Reverend Ernst Constantin August Maria Baron von Droste zu Hülshoff 
Constantin, an emigrant from Germany, was a priest in Wisconsin, and served a short time in Plain, Sauk County.

Reverend Ernst Constantin August Maria Baron von Droste zu Hülshoff

He was known as "Constantin" or "Constantine" (German spelling, "Konstantin").
The last name is "von Droste zu Hülshoff" and would be indexed under "D" for Droste. Hülshoff without the umlaut would be spelled as "Huelshoff."
The last name can also be hypenated as such: von Droste-Huelshoff - or abbreviated - v. Droste-Hülshoff.
Baron is English for the German word "Freiherr" and is a title of nobility.
It is common for males to have the name "Maria" as a middle name.

Constantin was born on January 22, 1841 and baptized in Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He was the third son and fifth child born to his parents.

Constantin lived with his family in a castle called Wasserschloß Alst (Ortsteil Leer, Kreis Steinfurt, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany). The castle is also known as "Haus Alst." The family lived there from 1832 to 1843. In 2008, the castle is privately owned. During the time they lived at Haus Alst, the family also had a residence in Rüxleder Hofe on Kuhstrasse in the Überwasser section of Münster (Muenster), Germany.

After Constantin's father Joseph died in 1850, Constantin's mother Julie and her children moved to Veitshöchheim am Main, (north of Würzburg/Wuerzburg) Germany. It is believed that the family tombstones can be found there.

Parents of Constantin:

* Dr. med. Joseph Johann Maria Freiherr von Droste zu Hülshoff (son of Maximilian Friedrich Freiherr von Droste zu Hülshoff and Bernardine Engelen)
* Maria Anna Juliane (Julia) Josephine "Julie" Kock (daughter of Karl Rudolf Adrian Kock)

Constantin studied to become a priest at the University of Würzburg Priest Seminary in Würzburg, Germany:

Being the third son, Constantin did not "give up" the title of Freiherr (Baron) after the death of his father in 1850. As one obituary falsely states: "He was the eldest son and the title descended to him upon the death of his father. He gave up the life of a nobleman to devote his entire work to the church. It was only in his private life which he used his title of Baron and this was very seldom."

Wikipedia says, "All sons of a Freiherr are Freiherren and can be referred to as Baron. The wife of a Freiherr is called Freifrau (literally "Free Lady"), and a daughter of a Freiherr is called Freiin (short for Freiherrin). It is considered correct in some circles to address a Freifrau or Freiin as "Baroness" (in German "Baronin"). Female former titles have been legally accepted as part of the last name after 1919 by a still valid decision of the German former High Court, the Reichsgericht."

Verzeichnissen (Directories) book:

1862/63: Page 28: Name: v. Droste-Hülshoff, Constantin, Frhr.; Geburtsort: Münster; Land: Preussen; Fach: theol.; Wohnung, Dist. u. Nro.: I. 213 1/2 (Winter Semester)
1863: Page 28: Name: v. Droste-Hülshoff, Constantin, Frhr.; Geburtsort: Münster; Land: Preussen; Fach: theol.; Wohnung, Dist. u. Nro.: I. 213 1/2 (Summer Semester)
1863/64: Page 27: Name: v. Droste-Hülshoff, Constantin, Frhr.; Geburtsort: Münster; Land: Preussen; Fach: theol.: Wohnung, Dist. u. Nro.: Seminar (Winter Semester)
1864: Page 27: Name: v. Droste-Hülshoff, Constantin, Frhr.; Geburtsort: Münster; Land: Preussen; Fach: theol.; Wohnung, Dist. u. Nro.: Seminar (Summer Semester)

Source: Verzeichnissen.
Email dated June 30, 2008, and copies mailed July 4, 2008, from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Zentralverwaltung, Ref. 1.2, Zentrale Dienste, Untergeschoss, Zi. 13, Sanderring 2, 97070 Würzburg. Note: No photo of Constantin was found at the University archive.

1863 October 26: Constantin began studying in the Seminary in Würzburg.
1864 January 12: He received the Tonsure [shaving of the head; or symbolic cutting of a few tufts of hair].
1864 July 5: He received the Niederen Weihen [low(?) Holy Orders; ordination] from Bishop Georg Anton von Stahl.
1864: In the first alumni course of the Wuerzburg seminary, his name is written in the personal schematism in the year 1864, on page 11

Constantin studied in Rome, Italy, and was ordained:

1864 October: Constantin was in the Germanicum [German-speaking seminary] in Rome, it is probably where the actual theological and philosophical studies had begun.
1867 April 20: Constantin was also ordained a priest in Rome on April 20, 1867 (DAW Schottkartei).
1869: In the Wuerzburg personal schematismus, he appears again in 1869 as Chaplain at St. Gertraud in Wuerzburg (page 15), and after that it is impossible to find more information in the archive at Würzburg.

Source: Email dated June 25, 2008, from Archiv und Bibliothek des Bistums Würzburg, Diözesanarchiv Würzburg Domerschulstr. 17, 97070 Würzburg.
"Wir wissen, dass er ins Würzburger Priesterseminar am 26. Oktober 1863 eingetreten ist (DAW, Schottkartei) und dass er am 12. Januar 1864 die Tonsur und im selben Jahr am 5. Juli durch Bischof Georg Anton von Stahl die Niederen Weihen erhalten hat (DAW Würzburger Ordinationsmatrikel 1853-1899, S. 60f). Im ersten Alumnenkurs des Würzburger Priesterseminars ist er lediglich im Würzburger Personalschematismus des Jahres 1864, S. 11 zu finden. Da er im Oktober 1864 bereits in das Germanicum in Rom eingetreten ist, wird er wohl erst dort die eigentlichen theologischen und philosophischen Studien begonnen haben. In Rom wurde er auch am 20. 4. 1867 zum Priester geweiht (DAW Schottkartei). Im Würzburger Personalschematismus taucht er erst wirder [wieder] im Jahre 1869 als Kaplan bei St. Gertraud in Würzburg auf (S. 15) und danach ist er nicht mehr zu finden." Note: No photo of Constantin was found at the Diocese archive.

Constantin left Germany and emigrated to America:

At age 28, Constantin emigrated to America with other missionaries from Würzburg on September 18, 1869. His name is listed as "Constantin de Droste" and his occupation is "Missionair;" from Würzburg. The SS Steamship Weser sailed from Bremen, Germany to the Port of New York.


In America, Constantin served as priest at several parishes in Wisconsin, including a *possible* stay in Mississippi:

• 1875 June to 1877 March: St. James Catholic Church, Rising Sun, Crawford County, Wisconsin
• 1877 March to 1882: No church parish records found.
  
• 1880 June 15: Census: Coahoma County, Mississippi: Occupation: Minister Gospel; Name: C. M. Von Buren. Born: Prussia; Parent's born Prussia; Boarder; Single; White; Male; Age 38 (born abt 1842). [This *could* be Constantin, due to the span of March 1877 to 1882 when his name has not been found in Wisconsin parishes or records.]
  
• 1882 to 1883: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Menomonie, Dunn County, Wisconsin
  
• 1883 June: A church festival was held at St. Joseph in Menomonie. Alf. Curtis won a prize which was a photograph of "Rev. Van Droste." (see Dunn County News).
• 1884 November 3: Applied for citizenship (Declaration of Intention), Dunn County, Wisconsin
• 1885 to 1894 summer: St. Patrick Catholic Church, Mauston, Juneau County, Wisconsin
• 1886 to 1901: He served in parishes in the Diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin (15 years prior to his death).
  
• 1894 July to 1895 October: St. Josephs Catholic Church, Rice Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin
  
• 1895 October 6 to 1896 June 1: St. Luke Catholic Church, Plain, Sauk County, Wisconsin
• 1895 October 6 to 1896 June 1: St. John Catholic Church, Spring Green, Sauk County, Wisconsin (St. John was a mission church of St. Luke's in Plain).
• 1896 November 28: Ship passenger list shows "C N Von Droste" age 55, citizen of Holland, Port of Departure: Liverpool, England; Ship name Campania; Port of Arrival: New York, New York. Could this be Constantin? If so, he was not a citizen of Holland. But could he have taken a trip back to Europe in 1896?
• 1897 (briefly): St. Patrick's Catholic Church, West Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin
  
• 1897 to 1901: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Genoa, Vernon County, Wisconsin
  
• 1900 June 21: Census: Genoa Township, Vernon County, Wisconsin
• 1900 September to 1901: St. Mary's Catholic Church, Keyesville, Richland County, Wisconsin. He served at this parish until "he was stricken with the illness that proved fatal." (see "Obituaries, Death Certificate, Probate" link below)

Constantin was hospitalized for several weeks in LaCrosse due to an illness of 6 months duration. He died at age 60 on December 30, 1901 at St. Francis Hospital in LaCrosse, LaCrosse County, Wisconsin.

He was interred in a crypt under the altar of the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin of the Seven Dolors (also known as Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel) in the Catholic Cemetery on Losey Boulevard in LaCrosse, LaCrosse County, Wisconsin.

Obituaries, Death Certificate, Probate

Who Are They?

Ancestry of Constantin von Droste zu Hülshoff