Family Records

 

CHRISTIAN WOLLENBERG, formerly a well known and respected citizen of Greenwood, but now passed away, was born in Brandenburg, Germany, March 17, 1843, son of Christian and Mary (Hass) Wollenberg.  Christian Sr., who was a laborer, brought his family to the United States in 1844, landing in this country after a terribly tedious voyage of four months in a very slow sailing vessel.  They then had two children, Christian, Jr., and William, who accompanied them to Buffalo, N.Y., where the family stayed two years.  They then moved to Berkholtz (Bergholtz), four miles from Niagara Falls, and made their residence there until about 1853, after which they moved to a farm about twenty miles from the Falls, in Niagara County.  This farm Mr. Wollenberg purchased and resided on it for the rest of his life, which closed at the age of 71 years.  His wife died at the age of 73.  In addition to the children already mentioned they had three others: John, born in Buffalo; Mary in Burkholtz (Bergholtz), and August in Wolcottsville, N.Y.  All are now deceased.  Christian Wollenberg Jr., was educated in the parochial school of a Lutheran Church, and was reared on his parent’s farm, where he learned agriculture, which he followed for some time in Niagara County.  He then bought forty acres of improved land in Orleans County, N.Y., on which he farmed for three years, when he sold it and went to Rochester, N. Y.  There he learned the butcher’s trade, which he followed for four years.  From Rochester he went to Wolcottsville, N.Y., remaining there two years.  In 1879 Mr. Wollenberg came west to Minnesota, locating at Velley Creek, sixteen miles from St. Paul, where he resided three years, being engaged in buying cattle, which he sold at St. Paul.  The next three years were spent at Knapp, Wis., in conducting a meat market.  In 1884, he came to Greenwood and opened a meat market here, though the Village was then quite small.  In 1899 he built a brick building which is now the Central Hotel.  In the following year Mr. Wollenberg went to Spencer, Wis., and was engaged in the meat market business there for three years, at the end of which time he returned to Greenwood and resumed the meat business here, continuing in it until his retirement in 1909.  His death, which took place Sept. 27, 1916, was an event deeply regretted in the community.  Mr. Wollenberg was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Greenwood, and also of the G.A.R. Post, having enlisted in 1862, at Lockport, N.Y., in Company A, 129^th New York Infantry.  He was sent south to Baltimore and there enlisted in Battery L, serving until Aug. 22, 1865.  During his military service he was in eighteen engagements, including the battle of Winchester, where he was taken prisoner, but afterwards paroled, and the battle of Ceder Creek, where Sheridan recovered the victory, after a partial defeat, by his famous ride, and he took part altogether in four engagements at Winchester, also in the actions at Fisher’s Hill, Mt. Jackson, Port Republic and others.  Mr. Wollenberg married Albertine Wendt, who came from the same part of Germany as himself, and was born in the same year – June 4, 1843.  Her father, Martin Wendt, came to the United States in 1862 and settled in New York State, where he engaged in farming.  In 1867 he came west to Minnesota, locating in Woodbury, where he died.  His wife died in 1903.  Mr. & Mrs. Wollenberg had six children: Charles, now a resident of the state of Washington; Edward F., who is cashier of the Greenwood State Bank of Greenwood; Henry, who lives in Chicago; Emma, who is the wife of John Syth, and lives two miles south of Greenwood; Ferdinand, who resides in the State of Washington; and Ella, who is the wife of Dr. Karl Baker of Greenwood.

 

 

Biographical Clips

 

In 1884 Chris Wollenberg conducted a meat market in the building first used by Huntzicker & Pfeiffer. In 1899 he built an up-to-date brick building with a meat market in front and living quarters in the rear. This is now the Central Hotel. (Greenwood History – “The Hub of Clark County 1853 – 1934” chapter six)

 

Mr. Ferdinand F. Wollenberg Miss Elsie Ott Married Wednesday, February fourteenth Nineteen hundred and six Ritzville, Washington   

Greenwood Gleaner (22 Feb 1906)

 

Census Records