Frederick "Fritz" Ostenberg - Short Biography

Frederick Ostenberg, German Immigrant

A number of my German immigrants came to southern Wisconsin around the middle of the 19th Century. One of the first to arrive was Frederick Ostenberg from Elberfeld, Kingdom of Prussia. Frederick was born in 1816 and was the son of Heinrich Dietrich Ostenberg (b.1785, d.1860?) and Elizabeth Strackbein (b.1790, d.?). The Strackbein family has been traced back another seven generations to Hen who died in 1475. Elberfeld is a village in eastern Germany in an area historically known as the Rhineland. By the time Frederick was born, the Rhineland was under the control of Prussia which, by then, had become the most powerful of the German Principalities. Heinrich and Elizabeth reportedly had six children of which two would come to America. To date, no other information about the life of the Ostenbergs in Elberfeld has been found and the family has not been traced past Heinrich.



Both the Frederick (section 9) and Charles (section 16 & 17) Ostenberg
farms can be seen in this partial 1873 map of the Town of Blue Mounds,
Wisconsin. Also, in the upper left corner is an advertisement for
"C. Ostenberg, Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries, etc."

Frederick and his father, Heinrich sailed for America in 1848. There is a "Fr." and "D." Ostenberg of the right age that sailed on the ship George Washington, arriving in New York in June of 1848. Since Elizabeth was not listed on the voyage, it had been assumed that she died in Germany sometime prior to that time. However, there is an Elizabeth living with Frederick and listed as 81 years old in the 1860 Federal Census. It is unclear, at this time, if she came over separately or perhaps the Fr. and D. Ostenberg listed on the George Washington are not the correct ones. It should also be noted that another son, Charles, along with his wife and four children, came over the next year. Those ship's records have not been found but it could be conceivable that Elizabeth came to America with them. Regardless, it appears as if Elizabeth was in America and lived into the 1860's.

The two brothers settled in Dane County Wisconsin and both can be found in the 1850 Federal Census. Frederick, possibly a border, was listed right below Charles and family in the town of Blue Mounds. Their father, Heinrich has not been found in the 1850 census but he is listed in the 1860 mortality schedules and noted to have died in the Town of Cross Plains in Dane County. Both Frederick and Charles would raise families and farm in Blue Mounds. Charles, along with most of his children (including some grown) would leave Blue Mounds in 1876 and head to Nebraska and settle just west of Omaha. Only two remained in Dane County, William, who died at the age of 12 and was buried at Union Cemetery in Mount Horeb and Anna Maria, who married a local boy and stayed behind. Two of Charles sons would serve in the Civil War. The family would have a large presence in Mead, Nebraska area.

Frederick married Elizabeth (possibly Martha Elizabeth Ann) Bilse (b.1835, d.1892) in June of 1853. She was 20 years his younger and was from the Bilse family that came as part of a wave of settlers to an area known as Germany Valley in Blue Mounds. In addition to Elizabeth, John Bilse and Gertrude Bilse, probably siblings were also living with the Ostenberg family for a time in the 1850's and 60's. Elizabeth was the daughter of Christian Bilse (b.1809, d.1889) and Martha Elsbad (Possibly Anna Dorthea Eisebach)(b.1812, d.1867). It is unclear if Christian ever came to America but his brother Henry did settle in Blue Mounds. Henry (or Heinrich) and family sailed from Brennen to New Orleans in 1852 on the ship Uhland. Listed with them, was an Elizabeth Bilse, age 16. There was more then one Elizabeth Bilse in Blue Mounds but based on the age, this could be the one who married Frederick Ostenberg. If so, she traveled to America with her uncle (she is listed one line removed from the Henry Bilse family in the passenger list). The Bilse Family can be traced back two more generations to Johann who died in 1742.

Frederick, who was known as "Fritz" and Elizabeth farmed and had eight or nine children. Their children were:

• John (b.1856, d.1899); married Matilda Malone (b.1852, d.1937) in 1882. It is unclear if they had any children and he was noted to have died in Verona, Wisconsin. After John's death Matilda was noted to be living in the Dane County Poor House (or asylum); however she was living with her sister's family and her brother-in-law was the Superintendent of the facility. She remarried in 1907.

The gravesite of John Ostenberg, the only son of
Frederick and Elizabeth who died at the age of 43.

• Mary (b.1858, d.1931); married Henry Kahl (Heinrich George) (b.1852, d.927) in 1876. They had seven children, Christian, Mathtilda. Augusta, George, Mammie, Burdell, and Orville. Henry and Mary farmed in Blue Mounds and are buried at the Union Cemetery in Mount Horeb. 

Mary Ostenberg, daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth.

• Anna Elizabeth (b.1859); fate unknown but she was alive at 9 years old in 1870.
• Amelia or Matilda (b.1861); fate unknow but she was alive at 11 years old in 1880.
• Augusta Louisa (b.1863, d.1935); married Henry Becker (b.1858, d.1936). They had five children, Matilda, August, Gertrude, Robert, and Marie. Augusta and Henry farmed in Blue Mounds are are buried at the Union Cemetery in Mount Horeb.

Augusta Ostenberg, daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth

• Katherine (or Katrina or Caroline) (b.1865); married William Malone (b.1853, d.1897) in 1883. They had a least two children, Alva and Frank. Katherine and William may have farmed in the Town of Springdale and are buried at the Union Cemetery in Mount Horeb. 
• Matilda Susan (b.1867, d.1936); married Henry Opsal (b.1865, d.1952) in 1887. They had four children, Harvey, Elvin, Pearl, and Forest and farmed in Blue Mounds. Sometime after 1905, Matilda was admitted to the Dane County Asylum and spent the rest of her life there.
• Elizabeth or Martha Elizabeth (b.1876, d/1892); married Henry Goldbin (b.1871, d.1845) in 1895. They had six or seven children, Clarence, Nina, Marie, Henrietta, Lawrence, and John. Martha and Henry farmed in Blooming Grove, Dane County, Wisconsin and are buried at the Union Cemetery in Mount Horeb.
• Daughter Nina, studied in Paris and later married into wealth. Her 1922 passport listed her profession as 'hair dressing' and she is credited with bringing the 'permanent wave' hair style to the United Stated. Her first husband, Raymond Anderton made a fortune in the fishing and textile business and she inherited his businesses after he died. She was married a total of three times, was noted as a fashion icon, socialite, and philanthropist who traveled extensively. She first lived Newport, Rhode Island, and then in Los Angeles (Bel-Air), California and was somewhat famously robbed on multiple occasions of a small fortune in jewelry. She commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a shopping center on Rodeo Drive and it is said that they feuded during the whole project, thought it did get built and is not considered one of his best works. A 15 carat diamond broach of hers was put on sale at Sotheby's in 2024 with an estimated value of $80,000 - $120,000.

Nina, the daughter of Elizabeth and Henry, from a passport picture.

Frederick operated a large farm on section nine in west central Blue Mounds. The farm encompassed almost 160 acres. In 1880, Frederick died and his wife Elizabeth died in 1892. They are buried in Union Cemetery in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Their only son, John was noted to have died in Verona while only about 42 years old. Since Charles Ostenberg and most of his family left for Nebraska before 1880, the Ostenberg name largely disappeared from the Blue Mounds area after that time.

Frederick "Fritz" Ostenberg and Elizabeth
Bilse are buried at Union Cemetery in
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.

Research Notes: The information for this report came from some on-line family trees, census records and other vital records.

This is one of a series of short biographies of individual ancestors. These are undertaken, from time-to-time, when enough information becomes available about an individual. Post updated on 9/2024.