Focke Goldenstein was born 12 January 1857 in Wrisse, Ostfriesland, Germany and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Adams County, Illinois, where he died. According to his granddaughter Dorothy (Habben) Ufkes (1924-2008), Focke immigrated as a young man and returned "a couple" times to visit relatives in Germany.
Years ago, I located him on this manifest from 1873. The age and name matched and he was travelling with a few other Ostfriesians. The name of Focke Goldenstein is not common so this seemed to be him and I still think it is.
Year: 1873; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237; Microfilm Roll: 384; Line: 33; digital image at Ancestry.com |
In working on my "immigrant challenge," I stumbled upon this entry for another Focke Goldenstein (indexed as Tocke Goldenstein).
Entry number 628 is a Focke Goldenstein, showing as a 21 year old United States Citizen on board the Oder which arrived in New York City on 18 October 1879.
Year: 1879; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237; Microfilm Roll: 420; digital image at Ancestry.com |
My Focke naturalized and upon checking the date, I determined that the 1879 immigrant could have been mine. Focke J. Goldenstein naturalized in Knox County, Illinois, on 31 March 1879.
"My" Focke made a return trip to Germany to visit in the early 1900s. I've written about that before, so I won't repeat that information here. Those manifests are more detailed and contain additional clues making it obvious it was the same guy (residential information combined with his travelling companions).
I just wish the earlier records had those details.
Note: Focke Goldenstein is my great-great-grandfather and his granddaughter, Dorothy (Habben) Ufkes, is my grandmother.