The Christian Bornholdt family – Back row: Clara, Charlotte, Claus Henry, Minnie, Magdalena (Lena); Front row: Agnes, Christian Ludwig, Fredericka Schlimme. Our Bornholdt family line has been traced back as far as 1785. They came from Bogvenow, Schleswig-Holstein, in Denmark (now a part of Germany). The Bornholdts were farmers. The first to arrive in the US was Christian August Ludwig (Florence’s grandfather) in 1873. He was described in his obituary (below) in 1915 as "upright, conscientious, one who would go out of his way to assist those who were in trouble".
His son Claus Henry (Florence’s father) hated the name Claus and preferred his nickname “Hank”. Henry (Hank) Bornholdt started as a farmer, drove a gravel truck, a taxi, owned several service stations (including ones in Lester, Iowa, and one in Rapid City South Dakota) and loved to travel! He often joked about having gypsy blood! He married Amanda Paulsen in 1915. Florence was born in 1916, Melva in 1917, Vivian in 1920 and the twins, Donald and Derald, in 1924. Claus Henry Bornholdt died in August 1961 when he had a heart attack while driving his gas truck.
The "Bornholdt Family Farm" photos were taken around 1910. The farm belonged to my great grand parents: Christian August Ludwig Bornholdt and his wife Fredericka Christina Schlimme. (Click on photo to see larger version.)
Closeup of farm houseCHRISTIAN AUGUST LUDWIG4 BORNHOLDT (CLAUS HENRY (HINRICH)3, HANS2, HANS1) was born March 01, 1853 in Bovenau
Magdalena C. Roschman Schlimme
(Bogvenow),Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark Germany, and died October 22, 1915 in Alvord, Lyon County, Iowa. He married FREDERICKA CHRISTINA SCHLIMME December 07, 1877 in Davenport, Scott County,
The application for a Union Army Widow’s Pension benefit for Magdalena Christina Roschman Schlimme, dated 1890.
Iowa, daughter of WILHELM SCHLIMME and MAGDALENA ROSCHMAN. They are buried in the Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery, Alvord, Iowa. I'm not certain exactly what section the farm was in. They also lived in Scott and Ida Counties. The farm was about 7 miles from Alvord.
Chris Bornholdt came to Lyon county ... and lived on a farm three miles east of Alvord He was united in marriage to Fredricka Schlimme on December 7, 1877. Six children were born to this union: Agnes, born Dec. 1, 1880; Charlotte, born September 7, 1882; Magdalene, born July 6, 1885; Minnie, born June 15 1890; Henry, born August 14, 1892; and Clara, born June 11, 1894.
Fredericka Christina Schlimme Bornholdt
Florence’s great-grandfather, Wilhelm H. Schlimme married Magdalena C. Roschman in 1852. They arrived in Iowa from Denmark in 1853. He served as a Private in the 14th Iowa during the Civil War. He was a farmer. Their children were: Christian, born 1856, Fredericka Christina 1858, Dora 1860, Charlie (and his twin brother who died unnamed) 1863, and John born in 1865. Fredericka Christina married their neighbor Christian Bornholdt in 1877. Wilhelm committed suicide on October 3rd 1881. Magdalena lived until 1919.
Submitted To IaGenWeb by:
Kathryn Holt Springston
Arlington, Virginia
sdakss@aol.com
1-703-528-1548NOTE: Kathyrn Holt Springston is the daughter of Florence Kathryn Fredericka Bornholdt Holt.
