The Willius Ancestry
Overview
The Willius Ancestry can be traced back to Conrad Willius and Anna Martha Pfeiffer, who lived in the 1700s in Cassel, Germany. The Willius family story is a tragic one. Conrad and Anna's son, Friedrich Willius, married and had two boys and two girls. Friedrich's wife died when the children were very young. Friedrich died six years later, leaving the children orphaned and in the care of various family members. Later that same year, both the daughters died as well. The two sons -- Ferdinand and Gustav -- grew up parentless and sisterless, left with only each other to carry on the Willius family lineage.
Family Chart: The First Willius's
The First Willius's family chart below shows the siblings of Friedrich Willius, Gustav and Ferdinand's father. The Willius's lived in Cassel, whereas the children's mother's relatives, the Niemanns, lived in Minden. When Ferdinand and his siblings were orphaned at an early age, the Willius and Niemann aunts and uncles helped with the care of the children. Uncle Conrad Willius II and an "Uncle Niemann", probably a brother of Ferdinand's mother, supported the children financially, and a Mr. V. Knippenberg and a Mr. Wilkins were appointed guardians.
The chart also shows Conrad Willius and Anna Martha Pfeiffer, the grandparents of Gustav and Ferdinand and the earliest traced ancestors of the Willius family.
The chart also shows Conrad Willius and Anna Martha Pfeiffer, the grandparents of Gustav and Ferdinand and the earliest traced ancestors of the Willius family.
Ancestral Photographs
Conrad Willius
1745-1825
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Anna Martha Pfeiffer
1755-1806
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Conrad Willius and Anna Martha Pfeiffer were married in Cassel, Germany in 1775. They are the grandparents of Ferdinand and Gustav Willius.
Willius Ancestry from Frieda's Scrapbook:
The Silhouette below depicts the children of Conrad and Anna. They are the aunts and uncles of Ferdinand and Gustav. You can find them on the ancestor chart.
To find out more about these aunts and uncles and to see more photographs, go to Ferdinand's Siblings & Their Descendants.
Description of Ferdinand Willius Papers at Minnesota Historical Society
Among the Ferdinand Willius Papers in the archives of the Minnesota Historical Society are many family letters that were collected by Ferdinand's daughters, Martha Claussen and Etta Willius. The letters date from 1814, before Ferdinand was born, to 1873, after his emigration to St. Paul, Minnesota.
The letters in the Ferdinand Willius collection include correspondence between Willius and Niemann family members. They show the importance of the aunts and uncles in taking care of the children after their parents died.
The letters in the Ferdinand Willius collection include correspondence between Willius and Niemann family members. They show the importance of the aunts and uncles in taking care of the children after their parents died.
This is the website for the "Ferdinand Willius Papers" in the library of the Minnesota Historical Society. Below is a more inclusive description, but I'm not sure how up to date it is.
