Person:Paul Steger (1)

         From This is the Family Tree of the Steger Family:  Mr. and Mrs. (Paul) Steger, (Sr.) took up farming near Centralia, (Center Township) Iowa.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It is believed that Catherine, Paul's first wife died in 1859 as her son Matthew was born in 1859 and Paul is listed as a widower in the census of August 1860. No records appear to exist listing a date of death, date of funeral or place of burial. Third Street Cemetery, which was located on Kelly's Bluff behind St. Raphael's Cathedral was the only Catholic cemetery in the area at the time and one would believe that she would have been buried there. This cemetery later was closed and the remains were transferred to Mt. Olivet cemetery in Key West. However, an index of the graves in the Mt. Olivet cemetery does not list a Catherine Steger. If there was only a wooden grave marker, it may have deteriorated and therefore the actual location of the grave site may have been impossible to determine.

         In the meantime their father Paul married Margaret Nachtmann who came to Dyersville with her parents in 1855 and they along with Paul's two sons farmed near Centralia, Dubuque, Iowa until 1864, at which time they moved to a farm near the Petersburg Spur, Petersburg, Delaware, Iowa.  Paul and Margaret were the parents of ten children.
         In Dyersville, Its History and Its People, page 470, the author states:  Paul Steger, (Sr.) brother of Michael and George Steger who were also pioneers of Dyersville, was born in Bavaria, 8 Aug 1825.  He came to America in 1837 and appeared at Dyersville around 1847, though his brother Michael settled first at Holy Cross and came to this territory some years later.  Margaret Nachtmann became the second wife of Paul Steger.  She was born of John and Teresa (Tauer) Nachtmann in Austrian Bavaria, 9 Nov 1840 and came to Dyersville with her parents in 1855.
         After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Paul Steger and his two sons lived on a farm near Dubuque until 1864. Around that time they settled on the Paul Steger homestead near the Petersburg Spur, today the Richard Steger farm.
         Their children were: Andrew, John, Joseph, Teresa (Mrs. Anton Scheyer), Veronica (Mrs. Henry Hense), Paul, Herman, Elizabeth, Frank J. and Margaret (Mrs. Frank Trumm).
         Mr. and Mrs. Paul Steger, (Sr.) died at their farm home on 12 Mar 1901 and 21 Feb 1905 respectively.
         In Book 1 of Naturalization Declarations, 1832-1856 on file at the Dubuque County Historical Society there appears an entry for Paul, with his last name spelled Steiger, listing Bavaria as the place he renounced and from where he arrived in America on 25 Dec 1848 (1846), with a signing date of 16 Dec 1854. (Source:  Dubuque County Historical Society, Book 1 of Naturalization Declarations, 1832-1856, page: 1230.)
         In the state of Iowa 1856 census, with the last name spelled Stiger, Paul, his wife and one son, Michael, were living in Center Township of Dubuque County.   Paul had been a resident of Iowa for nine years and his wife for four.  They had four acres of  spring wheat with 40 bushels harvested; six acres of winter wheat, 40 bushels harvested; two acres of oats, 75 bushels harvested; four acres of corn and 160 bushels harvested; one-half acre of potatoes with a 30-bushel harvest;  two hogs with a value of $18.00 were sold and they manufactured 20 pounds of butter.  (Source: Ancestry.com:  Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925; Family Number: 107; Line: 22; Roll: IA_54.)
         In the 1860 US census with his last name spelled Stager, Paul, now a widower, and his two sons lived in Center Township, Dubuque County, Iowa with a post office address of Peosta, Iowa and owned real estate valued at $450.00 with a personal estate of $400.00.  (Source:  Ancestry.com: Census Year: 1860; Census Place: Center, Dubuque, Iowa; Roll: M653_320; Page: 37; Image: 340.)

In the US census of 15 Jul 1870 Paul and his second wife, Margaret and seven children were living on a farm in Bremen Township, Delaware County with a post office address of Earlville, Iowa and had real estate holdings valued at $3,200.00 with a personal estate of $100.00. (Source: Ancestry.com: Census Year: 1870; Census Place: Bremen, Delaware, Iowa; Roll: M593_387; Page: 14; Image: 29.)

         Paul, Sr., his wife, and ten children were still farming in Bremen Township in 1880.  (Source:  Ancestry.com: Census Year: 1880; Census Place: Bremen, Delaware, Iowa; Roll: T9_336; Family History Film: 1254336; Page: 365.2000; Enumeration District: 150; Image: 0513.)
         In the 1885 census of the state of Iowa Paul, his second wife, Margaret and the ten children she bore were living in Bremen Township, Delaware county on land legally described as: NW¼ of NW¼ Township 89 Range 3 Section 21.  Paul was listed as being entitled to vote, Andrew both eligible for military duty and able to vote and John and Joseph, now 20 and 18 respectively were only eligible for military duty.  (Source: Ancestry.com:  Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925; Family Number: 69; Line: 18; Roll: IA1885_175.)
         Paul's obituary which was published in the Dyersville Iowa Commercial, a weekly newspaper stated:  Mr. Paul Steger, (son of the late Georg, and Catherine Dirmayr Steger) died at the family home on the farm in Bremen township on Tuesday morning, 12 Mar 1901, of old age.  Mr. Steger was born at Kleinschwand, Bavaria, Germany, 8 Aug 1825, and was therefore a little over seventy-five years old.  He came with his parents to America in 1846 and after living in St. Louis a year, the family moved to  an area near Centralia, this county, where they settled on a farm.  He was married in 1853 at Centralia, to Miss Kate (Caroline) Schuster who died in 1860 and soon after was married to Miss Maggie (Margaret) Nachtmann.  In 1866 they moved onto their farm in Bremen Township where they since resided.
         He is survived by his wife and twelve children.  His sons Michael of Worthington and Matthias of Newall, Buena Vista, Iowa of his first wife and Andrew, John, Joseph, Paul, Herman and Frank and daughters Theresia (Mrs. J. A. Scheyer), Veronica (Mrs. Henry Hense) and Lizzie and Maggie at home.
         The deceased was one of the pioneers of this vicinity, was a thorough Christian and a devoted husband and father and as a citizen he was highly esteemed for his manly character, honesty and integrity.  The bereaved family has the sympathy of a wide circle of friends.
         The funeral took place Thursday morning and after requiem services at St. Francis Church, burial took place in the Catholic cemetery west of the city.  The funeral was very largely attended by friends and relatives of the deceased from far and near.
         May he rest in peace.

1.   GEDCOM file submitted by norbert steger, dianor@mybluelight.com. Created on 28 JUL 2006. Imported on 1 Aug 2006..