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Samuel Ferdinand Recht- Caroline Henriette Sczepanski
Note: additional source materials are currently being sought. Aside from the birth records of Samuel Ferdinand Recht and Caroline Henrietta Sczepanski we have very sparse information regarding the lives and existence of our couple and their family/ children. Caroline Henriette Schepansky- Birth 16 March 1844 7.6 MB Samuel Ferdinand Recht- Birth 12 February 1841 7.9 MB The second place we find the couple mentioned with certainty is in the marriage record of their son Johann Hermann Recht to Auguste Kunz. There we find mention of them and their deaths having occurred before the Recht-Kunz marriage in Ellerwald, Kreis Elbing. Additionally, we have found evidence of one Samuel Recht living in…
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Eastern Germans, a cold case?
Searching for missing or lost family members from the former German Eastern Provinces can be quite a challenge. As you may already know, following the WW2 defeat of Germany by the allies, almost all ethnic Germans were ‘cleansed’ from their former homes in East/ West Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia, etc. (as well as much of Eastern Europe). In both the Expulsion process and the bombardments that preceded the Expulsions much was destroyed. Churches, City and Governmental records, family bibles, photographs, keepsakes, books, notes, were almost all gone. In the case of my opa (grandfather), he was able to salvage the bottom half of a coffee can worth of keepsakes and treasures.…
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Presenting family genealogies on the web
Presenting readable, genealogical information, data, and stories is a complex challenge. It seems to me that people’s lives ought to be expressed as more than family trees, dates, and lineages. I have been struggling with this problem for quite a while. Perhaps you have as well. Over the years, I have noticed a few ‘special’ difficulties in making this type of information, useful, accessible, easy to find not to mention human. The major problem areas, for me, have centered around the following: genealogical data & stories can run deep & wide (they may, and often do, involve a lot of data from many locations, sources, and media) genealogical data/ information…
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Johann Recht Family(ies)
Note: This material/ history is incomplete. Any/ all suggestions or pointers are most appreciated! Johann Recht had two, perhaps three, marriages. His first documented marriage was with Elisabeth Barwich (Baarwich)- our progenitor; his second documented marriage was with Florentine Barwich (a cousin? of Elisabeth). As far as we can tell, Johann and his families lived in and around the Zeyer ev. Kirche until Johann’s death. Johann’s death record indicates that he died on 7 September 1854 at the age of 54 years and 10 months (0 days). He was buried evangelisch in the Zeyer ev. Kirche graveyard. Based upon Johann’s documented age at death, we calculate his birth to have been…
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West Prussia (near Zeyer) Mennonite Births, Deaths, Marriages
Enhanced, updated, validated new materials may be found on our new tutorial site. The links on this page have been sourced from the Prussian Mennonite Genealogy Resources site. I have rearranged the original links and grouped them for my convenience. Please note, these materials are used without permission because there was no copyright notice or location from which to request usage permission. All ownership and rights of this material belongs to its original author(s). If you wish to use the most current information and links on these topics and more, I encourage you to visit the original site. Any research queries should be directed to one of the Mennonite…
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Mennonite Histories of West Prussia
The links on this page have been sourced from the Prussian Mennonite Genealogy Resources site. I have rearranged the original links and grouped them for my convenience. Please note, these materials are used without permission because there was no copyright notice or location from which to request usage permission. All ownership and rights of this material belongs to its original author(s). If you wish to use the most current information and links on these topics and more, I encourage you to visit the original site. Any research queries should be directed to one of the Mennonite archives in Canada or the U.S. Danzig District The 1661 Census of Mennonites in…
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Cornelius Schepansky Family(ies)
At this point, we believe that our research has produced a rather complete image of the Families and Children of Cornelius Schepansky. If you know of additional source materials or information, we would love hearing from you. Our information and resources have been and continue to be packaged for submission to the Schepanski Family Archives in Delmenhorst Germany as well as to Grandma (The Online Mennonite Archives). CORNELIUS1 SCHEPANSKY was born on 11 Feb 1806 in Kerbshorst, Westpreussen, Germany 1. Cornelius Schepansky was baptized on 19 May 1823 in Marcushof, Westpreussen, Germany1. He died on 27 Feb 1861 in Ellerwald, Westpreussen, Germany2. He married (1) CORNELIA MARTENS on 14 Aug…
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Danzig- Westpreussen (West Prussia) Heimatortskartei
For those wishing to gain access to photographic images of the actual Heimatortskartei from the towns, cities & villages which were near what used to be Danzig in West Prussia, they are available on FamilySearch. (LINK to Danziger Gebiet (Area ) Westpreussen (West Prussia) Heimatortskartei). These represent images of a civil register (handwritten and printed works) of refugees from the former province of Danzig-Westpreußen, Germany, now Gdańsk and Bydgoszcz provinces in Poland. For those of us whose families were expelled from their homes by the allies after World War 2, this represents a set of documentation that could contain the handwriting of ‘our’ family members, from that place and time.…
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German Expulsions & the Diaspora
While doing some research for an email response, I came across a body of work related to Die Vertreibung (The Expulsion). These papers are presented on the website of Dr. Stefan Wolff. Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, England, UK. A political scientist by background, he specialises in the management of contemporary international security challenges, especially in the prevention, management and settlement of ethnic conflicts and in post-conflict stabilisation and state-building in deeply divided and war-torn societies. Stefan Wolff, “Stefan Wolff,” political research, academic, Stefan Wolff, n.d., http://www.stefanwolff.com/. Ethnic Germans in Poland and the Czech Republic: A Comparative Evaluation Co-authored with Karl Cordell and…
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John Hall c. 1732 – 1794
This page is under development; research is on-going Note: additional source materials are currently being sought. The Grandfathers Vol.I, The Hall and Overstreet Families Carrol Carman Hall, Springfield, IL, 1981 Section I Chapter 3, Page 19 From his will of 1794 John Hall c. 1732 – 1794 Miller on Rockcastle Creek It is common among Hall family searchers to say with a great deal of respect, ‘Our John Hall.’ This is the way they distinguish him from the numerous John Halls they meet with in their researches, within or outside the immediate family. Well, he was ‘quite a man.’ But — we are not descended from him. We are descended…
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William Hall 1707? – 1757
This page is under development; research is on-going Note: additional source materials are currently being sought. The Immigrant Grandfather Source: The Grandfathers The death of William Hall on the first of May, 1757 at the hands of the Cherokee Indians, not only thrust upon John Hall, his oldest son, the responsibility of heading the family but also the settling and managing of his estate. Many of the old-timers made their Wills on their deathbeds, but in the case of William Hall, death came suddenly and as a consequence he had no Will. Fortunately, Bedford county which had been organized just three years prior to the fateful Spring of 1757 had…
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Christian and Mary (Roth) Wenger- A Brief History
This page is under development; research is on-going Note: additional source materials and records are currently being sought. Christian Wenger was born 2 DEC 1799, Basel, Switzerland Mary Roth was born 15 NOV 1807, Dornach, Switzerland They were married 7 SEP 1830, Burgfelden, Elsass Christian Wenger and family migrated from Germany through Basel, Switzerland to near Hamburg, Ontario in 1835. The family lived here for 9 years. In 1844 they moved to Washington Co., Iowa north of Wayland by covered wagon, stopping overnite in Chicago where they could not find a place to stay. All the clothing they owned was on their backs as their clothing had been stolen before…
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August Ferdinand Kunz – Catherine Elisabeth Albrecht
The family of August Kunz and Elisabeth Albrecht lived in Neuteicherwalde in Kreis Marienburg, Westpreussen (West Prussia). August was a Hofbesitzer (Farmer). It is believed that Hermann Recht and Auguste geboren Kunz inherited the family farm with their marriage three plus years following the death of August Ferdinand (facts are being sought to confirm this). We do know that as late as 1895 Elisabeth continued to live in Neuteicherwalde (even after Hermann and Auguste Recht had moved to Pietzkendorf). This fact is confirmed via the birth and baptismal record of Erich August Albrecht. August Ferdinand Kunz (was born on 7 Feb 1844 in Neuteicherwalde the son of Andreas Kunz and…
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Hermann Recht- Auguste Kunz Family History
Hermann Recht and Auguste Kunz were married in Baarendorf ev. Kirche Kreis Marienburg, West Preussen. To quote from the church records: Johann Hermann Recht, born 16 June 1869 in Zeyersniederkampen, married Auguste Alvine Caroline Kunz on 10 March 1891. (page 192 Baarendorf ev. Kirche). Based upon an oral family history/ tradition obtained by me from Luise Rabideau geboren Senger, their grand-daughter, the Recht-Kunz marriage took place just after the death of Auguste’s father, August Ferdinand Kunz. The truth of the matter was that the marriage actually took place some three years after August’s death. Hermann and Auguste had five children, that we have identified, four of which lived into adulthood.…
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New FamilySearch Film Ordering
This week I used the new FamilySearch.org microfilm (microfiche) ordering system for the first time. As you might expect, like any new service there are a few wrinkles but overall the new system is simply a magnificent advancement. Here’s what I learned with my orders. NOTE: If you did not already know, recently FamilySearch.org placed a new online ordering mechanism on their site. According to their site this offering is being rolled out across the world and is currently available in my area (Colorado). Click this link to read the complete announcement. As most of you know, I do a lot of Prussian research (which means I order quite a…
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Sometimes… magic happens
Today was one of those amazing days. It is often unbelievable what the universe has in store for you. Today, I received a small insight. A cousin of mine, Norbert Grohmann contacted me. Mind you, I had no idea that I had a cousin by that name or that his part of the family had even survived the Second World War. My mother, my primary source for such information, had not even known. But today a message (comment) came to me here on ManyRoads and it was Norbert… my cousin (Gott sei dank!). Since early this morning, we have numerous email exchanges. I have gathered photos and information from Norbert. …
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Auguste Alvina Caroline Kunz
It was another one of those days a genealogist only dreams of… one, when a huge brick wall comes tumbling down. Today my daughter and I were reading through our latest bunch of 11 Family History Center tapes, hoping to eek out a simple clue regarding our Prussian German forebears. We had already viewed 9 tapes when on our 9th tape we saw a birth/baptism record for Eduard Ferdinand Kunz. The name Ferdinand Kunz had appeared as being in attendance at my great aunt (Tante) Ella’s baptism. Did we have the right family? As readers of ManyRoads may already know, Auguste Kunz (my Uhr-Oma) on my grandmother’s line has been…
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The Former German Provinces & Missing Persons Search
If you, like me, research and search for family through the area of West Prussia (Westpreussen)- East Prussia (Ostpreussen) and Pomerania (Pommern), these sites will be of interest. I have also listed all these sites on the links page of ManyRoads. (Please Note! the links to external webpages are in the headers themselves and they appear before the individual site descriptions, when one exists.) If you are looking to find information on missing relatives from the Second World War, these sites are most helpful: DRK-Suchdienst (German Red Cross Tracing Service) The German Red Cross Tracing Service has always been on the side of those in need and by taking this…
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Clyde Ross- photos found
If you know of anyone related to and/or seeking images of a young Clyde Ross born in Cambridge Illinois, USA in the year 1896, we have 5 original photos of Clyde. The photos show Clyde at the ages of 3 months through 7 years (approx.). We found these wonderful photos in an antique store in Denver and simply could not let the collection be broken up any more than it already had been. Besides, the images of Clyde growing up simply charmed us. If you are related to and are seeking images of Clyde, we’d love to send digital copies of Clyde’s photos back to…
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Alexis Menard- Louise Pageau family history
Notes: For those of you who follow ManyRoads, you will recall that I have been looking for years for my great-grandmother’s family (Exina Menard- Deyo). I am sharing my work and data as it evolves (I hope much like a tutorial or case study.) for three reasons: to help me keep things in one place (a running log?) share the process of research with anyone interested in seeing my work as it stumbles, jerks and ultimately unfolds to use in my September tutorial Be aware, this page is being actively worked and its content will change! This material grew in large part from a forum posting originally created by Bev…
- Ancestry.com Thoughts, German Genealogy Pointers, Quebec Genealogy Pointers, Search Tricks & Tips, Technology & Tools
Kick-starting your genealogy efforts
I have put this little reminder checklist together to help me and others quickly examine our obvious options when we either are stuck or just getting started. This list is hardly exhaustive and if you try everything here without success you should not feel like you have to throw your hands up in despair, there are still many avenues to examine. Hopefully though, using these tools will prove useful and productive and fun. Enjoy! Have you checked? For basic name searches try these out. Not all of these tools are genealogy focused but they are all quite robust and helpful. Google Mocavo FamilySearch Ancestry If the above hasn’t provided you…
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Polish Archives
For those interested in such things, a number of ‘online’ Polish Archives have recently come to my attention. They include: Archiwa Panstwowe- State Archive in Poznan Archiwum Archidiecezjalne w Poznaniu (Archidiocese of Poznan Archive) Genealogical Society of Great Poland “Gniazdo” Although many of these site pages offer English translations, I find the translated documents to be only marginally easier to use than the Polish original pages (and my Polish is limited to the ever present and marginally accurate Google Translate). Nonetheless, these archives look to be a very positive resource and representative of a very hopeful trend! Should you know of other online Polish Archives you believe we should share,…
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WW1 German Casualty Lists – 1.WK Armee-Verordnungsblatt Verlustliste
We have moved our tutorials! Please visit our new site and updated materials. Since I originally wrote this article, a number of new source material sites have come online. Be advised the only records listed here are those for German War Dead or Wounded. In the event that you are unaware of key statistics involving German troops in WW1 here is a rough sketch: Killed in Action: 1.7 to 2 million Wounded: 4.2 million 65% of all mobilized men were casualties (killed or wounded) A word of caution, Austrian or other German Central Power Aligned Troops are listed elsewhere, as are those of the Allied Powers. As of 8 Feb.…
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Evolution of Germany from 1867
The territorial evolution of Germany from 1867 to today. This video is in German although hopefully the graphics will be understandable to those who speak no German. Die Geschichte des deutschen Staates seit 1867 – staatliche und territoriale Entwicklung. Didaktikvideo zur staatlichen und territorialen Entwicklung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
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Pre-WW2 Maps of Poland & the former German East
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Ancestor Approved Award
Sassy Jane Genealogy: was nice enough a few months ago to give ManyRoads the Ancestor Approved Award. Sassy, I apologize for my delay in responding to the honor you offered ManyRoads. The honor is truly much appreciated and by now hopefully even a bit more deserved. The
 Ancestor Approved Award, for those who may not be aware, was created in March 2010 by Leslie Ann Ballou of “Ancestors Live Here” to appreciate and enjoy geneablogs that are “full of tips and tricks as well as funny and heartwarming stories….” Recipients provide a list ten things which surprised, humbled, or enlightened them about their ancestors and ten blogs to pass the…
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Another Deyo adventure!
I guess I could have entitled this posting, out with the old, in with the new. But as with most genealogy not very much of this information is actually new; including the fact that I had yet another problem in my Deyo lineage. Here’s the long and short of what has happened. Barb (one of my Deyo ‘cousins’) reviewed my latest Deyo line and noticed that my information and hers were not in synch. She is the proud owner of many things Deyo including photos, death certificates, folklore and the like. And as luck would have it, Barb’s copy of Mary (Bonah) Deyo’s death certificate indicated that Mary’s parents had…
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100,000 Visitor
Today (a snowy Colorado day in May) ManyRoads was visited by our 100,000 visitor. What can we say except, thank you! We know that by big site standards this is not a high traffic rate, but for us 100,000+ unique visitors is both amazing and wonderful. If you find our little site of benefit, please consider joining as a member. If you are looking for something you think we might help you find, please ask. For those of you who might be interested, the following is a list of the 20 countries from which we have had our top 20 number of visitors. United States- 19,709 Germany- 17,944 Canada- 5,616…
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Family friends…
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Worse than War
In keeping with our emphasis on die Vertreibung and Ethnic Cleansing, we recommend you either view Daniel Jonah Goldhagen’s documentary “Worse Than War” or read his book of the same title. To quote Dr. Goldhagen: (source website- disappeared) I hope that you choose to have a look at it. Whether or not you end up agreeing with every conclusion and proposal in Worse Than War, the [documentary] offers a plethora of new information and perspectives not just on genocide or eliminationism but on critical aspects of humanity and modernity, society and politics. I hope to rouse your intellect and conscience, even if I at the same time challenge your views…
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A new ethnic group? Prussian-Quebecois.
Everyone claims an ethnicity. Me, too. So far as I know, my sister and I form a rather distinct, maybe even a unique, ethnic group. Yep, we are Prussian-Quebecois. We like to think of ourselves a being fairly unique and special. After all our parents said we were special, and they wouldn’t lie. Would they? The really sad thing is it looks like our ethnic group is about to die out. Today, we are both approaching 60 and in our youth we demonstrated immensely poor ethnic planning skills when it came to choosing our spouses. Neither of us remained within our ethnic group! My sister chose an Irish-German guy; and…
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“Dit” Names
The use of Dit names in French Canada (Bas Canada) is both very common and confusing. Currently, I am working with another Deyo cousin to attempt to unravel yet another Deyo mystery. This part of my family line is now being reworked for the fourth time! I think I might be getting good at it. Briefly here’s the mystery… It appears, now, that I might be descended from a woman we believe was named Honoree Beaulac. Her family name (surname) has the following common dit names (there may be others as well): Desmarais Lake Lefebvre Marest Beaulaque Hertel (a nice German sounding name, eh?) By the way you will also…
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Rituel du Diocèse de Quebec
If you are performing research in Quebec, the Rituel du Diocèse de Quebec may prove useful in providing clues regarding the name or names of your ancestors. To quote the PRDH: Among Catholics, choice of first name wasn’t left to chance or parents’ imagination. On the contrary, the church liked to control the attribution of first names to ensure that on the day they were baptised, children received the name of a saint who would guide them throughout their life. In the Rituel du Diocèse de Quebec, which laid out the rules to follow for writing baptismal, marriage, and burial certificates in Quebec, Monsignor de Saint-Vallier stipulated, “The Church forbids…
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“Dit” Names
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Flucht aus Polen
They said, the war was over. Still, the suffering continued. They were hungry. Alone. Afraid. Father had never come home, from Stalingrad. Brother, an infant, was dead. Home was gone, given to others. Of the family, Mother and the two sisters survived. They had their fear, their lives, their uncertainty, and each other. Mutti had sent Lilli to beg a cup of food from another expelled family… (photo, Lilli, age six or seven, is in the dark coat with cup). Her face shows the the feelings of humiliation she still remembers. This poorly written piece is true. Circumstances such as Lilli’s Vertreibung can never be justified; yet, they continue. Different…
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Finding German War Dead
If, like me, you seek relatives who fought on the German side of a war, you might have experienced difficulty in finding information about these forebears. One of the most useful online services I have encountered in this area is the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (link below). It is through the wonderful efforts of the Kriegsgräberfürsorge that I have been able to find information about two of my great-uncles, who lost their lives in WW1: Adolf Senger Albert Senger and three cousins who died in WW2: Willi Wedhorn Egon Recht Erich Recht To quote the Kriegsgräberfürsorge site: The Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. is a humanitarian organization which is charged by…
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“Un-German” German Names
Last evening, my wife and I watched a documentary on Poland, it covered the Gdansk (Danzig)- Szczecin (Stettin) area in particular. Baltic Coasts – Hidden Treasures: Explore the coastline from Vistula Lagoon via Gdansk Bay to the sandy beaches and steep cliffs of Pomerania and West-Pomerania. The reason for this post involves what I learned from one of the featured individuals, a talented young Photographer; his name- Michal Szlaga. Looking at his name never made me think of German descent or Germanic heritage but then the announcer pronounced his name and it was Michael Schlaeger / Schläger (exactly). You can imagine my surprise. I certainly would never have pronounced his…
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Understanding the German Past
German Genealogy is not much different from any other genealogy. You really need to have a plan as you begin your research, especially if you are unfamiliar with the region/ area or time period. Never assume that one locale looks like or offers information or data in the same as another. Each area, region or time frame offers its own unique idiosyncrasies, its own information. German research is really no different in this regard from other places; it is not the US or Canada and the available data is different from that commonly available in North America. Having said all that, this posting is more of a concrete example on…
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Finding German Genealogy Data
So where are the best places to find German Genealogy data? I hear this question, or something similar, often. Perhaps it is because I am an American that I notice, but it seems most Americans I hear from expect to find German Genealogical record keeping and data ought to mirror that in the US. Unfortunately, they do not. A number of historical factors impact the quality and type of genealogical records to be found in Germany today. What follows are a few points regarding German history that merit understanding: A number of fairly destructive wars ran over German lands. These wars not only destroyed people and buildings, but also innumerable…
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German Name Spellings
For those unfamiliar with, or simply wishing to learn more about, conducting German/ Prussian genealogical research this is my second posting in a series on the topic of German-Prussian Genealogy Pointers. One of the greatest difficulties people have with researching Germanic family members involves name spellings. This is especially true for those English speakers. Over the centuries, Germans who emigrated into English speaking lands have either tried to spell their names in ways that would be pronounced correctly or had assistance with their name spellings upon arrival or ‘later’ in Census takings. This ‘help’ has lead to numerous challenges in finding the right folks in the old homeland (Heimatland). Here…
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Conducting Better German Research
Recently, I have received numerous queries on how to get started or better conduct German genealogy research. Rather than simply email folks one at a time, I thought a post on the subject might be useful. By way of background, I ought to state that almost everyone I hear from tells me that they are: German (of German descent) the neither read nor speak German (or just very little) few are aware of much German history fewer are aware of their family’s cultural background in Germany Having provided the little list above likely provides clues as to items researchers need to pay attention to: If you do not speak the…
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Political Debate about the Center Against Expulsion in Berlin (ARD)
Political Debate about the Center Against Expulsion in Berlin. Flucht und Vertreibung – Eskaliert der deutsch-polnische Zoff? (ARD Anne Will’s political talk show) Unfortunately, it is not easy or simple to find factual information about controversial subjects like die Vertreibung (the Expulsion). We extend our sincerest appreciation to all our readers who have shared their experiences, links, articles, and photos on the subject. We hope that you find these videos informative and helpful in developing a more complete and balanced understanding of what happened to Eastern Germans following the loss of World War 2. For more background on why we present this information, please read: On the “Vertreibung”, Expulsions, and…
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Frieda Senger- Cyrillic Conversion
As many of you are aware, I have been trying to decipher a Russian document that Soviets created as justification for sending my grandmother into a Gulag following WW2. To help me with my sleuthing, I have found and used the following tools: Russian letters & script Russian online keyboard Automatic Cyrillic Converter My grandmother’s document may be viewed here: Frieda Senger -Suchdienst & Soviet Records. What I did to help me in my search was to carefully look at the Cyrillic script and attempt to define each letter using the script as presented on the site at item 1 above. Once I found (or thought I found) the script…
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Zeyer- the end
Recollections of an officer of the chief administrative district in Zeyer. Johannes Jahn, farmer and farm owner in Zeyersvorderkampen. see original document This document has been translated and reworked with additional family history by Mark Rabideau. The District of Zeyer was located in the northeast corner of the Free State of Danzig, in the area that included the towns of Grosses Werder, Zeyer, Stuba and Schlangenhaken. The district followed the Nogat River, starting at the village Zeyer to the Vistula Lagoon estuary. The total area of the District was about 2510 hectares (~6200 acres) of which 480 hectares (`1200 acres) were the village of Zeyer, Stuba with the village of…
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Ostpreußen das Ende – East Prussia, the end
The assault on and destruction of East Prussia (1945).
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For some its Groundhog’s Day
2 February is one of those days that adds a bit of winter fun to many Americans’ lives. For me though, it is something much more. It was 122 years ago today (2 February 2011) that my grandfather was born. As readers of this site will most likely know, he remains one of my life’s great influences. He is one of those loved people to whom much of my ManyRoads work is dedicated. Richard Senger was born on this day in 1879. He was born the third child of ten to Michael Senger and Adelgunde geboren Kiehl in Zeyersniederkampen, Westpreussen, Deutschland (a heimat -homeland- that is no more). He survived…
- Uncategorized
Just knowing…
Knowing our family origins brings a comfort that is hard to explain, but priceless to those seeking and finding. I could not have said it better. The above quote was one I received today in an email from one of my clients. I think the message is clear, succinct, and one which most of us who chase ancestors would heartily agree. The words moved me. I thought perhaps they might move you as well.
