Dietrich Kersting, ca. 1843–bef. 1872

Like his brother Richard Kersting, very little is known of Dietrich Kersting. They were brothers to Wilhelmina Kersting Ward, who moved to Louisiana sometime around 1860. None of them appear in the 1850 or 1860 census in St. Louis, Missouri. The 1870 census indicates that he was born in St. Louis. He was twenty-seven, which makes his birth year around 1843.

The 1865 city directory lists him as a printer, living at 21 Allen St. in St. Louis. In the 1866 city directory, he was described as a newspaper carrier, living at 370 Fulton Street, and in 1867, he was a newspaper carrier whose residence was 611 Rutgers St.

By the time the 1870 city directory was published, Dietrich Kersting was using the name of “Dick” Kersting, and he was as a collector, still living at 611 Rutgers Street.

Dietrich married Adolphine Billmeyer, the widow of his brother Richard Kersting, on 2 January 1865 in St. Louis. He and Adolphine had two children:

• • Joseph H. Kersting, born 18 September 1867 and died in 1945; Joseph and his half-sister, Louisa, were the last of the known Kersting names in St. Louis.
  • Albert Kersting, born in December 1869 and died 24 July 1870; the family was living at 611 Rutgers when Albert died. He is buried in the Holy Ghost Cemetery in St Louis.

Dietrich apparently died between July 1870 and 1872 when the 1872 city directory was printed documenting his wife as a widow. Adolphine was living between 6th and 7th Hickory and Rutger in St. Louis at that time.

Adolphine presumably married for the third time to George Kaiser. She is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis

Written by Beth Davis
February 2025

© 2025, St. Louis Genealogical Society

Last Modified: 10-Jun-2025 12:11