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Continued: The most recent research indicates that "our" Steinhoff Y-DNA (inherited by men from their father's father's father, etc.) primarily matches men named Ribble -- all apparently descendants of Johann Georg Ribble (c.1708-1763) of colonial northwestern New Jersey. Autosomal DNA matches also strongly suggest that we descend from Johan Georg Ribble and his wife Anna Eve Sebron, through their son Anthony Ribble (1739-1827) who married Maria Seborn, then William Ribble (c.1759-1862?) who married Elizabeth Ann Wickheiser, and then Anthony H. Ribble (1785-1879) and his wife Nancy Ann Teeple. Betty Jane (Steinhoff) Sheedy's Autosomal DNA matches numerous descendants of this family line as well as descendants of the Seborn, Wickheiser and Teeple families, all of whom lived in and around Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties in New Jersey. This is also where the Loyalist John Steinhoff lived before removing to Ontario, Canada, in 1783. Both the Steinhoff family and members of the Ribble family moved to Ontario in the late 1700s and continued to live in the same vicinity.
The current analysis of available Y-DNA and Autosomal DNA matches suggest that either William Charles Steinhoff (1852-1933) or his father, William J. Steinhoff, was fathered by a Ribble. Given the ages of the persons involved, the most likely current hypothesis is that one of the sons of Anthony H. Ribble (1785-1879) and Nancy Ann Peeple was William Charles Steinhoff's biological father (in which case the elusive William J. Steinhoff was not). This issue has yet to be settled.
The subject is some places "Charles William" and he was commonly called "Charles," but it seems that his name was actually William Charles Steinhoff, as reported by his wife.
It seems that nearly every record we have for Charles Steinhoff conflicts in some way--even the birth date and age noted on his death certificate don't line up! His birth date was clearly noted as 29 December 1851, but (according to the same document) he was aged 81 years, 10 months and 14 days at his death, 31 November 1931, which would have make his birth date 17 January 1851. More likely, his birth date was remembered, and since the death date was know, the age was just miscalculated.
We also have conflicting information concerning where he was born:
He has not been located on the 1860 U.S. Census, nor the 1861 Canadian Census -- the family may have moved to Illinois about this time -- possibly missing both censuses.
The 1870 census indicates that he, his sister and mother were born all in New York.
The 1880 census states he was born in Canada. The 1900 census claims he was born in Canada, his father in Germany and his mother in Canada and that they came to the United States in 1878.
The 1900 census record for his sons claims Charles was born in Illinois.
The 1920 Census claims he was born in Canada, his father in Pennsylvania and his mother in Canada.
The Steinhoff family was not located on the 1930 Census (nor some of their Cuddy relatives or other neighbors in the same area, suggesting that enumerators skipped their neighborhood).
His 1931 death certificate states he and his father were born in Illinois.
The 1933 death certificate for his sister indicates that she and their parents were born in Canada (and since she was younger, it would infer that he was too) and that they didn't come to the United States until 1860 or 1861.
In all likelihood, Charles was born in Ontario, Canada. Charles lived in Henry Co., Illinois, with his mother and sister in 1870. Shortly after that, he accompanied his mother, step-father and sister to Alameda Co., California where Charles married Alice Ellen Proctor (dau. of John Proctor and Nancy Blacow) about 1875. They lived in Washington Twp., Alameda Co. and had three children: Nancy Charlotte Steinhoff, James William Steinhoff, and John Proctor Steinhoff.
Charles and Alice divorced sometime in the early 1880s. He then spent some time near Colfax, California and also in the San Joaquin Valley. He may have worked in the oil fields and also did some gold mining. He worked as a professional hunter at times and used to kill wagon-loads of ducks and haul them to Bakersfield to sell to the Chinese who were working on the railroad there.
Charles befriended John Cuddy, of Cuddy Valley (now Frazier Park, California) and married his youngest daughter, Julia Gale Cuddy, who was at least twenty years Charles junior and one-quarter Nez Perce Indian. Julia's maternal grandfather, Joseph Gale, was an early fur trader and Oregon Pioneer. He was among the men who formed to provincial government of Oregon in 1843 at Champoeg, and was one of the three men elected as the first co-executives (Governors) of Oregon. Julia's maternal grandmother, Eliza ("Bear Claws"), was the daughter of Old Joseph (Tu-eka-kas), Chief of the Nez Perce, and the half-sister of Young Chief Joseph, leader of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce Tribe.
William Charles Syteinhoff and Julia Gale Cuddy were married in the late 1890s and raised a family of seven children in Cuddy Valley, west of Lebec, near present-day Frazier Park, Kern Co., California where they owned a ranch and raised cattle, had milk cows, mules, horse, pigs and goats.
Charles had little or no contact with the children of his first marriage until about 1920 when John Proctor "Proc" Steinhoff located his father, visiting the ranch several times. Some of the children by the second marriage also visited Proc Steinhoff and family on "the ranch" at Mowry's Landing near Newark.
The 1929 newspaper article describing the untimely death of his youngest child, Julia, age 12, who was killed in an automobile accident, describes W. C. Steinhoff as the "pioneer cattle baron of Cuddy Valley" and goes on to say, "The Steinhoffs are prominently known throughout the mountain country to the south of here [Bakersfield], where they have resided for many years. ..." (The Bakersfield Californian, Fri 12 Apr 1929, Page 1)
William Charles Steinhoff died in Wittier, Los Angeles Co., CA in 1933. A funeral was held in Bakersfield, and he was buried there in Union Cemetery.
***
1880 Census, Washington Twp, Alameda Co., California
(Federal mf Roll: T9_62; Family History Film: 1254062; Page: 532C; Enumeration District: 25; Image: 0633)
Stinehoff, Charles, w, m, age 24, farmer, born in Canada, (blank for parents);
Alice, w, f, age 24, wife, keeps house, born in California, parents born in England;
Nancy, w, f, age 4, daughter;
James, w, m, age 2, son;
Arthur Stych, help, m, w, age 24, farm laborer.
In 1900, he was living with his wife Julia in the household of her father, John Cuddy:
1900 Census, Piru Township, Ventura County, California
(Roll: T623 116; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 165. Family 35, lines 34-41)
Cuddy, John F., head, born Jun 1825, age 74, widowed, born Ireland, parents Ireland, to USA 1845, here 55 years, farmer;
Don, son, w, m, born Sep 1873, age 26, single, born California, father Ireland, mother Oregon, government ranger;
Margaret J., daughter, w, f, born Aug 1864, age 35, single, born CA, father Ireland, mother Oregon;
Mark F., son, w, m, born Apr 1882, age 18, single, born CA, father Ireland, mother Oregon, farm laborer;
Charles W. Steinhoff, son-in-law, w, m, born Dec 1859, age 40, married, born Canada, father Germany, mother Canada, to USA 1878, here 22 years, Na;
Julia F., daughter, w, f, born Dec 1876, age 23, married, born CA, father Ireland, mother Oregon;
James V. O'Reilly, nephew, w, m, born Jul 1883, age 16, born CA, parents Ireland;
James L Myers, hired man, w, m, born Mar 1861, age 39, single, born Missouri.
In 1920, the family was living in Cuddy Valley, Twp. 12, T 9 N, R 20 W):
1920 Census, Cuddy Valley, Kern Co., California
(enumeration date 19 Jan. 1920; dwelling no. 74, family no. 74) Steinhoff, Charles W.; head; owns home free; age 64; b. Canada "U.S. Citizen"; father b. Pennsylvania; mother b. Canada; occupation: "farmer general"
Julia G.; wife; age 43; b. Calif.; father b. Calif. [sic]; mother born Ireland [sic]
Paul; son; age 19; b. Calif. Charles W.; son; age 17; b. Calif. Hazel A.; dau.; age 13; b. Calif. Edward D.; son; age 8; b. Calif. George W.; son; age 5 3/12; b. Calif. Julia G.; dau.; 1 10/12; b. Calif. Living next door, in 1920 (dwelling and family no. 72):
Cuddy, Robert; head; owns home, mortgaged; age 50; b. in Calif.; father b. in Calif.; mother b. in Calif.; farmer
Julia M.; dau.; age 16; b. Calif. Robert C.; son; age 14; b. Calif Garnet C.; dau.; age 12; b. Calif. Audrey E.; dau. age 7; b. Calif. ****
OBITUARY (from a Newark, California, newspaper -- original in the possession of the compiler, Nick Sheedy):
"FORMER NEWARK MAN BURIED IN BAKERSFIELD
"Word has been received in Newark of the death of Charles W. Steinhoff, Sr., in Los Angeles. Mr. Steinhoff will be remembered by earlier residents of Washington Twp, where he resided as a young man.
"For the past fifty years he has been living in Kern County, where he was engaged in the cattle business. He was in his seventy-eighth year and had been in excellent health until a few months ago, his death being expected by his family this last week.
"Mr. Steinhoff is the father of Mrs. Nancy Jones, James Steinhoff and the late Proctor Steinhoff, and leaves a widow and six children to mourn his passing, all living in and around Bakersfield.
"The funeral was held in Bakersfield, November 15." ****
Information extracted from the death certificate of William Charles Steinhoff:
State of California #33-060800, Local Registered No. 144
Informant was his wife, Julia Steinhoff
born 19 Dec. 1851
birthplace: Illinois
no name for the father, but states he was born in Illinois
no record for the mother
years he spent in California: 64 [hence arrived in Calif. abt. 1867--this is not correct as he was still in Illinois in 1870]
He was a resident of Lebec, Calif.
occupation: rancher
place of work: cattle ranch
years spent in this occupation: 20
date the deceased last worked: 9/1931
place of death: Dist. No. 1976; Rural Dist. Wittier, Los Angeles Co., Calif. (lived there 1 1/2 mo. at death)
died 13 Nov. 1931
Aged 81 yrs., 10 mo., 14 days
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