Genealogy Is An Adventure

Tag: Düsseldorf

  • Joannes Winandus Josephus Krings 1760-1823

    My paternal third Great Grandfather, Joannes Winandus Josephus Krings, was baptized on March 10th, 1760 in the St. Lambertus church in Düsseldorf, Germany. His parents were Nicolaus Krings and Maria Clara Schadens.

    In his bapstismal record it shows his Father and his Mother, his given names and the witnesses. The witnesses were Joannes Krausen, Winandus Andermahr and Anna Brewers. You can see that he was named after two of the witnesses, Joannes and Winandus. Joannes Winandus got married in the same church to my third Great Grandmother, Maria Anna Josepha Weingartz on June 24th, 1787.

    In the marriage record his name was written in a different way. Joan Winandy. It has the same meaning. The witnesses were Josephy Krings and Petrus Engels. The marriage was also mentioned in the newspaper.

    I think it’s so cool to see the names of my ancestors in a newspaper from the year 1787.

    Winandus died May 2nd, 1823, at the age of 68, in Düsseldorf. Krings Winandus Death 2 May 1823 (2)

    Winandus only had step brothers and sisters. His Mother, Maria Clara Schadens had three children in her first marriage with Joannes Georgius Brandt. One year after Winandus was born, his Mother died and his Father remarried a year after her death to Anna Catharina Fassbender. They had together three children.

    My third Great Grandparents had nine children together. The youngest was my second Great Grandfather, the shoemaker, Andreas Daniel Krings.

    Here is a picture of St. Lambertus Church in Düsseldorf, which I took in 2018.

    Quite a few of my ancestors were baptized and married in this church.

  • Mardi Gras

    I grew up celebrating Mardi Gras. I only have one picture of me circa 1968 in my Mariechenkostüm. Roughly translated ” little Mary’s costume”.

    In my hometown, Düsseldorf, Germany Mardi Gras is a big deal. We have a huge parade on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) which is always two days before Ash Wednesday. I have some old postcards from the circa 1960’s of Mardi Gras in my home town.

    Did you celebrate Mardi Gras when growing up?

  • Earning A Living

    I am participating in Amy Johnson Crow’s

    52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Themes for 2024

    This weeks’ topic is “Earning A Living”. 

    There is one ancestor couple that stands out. My second Great Grandparents, Andreas Daniel Joseph Krings and Maria Agnes Götzen. In an Düsseldorf, Germany, address book from 1855 I find them living on the the Duisburger Street 71. He is shoemaker and she must have something like a grocery store.

    It reads: Krings, Andreas, Shoemaker, Duisburger Street 71 and she is underneath and it reads: Krings Andreas, wife, grocery store dealer. I would think that this was a big deal back in 1855. Both husband and wife were working and had possibly their own businesses. A census, which I have a copy of, was taken in Düsseldorf between 1854-1860. Once more it shows the jobs they have in those years.

    It shows their last and first names, professions, where they lived in Düsseldorf, their exact birth dates and where they were born. Three children are alive at this time. From Andrea’s obituary I know that he had only two surviving sons and grandchildren. The daughter Katharine must have died before 1871. Agnes was only 49 years old when she died.

    It says: Died: Agnes Krings nee Götzen, 49 years old, wife, Duisburger Street. Andreas died in the year 1871.

  • 100 Years

    Today would have been my Dad’s 100th birthday. His name was Karl Wilhelm Krings and he was born January 25th, 1924, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

    The picture was taken in September of 1946

    My Dad grew up in a large family. He had four brothers and three sisters. Two of his older brothers died in WW2 in Russia. He talked about them a lot. My Dad had his own wholesale flower business. He had to drive to the auction every morning and buy his flowers and then deliver them to the local flower shops. After my Dad retired, he moved to Bad-Neuenahr. There he spent time with his friends. He loved the casino and going for long walks. Dad died in 2006. I still miss him.

    Happy Birthday Dad!

  • Family Lore

    Happy New Year! This is my very first post. So here it goes!

    I am inspired by following Amy Crow’s

    52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Themes for 2024

    One of the stories I heard from my Dad is that during WW2, my Grandparents were bombed out three times and had to find new places

    to live. They lived in Düsseldorf, Germany which was attacked

    several times between 1939 and 1945. Thankfully my Grandparents survived this horror. Two of their sons died while fighting in Russia.

    My Dad was in Russia for a very short time, but kept getting sick, so

    eventually the army send him home for good. If my Dad had died in

    the war I wouldn’t be here to tell my family’s story.