioux City and Denver. He did a small bit of farming and raised some beautiful horses for pets and sport. Ken was Keyboard Manager for Lowery Music (Piano organ) Store in Sioux City where he was able use his talent playing for public as well as Sales. Ken loved nature and did his share of target practice with his guns, loved to feel the breezes blow through his hair as he rode across the lakes in his boat and riding his motorcycle in later years. He enjoyed trucking and took it up again after retirement when he purchased his own truck and drove all over the Midwestern and Eastern states.
1936 A year and 1/2 Later, in the middle of the hot month of August of that year, I was 5 years old, another baby brother was born. The date was August 15.
Ronald as mother called him was a sick baby, and when he came home from the hospital he slept with mother. I think she was nursing him but we were not allowed to see that.
3. Ronald Gene Carstens DOB August 15, 1936 Deceased April 24, 1986
Married March 26, 1961 while serving in the Navy
to Annie Merle Howard from Bessemer, Alabama -
DOB- December 10, 1941
Merle (as we knew her) lived in Sioux City with our parents John &
Ella Carstens until Ron completed his tour of duty.
Children: 1. Vicky Lynn Carstens -DOB- March 26, 1963 unmarried
2. Cathy Anne Carstens Jeffries -DOB- July 23,
1965
Married October 26, 1989 - William Robert Jeffries, Jr.
- DOB September 26, 1960 Served in the Navy
Children: Jonathan Colby Jeffries - DOB April 7, 1995
Michael Robert Jeffries -DOB-February 19, 1996
3. Ronald John Carstens -DOB- January 10,
1967 Where did Forest come from? I thought it was Ronald Forest
Carstens...
Married (12/5/87) to Jennifer Leigh Deaton - DOB-
8/21/1966
Children: Kimberly Ann Carstens -DOB- 10/1/1996
Sarah Elizabeth Carstens -DOB- 2/19/1998
4. Kerry Jean Carstens Hafley
- DOB-
8/11/1968
Married September 10, 1992 to Aaron Eugene Hafley - DOB-
10/16/1970 Divorced June 10, 1995
Children: Amanda Jo Hafley DOB 2/7/94
Kerry Married John Raymond Holt 1/30/1999
Children: Destiny Marie Holt DOB-1/15/2000
Jonathon Zachary Holt -DOB- 12/18/2001
Judy Haag Carstens Family History
Del
and Judy Carstens Family Beginnings
Recently updated
September 2009