My Colling family from Harlange,
Wiltz Commune, in Luxembourg
Through Katherine Colling, my great grandmother, comes my Colling ancestry. Katherine was born in 1882 in Scott County Minnesota. She was the daughter of Nicholas Colling and Mary Roth. Katherine married Charles Benedict Schmitz on 23 October 1900.
She and her husband farmed in the small community of New Market in Scott County Minnesota. Katherine and Charles were the parents of my grandfather Nicholas Schmitz.
Nicholas Colling, Katherine’s father, was born in Harlange, Luxembourg in 1844. He was the son of Henry Colling and Anna Maria Schaack. Henry and his family immigrated sometime around 1856 and were in Minnesota by 1858 at the latest. Nicholas had two siblings that were born in Harlange and one other sibling, Maria Colling who was born in New York State in 1857. Where exactly in New York she was born is not known at this time.
I haven’t, as of yet, discovered at which port or what ship my Colling ancestors were aboard when they arrived in the United States. If I had to guess, it would be at New York harbor at Castle Garden and they may have left from either the port in Antwerp, Belgium or Le Havre, France.
Anna Maria Schaack’s brother, Nicolas Schaack, immigrated with his family at about the same time. Nicolas and his family also settled in the same area of Scott County, Minnesota. Although both Anna Maria and Nicolas were born in a different villages in Luxembourg, they were both living in Harlange just before they immigrated to the United States.
Nicholas Colling married Mary Roth (Rhodes) on 17 March 1868 in Faribault, Rice County, Minnesota. They lived in Minneapolis for a couple of years before moving back to the Sand Creek area of Scott County in Minnesota. They bought farm land and raised their family. Mary is the daughter of Frederick Roth and Mary Grasset, at least that is what I have been able to determine. Mary was born in the city of Clarence, Erie County, New York in 1849 and by 1857 this family was living in the town of Wausau, Rice County, Minnesota. I have dedicated my brick wall to this family. There is a written history that states that Frederick Roth and Mary Grasset are the parents of Mary Roth, but I have not found any conclusive evidence to make this statement true. With name changes and multiple marriages, this line of my ancestry has been hard for me to unravel. The most interesting aspect about this line, is that if I can prove the relationships, then Mary Grasset’s mother is descendent of a soldier who went to Montreal Canada in the early 1600’s to help protect the early settlers in that area. So please visit my brick wall and let me know if you think I have enough evidence to stake my claim to this ancestry.
The Colling line has been traced back to mid 1700’s in Luxembourg and Germany and as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, this Roth line could go back to the early 1600’s in France. Here are a few pictures of my Colling ancestors and below that is a brief outline of this family. It starts with my great grandmother Katherine “Katie” Colling.
Valentine Schmitz
Margaret Colling
11 June 1907
Charles Benedict Schmitz
Katherine Colling
23 October 1900
The wedding assemblage:
back: Michael Colling, Sophia Schmitz,
Valentine Schmitz, and Margaret Colling
front: Charles Schmitz and Katherine Colling
23 October 1900
Nicolas Colling (1844 - 1927)
and Mary A. Roth (1849 - 1928)
circa unknown
Katherine Colling Schmitz
Elizabeth Colling Breeggemann
circa unknown
First Generation
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1 Catherine Colling was born in Marystown, Scott County, Minnesota, on 25 March 1882. At the age of 69, she died while living in New Market, Scott County, Minnesota, on 10 January 1952.
On 23 October 1900 Catherine married Charles Benedict Schmitz in Marystown, Scott County, Minnesota.
They had the following children:
i. Aloysia Miriam (1901-1996)
ii. Lawrence John (1902-1982)
iii. Clara Margaret (1905-1996)
iv. Nicholas Charles (1907-1959)
v. Cecilia Anna (1909-1991)
vi. Albert V. (1911-1974)
vii. Barbara A. (1914-1968)
viii. Monica (1916-1916)
ix. Alois (1918-)
x. Rosemary (1921-1985)
Second Generation
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2 Nicholas Colling was born in Harlange, Wiltz, Luxembourg, on 26 November 1844. Immigrated in 1857 to United States. At the age of 82, he died while living in Jordan, Scott County, Minnesota, on 17 October 1927.
On 17 March 1868 Nicholas married Mary A. Roth in Faribault, Rice County, Minnesota.
They had the following children:
i. Henry (1869-1949)
ii. John Nicholas (1870-1938)
iii. Anna Marie (1873-)
iv. Michael F. (1876-1951)
v. Peter (1878-1968)
vi. Elizabeth (1880-)
1 vii. Catherine (1882-1952)
viii. Frank (1884-<1952)
ix. Margaret (1886-1968)
x. Infant (1888-1888)
xi. Maria (1890-1977)
xii. Monica C. (1893-1973)
3 Mary A. Roth was born in Clarence, Erie County, New York, on 26 April 1849. At the age of 79, she died while living in Jordan, Scott County, Minnesota, on 20 May 1928.
Third Generation
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4 Henry Colling born in 1813. At the age of 75, he died while living in Jordan, Scott County, Minnesota, on 18 May 1889.
bet Feb 1843 and Feb 1844 Henry married Marie Schaack.
They had the following children:
2 i. Nicholas (1844-1927)
ii. Jean Nicholas (1847-)
iii. Guillaume (1849-1849)
iv. Elizabeth (1850-1930)
v. Mathias (1852-1854)
vi. Mary (1857-1932)
5 Marie Schaack was born in 1813. At the age of 75, she died while living in Jordan, Scott County, Minnesota, on 13 April 1889.
6 Frederick Roth. He was born in Germany in 1822. He died while living in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, on 25 February 1883. He was buried in Lake Street Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, on 27 February 1883.
On 9 July 1848 Frederick married Marie Grasset Dit Lagrandeur in Clarence, Erie County, New York.
They had the following children:
3 i. Mary A. (1849-1928)
ii. Aemilia Margaret (1850-<1857)
iii. Peter (1853-1930)
iv. Adeline (1855-)
v. Matilda (1857-)
vi. Elizabeth (1859-1948)
vii. Josephine (1862-)
viii. Louise (1867-)
7 Marie Grasset Dit Lagrandeur was born in 1828. She died while living in Rice County, Minnesota, about 1867.
Fourth Generation
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8 Christopher Colling was born in 1788.
Christopher married Agnes Ronas.
They had the following children:
4 i. Henry (1813-1889)
ii. Maria
iii. Johannes
iv. Jacobus
v. Christoph
9 Agnes Ronas was born in 1780.
10 Michael Schaack died in 1819.
before 1810 Michael married Marie Dupont in Luxembourg.
They had the following children:
i. Nicolas (1810-)
5 ii. Marie (1813-1889)
14 Joseph Ignace Grassett Dit Lagrandeur was born in about 1762. He died while living in Sorel, St. Pierre Parish, Richelieu County, Quebec, Canada, on 29 April 1834.
In 1827 Joseph Ignace married Josephte Emilie Baudreau Dit Graveline in Quebec, Canada.
They had the following children:
7 i. Marie (1828-~1867)
ii. Antoine (1830-)
iii. Marie Luce (1832-)
15 Josephte Emilie Baudreau Dit Graveline was born in 1806. At the age of 83, she died while living in Warsaw, Rice County, Minnesota, on 19 January 1890.