I have some Bollenbach data on file and researcher Carol-Jean Boevers has much more.

In 2003, I received a remarkable call from Michael Florey of Minnesota, a descendant of Michael Bollenbach & Madeleine Barbaras. For years, his family had kept some old heirlooms whose origin was unknown. One was a button with the number 149 on it. Michael and his family were in the hospital attending his gravely ill father and they were getting him to fill in missing parts of their family history, including the maiden name of his grandmother (Barbaras) which they had never known. Michael then did a web search on the name, and found on this site the historical account below which finally explained the mystery of the button 149. He sent the following pictures.

Michael Bollenbach

John Bollenbach and Henrietta Meyers were married in the early 1830's in Ostheim, Alsace Lorraine, France. Their eldest son, Michael John Bollenbach, was born August 16, 1832 in Ostheim. He died on May 27, 1911 in Palatine, Illinois. Henrietta was concerned over the military status of her son Michael. The young men who drew even numbers were required to serve, and those who drew the odd numbers were free of obligation. On the appointed day of the drawing and unbeknown to young Michael, his mother sewed a four leaf clover in the shirt cuff of his right sleeve. Michael drew number 149. He came to the United States in 1853, worked his way west, and settled in Long Grove, Illinois. His parents followed in 1854.

On March 9, 1858 he married Magdelena Barbaras, born May 4, 1839 and died May 19, 1917 in Palatine, Illinois. To this union eight children were born, the third being Charles John Bollenbach born February 24, 1865 at Long grove, Illinois and died February 6, 1947 at Nerstrand, Minnesota.

The Barbaras family owned the land in Wheeling, Cook County, Illinois that became the Bollenbach homestead. Michael was called to serve in the Civil War, but since he had a family of young children the Barbaras paid his brother Charles, who was a blacksmith to serve in his place. Thus, in his honor the third child born in 1865 was christened Charles John Bollenbach. He attended school in Long Grove ... In 1866 he came to Rice County, Minnesota where he worked for farmers in the Dennison and Nerstrand area.