family-history

Brinkman Family Summary

Jeff Damron

First Generation

Brinkman Family, ca. 1880. Seated – Lewis Edward Brinkman, Catherine (Myers) Brinkman, Frederick “Fred” Brinkman, and George F. Brinkman. Standing – believe Emily in center, with brothers Henry J. and John W. Brinkman on either side.

Here’s a writing that only a family historian could love; dense with facts and very short on narrative. It is a genealogical summary of the first generation of my wife’s Brinkman ancestors in America, using the NGSQ (National Genealogical Society) system. It’s a work in progress as I intend to give similar service to later generations and then, hopefully, one day write a more engaging narrative about the family.

  1. Frederick1 “Fred” Brinkman, was born about 1818 in Hanover,1 then the “Kingdom of Hanover;” later, the Province of Hanover of the Kingdom of Prussia (1868–1918).2 He died in 1905 and was buried in Gibson Cemetery in Dearborn County, Indiana.3 He married in Dearborn County on 2 November 1839, Catherine Myers,4 who was born about 1819 in Ohio.5 Catherine died in 1899 and was buried in Gibson Cemetery in Bright, the same cemetery as her husband, Fred.6

Soon after Fred and Catherine married, they had their first child, a son, William.7 Although appearing in the 1840 and 1860 U.S. Censuses as a resident of Jackson Township, Dearborn County, Indiana, Fred does not appear in the 1850 Census for that county, nor has he and his family yet been discovered anywhere else in 1850.8 A possible explanation for that he perhaps returned to Germany for a time, taking his family with him. Although the 1860 U.S. census reveals that he and Catherine had children born in Indiana about 1840, 1841, 1844, 1847, 1854, and 1857, Fred apparently advised the census-taker that he immigrated to America in 1850 and had been here for 50 years. If he did return to Germany, he apparently took his family with him as no family matching the names and ages of their children and headed by a Catherine Myers Brinkman has been found either in searching the 1850 U.S. census.

Fred and his family do appear in the 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 U.S. censuses.9 He is consistently identified as a “farmer” with real estate valued at $700 in 1860 and $2000 in 1870, plus personal property of $300 in 1860 and $565 in 1870.10

Children of Frederick1 “Fred” Brinkman and Catherine (Myers) Brinkman11:

2      i. William2 F. Brinkman, b. 1840 in Indiana; d. 29 Aug 1863, bur. Gibson Cemetery in Bright, Dearborn County, Indiana12; m. Dearborn County, Indiana 9 Dec. 1860 Nancy E. Morgan.13

+  3      ii. George F. Brinkman, b. 6 Dec. 1841 in Indiana;14 d. West Harrison, Dearborn County, Indiana 11 Mar. 190215 and bur. Gibson Cemetery, Bright, Dearborn, Indiana;16 m. Buskum, Dearborn, Indiana on 21 Jul 1867 Jennie. M. Henderson.17

4.     iii. Lana Emily “Emma” Brinkman,18 b. 19 Apr. 184419 in Indiana;20 d. Stearns County, Ill. 23 June 1921;21 m. Dearborn County, Ind. 14 Aug. 1873 Elias D. Moss.22

5      iv. Lewis Edward Brinkman, b. abt. 1847 in Indiana;23 d. 4 Apr 1919 in Harrison, Hamilton County, Ohio;24 m. Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, Ind. 8 Nov. 1874 Matilda A. Lawrence.25

6.     v. Henry J. Brinkman, b. 23 Nov 1855 in Indiana;26 d. 22 Sep 1891 in Chisago, Minnesota;27 m. bef. 1880 Jennie _____.28

7      vi. John W. Brinkman, b. 17 Jan 1858 in Indiana;29 d. 6 Feb 1927 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota;30 m. Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota 4 Feb 1884 Della Watrouse.31

Endnotes

  1. 1860 U.S. census, Dearborn County, Indiana, population schedule, Jackson Township, page 10 (penned), dwelling 79, family 79, Fred Brinkman, age 40; imaged, “1860 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667/: accessed 29 May 2025); and 1870 U.S. Census, Dearborn County, Indiana, population schedule, Harrison Township, Kelso Post Office, page 21 (penned), 448 (stamped), dwelling 150, family 148, Frederick Brinkman, age 52; imaged, “1870 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667/: accessed 29 May 2025). ↩︎
  2. Wikipedia (29 May 2025), “Hanover.” ↩︎
  3. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43938107/frederick-brinkman: accessed May 29, 2025), memorial page for Frederick Brinkman (1818–1905), Find a Grave Memorial ID 43938107, citing Gibson Cemetery, Bright, Dearborn County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by Dan Stropes (contributor 46931424). ↩︎
  4.  Indiana State Library, “Indiana Marriages Through 1850,” online database and index, Indiana State Library (https://digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy/ : accessed 30 August 2024) ↩︎
  5. Her birth place is listed as Ohio in three censuses: (1)1860 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Jackson, p. 10 (penned), dwell. 79, fam. 79, Fred Brinkman household, entry for Catherine, age 39, born in Ohio; (2) 1870 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Harrison, p. 21 (penned) 448 (stamped), dwell. 150, fam. 148, Frederick Brinkman household, entry for Catherine, age 57, born in Ohio; and (3) 1880 U.S. census, Dearborn County, Indiana, population schedule, Harrison Township, enumeration district (ED) 43, page 19 (penned), 97C (stamped), dwelling 178, family 180, Fred Brinkman household, entry for Catherine, age 60, born in Ohio, both parents from Pennsylvania; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/) : accessed 22 August 2024). However, the death certificate of her son, George F. Brinkman, lists her birthplace as Pennsylvania. (See Ancestry.com, Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017 (Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, United State; Death Certificates; Year: 1902; Roll: 03, Record No. 22.) The informant on that death certificate was George F. Brinkman’s son, Ray Brinkman, so it seems likely that he assumed his grandmother was born in Pennsylvania where her parents were born, rather in Ohio. ↩︎
  6. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43938010/catharine-brinkman: accessed May 29, 2025), memorial page for Catharine Myers Brinkman 1819–1899), Find a Grave Memorial ID 43938010, citing Gibson Cemetery, Bright, Dearborn County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by Dan Stropes (contributor 46931424). ↩︎
  7. 1840 U.S. census, Dearborn County, Indiana, population schedule, Jackson Township, page 239 (penned), Frederic Brinkman household with one male under age 5; imaged, “United States Federal Census, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8057/ : accessed 17 September 2024). ↩︎
  8. Finding nothing on Ancestry, a negative search was also performed on FamilySearch on 30 May 2025, including a line-by-line review of the 1850 U.S. census for Jackson, Dearborn, Indiana at  “United States, Census, 1850,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYMQ-L4T?cc=1401638&wc=95R3-J4S%3A1031336301%2C1033419101%2C1031413701), Indiana > Dearborn > Jackson. ↩︎
  9. The 1890 U.S. census was largely lost in a fire and no extant copies are known. ↩︎
  10. 1860 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Jackson, p. 10 (penned), dwell. 79, fam. 79, Fred Brinkman; 1870 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Harrison, p. 21 (penned) 448 (stamped), dwell. 150, fam. 148, Frederick Brinkman; 1880 U.S. census, Dearborn County, Indiana, population schedule, Harrison Township, enumeration district (ED) 43, p. 19 (penned), 97C (stamped), dwelling 178, family 180, Fred Brinkman; imaged, “United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/): accessed 22 August 2024); 1900 U.S. census, Jackson County, Indiana, population schedule, Redding Township, enumeration district (ED) 76, p. 205A (stamped), sheet 7 (penned), dwelling 136, family 136, Frederick Brinkman; imaged, “United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/13505553:7602?tid=&pid=&queryid=db898223-ae98-467b-8042-089964174bbe&_phsrc=BAI1132&_phstart=successSource : accessed 25 August 2024). ↩︎
  11. 1860 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Jackson, p. 10 (penned), dwell. 79, fam. 79, Fred Brinkman household, consisting of: Fred, age 40; Catherine, age 39; William, age 20; George, age 18; Emily, age 16; Edward, age 14; Henry, age 6; and John, age 3. See also, 1870 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Harrison, p. 21 (penned) 448 (stamped), dwell. 150, fam. 148, Frederick Brinkman household, listing: Frederick, age 52; Catharine, age 51; Amelia, age 26; Lewis E., age 23; Henry J., age 15, and John W., age 12. ↩︎
  12. The last U.S. census evidencing William Brinkman, born about 1840 in Indiana, was in 1860. He married Nancy Morgan that year. No official record regarding his death has been found, but a picture of a grave stone with the name William F. Brinkman was found on Ancestry, reporting that the grave was in the plot where Morgans are buried. That is also the cemetery in which many Brinkmans are interred. Although the date on the stone is no longer legible, the poster of the photo of the stone indicated “Cemetery transcribtions (sic) tell us that the stone originally read died 29 Aug 1863 age 23 years 9 mos 20 days.” (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/369908/person/-1652911446/media/6ea3c879-7921-4fa6-be66-9642c18bc69f?queryId=a60520ad-6ecc-4ab3-ac44-04b80afd74d4&searchContextTreeId=&searchContextPersonId=&_phsrc=GMe57&_phstart=successSource). A William F. Brinkman, age 23, a married laborer born in Indiana and residing at 70 Martin Street appears on the consolidated list of all Class I persons subject to military duty in the Eastern Part of Hamilton County, Ohio (which is adjacent to Dearborn County, Indiana) enumerated in June 1863. See Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General’s Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 18634-1865); image 45 of 347, Wm. F. Brinkman; imaged, “Civil War Draft Registration Records, 1863-1865, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1666/; accessed 2 June 2025). As the name, age, birth year, birth location, vicinity of the locations, and married status all match, it is believed that this is the same individual. ↩︎
  13. Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana State Board of Health Marriage Certificates, 1816-1956; database online, “Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012,”  Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61009/). ↩︎
  14. “U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61861/) : accessed 10 June 2025), Brinkman, George F., born 6 Dec 1841); citing “United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940, Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch 2019”; and “Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60716/ : accessed 10 June 2025, George F. Brinkman, born 6 Dec 1841; citing “Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, Indiana Death Certificates; Year: 1902; Roll: 03, Record No. 22.” ↩︎
  15. “Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017,” Death Certificates; Year: 1902; Roll: 03, Record No. 22. ↩︎
  16. “U.S., Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1861-1904< Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60716/ : accessed 10 June 2025), Death Certificate of George F. Brinkman; citing The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group Number: 92; Series Number: M1845. ↩︎
  17. Dearborn County, Indiana, “Marriage Records, volume 11, page 200, George F. Brinkman-Jennie Henderson, 21 July 1867; imaged, “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-FY9?view=explore : accessed 11 June 2025) > Dearborn > 1865-1869 > image 134 of 230, citing Dearborn County Indiana Clerk of Circuit Court. ↩︎
  18. She appears by various names in various records. She is enumerated as “Emily,” the 16 year old daughter of Fred and Catherine in the 1860 U.S. Census, Dearborn Co., pop. sch., Jackson, p. 10 (penned), dwell. 79, fam. 79; and as Amelia, the couple’s 26 year old daughter in the 1870 U.S. Census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Harrison, p. 21 (penned) 448 (stamped), dwell. 150, fam. 148. In an affidavit in support of her marriage, signed by her brother, Lewis E. Brinkman in August, 1873, she is identified as “Lany E.” After marriage, she and Elias Moss moved to Minnesota and her name is listed as “Lana E.” in that state’s 1875 census, as “Lena E.” in the 1880 U.S. Census and 1885 Minnesota census. See, respectively, 1875 Minnesota State census, Stearns County, population schedule, Main Prairie, p. 727 (frame 261 of 288), 115, Lana E. Moss; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1058/ : accessed 4 June 2025); 1880 U.S. Census, Stearns County, Minnesota, population schedule, Township of Maine Prairie, enumeration district (ED) 102, p. 13 (penned), 346A (stamped), dwelling 126, family 126, imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/images/4241839-00296?pId=24363736 : accessed 27 September 2024); and 1885 Minnesota State Census, Stearns County, Minnesota, population schedule, Maine Prairie, page 24, E.D. Moss, Lena E. Moss; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1058/ : accessed 4 June 2025). Thereafter, she is consistently identified as “Emma Moss” in state and federal censuses. See 1895 Minnesota Census, Stearns County, Minnesota, population schedule, Maine Prairie, p. 30 (image 494 of 1054), family 173; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1058/ : accessed 5 June 2025); 1900 U.S. census, Stearns County, Minnesota, population schedule, Maine Prairie Township, enumeration district (ED) 153, page 169B (stamped), dwelling 106, family 106; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/ : accessed 2 June 2025); 1905 Minnesota Census, Stearns County, population schedule, Kimball, enumeration district (ED) 32, image 888 of 1000, Spruce Avenue, imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1058/ : accessed 3 June 2025); 1910 U.S census, Stearns County, Minnesota, population schedule, Maine Prairie Township, Kimball, enumeration district (ED) 146, page 217 (stamped), sheet 2B, dwelling 43, family 43, Emma Moss; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/ : accessed 4 June 2025); and 1910 U.S census, Stearns County, Minnesota, population schedule, Maine Prairie Township, Kimball, enumeration district (ED) 146, page 217 (stamped), sheet 2B, dwelling 43, family 43, Emma Moss; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/ : accessed 4 June 2025). She is listed in the Minnesota Death Index as “Mrs. Emma Moss,” and signed her will as Emma Moss. See “Minnesota, Minnesota Death Index 1908-2002,” 23 June 1921; Index only, Ancestry (http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 27 September 2024); and Stearns County, Minnesota, Probate Records, Probated Will of Emma Brinkman Moss; “Wills, vol. [G] (p. 354-640), 1917-1923,” imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/: accessed 2 June 2025); Will of “Emma Moss, of Kimball, in the County of Stearns and State of Minnesota.” ↩︎
  19. Various creators, “Find a Grave Memorial,” Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134423927/emma-moss: accessed June 5, 2025), memorial page for Emma Moss (19 Apr 1844 – 23 June 1921), Find a Grave Memorial ID 134423927, citing Kimball Cemetery, Kimball, Stearns County, Minnesota. ↩︎
  20. See all sources cited in footnote 18. ↩︎
  21. “Minnesota, Minnesota Death Index 1908-2002,” Ancestry (http://www.Ancestry.com); and Find a Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134423927/emma-moss). ↩︎
  22. “Dearborn, Indiana, Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org. ↩︎
  23.   1860 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Jackson, p. 10 (penned), dwell. 79, fam. 79, Fred Brinkman household, entry for Edward, age 14, born in Indiana; and 1870 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Harrison, p. 21 (penned) 448 (stamped), dwell. 150, fam. 148, Frederick Brinkman household, entry for Lewis E.,age 23, born in Indiana. ↩︎
  24. See “Locals,” The Lawrenceburg Register, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, 17 April 1919, page 4, Lewis Edward Brinkman, born at Weisburg Oct 29, 1847, died at Harrison, Ohio April 4th.; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 16 June 2025; and “Death Notices,” The Cincinnati Post,  Cincinnati, Ohio, 5 April 1919, page 9,  Lewis Edward Brinkman died at Harrison, Ohio, April 4, aged 73 years, 5 months and 5 days.; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 16 June 2025). ↩︎
  25. Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993,”database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60281/records/1534579?tid=194870347&pid=372549835505&queryId=d40f5bc9-989c-455f-8bf7-237b8c2f9f2e&_phsrc=GMe615&_phstart=successSource; accessed 16 June 2025), Lewis E. Brinkman – Matilda A. Lawrence, 8 November 1874; citing FHL Film Number 209860, reference IC pg.634; and “Dearborn, Indiana, Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019,”  Marriage Affidavits 27 July 1872 – 31 July 1876, image 171 of 265, Lewis E. Brinkman – Matilda Lawrence, 7 November 1874, imaged, FamilySearch  (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 16 June 2025); citing Dearborn County, Indiana Marriage Affidavits. ↩︎
  26. 1860 U.S. census, Dearborn Co., Ind., pop. sch., Jackson, p. 10 (penned), dwell. 79, fam. 79, Fred Brinkman household, entry for Henry, age 6, born in Indiana; and Indiana United Methodist Church (Batesville, Indiana), Book Number 199, image 12 of 303, Heinrich Joseph Brinkmann; database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60715/ : accessed 23 June 2025). ↩︎
  27. Various creators, Find a Grave Memorial (online database and images: Find a Grave, various), https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60617872/henry-j-brinkman. ↩︎
  28. 1880 U.S. Census, Anoka County, population schedule, City of Anoka, enumeration district (ED) 41, page 32 (penned), dwelling 269, family 289, Henry J. Brinkman household identifying  wife as “Jennie”; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6742/records/47953711 : accessed 23 June 2025). ↩︎
  29. Ancestry, “Indiana, U.S., Select Births and Christenings, 1773-1933,” online database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60280/ : accessed 24 June 2025), Johann Wesley Brinkmann; FamilySearch “Indiana, Births and Christenings, 1773-1933”. ↩︎
  30. Various creators, Find a Grave Memorial (online database and images: Find a Grave, various), died on 6 Feb 1927. ↩︎
  31. “Minnesota, U.S., Marriages Index, 1849-1950,” , Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2561/records/126478 : accessed 24 June 2025), online database, “citing Minnesota Marriages, 1849-1950,” FHL Film Number 1380424; FamilySearch. ↩︎
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Published by Jeff Damron

Genealogist, husband, father, grandfather, hillbilly, retired attorney, photographer, writer, reader, Monday crossword puzzle solver, gamer, omnivore, and spiritual seeker. Not a fan of labels. But I do love irony.

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