Yvonne Scholz

Rachel Lucinda Williams 1851 -1931

Rachel Lucinda William was my husband’s paternal second Great Grandmother. She was born 25 December 1853 in Bethany, Harrison County, Missouri. Her Father was the farmer, A.J. Williams and his wife, Nancy Lucinda Pruitt or Prewitt. The first time we can find Rachel, is in the 1860 census in Missouri together with her parents and her siblings. She and her siblings were attending school, except for the youngest.

We find Rachel and her family also in the 1870 census. At that time they were living in Sycamore, Montgomery County, Kansas. Rachel is now the oldest of her siblings.

A year later, Rachel married my husband’s second Great Grandfather, Charles Burgess, 30 July 1871 in Montgomery County, Kansas.

Nine years later the couple lived with their children in Waveland, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. He was a farmer, she a housekeeper and their older children attended school.

The Burgess family went west and they settled in Lake Creek, Stevens County, Washington. In the 1900 census we find them living with their children, Edith, Myrtle, Lee and Pearl. Edith was my husband’s Great Grandmother.

In the 1910 census we learn that the couple had been married for 40 years and they lived together with their youngest three children. We also learn that they had ten children together and that eight of them were alive at the time.

In 1920 Lucinda, her husband and their youngest son lived in Lincoln, Lincoln County, Washington.

In the 1930 census, Rachel is a widow and lives together with her son in law, R W Heber, and her daughter, Anna Heber, in Hunters, Stevens County, Washington. Rachels’ parents birth places are given as Indiana and Illinois, which is incorrect. They were both born in Kentucky.

Rachel Lucinda Williams died 7 September 1931 in Hunters, Stevens County, Washington. From the obituary below we learn that her husband was a Civil War Veteran. It also states that they first settled in Roseburg, Oregon before coming to Stevens County, Washington. It makes a lot of sense, as one of their daughters and my husband’s Great Grandmother, Editha Martha Burgess was born in Oregon in 1885.

On her death certificate we learn that her Father’s calling name was Jack instead of Andrew Jackson. Her daughter whom she had lived with, was the informant on the certificate.

I use Family Tree Maker to create family group sheets.

Rachel Lucinda William had a long, but probably a hard life. She had 13 children and moved around a lot with her husband and her children to make a better life for themselves. Her birth date was in 1853, however I switched to 1851 because it was on the death certificate. Her first child was born in 1866. She would have been only 15 years old. Girls back in the middle of the 19th century had to grow up fast. Despite having 13 children and moving several times, she made it almost to 80. Rachel must have been a strong and healthy woman to do all the things she did her in her life.

A map below shows where Rachel came from and where she died. She covered a lot of territory in her life. Almost 3000 miles!

December 18, 2024

Johann Heinrich Becker 1861-1945

Johann Heinrich Becker, my paternal Great Grandfather, was born 6 December 1861 in Hamminkeln and baptized in the Sankt Martini Church in Wesel, Germany. The church was destroyed during WW2. Pictures below were shared with me by the city archive in Wesel.

Johann’s parents were the railroad worker, Franz Joseph Egidius Becker (1827-1907) and his wife Maria Sickel (1823-1908). Johann was also a rail road worker and later became a police officer.

He married my Great Grandmother, Gertruda Johanna Görtzen (1861-?), 6 May 1884 in the same church. A picture of their marriage certificate is below.

If you have followed my blog for a while, you know that I always talk about the side notes on birth, marriage and death certificates. They are called Randvermerke in German. They can be of utmost importance for further research. This particular side note explained that my Great Grandfather died 17 February 1945, however he was not declared dead until 1953. Wesel was attacked by the British Royal Airforce with impact and air burst weapons February 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th, 1945. The city was pretty much destroyed after these attacks. I can’t even imagine what that was like. My Great Grandfather was killed during one of these attacks and his body probably was never identified.

December 6th is a special day in our family. It’s my brother’s and my wedding anniversary, and no it was not intended that way. My husband and I had planned on getting married the end of November. A winter storm got in the way and we couldn’t get over the mountains, so we ended up getting married December 6th. That’s the only day my husband had off from work. On the drive back, I realized that it was also my brother’s wedding anniversary. My brother’s Granddaughter was also born on December 6th.

In Germany Sankt Nicolaus is also celebrated that day. Children will put their shoes outside their room the night before. In the morning of the 6th, they will find them filled with chocolates, nuts and other goodies.

Sankt Nicolaus very often will also visit preschools and elementary schools. The children will sing, recite poems and receive small gifts. You can read about Nicolaus here.

I always include a map. Johann was born in Hamminkeln and he died in Wesel, Germany. Please see below.

December 5, 2024

Balthasar Hubert Steinhaus 1838-1893

Balthasar Hubert Steinhaus my maternal second Great Grandfather, was born 1 December 1838 and baptized the following day in Heerdt, Germany.

An old image of the catholic church is below.

Balthasar’s parents were Peter Wilhelm Steinhaus (1811-1881) and Christina Bolten (1808-1881). He married my second Great Grandmother, Anna Christina Gather, 18 November 1869 in Büderich.

Balthasar and Anna had two daughters, my Great Grandmother Anna Katharina (1870-1958) and her sister Christina (1874-1960). Balthasar lived in Heerdt, however he died suddenly in Büderich 25 July 1893. He was only 54 years old. The police station in Büderich had reported his death to the registry office. The death certificate noted the time of death and what street he died on. Below is a picture of the certificate.

The certificate looks a little different. This time the entry is in a form of a side note, because Balthasar didn’t die at home or in a hospital. Below you can see on the map that Heerdt and Büderich are right next to each other.

December 2, 2024

Johann Müller 1813-1893

Johann Müller, my paternal second Great Grandfather, was born exactly 211 years ago, on 25 November 1813 in Ohl near Engelskirchen.

His parents were Martin Müller and Elisabeth Fluch. Johann was married to my second Great Grandmother, Franziska Gertrud Müller. Yes, her last maiden names was Müller as well. Müller is one of the most common last names in Germany. We don’t know when and where they got married. It’s a still a mystery. The first two children were born in Hückeswagen.

The next three children, including my Great Grandmother, Bertha Müller, were born in Elberfeld. Elberfeld is world famous for its suspension railway.

The last two children were born in my home town in Düsseldorf.

Johann died 26 March 1893 in Düsseldorf. The dates and locations about Johann and his family have been obtained through my research and collaboration with second and third cousins I found through DNA testing. Below is a map of where Johann and his family had lived. Ohl, Hückeswagen, Elberfeld and Düsseldorf.

November 25, 2024

Anna Catharina Steinhaus 1870-1958

Anna Catharina Steinhaus was my maternal Great Grandmother. She was born 18 November 1870 in Heerdt. Her parents were Balthasar Hubert Steinhaus and Anna Christina Gather. Below is her birth certificate.

On the bottom of the certificate you can see the signature of her Father, Balthasar Steinhaus. Anna was baptized 21 November 1870 in the catholic church in Heerdt.

Her godparents were Wilhelm Steinhaus and Catharina Gather nee Wanders.

Anna was married 9 June 1893 in the same church to my handsome Great Grandfather, Franz Sevenich.

Witnesses were Gerhard Sevenich and Michael Bolten. Below is a picture of my Great Grandparent on their 25th anniversary.

Followed by a picture of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1943.

Both my Great Grandmother and my Great Grandfather survived WW1 and WW2. They had nine children together. One of them was my Grandmother, Adelheid Sevenich.

Anna died 10 March 1958 in Heerdt at the local hospital. Below is a postcard of the hospital from 1920.

The hospital still exists.

Anna is the youngest of my Steinhaus ancestors. My oldest Steinhaus came originally come from Eckkamp and Ratingen across the river Rhein.

November 17, 2024

Henriette Sophie Friedericke Hagemann 1822-1899

Sophie Hagemann was my maternal second Great Grandmother. The only document I have, is her death certificate.

The information on the certificate was given by her son in law Wilhelm Althoff. It states that Sophie, a widow, was living in his house in Hamm and that she died at the age of 76. She was married to my second Great Grandfather, the linen weaver, Christian Ontrup, in Gadderbaum near Bielefeld. She was the daughter of the shoemaker couple Hagemann who died in Werther also near Bielefeld, Germany. I already had found her parents. Their names were Friedrich Wilhelm Hagemann and Anna Maria Elisabeth Feldhorst. The son in law did not have that information.

Sophia Hagemann and Christian Ontrup had 11 children together. One of them was my Great Grandmother, Sophia Hermina Louisa Ontrup. I blogged about her in June of this year.

The map below shows where Sophie was born (Werther), where she got married (Gadderbaum) and where she died (Hamm).

November 12, 2024

Karl Beiersdörfer 1881-1951

Karl Beiersdörfer was my husband’s maternal Great Grandfather. Karl was born 16 November 1881 in Friesenheim and died 15 March 1951 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. His parents were the butcher, Franz Beiersdörfer and his wife Elisabeth Höcker.

Karl married Margarete Senck 20 June 1908 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein.

The marriage certificate states the names of the bride and groom and their parents. It states that the location of Karl’s Father Franz is unknown and that his Mother had married a second time and her last name is now Steiner. We also learn that Karl is a mason. It also says that the bride, Margarete Senck is a magazine worker and that she was born in Oggersheim. Her parents are Christoph Senck and Margarete Weinacht. The marriage certificate has several side notes (Randvermerke in German) These side notes can be of utmost importance for further research. On the right side of the first page it is written that Karl died 18 Mar 1951 in Ludwigshafen and the number of the death certificate is number 370/1951. There is a second side note that states that his wife Margarete died 5 May 1953 and that the number of the death certificate is 6061/1953. On the second page is another side note which mentions the birth of one of the children, Oscar Beiersdörfer, born 24 Sep 1924 and his marriage on 30 September 1950. Per German privacy laws I would not be able to order the Oscar’s birth or marriage certificate yet. You can order birth certificates after 110 years, marriage after 80 years and death after 30 years.

Karl fought in WW1 in the Alsace Lorrain region an area the Germans and French have fought over for hundreds of years.

In the Bavarian personal roster we we learn that Karl is catholic, when and where he was born, that he was a mason, that he was married and had three children at the time. We also learn that his Father, Franz, apparently lived in America, however the location is unknown and his Mother lived in Friesenheim.

Last month I travelled for the very first time to the Alsace Lorraine region on our way to Switzerland. We spent a few hours in the beautiful town of Colmar. The German spelling would have been Kolmar. Here are few of my pictures I took.

If you have the chance, go and visit the Alsace Lorraine region. It’s very beautiful. I hope to go there again on my next trip to Europe.

My Mother In Law said that Karl her Grandfather was a very kind person. He had a garden where he grew rhubarb, chamomile and peppermint. He also had a cherry tree and would get upset when the grandchildren came and picked the cherries too early. Karl also had rabbits, chicken and a goat.

Oggersheim and Friesenheim are all part of Ludwigshafen am Rhein.

November 8, 2024

Anna Christina Gather 1842-1906

Anna Christina Gather was my maternal second Great Grandmother. She was born 16 October 1842 in Büderich and died 13 May 1906 in Heerdt, Germany. She was baptized 18 October in the Sankt Mauritius catholic church in Büderich.

Her parents were Peter Jacob Gather and Anna Catharina Unterdenbäumen. Her godparents were Carole Gather and Anna Gertrude Hellenthal who lived in Kaarst.

Anna got married 18 November 1869 in the same church, to my second Great Grandfather, Balthasar Hubert Steinhaus (1838-1893).

It states the names of the groom, the bride and the names of their parents and the witnesses at the end. We also find out that Anna’s Mother is not alive during her wedding. In fact, Anna’s Mother had died when she was only six years old.

Anna died 13 May 1906 in Heerdt.

The death certificate was signed by her daughter and my Great Grandmother, Katharina Sevenich.

I know from my aunt that only that my Great Grandmother, Anna Catharina Steinhaus and her sister Anna Christina Steinhaus survived. A map below shows where Anna was born and where she died. Only 3.2 km or 1.9 miles apart.

November 1, 2024

Wilhelm Eduard Josef Hubert Krings 1882-1952

The picture above is of my paternal Grandfather, Wilhelm Krings and my Grandmother Maria and their first born son, Wilhelm.

Wilhelm was born 25 September 1882 and died 19 May 1952 in Düsseldorf, Germany. His parents were the gardener, Wilhelm Hubert Krings, and Bertha Müller. I have a copy his birth certificate.

The certificate states the names of the Father, Mother and the given name of my Grandfather. It also states that they were catholic and they lived on the Grafenbergerchaussee street. Below a postcard from my collection of the street where he was born.

My Grandfather had only one younger brother, Johann Krings. Through a DNA match I was able to find a descendent of Johann. I met my second cousin, Peter Hambach, in Köln (Cologne) in 2018. Wilhelm and Johann also had a sister who died in infancy.

Wilhelm got married to my Grandmother, Maria Becker, 13 May 1907 in the Sankt Martini church in Wesel. The church was destroyed in WW2. The city archives in Wesel shared two pictures with me of the church before its destruction. One from the inside and one of the outside of the church.

My Grandfather apparently served in WW1 in France and in Russia in 1915. I found this in a denazification file that came online recently. I had no idea that these files existed. I also found out that he had blue eyes and that he was 5 feet and 5 inches tall. The file also stated that he was not a threat to Germany before, during and after WW2.

My Grandfather had his own business in Düsseldorf. An upholstery and decorating shop. I found him in a directory from 1926. His residence was on the Kloster street and his business on the Kölner street in Düsseldorf. No phone number was listed.

My Grandfather and Grandmother had a large family. They had eight children together. One of them is was my Father, Karl Krings. Two of them, Hans and Josef were killed in Russia in WW2.

My Grandfather died suddenly 19 May 1952 in Düsseldorf. I am sad that I never met him.

Sources:

City Archive Wesel Germany

City Archive Düsseldorf

October 3, 2024

Peter Johann Sevenich 1838-1910

Peter was my maternal 2nd Great Grandfather. He was born 13 September 1838 in Brachelen and died 10 July 1910 in Düsseldorf-Heerdt, Germany. His parents were the farmer, Franz Sevenich, and Maria Sybilla Wilms.

Peter married my 2nd Great Grandmother, Josephine Odilia Gröbbels, 8 November 1867 in the Sankt Gereon church in Brachelen. Below is an old image of the church.

A typical street in Brachelen with the church circa 1920’s

Peter and Josephine had eleven children, one of them is my Great Grandfather, Franz Sevenich. Franz and his older sister Josephine were born in Brachelen and the rest of the children in Düsseldorf-Heerdt.