Johann Detlef and Maria Catharine (Petersen) Hansen emigrated from Gotheby, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. They arrived in the Port of New York on the Germania on October 15, 1868. They brought their grandson, Emil MoIler, with them to America. He was the youngest son of their daughter, Catharine, who had died in Germany. They traveled to Clinton County to join a son, Friedrich August, who had emigrated two years earlier.
Friedrich August Hansen departed from the Port of Hamburg on the Bavaria. He arrived in the Port of New York on April 5, 1866. Friedrich was born on July 5, 1838, in Fleckeby, Schleswig-Holstein. He served in the Danish Army during the Prussian-Danish War of 1864. In 1870, he was married to Trincke Ehrichs, daughter of Peter and Catharina (Jurgens) Ehrichs. They became the parents of seven children, two of whom died in infancy. They lived in Clinton County until 1872 when the family settled in Hayes Township in Crawford County. In 1906, they retired to Manning. Their adult children were John Frederick, born November 21, 1871; Margaret "Maggie", born November 18, 1873; Mary, born October 20, 1876; Anna, born January 6, 1878; and Emma, born August 26, 1882.
Friedrich died on May 17, 1922, at age 83 years. Trincke was born on March 4, 1842, in Schleswig-Holstein, and died June 11, 1925.
Johann and Maria Hansen's other son, Peter Friedrich, remained in Germany with his family until 1881. He was born on June 21, 1836, in Holm. He was married to Ida Margaretha Suhr on July 21, 1861. She was born on April 7, 1835, in Hegenholz. She was the mother of an illegitimate daughter, Magdalena Catharine Marquard, born June 22, 1856.
Peter and Ida were the parents of 9 children: Adolph; Maria; Johann; Anna; August; a still-born son; Heinrich, who died as an infant; Theodor; and Hermann.
Johann and Maria Hansen remained in Clinton County until 1884 when they relocated to Crawford County, to a 40-acre farm south of Aspinwall. Johann Hansen was born on January 18, 1809, in Holm, Schleswig-Holstein. He died on February 28, 1901, on his farm near Aspinwall. He was 92 years old. Maria Catharina Petersen was born on February 8, 1811. She died on July 17, 1896, at 85 years of age.