Ludwig Stolp (1824-1894)

Ludwig Stolp was born on 13 Mar 1824 in Rehe, Nassau, Germany, as the seventh child of Johann Christianus Stalp and Sophie Margarethe Goebel. He had eight siblings, namely: Henrich Wilhelm, Johanette Catharina, Phillipp, Henriette, Helene, Stalp, Susanne, and August. Ludwig was christened on 26 Mar 1824. Sadly, Ludwig’s father passed away before he was four-years old.¹

When he was 23, he married Catherine Elisabeth Orth, daughter of Jost Henrich Ort and Elisabeth Margarethe Ross, on 28 Nov 1847 in Nassau, Prussia.

Ludwig Stolp and Catherine Elisabeth Orth were said to have had fourteen children. Only nine survived to adulthood. One died at age six and four in infancy. The following children have been identified:

1. William Stolp was born on 08 Jan 1849 in Germany. He died on 21 Sep 1871 in a threshing accident at Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois.
2. Adolph Edward Stolp was born on 28 Nov 1850 in Germany. He died on 28 Sep 1903 in Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois. He married Nettie May Clark on 16 Feb 1875 in De Kalb, Illinois.
3. Amelia Stolp was born on 01 Aug 1855 in Germany. She died on 23 Mar 1915 in Boulder, Boulder, Colorado. She married William M Cluphf on 04 Jul 1875 in Kendall, Illinois.
4. Louis L Stolp was born on 17 Mar 1858 in Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois. He died on 13 Apr 1909 in Orange, California (Age: 51). He married Louise A Hubbell on 29 Sep 1896 in Illinois.
5. Theodore Stolp was born on 26 Nov 1860 in Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois. He died on 24 Oct 1927 in Big Rock, Kane, Illinois (Age: 66). He married Hattie E Diamond on 10 Oct 1881 in De Kalb, Illinois.
6. Louise Stalp was born on 16 Sep 1862 in Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois. She died on 08 Aug 1919 in Little Rock Township near Plano, Kendall, Illinois, USA (Age: 57). She married Herman Herold on 21 Apr 1881 in De Kalb, Illinois.
7. Caroline Stolp was born on 06 Oct 1863 in Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois. She died on 15 Mar 1908 in Hinckley, De Kalb, Illinois, USA. She married John F. Nehring on 02 Sep 1882 in De Kalb, Illinois, USA.
8. Julia Stolp was born on 03 Mar 1865 in Little Rock, Kendall, Illinois. She died on 01 Apr 1933 in Naperville, DuPage, Illinois (Age: 68). She married Christian Hable on 31 Mar 1886 in De Kalb, Illinois.
9. John S Stolp was born on 13 Oct 1867 in Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois. He died on 24 Apr 1902 in Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois. He married Lida Rafferty on 02 Oct 1891.
10. Henry Stolp was born in Oct 1869 in Somonauk, De Kalb, Illinois. He died about 1870 in Somonauk, De Kalb, Illinois.
11. Mary Stolp was born on 06 Apr 1871 in Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois. She died on 15 May 1915 in Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois. She married Frank Palmer Miller on 29 Dec 1897 in Somonauk, De Kalb, Illinois.

Ludwig and Catherine started their married life in Germany. He worked as a smith. A few years into their marriage, they and their children William, Adolph and Amelia (sometimes spelled Emilie) immigrated to America aboard the Isverland. As we’ve seen with other ancestors, their voyage was not very comfortable since they sailed as steerage or “between deck” passengers. They arrived in New York on 5 Aug 1856. From there, they made their way to Illinois.

In the United States, the name was sometimes spelled Stalp and sometimes spelled Stolp. Some descendants adopted the Stalp spelling and others the Stolp spelling.

Ludwig and Catherine were residents of Somonauk, De Kalb, Illinois, for one year after their arrival in America. They then lived in Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois for eleven years.

Ludwig Stolp filed for naturalization in Illinois in 1864, becoming a US citizen.

The family finally settled on a farm north of Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois. There are many land transactions found in the records for the Stolps. In the following 1866 warranty deed, Ludwig paid $5,600 for about 118-acres of land along the Galena Road. Some of this land is still owned by his descendants.

The Stolp farm was active and productive. In the Agricultural Schedule of the 1870 Federal Census, it was reported that Ludwig had 160-acres of improved land worth about $6,000. He also had $1,000 worth of farm implements and machinery. He owned seven horses, eight milch cows, eleven swine, and five other cattle. During a year ending 1 Jun 1870 he produced 20 bushels of spring wheat, 12 bushels of rye, 400 bushels of Indian corn, 250 bushels of oats and 40 bushels of Irish potatoes. He also produced 200 pounds of butter, 20 tons of hay, and 12 bushels of grass.

Ludwig Stolp died on 20 Oct 1894 in Plano, Kendall, Illinois, at 70-years old. He was buried on 23 Oct 1894 in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Sandwich, De Kalb, Illinois.

It took a couple years to settle his estate. At the time of his death, he owned quite a bit of real estate.

He also had a bit of personal property and some debts.

When all was said and done, one-third of the state was distributed to the widow, Catherine Elisabeth Orth Stolp. The remainder was divided evenly among the nine surviving children.

Where is he in the tree?

Selected Notes and Sources:

¹ Information about Ludwig’s parents and siblings comes largely from another family researcher, Cathy Mellor. The source records were available, in the past, on microfilm at LDS Family History Libraries.

Ancestry.com, New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006), www.ancestry.com, Year: 1856. Record for Ludwig Stalp.

Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009), ancestry.com, Year: 1860; Census Place: Fox, Kendall, Illinois; Roll: M653_194; Page: 202; Image: 223; Family History Library Film: 803194.

Ancestry.com, Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), www.ancestry.com, Census Year: 1870; Census Place: Somonauk, DeKalb, Illinois.

Ancestry.com, Illinois, Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Ancestry.com, Illinois, Dekalb County, Probate Records; Author: Illinois. Circuit Court (Dekalb County); Probate Place: DeKalb, Illinois. Record for Ludwig Stalp.

Ludwig Stalp, “Illinois, DeKalb County Land Records, 1838-1927,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8937-S8BL?cc=2043772&wc=QDK8-B2V%3A349546701%2C349561901 : 20 May 2014), Land and property records > Deed record vol 38 1866 > image 521 of 644; County Clerk and Recorder, Sycamore., Family Search – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, discussion list (familysearch.org).