Bonk,Bunk,Bung,Bong of Wisconsin
looking for bong family of wisconsin ,they came from germany, changed there name several times. from bung, bunk to bong, some went with different spelling. adam and helena bong, lived in roxbury, wisconsin, alot of there relatives setteled there, some went to SD. below is a write up on them, BUNK FAMILY STORY from Renee Meinholz
Adam and Helena Bung(Our Great-Great Grandparents) came from Rheinish Prussia,near Koln. The death of their daughter, Catherine Bung Oberembt stated her birth place as Conradshein Prussia. We believe they came to America in 1853-54. They settled in Roxbury, Dame County, Wisconsin by 1855. Roxbury was a predominantly German settlement. We found alot of the families in this area came from the same part of Prussia as our ancestors. Also settling here was their son Joseph(our Great-Grandfather) and his wife Elizabeth and two sons,Anton and Adam. Elizabeth and Adam passed away in 1855.Joseph married again at Roxbury on February 9,1857 to Mary Knechtges(our Great-Grandmother), daughter of Mathias and Anna Marie(Molitor) Knechtges (our Great- Great Grandparents). T he Knechtges owned land next door to the Bungs.(See enclosed 1873 Roxbury map). In 1858 Catherine was born to this union. Mary Magdalena(Ellen) was born on July 27, 1860. The 1860 census of Roxbury, Dane County, Wiscounsin show these two children plus Anton (age 7) living with Joseph and Mary. This is the last time we have been able to find any trace of Anton or Catherine. We do know that in Joseph's obituary in 1904, five sons and one daughter were listed as surviving children. We can only account for four sons without Anton. On May 23, 1862 Joseph Bung(or Grandfather) was born in Roxbury and baptized on May 25, 1862 at St. Norbert's Catholic Church with Joseph Oberembt and Catherine Knechtges as sponsors. The next child born was John- September 8, 1865. When John was about two years old Joseph and mary took their family and moved to Wilton, Monroe County , Wisconsin. Here Gottlieb was born on October 19, 168. Mathew was born about 1875. Joseph and Mary bought a farm in the town of Wellington, Monroe County, Wisconsin on January 17, 1879(now owned by Walter Friske), section 12,Township 15. This farm is located a short distance from Kendal. It was owned by the Bung family until 1904 when it was sold to W.A. Heding. A copy of the land records is included which has our Great Grandmother's signature and our Great-Grandfather's mark-- from this we conclude Joseph could not write. The Bung name is a very interesting story. When our ancestors settled in Roxbury their name was spelled BUNG. Records show that the spelling of the Bung name changed to BONG. However, in the Kendall area, the spelling of the Bung name changed to BUNK, As far as we know Joseph and Mary Bung's decendants are the only family(from Adam and Helena) using BUNK spelling. As young men ,John and Mathew decided to adventure out West and settled for a while in South Dakota. John homesteaded for awhile and Mathew worked for a Russian as a farm laborer. Some of the Bongs from Roxbury also went to South Dakota and they still have descendants residing there. John and Mathew returned shorly to Wisconsin and then worked as railroad laborers. Ellen married Mike Neuhauser at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Elroy on February 18, 1884. A "Landman" arranged this marriage(according to Mike and Ellen's son, Joseph). Ellen had no formal schooling-- she could not read or write. Gottlieb married Mary Saeck at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Elroy on April 15, 1894. Witnesses were William Saeck and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Martin. On November 15, 1894, Joseph C. (our Grandfather) and Anna Martin (our Grandmother) were united in marriage. Witnesses were Gottlieb Bunk and Elizabeth (Lissie)Martin. Enclosed is their wedding picture taken at Elroy, Wisconsin. Joseph and Anna had four children:Louise, October 13, 1895, Edward, Jne 1, 1897, Martha, January 17, 190, Francis Bernard(our Father), September 4, 1902 if you are related i would like to share family history elsie
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