General Notes

This is taken from the transcribed longhand written notes of Harry Albe
rt Balke Sr. (1903-1980) dated March 22, 1965 and transcribed by his son H
arry A. Balke Jr. on August 12, 1999 and sent to Grandma Rompf. 
Came to US via New Orleans about 1855 - 60 from Wolfenbuttel, Germany in N
orth Central Germany about 110 years ago. I would judge he was born abo
ut 1820 making him 87, when he died in 1907. He was therefore about 30 wh
en he left Germany. Because he was the youngest son and would receive no i
nheritance under the prima-genture law which gave everything to the elde
st son.
Took a boat from New Orleans up the river to St. Louis, Missouri. Whi
le on the ship he met a widow, a Mrs. Christiana (Bockstein) Delling who h
ad 2 children. They married and came to Louisville, KY. She was born in 18
33 and died in 1899. Buried in Cave Hill.
Became tenant farmers.
Rest of note paper in file to be copied for my own notes and as ref.
* "youngest of her children Sophia Balke married her first cousin Henry Sc
hmidt. Henry Schmidts' mother was a sister of my grandmother. " (note to s
elf to check out where this connection is...)*