The Voits of Jeffersonville, Indiana

A Voit family immigrated to the Ohio River port town of Jeffersonville, Indiana in the 1850s and still has a presence in the area.

The progenitor of this family, Stephen Voit, was born in 1816 in Bavaria and became a naturalized American citizen in New York City in 1842.  He likely immigrated through the port of New York in the late 1830s and migrated to Jeffersonville about 1853.

Stephen N. Voit was a Bavarian immigrant who became a respected resident and skilled tradesman in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Born on February 24, 1816, in Altenstein, Bavaria (now the village of Altenstein in Markt Maroldsweisach, Haßberge district, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany), he grew up in a rural part of the Kingdom of Bavaria during a period of post-Napoleonic economic and social changes.

At age 20, Stephen immigrated to the United States in 1836, arriving in New York. He worked there as a cabinet-maker until around 1850, building skills in woodworking and craftsmanship. He naturalized as a U.S. citizen in New York in 1842, during which time several children were born in New York State.

By 1850–1853, Stephen relocated to the Ohio River Valley. On May 8, 1853, he married Anna Lütty (also recorded as Hannah Leuthy or Anna Loity) in a Kentucky church, likely in Louisville—common for cross-river unions between German immigrant communities in the area. Anna, born around 1830 (possibly in Switzerland or a German-speaking border region), became the family matriarch.

The couple settled permanently in Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana, directly across the Ohio River from Louisville. Stephen found employment at the Howard Ship Yards (a major steamboat and shipbuilding facility), working as a steamboat joiner/carpenter—specializing in wooden fittings, interiors, and structural work—until retiring around 1890. This trade aligned with Jeffersonville's industrial growth as a river port and shipbuilding hub during the steamboat era.

Censuses from 1860 to 1900 document the family's stable life in Jeffersonville. Stephen appeared in the 1900 census at age 84 (self-reported birth July 1816, arrival 1836, married 47 years), retired and living with wife Anna (age 70) and unmarried daughter Adaline (age 31). He passed away on September 14, 1903, at age 87, from a general breakdown of health due partly to an old injury and advanced age, as detailed in his obituary in the Jeffersonville National Democrat (September 18, 1903, p. 6). The obituary praised him as an "old and respected citizen" and confirmed his Bavarian origins, New York cabinet-making years, and long tenure at Howard Yards.

Anna's death date remains undocumented in available records, but she survived at least until 1900. Burial details for Stephen are unconfirmed, though many family members (including son Alvin) rest at Walnut Ridge Cemetery in Jeffersonville.

The Voit family's story exemplifies 19th-century German-American resilience: immigration from Bavaria, adaptation in New York, marriage and settlement in the border region, skilled labor in river industry, and multi-generational roots in Indiana. They contributed to the cultural fabric of the Ohio Valley amid events like the Civil War, industrialization, and World Wars.

Key Family Members

Stephen and Anna raised a large family, with children born in New York (pre-relocation) and Indiana (post-settlement). Some older New York-born children fade from records after 1860 (likely due to marriage, relocation, or early death), while Indiana-born lines persisted locally.

Name	Relation	Birth	Death	Birthplace	Notes
Stephen N. Voit	Self	Feb 24, 1816	Sep 14, 1903	Altenstein, Bavaria	Immigrant 1836; Cabinet-maker in NY; Steamboat joiner at Howard Yards; Married 1853 KY.
Anna Lütty (Hannah Leuthy) Voit	Wife	~1830	Unknown (after 1900)	Switzerland/Germany	Consistent birthplace as Switzerland in censuses; No confirmed death record.
Amelia Voit	Daughter	~1843	Unknown	New York	In 1860 census; Likely married/relocated by 1880.
Matilda Voit	Daughter	~1847	Unknown	New York	In 1860 census; Absent later.
Martin Henry (Henry) Voit	Son	1852	Unknown	New York	Christened in NY; In 1860 census (age noted with possible error); No later traces.
Alvin Adam (Alfred/Alford) Voit	Son	Oct 1858	Dec 1955	Jeffersonville, IN	Long-lived; Married Margaret Burke; Father of James Burke Voit (1897–1953); Buried Walnut Ridge Cemetery.
Otto Stephen Voit Sr.	Son	1864	1950	Jeffersonville, IN	Married Margarethe Voit (1866–1944) Aug 7, 1888, Floyd Co., IN; Father of Otto Jr. (1893–1971) and possibly Anna Varina Voit Loveland (1900–1971); Buried Walnut Ridge.
Adaline (Adeline) Voit	Daughter	Nov 1869	Sep 16, 1941	Jeffersonville, IN	Unmarried in 1900; Lived with parents; Died in Norwood Park, Cook Co., IL.
Otto Stephen Voit Jr.	Grandson	Feb 20, 1893	1971	Jeffersonville, IN	Son of Otto Sr.; Married Clara Loraine Braun Nov 27, 1916; Lived in Port Fulton/Jeffersonville area.
James Burke Voit	Grandson	Dec 18, 1897	Jun 30, 1953	Jeffersonville, IN	Son of Alvin and Margaret Burke.
Anna Varina Voit Loveland	Granddaughter	Jun 6, 1900	Dec 15, 1971	Jeffersonville, IN	Likely daughter of Otto Sr.; Married; Remained in Jeffersonville area.