GERMANNA History Notes Page #076

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This is the SEVENTY-SIXTH page of John BLANKENBAKER's series of Short Notes on GERMANNA History, which were originally posted to the GERMANNA_COLONIES Discussion List.  Each page contains 25 Notes.

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This Page Contains Notes 1876 through 1900.

GERMANNA History Notes
Page 76

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Nr. 1876:

The �Ortssippenbuch Diefenbach� is written in German but anyone can read the substance of the book.  Let me give a typical family entry, the basic unit of presentation.  (Please see previous Note, Nr. 1875, for explanation of the various symbols used.)

  • 648: Hanss Burkhardt Fischer (aus 642), Bauer, . 23.11.1724, 23.4.1784, Auszehrung, 59J.5M; ¥ um 1750 Anna Catharina Kicherer, aus Zaisersweiher, * err 21.4.1732, Dfb 29.4.1786, hitzig. Fieber, 54J.8T. 11 Kdr * Dfb:
  •   1. Johannes » 28.5.1751
  •   2. Joh. Adam * 20.8.1752 25.2.1776 ledig Simpel
  •   3. Georg Jacob 26.8.1754
  •   4. Joh. Burckhard 5.5.1756 ( 650/51)
  •   5. Christina Catharina 6.4.1759 ( 1935)
  •   6. Johannes 11.2.1761 ¥ Derdingen . . . 1795 Salome , Wwe. D. Georg Adam Schmid, Schmied
  •   7. Joseph 28.1.1765 ¥ Sch�tzingen . . . 1792 Louisa Lang, T.d. Hanss Jerg L., Bauer dort
  •   8. Joh. David 13.3.1768 22.3.1768
  •   9. Maria Elisabeth 10.6.1769 24.12.1774
  • 10. Joh. David 15.5.1771 1.3.1772
  • 11. Philipp Heinrich 2.3.1773 18.2.1774.
    [end of record]

The family is number 648.  If the father or mother married again, there would be another number.  The records are arranged in alphabetical order, and in order by the family number.  So, if you wish to check a name, use the alphabetical data.  The father�s name is given as Hanss.  Though we normally think of Hans as being written with only one �s�, it is often written in the early records with two �s�es�.  Hanss Burkhardt Fischer was born in family 642 (aus = from or out of).  Hanss was a farmer (bauer), by and away the most common occupation in this time.

He was baptized on the 23 of November 1724, and he died on the 23 of April 1784 of consumption, at the age of 59 years and 4 months.  He married, about 1750, Anna Catharina Kicherer from Zaiserweiher.  Her computed birthday is 21 April 1732 (probably from her age at her death).  She died at Diefenbach the 29 April 1786, of a feverish fever.  She was 54 years and 8 days old at death.  She was the mother of 11 children.
to be continued



Nr. 1877:

I continue with the record of the Hanss Burkhardt Fischer family which gives the children as:

  1. Johannes » 28.5.1751
  2. Joh. Adam * 20.8.1752 25.2.1776 ledig Simpel
  3. Georg Jacob 26.8.1754
  4. Joh. Burckhard 5.5.1756 ( 650/51)
  5. Christina Catharina 6.4.1759 ( 1935)
  6. Johannes 11.2.1761 ¥ Derdingen . . . 1795 Salome , Wwe. D. Georg Adam Schmid, Schmied
  7. Joseph 28.1.1765 ¥ Sch�tzingen . . . 1792 Louisa Lang, T.d. Hanss Jerg L., Bauer dort
  8. Joh. David 13.3.1768 22.3.1768
  9. Maria Elisabeth 10.6.1769 24.12.1774
  10. Joh. David 15.5.1771 1.3.1772
  11. Philipp Heinrich 2.3.1773 18.2.1774.

Johannes was baptized the 28 of May in 1751.  He may have been born on this same day or on an earlier day.  Some pastors sometimes emphasized the baptismal date and omitted the birthday, while others put both in the record.  The lack of any additional information suggests that he died without a record of his death being made.  (It is also possible that he moved to another village and married there.)  The second son, Johann Adam (perhaps Johannes), was born the 20th day of August in 1752.  He was mentally retarded (simpleton) and he died as a single person when he was 23.

Georg Jacob was probably born and baptized on the same day, the 26th day of August in 1754.  His later record is indeterminate.  Johann Burckhard was born and baptized on the 5th of May in 1756.  In the parenthesis above, for him, there was a symbol, a right-pointing arrow, which suggests that you should go to families 650 and 651, where his two marriages and families are given.  Some writers of Ortssippenbuch use the word �siehe�, meaning �see�, instead of the arrow to suggest you consult another family.

Christina Catharina was born and baptized on the same day, the 6th day of April 1759.  She lived to the age of marriage, and her history as a mother is given in family 1935. There, we learn that she married Johann Burkard Wertwein in 1781, had two children, and died in 1784.  Child number 6, another Johannes, was born the 11th of February in 1761.  He went to Derdingen to find his wife, Salome, whom he married in 1795.  Her maiden name is unknown.  She was the widow of Georg Adam Schmid, Schmied.  Georg Adam Schmid was a Schmied by occupation, i.e. he was a "smithy". The future history of Johannes Fischer is not given here, probably because he was living in another town.
(28 Apr 04)



Nr. 1878:

Five more children of the family of Hanss Burkhardt Fischer are:

  1. Joseph 28.1.1765 ¥ Sch�tzingen . . . 1792 Louisa Lang, T.d. Hanss Jerg L., Bauer dort
  2. Joh. David 13.3.1768 22.3.1768
  3. Maria Elisabeth 10.6.1769 24.12.1774
  4. Joh. David 15.5.1771 1.3.1772
  5. Philipp Heinrich 2.3.1773 18.2.1774.

Joseph (no middle name) was born and baptized on 28 January 1765.  He married at Sch�tzingen, (some time in) 1792, Louisa Lang, the daughter of the deceased Hanss Jerg Lang, a farmer there.

Joh. David was born and baptized on 13 March 1768, and he died nine days later.

Maria Elisabeth was born and baptized on 10 June 1769, and she died on 24 December 1774.

Another Joh. David was born and baptized on 15 May 1771, and he died the next January 3.

Philipp Heinrich was born and on 2 March 1773, and he died shortly before his first birthday.

Some of the abbreviations that one is likely to encounter include:

  • err - a computed date most often found as a birth date from the age at death
  • um - circa or around, about
  • S.d. - Sohn des (son of the . . .)
  • Kdr - Kinder (child or children)
  • Wwe- Witwe (widow)
  • ooI - first marriage; ooII - second marriage; etc
  • zw. - zwischen (between)
  • u. - und (and)
  • T.d. - Tochter des (daughter of the . . )
  • led., ld., - ledig (single)
  • * - stillborn
  • Zwill. - Zwilling (twin)
  • dort - there (meaning the place mentioned earlier in the entry)

Every Ortssippenbuch has many variations on this, especially for the place names, which occur often.  Also, there is no standardization of the abbreviations used, though the set given here would enable you to read most any Ortssippenbuch.
(30 Apr 04)



Nr. 1879:

I reported on another Ortssippenbuch in Beyond Germanna on page 825.  This was for the two combined villages of Ober�wisheim and Neuenb�rg, which had been put together because the Lutheran church in Ober�wisheim also served the Lutherans in Neuenb�rg.  This was really an exciting book for me because of the great number of possible Germanna names in it which included the following:

Blanckenb�hler, Bender, Blanck, Christler, Debelt/Debold/Debolt, Diehl, Finck, Fischer, Fleischmann, Gerhard, Hepp, Hirsch, Jager, Kafer, Kappeler, Kiefer, Klar, Krieger, Lang, Lederer, Lepp/Lipp, Mack, Maier/Mayer/Meier/Meyer, Motz, Ostreicher, Rauch, Rausch, Reiser, R�cker, Sauter, Schad, Schaible/Schaiblin/Scheiblin, Schluchter, Schneider, Schon, Schuck, Sieber, Silber, Thom/Thomas, Uhl, Vogt/Voigt, Weidmann, Weingard, and Zimmerman.

I was able to show, using this book as the source, that a published history of Mrs. George Schaible, of the 1717 immigrants to Virginia, was incorrect.  The Ortssippenbuch identifies her correctly as having the maiden name of Maria Eleanora Ockert, who had been born in Kleingartach on the 29th of June in 1670.  The book also confirmed what was known about other Germanna immigrants from the Ober�wisheim-Neuenb�rg locality.

One of the exciting things is to feel that your researches might be directed to a particular area as you scan the names present in the community.  Then you would want to start scanning the church books in that general vicinity.

The Ortssippenbuch for Ober�wisheim-Neuenb�rg has a few variations from the format that I discussed for Diefenbach.  But after you have learned the format for one Ortssippenbuch, it is not difficult to switch to another book as they are so similar.

Back in Diefenbach, the Ortssippenbuch for that village shows these names:

Baumg�rtner, Beck, B�hm, Fin(c)k, Fischer, Kappler/Keppler, Kercher, Kerler, Kienzle, Klar, Koch, Krieger, Lang, Lederer, Mack, Maier, Mauch, �hler/Oehler, Preiss, Reiner, Sauder/Saut(t)er, Scheible, Schlatter, Schmidt, Silber, Sp�th, Thomae, Uhl, Vogt/Voigt, Weber, Wieland, Ziegler, Zimmermann.

None of these people have been proven yet to have emigrated to the Robinson River Valley.

I included the Kerler name because it occurred once when Ernst Jacob Kerler, a shoemaker, who had married Anna Maria, had their child Ernst Gottlieb baptized in Diefenbach in 1724.  The child died one year later so this was a second appearance.  With so few mentions, had the name Kerler been misunderstood and written mistakenly?  Was it Perler or Berler?
(03 May 04)



Nr. 1880:

The question was asked, "What was it like for our ancestors around the year 1000?"  As a start, let's look at how many ancestors each of us had in the general vicinity of that year.  The answer depends mightily on our assumptions, since we cannot know the exact number.  The basic question is, how many years will there be between generations.  Twenty-five is probably too few while thirty-three is probably too long.  So, why don't we use the number of 30 years per generation on the average.

The year 1000 was 1,000 years ago.  Therefore, there would be 33 generations from then to now.  Start with yourself, the number of ancestors doubles each generation.  For starters, we have:

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, etc.

After 33 generations, you would have 8,589,900,000 ancestors!  That is, you would have more than eight billion ancestors!  I don't think there are that many people living on the earth today.  Certainly in the year 1000 there was nothing like that number of people living in western Europe.  So the only way you could have eight billion ancestors then would be if many of them were doubled up and counted more than once.

Perhaps ten million people were living in all of Europe in the year 1000.  Therefore, each one of them would, on the average, have to be an ancestor 860 times.  Some of the people living then would not have been ancestors maybe only once, and others would have been ancestors several times more than 860.

Would your ancestors have come from one small geographic spot, or would they have been distributed over Europe?  There would have been quite a bit of gene diffusion.  Some of this would come from marrying the girl in the village that was three away from the one you lived in, some of this would have come from the movement of people from one area to another, and some of these distances could be quite far (the Blankenbakers moved from Austria to the Rhine River), and some of it could have come from the soldiers who were far from home.

Therefore, the question to be asked is, "What was it like to be living in Europe in the year 1000?"  The answers, of course, are varied because you will have Kings and beggars for ancestors.  On the average, life then was very mean and hard.  Your ancestors worked hard, probably for another man, to earn their food.  Probably most of your ancestors, when they "checked out", were only too happy to earn their eternal rest.
(04 May 04)



Nr. 1881:

The Diefenbach Church Books, the primary source for the Ortssippenbuch Diefenbach, start in the year 1558.  The Ortssippenbuch is carried through 1945, though the Church Books continue after that date.  The cutoff at 1945 was probably to insure that the fallen members of the military would be included.

The year 1558 is an early date for the Church Books.  This is not long after the Protestant Reformation, and the start of the Church Book at this time probably coincides with the conversion of the church from Catholic to Lutheran (Evangelische).  There is one gap in the Church Books, from 1631 to approximately 1649.  The Ortssippenbuch gives the explanation, "Diefenbach war 1636-1649 verwaist!"  It does not take a German dictionary to understand that statement.  (For those who don't have a German-English dictionary, it means, in a direct translation, that Diefenback was "orphaned"; that is, it was "abandoned".  The war drove everyone out of the village.)

This was during The Thirty Years' War when the armies were rampaging across Germany.  The populations of villages were so reduced that it was difficult to maintain essential services.  I did a study of the Mundelsheim village (Beyond Germanna, page 848), which is about twenty miles to the east of Diefenbach.  In Mundelsheim, the number of births recorded in the years 1638 and 1639 was zero.  There was a lot of activity at the Mundelsheim church, as 320 deaths were recorded in 1635.  In the years following, the number of deaths was still higher than the long term average, even in 1638 and 1639.  In these few years, the population of Mundelsheim was cut in half.

In Diefenbach, the number of baptisms for the decades 1560 to 1710 was:

1560-180
1570-169
1580-156
1590-150
1600-192
1610- 95
1620- 63
1630-  ?
1640-  6
1650- 90
1660- 70
1670- 92
1680-141
1690- 51
1700- 99
1710-121

There was a fairly steady growth until in the decade 1870, when there were 295 baptisms.  There was a severe drop in the 1690 decade, due to the invasion by the French.  Many people moved to the east, and sometimes churches in this region even closed during this period.

Altogether there were 5329 baptisms, 1449 marriages, and 3893 deaths, up to the year 1880.  It does not take a large population to produce numbers of these sizes.  In the years of the 1710 decade, there were about 13 births each year.
(05 May 04)



Nr. 1882:

In the Church Books for Diefenbach (Dfb), there are 102 mentions of �Amerika�.  In one of these cases, the country is Paraguay.  In some of the cases, specific mention of a town or state is made, such as Louisville, New York, and, especially, Pennsylvania.  Of these 102 mentions, seven are in the Eighteen Century, mostly centered around the year 1750.  The majority of the immigrations are in the Nineteenth Century and a few are in the Twentieth Century.  Of those in the Eighteenth Century, they should be found in the ship�s list for Philadelphia.

The emigrants often came as a family, perhaps as a not-yet-complete family.  Younger members of a family might come alone, often as unmarried individuals.  Unmarried males outnumber unmarried females.  The heads of the emigrant families in the Eighteenth Century were:

  1. Jerg Margin Fatzler, *1716, came after 1750.
  2. Hanss Caspar Fischer, *1714, came in 1749.
  3. Johann Caspar Heinrich, came after 1751.
  4. Hanss Jerg Luz (probably Lutz here), *1707, came after 1747.
  5. Hanss Jerg Rein *1703 (¥ Maria Sara Hirsch), came after 1750.
  6. Jerg Heinrich S�ttelin, *1721, came after 1752.
  7. Adam Schazmann, *ca 1715, came after 1751.

For most of these, I say they came after a certain date which is the last recorded baptism of a child in the family.  Often there would be only a few children by the departure date.  In one case above, for Fischer, the date seems to be given explicitly as 1749.

This is by no means a complete list, because it all depends on whether the pastor made an entry in the book.  Some people, who left without permission, might not appear in the records.

Two emigrations, later than the ones above are interesting.  Christian Scholl was born in Dfb in 1843.  He immigrated to "Amerika" and died in Louisville in 1864.  One wonders if he had been in our Civil War.

Johann Hildebrandt was a Mennonite who was born in the Ukraine in 1919.  He survived the war and lived in Dfb from 1946 to 1948, when he emigrated to Paraguay.

I don�t have an immediate list of the Philadelphia immigrants.  Eventually though I may make a visit to the local library where I might see if I can find any of the people above on the lists.
(06 May 04)



Nr. 1883:

From 1566 to 1717, there are references to fifty people in Diefenbach who have no surname.  For example, in 1566, Johannes the son of Thomas, the head of the Fullmenbach Hof, was baptized.  In 1584, the shepherd of Jerg and Sara had a stillborn child.  In 1589, Magdalena, the child of the shepherd Dieterich and his wife Anna, was baptized.  In 1591, the mother of Caspar, the child of Thomas, is unknown.

In 1696, Michael was baptized.  He was the son of a soldier in the Regiment Baron Preschensky and of Catharina (she is not clearly identified as the wife of the soldier).  In 1564, Michel a servant on the Fullmenbacher Hof died at about the age of 13.  In the same year, a poor servant from B�blingen died at about the age of 11.

The years around 1566 were bad.  A small child of a poor woman from Ellwangen died.  In the same year, a poor man of Frankreich died.  Also, same year, a poor man from Iptingen died on the road from Sternenfels.

In 1596, Hanss, the shepherd�s servant died.  Also, in this year the servant of Caspar Fabers died.  In 1621, a peasant�s child about five years old died.  In 1622, a child Peter, son of Peter from M�nsingen, died.

The last of the no-names was Hanss Jerg, the shepherd�s apprentice, died.  He was 13 years old.  The pastor added that he was not born here.

Such statistics furnish commentary on what was happening.  References to soldiers in a short period of time may indicate a nearby war.  The soldier above in the year 1696 was probably in the army protecting against the French invasion.  Many deaths in a short period of time probably indicate a plague or period of serious sickness.

The great majority of references to people without surnames occurs in the 1500's.  A few are still present in the 1600's, but only early in the century.  Only three are given in the 1700's; two of these are for children, and one is for a stone mason from the Tirol.

In Diefenbach, the Pfarrer (pastors) are known from before 1540.  (The last Catholic priest was in 1534.)  The mayors are known from about 1550.  The schoolteachers are known from about 1603.  (Jacob Friedrich Braun served for 48 years.)
(07 May 04)



Nr. 1884:

There are many purposes or ends to which an Ortssippenbuch might be put.  In recent notes we discussed the appearance of surnames and the number of times that "Amerika" was mentioned.  The Diefenbach Ortssippenbuch has counts of all localities that are mentioned.  One of the key things that this demonstrates is that gene diffusion was taking place.

Farms in the vicinity, which have names that are mentioned, include Burrainhof, which is mentioned 32 times.  F�llmenbacher Hof is mentioned 95 times.  These are probably estate farms, not farms belonging to the workers.

The village of Cleebronn, nine miles to the east, is named twenty times.  In one case, an Oehler/�hler [Aylor at Germanna] is mentioned as being from there.  (In total, the surname Oehler/�hler is given five times.)  Villages close to Cleebronn also named include Brackenheim (7 times) and B�nnigheim (9 times).

Zaberfeld, a little less than five miles to the northeast, is mentioned 28 times.  Zaberfeld was the home of the Germanna K�fers.

In general, the closer the second village or town lies to Diefenbach, or the larger the second village is, the more times it is mentioned.  Sternenfels, to the north less than two miles, is given 79 times.  Stuttgart is a larger town which is more distant, about twenty miles, and it is mentioned 106 times.

Sulzfeld, about five miles to the north, is mentioned 14 times.  Ravensburg, the castle just outside Sulzfeld, is mentioned twice.

Derdingen, divided today into Oberderdingen and Unterderdingen, is less than four miles to the northwest and is given 58 times.  (Oberderdingen is where Hans Georg Blanckenb�hler was married.)

Karlsruhe, another bigger town, is mentioned many times.  �tisheim, the home of the Broyles/Briles, is mentioned 38 times.  This last village lies five miles to the south-southwest of Diefenbach.

�sterreich (Austria) is named eleven times.  Bayern (Bavaria) is given eight times.

So, the inhabitants of the villages were not isolated.  They moved about, looking for mates and jobs.  In the process, the genes were distributed outside the village and new genes were brought into the village.  Though no one probably gave any thought to the process, it was a beneficial process.
(08 May 04)



Nr. 1885:

Our subject of this note was christened Heinrich Ludwig, after his father, in 1903.  His mother had immigrated to the US only four years before.  She almost immediately married Heinrich Ludwig, Sr., who had immigrated in 1888.  Heinrich Ludwig, Jr., was the second of four children, and the only one to survive to adulthood.

The family lived in New York City and our subject entered Commerce High School, where he played football, baseball, and soccer.  He led his school team to three straight soccer championships.  Perhaps, though, he was best at baseball.  In the first public baseball game that he was scheduled to appear in, he was so shy that he skipped out on the game.  He said, "I went up to the stadium on a streetcar.  When I got there and saw so many people going into the field, I was so scared that I turned around and went home on the streetcar."  His teacher threatened to flunk him if he did not show up for the next game, so he went.

In the spring of 1920, the school's baseball team was selected to represent New York City in a "national championship" game with Chicago's top high school team.  The game was played on Wrigley Field with more than 10,000 people attending.  In the top of the ninth, with Commerce leading 8 to 6, our subject came to bat with the bases loaded.  Our man hit a home run which added four runs to their eight.  (In the previous major league season at Wrigley, only 18 home runs had been scored.)  On returning to New York City, our hero was acclaimed "the Babe Ruth of the school yards".

On graduating from high school, he received a football scholarship to Columbia University, where he played both football and baseball.  At the age of 20, he signed a contract with the New York Yankees.  His mother was very unhappy about this, as she had wanted him to become an engineer.

Starting 1 June 1925, when he entered the majors as a pitch-hitter, until he retired, he played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record broken only in 1995 by Cal Ripkin, Jr.

By early 1939, our man showed symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerois (ALS) and was forced to retire.  Yet, even as he retired, he could say, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."  On 4 July 1939, his number (4) was permanently retired, a first for the Yankees.

He lived two more years, until two weeks shy of his 38th birthday.  In 1942, the story of his life was made into a motion picture entitled "Pride of the Yankees".  The disease which killed him, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerois, is known since then as Lou Gehrig's disease.

(Of course, our subject was Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig, Jr., Lou Gehrig!)

(Credit for this story goes to Robert and Barbara Selig who write for "German Life.")
(11 May 04)



Nr. 1886:

Who was there first?  Or, what was the original name of "Washington, District of Columbia"?

In the first half of the Eighteenth Century, German immigrants settled in the area which is now Georgetown (in Washington, DC).  They established a harbor on the Potomac River in 1751 at the head of the navigable waters.  The Old Stone House on M Street in Georgetown was built in 1765 by Christopher and Rachel Lehmann.  This is the only pre-Revolutionary structure still standing in the present bounds of Washington, DC.

Then, in 1768, German immigrant Jacob Funck laid out a town, in what was then Prince George County in the province of Maryland.  The more exact location was where Goose Creek (also known as Tiber Creek) meets the Potomac.  Funck called his town Hamburgh.  Funck sold most of his 233 lots to fellow Germans, who set aside two lots for a church, today's German Lutheran Church on Wisconsin Avenue, and a log church on Volta Place in Georgetown.

When Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant laid out the new town of Washington, he erased Funck's plans for Hamburgh (or Funckstown).  The name Hamburgh was used into the Nineteenth Century, though.  In 1791, George Washington was determined to locate the President's House "on the high ground near Hamburg".  Thomas Jefferson preferred a location near today's 20th and E Streets in the N.W., in the heart of Hamburgh.

Jacob Funck went west and founded another Funkstown which still exists today near Hagerstown, Maryland.

On 1 December 1800, the seat of the Federal government was transferred from Philadelphia to Washington, and President John Adams became the first resident in the White House.

The above information comes from Robert and Barbara Selig (in "German Life"), who credit Gary C. Grassl of the German-American Heritage Society of Greater Washington for his assistance.  Even earlier, I had heard of the German settlements along the Potomac, just below the falls, from Andreas Mielke.
(12 May 04)



Nr. 1887:

A correspondent writes that he is descendant of Michael Huffman, the son of the 1714 John Huffman.  The correspondent writes that he believes Michael had married Mary Fleischmann (Fleshman).  It is true that many charts show this, often with a question mark after the name of Fleshman.  It is extremely doubtful that Michael married Mary Fleshman.

We know when Michael was born, since his father recorded the information in his family Bible.  Michael was born in 1732, the second son (and child) in John Huffman�s second family.

Cyriacus Fleshman was the father of Peter Fleshman and Mary Fleshman, both born in Germany, in the years 1704 and 1708, respectively.  The mother, Anna Barbara Sch�ne, was born in 1664, so she was 44 when Peter was born.  It is unlikely there were any children after 1708.  This Mary Fleshman is too old to have married Michael Huffman.

Peter�s children seem to be well defined, as John, Barbara, Robert, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Peter, who, it is estimated, were born about 1731, 1730's, 1735, 1737, 1739, and 1740 respectively.  There was no Mary among these children.  These six seem well documented, especially at the German Lutheran Church.

My correspondent adds that when Michael and Mary Huffman had Sarah baptized, the sponsors were Ephraim and Elizabeth Fleischman.  I have looked over the baptismal records (see �Hebron� Baptismal Register by me), and there is no Michael Huffman in the baptismal register, nor is there a Sarah Huffman there.  There is an Ephraim Fleshman there, notably as a sponsor for the child Elias of Michael Fleischmann and his wife, Maria (Blankenbaker).  In addition to Ephraim being a sponsor, his unmarried sister, Elisabetha Fleischmann, was also a sponsor.

There is a Saranna Huffman, who was baptized in 1777, but her parents are Dietrich Huffman and his wife Jemima (Barlow).

My conclusion is that the wife of Michael Huffman was not Mary Fleshman.

There is quite a bit of information about the Fleshmans and the Huffmans in Beyond Germanna, which is very easily accessible via the CD containing the 917 pages of Beyond Germanna.
(13 May 04)



Nr. 1888:

Recently, there was a mention of a Uriah Wise who lived near Joseph T. Rector.  It was considered a possibility that Uriah Wise was working for Mr. Rector.  The combination of the names "Uriah" and "Rector" brought to mind the difficulty of placing the first Uriah Rector.  No definitive evidence located him in any Rector family.

B. C. Holtzclaw thought it was possible that Uriah was a son of Harmon, who was the son of the 1714 immigrant Hans Jacob Richter (Jacob Rector).  Harmon Rector left a will, but it was less than fully complete.  He mentioned his oldest son John, and then later mentioned "my three sons".  The question was whether the three sons included John, or were in addition to John.  Prof. Holtzclaw was willing to admit that the three sons were in addition to John.  Descendants of Uriah were less than satisfied, though, as this was hardly evidence.  In fact, it seemed to be negative evidence.

John P. Alcock was aware of the problem and was keeping his eyes open for records that pertained to Uriah Rector.  In the Fauquier Courthouse, he once found himself with a few spare minutes, so he opened the Chancery Indexes.  In the Index of Plaintiffs, his eye caught the name Uriah Rector as defendant in a case brought by John Peyton Harrison.  There was an element of serendipity in this, as there were perhaps two hundred pages and John caught the name Uriah Rector almost immediately.  Fortunately, the case identified the father of Uriah.  The case had been brought because it was said that Uriah had not fulfilled a promise that his father had made before he (the father) died.

The complaint was filed on 15 April 1784 against Uriah, the eldest son and 'heir at law' to John Rector, who had been "killed by thunder" before he made a deed for his sale to Harrison, of the lot on which John Clark then lived.  Uriah refused to honor the bond of his father that the formal conveyance would be completed.  Uriah said that Harrison had not paid for the tract.  The bond is dated 15 April 1773.

The John Rector who was killed by thunder was the son of John Rector, and the grandson of the 1714 immigrant Jacob Rector.  John, Jr., died before the end of June 1773, when administration of his estate was granted to William Kincheloe.  John Rector, Sr., had died before the end of March 1773, leaving 100 acres to his grandson John, who was a brother of Uriah.

Since the name Uriah has struck me as an unusual name, I thought I would mention his existence and place him in the Rector families if there was any possibility of a connection to Uriah Wise.

Several articles in Beyond Germanna treat the case of Uriah Rector, who had been so troublesome to place in a the larger family.
(14 May 04)



Nr. 1889:

A Holt Family Reunion (in particular, descendants of Nicholas) is planned for October in Alamance County, North Carolina.  Descendants of Michael (the immigrant) populated that part of North Carolina.  The Historical Museum there was the home of one of Michael�s descendants.  As I receive more information, or as the organizers tell us, we will have a firmer date in October.

I regard the Holt family as relatives of the Blankenbakers (perhaps they reciprocate and regard the Blankenbakers as relatives of the Holts).  We do know that Michael, the immigrant married one of the Scheible daughters.  The Scheible family is enumerated in Alexander Spotswood�s patent application, see page 385 in Beyond Germanna.  The family was Hans Jerich Chively, Maria Clora Chively, Anna Martha Chively, Anna Elizabetha Chively, and Anna Maria Chively.  (The spelling of some of the names in the patent application is �imaginative�.)

George Scheible had a land patent amongst the Blankenbakers and their proven kin in the Robinson River Valley.  We know also the Scheibles came from the same village in Germany, namely Neuenb�rg, as did the Blankenbakers.

The Blankenbakers have been proven to have their origin in Gresten-Land in Austria.  When one stands on the Plankenbichl farm, their ancestral farm, and looks down into the valley, one can see the Scheiblau farm less than one-half mile away.  (The �farm� today is a wood products plant, but it is still marked on the maps as Scheiblau farm.)  I am betting that the Blankenbakers and the Scheibles (to use more modern spellings) emigrated, probably together, from Austria almost to the Rhine River, probably initially to Langenbr�cken, and then to Neuenb�rg.  (I emphasize that this is a personal belief and proof of this total suggestion is not known now.)  They left Neuenb�rg in 1717 and went first to London, where they eventually obtained passage with Capt. Tarbett in the ship Scott.

In London, both George and Maria Eleanor Scheible participated in services at the German Lutheran Church, St. Mary le Savoy/Strand, where their actions are recorded in the church book, see page 905 of Beyond Germanna.

Michael Holt, as one of the three fund raisers sent to Europe, has had his name recorded is several places.

Perhaps you might want to forward your address to Carolyn Gibbs who seems to be the contact person for the Reunion.  Her email address is "Carolyn Gibbs" [email protected].
(17 May 04)



Nr. 1890:

Have you heard of the group called GRIVA?  Can you tell what the letters in this acronym stand for?  They put out a newsletter and I am using material by Jan Nutter Alpert from Volume XXIV, Number 2.

Second question.  What was the total population of the fifteen states in 1790?

Third question.  What were the three most populous states?  What was the spread (as a ratio) between the most populous state and the least populous state?  What was the least populous state?

To answer a few of the questions, GRIVA stands for Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia.  Its aim is to promote, foster, and encourage serious and accurate genealogical and historical research by all means possible, including instruction, seminars, workshops, and field trips.  Their USPS address is:

GRIVA
PO Box 29178
Richmond, VA 23242-0178

The total population of the fifteen states (including Maine and Vermont) was less than four million people, including whites, Native Americans, and African-Americans.  Seven hundred thousand of these people were slaves.  Only two states reported no slaves, and they were Maine and Massachusetts.

The three most populous states were Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina in that order.  That North Carolina rated so high was a surprise to me.  Massachusetts was not far behind, and it was followed by New York and Maryland.  Virginia had three-quarters of a million people living in it.  On the other hand, Delaware was just shy of sixty thousand, so the ratio between Virginia and Delaware was in the order of twelve-to-one.  It is no wonder that there was some difficulty in finding a compromise between the large states and the smallest states (by population).  The three smallest states were Delaware, Rhode Island, and Georgia.  Even Vermont had more population than Georgia.

The decision to build the national Capital on land from Virginia and Maryland was perhaps a concession to the populous Virginia.  The legislative balance between the House and the Senate was a compromise to satisfy the large and the small.  It also was an inheritance from England and Colonial practice.  Another major problem was the balance between the rights of the states and the needs of a federal government.
(19 May 04)



Nr. 1891:

I introduced the GRIVA organization in the last note and said that they have a newsletter.  It would have been appropriate to have given the name of the newsletter which is "GRIVA News & Notes".

We saw that the US population was less than four million people in 1790.  In the next eighty years, how much do you think the country grew (measured by population)?  The answer amazed me, as it was about eleven times (i.e., to forty million)!  Such growth rates do not come exclusively by internal additions, but require a tremendous influx of people.  Quite a few of these additions were people from Germany.  In the 130 years since 1870, we have grown by a factor of less than six (the 2001 population estimate was just shy of 285 million).

GRIVA has a library in conjunction with the LDS Family History Center at 5600 Monument Avenue in Richmond, VA.  GRIVA recently acquired, as a donation, 173 books which include the works of Ruth and Sam Sparacio (the Antient Press), and of John Frederick Dorman.

One GRIVA publication is "Virginians and California Gold, 1850".  This lists a total of more then 3,400 people in the 1850 census of the California gold area who said they were from Virginia.  GRIVA maintains a website at www.griva.org.

In 1870, there were 37 states, nine territories, and the District of Columbia.  There were about 62,000 churches.  The denomination with the most churches was the Methodist faith (21,337), and it was followed by the Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Christian (Campbellites), Lutherans (2,776), and others.  In the decade ending in 1870, the fastest growing denomination was the Latter Day Saints, followed by the Jewish faith and the Catholics.  The Friends and the Universalists actually lost members in the decade.

Among the mens' occupations in 1870, there were 2,500,000 farm laborers and 3,000,000 farmers.  Since the population was about 40 million, about one-quarter of these would constitute the working men.  Thus, more than one-half of the working males were engaged in agricultural pursuits.  As a sign of the times, there were 141 thousand blacksmiths, 161 thousand shoemakers, and 152 thousand miners.  Only a few more than one thousand undertakers were required.  The women were beginning, but just barely, to make inroads in the professions.  In 1870, women's occupations included 67 clergy, 5 lawyers, 525 physicians and surgeons, and 33 gunsmiths (to select a few occupations).
(20 May 04)



Nr. 1892:

To add a bit to the story of Isham Tatum who was the subject of recent messages on the GERMANNA_COLONIES Mailing List at Rootsweb.  (To read about this "List" and to subscribe to it, click here.)  Isham was one of the early Methodist ministers in America.  His nickname was "The Silver Trumpet", in recognition of his oratorical skills.  There is a lot of tradition connected with him which is difficult to prove today.

By tradition, he slept under the stars as he rode horseback for several years on the Methodist circuit in North Carolina and Virginia.  He had five wives, and he is believed to be buried next to all five of them but the location is unknown.  From the records that do exist, he appears to have been a successful preacher and a prosperous landowner.

His name first appears in the Methodist Episcopal Church records 21 May 1776 at Baltimore, where he was admitted on trial as a preacher.  In following years, the Church Conference gives his residence as Pittsylvania County, Virginia, in 1777; Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1778; Amelia County, Virginia, in 1779; Hanover County, Virginia, in 1780.  At the next Conference, he was reported to have "...desisted from travelling this year."

Perhaps the reason he did not travel in 1781, was because of his marriage that year to Rachel Garrett in Middlesex County.  He was 25 and she was almost 27.  He settled in what became Madison County, where he and Rachel had nine children from 1783 to 1797.  She died in 1812.  At the age of 62 he married Susannah in 1812, Mary in 1832, Sarah in 1834, and Fanny Stypes in 1837.  These are recorded in his Bible.  Only the marriage of Sarah (of the last four wives) is recorded in a public record, and there she is called Sarah T. Jones, with an added note that she was Sarah T. Joice.

The first toehold of the Methodist church in the Culpeper/Madison area was due to Henry Fry.  Fry was an alcoholic and turned to religion and prayer to overcome his addiction.  Fry's ballroom (in his home "Meander") became a regular place of worship.  Several Methodist preachers appeared at Fry's home including Bishop Francis Asbury.

Where Tatum preached in the Madison area prior to 1824 is not clear.  He performed marriages in Orange, Culpeper, and Madison Counties.  Since he had some connections to Henry Fry, he probably preached in Fry's ballroom.  A church building in which Tatum would preach regularly was apparently not built until 1824.  In that year, Isham Tatum, Sr., and Susanna his wife, sold (for $1.00) to John Wayland; Isham Tatum, Jr.; Ira Tatum; John Stockdell; Henry Peyton; Henry B. Fry; and Benjamin Fishback, as trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a tract of land to be used to erect a church.  This was the Bethsaida M.E. Church in Brightwood.  A new church was erected in 1890 on the site.

(The above information about Isham Tatum was taken from an article in Beyond Germanna, page 532, by Joan Hackett.)
(to be continued)
(21 May 04)



Nr. 1893:

(continued from previous Note, Nr. 1892)
Isham Tatum and his first wife, Rachel Garrett, were the parents of nine children:

Mary,
Nathaniel,
Tabitha,
Robert,
Isham, Jr.,
Rachel,
Nancy,
Ebenezer, and
Ira.
(The above children were born in the order listed, from 1783 to 1797.)

There were some marriages between Tatums and the Germanna people.  Two of these were George Bumgarner, who married Polly Tatum in 1810, and Joel Bumgarner, who married Frances Tatum in 1828, both in Madison County.  From the dates, these would seem to be the second or third generation from Isham, Sr. (if they were his descendants).

Germanna descendants are more likely to encounter Isham Tatum's name as the minister who married their ancestors.  Some of these include:

In Culpeper County:

Nicholas Yager & Anne Wayland, 22 Dec 1785
George Glore & Elizabeth Mauck, 5 Jan 1786
Ephraim Fry & Mary Huffman, 2 Nov 1786
Nathaniel Yager & Betsy Hudson, 4 Nov 1789
John Crigler & Salley Hume, 25 Dec 1789
Moses Wilhoit & Anna Hume, 25 Dec 1789 (compare to Salley Hume, above)
John Yager & Margaret Wilhoit, 3 Nov 1791

In Madison County:

Aaron Utz & Polly Fray, 13 Dec 1808

Isham Tatum wrote his will in May of 1844, when he was apparently very feeble for he signed the will with a simple X.  The will was not probated until 1850.  In the will, he freed a number of his slaves when he died, and then some were to be freed when his wife died.

His real estate holdings were extensive.  Deed books in Madison County show that he bought land from Richard Gaines; William Clark; Zacharias and Caty Hufman; John and Rose Wayland; Henry Hill, Jr.; and Sarah Gillison and her two daughters.

The final disbursement of Tatum's estate was not filed until February 1868.

"He was for eight years a laborious pioneer in the new and hard fields of Virginia . . .  At the time of his death . . . he was the oldest Methodist preacher in the United States, if not in the world."

(22 May 04)



Nr. 1894:

A correspondent asks questions about John Deer, including whether a supposition of his might be correct.  He (the correspondent) suggests that John Deer may have arrived on the ship Lydia at Philadelphia in 1743.  John Deer had a brother whose name was Martin.

Gary Zimmerman and Johni Cerny found the Hirsch brothers at T�bingen and Dautmergen, two close villages in W�rttemberg.  Martin was born in 1715, and Johannes was born in 1718, to Andreas Hirsch and Eva Glaser.  Their baptisms are recorded at T�bingen.  Andreas, the father, was baptized at Dautmergen, in the Catholic Parish Church.  Eva Glaser was born at T�bingen and was baptized in the Evangelical (Protestant) Church.

Is the John Deer who came in 1743 the John Deer of the Robinson River Valley?  Additionally, is the 1743 Deer (or Hirsch) the same as the Johannes Hirsch born at T�blingen?

One piece of evidence is that Martin left a record of 16 April 1749 at T�bingen, which states that he was a native and that he had left for America.  This would be consistent with George Long deeding Martin Deer 300 acres in 1751 in the Robinson River Valley.  Zimmerman and Cerny suggest that this deed shows that Martin was George Long�s son-in-law.  If so, than Martin was certainly moving fast.  It also suggests that he had a plan when he arrived in Philadelphia as to where he was going to live.  Presumably, he was going to join his brother John.

It is thought that John Deer married Catherine Baumgartner, the widow of Frederick Baumgartner, in 1747.  This would place John Deer in the Robinson River Valley at least two years before his brother arrived in 1749.

My correspondent would have John Deer arriving in 1743 and this is reasonable, but hardly proof.  It would be good to have some idea of why John Deer chose to go to the Robinson River Valley.  Did he have some relatives there already?

If this were my family, I would like to look at the church records in Germany, especially at T�bingen, to see if there is any record of John there before and after 1743.  Perhaps there is no record saying he went to America as there is for his brother, but does he appear in the records at all?

Apparently, he was unmarried, since he married in Virginia.  Single men do not leave many records, but possibly he appeared as a sponsor at a baptism.
(24 May 04)



Nr. 1895:

A correspondent asks about the N�h or Nay family, and asks, in particular, whether the eldest daughter, Gertrud, of the immigrant Johannes N�h, became the second wife of John Kemper.  B. C. Holtzclaw mentions this as a possibility, but makes no claim or even a statement that it was the case.  Prof. Holtzclaw notes that his source is Willis Kemper in the �Genealogy of the Kemper Family� (page 44).  While reading Kemper, I noted several errors in his history which are unnerving.

The basis of the claim that Gertrud married John Kemper lies in the inscription on a plank found in the attic of a house in Fauquier County.  The inscription reads, �Johannes Kemper und Gertraud, # eleld 1754.�  The symbol that represented by the # sign in uncertain.  Kemper gave it as a diamond with two of its points at the top and bottom.  (The inscription quoted was also followed by a Biblical verse.)  The letters �eleld� would indicate they were married.

(Note from webmaster of this website:  If the symbol represented by the # sign is indeed a diamond, , as Kemper interprets it, then this could be an ancient religious symbol for marriage, one that was still being used in some parts of the world, even as late as the Eighteenth Century, to represent a religious union of a man and a woman.  It is a combination of an ancient religious symbol for man, or husband, , and an ancient religious symbol for woman, or wife, , joined together to form the "diamond".)

I believe that researchers agree that the John Kemper was the immigrant, so he is becoming a senior citizen at this point.  Whether Gertraud is Gertrud Noeh, or N�h, or Nay, who was born in 1721 in Trupbach, is not so clear.  She would have been 33 years old.  The weakness of the attribution is that the history of the plank is unknown.  The man�s name is recognizable, but Gertrud�s history is not as clear.  Were there other Gertruds in the community?  Notice also that the date 1754 may be the date a house was built, not the date of marriage.

Willis Kemper states that Henry Hager was the pastor of the church in Fishback.  It would have been better had he said Oberfischbach, because there were two Fischbachs, an �Upper� ("Ober"), and a �Lower� ("Unter").  Kemper adds that Henry Hager left that place in 1711 to go to America.  This is an error, as his departure did not occur until 1713.  A letter of his successor (Knabenschuh) informed his superiors that Henry Hager had sneaked out of town in the morning of 12 July 1713.  The same letter noted that Hanss Jacob Holtzklau had decided he would leave for America if he could obtain permission.  (This letter was translated by Andreas Mielke and appears in the material starting on Page 899 of Beyond Germanna.)

As to why Willis Kemper thought that Henry Hager had left in 1711 may lie in a letter from Friedrich Hager, Henry Hager�s son.  This letter, written in 1711, indicates that the father was determined even then to go to America.  The son asked the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel for any assistance they could give to the father if he should appear in London.

I have not given a complete list of the errors on pages 44 and 45 of the Kemper Genealogy but there are enough to cast doubt on what Kemper writes.
(25 May 04)



Nr. 1896:

Rev. Dr. Kuby, a historian of his native village in the Palatinate, commented once about breakfast in Germany.  As a historian, he knew as much about breakfast in times past as today.  He said that in 1700, the three meals of the day were composed of bread, bread, and bread.  In 1800, the three meals of the day were composed of potatoes, potatoes, and potatoes.  Between these two dates, the potato was discovered as a very useful food source.

Breakfast today in Germany is not likely to include potatoes, though it is sure to include bread.  At least, a paying customer can expect to be offered some bread.  Of course, in a private home one may eat what he/she desires.  But, to the person who is traveling and staying in a Gasthaus (guesthouse), or similar accommodations, Fr�hst�ck (breakfast) is inklusive (included).

The breakfast food at a Gasthaus is likely to start with a choice of Kaffee oder Tee (coffee or tea).  Then, soon after, one is served with a basket of rolls, a platter of a variety of meat cold cuts, and sliced cheese.  Very commonly one is also given a glass of orange juice.  Nearly always there will be a soft-boiled egg in the shell.  If you eat everything, you will not be hungry before das Mittagessen (the mid-day meal, or lunch).

If you are at a hotel in a larger city, breakfast will probably consist of a buffet of the previous items (perhaps no eggs), plus a choice of cold cereals and fresh fruits.

We were surprised at how common orange juice was in Germany.  It is available at all times, at all places, it seems.  I think we saw more orange juice being drunk than beer.  If you are at a private home, and they ask if you want something to drink, it is fairly safe to expect that they will have some orange juice.

In the breakfast menu above, I forgot to mention the generous quantities of butter and cream that are offered.  In a breakfast for two, you will probably be served a quarter pound of butter.  The cream is not weak-kneed; it is good, thick, tasteful, real cream.  One cringes at so much butter-fat, but then you rationalize and say that you will be here only a short time and you can survive so much luxury.

The most difficult thing to obtain is a glass of water.  No free water, but plenty of bottled water (Mineralwasser), for a price.  Every menu includes paid-for "bottled water".
(27 May 04)



Nr. 1897:

In the current issue of German Life magazine, there is an article by James M. Beidler on two genealogical database projects in Germany.  These are done by very experienced researchers, so, while the scope is limited so far, the quality ought to be excellent.  In other areas of Germany, devoted individual researchers and groups are compiling publications or databases of the Church Records which are sometimes supplemented by other sources.

The Pirmasens Genealogical Study Group has been a prolific publisher of Church Records from the area of Pirmasens, in the modern German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.  At the study group's website, it gives a list of the publications, which are listed by town.  Most important, the website gives the surnames found in each of the individual town publications.  The website of the study group is www.genealogie-in-pirmasens.de/index.htm.  This is a German site, of course.  I just checked into it, and it is easy to navigate.  Unfortunately, it is still a small site and it lies outside the usual range of Germanna emigrants.

Another ambitious project is being tackled by Jochen Karl Mehldau, who has roots in the villages of Wittgenstein next to Siegen.  His searching was not easy, as many people there have the same name in the same village and they are not always distinguished in the Church Records.  He now has about 97,000 persons, which is about 75% of the people in Wittgenstein through the year 1875.  The data base also contains individuals from the neighboring territories.  In addition to Church Records, his database has information from archives, with marriage contracts, taxes, and data about farms.  Very few of these latter records have been filmed.

So far, he has noted that 1200 people are identified as emigrants, and he adds that most of the emigrants are not identified.

Mehldau makes extracts from his database available for a fee.  He offers two variations, one with just the basic facts about the selected individual and ancestors, and a second with the names of the baptismal sponsors and the sources used.  He charges 50 cents for basic facts about the selected individual and ancestors, and one dollar per person and each ancestor for baptismal sponsors and sources used.  The database entries are in German, but he supplies a key to the German words.  Contact him at [email protected].  He will accept emails in English, but his replies are in German.
(28 May 04)



Nr. 1898:

A Visit to the Cemetery:

I remember that Memorial Day was for going to the cemetery and tending or cleaning up the plots.  As cemeteries became more organized and community-owned, caring was less necessary to tend the plots.  But many of the rural cemeteries had no regular care and it was necessary for descendants to care for the ancestral plots.  If nothing else, we might leave a bouquet of flowers.

Probably most of us are familiar with the variations in American cemeteries, but it certainly does not prepare us for the German cemeteries.  The first thought that one has on visiting a cemetery there is, "How beautiful, it looks like a florist shop."  As we walk around and read the inscriptions, we observe how recent the dates are.  We might conclude that the cemetery is new, perhaps less than thirty years old.  The "new" arises because one leases the space for thirty years, and at the end of that time the plot is reused for another person.  Without embalming and with a simple casket, the body that was interred is expected to decay within thirty years.  At the end of the thirty years, the management will tell the lessee of the plot to pick up his stone if he wants it, otherwise it will be returned to the stonecutter for possible reuse.

During those thirty years, the plot will nearly always be tended very lovingly.  Beds of flowers will be planted, tended, and replaced.  Not all of the plots are done the same, so the net result is a riot of color.  Most any of the time during the day that one visits, there will be a few people tending their plots, planting, trimming, or watering.  A few tools and aids are kept at the cemetery, including a compost heap, spades, water supply, watering cans, and wheelbarrows.

I have told Eleanor that the impression is of a social club.  Most of the people know each other and perhaps can even sympathize over the loss of a loved one.  But the people do not seem sad; on the contrary, they seem to be happy in the results they are producing.  A genealogical researcher finds that the people at the cemetery collectively form a group, which is tied together by social bonds.

The only research one could possibly do at a cemetery is to ask the people if there any family members still living in the village of the name in which you are interested.  Perhaps you might amplify and say why you are interested.  If you can communicate with them and make yourself understood, you might be surprised at the willingness with which they give you references.  They might even make a few calls for you and search for the people who have a knowledge of the history of the family.
(30 May 04)



Nr. 1899:

In 2000, Eleanor and I visited one cemetery that intrigued us.  The village was Lonnerstadt in Bavaria, and we chose to go there, it not being out of way, as about one-third of the �Blankenbakers� in Germany live there.  I thought I might give the names on some of the stones there.

  • Here Rests In Peace
    [this is one stone, apparently used by two generations and three people]
    • Maria Klein, born 17.3.1865, died 18.10.1948
    • Susanna Motz, born 9.8.1899, died 27 May 1965
    • Georg Motz, born 24.8.1894, died 23 Nov 1975 [The reverse reads Familie Motz]
  • Here Rests With God Our Beloved Sister, Sister-In-Law, and Mother Helene Thoma, born 6.1.1895, died 9.1.1966 [Reverse reads Familie Thoma]
  • Georg Hieronymus of Frimmersdorf, born 21.3.1893, died 3.4.1952
  • Maria Hieronymus, born 15.5.1898, died 14.5.1969
  • Margarethe Hieronymus, born 31.1.1927, died 7.4.1987
  • Johann Hieronymus, born 15.3.1935, died 29.10.1993
  • Familie Blankenb�hler [front]
    • Johann Blankenb�hler [rear] [& more]
    • Johann Nikolaus Blankenb�hler [rear] [& more]
  • Families Blankenb�hler [front]
    • Georg, born 4.11.1917, died 3.5.1991 [rear, space seemed to be reserved for more people]
  • Familie Lang
  • [Another Hieronymus]

Other names in the cemetery included Marr, Wieland, Fisher, and Schneider.  I grant that some of these names are to be found many places, but I was still surprised at the number of Germanna names.  One of the names, Hieronymus, is said in America to have originated in Austria, as did the Blankenbakers.  This leaves one wondering if more of the names also originated there.

Many of the stones were used by more than person.  Perhaps this indicates the plot was also being used by more than one person.
(01 Jun 04)



Nr. 1900:

A little more than a year ago, Klaus Wust died, leaving us a legacy of his fifty years of research, not all of which has been published yet.  His final book is being edited now by his daughter, Francoise Joiris, and her son Julian Joiris.

Naturally, there are many papers resulting from the years of research.  The family has decided that the best place to put these is in the Shenandoah County Library in Edinburg, Virginia.  This is appropriate for several reasons.  It is a new library building, and it already has a sizeable German-related collection under the direction of Robert L. Pasco, Director, and Jean M. Martin, Archivist.  It is also the repository for the collection amassed by the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society.  Klaus' Virginia home was a couple of miles from the library.  Perhaps even more significant, the library is less than a mile from Interstate 81, so that it is not difficult to reach.

The library has agreed to take the papers, but it notes that much work is required, which will go beyond the Library's regular budget.  The family is asking that, in memory of Klaus Wust, contributions be made to the Library, in order that it can better fulfill the role as a focus of German-American studies.

At the memorial service for Klaus, speaker after speaker noted that Klaus went out of his way to help others.  He gave freely of his time and expertise that others might advance their knowledge.

It would be appropriate if we made contributions to the Shenandoah County Library to assist it to help others, all in honor of Klaus.  If you do contribute, give your name and address and the amount you intend to contribute, with the date, and send it to:

Shenandoah County Library
1587 Reads Road
Edinburg, VA 22824-2934
Make checks payable to The Klaus Wust Fund.
(02 Jun 04)


(To see John & Eleanor Blankenbaker's May, 2000, and May, 2002, Germany and Austria photos, click here.)

(To see maps of villages in Germany and Austria from which our Germanna ancestors immigrated, click here.)


(This page contains the SEVENTY-SIXTH set of Notes, Nr. 1876 through Nr. 1900.)

John and George would like very much to hear from readers of these Germanna History pages.  We welcome your criticisms, compliments, corrections, or other comments.  When you click on "click here" below, both of us will receive your message.  We would like to hear what you have to say about the content of the Notes, and about spelling, punctuation, format, etc.  Just click here to send us your message.  Thank You!


There is a Mailing List (also known as a Discussion List or Discussion Group), called GERMANNA_COLONIES, at RootsWeb.  This List is open to all subscribers for the broadcast of their messages.  John urges more of you to make it a research tool for answering your questions, or for summarizing your findings, on any subject concerning the Germanna Colonies of Virginia.  On this List, you may make inquiries of specific Germanna SURNAMES.  At present, there are about 700 subscribers and there are bound to be users here who can help you.  If you are interested in subscribing to this List,

(GERMANNA History Notes, Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 John BLANKENBAKER.)
(GERMANNA History Web Pages, Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 George W. DURMAN.)
This material has been compiled and placed on this web site by George W. Durman, with the permission of John BLANKENBAKER.  It is intended for personal use by genealogists and researchers, and is not to be disseminated further.

Index Links to All Pages of John's GERMANNA NOTES and Genealogy Comments
INDEX Links to All Pages of John's GERMANNA NOTES
Pg.001-Notes 0001-0025
Pg.002-Notes 0026-0050
Pg.003-Notes 0051-0075
Pg.004-Notes 0076-0100
Pg.005-Notes 0101-0125
Pg.006-Notes 0126-0150
Pg.007-Notes 0151-0175
Pg.008-Notes 0176-0200
Pg.009-Notes 0201-0225
Pg.010-Notes 0226-0250
Pg.011-Notes 0251-0275
Pg.012-Notes 0276-0300
Pg.013-Notes 0301-0325
Pg.014-Notes 0326-0350
Pg.015-Notes 0351-0375
Pg.016-Notes 0376-0400
Pg.017-Notes 0401-0425
Pg.018-Notes 0426-0450
Pg.019-Notes 0451-0475
Pg.020-Notes 0476-0500
Pg.021-Notes 0501-0525
Pg.022-Notes 0526-0550
Pg.023-Notes 0551-0575
Pg.024-Notes 0575-0600
Pg.025-Notes 0601-0625
Pg.026-Notes 0626-0650
Pg.027-Notes 0651-0675
Pg.028-Notes 0676-0700
Pg.029-Notes 0701-0725
Pg.030-Notes 0726-0750
Pg.031-Notes 0751-0775
Pg.032-Notes 0776-0800
Pg.033-Notes 0801-0825
Pg.034-Notes 0826-0850
Pg.035-Notes 0851-0875
Pg.036-Notes 0876-0900
Pg.037-Notes 0901-0925
Pg.038-Notes 0926-0950
Pg.039-Notes 0951-0975
Pg.040-Notes 0976-1000
Pg.041-Notes 1001-1025
Pg.042-Notes 1026-1050
Pg.043-Notes 1051-1075
Pg.044-Notes 1076-1100
Pg.045-Notes 1101-1125
Pg.046-Notes 1126-1150
Pg.047-Notes 1151-1175
Pg.048-Notes 1176-1200
Pg.049-Notes 1201-1225
Pg.050-Notes 1226-1250
Pg.051-Notes 1251-1275
Pg.052-Notes 1276-1300
Pg.053-Notes 1301-1325
Pg.054-Notes 1326-1350
Pg.055-Notes 1351-1375
Pg.056-Notes 1376-1400
Pg.057-Notes 1401-1425
Pg.058-Notes 1426-1450
Pg.059-Notes 1451-1475
Pg.060-Notes 1476-1500
Pg.061-Notes 1501-1525
Pg.062-Notes 1526-1550
Pg.063-Notes 1551-1575
Pg.064-Notes 1576-1600
Pg.065-Notes 1601-1625
Pg.066-Notes 1626-1650
Pg.067-Notes 1651-1675
Pg.068-Notes 1676-1700
Pg.069-Notes 1701-1725
Pg.070-Notes 1726-1750
Pg.071-Notes 1751-1775
Pg.072-Notes 1776-1800
Pg.073-Notes 1801-1825
Pg.074-Notes 1826-1850
Pg.075-Notes 1851-1875
Pg.076-Notes 1876-1900
Pg.077-Notes 1901-1925
Pg.078-Notes 1926-1950
Pg.079-Notes 1951-1975
Pg.080-Notes 1976-2000
Pg.081-Notes 2001-2025
Pg.082-Notes 2026-2050
Pg.083-Notes 2051-2075
Pg.084-Notes 2076-2100
Pg.085-Notes 2101-2125
Pg.086-Notes 2126-2150
Pg.087-Notes 2150-2175
Pg.088-Notes 2176-2200
Pg.089-Notes 2201-2225
Pg.090-Notes 2226-2250
Pg.091-Notes 2251-2275
Pg.092-Notes 2276-2300
Pg.093-Notes 2301-2325
Pg.094-Notes 2326-2350
Pg.095-Notes 2351-2375
Pg.096-Notes 2376-2400
Pg.097-Notes 2401-2425
Pg.098-Notes 2426-2450
Pg.099-Notes 2451-2475
Pg.100-Notes 2476-2500
Pg.101-Comments 0001-0025


INDEX Links to All Pages of John's GENEALOGY COMMENTS

(As of 12 April 2007, John published the last of his "Germanna Notes"; however, he is going to periodically post to the GERMANNA_COLONIES Mailing List in the form of "Genealogy Comments" on various subjects, not necessarily dealing with Germanna.  I'm starting the numbering system anew, starting with Comment Nr. 0001.)

Pg.101-Comments 0001-0025