Anna Catharina Ilsabein is Peter Westerhaus older sister that immigrated with him in 1847. His oldest sister, Catharina Ilsabein, was listed on the departure record, but never found in America.
As a child, Anna moved with her family to the Westerhaus farm #14, located across from the Korfhage farm #18, in Lenzinghausen, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia during 1829. After Anna's family moved to the Westerhaus farm #14, the family gradually changed their last name from Korfhage to Westerhaus, in keeping with the name of the farm they had purchased. Anna's father, Johann Heinrich Korfhage, died 23 Sept 1835, on the Westerhaus farm #14, which he had purchased five years earlier when Anna was twelve years old.
Anna Catharina Ilsabein immigrated to America with her mother, Anna Maria Brandt Korfhage, two sisters Catharina Ilsabein and Anna Ilsabein Marie, brother Peter Heinrich during 1847. This was documented in the Herford District Departure Records. Both the names, Westerhaus and Korfhage, were referenced in these records.
They most likely traveled with a group of families from the Spenge area. They were part of a mass migration from Prussia to America, as noted in the Departure Records.
The family traveled over land, to Herford, 10 miles east of Lenzinghausen. In Herford, boarded a small barge, and traveled 15 miles up the Werre River to Bad Oeynhausen. In Bad Oeynhausen, they boarded a barge of the same size on the larger Weser River and traveled north for 155 miles, arriving in Bremerhaven. Along the way, they worked for a few days or weeks to help pay for the expense of the barge trip to Bremerhaven.
The family boarded a sail ship for America, following the path of the Johann Heinrich Uphaus family, very close friends from Lenzinghausen. No passenger list have been found, but it is assumed from Westerhouse family stories passed down from generation to generation, that they followed the Uphaus family. Documentation has been found indicating the Uphaus family arrived in New Orleans during December of 1847 after sailing for 6 weeks.
Once arrived in New Orleans, they stayed only a short time before boarding a Mississippi River barge and traveling north to St. Louis, Missouri. Boat records were not required at this time in America, and no records have been found.
Once in St. Louis, the family stayed through the winter before taking a Missouri River barge west to Lexington, Lafayette, Missouri. Brother, Peter, stayed in Lexington, while everyone else joined brother, Caspar Westerhaus, in Freedom, a German community 25 miles southeast of Lexington.
Peter Uphaus left with his family for America During 1847, following the same path Caspar took, arriving in port of New Orleans 11 Dec 1847. County Histories describe that the trip took two and one-half months, and the family endured many hardships along the way.
Soon after the Uphaus family was reunited with
the Westerhaus family in Freedom, two marriages occurred. Caspar Westerhaus
married Anna Uphaus and Peter Uphaus married Catherina Westerhaus. Catherina
and Peter married 22 Sep 1848, in Lexington, Lafayette, Missouri, according to
the marriage record found at the Lafayette County Courthouse.
Catherina and Peter Uphaus settled on a 120-acre farm in Freedom, Lafayette, Missouri, near Catherina's siblings, Henry Westerhaus and Mary Westerhaus Huscher. The farm was located at section 8, township 49, range 24. Catherina could not give birth to children, so they took in many children over the years. Most of the children were boys between the ages of ten and fifteen when they joined the family. According to the Federal Census from 1860 to 1880 the boys helped with the farming. It's not known if the children were part of the Orphan Train Children or where they had lived before. Peter retired from farming in 1881 and Catherina and Peter moved into the town (Concordia, Lafayette, Missouri).
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