My husband, Mark Ippolito, is a direct descendent of Jacob Witte and Anna Johnson.  
This site is dedicated to the memory of his mother, Frances Lillian Witting.

The flag shown above is the official flag of Prussia at the time of Jacob's birth.  
The flag was adopted in 1803.

In many ways the history of the Jacob Witte (subsequently Witting) family enables us 
to share in the history and development of the United States of America.  The spirit 
of adventure and opportunity that made Jacob Witte and his family emigrate from 
Rehhof, Prussia in 1852 is a reflection of the turbulent times in which he lived.  As 
a small child in Prussia he experienced Prussia's war against Napoleon I and the 
developing tensions that led to the Franco Prussian war.  The dream of freedom and 
opportunity that was represented by the United States of America lured him into 
making a nine (9) week journey with his family on a 124 foot sailing ship from 
Hamburg, Germany to Castle Garden, New York.  Today's cruise ships are more than 
1,100 feet long!  From there, the family took a train to Chicago, Illinois and then 
went by ox pulled covered wagon to Black Earth, Dane County, Wisconsin and later to 
Monroe County in Wisconsin.

Jacob and his descendents have proudly contributed to America.  They homesteaded 
first in Wisconsin and later across our broad nation and into the Canadian 
wilderness.  They served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean 
Conflict, Vietnam and today in Iraq.  Some have made the ultimate sacrifice in 
defense of the freedom we enjoy today. 

While numerous family members have contributed to the information contained in our 
history, my research partnership with Judy Schellenberg Valckx must be acknowledged.  
Prior to her recent and untimely passing, we enjoyed sharing our Witting 
genealogy discoveries.