Surname Saturday – Wach (Prussia / Illinois)

Heinrich WACH is my third great-grandfather. He was married to my third great-grandmother, Emilie WIETZKE, and I suspect he died between 1876 (last known child born) and 1884 (Emilie's child with second husband born). The family is from Pommern, Preußen, and I suspect that both Heinrich and Emilie were born there. Heinrich may have had a sister, Johanna, who married Eduard WICK, but I have not yet confirmed this suspicion. My direct line ancestors are in blue.

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First Generation

1.

Heinrich1 WACH was probably born in Preußen and died there between 1876 and 1884. Heinrich married Emilie WIETZKE, daughter of Carl WIETZKE. Emilie (a.k.a. Amelia), was born 30 September 1845, probably in Preußen and died on 9 February 1931 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Known children from this marriage were:

+ 2	i.	Hulda2 WACH was born on 9 January 1869 in Bernsdorf, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen, and died on 15 May 1914 in Dunham, McHenry, Illinois.
+ 3	ii.	Alwine WACH was born about 1873 in Preußen, and died circa 24 March 1959.
4	iii.	Carl August WACH was born on 26 October 1874 in Zerrin, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen and died on 15 September 1875 in Zerrin, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen.
+ 5	iv.	Heinrich Emil WACH was born on 29 August 1876 in Zerrin, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen, and died on 26 November 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

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Second Generation

2.

Hulda2 WACH (Heinrich1) was born on 9 January 1869 in Bernsdorf, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen, and died on 15 May 1914 in Dunham, McHenry, Illinois. Hulda married first, Emil MÜLLER on 8 August 1886 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. The marriage ended in divorce on 12 December 1900. Emil was born in January 1864 in or near Bromberg, Posen, Preußen, and died after 1902. Children from this marriage were:

6	i.	Heinrich3 "Henry" Fredrick MÜLLER was born on 1 June 1887 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 16 May 1912, and died circa 3 May 1963 in Illinois. Henry first married Katharine KOTTKA on 25 December 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. The marriage ended in divorce between 1920 and 1925. Henry and Katherine had four children: Roy, Henry, Leslie, and Caroline. Henry married second, Elizabeth --?-- and had at least one son, Lawrence.
+ 7	ii.	Emil Karl August MÜLLER was born on 9 February 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 3 March 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 21 February 1938 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
8	ii.	Ida Alwine Bertha MÜLLER was born on 9 August 1891 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 8 December 1970 in Wisconsin. Ida married Charles BRUNNER, son of Henry BRUNNER and Henrietta BRUA, on 25 June 1909 in Harvard, McHenry, Illinois.  Charles was born in May 1889 in Germany, and died on 9 March 1952 in Harvard, McHenry, Illinois. Ida and Charles had at least nine children: Evelyn, Eleanora, Laverna, Lillian, Rose, Marjorie, Roy, Raymond, and Lorraine.

Hulda married second, John Fred SEVERING on 19 January 1901 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. John was born on 19 June 1853 in Germany, and died on 4 June 1932 in Harvard, McHenry, Illinois Children from this marriage were:

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i.

Lillian3 Anna SEVERING was born on 22 November 1901 in Dunham, McHenry, Illinois, was baptized on 18 January 1902 in Dunham, McHenry, Illinois, died on 20 June 1951 in Harvard, McHenry, Illinois. Lillian married Willis LATHROP in 1938. Willis died in 1946.

3.

Alwine2 WACH (Heinrich1) was born about 1873 in Preußen, and died circa 24 March 1959. Alvina married Wilhelm "William" TRAPP, son of Joachim TRAPP and Dora SCHUMACKER, on 22 September 1894 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Wilhelm was born on 27 January 1863 in Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, and died on 11 May 1937 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

10	i.	Harry3 Heinrich Adolph TRAPP was born on 25 July 1895 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 4 February 1972 in Antioch, Lake, Illinois. Harry married Elsa Ida Anna "Elsie" BAHNFLETH, daughter of Franz Friedrich August "Frank" BAHNFLETH and Augusta Wilhemine Caroline HAMMAN, on 6 October 1917 in West Chicago, DuPage, Illinois. Elsa was born on 20 May 1897 in West Chicago, DuPage, Illinois, and died on 6 May 1961 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Harry and Elsa had three children: Dorothy, Elmer, and Harriet.
11	ii.	Erna Hulda Otillie TRAPP was born on 15 July 1897 in Illinois and died circa 29 May 1977 in Illinois. Erna married Paul Herman EBERHARDT about 1924. Paul was born on 25 October 1896 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and died on 23 December 1969 in Illinois. Erna and Paul had one daughter, Carol.

5.

Heinrich2 "Henry" Emil WACH (Heinrich1) was born on 29 August 1876 in Zerrin, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen, and died on 26 November 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Heinrich married Elizabeth "Bessie" C KUNBERGER on 6 February 1904 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Elizabeth was born on 9 April 1886 in Columbia City, Whitley, Indiana, and died on 3 February 1976 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

12	i.	Lili Mae3 WACH was born on 24 May 1905 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 9 March 2004 in Oxnard, Ventura, California. Lili married Samuel Price DUFFIELD. Samuel died between 1976 and 2004 in California. They had no children.
13	ii.	Henry WACH Jr. was born on 19 July 1908 in Illinois and died on 15 November 1911 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
14	ii.	Earl George WACH was born on 9 December 1912 in Illinois, died on 16 October 1981 in Dowagiac, Cass, Michigan. Earl married first, Lorrie --?-- and had a daughter, Susan. Earl married second, Josephine R PULEO.

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Third Generation

7.

Emil3 Karl August MÜLLER (Hulda2 WACH, Emil1) was born on 9 February 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 3 March 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 21 February 1938 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  Emil married first, Alma Mary LEPPIN, daughter of Herman LEPPIN and Minnie HEMFLER, on 4 September 1915 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  Alma was born on 1 September 1896 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 December 1928 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

15	i.	Roman4 "Raymond" Henry Miller was born on 18 August 1916 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 May 1979 in Whittier, Los Angeles, California.  Raymond married Roma C BENING between 1939 and April 1940.  Roma was born on 26 August 1917 in Illinois and died on 4 August 1995 in Orange County, California.
16	ii.	Harold Leslie MILLER was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 8 September 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 June 1982 in Maywood, Cook, Illinois.  Harold married Marie Ethel ROTTMAN, daughter of George ROTTMAN and Anna E STOFFEL, on 6 July 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  Marie was born on 29 April 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 20 July 1989 in Bensenville, DuPage, Illinois.  Harold and Marie are my grandparents.
17	ii.	Mildred Dolores MILLER was born on 10 December 1922 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 6 September 1976 in Mountain View, Santa Clara, California.  Mildred married Sidney William HICKS on 14 February 1940 in Cook County, Illinois. Sidney was born on 17 June 1916 in Illinois and died on 6 August 1990 in Santa Clara County, California.

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Disclaimer: Information is based on research completed as of 4 April 2013. Some details have been omitted to protect the privacy of living relatives.

Sources: Available upon request.

PDF Available: The content of this post is available as a PDF through Scribd and may updated periodically as new information is found.

Other Blog Posts: To see other posts about the Wach family, click here. To see other Surname Saturday posts, click here.

Contact: If you would like more information about this family, or would like to share what you know, please contact me at genblogjulie@gmail.com.

Help With German Translation—Pretty Please :)

Long story short.  I have a civil death record for a child of Heinrich Wach and Emilie Weitzke.  I have translated the record, except for one line.  Normally in this section it would name the spouse of the deceased, but since this was a child, the word verheirathet [married] is crossed out and then it starts with Sohn [son], followed by words I can’t read, followed by the father’s name.  Also note that the mother was the one who registered the death. 

I’d like to know what the words are in both German and English.  Any help would be MUCH APPRECIATED!!  Click to see an enlarged version of this image.

Surname Saturday – Leppin (Germany / Illinois)

My Leppin line currently ends at my second great-grandfather, Herman LEPPIN. I don't know much about his roots other than he apparently came from Germany and settled in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  My direct line ancestors are in blue.

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First Generation

1.

Herman1 LEPPIN was born on 22 March 1873 in Germany, and died on 31 March 1948 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona. Herman married Minnie HEMFLER, on 26 March 1894 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Minnie was born on 9 April 1871 in Germany, and died on 17 May 1945 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

+ 2	i.	Alma2 Mary LEPPIN was born on 1 September 1896 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 December 1928 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
3	ii.	Henry August LEPPIN was born on 11 July 1898 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 26 March 1958 in Cook County, Illinois. Henry married Ann M FORNER, daughter of Lena, on 5 July 1933 in Cook County, Illinois. Ann was born on 10 March 1912 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 June 1976 in Cook County, Illinois. They had three known children: Henry, Mary, and Susan.
4	iii.	Herman Paul LEPPIN Jr. was born on 17 May 1900 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 2 November 1959 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona. He never married and had no children.
5	iv.	Charles F LEPPIN was born on 13 February 1906 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 6 October 1980 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona. Charles married Maida "Meta" HOFFMANN about 1928 in Illinois. Maida was born on 22 June 1906 in Germany and died on 28 July 1997 in Arizona. They had one known son, Warner.

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Second Generation

2.

Alma2 Mary LEPPIN (Herman1) was born on 1 September 1896 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 December 1928 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Alma married Emil Karl August MILLER, son of Emil MILLER and Hulda WACH, on 4 September 1915 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Emil was born on 9 February 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 21 February 1938 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

6	i.	Roman3 "Raymond" Henry MILLER was born on 18 August 1916 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 May 1979 in Whittier, Los Angeles, California. Raymond married Roma C BENING between 1939 and April 1940. Roma was born on 26 August 1917 in Illinois and died on 4 August 1995 in Orange County, California. They had three children.
7	ii.	Harold Leslie MILLER was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 June 1982 in Maywood, Cook, Illinois. Harold married Marie Ethel ROTTMAN, daughter of George ROTTMAN and Anna E STOFFEL, on 6 July 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Marie was born on 29 April 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 20 July 1989 in Bensenville, DuPage, Illinois. They had two children, their daughter, Jean, being my mother.
8	iii.	Mildred Dolores MILLER was born on 10 December 1922 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 6 September 1976 in Mountain View, Santa Clara. Mildred married Sidney William HICKS on 14 February 1940 in Cook County, Illinois. Sidney was born on 17 June 1916 in Illinois, and died on 6 August 1990 in Santa Clara County, California. They had one daughter and an adopted son.

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Disclaimer: Information is based on research completed as of 18 February 2013. Some details have been omitted to protect the privacy of living relatives.

Sources: Available upon request.

PDF Available: The content of this post is available as a PDF through Scribd and may updated periodically as new information is found.

Other Blog Posts: To see other posts about the Leppin family, click here. To see other Surname Saturday posts, click here.

Contact: If you would like more information about this family, or would like to share what you know, please contact me at genblogjulie@gmail.com.

Surname Saturday: Miller / Müller (Prussia / Illinois)

My earliest known Miller (Müller) (in this line—I do have others from Luxembourg) is my second great-grandfather, Emil, who was probably born in or near Bromberg, Posen, Preußen (Prussia).  He is the only one of my 16 second greats whose fate is unknown.  Perhaps someone out there can help.  My direct line ancestors are in blue.

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First Generation

1.

Emil MÜLLER was born about 1864, possibly in or near Bromberg, Posen, Preußen (Prussia), and died after 1902.  Emil married Hulda WACH, daughter of Henry WACH and Amelia WIETZKE, on 8 August 1886 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. The marriage ended in divorce on 12 December 1900 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Hulda was born on 9 January 1869 in Bernsdorf, Bütow, Pommern, Preußen (Prussia), and died on 15 May 1914 in Dunham, McHenry, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

2	i.	Heinrich "Henry" Fredrick MILLER was born on 1 June 1887 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died circa 3 May 1963 in Illinois.  Henry married Katherine KOTTKA, daughter of August KOTTKA, on 25 December 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  The marriage ended in divorce about 1925.  Katherine was born about 1889-1891 in Illinois.  Henry married second, Elizabeth ---?--- about 1925-1926.  Elizabeth was born about 1892 in Germany.
+ 3	ii.	Emil Karl August MILLER was born on 9 February 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 3 March 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 21 February 1938 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
4	iii.	Ida MILLER was born on 31 July 1891 in Illinois and died on 8 December 1970 in Wisconsin.  Ida married Charles BRUNNER, son of Henry BRUNNER and Henrietta BRUA, on 25 June 1909 in Harvard, McHenry, Illinois.  Charles was born in May 1889 in Germany, and died on 9 March 1952 in Harvard, McHenry, Illinois.

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Second Generation

3.

Emil Karl August MILLER (Emil1) was born on 9 February 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 3 March 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 21 February 1938 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  Emil married first, Alma Mary LEPPIN, daughter of Herman LEPPIN and Minnie HEMFLER, on 4 September 1915 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  Alma was born on 1 September 1896 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 December 1928 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Children from this marriage were:

5	i.	Roman "Raymond" Henry MILLER was born on 18 August 1916 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 May 1979 in Whittier, Los Angeles, California.  Raymond married Roma C BENING between 1939 and April 1940.  Roma was born on 26 August 1917 in Illinois and died on 4 August 1995 in Orange County, California.
6	ii.	Harold Leslie MILLER was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, was baptized on 8 September 1918 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 15 June 1982 in Maywood, Cook, Illinois.  Harold married Marie Ethel ROTTMAN, daughter of George ROTTMAN and Anna E STOFFEL, on 6 July 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  Marie was born on 29 April 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 20 July 1989 in Bensenville, DuPage, Illinois.  Harold and Marie are my grandparents.
7	iii.	Mildred Dolores MILLER was born on 10 December 1922 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and died on 6 September 1976 in Mountain View, Santa Clara, California.  Mildred married Sidney William HICKS on 14 February 1940 in Cook County, Illinois. Sidney was born on 17 June 1916 in Illinois and died on 6 August 1990 in Santa Clara County, California.

Emil married second, Pearl "Myrtle" C MATTHEWS, daughter of William MATTHEWS and Mary HILLERY, on 15 February 1930 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Myrtle was born on 15 November 1895 in Illinois and died on 20 November 1967 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

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Disclaimer: Information is based on research completed as of 19 January 2013. Some details have been omitted to protect the privacy of living relatives.

Sources: Available upon request.

PDF Available: The content of this post is available as a PDF through Scribd and may updated periodically as new information is found.

Other Blog Posts: To see other posts about the Miller family, click here. To see other Surname Saturday posts, click here.

Contact: If you would like more information about this family, or would like to share what you know, please contact me at genblogjulie@gmail.com.

My Adventure With Meyers Gazetteer

Back in February, I spent quite a bit of time at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  I hadn’t planned on working on my Miller/Wach/Wietzke clan, but after discussing German research with some friends over dinner, I shifted gears.  Later that night, I headed over to the reference desk to talk to an expert and after about 15 minutes and a pile of books, he had figured out where my second great-grandmother, Hulda Wach, came from.

Mind you, I had some clues.  I had a town name from her obituary, but unfortunately, there were several Bernsdorfs to choose from.  I knew that they were Lutheran, which narrowed the pool down a bit more.  He asked what other information I had and off the top of my head, I had nothing.  So, with my Kindle Fire in hand, I went through all the notes/events in my Legacy database. 

On the passenger list for her departure from Hamburg, her previous place of residence was listed as Zerrin, Pommern.  That was all he needed to narrow the choices down to one likely location.  A search in the FHL catalog revealed that the FHL did not have any church records for this town.  Back to the stack of books that had now amassed, the light bulb went off, and back to the catalog he went.  This time, it revealed that there were a few years of civil registrations available for Damsdorf, which, he said, covered Bernsdorf.   Lo and behold, in the few years of records (1874-1878) I confirmed that this was the place where Hulda came from.  Although her birth was not available (she was born in 1869), I did find the birth of her brother, as well as several other records with the Wach and Wietzke surnames (Wietzke is Hulda’s mother’s surname).

Until the other day, I had no idea how he found the correct location, what books he consulted (I assumed gazetteers), or how he knew that the civil registrations in Damsdorf would have what I needed.  Having attended the Tazewell County (IL) Genealogical Society fall workshop last weekend, I now had an idea about how he found the location.

Carol Whitton presented Using and Understanding the German Gazetteer, in which she discussed how to use the Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs.  After my crash-course in German gazetteers and reading the script, I immediately accessed the Meyers Gazetteer through Ancestry (you can access this resource even without an Ancestry subscription).

I printed out the entry for the Bernsdorf location of interest and proceeded to transcribe and translate it.  Now I can see why the location of Damsdorf was relevant in my search—it’s the location of the civil registry office for Bernsdorf.  I also now know the government district, county, lower court district, and other things that might help me further research this family.  Additionally, I know that this town had both a Catholic and Evangelical church, and that there was a savings and loan, a mill, and a brickyard.  Of course this particular place is now part of Poland and will likely make my research a bit more difficult, but at least I now have some basic information to hopefully get started. 

Below is the transcription (into English characters) and translation (including the deciphering of the abbreviations) of the Meyers Gazetteer entry for Bernsdorf (clicking on the image will open a PDF file).  And for fun, I found a font that does old German script so I did an exact transcription.  (The font that I used was MarsFraktur Normal and I found it at Fraktur German True Type Fonts and Others  Of the fonts listed, this particular one included all of the special characters.)

Fearless Females – Timeline

Back in 2010, in honor of Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo created a list of writing prompts for each day during the month of March.  I didn’t participate in 2010, so I’m going to take the opportunity to participate this year, since Lisa was kind enough to resurrect her prompts for 2012.

Create a timeline for a female ancestor using your favorite software program or an online timeline generator such as OurTimelines.Post an image of it or link.

I took the opportunity to experiment with some online timelines.  I settled on Time Rime.  Here’s a simple timeline for my second great-grandmother, Hulda (Wach) Miller Severing.  If you’d like to know more about Hulda, read my post Hulda (Wach) Miller Severing.

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Read all of my Fearless Females posts.

Hulda (Wach) Müller Severing

Hulda Wach was born in January of either 1868 or 1869 in Bernsdorf, Pommern, Preußen, daughter of Heinrich Wach and Emilie Wietzke.  She appears to be the oldest of the four known children of Heinrich and Emilie: Alvina, born about 1873; Carl August, born in October 1874; and Heinrich Emil, born in August 1876.  Because Hulda’s mother remarried sometime between 1876 and 1884, it is possible that her father died during the same period.  Emilie married “Fred” Schultz and they had one know child, Mildred, born about 1884. 

At the age of 15, Hulda left her home, possibly alone, to seek a better life in the US.  She departed from Hamburg, Germany aboard Suevia on 12 October 1884 and arrived in New York on 27 October 1884 with her sights set on her final destination of Chicago.

About two years after settling in Chicago, she married Emil Müller on 8 August 1886.  Over the next few years, Emil and Hulda built their life together, having three children: Heinrich, born 1 June 1887; Emil, born 9 February 1889; and Ida, born 31 July 1891.  In 1890, Hulda’s sister, Alvina immigrated to the US, followed by her mother, brother Heinrich, and half-sister Mildred in 1891, all settling near one another in Chicago.

By March 1895, Emil and Hulda were separated.  Hulda filed for divorce in 1900, which was finalized in December of that year.  She was now free to marry John Severing, of McHenry County, Illinois, on 19 January 1901 at Chicago.  One child, Lillian, was born of this union.

After marrying John, Hulda moved to Dunham, McHenry County, Illinois, about 70 miles northwest of Chicago.  The local newspaper shows her visiting Chicago frequently to spend time with family and friends.  By June 1912, Hulda was suffering from stomach cancer, which took her life on 15 May 1914.

According to her obituary, her “life was marked by industry, frugality and attentiveness to the affairs of her home and those committed to her care, as well as a life of faithfulness to her Christian duties.”

These are just the facts that I’ve accumulated so far as I continue to piece together Hulda’s life.  I’m interested to know what drove her to leave her home and family at the age of 15, and why her family followed her six years later.  I’d also like to know how she adapted to big-city life in Chicago.

1905 map of Pommern illustrating the small village of Bernsdorf where Hulda was born.

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This post was written as part of my commitment to The Family History Writing Challenge.  Since my main goal is to put fingers to keyboard, I was not concerned with citing sources, however, sources are available if you are interested.

And There She Is…Hulda’s No Longer MIA

I’ve written many times about Emil MILLER and Hulda WACH, both immigrated to the US from Germany and settled in Chicago, where they eventually married.  I knew from notes in family papers that Hulda married a second time, to John Severing, and they had a daughter Lillian.  Based on that information, I found that Hulda and John married in January 1901 in Chicago and they were found living together in McHenry County, Illinois in 1910.  John is found in the 1920 and 1930 censuses married to someone else and I therefore concluded that Hulda either died or remarried between 1910 and 1920.

I asked a fellow genealogist to check the death index for McHenry County for Hulda between 1910 and 1920; she found nothing.  So earlier this month, I decided to conduct research in the local newspaper in hopes of uncovering what happened to her.  I started going week by week, looking at the entire contents of the eight-page (usually) paper; it took five hours to go through one year.  During 1910, there were a few mentions of Hulda and her children, mostly noting visits to (or from) Chicago.  By the end of August 1910, she was still living and known as “Mrs. John Severing” having visited Chicago along with her daughters Lillian and Ida (“Mrs. Charles Brunner”).

Having just moved to a new city, I contacted the local library on Monday to ask if they did inter-library loans with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, knowing that they have these particular newspapers on microfilm that they loan out.  Thankfully, they do, so I went to the library, got my new library card, and requested the films for 1910-1920 (this saves me a two-hour drive, roundtrip and parking costs, so I was pretty excited about that alone!!).  When the films come in, I plan to resume my search with 1911.

But here’s the kicker.  While looking for something else (because it always happens that way), I noticed that the Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1970 collection on FamilySearch was updated on 29 November.  Curious to see what had been added, I followed the link and discovered there were many new counties, one of which….wait for it…was McHenry!  So naturally I looked to see what was available.  Although it reads “Probate Records v. 4 1844-1985” I learned that it is only an index.  I headed over to the surnames beginning with S.  They are organized by year, so I started with 1910 and it didn’t take long to find an entry for Hulda Severing in May 1914 (right underneath was a listing for her minor daughter, Lillian).

Unbelievable.  First, I can’t believe that I finally found some sort of source that gives me some clue as to when she died, especially since I anticipated continuing the search through newspapers for a span of ten years!  Naturally, when I get the films, I will head directly to May 1914 and start there, but in all honestly, I still plan to go through all the years when the family lived there.  I found so many interesting nuggets in just one year, I’m sure I will find other interesting things as I search the remaining years.

Second, I’m surprised there is a probate file for her.  I plan to call the county ASAP to find out how to obtain a copy of the file and hopefully that will give me more information such as a specific date and place of death.

While I’ve found this little nugget, there is still much more to uncover on this family.  I still have no idea what happened to her first husband, Emil.  In addition to the local newspaper, I’ve found several other items related to the family of her second husband John in the Rockford newspapers available on GenealogyBank.  It was through many searches that I finally learned what became of Hulda and John’s daughter Lillian.  The pieces are finally starting to come together and this probate file will be one more piece of the puzzle.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read my previous posts about this family:

• Brick Wall – Emil MILLER/MULLER
• Finding Emil
• An Update on Emil
• New Development in the Emil Miller Case
• Slowly Breaking Through Emil’s Brick Wall

SNGF - “Heritage Pie” Chart

This week’s challenge from Randy is:

• List your 16 great-great-grandparents with their birth, death and marriage data (dates and places). 
• Determine the countries (or states) that these ancestors lived in at their birth and at their death.
• For extra credit, go make a "Heritage Pie" chart for the country of origin (birth place) for these 16 ancestors. [Hint: you could use the  chart generator from Kid Zone for this.] [Note: Thank you to Sheri Fenley for the "Heritage Pie" chart idea.]
• Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a post on Facebook or google+.

Here’s mine:

 

16.  Thomas CAHILL - bap. 8 May 1860 in Thomastown, Kilkenny, Ireland; died 15 October 1929 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois; married Margareth MILLETT, 3 July 1887 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

17.  Margareth “Maggie” MILLETT – bap. 3 February 1863 in Old Grange, Kilkenny, Ireland; died 7 January 1945 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

18.  John SCHWARTZ – born 11 Arpil 1856 (cal.) in Luxembourg; died 20 January 1912 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois; married Margaretha KRAMER, 6 September 1888 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

19.  Margaretha “Margaret” KRAMER – born 31 October 1866 in Consdorf, Echternach, Luxembourg; died 14 January 1945 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

20.  Timothy McMAHON – born 14 May 1874 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; died 14 October 1939 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; married Sarah Jane WARD, 11 November 1899 in Lake County, Indiana.

21.  Sarah Jane WARD – born 7 April 1875 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; died 8 October 1956 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

22.  James Manly GARRISON – born 26 December 1861 in Picton, Prince Edward, Ontario, Canada; died 23 May 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; married, Sarah Jane MULLIGAN, 23 January 1893 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

23.  Sarah Jane “Jennie” MULLIGAN – born 16 April 1870 in Flint, Genesee, Michigan; died 26 April 1947 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

24.  Emil MILLER – born January 1864 in Germany; died after 1902, probably in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; married Hulda WACH, 8 August 1886 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

25.  Hulda WACH – born 9 January 1869 in Germany; died probably between 1910 and 1920 in McHenry County, Illinois.

26.  Herman LEPPIN – born 22 March 1873 in Germany; died 31 March 1948 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona; married Minnie HEMFLER, 26 March 1894 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

27.  Minnie HEMFLER – born 9 April 1871 in Germany; died 17 May 1945 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

28.  Philip ROTTMAN – born about 1835 in Bavaria, Germany; died between 1885 and 1889, probably in Linn Couny, Iowa; married Mary Eva REEDER before 1870, possible in France.

29.  Mary Eva REEDER – born 18 March 1849 (cal.) in France; died 26 October 1889 in Iowa.

30.  Carl “Charles” STOFFEL – born 16 September 1855 in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany; died 8 November 1902 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; married Mary BRAUN, about 1884.

31.  Mary BRAUN – born 19 November 1855 in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany; died 9 August 1936 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Wordless Wednesday – 01/06/10

Saturday Night Challenge – 08/08/09

Randy’s challenge for this evening is as follows:

List your 16 great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

If you don't know all 16 of your great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.

Here’s mine:

I have 10 German, 4 Irish, 1 Canadian, and 1 French.  Further generations on Sarah MULLIGAN would also have English.  But according to the way Randy asked us to figure this, I am: 63% German, 25% Irish, 6% Canadian, and 6% French.

Family Events – Week of August 2 to August 8

William LEWIS – William is my eleventh great-grandfather, who was born on 3 January 1594.  He died on 2 August 1683 in Connecticut.*

Joseph BELLUOMINI – Happy birthday to Uncle Joe on August 3rd.

Harold Leslie MILLER – Harold is my grandfather, who was born on 4 August 1918 in Chicago.  He died on 15 June 1982.

Sarah Norton WEBSTER – Sarah is my third great-grandmother, who was born on 14 September 1828 in Michigan.  She died on 5 August 1894.

Elmer W F TRAPP – Elmer is my second cousin twice removed, who was born on 7 August 1919 in Illinois.  He died on 27 September 1968 in Chicago, Illinois.

Theresa “Tessie” CAHILL – Tessie is my first cousin three times removed, who was born on 8 August 1895 in Illinois.  She died on 17 May 1986 in Ohio.

Jerimiah “Jerry” William McMAHON – Jerry is my second great-granduncle, who was born on 8 August 1883 in Illinois.  He died on 20 February 1928 in Illinois.

Emil MILLER & Hulda WACH – Emil and Hulda are my second great-grandparents, who were married on 8 August 1886 in Chicago, Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

German Brick Walls

The topic for the 22nd edition of Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy is roadblocks and breakthrough encountered during your genealogy research.

I have actually had some breakthroughs with my German ancestors, although it’s all been through research here in the U.S.  Now, they’ve become my German brick walls, as I am having a hard time finding information across the pond.

There are several reasons they are now brick walls:

• In some cases, I don’t know where in Germany to start looking.
• I don’t know enough about Germany to effectively search.
• I don’t speak/read German, so when I do find something with potential, I can understand it (online translators do help).

So I am going to use this carnival topic to share what I have found so far on each of my direct-line German ancestors.

Emil MILLER & Hulda WACH – Emil and Hulda are my second great-grandparents.  Alternate spellings I have come across for Miller are Muller and Mueller (with and without the ü).  From the information I have gathered, I believe he was born in Germany around 1862.  He and Hulda married on 8 August 1886 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  They had three children:  Heinrich “Henry” Frederick, Emil Charles, and Ida (all born in Chicago).  Except for their marriage, I cannot find Emil in the U.S. and suspect that he died before 1900 (I have yet to find a death certificate).  As for Hulda, she remarried in 1901 to John Fred SEVERING, had another daughter, Lilian, and then I lose her after the 1910 census.  I haven’t the slightest clue where to look for them in Germany.

Henry WACH & Amelia WIETZKE – Henry and Amelia are my third great-grandparents.  This is a recent discovery.  I’ve known of Amelia (also spelled Emillie) since I started my research, as she is found with her children in the U.S. up through the 1920 census.  I had no idea who her husband was, nor her maiden name.  A few months ago, I obtained her son Henry’s death certificate.  Lo and behold, it listed his father’s name AND Amelia’s maiden name and confirmed that they were both born in Germany…jackpot!!  Since Amelia remarried while in Germany, I suspect that Henry died in Germany.  But again, I have no idea where to start looking for either of them.  Henry and Amelia had three children: Hulda (mentioned above), Alvina, and Heinrich :Henry” Emil.  Amelia married an unknown SCHULTZ and had another daughter, Mildred.  All of the children were born in Germany.

Herman LEPPIN & Minnie HAEMFIFLER – Herman and Minnie are my second great-grandparents.  Research indicates that they were both born in Germany.  Herman was born on 22 March 1873 and died on 31 March 1948 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona.  Family notes indicate that Minnie was born in 1872 and died in 1946.  They were married on 26 March 1894 in Cook County, Illinois.  Together they had four children:  Alma Mary, Henry August, Herman Paul, and Charles F. all born in Cook County, Illinois.  Nothing as of yet points to where to further my research in Germany.

Phillip ROTTMAN & Mary Eva REEDER – Phillip and Mary are my second great-grandparents.  Family notes indicate that Phillip was born in Germany, while Mary was born in France.  The notes also indicate that they were married in France.  Research indicates that Phillip and Mary had six children:  John W (born in Georgia), Anna E (born in Missouri), Malissa Elizabeth (born in Pennsylvania), Charles Henry (born in Iowa), Mabel Louise (born in Pennsylvania), and George (born in Iowa).  Research also indicates that Phillip was born in Bavaria, so I guess this could be a place to start.

Charles STOFFEL & Mary BRAUN – Charles and Mary are my second great-grandparents.  Of all the direct-line German ancestors, there is potential to finding information on the across the pond.  Family papers indicated that they were born in Frankfurt, but I was able to confirm that at least Mary appears to have been born in Frankfurt as it is indicated on her death certificate (which I just recently obtained).  I have not been able to find a marriage certificate for them in Illinois, so I suspect they may have been married in Germany.  Charles and Mary had seven children, all born in Illinois:  Henry C, Anna E, Margaret, Charles L, Elsie A, William, and George.  I started to do a little digging when I confirmed that Mary was born in Frankfurt, but was unable to find anything relevant.

There you have it; my German brick walls.  I hope to do a little digging on Charles STOFFEL and Mary BRAUN since they’re the only ones that I have some proof of where in Germany they came from.  I am heading to SLC in September, and they are on my list.

And the Wall Begins to Crumble

I’ve been wanting to know more about the parents of Hulda WACH (i.e., my third great-grandparents), but have only had a few pieces of information:  the surname and the mother’s first name (Amelia).  I’ve talked about this brick wall a few times here on my blog, and in fact, just wrote about it a few days ago for Randy’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun post.

Had I entered the information from the death certificates I collected a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have needed to write that information in the last post.  Why?  Because I found Hulda’s brother’s death certificate…and it lists the names of the parents, including…wait for it…Amelia’s maiden name!  So I now know that my third great-grandparents are Henry WACH and Amelia WIETZKE.  Woo-hoo!!  Making progress.  Happy dance!!

Saturday Night Fun – June 6, 2009

The challenge for Randy’s Saturday Night Fun is:

1. Which of your ancestors were alive in 1909?
   
2. Tell us where your ancestral families were living in 1909. What country, state, county,  city/town, etc. Who was in the family at the time? Use the 1910 census as "close enough."
   
3. Have you found each of these families in the 1910 census?
   
4. Write a blog post about your response. Or write a comment to this post.
   
5. Have fun. Learn something!

Here’s mine (those in bold are direct line ancestors):

Third great-grandmother, Amelia (a.k.a. Emilie), was living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1910, with her son Heinrich “Henry” (my second great-granduncle) and his family.  Amelia is a mystery to me; she was married to a WACH and had three children.  She then married a SCHULTZ and had one daughter.  I have no idea what her maiden name is or the first names (and fates) of her two husbands.

Another mystery woman, my third great-grandmother, Bridget Ward, was living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1910 with two daughters, Sarah and Rose, and Sarah’s husband Timothy McMAHON.  Again, I have no idea what Bridget’s maiden name is, or the first name of her husband.  I am not able to find her after 1910 in censuses or death records.

My second great-grandmother, Mary (or Anna or Marie) BRAUN Stoffel, was living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois with her seven children:  Henry C, Anna E, Margaret, Charles L, Elsie A, William, and George.

Thomas Robert CAHILL, my second great-grandfather, was living in Aurora, Kane, Illinois in 1910 with his wife, Margaret “Maggie” MILLETT and four of his six children, Margaret, Thomas Michael, John F, Robert Emmett.

My second great-grandfather, James Manly GARRISON, was living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1909, when he died on 23 May 1909.  His wife, Sarah Jane “Jeanie” MULLIGAN was living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1910 with her four children, James Norton, Joseph Webster, Emma Jane, and Robert Parks.

My second great-grandparents, Herman LEPPIN and Minnie HAEMFIFLER, were living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1910 with their four children, Alma Mary, Henry August, Herman Paul, and Charles F.

My third great-grandparents, Timothy McMAHON and Margaret RYAN, were living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1910 with four of their five children, John Joseph, Nellie, Jerimiah William, and Elizabeth V.   Margaret’s grandson (through her daughter from another marriage), Francis J, was also living with them in 1910.

Emil Charles MILLER, my great-grandfather, was likely living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois in 1910, but I have yet to find him in the census.

My great-grandfather, George ROTTMAN, also eludes me in the 1910 census, but he was likely living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

My second great-grandparents, John SCHWARTZ and Margaret KRAMER were living in Aurora, Kane, Illinois in 1910 with their six children, Henry Ferdinand, John J, Catherine M, Mary J, Theresa K, and Herman J.

Family Events - Week of March 22 to March 28

Herman LEPPIN & Minnie HAEMFIFLER - Herman and Minnie are my second great-grandparents.  They were married on 26 March 1894 in Cook County, Illinois.  Herman was born on 22 March 1873.

Samuel PARKE - Samuel is my ninth great-grandfather.  He died on 22 March 1709 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.

Alvina WACH - Alvina is my second great-grandaunt.  She was born in Germany around 1873.  She died on 24 March 1959 (calculated based on date of obituary and funeral).

Noah WEBSTER - Noah is my second cousin nine times removed (father of dictionary Noah Webster).  He was born on 25 March 1722 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.

Julie Marie CAHILL - Happy birthday to me on March 25th.

Family Events - Week of March 8 to March 14

Van Rennselaer Cash VLIET - Van Rennselaer is the husband of my third great-grandaunt, Polly Ann WEBSTER.  He died on 9 March 1915 in Clarkston, Oakland, Michigan.

Mae WACH - Mae is my first cousin three times removed.  She was born in Chicago around 1906.  She died on 9 March 2004 in Oxnard, Ventura, California.

Margaret STOFFEL - Margaret is my great-grandaunt.  She was born on 10 March 1899 in Illinois.

Anna Eva Elizabeth ROTTMAN - Anna is my first cousin twice removed.  She was born on 12 March 1904 in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa.  She died in 2002 at the age of 98.  To my knowledge, Anna was the family historian for the Rottman family.

Ashbel WEBSTER - Ashbel is my sixth great-grandfather.  He was born on 12 March 1733 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.*

Polly Ann WEBSTER - Polly is my third great-grandaunt (see VLIET above).  She died on 12 March 1910 in Clarkston, Oakland, Michigan.

James Manly GARRISON - James is my first cousin twice removed.  Jim died three years ago on 13 March 2006 in Radnor, Delaware, Ohio.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Names, Places & Most Wanted Faces

Taking the bait from Craig over at GeneaBlogie, here's my list of names, places, and most wanted faces.

Names	Places
Cahill	Cook Co., Illinois Kane Co. Illinois Thomastown, Kilkenny, Ireland
Garrison	Cook Co., Illinois Picton, Ontario, Canada
Leppin	Cook Co., Illinois Germany
McMahon	Cook Co. Illinois Tipperary, Ireland
Miller/Mueller/Muller	Cook Co., Illinois Germany
Millet	Kane Co., Illinois Kilkenny, Ireland
Mulligan	Genesee Co., Michigan
Norton/Naughton	Connecticut Rutland Co. Vermont England
Parks/Parke	New London Co., Connecticut Oakland Co., Michigan
Rottman	Cook Co., Illinois Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois (Quad Cities) Germany
Ryan	Tipperary, Ireland Dublin, Ireland
Schwartz	Kane Co., Illinois Luxemburg, Germany
Stoffel	Cook Co., Illinois Frankfort, Germany
Trapp	Cook Co., Illinois Lake Co., Illinois Germany
Wach	Cook Co., Illinois Prussia, Brandenburg, Germany
Ward	Cook Co. Illinois Ireland
Webster	New England States Oakland Co., Michigan

Most Wanted Faces

I'd really like to find Sarah Jane WARD McMahon's parents.  Mother's name was Bridget; father's name unknown to me.  Both were born in Ireland.

Also on the list, Hulda WACH Miller's parents.  Mother's name was Amelia/Emilie; father's name is unknown to me.  Both were born in Germany.

Family Events - Week of February 1 to February 7

Maureen Ann BUDZIAK - Happy birthday to my aunt on February 1.

Harry Henry Adolph TRAPP - Harry is my first cousin three times removed.  He was born on 25 July 1895 in Illinois.  He died on or around 5 February 1972.

Joan Garrison McMAHON - Joan is my grandmother, who was born on 6 February 1927 in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois.  She died on March 1, 1980 at the age of 53.

Henry Emil WACH & Bessie C KUNBERGER - Henry and Bessie are my second great-grandparents.  They were married on 6 February 1904 in Chicago.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events - Week of January 4 to January 10

Joseph Webster GARRISON - Joseph is my great-granduncle, who was born on 4 January 1898.  He died on 23 July 1930 at the age of 32.

Ruth MOORE - Ruth is my ninth great-grandmother.  She was born on 5 January1657 in Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut.*

Pliny Price WARREN & Elizabeth "Betsy" WILLIS - Pliny is my first cousin six times removed.  He and Betsy married on 5 January1821 in Hampton, Washington, New York.*

Tricia BELLUOMINI & Timothy Johnson - My step-sister Tricia and her husband Tim are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary on January 6.  Congrats!

Margaret "Maggie" MILLETT - Maggie is my second great-grandmother.  She was born in Ireland, likely in January 1863.  She died on 7 January 1945 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

Deacon Jonathan WEBSTER - Dec. Jonathan is my ninth great-grandfather.  He was born in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut on 9 January 1657.*

Hulda WACH - Hulda is my second great-grandmother, who was born on 9 January1869 in Germany.

Pietro "Peter" BELLUOMINI - Peter is my step-father's dad, who died on 9 January 1991 in Illinois at the age of 76.

Edward George ROTTMAN - Edward is my granduncle.  He died on 10 January 1968 at his home in Mundelein, Lake, Illinois at the age of 52.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.