The following information regarding the Taphorns contains many excerpts from Descendants of Wilke Tappehorn written by Velma Louise Schonder. These excerpts are indicated by braces{}.
{Wilke Tappehorn is the first Tappehorn listed on the genealogical papers sent to me by Werner Honkomp, Germany. His wife's name was not known. I received quite a few papers from Mr. Honkomp, some in German and some in English. The ones in German, I have had translated by Rosemarie Gede, Palm Harbor, Florida, Secretary of the German American Society, St. Petersburg, Florida. She also
explained some of the customs of the people – a man would take on his wife's last name if her family had a larger estate or farm or was more politically important than his family}. You will see this custom in the family tree where the name is passed on through a daughter.
Wilke’s son, Henrich, was born about 1550 in Dinklage, Germany. His wife was Hille Hoenhorst b. 1580. Henrich’s son was Wilke b. 1550 and his wife was Grete Arlinghaus b. 1630. Their daughter, Hille b.1631 married Gerd N. b. 1630. This was the first instance of the family name being passed on through the daughter due to their station. Their son, Gerd b. 1658 married Anna Margaret Ostendord b. 1668, Their daughter, Lucia b. 1707 married Wessel Westendorf, again the husband taking the name of the wife of higher station. In the family tree you will see his name as Wessel Westendorf gt. Taphorn. The “gt.” in German is short for “gannet” meaning “called“ (or aka). Thus Wessel Westendorf would be called Wessel Tappehorn.
Lucia and Wessel had a son, Tobias b. 1741 who married Anna Catharina Calvelage birth date unknown. Tobias’ son, Gerd Herman b. 1770 married Anna Dorthea Steffan birth date unknown. They had six children including Anna Maragret b. 1807 in Germany who married Johan Heinrich Holterman b. 1803. Again, Johann took the name Tappehorn on his marriage. Anna Margaret Tappehorn, daughter of Gerd and Anna Dorothea Tappehorn, inherited the family farm and sold it when Anna Maria and her husband Johann Heinrich Holtermann gt. Tappehorn came to USA in 1851 with their children. It has been reported they were a strong Roman Catholic family and was a strong family unit. It is reported that they left Germany because it had been published that any male child 5 years of age or older would be raised in a military school and then put into the army. It is reported that they first went to Sweden, then USA, then to Ohio and then to Kentucky. When the family came to America the last name was changed from Tappehorn to Taphorn. It is not known the reason for this or who changed it.} They had ten children all born in Germany except the last. A son, John Henry b. 1836 in Oldenburg, Germany, married Catherine Middenhorf b. 1838 in Germany. Both died in Kentucky in the early 20th century.
{John Henry was the second child born to Anna Margaret and John Henry Taphorn. John Henry Jr. was called Henry. He was born in Oldenburg, Germany and came to the USA with his parents, brothers and sisters in 1851, from Germany by way of Sweden to USA. He enlisted in Co. C. Kentucky Infantry and was made Sergant in time for the battle of Gettysburg. He received his Citizenship papers for this service. After the war he married Catherine Middendorf who was also born in Germany. They were devote Catholics. They had 6 children. He worked at the Covington Rolling Mill. He had entered the army on December 5, 1861 and was discharged December 17, 1864. He had suffered many injuries He did receive a pension from the Army. [He is] buried [in the] Mother of God Cemetery Covington, KY. Section 6, Lot 707}
The son of Anna Margaret and John Henry, Clement Herman Henry b. 1839 In Oldenburg, Germany, married Louise Bush b. 1843 in Nashville, TN. {Clement Henry Taphorn came to USA when he was approximately 12 years old. During the Civil War
he enrolled on August 22, 1862 at Emminer, Ky. in Company D of the 9th Regt. of Ky. and was discharged August 21, 1863. He was wounded in the thigh while on picket duty at Horse Shoe Bend, Ky. I have copies of his Civil War records. His wife's father was J. H. Bush and her mother's maiden name was Williams but we do not have a record of her first name but she was born in Tennessee. She had a sister by the name of Minnie White. After Clemen's wife died he moved to Belleville, Illinois to live with his grandson, Albert Lee Stovey. We all remember "grandpa" sitting in his rocker and getting birds to come and eat out of hand. He was loved by all. Information from newspaper 5-9-1927: Clements H. Taphorn, 93, died.}
Clement and Louise had a son,
Ernest Cleny (or Glen) b. 1880 in Nashville, TN.Ernest married Florence Lillian Haynes b, 1882 in Statesville, TN, just outside of Nashville. They had three children, including Clemons Henry b. 1903 in TN, probably Nashville. After Florence’s death he married Aline Parker. In the 1940 census, Aline was listed as widowed and living in Nashville. However, Earnest, who did not die until 1954, married Rachel Emma McCastlin around 1928!
Clemons married Edna Louis Curtis in Nashville in 1922. They had four children, Mary Elizabeth b. 1923 who died at age 5, Lillian Christine b. 1925 in Nasville, Evelyn Louise b. 1927 in Chicago, IL, and Clemons Henry Jr. b 1929 in Nashville. My mother, Evelyn Louise, was placed in an orphanage in Nashville at age 3 and, with her adoption at age 5 by Wiley Vawter and Goldie May nee Dedmon, her name was changed to Patricia Jane Vawter.
Here I must diverge from the Taphorns to explain how my parents met. Dad’s younger sister, Willie Mae, married Floyd Travis. Floyd’s parents were Walter Brown Travis and Belle Zora Dedmon the sister of Goldie May. So Aunt Mae, along with my father, and Floyd would visit his Aunt Goldie. With a 20 year difference in age, Dad would have been in his mid to late 20s when Mom was 5-10. In 1948 with Mom at age 20, she and Dad, then 40, were married in Jackson, TN. I wondered for many years why my Aunt Mae referred to my grandmother as Aunt Goldie.
{Wilke Tappehorn is the first Tappehorn listed on the genealogical papers sent to me by Werner Honkomp, Germany. His wife's name was not known. I received quite a few papers from Mr. Honkomp, some in German and some in English. The ones in German, I have had translated by Rosemarie Gede, Palm Harbor, Florida, Secretary of the German American Society, St. Petersburg, Florida. She also
explained some of the customs of the people – a man would take on his wife's last name if her family had a larger estate or farm or was more politically important than his family}. You will see this custom in the family tree where the name is passed on through a daughter.
Wilke’s son, Henrich, was born about 1550 in Dinklage, Germany. His wife was Hille Hoenhorst b. 1580. Henrich’s son was Wilke b. 1550 and his wife was Grete Arlinghaus b. 1630. Their daughter, Hille b.1631 married Gerd N. b. 1630. This was the first instance of the family name being passed on through the daughter due to their station. Their son, Gerd b. 1658 married Anna Margaret Ostendord b. 1668, Their daughter, Lucia b. 1707 married Wessel Westendorf, again the husband taking the name of the wife of higher station. In the family tree you will see his name as Wessel Westendorf gt. Taphorn. The “gt.” in German is short for “gannet” meaning “called“ (or aka). Thus Wessel Westendorf would be called Wessel Tappehorn.
Lucia and Wessel had a son, Tobias b. 1741 who married Anna Catharina Calvelage birth date unknown. Tobias’ son, Gerd Herman b. 1770 married Anna Dorthea Steffan birth date unknown. They had six children including Anna Maragret b. 1807 in Germany who married Johan Heinrich Holterman b. 1803. Again, Johann took the name Tappehorn on his marriage. Anna Margaret Tappehorn, daughter of Gerd and Anna Dorothea Tappehorn, inherited the family farm and sold it when Anna Maria and her husband Johann Heinrich Holtermann gt. Tappehorn came to USA in 1851 with their children. It has been reported they were a strong Roman Catholic family and was a strong family unit. It is reported that they left Germany because it had been published that any male child 5 years of age or older would be raised in a military school and then put into the army. It is reported that they first went to Sweden, then USA, then to Ohio and then to Kentucky. When the family came to America the last name was changed from Tappehorn to Taphorn. It is not known the reason for this or who changed it.} They had ten children all born in Germany except the last. A son, John Henry b. 1836 in Oldenburg, Germany, married Catherine Middenhorf b. 1838 in Germany. Both died in Kentucky in the early 20th century.
{John Henry was the second child born to Anna Margaret and John Henry Taphorn. John Henry Jr. was called Henry. He was born in Oldenburg, Germany and came to the USA with his parents, brothers and sisters in 1851, from Germany by way of Sweden to USA. He enlisted in Co. C. Kentucky Infantry and was made Sergant in time for the battle of Gettysburg. He received his Citizenship papers for this service. After the war he married Catherine Middendorf who was also born in Germany. They were devote Catholics. They had 6 children. He worked at the Covington Rolling Mill. He had entered the army on December 5, 1861 and was discharged December 17, 1864. He had suffered many injuries He did receive a pension from the Army. [He is] buried [in the] Mother of God Cemetery Covington, KY. Section 6, Lot 707}
The son of Anna Margaret and John Henry, Clement Herman Henry b. 1839 In Oldenburg, Germany, married Louise Bush b. 1843 in Nashville, TN. {Clement Henry Taphorn came to USA when he was approximately 12 years old. During the Civil War
he enrolled on August 22, 1862 at Emminer, Ky. in Company D of the 9th Regt. of Ky. and was discharged August 21, 1863. He was wounded in the thigh while on picket duty at Horse Shoe Bend, Ky. I have copies of his Civil War records. His wife's father was J. H. Bush and her mother's maiden name was Williams but we do not have a record of her first name but she was born in Tennessee. She had a sister by the name of Minnie White. After Clemen's wife died he moved to Belleville, Illinois to live with his grandson, Albert Lee Stovey. We all remember "grandpa" sitting in his rocker and getting birds to come and eat out of hand. He was loved by all. Information from newspaper 5-Clement and Louise had a son,
Ernest Cleny (or Glen) b. 1880 in Nashville, TN.Ernest married Florence Lillian Haynes b, 1882 in Statesville, TN, just outside of Nashville. They had three children, including Clemons Henry b. 1903 in TN, probably Nashville. After Florence’s death he married Aline Parker. In the 1940 census, Aline was listed as widowed and living in Nashville. However, Earnest, who did not die until 1954, married Rachel Emma McCastlin around 1928!
Clemons married Edna Louis Curtis in Nashville in 1922. They had four children, Mary Elizabeth b. 1923 who died at age 5, Lillian Christine b. 1925 in Nasville, Evelyn Louise b. 1927 in Chicago, IL, and Clemons Henry Jr. b 1929 in Nashville. My mother, Evelyn Louise, was placed in an orphanage in Nashville at age 3 and, with her adoption at age 5 by Wiley Vawter and Goldie May nee Dedmon, her name was changed to Patricia Jane Vawter.
Here I must diverge from the Taphorns to explain how my parents met. Dad’s younger sister, Willie Mae, married Floyd Travis. Floyd’s parents were Walter Brown Travis and Belle Zora Dedmon the sister of Goldie May. So Aunt Mae, along with my father, and Floyd would visit his Aunt Goldie. With a 20 year difference in age, Dad would have been in his mid to late 20s when Mom was 5-