While in the Philippines, he met a Spanish-Filipina woman. Though not married, he and this woman had 4 children together. His children were Carlos, Emilia, Anna, and Arturo. Johann took Carlos to Germany when he was 5 years old. Carlos was raised by a German couple. Johann returned home to Switzerland after leaving Carlos in Germany, and married a woman with the last name Raschli. They had 9 chldren.
Carlos became a sailor and by 1923 was living in Hamburg with his wife Mathilde and several children. We know from letters sent by Carlos to his sister Emilia that his son Henri went to New York and that Carlos' daughter Olga was living in Switzerland.
The descendants from the Philippines include people with the surnames Steffan, Rius, Pool, Llanos, Ferreira, Crame, Barrios, Arellano, Lararte, Rivero, Llora, Ruffner, Newstead, O'Leary, Burnham, Andia, Tortosa and many more.
Two sisters of Carlos went to Australia. They married British men. A couple of surnames there are Higgins and Young.
Arturo Steffan is the Philippine ancestor. He married Sylvia (or Sylvina) Bustillos. One descendant claims that Sylvia was the daughter of General Bustillos, a Spaniard living in the Philippines at that time. A plaza in Manila is named after General Bustillos. Sylvia had many children, and some of them died before they were five years old. Names of some of the children include Amparo, Augusta, Araceli, Aurelia, Antonio and Alberto. Two sisters - Amparo and Augusta are the known descendants who have children still living.
We would like to have relatives known and unknown to please leave posts with information. We are a big family and it would be fun to know each other.
Have found Henri Steffan, son of Carlos Steffan (Karl)in the National Archives in D.C. while doing some research.
ReplyDeleteHenri came to the U.S. on January 15, 1926 on board the ship "Deutschland" leaving from Hamburg. He was then 23 years old (single) and his occupation was a clerk. He read and spoke German and was a German national. His passage was paid by him and carried $25. He had never been to the U.S. before. He was joining an acquaintance by the name of F.W. Wehmeyer, at West New Brighton, NY 31 Bement Avenue. He did intend on becoming a US national. He was 5'7" with black hair and brown eyes. He was born in Hamburg, Germany. Immigration Visa NO. was 33794, Issued at Hamburg November 3 1925.
I am the great granddaughter of Nicanor Arturo Gregorio Steffan, son of Johan Jakob Steffan and Petronila Alonso, with whom he had four children, Carlos, Emilia, Arturo and Ana. Arturo Steffan married Silvia Bustillos. They had 7 children...Augusta (my grandmother, born April 1897), Amparo, Antonio, Alfredo, Aurelia, Araseli and Alberto. Augusta (my grandmother) married Eduardo Barrios, son of Antonio Barrios of Cadiz, Spain.
ReplyDeleteCarlos Steffan, had 10 children, 6 sons and 4 daughters. The oldest of them Carlos went to live in Argentina, Henri immigrated to the US and Alfonso and Alfredo the younger of the boys of 10 also ended up moving to Patagonia, Argentina. His daughters, Stephanie, Anita and Edith stayed in Germany and the youngest Olga may have moved to Switzerland.
ReplyDeleteActually Carlos was taken by his father to Kiel in Germany and left with a couple who were friends. He grew up in Kiel and later lived in Hamburg. his daughter Olga later went to visit the Swiss relatives and we don't know if she then stayed to live with them.
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