In Düsseldorf, Germany where I grew we celebrated St. Martin’s Day on November 11th. Every year in elementary school we mad lanterns for the parade. A tea light was used for illumination.
When it started to get dark, we met in the school yard with our lanterns. St Martin on his white horse and with his red cloak led the parade through the part of the city where I lived. The band played music and we sang St. Martin songs. The most famous one was: “Ich geh mit meiner Laterne und meine Laterne mit mir”. Translation: “I walk with my lantern and my lantern with me”. At the end of the parade we returned to the school yard and St Martin would share part of his cloak with a beggar.
After the parade we children would go from store to store and receive candy and other goodies. The bakeries would give out Weckmänner.
It’s a sweet bread with raisins and a pipe. After eating it we would pretend to smoke the pipe.
Martin was a roman soldier in the fourth century who shared his cloak with a freezing beggar. According to legend, that night he had a dream in which Jesus Christ appeared and carried half of his cloak. This prompted him to become a soldier and later a bishop in Tours, where he became known for his charity and humble lifestyle.
Martin was born in Hungary around 316 AD and served as a Roman soldier. He was 17 years old when he performed the famous deed.
One cold winter day, he encountered a freezing beggar outside the gates of Amiens. Having only his sword and cloak, he cut the cloak in half and gave one half to the man to save him from the cold.
During the night, Christ appeared to him in a dream, wearing half the cloak, and told him that with his act he had clothed Christ himself.
After this experience, Martin was baptized and left the army. He later became a monk and founded the first monastery in Europe.
Although he initially hid from the office, he was consecrated Bishop of Tours. Even as a bishop he lived very modestly and dedicated himself to the poor and needy.
He died November 8, 397 and was burred on November 11. To this day, he his venerated as a saint and on St. Martin’s Day he is commemorated with lantern parades and roast goose.
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.
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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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.
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 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
Name
Charles M Burgess
Enlistment Age
18
Birth Date
2 Sep 1843
Birth Place
Kentucky
Enlistment Date
8 Mar 1864
Enlistment Rank
Private
Muster Date
21 Mar 1864
Muster Place
Tennessee
Muster Company
F
Muster Regiment
1st Mtd Infantry
Muster Regiment Type
Infantry
Muster Information
Enlisted
Muster Out Date
22 Jul 1865
Muster Out Information
Mustered Out
Side of War
Union
Survived War?
Yes
Last Known Residence Place
Stevens County, Washington
Death Date
26 Feb 1928
Death Place
Hunters, Washington
Burial Place
Hunters, Washington
Cemetery
Greenwood Cemetery
Additional Notes
Wife: Rachael L.
Title
Index 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.
Name
Chas M Burggess
Gender
Male
Age
25
Birth Date
abt 1846
Marriage Date
30 Jul 1871
Marriage Place
Montgomery, Kansas, USA
Spouse
Rechael S Williams
Film Number
001404520
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.
Name
Charles M. Berges
Age
37
Birth Date
Abt 1843
Birthplace
Kentucky
Home in 1880
Waveland, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA
Dwelling Number
192
Race
White
Gender
Male
Relation to Head of House
Self (Head)
Marital Status
Married
Spouse’s Name
Rachel L. Berges
Father’s Birthplace
Virginia
Mother’s Birthplace
Tennessee
Occupation
Farmer
Cannot Read
Y
Cannot Write
Y
Name
Age
Charles M. Berges
37
Rachel L. Berges
28
Roseta Berges
12
Stephan H. Berges
8
Ida F. Berges
5
Rachel R. Berges
4
Anna Berges
2
Florence M. Berges
4/12
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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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.
Name
Joseph H Hickman
Age
8
Birth Year
abt 1852
Gender
Male
Race
White
Birth Place
Indiana
Home in 1860
Ash Grove, Iroquois, Illinois
Post Office
Ash Grove
Dwelling Number
2170
Family Number
2001
Attended School
Y
Name
Age
Richard Hickman
Elizabeth J Hickman
35
Sylvester Hickman
19
John W Hickman
Franklin Hickman
14
Mary C Hickman
12
Joseph A Hickman
8
Alexander Hickman
6
Thomas Hickman
Richard Hickman
2/12
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.
Name
Joseph H Hickman
Age in 1870
19
Birth Date
abt 1851
Birthplace
Indiana
Dwelling Number
115
Home in 1870
Stockland, Iroquois, Illinois
Race
White
Gender
Male
Post Office
Milford
Attended School
Yes
Inferred Father
Richard Hickman
Inferred Mother
Maria Hickman
Name
Age
Richard Hickman
52
Maria Hickman
37
Joseph H Hickman
19
Alxander Hickman
17
Sarah F Hickman
8
Liza J Hickman
6
Elmer C Hickman
3
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 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.
Name
Mabel Harriet Scholz
Baptism Age
1
Record Type
Baptism
Birth Date
19 Feb 1903
Birth Place
Knox County, Tennessee
Baptism Date
7 Aug 1904
Baptism Place
Knoxville, Tennessee
Father
Adolph Scholz
Mother
Rosa 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.
Name
Mabel Scholz
Age in 1910
7
Birth Date
1903
Birthplace
Tennessee
Home in 1910
Dusty, Whitman, Washington, USA
Sheet Number
7a
Street
Alkali
Race
White
Gender
Female
Relation to Head of House
Daughter
Marital Status
Single
Father’s Birthplace
Austria
Mother’s Birthplace
Austria
Enumeration District Number
0267
Enumerated Year
1910
Neighbors
View others on page
Name
Age
Adolf Scholz
45
Rosie Scholz
45
Albert Scholz
19
Frank Scholz
17
Earnest Scholz
15
Rosa Scholz
13
Agness Scholz
12
John Scholz
10
Mabel Scholz
7
Walter Scholz
6
Robert Scholz
4
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.
Name
Mabel Scholz
Age
16
Birth Year
abt 1904
Birthplace
Tennessee
Home in 1920
Dusty, Whitman, Washington
Street
Dusty-Colfax Highway
Residence Date
1920
Race
White
Gender
Female
Relation to Head of House
Daughter
Marital Status
Single
Father’s Name
A A Scholz
Father’s Birthplace
Austria
Mother’s Name
Rosa Scholz
Mother’s Birthplace
Austria
Able to Speak English
Yes
Attended School
No
Able to read
Yes
Able to Write
Yes
Neighbors
View others on page
Name
Age
A A Scholz
54
Rosa Scholz
54
Ernest Scholz
25
John Scholz
20
Mabel Scholz
6
Walter Scholz
15
Robert Scholz
13
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.
Name
Miss Mable H Scholz
Residence Date
1936
Street Address
427 S Westlake av
Residence Place
Los Angeles, California, USA
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Occupation
Operator
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.
Name
Mabel Sholz
Respondent
Yes
Age
37
Estimated Birth Year
abt 1903
Gender
Female
Race
White
Birthplace
Tennessee
Marital Status
Single
Relation to Head of House
Lodger
Home in 1940
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Map of Home in 1940
Los Angeles,Los Angeles,California
Street
So Hobart Avenue
Inferred Residence in 1935
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Residence in 1935
Los Angeles
Resident on farm in 1935
No
Sheet Number
18A
Occupation
Machine Operator
Attended School or College
No
Highest Grade Completed
High School, 2nd year
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census
40
Class of Worker
Wage or salary worker in private work
Weeks Worked in 1939
40
Income
750
Income Other Sources
No
Neighbors
View others on page
Mable married the love of her life, Ray Lawrence Carty, 18 January 1940 in Clark County, Nevada.
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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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.
Name
Franz Joseph Egidius Becker
Gender
Male
Baptism Age
0
Birth Date
30 Aug 1827
Baptism Date
01 Sep 1827 (1 Sep 1827)
Baptism Place
Sankt Dionysius Katholisch, Thuelen, Westfalen, Prussia
Residence Place
Thülen, Westfalen, Preußen, Germany
Father
Johann Becker
Mother
Christine Muenster
FHL Film Number
1056008
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.
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.
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.
Name
Casparus Henricus Becker
Gender
Male
Marriage Date
18 Nov 1747
Marriage Place
Sankt Martin Roemisch-Katholische, Bigge, Westfalen, Prussia
Spouse
Elisabetha Wuerminghausen
FHL Film Number
1051950
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.
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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I recently went to an antique mall and bought old photos of three sisters who used to live near San Jose, California. I am trying to return them to their descendants, hopefully keeping them together.
The three girls are from left to right, Clara, Edith and Alice Hagerty. Their parents William and Theresa were owners of an orchard according to the 1900 Census.
The girls were all born in California. Clara was the oldest, she was born in 1891, Edith in 1893 and Alice in 1896. In the 1910 Census the family still lives together in Fremont which is near San Jose. All of them were working on the farm.
The girls’ father died 31 August 1931 in Sacramento.
The Father had lived in Penryn. No mention of their Mother. Edith lived in Penryn, just like her father and her last name is Locklin. Clara, the oldest was living in Palo Alto near San Jose and was not married. The youngest, Alice lived in Hornbrook, Siskiyou County, California, which is north of Sacramento, near the Oregon border. From this information it’s most likely that Clara doesn’t have any descendants. I was able to find an obituary for her. She died 9 August 1982 in Santa Rosa, California.
Now I have to focus on the other two sisters. Edith Locklin was alive in 1982 and lived in Placerville. Her sister Alice was not.
In the 1930 Census, Edith is married to George Locklin and they have two daughters, Virginia age 8 and Delores age 7.
Edith died in 1988 in Auburn California. I found her obituary in the Sacramento Union Newspaper. Besides her husband and her two daughters Virginia and Delores, she had eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. That’s good news for me trying to return the pictures to family.
Edith’s daughter Dolores Voska died in 1994 in Grass Valley. Dolores had two daughters and five grandchildren.
Dolores’ sister Virginia Pritchard died 2012 in Fresno. She had five children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. As this obituary is more recent, I will not post it here for privacy purposes.
Now I will take look at the youngest daughter Alice Hagerty and her possible descendants.
Alice was married to Harry Hubert Chapman. She died very young at the age of 43, 13 July 1939 in Hornbrook, California. She was survived by her husband and three children, William, Madeline and Marilyn. I found her obituary in the Siskiyou Daily News.
Her son William was born in 1920 and died in 2009 in Lodi, California. He had son and a daughter, however I have no names for them. I couldn’t find an obituary. Daughter Madeline married Edwin Burtner of Grass Valley in 1944.
They had four children, Russ, Kathi, Carol and Ann. Madeline died in 2018. There is a good chance I can make contact with her family.
Her daughter Marilyn was born in 1930 and died in 2016. She was married to Herbert Dungey in1948. Their children Mary, Jane Ann, Christopher and Eric live all over the world. Marilyn has 5 grandchildren.
I have already contacted several potential descendants of the girls. Hopefully Clara, Edith and Alice will be reunited with their families very soon.
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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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Genealogy Is An Adventure 