Genealogy Is An Adventure

Category: Uncategorized

  • Mary Anne Sinclair Frost’s Unsual Family

    Mary Anne Sinclair was born 11 October 1837 in Cape Town, South Africa. She was the daughter of Thomas Kenneth Sinclair and Maria Magdalena Weingartz. She was also the granddaughter of my distant cousin, Adamus Paulus Weingartz, who immigrated to South Africa, from Düsseldorf, Prussia via the the Netherlands in 1787. I blogged about Adamus a while ago. You can read about him here.

    Mary Anne married Frederik Dunch Frost 12 October 1855 in Cape Town, South Africa. Frederik was born 22 June 1828 in Stepney, England. The couple had their first child, Frederik James, on 31 July 1857 in Capetown. He was baptized 28 August 1857 in St. Georges Church in the same town. I have no further information on Frederik, he might have died very young.

    The young family then left South Africa and went to England. Their second child, Sara Perry Frost was born 30 November 1858 at sea. In the 1861 England Census we find Sara and her parents in Middlesex. No sign of her brother Frederik. The father’s profession was mariner or sailor.

    Sara stayed single her whole life. I found her in the 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 Census. She never married and she never worked. May she inherited some money. Sara died in January 1938.

    Sara’s sister Mary Magdalena Frost was born 18 June 1860 in Shadwell, London. I also found Mary in several censuses in England and she never married. In fact I found her living together with Sara and a younger, sister, Alice Mary Frost in 1921. Alice Mary also never married.

    Mary died April 1935 in Conway, Wales. So, why did the sisters not get married?

    The fourth child, Angelina Anna Frost was born circa 1862 and you guessed it, was also a spinster. She died in March 1900. What is going on in this family?

    The fifth child, Alice Mary Frost, was born 1863 in Islington, London and died in July 1939 in Surrey, England. I already mentioned her earlier, living together with her other unmarried sisters. We know have four sisters, all unmarried. Let’s take a look at the rest of the siblings.

    The sixth child, Frederick James John Frost was born in 1866. He left England and immigrated to Ohio, USA in 1892. He married Gertrude Mae Walker 11 October 1899 in Trumbull, Ohio. The couple had three children, Florence, Dorothy and Frederick Theodore. Frederick James died 13 August 1936 in Youngstown, Ohio and Gertrude died 27 January 1948 in Warren, Ohio. Their children Dorothy and Frederick both married. I couldn’t find a marriage or death date for Florence.

    The seventh child, Ada Frost, was baptized 31 May 1867 in Surrey, England. I did find her in the 1891 and 1901 England censuses. I couldn’t find anything specific after the 1901 census.

    The eighth child, Henry James Frost was baptized 20 September 1868 and died in October 1952 in Surrey, England. I did not find a marriage for him.

    The ninth child, Claud Frost, was baptized 10 April 1873 in Surrey. He married Rose Mabel Ledbrook 3 September 1902 in Saint Mark, England. They had three children together, Barbara, Evelyn and Phillip. I haven’t been able to find any marriages for them.

    The tenth child, Elsie Maude Frost, was baptized 22 January 1875 in Lambeth, England. I found her in the 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 England censuses plus in the 1939 England and Wales Register. Yes, you guessed it, she was not married either.

    The eleventh child, Albert George Frost, was born circa 1876. He immigrated to Australia and married Madeleine Henrietta Bode 7 April 1899 in Queensland, Australia. The couple had three children, Horace, Vivian and Adrian.

    The twelfth child, Horace Frost, was baptized 24 August 1877. I was able to find him in census records. In 1911 he lived together with his sisters, Sara and Elsie Frost. I have no specific dates for him after that.

    The last child, Leslie Howard Frost, was born in 1879 and died in 1880

    This family is mind boggling. None of the girls go married! Two of the boys went to America and Australia respectively. One stayed in England.

    Have you ever encountered such a family in your research? Leave a comment below.

  • Cemeteries

    Just last week we visited another cemetery. We were supposed to go to Point Loma, however due to the federal government shut down it was closed. Instead we decided to stop by Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. It is a federal military cemetery in San Diego with some of the same views you can see from Point Loma.

    When I took the pictures I didn’t realize that the graves all faced the San Diego bay. It is a beautiful and peaceful place with lots of sunshine and probably a lot of fog at times.

    The cemetery is located on 75 acres and has more than 120,000 interments. It’s the final resting place for military personal since 1846. The gold rush didn’t start until 1849 and California became a state in 1850.

    In September I went to the famous Virginia City Cemetery in Nevada. It felt like I travelled back in time. The cemetery is located on a huge hill and grouped by professions and religions, goes on forever. Most of the people buried there, were born in other countries. I found many graves of Germans, British and Irish descent.

    The cemetery was established in the 1860’s and about 5000 people are buried here. If you walk the cemetery, bring water and sun screen. Good walking shoes are preferred. Best time to visit is October.

    In June we went to the Carmel Mission in California. I took one picture of the cemetery.

    How many people are buried here, is unknown. The cemetery was established in 1771.

    Last year in September we went to two cemeteries in Europe. The first one was in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.

    Lauterbrunnen cemetery is nestled in the beautiful Swiss mountains with a view of the famous waterfalls.

    We also visited Berchtesgarden cemetery in Germany.

    This cemetery is nestled in the beautiful Bavarian Alps.

    Please note that every picture was taken by me.

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  • Distant Cousins

    We all grow up with first cousins if we are lucky enough. I grew up with several of them living close by in Düsseldorf and a couple who lived near Munich. Even though the Munich cousins were far away, I still got to see them at least once or twice a year.

    When I grew up, I never even heard of the term, distant cousin. No one talked about the family history. My Oma, Adelheid Sevenich, had several siblings whom I never really met, except for one great aunt, named Tante (aunt) Grete.

    I do have a picture of Oma and her siblings and her parents from the 1920’s.

    Oma is the pretty lady in the middle standing behind her parents.

    My Oma and all her siblings lived in Düsseldorf-Heerdt all their lives, except for her sister Sibilla who had moved to the Netherlands.

    In about 2011 I started to contact the Heerdter Bürgerverein (Heerdter Citizens’ Association) via messenger on Facebook. I did this several time to gather information about Heerdt and my extended family. I am sure they got tired of me and low and behold a second cousin, named Gabi, contacted me. Gabi’s grandfather, Jakob, and my Oma were siblings.

    Jakob Sevenich circa 1920’s

    Cousin Gabi and I met in Germany in 2018. She is on left side.

    Gabi then proceeded to tell me about a third cousins, Annemarie, who still lives in Heerdt. Annemarie’s grandfather was Gerhard Sevenich

    who was the brother to our great grandfather Franz Sevenich.

    Sevenich Family early 1900’s

    Gerhard Sevenich is sitting on the left side, next to 2x Great Grandfather, Johann Sevenich and Franz is sitting next to 2x Great Grandmother, Josephine Gröbbels Sevenich.

    Another 3rd cousin, Ursula, contacted me. She is the descendant of Adelheid or Adele Sevenich, who is standing behind Gerhard on the left side.

    Adelheid Sevenich Lenzen 1871-1943 was also my Oma’s Adelheid Sevenich 1899-1982 godmother.

    Baptism entry for my Grandmother. All children were baptized in the Saint Benedict Church.

    Cousin Gabi and I found yet another second cousin, named Hermi, short for Hermine. Her grandmother was Anna Sevenich, who was the sister of Gabis grandfather, Jakob and my grandmother Adelheid.

    The Sevenich family came from Brachelen and migrated to Heerdt in about 1871. I do have one distant cousin named, Peter, whom I have contact with and who reads my blog on a regular basis. He has been able to help with our oldest Sevenich ancestor. Peter still lives in Brachelen and has send me some wonderful literature about the area. I love the way ancestry breaks down how we are exactly related.

    Peter Wilms 
    5th cousin 1x removed

    Karl Josef Wilms 1935-2016
    Father of Peter Wilms

    Helene Franziska Sofia Coenen 1903-1986
    Mother of Karl Josef Wilms

    Peter Johann Coenen 1875-1965
    Father of Helene Franziska Sofia Coenen

    Peter Jacob Coenen 1842-1927
    Father of Peter Johann Coenen

    Anna Barbara Gertrud Sevenich 1817-1883
    Mother of Peter Jacob Coenen

    Johann Jacobus Sevenich 1784-1865
    Father of Anna Barbara Gertrud Sevenich

    Johann Peter Sevenich 1751-1800
    Father of Johann Jacobus Sevenich

    Franz Sevenich 1797-1874
    Son of Johann Peter Sevenich

    Peter Johann Sevenich 1838-1910
    Son of Franz Sevenich

    Franz Sevenich 1870-1950
    Son of Peter Johann Sevenich

    Adelheid Katharina Sevenich 1899-1982
    Daughter of Franz Sevenich

    Katharina Josephine Schneider 1927-1982
    Daughter of Adelheid Katharina Sevenich

    Yvonne Katharina Krings
    You are the daughter of Katharina Josephine Schneider

    Finding my second, third and fifth cousins has been the highlight of my genealogical research. Distant family members don’t just have names, dates and locations, but they come alive.

    I want to thank my cousins, Gabi, Annemarie, Ursula, Hermi and Peter for helping with my research. They contributed names, articles, pictures and so much more. I am so happy that I found you!

    Have you made contact with any distant cousins? If yes, please leave a comment or subscribe!

  • Charles Burgess 1843-1928

    Charles was the son of Stephen T. Burgess and Elizabeth Bentley. He was born 2 September 1843 in Tomkinsville, Monroe County, Kentucky. Charles had three siblings, Sara, Plesent and Jessie. In the 1860 Census, Charles’s father was probably not alive.

    In 1864 Charles served in the Civil war as a private in company F, First Tennessee mounted infantry. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles

    NameCharles M Burgess
    Enlistment Age18
    Birth Date2 Sep 1843
    Birth PlaceKentucky
    Enlistment Date8 Mar 1864
    Enlistment RankPrivate
    Muster Date21 Mar 1864
    Muster PlaceTennessee
    Muster CompanyF
    Muster Regiment1st Mtd Infantry
    Muster Regiment TypeInfantry
    Muster InformationEnlisted
    Muster Out Date22 Jul 1865
    Muster Out InformationMustered Out
    Side of WarUnion
    Survived War?Yes
    Last Known Residence PlaceStevens County, Washington
    Death Date26 Feb 1928
    Death PlaceHunters, Washington
    Burial PlaceHunters, Washington
    CemeteryGreenwood Cemetery
    Additional NotesWife: Rachael L.
    TitleIndex to Compiled Military Service Records; Civil War Veterans Buried in Stevens County by Roger W. May; Report of Adjutant General State of Tennessee

    Source: Ancestry.com

    Charles married his sweetheart, Rachel Williams, aka Rose, at Independence, Kansas, in 1866 according to his obituary, however the official date was in 1871.

    NameChas M Burggess
    GenderMale
    Age25
    Birth Dateabt 1846
    Marriage Date30 Jul 1871
    Marriage PlaceMontgomery, Kansas, USA
    SpouseRechael S Williams
    Film Number001404520

    Source: ancestry.com

    The couple had a large family:

    • 1. Rosetta, born 1866 in Kansas City, Kansas, died 1935 in Colfax, Washington. She was married to Thomas Adams and they had 4 children. Second marriage to Thomas Elliott, they had one child.
    • Stephen Henry born 1871 in Kansas, died 1940 in Spokane, Washington. He was married to Carrie Crook, they had 1 child. Second marriage to Anna Woodcock.
    • Ida born in 1875, no other information available
    • Loretta Rachel born 1876 in Iowa City, Iowa, died 1909 in Peach, Lincoln, Washington. She was married to William Lee Brannan and they had 4 children.
    • Anna born 1878 in Iowa, died 1936 in Hunters, Stevens County, Washington. She was married to Peter Wayne Heber, they had 3 children.
    • Mary Florence born 1880 in Iowa, died 1953 in Spokane, Washington. She was married to Charles Waters and they had 7 children.
    • Charles Andrew born 1882 in Iowa, died 1958 in Spokane, Washington. He was married to Mary Glasford Gildersleve and they had 4 children.
    • Edith Martha born 1885 in Springfield, Oregon, died 1928 in Colfax, Washington. She was married to Ed Hickman and they had 2 children.
    • Myrtle born 1890 in Stevens County, Washington, died 1963 in Spokane County, Washington. She was married to Arthur Owen and they had 3 children.
    • Robert born 1891 and died 1976 in Washington. He was married to Zelva Little and they 10 children.
    • Pearl born 1894 and died 1982 in Washington. She was married to Thomas Andrews Lantzy and hey had 2 children.

    In 1880, Charles and his family lived on a farm in Pottawattamie, Iowa. According to the federal census, Charles was illiterate. His parents supposedly were from Virginia and Tennessee.

    NameCharles M. Berges
    Age37
    Birth DateAbt 1843
    BirthplaceKentucky
    Home in 1880Waveland, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA
    Dwelling Number192
    RaceWhite
    GenderMale
    Relation to Head of HouseSelf (Head)
    Marital StatusMarried
    Spouse’s NameRachel L. Berges
    Father’s BirthplaceVirginia
    Mother’s BirthplaceTennessee
    OccupationFarmer
    Cannot ReadY
    Cannot WriteY
    NameAge
    Charles M. Berges37
    Rachel L. Berges28
    Roseta Berges12
    Stephan H. Berges8
    Ida F. Berges5
    Rachel R. Berges4
    Anna Berges2
    Florence M. Berges4/12

    In 1884 Charles and his family settled in Roseburg. A year later, in 1885, my husband’s Great Grandmother, Edith was born.

    A photo of Edith Martha Burgess Hickman, taken a day after her wedding in 1906 in Washington.

    In 1890, Charles and his family settled in Gifford, Stevens County, Washington. The last child, Pearl, was born in that county in 1894.

    Charles died 26 February 1928 in Stevens County, Washington.

    Source: The Spokesman-Review

    Spokane, Washington • Sun, Feb 26, 1928Page 20

    His widow Rachel received his Civil War Pension.

    Source: Ancestry.com

    Charles’s death certificate poses more questions than answers.

    According to the informant on Charles’s death certificate, his parents Stephen Burgess and Elisabeth Bently were from Ireland. In the 1880 census Charles gave the locations as Virginia and Tennesee. The informant was one of his children. There is a lot of unknowns about Charles’s parents. There is more than one couple with the names Stephen Burgess and Elisabeth Bently who lived in the same vicinity in Kentucky. That makes it even more confusing. Looking at the facts I have gathered for them, I even made mistakes and will have to correct them.

    Charles is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Hunters, Steven County, Washington. You can find him on Find A Grave!

    I always like to include a map. Charles lived many places, from Tompkinsville, Kentucky to Kansas City, Kansas, to Waveland, Iowa, to Springfield, Oregon to Gifford and Hunters, Washington.

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  • Joseph Henry Hickman 1852-1933

    Henry Hickman was the son of Richard Hickman and Elizabeth Jane Canutt. He was born 25 September 1852 in Warren County, Indiana and died 15 July 1933 in Colfax, Washington. Henry came from a rather large family, as his father was married four times. Seventeen children altogether, two of whom died in infancy. When Henry was eight years old in 1860, the family lived on a farm in Ash Grove, Iroquois County, Illinois.

    NameJoseph H Hickman
    Age8
    Birth Yearabt 1852
    GenderMale
    RaceWhite
    Birth PlaceIndiana
    Home in 1860Ash Grove, Iroquois, Illinois
    Post OfficeAsh Grove
    Dwelling Number2170
    Family Number2001
    Attended SchoolY
    NameAge
    Richard Hickman
    Elizabeth J Hickman35
    Sylvester Hickman19
    John W Hickman
    Franklin Hickman14
    Mary C Hickman12
    Joseph A Hickman8
    Alexander Hickman6
    Thomas Hickman
    Richard Hickman2/12

    In 1870 the family still lived in Iroquois County. Henry’s mother, Elizabeth Jane Canutt had died in 1867 and his father was married to Mariah Sanders.

    NameJoseph H Hickman
    Age in 187019
    Birth Dateabt 1851
    BirthplaceIndiana
    Dwelling Number115
    Home in 1870Stockland, Iroquois, Illinois
    RaceWhite
    GenderMale
    Post OfficeMilford
    Attended SchoolYes
    Inferred FatherRichard Hickman
    Inferred MotherMaria Hickman
    NameAge
    Richard Hickman52
    Maria Hickman37
    Joseph H Hickman19
    Alxander Hickman17
    Sarah F Hickman8
    Liza J Hickman6
    Elmer C Hickman3

    In August of 1874 Henry got married to Mary E Davis who was the daughter of Henry Davis and Mary Elizabeth Collins, in Prairie Greens, Iroquois County, Illinois. Mary was only sixteen years old and needed the permission from her father to get married.

    The couple had seven children:

    • Charles born 1876 in Illinois, died 1903 in Mockonema, Washington
    • Nellie born and died 1878 in Illinois
    • Edward born 1880 in Whitman County, Washington, died 1946 in Redding, California. He was married to Edith Martha Burgess. They had two children
    • Maude born 1883 in Almota, Whitman County, Washington, died 1961 in Lewiston, Idaho. She was married to George Thomas Smith and they had four children.
    • Anna born 1885 and died 1913 in Washington
    • James Chester born 1887 in Washington, died 1953 in Sandpoint, Idaho. He was married to Lillian Blanche and they had five children.
    • Will Hickman born 1890 in Whitman County, died 1977 in Walla Walla, Washington. He was married to Geneva and they had four children.

    On April 2nd, 1879 according to a newspaper article, the Hickman family left Illinois on a train and headed west to San Francisco. From there they a took a boat to Portland, Oregon and then another one up the Columbia and Snake River to Almota, Washington where they settled. Henry’s uncle Abe Ensley had arrived in the area a few years before him and planted the first wheat in Whitman County. The region also known as Palouse Country is world famous for wheat growing. Many of Henry’s descendants, including my husband’s uncles, still farm in that area today.

    Henry became a very successful and wealthy farmer. Besides wheat farming, he also had an orchard full of apple, pear and nut trees. He had flocks of chickens, geese and ducks. He had lots of horses, goats and sheep. During the school year, Henry moved his family to Pullman, so that his children had a chance at a good education. He was one of the first farmers to have a telephone installed. He also owned automobiles and trucks for his business. An example of a GMC truck Henry owned to transport wheat. He is not in this picture.

    Henry loved his family. In 1903 tragedy struck! His oldest son, Charles Hickman, was killed by a accidental discharge from a rifle.

    Charles was only 27 years old and engaged to be married. On a happier note, the younger brother Ed got married three years later in 1906 and received a house as a wedding gift from his father.

    Henry retired in a house he had bought in Colfax.

    In 1920 his beloved Mary died in their home.

    In 1932 Henry celebrated his 80th birthday with 100 friends. He was well liked in the community.

    Less than a year later, Henry died of cancer.

    Henry was my husband’s second Great Grandfather. I have found so many articles about him in old newspapers and books. It would take months or even years to read them all. His life has been well documented. Below is a map of Henry’s journey from Indiana via San Francisco and Portland to Almota and Colfax where he died.

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  • Mable Harriet Scholz Carty 1903-1958

    Mable was the daughter of Adolph Scholz and Rosina Muecke. She was the 8th child, born 14 February 1903 in Inskip, Knoxville, Tennessee. A year later Mabel was baptized in the First Lutheran Church.

    NameMabel Harriet Scholz
    Baptism Age1
    Record TypeBaptism
    Birth Date19 Feb 1903
    Birth PlaceKnox County, Tennessee
    Baptism Date7 Aug 1904
    Baptism PlaceKnoxville, Tennessee
    FatherAdolph Scholz
    MotherRosa Mücke

    Her godparents were her uncle and aunt, Julius and Julia Schwenke. Julia was the sister of her mother, Rosa Mücke. The same year her younger brother Walter was born.

    In 1905, she and her family moved across country to a farm in Dusty, Whitman County, Washington. Her younger brother, Robert was born a year later, in 1906. The first census Mabel appeared on was the one in 1910.

    NameMabel Scholz
    Age in 19107
    Birth Date1903
    BirthplaceTennessee
    Home in 1910Dusty, Whitman, Washington, USA
    Sheet Number7a
    StreetAlkali
    RaceWhite
    GenderFemale
    Relation to Head of HouseDaughter
    Marital StatusSingle
    Father’s BirthplaceAustria
    Mother’s BirthplaceAustria
    Enumeration District Number0267
    Enumerated Year1910
    NeighborsView others on page
    NameAge
    Adolf Scholz45
    Rosie Scholz45
    Albert Scholz19
    Frank Scholz17
    Earnest Scholz15
    Rosa Scholz13
    Agness Scholz12
    John Scholz10
    Mabel Scholz7
    Walter Scholz6
    Robert Scholz4

    Mabel was 7 years old. Her older siblings had already attended school and could read and write. Her parent’s birth place was given as Austria, even though her father’s was from Prussia. In 1920 Mabel was 16 years old and she lived with her parents in Dusty. She still had not attended school, however she was able to read and write.

    NameMabel Scholz
    Age16
    Birth Yearabt 1904
    BirthplaceTennessee
    Home in 1920Dusty, Whitman, Washington
    StreetDusty-Colfax Highway
    Residence Date1920
    RaceWhite
    GenderFemale
    Relation to Head of HouseDaughter
    Marital StatusSingle
    Father’s NameA A Scholz
    Father’s BirthplaceAustria
    Mother’s NameRosa Scholz
    Mother’s BirthplaceAustria
    Able to Speak EnglishYes
    Attended SchoolNo
    Able to readYes
    Able to WriteYes
    NeighborsView others on page
    NameAge
    A A Scholz54
    Rosa Scholz54
    Ernest Scholz25
    John Scholz20
    Mabel Scholz6
    Walter Scholz15
    Robert Scholz13

    All of Mabel’s siblings got married, had children and went onto farming. She was the exception. Mabel decided that farming was not for her, so she moved to Los Angeles, California. I have not been able to find her in the 1930 Census, however I found her in the 1936 California Voter Registration.

    NameMiss Mable H Scholz
    Residence Date1936
    Street Address427 S Westlake av
    Residence PlaceLos Angeles, California, USA
    Party AffiliationDemocrat
    OccupationOperator

    Mabel also had a souvenir from the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

    I did find her in the 1940 Census. She was a machine operator at a clothing manufacturing company.

    NameMabel Sholz
    RespondentYes
    Age37
    Estimated Birth Yearabt 1903
    GenderFemale
    RaceWhite
    BirthplaceTennessee
    Marital StatusSingle
    Relation to Head of HouseLodger
    Home in 1940Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
    Map of Home in 1940Los Angeles,Los Angeles,California
    StreetSo Hobart Avenue
    Inferred Residence in 1935Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
    Residence in 1935Los Angeles
    Resident on farm in 1935No
    Sheet Number18A
    OccupationMachine Operator
    Attended School or CollegeNo
    Highest Grade CompletedHigh School, 2nd year
    Hours Worked Week Prior to Census40
    Class of WorkerWage or salary worker in private work
    Weeks Worked in 193940
    Income750
    Income Other SourcesNo
    NeighborsView others on page

    Mable married the love of her life, Ray Lawrence Carty, 18 January 1940 in Clark County, Nevada.

    In 1950 they still lived happily in Los Angeles.

    NameMabel Carty
    Age47
    Birth Dateabt 1903
    GenderFemale
    RaceWhite
    Birth PlaceTennessee
    Marital StatusMarried
    Relation to Head of HouseWife
    Residence Date1950
    Home in 1950Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Street NameW 14th St
    House Number2214
    Dwelling Number314
    FarmNo
    AcresNo
    OccupationPower Machine Operator
    IndustryDress Factory
    Occupation CategoryWorking
    Hours Worked40
    Worker ClassPrivate
    Institution TypeLarge Flat
    Household Members (Name)AgeRelationshipLawerence Carty51HeadMabel Carty47Wife

    In 1955 Mabel travelled back to Washington for a family reunion. In the picture she is the lady with the pretty dress. Her brother Frank was absent and her father Adolph had died in 1939.

    Just three years later Mabel died of cancer at the Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles. According to the death certificate she had lived there since 1925.

    She is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County.

    Time Line for Mable

    • 1903 Born in Inskip, Tennessee
    • 1904 Baptized In Knoxville, Tennessee
    • 1904 Birth of Brother Walter
    • 1905 Moved to Dusty, Washington
    • 1906 Birth of Brother Robert
    • 1910 Lived in Dusty
    • 1920 Lived in Dusty
    • 1925 Moved to Los Angeles
    • 1932 Attended the Olympic Games in Los Angeles
    • 1941 Married Ray Lawrence Carty in Nevada
    • 1955 Family Reunion in Washington
    • 1958 Died in Los Angeles

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  • The Paternal Ancestors of Maria Becker 1885-1975

    Last year I wrote about my paternal Grandmother, Maria Johanna Becker.

    Lets see how far I can take back her paternal line. When I first researched Maria’s ancestry I had a tough time finding any information at all. All my ancestors were born in Germany, so I have no way of using census records. My Dad died in 2006 and the only information I had from him was her birth and death dates and locations, which is not bad at all to get started. Oma (Grandma) was born in Hamminkeln outside of Wesel. I ordered her birth certificate from the city archive hoping to find the names of her parents.

    Twenty years ago, I had to send a letter to the archive in Hamminkeln, Germany and request a copy of the birth certificate. I would receive a letter back with the copy and then had to pay the archive. They would not allow cash. We had to instruct our bank here in the USA to pay them via theirs in Germany. It was complicated but it worked. In the end I received the birth certificate and the names of Oma’s parents, the day laborer Johann Heinrich Becker and his wife Johanna Görtzen. There was also a Randvermerk (side note) on the left lower side which gave the information about her death certificate and where to order it.

    After I found Oma’s parents I wanted to find their ancestors. How was I going to do that? There was not much online about Hamminkeln and Wesel. Oma was catholic so I had to look into church records. There was no catholic church in Hamminkeln, however there was one in Wesel. Wesel belongs to the diocese Münster. I emailed the diocese about the parents marriage record. They did not send me a copy however they gave me the wedding date and the birth years. These days the church book is online. I looked up the wedding record for Johann Heinrich Becker and Gertruda Görtzen.

    Johann and Johanna were married 6 May 1884 in Wesel and I found out that both of them were born in the year 1861 in Hamminkeln. This wedding record did not mention the parents names only the witnesses. I wrote back to the dioceses and they gave me their names. Many years later I found the baptism records online. Johannes was baptized 6 December 1861. His parents were Franz Becker and Maria Sickel. Gertruda was baptized 13 October 1861 also in the same church. Her parents were Mathias Görzen and Maria Anna Spelleken.

    1. Johann Heinrich Becker Baptism

    2. Gertruda Görtzen Baptism

    Finding the next generations of the Becker family proved difficult again. Franz Becker was working for the railroad, that’s all I found in the baptism record of his son Johann. No location of where Franz was from. Was he from Hamminkeln or somewhere else? It took another five or six year to find that information.

    In the year 2021, death certificates started coming online for North Rhine-Westphalia. I was lucky as the website My Heritage published some of them on their website. I found Franz’s death certificate.

    New information I found in Franz’s death certificate. He died in 1907, he had another son named Theodor, who was the informant on the certificate. Number two is that Franz was born in Messinghausen. Number three is that the parents of Franz were unknown. He was 80 years old when he died in 1907. That meant that Franz was born about 1827.

    Messinghausen postcard from my personal collection.

    Franz was born in Messinghausen, however he was baptized in the catholic church in Thülen. I found his baptismal record on the website Familysearch.

    NameFranz Joseph Egidius Becker
    GenderMale
    Baptism Age0
    Birth Date30 Aug 1827
    Baptism Date01 Sep 1827 (1 Sep 1827)
    Baptism PlaceSankt Dionysius Katholisch, Thuelen, Westfalen, Prussia
    Residence PlaceThülen, Westfalen, Preußen, Germany
    FatherJohann Becker
    MotherChristine Muenster
    FHL Film Number1056008

    I also found the original record in the church book. This record verified that the parents lived in Messinghausen. I circled the location.

    Finding this location in the baptismal record was important, because there a tons of Becker families in the area. Anytime you have a very common name one has to be careful with finding the right ancestors.

    Two new names, Johann Becker and Christine Münster/Muenster. I found their marriage just a couple of years before Franz was born.

    NameJohann Becker
    GenderMale
    Marriage Date25 Jan 1825
    Marriage PlaceThülen, Westfalen, Preussen, Germany
    SpouseChristine Muenster
    FHL Film Number1056007

    I found the original church record online. Johann was a farmer in Messinghausen and Christine was from Weiberg, however no parents, only the witnesses are mentioned.

    Once again I was stuck for a couple of years until church records from Weiberg came online. It was quite common for catholic couples to get married twice. Johann and Christine also tied the knot in her church in Weiberg.

    The top part is Johann’s and the bottom part is for Christine. Johann was born in Messinghausen, his parents are Johann Michael Becker and Maria Gertrud Schröder. Christina was born in Weiberg and her parents are Joannes Caspar Münster and Anna Catharina Maria Dören.

    Johann Michael Becker and Maria Gertrud Schröder got married in Thülen.

    NameJoannes Michael Becker
    GenderMale
    Marriage Date10 Feb 1779
    Marriage PlaceThülen, Westfalen, Preussen, Germany
    FatherCaspari Becker
    MotherAnnae Elisabethae Wuerminghausen
    SpouseGedrud Schroeder
    FHL Film Number1056007

    I found the original entry in the Thülen church book.

    I also found Johann’s baptismal record.

    NameJoannes Michael Becker
    GenderMale
    Baptism Age0
    Birth Date28 Feb 1750
    Birth PlaceOlsberg
    Baptism Date01 Mär 1750 (1 Mar 1750)
    Baptism PlaceSankt Martin Roemisch-Katholische, Bigge, Westfalen, Prussia
    Residence PlaceBigge, Westfalen, Preussen
    FatherCaspar Henrich Becker
    MotherAnna Elisabetha Wuerminghausen
    FHL Film Number1051950

    Found the original record in the church book in Bigge. Johann was born 28 February and baptized on the first of March, 1750.

    Johann’s parents Caspar Henrich Becker and Anna Elisabetha Würminghausen married 18 November 1747 in the same church in Bigge.

    NameCasparus Henricus Becker
    GenderMale
    Marriage Date18 Nov 1747
    Marriage PlaceSankt Martin Roemisch-Katholische, Bigge, Westfalen, Prussia
    SpouseElisabetha Wuerminghausen
    FHL Film Number1051950

    I found the marriage in the church book.

    The word behind his Mother Elisabetha Würminghausen is vidua, which means, she was already a widow. So at this point I don’t know if Würminghausen is her maiden or married name. Original records are very important. Most likely Johann had half siblings.

    Let’s see if I can take the Becker line back another generation. I need to find Caspar’s parents and baptism.

    NameCasparus Henricus Becker
    GenderMale
    Baptism Date07 Apr 1733 (7 Apr 1733)
    Baptism PlaceThülen, Westfalen, Preussen, Germany
    Residence PlacePreußen, Germany
    FatherJoannes Henricus Becker
    MotherMaria Catharina Wiessen
    FHL Film Number1056007

    Voilà! I found them, thanks to the Family Search website and here is the original entry from the church book.

    It’s possible that I eventually can find a marriage for Joannes Henricus Becker and Maria Catharina Wiessen, but for now this is the end of the Becker line.

    Here is timeline I created for Maria’s paternal Becker line

    Maria’s was born in Hamminkeln, however her direct paternal line came from Messinghausen and surrounding villages.

    Finding your ancestors can be very tricky and difficult at times. It takes a lot of time, patience and money. In the end the reward is priceless. No matter how long you have waited for a record to be published. Finally you can go back one more generations. I found my 6th Becker Great-Grandparents. It will take me some time to go through more of the church books backwards to hopefully find their marriage and may be even their parents.

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  • What Happened To Franz Beiersdörfer (1859-?)

    Franz Beiersdörfer was my husband’s maternal 2nd Great Grandfather. He was the son of the soldier, Johann Heinrich Beiersdörfer (1829-1891) and his wife Margaretha Johann (1830-1876). Franz was baptized 21 July 1859 in the catholic church in Albersweiler, a famous wine region in Germany.

    Baptism of Franz Beiersdörfer in Alberweiler.

    Town of Albersweiler Circa 1910

    In 1884 Franz lived in Friesenheim, which is now part of Ludwigshafen am Rhein. That year he married my husband’s 2nd Great Grandmother, Elisabeth Höcker (1864-1928). Elisabeth was the daughter of Johannes Höcker (1836-1874) and his wife Wilhelmine Katharina Bauswein (1839-1907).

    This marriage certificate has a lot more information that just the groom and bride and their parents. On the second page it stated that Franz and Elisabeth had a son, named Karl, together in 1881. It has been my experience with quite a few of my husband’s Bavarian ancestors that the women had children before they even got married. Children that were born before the wedding, will always be mentioned in the marriage certificate.

    On the top page there is a side note in the upper left corner which states that Franz and Elisabeth got a divorce in 1900. We know that Elisabeth died 1928 in Ludwigshafen. What happened to Franz? Franz and Elisabeth only had one son. Two other children died in infancy.

    Their son, Karl, married in 1908 in Ludwigshafen. In his marriage certificate it said the location of his Father, Franz, is unknown. Karl fought in WW1 (1914-1918). In the WW1 Peronnel Roster it stated that Karl’s Father lived in America, location unknown.

    A long time ago my husband’s maternal Grandmother talked about her Grandfather, Franz. She had heard that he had left for America and that the ship sank.

    Searching for Franz is becoming like finding a needle in a haystack. America could have been the USA or Canada or even Central America. How about South America? Many Germans immigrated to Brazil for example.

    I searched the following websites for Franz hoping to find emigration or immigration records.

    I even contacted the city archives in Ludwigshafen to see if they had any emigration information about Franz. It’s possible that Franz used a different name when he left the country. He was a butcher by trade, so it would have been easy for him to find work. I found the 1896 directory for Friesenheim in google books.

    His wife Elisabeth was in it, but he was not. My guess is that Franz was already gone by then and it took a couple more years for her to get a divorce in 1900.

    Here is Franz’s timeline:

    • 21 July 1859 Birth in Albersweiler
    • 24 July 1859 Baptism at the catholic church in Albersweiler
    • 16 November 1881 Son Karl is born in Friesenheim
    • 11 October 1884 Marriage to Elisabeth Hoecker in Friesenheim
    • 28 December 1884 Birth of daughter Susanna
    • 10 February 1885 Death of daughter Susanna
    • 18 April 1887 Birth of son Adam
    • 29 March 1900 Divorce
    • Death date and location unknown

    I will contact the city archives in Ludwigshafen again to see if I can obtain a copy of the divorce record. I do not know if they even kept it. May be I can find a clue in that record.

    As always I like to include a map. Friesenheim is north of Albersweiler, about 60 km or 37 miles.

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  • Anna Catharina Boeckers 1757-1829

    My 4th paternal Great Grandmother, Anna Catharina Boeckers was baptized 15 Jun 1757 in Düsseldorf-Heerdt and died 20 March 1829 in Düsseldorf-Lörick. Her parents were Wilhelm Boeckers and Christine Muellers.

    An old postcard of the St. Benediktus Catholic Church In Heerdt.

    Anna got married in the same church 20 August 1782 to my 4th Great Grandfather, Heinrich Goetzen (1747-1820).

    She and Heinrich had 6 children, all baptized in Heerdt.

    • 1. Joannes Petrus Wilhelmus, my 3rd Great Grandfather, born 1783 in Heerdt, died 1816 in Lörick. He was married to my 3rd Great Grandmother, Helen Catharina Muehlensieb. They had 3 children.
    • 2. Maria Magdalena, born 1785
    • 3. Wilhem Balthasar born 1788, got married 25 October 1825 in Eckamp to Maria Margaretha Hamacher. They had 7 children.
    • 4. Maria Christina born 1791, got married 21 January 1826 in Neuß to Johann Mathias Fleur
    • 5. Johannes Henricus born 1794
    • 6. Michael Anton born 1802

    Anna died 20 March 1829 in Oberlörick which is not far from Heerdt. In the church book entrance it was written that she had been a widow.

    I have three primary sources for Anna, her birth/baptism, her marriage and her death entries in the church book. My goal is to have these type of sources for all my direct ancestors, even though it’s not always possible. For her parents so far I only have the marriage record in the church book. I do have all the baptism entries for her children.

    You might ask what is a primary record? Primary records are original records like the excerpt from a church book, or a copy of a birth certificate. Secondary records you can for example look up on the Family Search Website. A secondary source for Anna’s marriage:

    NameAnna Catharina Boeckers
    GenderFemale
    Marriage Date20 Aug 1782
    Marriage PlaceKatholisch, Heerdt, Rheinland, Prussia
    FatherWilhelmi Boeckers
    MotherChristinae Muellers
    SpouseHenricus Goetzen
    FHL Film Number174320

    This information was taken from the church book and entered into a database, that’s a secondary source versa a copy of the original entry.

    The original entry tells me that her parents were from Lörick as well as the name of the witnesses who were Petrus Goetzen and Joannes Schillings. Always try to obtain a primary source whenever possible and make a note of where you found it.

    Anna lived in Heerdt and died in Lörick which is only a couple of miles away.

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  • Johann Georgi Selzer 1740-?

    Johann Georgi Seltzer was my husband’s 5th paternal Great Grandfather. He was born 12 June 1740 in Raden, Kreis Leobschütz, Silesia, Germany. Since the end of WW2, Raden has belonged to Poland and is now called Radynia. After the war had ended, all the German people of that region were expelled by the new Polish government. It was a terrible time for them. They could barely take anything with them and many people lost their lives. Raden (Radynia) is a tiny village close to the Czech border.

    Johann’s parents were Anton Selzer and Johanna Englisch. He married my husband’s 5th Great Grandmother, Elisabetha Grimm, 17 October 1769 in Schönwiese, now called Krasne Pole. This village is about 7 miles away from Radynia.

    An old postcard of Schönwiese (Krasne Pole) from the 1920’s.

    Johann and Elisabetha Selzer had 10 children, all born in Raden (Radynia).

    • 1. Anton Valentin born 1771
    • 2. Joseph Urban born 1772 and died 1789 in Raden
    • 3. Carl Johann born 1774
    • 4. Johann Georg born 1775 and died 1846 in Raden. He was married to Elisabeth Krischker. They had 12 children.
    • 5. Maria Elisabetha Theresia was born 1779. She married Franz Schindler. They had 4 children.
    • 6. Johann Martin born 1780
    • 7. Johanna Selzer, my husband’s 4th Great Grandmother, was born 1782 and died 1822 in Raden. She was married to my husband’s 4th Great Grandfather, Anton Wiedemann. They had 9 children, one of them was husband’s 3rd Great Grandmother, Karolina Wiedemann who married Fridolin Scholz, my husband’s 3rd Great Grandfather.
    • 8. Carolus Joannes, no dates available, he supposedly had at least 3 children
    • 9. Clara Victoria died 1785 in Raden
    • 10. Bernard Paulus no dates available

    Johann and his wife had 10 children, 29 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, 58 2x great grandchildren and 57 3x great grandchildren. These are the ones I have found, there are probably a lot more. Many of Johann’s descendants live in Germany, Austria and the United States.

    Johann’s relationship to my husband, his 5x Great Grandchild:

    Do you know how many sets of 5th great grandparents you have? 128! Every generation doubles in numbers. Let’s see if this correct.

    • Generation 1: Child
    • Generation 2: 2 parents
    • Generation 3: 4 Grandparents
    • Generation 4: 8 Great Grandparents
    • Generation 5: 16 2x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 6: 32 3x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 7: 64 4x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 8: 128 5x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 9: 256 6x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 10: 512 7x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 11: 1024 8x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 12: 2048 9x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 13: 4096 10x Great Grandparent
    • Generation 14: 8192 11x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 15: 1638 12x Great Grandparents
    • Generation 16: 32768 13x Great Grandparents

    So you have 128 sets of 5x Great Grandparent, that means you have 64 5x Great Grandfathers. How many have you found in your research?

    In order for me to find the Polish name for Raden, I used Kartenmeister.

    This is the best website to find the current names of former German cities. There were a couple of other towns with the name Raden, however I knew which Kreis (sort of like a county) it belonged to. Raden, Kreis Leobschütz which now is called Radynia.

    I did find an image for Raden on a Polish website. You can see the image here. On the top half it shows a guest house and the owner has the same last name, Selzer. He might very well be related to my husband’s 5th Great Grandfather.

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