Genealogical Sketch of the John Peter Brocke (1826-1891) and Christina Webber (1831-1914) Family of Germany and Nebraska

This is a genealogical sketch of the lives of the John Peter Brocke (1826-1891) and Christina Webber (1831-1914) family from Herbede in Westfalen, Prussia who migrated to the United States before 1850 and to Cedar County, Nebraska in about 1857. They are my wife Linda's second great-grandparents. 

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Early Years in Prussia

Johann Heinrich Friederich Wilhelm Brocke, son of Peter Heinrich Brocke and Maria Helena Diekershoff, was born on 6 January 1826 in Herbede, Westfalen, Prussia.[1] He was baptized on 18 November 1826 at Evangelisch in Herbede, Westfalen, Prussia.[1] He was known as Johann Peter Brocke, John Peter Brocke, John Brocke, John Brookes, in some records.

Christina Webber was born in September 1831 in Prussia. Her birth place and parentage are not known, but may be in Westfalen.

Marriage and Family

Johann Peter Brocke met and married Christina Webber before 1851, perhaps in Herbede, Westfalen, Prussia. They migrated to the United States by 1850, but the departure location, departure date, arrival location, arrival date, and ship name are not known.

They had the following children:

• Catharine Brocke, born 1 January 1851, Wheeling, Ohio, West Virginia; married Theodore Beste, 3 Apr 1877, Cedar, Nebraska, four children; died 13 January 1887, St. Helena, Cedar, Nebraska.
• John Nicholas Brocke, born 31 December 1853, Michigan; married Anna Grieser, 24 April 1877, Cedar, Nebraska, eight children; died 14 December 1938, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho,.
• Franklin Joseph Brocke, born about 1857, Cedar, Nebraska; married Catherine Ann Sutherland, 1879, Cedar, Nebraska, six children; died 29 August 1942, Davison, South Dakota.
• Charles Hubert Brocke, born 4 September 1859, St. James, Cedar, Nebraska; married Catherine Teresa Burgel, 17 October 1882, Cedar, Nebraska, seven children; died 8 March 1949, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
• Mary Brocke was born about 1866 in Cedar, Nebraska; no further record after 1880.

Their first two children were born in West Virginia and Michigan respectively. The last three children were born in Cedar County, Nebraska.

John Peter Brocke and his family settled in Cedar County, Nebraska in 1857. An article published in the Cedar County News dated May 16, 1929 says:[2]

"CHILDREN NOW GO TO SCHOOL WHERE PARENTS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED, EDUCATED AND MARRIED

"Oldest of all the schoolhouses in Cedar county, still in use at Brooke's Bottom school, which in days of old, also served as a missionary chapel where the parents of its present pupils were baptized and taught to worship on Sunday, where they learned reading and 'riting and 'rithmetic on week days, and where later they were married.

"With its sixty years of service the old building has picked up much from the ways of the generations that have come and gone. In a wry old way, the building now poses as a much younger one, and even deceives the casual passerby. Having had its face lifted again and again, having been puttied here and patted there to break up wrinkles, and having been twice removed from its original site, it really has succeeded in keeping up appearances.

"White paint administered again and again keeps it one of the best looking buildings in its community, giving it a shine that can be seen miles away. A new foundation added this year gives it sufficient nerve to carry on its deceptions. But a glimpse of its inside, the schoolroom, tells the real story. The old walls and ceiling, the old double desk, richly carved with names that bespeak associations found nowhere else in the county, these tell the years of service the old building has given. But even this reality has not been given up without a struggle to appear youthful - for the walls have outlasted three series of new schoolroom equipment and give every indication of outlasting many more.

"Built originally on the old John Brocke land, so long ago that folks now living cannot tell just when, although they are sure it was either in the late sixties or early seventies, the first site of a building has long since been washed away by the Missouri River. Among the men active in getting this early school which is believed the first school in Cedar County was John Brocke, for whom it was named, although the spelling has often been slightly changed during the years. Mr. Brocke who came to the county about the same time as did the Wiseman family, is the father of [Mrs. Theodore Beste, and the grandfather of] Mrs. August Lubeley, Mr. George Beste, and Mrs. Frank Thoman. His old homestead is now being farmed by his great-grandson, Emery Lubeley, whose house includes four rooms of the old Brocke log cabin.

"The bottom was named after Mr. Brocke because he was the first white man to come to the community to live. One other man was there before Mr. Brocke but he left, while Mr. Brocke built a home and remained for the rest of his life. Since his time the river has eaten his old land until now the grandchildren have not even a tree that used to be on the old yard. For many years a large elm tree that used to be on the front yard, still stood along the river banks, but even it had washed away this spring."

In the 1860 United States census, the John Brocke family resided in Cedar County, Nebraska Territory.[3] The household included:

• John Brookes - age 35, male, a farmer, $700 in personal property, born Germany
• Jane Brookes - age 30, female, born Germany
• Catherine Brookes - age 12, female, born Wisconsin
• Nickolas Brookes - age 9, male, born Wisconsin
• Franklin Brookes - age 6, male, born Wisconsin
• Charles Brookes - age 1, male, born Nebraska

On May 10, 1862, a land patent was granted by President Abraham Lincoln to John Brocke, who received land in Nebraska as the assignee of Polly Holland. Polly Holland, widow of Jonathan Holland, a Private in Captain Keyes' Company, Vermont Militia during the War of 1812, initially received a bounty land warrant for Jonathan’s military service. The land referenced comprises 143.7 acres located in specific lots and sections in Dakota, Nebraska, as documented by the General Land Office. The Lots were number 5 and 6 of section 7, and Lot number 1 and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 18 in Township 32 of Range 4 East).[4]

John Brocke (born in Prussia) filed a petition for naturalization on 29 June 1868 in the 1st Judicial District, Dakota Territory. It is not known if he received a naturalization certificate.

In the 1870 United States Census, the family resided in Brooke Precinct, Cedar County, Nebraska.[5] The household included:

• John Brocke -- age 44, male, white, a farmer, $2500 in real property, $2390 in personal property, born Prussia
• Christina Brocke -- age 38, female, white, keeping house, born Prussia
• Kathrina Brocke -- age 17, female, white, born Virginia
• J. Nicholas Brocke -- age 15, male, white, farm laborer, born Michigan
• Frank Brocke -- age 13, male, white, at school, born Michigan
• Charley Brocke -- age 10, male, white, born Nebraska
• Mary Brocke -- age 4, female, white, born Nebraska

John and his family moved to Vermillion City, Clay County, Dakota Territory in 1877, according to a local newspaper.

In the 1880 United States Census, the family resided in Vermillion City, Clay County, Dakota Territory).[6] The household included:

• John Brocke -- white, male, age 55, married, farmer, born Prussia, father born Prussia, mother born Prussia
• Christine Brocke -- white, female, age 49, wife, married, keeping house, born Prussia, father born Prussia, mother born Prussia
• Mary Brocke -- white, female, age 14, daughter, single, at home, born Nebraska, father born Prussia, mother born Prussia

Later Years

John “Peter” Brocke died on 13 February 1891 at the age of 65 in Vermillion, Clay, South Dakota. Peter was buried after 13 February 1891 at Saint Agnes Cemetery in Vermillion, Clay, South Dakota.[7]

In the 1900 U.S. Census, Christina Brocke resided in Vermilion township, Clay County, South Dakota.[8] The household included:

• Christena Brookey -- head, white, female, born Sept 1831, age 68, widow, 5 children born, 4 living, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany, a capitalist, owns home free of mortgage.

Christina (Webber) Brocke died on 13 March 1914 at the age of 82 in Vermillion, Clay, South Dakota. She was buried after 13 March 1914 at Saint Agnes Cemetery in Vermillion, Clay, South Dakota.[9]

Sources

1. "Germany, Select Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898," indexed database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), Herbede, Johann Heinrich Friederich Wilhelm Brocke baptism, 18 November 1826.

2. "CHILDREN NOW GO TO SCHOOL WHERE PARENTS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED, EDUCATED AND MARRIED,” Cedar County News newspaper, dated May 16, 1929, transcribed, Cedar County NEGenWeb Project (http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/county/cedar/social/1929516sch.txt).

3. 1860 United States Federal Census, Cedar County, Nebraska Territory, Saint James City, page 22 (penned), household #208, family #120, John Brooks household; imaged, "1860 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653.

4. "United States records," John Brocke Land Patent, 18 May 1862; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39T-T7CN-W?view=fullText : Feb 24, 2026), image 457 of 499; United States. Bureau of Land Management. Image Group Number: 105521385

5. 1870 United States Federal Census, Cedar County, Nebraska, population schedule, Brocke Precinct, Page 169A, household #723, family #709, John Brocke household; imaged, "1870 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com) citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 828.

6. 1880 United States Federal Census, Dakota Territory, Clay County, population schedule, Vermillion, page 401D, house #227, family #228, John Brocke household; imaged, "1880 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 112.

7. Find A Grave, indexed and imaged, (https://www.findagrave.com), Saint Agnes Cemetery, Vermillion, S.D., John Peter Brocke (1826-1891) memorial #103482628, age 65-2-7.

8. 1900 United States Federal Census, Clay County, South Dakota, Population Schedule, Vermillion township, Enumeration District 99, Page 23A (stamped), Dwelling # 447, Family #450, Christena Brookey household; imaged, "1900 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T623, Roll 1548.

9. Find A Grave, indexed and imaged, (https://www.findagrave.com), Saint Agnes Cemetery, Vermillion, S.D., Christina Webber Brocke (1831-1914) memorial #103485127.

Relationship

John Peter Brocke (1826-1891) and Christina Webber (1831-1914) are paternal 2nd- great-grandparents of my wife, Linda (Leland) Seaver (1942-still living), through:

•  her great-grandfather John Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) who married Anna Grieser (1859-1936) in 1877 in Nebraska.  
• her grandmother Amelia Anna Brocke (1884-1975) who married Severt Oliver Leland 1878-1940) in 1904 in Montana, 
• her father Leo Severt Leland (1911-2002) who married Edna May Schaffner (1913-1979) in 1937 in California.

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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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