Recently I was cleaning up some old papers and found a picture of my paternal Grandmother, Maria Johanna Becker, born 12 July 1885 in Hamminkeln, near Wesel.
Grandma is looking at old photos. The picture was probably taken in the 1960’s at one of my uncle’s or aunt’s apartment. In Germany you have something called “Gemütlichkeit” roughly translated to coziness. The couch and the table would have been the center of the apartment for all birthdays and other festivities.
I have written about my Grandma or Oma before including her paternal Becker line. Now lets try to look at her maternal ancestors. Her Mom was Gertruda Johanna Görtzen born 1861 in Hamminkeln. Johanna married Johann Heinrich Becker 1884 in Wesel in the St. Martini Catholic Church. I circled her baptism entry.
Her parents were Mathias Görtz and Maria Spelleken. Mathias, a catholic was born and baptized in Krefeld in 1820. He married Maria 1848 in the Evangelical Church in Götterswickerhamm. I have both their death certificates. Mathias died in 1900 in Wesel.
and Maria died many years before him, 1876 also in Wesel.
Mathias had to sign the death certificate. He made three crosses, this is how I found out that he couldn’t read or write.
Mathia’s parents were Johann Wilhelm Görtz and Ann Gertraud Schippers. I have no dates for Wilhelm. Anna was born 1791 in Krefeld. I found her baptism entry.
Her parents were Joannes Schippers and Catharina Krinen. Familsearch had a marriage for Joannes and Catharina.
| Name | Joannes Schiepers |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Marriage Date | 07 Mai 1786 (7 May 1786) |
| Marriage Place | Katholisch, Krefeld, Rheinland, Prussia |
| Father | Michaelis Schiepers |
| Mother | Agnetis Overlaack |
| Spouse | Catharina Krinen |
| FHL Film Number | 174466 |
Schippers is now Schiepers, but this might be a spelling mistake. I have yet to find the original church book entry. This record gives his parents as Michael Schiepers and Agnetis Overlaak. Catharina Krinen’s parents were Christian Krinen and Helena Liskes.
| Name | Catharina Krinen |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Marriage Date | 07 Mai 1786 (7 May 1786) |
| Marriage Place | Katholisch, Krefeld, Rheinland, Prussia |
| Father | Christiani Krinen |
| Mother | Helenae Liskes |
| Spouse | Joannes Schiepers |
| FHL Film Number | 174466 |
This is the end of the line for them. I have no further information on their parents’s birth, death and marriage info.
Maria Spelleken’s parents were Jan Derck Spelleken and Jenneken Heiken. Jan is a short form for Johannes and Derck is the same as Dirk. They are a form of low German and or Dutch. Jan Derck Spelleken was baptized 1783 in the Envangelical Church Götterswickerhamm. He married Jenneken Heiken in 1805.
Jan Derck died in 1867. Derck is the same as Diedrich. That name was used in the death entry. I keep talking about those important side notes on German documents. There are two. One shows when he was baptized and the other one when he got married. I circled them in the lower right corner.
Jan Derck father’s name was also Jan Derck and his mother was Maria Catharina Blennemann. The father was baptized in 1747 and died in 1795. His parents were Jan Albert Scheper also know as Spelleken and Jenneken. The last name for his mother is unknown. Catharina Blennemann’s parents were Jan Derck Blennemann and Anna Sibilla Vollmer. Jan Derck Spelleken and Catharina Blennemann married 1772.
The Blennemann family supposedly came from Uemmingen, which is part of the city of Bochum.
The maternal line for my Grandma has ended for now. My Oma’s Spelleken ancestors have lot of descendants as far away as Australia and Texas. I will write about them another day.
Here is a map of where my Oma lived and where her maternal ancestors were from. She was born in Hamminkeln, lived in Wesel and Düsseldorf and she died in Willich. Her maternal ancestors were from Wesel, Götterswickerhamm, Bochum and Krefeld (the red dot on the map).
Where are your Grandma’s maternal ancestors from?
Genealogy Is An Adventure 