Origins of the Dürrenberger Surname
In the United States and Canada, Durrenbergers have traced their heritage back to several regions in Europe including:
- Allgäu Region of Germany
- the Minnesota family of the Durrenbergers and Durenbergers
- Mertzwiller, Alsace Loarraine
- the Texas family of the Durrenbergers, the Derryberrys, Dayberrys, and Terryberrys
- Lauwil and Reigoldswil, Switzerland
- Dürrenberger
The Minnesota Durrenberger Family
The Minnesota branch of the Durrenberger Family has a fairly complete study of its lineage back to the time when Gebhard Ignatius Dürrenberger emigrated from Württemberg, Germany to the United States in 1854.
The
family of Gephard I. Durrenberger and Theresa Durrenberger née Mueller.
ca 1900
Gebhard Dürrenberger soon changed his name to Gephard Durrenberger and settled near Henderson, Minnesota. At this time Henderson was a thriving village of log buildings that represented a point of departure for stage and freight lines taking people from the steamships running up the Minnesota from Saint Paul to Mankato.
Gephard married Theresa Mueller, also from Württemberg, Germany, in 1859. After their marriage, they moved to Sibley county where they lived a number of years before going to Nicollet county and then to Le Sueur county about 1893. They raised nine children, and were farmers.
The Texas Durrenberger Family
The Texas branch of the Durrenberger Family are descendants of Joseph Durrenberger, born near Buffalo, N.Y. in 1841. Joseph was the son of Joseph Durrenberger who emigrated to the United States from Mertzweiller, Alsace Loraine. Joseph II served in the Civil War and was discharged in New Orleans in 1864. There he met and married Josephine Christina Voekel, a French speaking woman from Alsace Lorraine. Joseph obtained a land grant given to Civil War veterans and settled on a ranch near Giddings, Texas. There, he raised his family and engaged in farming and banking.
Josephine and Joseph Durrenberger with their children
After his wife died in 1909, Joseph moved to Orlando, where he lived with his son, William. He took an active interest in investing in various industries and in the development of the City of Orlando. His descendants are widely scattered across the United States and include a number of notable scientists and businessmen.
It is believed that the grandfather of Joseph was Anthony Durrenberger and it is believed that he came to this country with his wife and son, Joseph I, in 1837 from Alsace Lorraine.
The Switzerland Family
The The Swiss Dürrenbergers trace their ancestry back to 1550 to the areas around Lauwil and Reigoldswil, Switzerland - Urs Dürrenberger of Lauwil and Heini Dürrenberger of Reigoldswil. It is believed that the Dürrenberger's in Switzerland and Alsace all descend from these two men. Based on DNA testing, the Durrenbergers from Germany have a competely different DNA structure and Haplogroup identification and appear not to be related to this group.