Genealogy Is An Adventure

Tag: Heerdt

  • Adelheid Katharina Sevenich 1899-1982

    Adeleheid Katharina Sevenich was my maternal Grandmother. She was born 24 September 1899 and died 17 October 1982 in Düsseldorf Heerdt, Germany. Her parents were Franz Sevenich and Anna Katharina Steinhaus. My Grandmother or Oma came from a large family. She had six sisters and two brothers. Oma was baptized in the catholic Sankt Benediktus church in Heerdt. An old postcard of the church from about 1910.

    A picture of my Oma, her parents and her siblings circa 1920. She stands in the middle behind her parents.

    Another image of her circa 1920

    A picture of my Oma with her Mother and some of her siblings circa 1907. She is the girl with the white apron standing to the left above her Mother.

    My Oma got married to my Grandfather, Alexander Theodor Schneider, 7 October 1922 in Heerdt. They were married for 60 years.

    Oma was a seamstress and she would make all the clothes for my dolls. She made the best paprika chicken and “Schnibbelskartoffeln”. Fried potatoes from left over boiled potatoes. I haven’t been able to duplicate these recipes. I can still smell them when entering her apartment. Oma also made a special desert for us grandchildren called Tutti Frutti. It was a layer of fresh or canned fruit, sour cream and vanilla pudding. It was made with love and tasted so yummy.

    Oma died 17 Oct 1982 peacefully in her sleep. Even so that she has been gone for over 40 years, I will never forget her. I still miss and love her.

  • Peter Wilhelm Steinhaus 1811-1881

    Peter Wilhelm Steinhaus was my maternal third Great-Grandfather. From his death certificate I know that his calling name was Wilhelm. He was born 1 June 1811 in Eckkamp and died 15 August 1881 in Heerdt, Germany. His parents were Wilhelm Herman Steinhaus and Gertrud Strotmans.

    Wilhelm married my third Great Grandmother, Marie Christine Bolten, 14 June 1830 in Eckkamp. The family lived in Heerdt and had eight children together. One of them was my second Great Grandfather, Balthasar Hubert Steinhaus 1838-1893.

    Wilhelm died 15 August 1881 in Heerdt. His death certificate below, states his name, when and where he died. It also states that his parents died in Rath. The information was given by Wilhelm’s son, the farmer, Mathias Steinhaus. The mother on the death certificate, Elisabeth Brückman, is actually his stepmother. Mathias probably never met his real Grandmother.

    You have always to research official documents. They are not always correct.

    Wilhelm’s oldest sister, Anna Maria Steinhaus 1806-1883, married Peter Ohren 5 August 1833 in Eckamp. Anna Maria and Peter had three children together in Germany. They immigrated and arrived in New York 28 September 1852. The family settled in Old Ripley, Bond County, Illinois. I have DNA matches with some of their descendents. I will write a seperate blog about Anna Maria in the future.

    Here is a map of where Wilhelm was born and where he lived after he got married.

    Sources:

    Family Search

    Heerdt Death Certificate

    Ancestry

  • Joannes Petrus Wilhelmus Goetzen 1783-1816

    Joannes Petrus Wilhelmus Goetzen was my paternal third Great Grandfather. Joannes was baptized 9 July 1783 in Düsseldorf Heerdt and died 1 September in Oberlörick near Düsseldorf Heerdt. His parents were Heinrich Goetzen and Anna Catharina Boeckers.

    In his baptismal enty it says that he is the legitimate child of Heinrich Goetzen and Anna Catharina Boeckers. An older picture of St. Benediktus Church in Heerdt.

    You can read about the church in German in Wikipedia.

    Joannes got married 13 April 1809 in Düsseldorf to my third Great Grandmother, Helene Catharina Muehlensieb. The church book for that year is not online.

    Joannes and Helene had only three children together. One of them is my second Great Grandmother, Maria Agnes Götzen 1813-1863.

    Here is a group sheet for Johannes and Helene

    Joannes died 10 days before his third and last child was born.

    The church book entrance above, states that he died 1 September 1816.

    I always like to include a map

    From now on, I will also try to include my sources whenever I can.

    1. Family Search
    2. Ancestry
    3. St. Benedictus Baptisms In Heerdt 1779-1862
    4. St. Benedictus Death 1779-1884
    5. Google Maps

  • Helene Catharina Mühlensieb 1783-1827

    Helene was my maternal 3rd Great Grandmother. She was born 8 April 1783 in Derendorf and died 30 August 1827 in Oberlörick, Germany. Her parents were Heinrich Mühlensieb and Anna Catharina Kauertz. Helene was baptized in the Heilige Dreifaltigkeit church. This is her baptismal record.

    Look at the beautiful penmanship! Here you can learn a little Latin. Parentes are her parents, infans is the infant and patrina are the witnesses. Helena married my 3rd Great Grandfather, Joannes Petrus Wilhelmus Goetzen, 13 April 1809 in Düsseldorf. They had only three children together, one of them was my 2nd Great Grandmother, Maria Agnes Götzen 1813-1863. Helena got married again 5 Oct 1817 in Heerdt to Joannes Mathias Glassmacher.

    Above is the marriage record from the church in Heerdt. It shows the name of the groom, the bride and their parents. It also states that Helene was a widow. Helene and Mathias had four children together. I didn’t know about the last child, Anna Maria Glasmacher 1827-1827, until I found Helene’s death entry in the church book in Heerdt.

    Helene died 31 August 1827. Right above her on August 25th is her stillborn daughter Anna Maria Glasmacher. It is so important during your research to get copies of the original records. You just never know what you might find. Helene was only 44 years old when she died.

    I always like to include a map. Helene was born and baptized in Derendorf. She also lived in Lörick and got married in the church in Heerdt. Derendorf, Lörick and Heerdt are nowadays all part of Düsseldorf.

  • Josephine Odilia Gröbbels 1842-1920

    Josephine was my maternal 2nd Great Grandmother. She was born 24 March 1842 in Brachelen and died 27 April 1920 in Neuß, Germany. Her parents were the saddler Godfried Gröbbels and Marie Josephine Hubertine Meisen. Josephine had at least nine brothers and sisters. All of them were baptized in the catholic church, St. Gereon, in Brachelen.

    Josephine married my second Great Grandfather, Johann Sevenich, 8 Nov 1867, in the same church. They had 10 children together, one of them was my Great Grandfather Franz Sevenich 1870-1950. This is a copy of their marriage certificate from Brachelen.

    The certificates states the date, names of the bride and groom and their parents’ names. It also states that both sets of parents agree to the marriage. There were four witnesses, all of them signed the certificate.

    This a picture of my second Great Grandparents and their young family circa 1884. The tall boy is my Great Grandfather, Franz Sevenich.

    The first two children, including my Great Grandfather, Franz Sevenich, were born in Brachelen. The rest of the children were born in Heerdt, which belongs now to Düsseldorf.

    Josephine died 27 April 1920 in Neuß. I found her name mentioned in the newspaper.

    I also have her death certificate

    The death certificates states when and where Josephine died and that she was a widow. It also mentioned that her parents were both diseased in Brachelen.

    Here is a map of where Josefine lived. Josephine’s husband worked for the railroad, this why they probably moved to Heerdt.

  • Favorite Picture

    I am participating in Amy Johnson Crow’s

    52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Themes for 2024

    Here is one of my favorite pictures

    The lady with her children is my Great Grandmother, Anna Catharina

    Sevenich nee Steinhaus. The girl directly above her, wearing the white apron

    is my Grandmother, Adelheid Sevenich. The picture was taken in front of

    their house, at Oberstrasse 19, in Heerdt, Germany. 

    I received a copy of this picture about 10 years ago. I was more than

    excited when I received it. A moment in the history of my ancestors about

    1907. I have no idea who took the picture and why, as my Great

    Grandfather, Franz Sevenich, and three more children are absent.

    The last two children were twins and were born in the spring of 1906.

    All children lived to adulthood.

  • Franz Sevenich 1870-1950

    Franz Sevenich was my Great Grandfather. He was born January 4th, 1870

    in Brachelen and died 26 August 1950 in Düsseldorf-Heerdt, Germany.

    He married my Great Grandmother, Anna Catharina Steinhaus on June 9th,

    1893 in Heerdt.

    My aunt Liesel told me that Franz was a very proud man and that he liked to

    celebrate a lot. He even made his own wine. Birthdays weren’t celebrated,

    instead it was Saint’s Day. My Great Grandmother’s middle name was

    Katharina, so was my Oma’s (Grandmother’s), my Mother’s and even my

    middle name as well. Catharina’s Saint Day is celebrated on November 25th.

    My Grandfather as a young man.

    1918, 25th Anniversary

    1943, 50th Anniversary

    The pictures were colorized by https://www.ancestry.com