Ellen's parent's were John L. Kierstead (Kierstede) and Catherine Schoonmaker (Shoemaker). I don't know when John died but Catherine was married a second time to Henry Berden. She died 22 Jan 1871 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan. She had been living with her son Daniel Kierstead.
I have John's parents as John (Hans)Kierstede and Lena (Helen) Riker. That information came from an old letter written to my grandfather about the Kierstead heritage.
Catherine's parents were Daniel Schoonmaker and Elizabeth Post.
I can't find the Westervelt family in the 1850 census. In that same old letter it mentions Ellen being married to a Westervelt man and having sons.
my e-mail address is gehill@tds.net. Put Kierstead and Westervelt in the subject line if you want to "talk" with me. My name is Janet