Richard Kersting, ca. 1839–ca. 1864

Very little is known of Richard Kersting. It is believed that he was born around 1839 in St. Louis, Missouri, to J. Kersting, though attempts to document this information have been unsuccessful. He had two known siblings, Dietrich and Wilhelmina.

It is presumed that Richard married Adolphine Billmeyer in 1859, as their first child, Bertha, was born in 1860. The second daughter, Justina, was born ca. 1862. The third daughter, Louisa, was born in May 1864.

Richard Kersting was listed as a mail clerk in the 1864 Republican City Directory on page 329. He was not listed in the 1865 St. Louis city directory nor any of the subsequent directories.
In 1864, Richard may have died or at least he vanished. His widow, Adolphine Billmeyer, married Richard’s brother Dietrich on 2 January 1865.

In the June 1880 census, the entry for Richard’s daughter Bertha indicated that her father was born in Eschwege and her mother in Phillipsburg. The November 1880 census showed that her father was born in Hanover. In later census returns, his children thought that their father Richard Kersting was born in Missouri.

Did he participate in the Civil War? There does not seem to be any evidence one way or the other. Richard does not appear to be buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, although the rest of the family is buried there.

Written by Beth Davis
February 2025

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Last Modified: 10-Jun-2025 12:16