The Arendzen and Stracké families were joined by marriage when the Dutch artist, Petrus Arendzen, married Epiphania, daughter of the German sculptor, Johan Stracké. The Strackés were a dynasty of sculptors and painters but little is known of the Arendzens before Petrus.

The sculptor Ignatius Stracké, had three sons, Johan, Gottfried and Franz, all of whom were sculptors. Gottfried’s great-grandson was the sculptor Gottfried Kappen. Franz’s son, Louis, was a painter.

Johan Stracké had three sons, Carolus, Franciscus and Leo. The latter two were both sculptors.

Petrus Arendzen, a prolific artist and etcher, had nine children, including the author and academic John Arendzen, the artist Leo and lastly William, who was anointed “Big Chief Pink Ear” by the Cheyenne, whilst working as a missionary in Montana.