Here's what I know about my Wendorf's:
John Christian Wilhelm Wendorf(b. 1864) had three siblings: Charles, Fred, and Margaret. His parents were Johan Heinrich Wendorf and his mother was Anna Margarithe Sohl(Soehl) He was born in Neuhaus an der Oste(near Bremen). His father was a shoemaker and thus he was sent off to Geversdorf to apprentice that trade. German records show three other children being born. I don't believe those children survived until adulthood. In 1881 German records show that he went off to America. I believe American census records show later. Who knows??? In Chicago, he owned a Florsheim shoe store(maybe two). It was located on Armitage