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Welcome to the Balza Family
Genealogy Page!
What's been added
lately!
Please feel free to browse and learn about the Balza family's history. We welcome your interest and would love to hear from you, if there is anything that you can add to the continuously growing information about the Balza , Leurquin, Angst, Van Lanen and ancestor families. Because of the sensitive nature of the data about living relates, only data about deceased members of the family are available on-line. However, if specifics about certain families are required please contact the author (histories that are off-line are marked with an asterix "*". If you have any information to contribute or inquiries about this family history, please e-mail: Richard M..Balza.
Shown below is the family of G. Tony Balza & Grace M. Angst.
Back Row: Tony, Alex, Robert, Colleen, Charlotte, Richard, Julie, Brooke
2nd Row: Eric, Mary, Laura, Cindy, Caron,
Megan, Michael, Ann
Front Row: John, Beth, Grace, Tony, Rachel, Steve
The above photo is from our 2006 family reunion and the 69th Wedding Aniversary of Tony & Grace. Families include the Richard Balza family (back row from right ) Brooke, Julie, Richard, Charlotte, (2nd row thrid and fourth from the right Megan and Caron. The John Balza family (2nd row 2nd from left Mary, third from left Laura, front left John, and s2nd from left Beth. The Steve Hlas family - front from right Steve then Rachel (2nd row from right Ann then Michael. The Robert Balza family - back row from left Tony, Alex, Robert, Colleen, and 2nd row 1st from the left Eric, 2nd row 4th from the left Cindy. For more information on these families please e-mail the contact at the bottom of this page.
Navigation through this family history collection is based upon the ancestors of the four ancestor branches of the individual family. EXAMPLE: From this page the four applicable surnames (Fraternal - BALZA and LEURQUIN / Maternal - ANGST and VAN LANEN) of G. Tony Balza & Grace M. Angst family (pictured above) are presented. Below you will find a brief description of the ancestry for each of the four families. The flags represent the surname's country of origin and as in the case below the country in which the family resides. For those looking for specific family connections there is also and alphabetical index (People) and a surname list (Surnames). See bottom of page.
BALZA Ancestry
The surname BALZA is a derivation (Belzer, Balzac, Balzer, etc.) of the ancient name "BALTHAZAR" (one of the three wise men). The country of origin for this Balza family is Belgium more specifically Sart-Walhain in Namur Province where we've traced our earliest known ancestors. At this time the earliest known family group with the Balza surname is Jean Joseph BALZA who married Marie Therese BRABANT. Very little is known about this family - it is still a subject for on-going research (Jean Joseph Balza Sr. Family History). They had at least one son Jean Joseph Balza (1804 - 1889) who married Virginie BERO (1807 - 1872) and they where blessed with eight children (Jean Joseph Balza Family History). The youngest of these was Antoine BALZA (1845 - 1927) who married Marie Antoinette FLAHAUT (1845 - 1927). Antoine and Antoinette had six children while living in Belgium. They and five of their six children immigrated to Duval, Door County Wisconsin in 1880 and became U.S. Citizens. They had four more children in Duval (Antoine Balza Family History). Their sixth foreign born child was Theophile Antoine Joseph BALZA (1878 - 1941) who first married Mathilda FINENDAEL (1882 - 1917) and later Mary Louise LEURQUIN Boncher ( 1894 - 1967) (Theophile Antoine Joseph Balza Family History). The second child of Theophile's second marriage is Gall Anton (G. Tony) BALZA who married Grace Mary ANGST and whose family is pictured above.
LEURQUIN Ancestry
The LEURQUIN surname is very much a research in progress. The origin of the Leurquin family like the Balza family is Belgium. According to the immigration records they come from the area around the city of Temploux. Our earliest known Leurquin ancestor is Desire LEURQUIN (1824 - 1910) who married Cecelia BOURNONVILLE (1830 - 1918). Together they had four children (Desire Leurquin Family History). The third child of this union was Dieu Donni LEURQUIN (1865 - 1935) who married Victoria MARTIN (1871 - 1936). Dieu Donni and Victoria raised ten children (Dieu Donni Leurquin Family History). The second of these children was Mary Louise LEURQUIN (1894 - 1967) who first married Joseph Henry MASSEY Boncher and had three sons. After his death Mary met and married Theophile Antoine Joseph BALZA (1878 - 1941) and together they were blessed with three more sons the second of which was Gall Anton (G. Tony) BALZA who married Grace Mary ANGST both of whom are pictured above.
ANGST Ancestry
The ANGST (literally "fear" in German) surname appears to originate in Wil, Canton Zurich, Switzerland. The earliest identified Angst ancestor in our research is John Joseph ANGST who married (Mary) Anna WIDMER (1819 - ?). This family is the current focus of our research, and very little is known about them (John Joseph Angst Family History). They did, however, have at least one child John ANGST (1850 - 1916) who married Mary Forena JAGGLI (1864 - 1920). They were blessed with three children (John Angst Family History) the first of which was Joseph Valentine ANGST (1895 - 1965) who married Mary Ann (Marion) VAN LANEN. Joseph and Mary Ann had seven children (Joseph Valentine Angst Family History) the second of which was Grace Mary ANGST who married Gall Anton (G. Tony) BALZA pictured above.
VAN LANEN Ancestry
The VAN LANEN surname originates in the towns of Boekel and
Uden, Noord Brabant, Holland and means "from the
lanes". The earliest Van Lanen identified to date is Peter VAN LAANEN who was
married to Wilhelmina VAN DEN
ANKER. This couple had at least one son Gerardus VAN LANEN (1788 -
<1870) who married Johanna
Adriaan Giele VAN DER HEIJDEN (1790 - <1870).
Gerardus and Johanna had at least 7 and possibly as many as 11
children (Gerardus Van
Lanen Family History) who immigrated to Green Bay, Brown
County Wisconsin in 1849. Of the 7 children who survived
the trip to the United States, our direct ancestor was Peter VAN LANEN (1817 - 1881)
who was married to Wilhelmina
JANSENS (1819 - ?). Peter and Wilhelmina were blessed
with six children (Peter
Van Lanen Family History) the forth born was Godfrey VAN LANEN (1854 -
1939). Godfrey married Hannah
HERMANS (1858 - 1899) and they had ten children (Godfrey Van Lanen Family
History). Godfrey and Hannah's ninth child was Mary Ann (Marion) VAN LANEN
(1896 - 1972) who married Joseph
Valentine ANGST (1895 - 1965) and had seven children (Joseph Valentine ANGST Family
History). To this family the second child was Grace Mary ANGST who married Gall Anton (G. Tony) BALZA
(pictured above).
Last updated: September 24, 2018
Copyright 1999-2018, Richard M. Balza
To make corrections or obtain more information contact: Richard M. Balza