The group graphic is a good one, Debbie. My main research in Germany is my mother's side: Masselink and Masseling. Traced them back to 1660, with a lot of help from a great genealogy site: http://www.online-ofb.de/ They put much of the archives online here in an easy to read format.

For those who can't make out the German language, try Google translate, either from their toolbar or the Firefox FoxLingo toolbar.

What I'm looking for is any data from the Huguenots who settled mainly along the Germand/Dutch border, and from where both sides of my family came, I'm pretty sure. Once in Germany or Holland, they can be tracked usually. But before then ???

Hi, I'm researching my husband's ancestors , I am actually finished but lack photo's and documentation as I am going to publish it in book form . The progenitor of the Greyvenstein family was Johann Jacob Greifenstein born 20 March 1726 in Klein-Umstadt,Hesse,Germany . Can anyone help me with info of where I can get photo's or documentation of him . Any help would be appreciated . Thank you .

Really like the new graphic!

Liebe Vettern,

Glad I found ya! I'm doing research in 1875 and previous, in and around Hamburg, Altona, und surrounding, then radiating outward...

Earliest Vorfahren/ancestors identified are
o Johann Heinrich Zeiss or Zeisz or Zeiß (1775) PID K8WH-J9H
o Christiana Catharina Elsabe Behr (1780) PID K866-1X9
o Johann Hinrich Schröder or Schroeder (1794) PID K48F-L66
o Johanna Maria Hinrica Meldau (1796) PID K4TX-MZG

Please advise if you see opportunities for Zusammenarbeit/collaboration, let me know. Viel dank!

Juan B7)
aka Johan B7)

PS I do okay reading and transcribing Deutsch.

I am researching the Helfichs who came from Heddesheim, Georg Helfrech (1825 -1876 ) came to South Africa about 1875. He married Catharina Louis(1825 -1894 born in Germany somewhere. Their son Adam, a trader, (b. 16.12.1850 in Heddesheim) married Eva Maria Duchateau (b. 17.03.1861in Mannheim) on 16.12. 1878 in a catholic church in South Africa.. I am interested in tracing back their german ancestors but don't know how to start. I imagine that they could have been persecuted catholics but don't really know

I have been struggling to find Caspar Steininger. I have that he was born in Bavaria abt. 1845 and came to America sometime before 1870. I know he married and had three children before his death from pneumonia around 1874. I would love to find out when he came over from Germany.

I'm trying to find some information about George (possibly Jurgen) and Caroline Elder. I have found them in the 1870, 1880 and 1900 (Caroline and the children only) census, They are listed as being born in Germany, Bayern - which I understand is Bavaria. The children - Conrad, Johanna, George, and either Anthony or George - possibly both) are list as being born in New York - possibly Brooklyn.

Anthony is my great grandfather. I find it odd that he is listed as Anthony in one census (1880) and John in another (1870). In the 1880 Census, Caroline is listed as having 4 children, with 4 living. I don't know what to make of the Anthony/John situation - it's definitely not a transcription error. Anthony doesn't sound like John - so I don't get it.

Much of the other information fits, so except for that mystery, I'm quite sure they are my Elders.

What I'm trying to fond out is if George and Caroline came over from Germany together or if they met and married here. I can't seem to find any source for either case. I thought perhaps, I would find them on the same boat in the same year, but I don't know Caroline's maiden name

Thanks, Michael, but I've already got the information from all the pertinent US Census records. What I'm trying to find is information on when they came to the US. I suspect they came through Castle Garden, since they weren't using Ellis Island in the 1850s and 60s when I think they may have come over. They had to be here in 1861 because that's when my great grandfather, Anthony was born.

I would love to find some record of them in Germany, but until I fond out when they came here and whether they came together, that's going to be tough.

My boyfriend's great, great, grandfather was Alois Enderly who came from Baden Baden Germany. He settled in Chillicothe, OH. Looking for more information on the family.

I'm researching in Schleswig-Holstein, Bavaria, Rhineland, and Saarland. The names I'm researching are: Holz, Sauber, Elligen, Greif, Fischer, Andresen, Thomsen, Arnoldy, and Terre. I've found the birthplaces for each of my ancestors, except for Louis Fischer from Bavaria and Nicholas Elligen (changed his name), possibly from Alsace-Lorraine. These ancestors ended up in Dubuque, Iowa and married people from Austria and Luxembourgh.

Hello all! I have quite a bit of German ancestry. My maiden name is Spade - we have traced the Spade line back to a John Spade (anglicised, naturally). According to the Dunbar Family History (http://www.electricscotland.com/history/world/bios/dunbar_family.htm):
John Spade, a Hessian, was the great-grandfather of John Dunbar on his mother's side. He was a brewer of Hesse. He was drafted for the army to aid the English in their war against America, but he was not found with the troops when ready to sail for America. He was drafted the second time, but again hid; but when drafted the third time he saved his life by coming across, but he deserted and fought with the Continentals for American freedom. After the war John Spade married Mary Magdalena Shafer, a German maid he had met in the Valley of Virginia. John Dunbar married their daughter, Eva. She was born in Monroe county in 1800 and died in Summers county, West Virginia, n 1859.
Other than the mention of hime being a brewer from Hesse, we have no further information. That is of course assuming that the biography printed in 1917 is fairly accurate!

Also, on my husband's side: KNIERIM
Johann Heinrich Knierim was born 7 Aug 1863 in Mitterode. He came to the US in about 1890 according to a census record. I do not know anything about his arrival. He was married to a Katherine Elisabeth Knierim (yes 2 Knierims married...) who was born 9 Dec 1870 in Niedergude to a Wilhelm Knierim and Elisabeth Schaeffer. I do not know if they met in Germany or in the US; but they settled in Wheeling, West Virginia. Their first known child, Anna, was born in 1894.

Hi, Jodi- Is it possible that your Johann Heinrich went by Henry? There are listings for Henry and Katherine Knierim on the 1900, 1920, and 1930 census and their first child was named Anna. They went on to have a total of 8 children. They do list 1890 as the year they each came over. According to the 1930 census they would have been married around 1893. The only listing on Castle Garden for a Heinrich arrived in 1887 and would have been born around 1861. I found some new passenger lists on Ancestry yesterday, but they haven't been indexed yet, so you have to search page by page. I'll let you know if I come across anything.

Thanks Barbara! Yes I believe he did go by Henry. I also have him and his family in the censuses you mentioned, as well as the 1910. I have never searched the Castle Garden records, and through that I believe that Katherine and Heinrich may have had a son with them (3 year old Ernst). The 3 Knierims are listed as arriving on the ship Fulda on 12 Jul 1887 from Bremen, Germany. Sadly, having never heard of Ernst before, I assume that he did not survive to 1900... Thank you so much!

I don't know if anyone has previously posted this or not, but I found a very interesting and helpful site on German immigration to Pennsylvania, if you want to know what your relatives may have experienced. The link is http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=731
It is actually a course by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania with a lot of interesting reading material, such as Gottlieb Mittelberger’s Journey to Pennsylvania in the Year 1750.

A friend just sent me this link, I thought it might be of interest to others in this group as well.

http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=12

darn it, it wouldn't make the link, you'll have to copy and paste, sorry!

If no-one's tried this before it's really neat, enter a town your ancestors were from or one nearby and it shows a map with photos from that area linked to places on map, you can see soem neat places as well as where they are located:

http://www.panoramio.com

Lisa Spegal...Thanks for that website, it is cool!

I just learned of a great free online resource for German city directories - Die Datenbank historischer Adressbücher. Here is the URL for it as an active link:
http://www.adressbuecher.net/

You can read more about using this and other city directories in my group Finding Family For Free here at GenealogyWise. And in a posting at my blog showing how using City Directories can solve family mysteries!

Enjoy!

I am looking 4 my grandmothersfamily name of Graffunder I am not sure just where in Germany her family came from.

I have just found out where her ancestors came from it was Zachow- Neumark in Germany

I've been able to go back to 1799 with my great, great, great grandfather.

Johann Nicolaus Knierim
B. During the week of 29 Jun- 02 July 1799 Hessen Kassel, Germany
D. 24 Jan, 1850 Lorain, OH
Married Martha Rifert
B 1811 in Hessen Kassel, Germany
D 23 Sept 1869 Lorain, OH

I have Johann Nicolaus Knierim's father as Johann Wilhelm Knierim, and that's where I've run into a dead end.

If anyone can throw something my way please feel free to do so.

Here is one of my German ancestors:

1. Henry (Hans) Christian Jacobs
b. 1843 in Braunschweig, Germany
d. 02/22/1896 in Fenton, St. Louis Co., MO
b. Enon Baptist Churchyard in Lenox, Dent Co., MO with the inscription "Civil War Co. Inf. Mo. Cav."
m. 03/18/1877 in Monroe Co., IL to
Anna Marie “Ann/Annie” Copeland
b. 03/1862 in IL
d. abt. 1925 in Texarkana, Miller Co., AR OR Texarkana, Bowie Co., TX
Their issue, Generation 3.
Notes: Henry was a private in Co. F, 8th Regiment, MO Infantry in the Civil War. Enlisted 07/25/1861 in St. Louis Co., MO, deserted 07/29/1865 at Little Rock, AR.
Henry was a cobbler (shoe maker & repair).
Anna remarried to Orren T. Floyd in 1907/08.
In the 1910 census Anna states her father was born in IL, her mother in IN. It also states she gave birth to 8 children, 5 living (it is yet unknown if the other 2 children I have unlisted were Jacobs or Floyd). In the 1880 census she states both parents born in OH.
Anna is not listed in the Arkansas Death Record Index. She could have died in Texarkana, Bowie Co., Texas.
When Henry & Anna were too sick to take care of the younger children, they were placed in the Illinois Soldier’s & Sailor’s Children’s School (ISSCS), which was originally Illinois Solder’s Orphan’s Home in Normal, IL.
It is unknown what brought Henry to the New World. Family lore had it that his mother brought him over from Germany at the age of 12 to keep him out of the Prussian Army. This has not been proven & several genealogist think this is incorrect info.
It is more than likely Henry had siblings left in Prussia & likely a few came to America with him & his mother.

Here is another:

1. John Hedrick
b. 1742 in Lancaster Co., PA
d. 1810 in Port Republic, Shenandoah River, VA
m. unknown date in Staunton City Co., VA to
Susan Maria Horn (also Hornung)
b. ?
d. ?
Notes: There are two Stauntons that could possibly be where they were married. One is an independent city located in Augusta Co., VA, the other in Pendleton Co., WV. Since Henry was married in Pendleton Co. it is likely that is the one.

And his son;

2. Jacob J. Hedrick
b. 1773 in Berks Co., PA
d. 04/01/1849 near Berger Store, Pittsylvania Co., VA
m. 1) 01/10/1794 in Pittsylvania Co., VA to
Molly Reiter
b. 1775 in Germany
d. abt. 1800 in Pittsylvania Co., VA
m. 2) 07/08/1801in Pittsylvania Co., VA to
Catherine "Caty" Mease (also Meese)
b. 02/18/1780 in Lebanon Co., VA
d. 1847 near Berger Store, Pittsylvania Co., VA
Notes: One note says Jacob & Molly were married 04/01/1800.
Jacob & Catherine are buried on their old homestead in Pittsylvania Co., VA.

Hi Everyone! I am looking for members of the "Demmler" family. I have traced my family back to Auguste Demmler born in Baden Germany on 13 Aug. 1849 (died 15 July 1897). He married Amalia Schmidt, also from Baden Germany. The marriage was believed to have taken place in Germany - do not have a location or exact date. They had 2 sons - Karl and Frederick Demmler. I'd love to get in contact with anyone with more info. - I'd love to find dates for Amalia, parents for both her and Auguste, and current relatives that can also trace their lineage back, etc .

Thanks!

Hello there! I'm looking for Charles F. Sanders (b.1818 in Bremen, Germany) who married Marie Bertha Emery (b.1827 Switzerland) who lived most of their lives in Louisville, KY. Their oldest daughter Bertha Elizabeth Sanders married August Schuler in Louisville. Can anyone help me find Charles and Marie's parents and siblings? Or anything about them as they lived in Loiusville? Prior to living in Kentucky, they lived in Pittsburgh, Pa. Thank

You in advance for your help!

Sharon

I have two German lines: Fredrick L. Hunninghaus from Elberfeld (Wuppertal), and Gustav or Gustavus Jost who was born in Essenheim and moved while young to Oppenheim, and came to the US in 1854. Other Elberfeld/Barmen names include Dahlhaus and Preuss, and others.

If your German ancestors are connected with Pennsylvania, you may be interested in (and learn lots from) the Chats with Jim Avery on Sunday nights. Right now he is discussing the religions that the early settlers brought to Pennsylvania. Tomorrow is the Ephrata Cloister and Related Groups. Some of my ancestors were connected to that.
If interested, check out the chat room schedule.

from what I know my line came to Cook County, ILL -- then some went to Minn

Looking for ancestors of George and Anna Barbara EBLE who came from Wurttemberg Germany in 1854 with their daughter Mary. They lived in Pennsylvania for a while and had 2 sons, Philip and John, then moved to Jefferson Co., IN.

Looking for Alexander H Weston who was born in a small island of Germany called Heligoland in 1867. He may havechanged his name but from what noone seems to know. Family stories state that he was a merchant seaman and jumped ship. He married Ellen Quinn in 1896 in South Australia, Australia. Any ideas of how to trace him would be greatly appreciated.

My great grandfather , John C (Yohann) Streck came from Germany, possibly the hamburg area, lived in the USA, in ND and possibly MN. He passed away 1908? and i amhaving a reral problem locating his grave, Anyone with any info on this family , pls contact me. Aso his son William Fedrick Streck came to Canada , then ND, I have been able to find him born in Prussia , Germany born 1856 but nothing more, til a census in ND. He amrried Maria Oberlin in Ontario and lived in ND most of their lives, buried in ND.
with these families , it is the family history prior to coming to Canada and USA that I am searching for.

If anyone has any history on Wm, please contact me

I am researching my great grandparents John H. ESTERLINE/OESTERLINE from Bavaria Germany.

Pam,
Here's a page with contacts in Selzen, connected with a page that shows Selzen on a map. There are 2 churches in Selzen, a Catholic and an Evangelical. One of them would probably have your Kissinger records.
I suppose there would also be records in centralized archives, perhaps in Oppenheim, which is a kind of center for your region, as Alzey is for mine.


http://www.selzen.de/gemeinde/default.htm

Has anyone come across HAGESTADT or know the best way to research ancestors from Oldenburg?
I have traced some of my dad's cousin's ancestry back to John Arendt HAGESTADT and his brother Henry, born in Oldenburg, who came over to England some time between 1807 and 1843.

I think the best way to list all of my German names is by place:

In Klein, Frankenthal, Rheinland-Pfalz I have Mary Salome HALLMAN born 1714 and married to Johann Wilhelm BERKHEIMER born 1710, and they moved to the Philidelphia area.

Close to them, a little southwest of Manheim, in Franconia, Zweibrück is Rhinehart WOLF born 1742 and married to Elizabeth Evah born abt 1746 in Bedford Co., PA. Rhinehart immigrated to Bedford Co, and lived in a place called Wolfsburg.

WSW of Manheim also near Zweibrücken comes Johann Casper WALTERS born 1715 and married to Hannah Barbara BAER born 1714 in Dühren, Ansbach, Bayern, which is south of the Dentlein am Forst and SW of Nürnberg. They immigrated to Lancaster Co., PA.

In Gross Winterheim, Mainz, Hesse comes Andrew WISE / WEISS born 1748 and who married Sarah Hartman of Maryland. Andrew's mother was Maria Elizabeth GRAFF born 1725 in Darmstadt, Hesse. Andrew's dad was Johann Adam Christopher WISE / WEISS born 1724 in Hesse. They immigrated to Washington Co., PA.

From Kaldenkirchen, Viersen, Nordrhein-Westfalen comes Arnoldus KUSTER born 1699 and married Elizabeth Rebecca Sellen born 1671 in Philadelphia, PA where Arnoldus immigrated to.

In Lüttringhausen, Remscheid, Nordrhein-Westfalen comes Casper STUDEBAKER / STUTENBECKER / STUDENBAKER / STAUDTENBECKER born 1646 and married to Gertrude VON STADEN born 1670 in Hagen, Remscheid. Also some family in Solingen and Krefeld.

Another name in Solingen, Nordrhein-Westfalen is Andreas ASCHAUER born 1670 wife unknown but daughter named Anna Margretha born 1702.

Then I have a couple names I'm not sure what part of Germany they are from like RAU (I only have the last name) and Johann ROWLAND born 1694 and immigrated to Lancaster PA and married a gal named Ann Marie.

Hello, Christine!

This site will allow you to find any online telephone book in Germany;

http://www.opendi.de/

I found 42 Kleins in Frankenthal, and in Solingen I found 7 Andreases and 4 Ashauers. I found a "Wintersheim." (with an s). You can try more of them.

Will Baker, one of my cousins, married "Gustie" Stute, and his car was a Studebaker. The name also reminds me of the nickname "Sturtebecher," of a certain famous Friesian pirate. "Sturte" means "turn over" and "becher" means a "drinking-glass," so it refers to "chugging" beer, as was his custom.

Steve, This site allows you to see any German phone book, online

http://www.opendi.de/

Hi All. I'm new to this wall. Researching my maternal grandfather's family surname Kalb, and maternal grandmother Thoene, Thoeney. Understand both of their families originated from Germany. Thanks! Dot

Hello folks. German surnames of interest:
Klamroth (maternal grandfather), Haas (his mother), Lange (his father's mother)

Hoback (paternal grandmother), Fortney (paternal grandfather's mother)

Good Morning! Names I am researching, Albrecht (Westphalia), Richter (Sohland area) and Kuchler/Keichler/Kiichler (Sohland area). Albrecht did not immigrate, the others came over around 1881 to NE. Also have Macy family that on census says from Germany to PA/NY, arrived ca 1864, Brodt from Alsace abt 1881

Hello Susan,
If you go to the web site I posted yesterday, you find 2 Solands, the one on the Rotstein and the one on the Spree. I think yours is the one on the Spree, because it has 48 current listings for Richter and 9 for Kuchler. The one on the Rotstein has 4 for Richter and none for Kuchler.

Jerry: It is the one on Spree, forgot to add that, thanks. Is that the phone book site? Hnmm, only 9 for Kuchler, might be related, thanks!

This is my story of German Ancestors. My Great Grandmother was born, I was told by my Father, in Karlsruhe. My Aunt says Baden, acquaintance says "BadenBaden" Her name was Wilhelmina Nesensohn, born May 21 1855 (this according to ) Death Certificate from California, Alameda county.Died in 1940, and was buried in Mt. View Cemetery in Oakland Ca. Record shows her Father's name was Mathew The problem is finding her in Germany. Her Uncle came to US and started a business in San Francisco CA, before the 1906 Earthquake. Wilhelmina married Samuel Oliver Holmes, who later took over the business. I was also told of relative who brought the vulcanizing process to US. from Germany.They ran a print shop, did Stencils, Rubberstamps. Brass and Iron Workers. The business was later passed down to my Father George Thomas Holmes, by his Father, George Holmes any help would be greatly appreciated

Woops! I forgot to add Year of Immigration: 1878

Susan,

Yes, I found that info from the phone book site.

Volksberg is right on the border of Alsace and Lorraine, close to Germany, also. I have ancestors from all over that region.

The name "Brodt" should be pronounced "Brot," the same as the German word for "Bread." However, it may originate from "Brod," a Slavic word for a river. After Alsace was depopulated in the 30 Years War (1618-48), it got a lot of German-speaking immigrants from Switzerland, but Slavic regions, such as Bohemia, were also depopulated by that war, and would have been unlikely to need any emigration. This is a puzzle.