Kate Landman Christianson Family History

Kate was born Katherine CeCelia Landman, (named after Rosina's sister back in Germany) near Larimore, North Dakota on September 26, 1884. She was the oldest child of Rosina Graf, (of Gutmadingen, Germany, near Freiburg in the southwest Black Forest area of Germany) and Charles Landman (of Gerstheim, France, near Strasbourg in the Alsace region of France, along the border of southwest Germany). It is suspected that Charles was not Kate's biological father, however. The family name of her biological father is said to be "Austin" (possibly from the Aneta area of North Dakota, as Rosina was pregnant with Kate at the time of her marriage to Charles). Nevertheless, Kate went by the Landman family name, and Charles was a good father to her.

This is the village of Gutmadingen, Germany, (near Geisingen) where Rosina Graf was born. It's a small town near Donaueschingen, in the South Western Black Forest area of Germany. The population is under 1,000. Most of the old homes have been replaced by large modern homes. The photo on the right was taken in 1985 when I met our German relatives for this first time.

Blasius Munzer, Bishop of Gutmadingen. A great... uncle going way back into the 1500s/1600s. Photo from church in Austria.

This is the location where Charles Landman grew up in Gerstheim, France. The house has been renovated and another family lives there now.

This is the family of Charles and Rosina (Graf) Landman, of Larimore, North Dakota. Circa 1890. L-R = Charles, Kate, Louise, Rosina and Albert.

Charles and Rosina (Graf) Landman family, of Larimore, North Dakota. Circa 1930. Front L-R= Phillip, Charles, Rosina, Henry. Back L-R= George, Kate, Louise, Albert.

This is Franz and his wife Elisabeth Burger. His grandmother was the sister of Rosina. He and his family still live in the small German Village of Gutmadingen, near Geisingen Germany, in the Black Forest of South Western Germany, where Rosina Graf was born. Fraz was a seargent in the German army during WWII and lost his sight due to a grande that exploded near him. This picture was taken outside the local castle in Donaueschingen in 1985.

This Roland Burger and his family. Roland is the son of Franz and Elisabeth Burger. L-R= Roland, Sylvia and Daniel. This picture was taken outside the local castle in Donaueschingen in 1985.

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The younger Landman brothers: Phillip, George and Henry. Circa 1905.

This is Kate Landman on her wedding day, Feb 14, 1912.

This is the Landman children, circa 1900. L-R= Kate, Albert, Phillip, George, Louise.

This is said to be a photo of Charles Landman's mother: Louise Willman Landman, back in Gerstheim, France. Circa 1890.

This is a photo of Rosina Graf and a friend. Possibly a member of the Mendelsohn family that Rosina worked for when first coming to America, or possibly her sister Magdalena who settled in Oklahoma.

This Rosina Graf Landman with a baby (possibly a baby of the Mendelsohn family that Rosina worked for when coming to America, or possibly her first child, Kate.

Marshall had a job with the rail road for a few years, but decided to try his hand at farming in North Dakota, and moved near his sister Millie Tobiason (she later married Art Lord). It was here that he met and fell in love with Katherine CeCelia Landman, a neighbor of Millie's.

This is the wedding photo of Marshall and Kate (Landman) Christianson, on Feb 14, 1912. Included in the photo are best man: Albert Landman (Kate's brother), and maid of honor: Louise Landman McCoy (Kate's sister), and flower girl: Viola Tobbiason (Marshall's niece). They were married at Kate's parents farm, near Larimore, North Dakota. Marshall met Kate through his sister, who became neighbors to the Landmans when she and her husband moved to North Dakota to be farmers.


Kate was born Katherine CeCelia Landman, (named after Rosina's sister back in Germany) near Larimore, ND on September 26, 1884. She was the oldest child of Rosina Graf, (of Gutmadingen, Germany, near Freiburg in the southwest Black Forest area of Germany) and Charles Landman (of Gerstheim, France, near Strasbourg in the Alsace region of France, along the border of southwest Germany). It is suspected that Charles was not Kate's real father, however. The family name of her real father is said to be "Austin" (possibly from the Aneta area of North Dakota, as Rosina was pregnant with Kate at the time of her marriage to Charles).

Kate was a seamstress before she married Marshall. They became crop farmers for over twenty years. Marshall was able to play many musical instruments including the fiddle, piano and guitar. He inherited his musical talent from his mother who played the church piano in the Methodist church of Newburg. Marshall and Kate attended a Lutheran church in Larimore, ND. Marshall and Kate had four children: Douglas Landman Christianson (b-1912), twins: MaDonna (Dona) Rosina and LaDoris (Doris) Julia Christianson (b-1914), and Marlis Katherine Christianson (b-1925). Below are two pictures of Marshall and Kate's children, taken on their farm around 1926. L-R are Doris, Doug, Marlis and Dona.


















In 1939, Marshall and his family moved to Buxton, North Dakota, to become a mechanic and open a blacksmith shop and garage with his son Doug, in this small Scandinavian town of four hundred people. In the 1950s Marshall served as Buxton's mayor for a few years. Marshall and Kate celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1962. All of Marshall and Kate's children moved to California by the mid 1960s. Doug and Mary (Carrell) Christianson lived in Los Gatos, CA. They had three children: Eleanor, Don and Dick. Dona and Gordon Martin lived in Fullerton, CA and had six children: Dale, Carol, Danny, Joan, Ron and Gail. Doris and Ben Wischnack had four boys: Elston, Warner, Eugene and Steve. After divorcing Ben, Doris married Roy York and Warner, Eugene and Steve took the York family name. Doris and Roy lived in Clearlake, CA. Marlis and Glenn Wigestrand lived in Fullerton, CA and had six children: Vicki, Terry, Tim, Todd, Penny and Troy.