Rare Old Hungarian Wines to Be Shown at 1934 Fair

Chicago Daily News, Roll 675
25 Nov 1933, Page 11
[Click to enlarge]

While conducting newspaper research in Chicago several weeks ago, I came across an article on Hungarian wines to be presented at the 1933-1934 Chicago World's Fair. The fair was otherwise known as the Century of Progress, itself being a celebration of the city's centennial. A transcript of the article is below:

"Rare Old Hungarian Wines
    to Be Shown at 1934 Fair
By John Drury
    Rare old wines from the former royal cellars of Budapest, some of the villages dating back a century will be on exhibition in a proposed new Hungarian pavilion at A Century of Progress exposition next year, it was announced today.
    The musty old bottles will not be for sale to fair visitor, the announcement added. They will be merely on display and the labels will indicate the ages of the various types of wines. Tokays will be the main feature of the exhibit, but there will also be Burgundies and clarets and other popular continental wines.
      Here to Arrange Details
   Announcement of the this exhibit was made by Victor Unterreimer, prominent merchant of Budapest, who arrived in Chicago a few days ago for negotiations with the world's fair management. He said that the wines are now in the custody of a leading bank in Budapest, which took over some of the effects of the royal household after the revolution of 1918.
   "Our pavilion, which will be located at the north end of the Midway," added Mr. Unterreimer, "will also contain exhibits of embroideries, jewelry, glassware and other articles showing the arts and crafts of the Magyar republic.
   "There will also be a collection of historic watches, one of them dating back to 560 A.D. This collection was formerly owned by the Emperor Franz Joseph. It has been shown at many European fairs and expositions and in 1923 it won first prize at the International Watch exhibit in Berlin."
      Others May Exhibit
   Mr. Unterreimer said he is returning to Budapest immediately to enlist the interest of merchants in showing their wares at next year's Chicago fair. He added that he will be back after the first of the year to start work on the pavilion.
   This will not be the first Hungarian pavilion at the world's fair, as one was erected at the 1933 exposition. It stood immediately south of Old Heidelberg Inn. The leading exhibitor in this pavilion was Nicolas Krausz, proprietor of the famous "Haris Bazar No. 4" in Budapest, which featured historic jewelry from the castles of Hungarian noblemen. Mr. Krausz has moved his exhibit to the Leschin women's wearing apparel shop at 318 South Michigan boulevard, where it is now on display.

Obtaining Chicago & Cook County Vital Records On A Budget

Vital records for Cook County, and specifically Chicago, are available on microfilm for a significantly reduced cost, compared to requesting the documents through the Cook County Clerk or Vital Records. Below you can find details of what is available and how you can order copies of these records. Copies of these certificates and licenses are only $6.50, compared to the $15-17 per document through Cook County.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed a majority of documents and registers, so no vital records exist prior to then. Both birth registers (certificates exist post-1878) and marriage licenses began again in 1871, whereas the death certificates didn't begin again until 1878.

Image source: Hearst's Chicago American, January 2, 1902, Page 8
(Click to enlarge)

Cook County also didn't require the official registration of births until January 1, 1902, once a bill in the Illinois State Senate passed and became law. Along with the new law to urge Chicago residents to register their children's birth, was allowed "25 cents for every baby born and registered." By the second day the County Clerk had received more than 80 applications. However, the County Clerk neither had the actual certificates to issue nor the money to provide to applicants for the registrations. The County Clerk at that time, Mr. Knopf, explained he would issue certificates but they had not been supplied to him by the secretary of the State Board of Heath. Mr. Knopf furthermore stated that the County Board would need to supply the money.

How To Order Copies:

Birth certificates and registers are available on microfilm from 1871-1922 and can be ordered through the link here.

Death certificates are available on microfilm from 1878-1945 and can be ordered through the link here.

Marriage licenses are available on microfilm through 1871-1920 and can be ordered through the link here.

Center for Research Libraries in Chicago

An example of three death notices from the Chicago
Polish newspaper, Dziennik Związkowy, 1940.

The Center for Research Libraries, CRL for short, holds many ethnic newspapers on microfilm for viewing and copies. The CRL is located on the south side of the UC campus, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

One particular item of interest is the Chicago Polish newspaper, Dziennik Związkowy, which began in January of 1908 and is available up to 1992 (catalog title: http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b1336327~S1). Many death notices were published in this daily newspaper and should be a must-reviewed resource for Chicago Polish research. The CRL has already digitized the first ten years of the newspaper and those can be searched for free at their website at the following URL: https://dds.crl.edu/crldelivery/15857

A fantastic death notice index for Dziennik Związkowy has also been created, covering 1930-1949, by James J. Czuchra. It can be found at the following URL: http://polfamily.info/dziennik-zwiazkowy-search

The CRL is open to researchers, Monday to Friday & 9am to 2pm, but one must request an appointment. You are allowed up to 12 microfilm a day and they must be ordered when you make your appointment. One day of research will cost $25 and copies (printed or digital) are $.10 each; you pay when you've finished research. I personally reviewed 12 microfilm and made 16 digital scans, with the trip totaling $26.60

There is more to the CRL's collection than Polish publications. They have ethnic newspapers from across the country: Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, Hispanic, Hungarian, Jewish, Norwegian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish. Give the catalog a search!

Anyone requiring research assistance with the resources within this library can request help through my Genlighten offering here.

Genealogy Resources at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago

The Harold Washington Library, in Chicago, Illinois, has a collection of material that could aid in genealogy research. They can be found in the Microfilm Room, on the third floor, where you will find rows of microfilm cabinets containing newspapers, city directories and telephone directories. Over the past six months, I have created inventories of what is currently available on microfilm for these collections and you can find them below.

Newspapers

The newspaper collection is by far the largest, taking up most of the space. The inventory I created was focused on newspapers from the Chicago area, although the library has many other newspapers on microfilm from around the world. The earliest available newspaper is the Chicago Democrat, beginning on November 26th, 1833.

You can view the inventory here: Chicago’s Historic Newspapers On Microfilm At The Harold Washington Library

City Directories

The library's collection of Chicago city directories ranges from 1839 through 1917, in 1923 and finally in 1928-1929. City directories contain the name of an individual, their occupation and address of residence. You may also come across a second address, an address of business, if the individual was a business owner. This collection is helpful in placing your ancestor at an exact addresses in Chicago between the censuses, as well as determining if they owned a business.

You can view the inventory here: Chicago City Directories On Microfilm At The Harold Washington Library

Telephone Directories

Where city directories end, the telephone directories pick up. The earliest telephone directory for Chicago was published in 1878. They are available for both the city of Chicago and Suburban Chicago up to 1971. The directories had separately published the Alphabetical (residential) and Classified (business), from 1914-1971. The library has directories from other localities throughout the entire state of Illinois: Algonquin, Alton, Altonwood River, Beardstown, Beecher, Big Rock, Cairo, Canton, Centralia, Champaign, Champaign-Urbana, Clinton County, Collinsville, Crown Point (Indiana), Danville, Decatur, Delavan, Dwight, Edgington, Edwardville, Elburn, Forest, Galina, Gibson City, Gilman, Greenville, Hampshire, Harristown, Harvey, Huntley, Ipava, Joliet, Kankakee, Kendall County, Kinmundy, Lake County, Lasalle, Lewistown, Lilly Lake, Lockport, Loves Park, Lowell, Manteno, McHenry, Momence, Morris, Mt. Vernon, Nashville, Oglesby, Olive Branch, Onarga, Oswego, Ottawa, Peoria, Peru, Petersburg, Plato Center, Quad Cities, Quincy, Rock Island, Rockford, Seneca, Springfield, West Suburban Exchange and Zion.

You can view the inventory here: Chicagoland Telephone Directories On Microfilm At The Harold Washington Library

Adas Family Medical History

Ever since my father had his stroke last February (2013), I've been increasingly curious about my family's medical history and causes of death. Digging into my paternal grandmother's family revealed some scary and shocking information. My own grandmother, Mary Lou (Adas) Gombash, died from a massive heart attack and from what I understand, her brother had some heart and possibly stroke issues. They are the children of Edward Robert Adas, Sr. I've created a family tree to highlight the causes of death in the Adas family, going back to our immigrant ancestors who came over from Putzig (today Puck, Poland). The text in red is the cause of death on their death certificate. You'll notice that every single one of them died from heart related issues.

(click for larger image)

Revolutionary War Land Grant of Samuel Hays - Neighbor of Andrew Jackson & Col. John Donelson

North Carolina Revolutionary War Land Grants
Roll 10: Book G-7
Page 15
State of North Carolina
Grant No. 35
Know ye that we have Granted unto Samuel Hays six hundred and forty acres of land in Davidson County on the North side of Stones or Clover creek a branch of Stones River, Beginning at the spanish oak on the North bank of the Creek a corner of the land reserved for Stones lick, running thence along the line of the said land, West one hundred and twenty two poles to a large white oak, corner to Col. John Donelson, thence with said Donelson line North three hundred and twenty five poles to a hickory and hackberry, East three hundred and sixty eight poles to three small poplars, South one hundred and sixty nine poles crossing Clover Creek twice to a sugar tree and ash on the north bank thereof, down the same as it meanders to the Beginning. To Hold unto the said Samuel Hays his heirs and assigns forever dated the 17th day of April 1786.
R. Caswell
J. Glasgow, Sec.

*A little background information: This land grant is for the land between what is now know as the area of Donelson and The Hermitage. My ancestor, Samuel Hays, was a neighbor of both men: future-president Andrew Jackson and Col. John Donelson (father-in-law to Andrew Jackson). Samuel Hays' brother, Robert Hays, was also the son-in-law to Col. John Donelson. When Samuel Hays was murdered in February 1793 during an Indian massacre just outside Col. John Donelson's home, the future-president Andrew Jackson adopted the minor children of Samuel Hays.

Source:
Ancestry.com. North Carolina and Tennessee, Early Land Records, 1753-1931 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

My Genealogical Goals for 2014

With the new year quickly approaching, I decided to make a list of genealogy goals I am going to strive to achieve in the coming year. With having begun researching my family tree well over thirteen years ago, I still have a lot to research. I've intentionally left different branches of my family un-researched, so that I'd continue to have research to do as the years went on. With how much research I have completed on my Hungarian ancestry (the majority of my research), I am far from done. A vast majority of that consists of nobility resources; there's a wealth of information to be found, and I'll likely need to conduct that research on-site in Hungarian archives. With all that being said, here is my list of goals for the new year:


1. Write more. I need to write more. A lot more. I've sorely neglected my several blogs during the year due to medical issues within the family. Things have gotten much better, and I'm regaining the time I'll be able to devote to writing. Apart from my blogs, I'm going to be dedicating a very large majority of my time to writing two books. They're going to be related to Hungarian genealogy, my area of expertise, and completely unrelated to one another. I can't go into much detail about what the books will be about yet, but know that both will be extremely helpful to any research being conducted within the former Hungarian empire.

2. The most important family for me to research this year, is the family of my 3rd-great-grandmother, Martha Ann Miller. She was the wife of James Andrew J. Costilow and died fairly young; 45 years before her husband passed. I was fortunate enough to have found a record that was a crucial breakthrough in Martha's family, which then lead me to her parents and half of her grandparents. I plan to focus a lot of attention on researching these new families.

3. I plan on indexing far more records relating to Győr city and county. It's the sixth largest city in Hungary, and the largest and most important city in northwest Hungary. It's very close to the borders of both Austria and Slovakia and is situated on one of the most important roads in Central Europe. Because of this, it was a large hub for migrants and immigration. There were six Roman Catholic parishes in Győr, comprised of 27 microfilms of data. So indexing marriage records for this city would be extremely beneficial for those researching in this area.

4. There are a handful of military organizations I would like to join. The main ones including the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution), General Society of the War of 1812, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Sons of Confederate Veterans. My goal is to obtain all the documentation required to apply for membership within these organizations. I could easily piggy-back other applicants with their membership numbers and previous documentation, but I want to do it on my own.

5. My Polish roots are aching to be discovered. I'm more Polish than anything else, yet the majority of the records aren't readily available for research. My lines from Barycz and Osobnica will be extremely difficult, as I'll have to physically write to the church and request information. It's a hit or a miss and I won't make much progress. Hence why I haven't touched at all in all the years I've been researching. Two sides that I do need to focus on, are my Adas and Domagalski families. The Adas' came from the Putzig parish and I've been able to research the family back to the 1750's so far, but the records began in 1593.. so there's LOTS to be discovered! I also need to figure out the collateral line to the Adas family, the Pletzke's. They're from a neighboring parish and there's also lots to be found.

6. I need to research my Stümpges line. Previous researchers had traced the family line back to the 1540's, but I'm not content. I need to research the family in the church records myself, and verify that the direct Stümpges line is correct. Almost all of the maternal lines are completely blank, also. Those need to be researched and known. There's so much information to be found here!

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: 1803 Will of Levi Long

Winton County Barnwell District
In the Name of God Amen, I Levi Long of the Distrct & County aforesd. being in a low state of health tho sound of memory do constitute and order this my last will and testament, first I desire I may have a decent burial, after that I desire that all my just debts be paid and the residue of my property I leave as follows: to Israel Andres five children Harriot, James, Juliot, Nancy and Sidney, I give three hundred acres of land lying on Toomers bay to be equally divided between them, also I give and bequeath to the above mentioned five children five cows and calves to be equally divided between them & to my son Fashaw I give and bequeath ten cows & calves also one hundred acres of land next adjoining the land where I now live and to my daughter Fanny I give and bequeath one negroe girl named Patt, also one hundred acres of land including the house and plantation where I now live, also ten cows & calves and to my son Nathaniel Long I give and bequeath one hundred acres of land joining the above mentioned land and ten cows & calves and to my daughter Sara I give and bequeath ten cows & calves and one hundred acres of land adjoining the above mentioned lands also I give unto James, Levi, Valentine, Jonas, David and Alford Rowel two hundred and ninety acres of land to be equally divided amongst them the land adjoining the above mentioned land also I give and bequeath to the above mentioned James, levi, Valentine, David, Jonas & Alford Rowel six cows & calves each or the value in breeding cattle. Also, I give to my daughter Sarah Long's two children Mahala and Mark Lazarus two cows & calves each and to Hardin Blalock wife Mason I give and bequeath one hundred and fifty acres of land lying on Cypress Creek and to Richard Blalock wife Martha I give and bequeath one hundred and fifty acres of land lying on Cypress Creek adjoining the above land on said Creek. Also I give and bequeath my daughters Mason Blalock and Martha Blalock six cows and calves each and to my son Lewis I give and bequeath one hundred acres of land lying on Cypress Creek and one hundred acres of land laying in the south side of Coosawhatchie also on hundred acres of land lying on the ** (page crease; illegible) ** wife I give and bequeath all the residue of my property to her lifes end _____. I leave as my last will that all that part of my property that is left to my beloved wife be equally divided between my own four children Sarah, Nathaniel, Fashaw & Fanny Long & the six sons of Elizabeth Rowel deceased, James, Levi, Valentine, David & Alford Rowel, except my negro boy named Jack him I leave to be equally divided between my four children Sara, Nathaniel, Fashaw & Fanny at the decease of my beloved wife Sarah Long and I doe nominate and appoint my wife Sarah Long Executor and Thomas Long Senr. & Thomas Long Junr. Executors to execute this my last will and testament. Given under my hand this 16th day of March, 1803.

Levi Long, his mark

Signed & Sealed in the presence of us
Simon Bryan
Frederick Bryan
Mary Parmer, her mark

Source

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: The 1908 Marriage of József Majoros & Anna Tóth in Ó-Fehértó

While doing some work on my Gombash line today, I was looking at the spouses of my great-grandfather's siblings; one of them being Michael Mayors. I know he was married to my great-grandfather's sister, Julia, on 09 Sep 1939 in Guernsey county, Ohio. Thanks to their marriage record, I knew Michael's exact birth date and the name of his parents: 18 Jun 1912 and Joseph Mayors (Majoros) & Anna Toth. Using that information, I tracked down their passenger manifest records via Ellis Island and located where they originally came from in Hungary: Ó-Fehértó, Szabolcs, Hungary. Below is the marriage record for Michael's parents:

Entry Number: 22
Place of Marriage: Ó-Fehértó
Date of Marriage: 05 Dec 1908

Groom: Majoros József
Occupation: carter/teamster
Religion: Greek Catholic
Born: 03 Apr 1885
Residence: Ó-Fehértó
Father: Majoros János
Mother: Kocsán Anna

Bride: Tóth Anna
Religion: Greek Catholic
Born: 12 Dec 1890
Residence: Ó-Fehértó
Father: n/a
Mother: Tóth Mária

Witness: Gebri Mihály
Witness: Gerzten Dániel, Ó-Fehértó

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: Bohemian 1717 Reichenbach-Möltzer Marriage

I've been doing more and more research into my Bohemian lines lately (they're ethnic Germans), and I'm finding more and more information. Thanks to FamilySearch initially for adding these records online, however I'm finding that the actual Litoměřice archives has digitized their collections and put them online themselves. Which I am extremely grateful for, because FamilySearch's collections seem to be missing a few register books here and there. You can also search for an exact town/community within the Litoměřice archives records, whereas you can only browse via FamilySearch. Both have their pros and cons, but I'm finding I prefer the Litoměřice archives much better. Faster loading images, also. Here is the record I found today:

Entry Number 2

Married on 31 January 1717; bachelor Johann Michäel Reichenbach of Waltersdorf and
virgin Elisabeth, deceased Christoph Möltzer gardener (farmer) in Waltersdorf' daughter.
Witness: Georg Wiesner, cottar in Nieder Politz and Christoph Hahnel, farmer in Waltersdorf.

Greene County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Land Grant: James Rodgers, 11 May 1792

North Carolina (Revolutionary War) Land Grants
Roll 12: Book 1
Ancestry.com image number 148 of 330
Page 284
(Greene County, Tennessee)

The State of North Carolina,
To all whom these Presents shall come. GREETING:

Know ye, that we, for and in consideration of the sum of Fifty Shillings for every hundred acres hereby granted, paid into our Treasury
By James Rodgers

Have given and granted and by these presents do give and grant unto the said James Rodgers a tract of land containing two hundred acres lying and being in our county of Greene on the north side of Nolachucky on Deals Branch of Lick Creek. Begining at a Spanish oak, white oak and dogwood. Thence east one hundred and ten poles to a white oak and ewe?. Thence south two hundred and forty poles to a white oak and black oak. Thence with said Rodgers line one hundred and thirty six poles to a stake. Thence to the begining. As by the plat hereunto annexed doth appear together with all woods, waters, mines, minerals, here did with and appurtenances to the said land belonging or appertaining to hold to the said James Rodgers his heirs and assigns forever yielding and paying to us such sums of money yearly or otherwise as our General Assembly from time to time may direct provided always that the said James Rodgers shall cause this grant to be Registered in the Registers office of our said county of Greene within twelve months from the date here of other sum the same shall be void and of none effect.

In Testimony Whereof, we have caused these, our letters to be made patent and our Great Seal to be hereunto affixed.
Witness Alexander Martin
Esquire, our Governor, Captain General and Commander-in-Chief at Danbury this 11th day of May, in the 16th year of our Independence and in the year of our lord 1792.
By his Excellency's Command.
G. Glasgow, Secretary.
Alexander Martin (signed)

Surname Saturday #28: Szük

I've been interested in this family for quite some time now, mainly because of how rare and unique the surname is. I love when I'm working with a rare and uncommon surname in Hungary, it makes the records for that family "pop" out, and it makes the research just that much more exciting. Especially when no one has ever researched them before. The Szük family were of nobility, and here is their line:

1. Juliánna Szük
b. 25 Oct 1810, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
d. 21 Mar 1837, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
m. József Tóth; 29 Jan 1834, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary

*Eszter Tóth, b. 19 Dec 1834, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Mária Tóth, 22 Sep 1836, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

2. Pál Szük
b. 21 Nov 1777, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
d. 15 May 1832, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
m. Éva Marjai; 02 Feb 1803, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*Pál Szük, b. 29 Mar 1804, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*István Szük, b. 14 May 1806, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*Rebekáh Szük, b. 01 Sep 1808, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*Juliánna Szük, (above)
*Demeter Szük, b. 19 Mar 1813, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*Erzsébet Szük, 02 Feb 1816, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*József Szük, b. 11 Apr 1819, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

3. István Szük
b. unknown (prior to creation of the parish's church registers), Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
d. no death entry ever found
m1. Zsuzsánna Fekete; 06 Feb 1771, Megyaszó, Zemplén, Hungary
m2. Mária Nyakó; 08 Feb 1796, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*István Szük, b. 27 Dec 1771, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*István Szük, b. 17 May 1772, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*Erzsébet Szük, b. 15 Jun 1775, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*Pál Szük, (above)

*Mária Szük, b. 23 Oct 1779, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*Mária Szük, b. 28 Oct 1781, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary
*Zsuzsánna Szük, b. 20 Mar 1784, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*András Szük, b. 27 Jul 1787, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*István Szük, b. 28 Aug 1790, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

4. András Szük

b. before 1704

d. after 1750, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

m. Erzsébet Miskolczy

*Erzsébet Szük, b. before 1738, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*András Szük, b. about 1738, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*Pál Szük, b. abt 1746, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

*István Szük, b. before 1751, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary (above)

*Zsuzsánna Szük, b. 1753/1758, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

5. Demeter Szük

b. before 1670

d. between 1725/1755, Taktaszada, Zemplén, Hungary

m. unknown

*András Szük, (above)

Food & Genealogy: What Did Your Ancestors Eat?

On my way home from the grocery store today, I began to wonder what foods some of my ancestors would have eaten. In our present day and age, we have such an enormous  amount of options to pick from at our grocery stores, some that we didn't have even just a few years ago (like the interesting Ugli fruit that I discovered last year, a native citrus from Jamaica). I started thinking of each ethnic culture of my diverse mutt-like ancestry, and what some of their well-known dishes were of their cuisine. And then I began to think.. which of these dishes existed prior to the discovery of the Americas?

Hungary:

Naturally, I'm going to begin with Hungary. How could I not? :) Whether you're Hungarian or not, you must know of their national dish known all around the world: goulash (gulyás in Hungarian); you can find my recipe here. Two of the main ingredients in gulyás, paprika and potatoes, didn't reach Hungary until well after the discovery of the Americas. Paprika, or peppers, were originally cultivated and found in tropical areas of the Americas, whereas the potato is known to have its origins in Peru.

Italy:
It's extremely hard to think of Italy and not think of pasta with homemade tomato sauce, or pizza with that bright red tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. But neither existed prior to the discovery of the Americas; tomatoes are originally from the Andes mountain region. And then there's also polenta. That smooth, rich and creamy corn-meal dish made famous in Italy. Prior to the Old-World's discovery of corn/maize, they used various grains to make polenta; it sometimes included different kinds of flour, millet and spelt.

Poland:
Our dear, dear pierogies. I don't know anyone that doesn't like a good potato and onion pierogi; it's making me drool just thinking about it! As I mentioned above, the potato originated from Peru and was first cultivated by the Incas. So we must thank the ancient Incas for being the first to cultivate and hybridize the ancestors of our common potato. Did you know there's almost 4,000 varieties of potatoes?  Yum!

Ireland:
And the Irish! A genealogist hears potato, and they think of the Great Famine in Ireland, which spanned from 1845-1852. Many of you reading this article may be descendants of Famine emigrants; I know my uncle is!

If it weren't for the Incas, my uncle never would have been born.. and my grandmother may have never met my grandfather. Interesting to think about, huh?

Surname Saturday #27: Bódogh

The Bódogh family is by far my absolute favorite family I have ever researched, and am continually doing so. I became obsessed with anything to do with the Bódogh family in 2004, when I found within the Borsod county archives' nobility records, copies of nobility records pertaining to the Bódogh family's nobility investigation. It contained 118 documents full of details about the family.. and the best part, hand-drawn pedigrees of the Bódogh family tree! To date (29 Dec 2012), I have 1,607 known descendants of János Bódogh and his wife Anna Péterváradi, the earliest known progenitors of the Bódogh family. Here is my line to them:

1. Zsuzsánna Bódogh (noble)
b. 31 Jan 1816, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
d. 10 Feb 1878, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
m. László Tóth (noble); 15 Jan 1834, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Zsuzsánna Tóth, b. 11 Nov 1834, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Károly Á. Tóth, b. 09 Dec 1835, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Terézia Tóth, b. 29 Nov 1838, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary

2. János Bódogh (noble)
b. abt 1782, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
d. 07 Mar 1854, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
m. Erzsébet Székely; 09 Jan 1805, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Terézia Bódogh, b. 15 Oct 1806, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Károly Bódogh, b. 16 Jul 1809, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Zsuzsánna Bódogh, (above)
*Imre Bódogh, b. 07 Nov 1821, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary

3. Mihály Bódogh (noble)
b. abt 1744, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
d. 13 Jun 1816, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
m. Sára Varga; bef. 1770, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Sára Bódogh, b. abt 1770, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Mihály Bódogh, b. abt 1775, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Erzsébet Bódogh, b. abt 1776, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*János Bódogh, (above)
*Katalin Bódogh, b. abt 1782, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Zsuzsánna Bódogh, b. 1786, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*Péter Bódogh, b.26 Jul 1788, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary
*István Bódogh, b. 17 Mar 1791, Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary

4. Péter Bódogh (noble)
b. abt 1699, Hungary (possibly Miskolcz, Borsod, Hungary; but no proof)
d. March 1775, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
m. (first name unknown) Molnár; 09 Feb 1723, Ónod, Borsod, Hungary
*Anna Bódogh, b. abt 1723, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
*Sára Bódogh, b. abt 1724, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
*Katalin Bódogh, b. abt 1735, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
*János Bódogh, b. abt 1737, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
*György Bódogh, b. abt 1737, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
*Mihály Bódogh, (above)
*Erzsébet Bódogh, b. date unknown, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary

5. Mihály Bódogh (noble)
b. unknown
d. after 13 Dec 1726, Tiszaszederkény, Borsod, Hungary
*János Bódogh, b. unknown
*Mihály Bódogh, b. abt 1686
*Sára Bódogh, b. aft. 1692
*Péter Bódogh, (above)
*István Bódogh, b. bef. 1702

6. unknown generation (noble)
b. unknown
d. unknown
m. unknown
*Péter Bódogh, b. unknown, d. Miskolcz or Tiszaszederkény
*Mihály Bódogh, (above)
*János Bódogh, b. unknown, d. Miskolcz or Tiszaszederkény

-GAP-

8. János Bódogh
b. unknown
d. aft 1593
m. unknown
*Mihály Bódogh, b. unknown, d. unknown (noble)
*Péter Bódogh, b. unknown, d. unknown (noble)
***Mihály and Péter were the originaly grantees of the Bódogh family patent of nobility, issued in 1611.

9. János Bódogh
b. unknown
d. bef. 19 Apr 1560
m. Anna Péterváradi (noble)
*János Bódogh, (above)
***There is a document dated 19 April 1560, written in Latin, that describes this family:

Ferdinandus Divina favente Clementia electus Romanorum Imperator, semper Augustus, ac Germaniæ, Hungariæ, Bohemiæ Rex &c. FideH noftro Magnifico Stanislao Thurzo , Comiti Comitatus Scepusienfis, Salutem, & Gratiam. Expofitum est Majestati nostræ in persona Nobilis Dominæ Anna, Relictæ quondam Joannis Bodogh, Sororis fidelis nostri Reverendi, quondam Blasii de Varadino Petri, Episcopi Vaciensis, ac Præpofiti Scepufienfis ; quemadmodum tu defuncto Episcopo nostro dicto Vacienfi , statim universæ res ejus in Præpositura sua Scepusiensi existentes, in arcem istam tuam Scepusiensem adduci fecisses, ac ab eo tempore omnes Proventus quoque illius Præposituræ percepisles, supplicando Majestati nostræ humillime, ut ei superinde gratiose providere dignaremur. Quare nos supplicatione ejusdem clementer exaudita, quoniam nos testamentum præfati Episcopi Vaciensis clementer confirmavimus, nolumusque eandem Dominam rebus Fratris quondam sui, sibi per eum lega'js privari, fidelitati tuæ harum serie firmissime committimus, & mandamus, quatenus acceptis præsentibus, dictæ Dominae universas res per te ablatas, cujuscunque materiæ existant, statim, & fine ulla difficultate integre, & sine omni defectu reddere, ac restituere; reliquos autem Proventus ejusdem Præposuuræ post mortem memorati Episcopi Vaciensis per te perceptos, futuro Præposito Scepusiensi resignare debeas, & tenearis, secus nullo modo facturus. Præ/entibus perlectis exhibenti restitutis. Datum Viennae XIX. die Aprilis Anno Domini MDLX.

The line "persona Nobilis Dominæ Anna, Relictæ quondam Joannis Bodogh, Sororis fidelis nostri Reverendi, quondam Blasii de Varadino Petri" states "the noblewoman Anna, widow of the deceased Joannis Bodogh, sister of our faithful Reverend the descend Blasii de Varadino Petri (Péterváradi Balázs or Balázs de Pétervárad)".

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: Naturalization Card of Amelia (Stec) Bogusz

The other day, I was pretty excited to see the addition/update of the FamilySearch database "Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977"! I was able to locate the index card for my 2nd-great-grandmother's naturalization papers. I'll be heading to the National Archives sometime next week, after the holidays are over, to retrieve copies of her naturalization papers. I'm kind of excited to see what's listed on them, even though I know everything that they'll state. But you never know!


Date Recorded: 17 November 1953
Office Number: 187417
Name: (Mrs.) Amilia Bogusz
Address: 9003 Leisy Ave.
City: Cleveland
County: Cuyahoga
State: Ohio
Subject of: Poland
Date Naturalized: 21 November 1952
Court: U.S. District
Remarks: Naturalized Herself
Born: 05 June 1887
Age When Naturalized: 66
Age When Recorded: 66
Certificate Number: 7080201
Vol. ~
Number: 114648
Official Attestor: C. B. Watkins, Clerk
Wife's Name: ~
Minor Children: ~
Signature or Holder: Amilia Bogusz (her signature)
In State: 32 years
In County: 32 years
In City: 32 years

FamilySearch Find Of The Day: Marriage License of Jacob Blum & Helena Huber

Jacob Blum is my 3rd-great-grand-uncle. He was born on 27 Apr 1868, in Gutach, Ortenau Kreis, Baden, Germany. He is the son of Georg Blum and his 3rd wife, Katharina Schneider. I descend through Georg Blum's 2nd wife, Barbara Schneider (2nd cousin of Katharina).


Page 297
Number 996
Marriage License

State of California
County of Sonoma
These Presents are to authorize and license any Justice of the Supreme Court, or Superior Judge, Justice of the Peace, Mayor, Priest or Minister of the Gospel of any denomination, to solemnize within said County the Marriage of Jacob Blum, native of Germany, age 30 years, resident of Butte, County of Silver Bow, State of Montana, and Miss Helena Huber, native of Germany, age 27 years, resident of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, State of California. Said parties being of sufficient age to be capable of contracting marriage.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Superior Court, this Twenty Fourth day of November, A.D. 1899.
Somers B. Fulton, County Clerk
By M. g. Hall, Deputy Clerk

State of California
County of Sonoma
I Hereby Certify, that I believe the facts stated in the above license to be true, and that upon due inquiry there appears to be no impediment to the Marriage of said Jacob Blum and Helena Huber, that said parties were joined in Marriage by me the Thirtieth day of November A.D. 1899 at Santa Rosa, in said County and State. That, John Wistuba a resident of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, State of California, and Emila Huber, a resident of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, State of California, were present as witnesses of said ceremony.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this Thirtieth day of November A.D. 1899
J. M. Cassin, Catholic Priest, Santa Rosa, Cal.

Recorded at the request of J. M. Cassin this 8 day of Dec. A.D. 1899, at 30 min. past 2 o'clock P.M.
F. L. Wright, County Recorded
By Vernon Goodwin, Deputy Recorded

Surname Saturday #26: Blum

The Blum family is probably one of my most researched and most known about lines in my ancestry. I've loved researching this line. Being the total genealogy addict that I am, I have actually researched this line twice. I love this family, this parish and the general area. I can't wait to visit there one day!


1. Maria Blum (top-left in the picture with her brother-in-law, Conrad Summ's family)
b. 06 Oct 1860, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. 14 Oct 1951, Norwood, Langlade County, Wisconsin
m. Johann Georg Summ; 26 Oct 1882, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
*Maria Summ, b. 23 Jul 1883, Antigo, Langlade County, Wisconsin
*Carl J. Summ, b. 22 Mar 1888, Norwood, Langlade County, Wisconsin
*Herman Georg Albert Summ, b. 19 May 1894, Norwood, Langlade County, Wisconsin
*Marcus Carl Julius Summ, b. 12 Mar 1903, Norwood, Langlade County, Wisconsin

2. Georg Blum, steinguthänder auf der Insel
b. 21 Apr 1822, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. 05 Apr 1885, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m1. Anna Maria Spathelf; 06 Jun 1849, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m2. Barbara Schneider; 17 Apr 1851, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m3. Katharina Schneider; 31 Jul 1864, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Anna Maria Blum, b. 29 Dec 1846, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Christian Blum, b. 22 Jan 1848, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Christine Blum, b. 14 Sep 1857, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Maria Blum, (above)
*Jacob Blum, b. 27 Apr 1868, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Barbara Blum, 10 Oct 1869, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany

3. Georg Blum, schneider auf der Insel
b. 28 Apr 1783, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. 26 Feb 1870, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m. Maria Lehmann; 16 Apr 1809, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Georg Blum, (above) (ONLY CHILD)

4. Christian Blum, bauer Ob der Kirche
b. 24 Oct 1704, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. unknown
m1. Lucia Aberle; 20 Jun 1741, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m2. Anna Maria Spathelf; 20 Jun 1769, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Conrad Blum, b. 09 Feb 1772, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Maria Blum, b. 05 May 1774, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Christina Blum, b. 17 Aug 1779, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Georg Blum, (above)

5. Adam Blum, bauer Ob der Kirche
b. abt 1657, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. 13 Jun 1705, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m1. Susanna Steiger; 02 Feb 1697, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m2. Maria Moser; 26 Apr 1701, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Barbara Blum, b. 31 Aug 1698, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Maria Blum, b. 17 Dec 1699, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Anna Blum, b. 08 Jun 1701, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Catharina Blum, b. 08 Jun 1701, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Anna Blum, b. 27 Apr 1702, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Barbara Blum, b. 04 Jun 1703, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Christian Blum, (above)

6. Conrad Blum, bauer Ob der Kirche
b. abt 1625, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. 30 Nov 1687, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m. Maria
*Adam, (above)
*Christian Blum, b. 07 Nov 1662, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Anna Maria Blum, b. 03 Feb 1664, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Lucia Blum, b. 02 May 1665, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Catharina Blum, b. 06 Dec 1668, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Anna Blum, b. 14 Mar 1673, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany

Conrad Blum (#6) also had a brother:
Christian Blum, bauer Ob der Kirche
b. abt 1638, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
d. 19 Feb 1675, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
m. Elisabetha
*Johannes Blum, b. 27 Aug 1662, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Adam Blum, b. 05 Nov 1663, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Lucia Blum, b. 14 Nov 1667, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Roman Blum, b. 06 Aug 1670, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany
*Barbara Blum, b. 23 Feb 1673, Gutach, Amt Wolfach, Kreis Offenburg, Baden, Germany

Surname Saturday #25: Kasper

Up until about 2 or 3 years ago, I knew absolutely nothing on this branch of my family. This was partially due to the Catholic parish records not being readily available on microfilm. But thanks to FamilySearch, the records are now digitized and freely browsable on their website. Woo hoo! Here's what I know:

1. Maria Anna Kasper
b. 11 Feb 1834, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
d. 1914, Viroqua, Vernon County, Wisconsin
m. Joseph Weishaupt; 25 Feb 1862, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Joseph Weishaupt, b. 18 Dec 1859, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Theresia Weishaupt, b. 06 Nov 1861, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*August Weishaupt, b. 30 Oct 1863, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Franz Xaver Weishaupt, b. 24 Feb 1865, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Anna Weishaupt, 06 May 1868, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Emma Gertrude Weishaupt, b. 02 Feb 1871, Wisconsin
*Mary Weishaupt, b. Aug 1873, Wisconsin
*Willie Weishaupt, b. 09 Aug 1875, Wisconsin
*Otto Weishaupt, b. 04 Oct 1876, Wisconsin

2. Franz Joseph Kasper, feldgärtner
b. 04 Nov 1803, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
d. 22 Apr 1846, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
m. Maria Anna Reichenbach; 01 Feb 1827, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Franz Karl Kasper, b. 23 Jul 1828, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Joseph Kasper, b. 18 Nov 1829, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Ignaz Kasper, b. 13 Jul 1832, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Maria Anna Kasper, (above)
*Theresia Kasper, b. 16 Feb 1839, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Stillborn Daughter Kasper, b. & d. 16 Apr 1842, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Augustin Kasper, b. 22 Oct 1843, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia

3. Joseph Kasper
b. unknown (for now)
d. bef. 12 Jul 1832, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
m. Rosalia Wenzel
*Joseph Kasper, b. 28 Jan 1792, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Theresia Kasper, b. 17 Jan 1794, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Theresia Kasper, b. 03 Jun 1796, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Rosalia Kasper, b. 11 Mar 1799, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Franz Joseph, (above)
*Theresia Kasper, b. 05 Mar 1812, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia

4. Joseph Kasper
b. 04 Nov 1733, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
d. 12 Dec 1764, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
m. Maria Elisabeth Vogel; 23 Dec 1756, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Joseph Kasper, (above)
*Wenzel Joseph Kasper, b. 09 Nov 1757, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Franz Joseph Kasper, b. 25 Jun 1759, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Maria Elisabeth Kasper, b. 19 Jun 1761, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Franz Kasper, b. 31 Oct 1762, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Rosalia Kasper, b. 19 Dec 1764, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia

Wenzel Kasper
b. & d. unknown
m. Elisabeth Habel; 21 Nov 1719, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Anna Rosalia Kasper, b. 25 Jan 1729, Graber, Auscha District, Leitmeritz, Bohemia
*Joseph Kasper, (above)

Naturalization Records of Stanislaus Gotowy-Gottovi

Declarations Of Intention, 1853-1897; Page 380

United States of America,
State of New York,
Orleans County Court
On the 1st day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty four, I, Stanislaw Gotowy an Alien, formerly a resident of Poland Prussia and now a resident of Medina in the County of Orleans, and State aforesaid, do, upon oath, solemnly declare that it is bona fide my intention to become a Citizen of the United State, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any and every foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly all allegiance and fidelity to the Emperor of Germany whereof I am a natural born citizen or subject.
Subscribed and sworn to this 1st day of November A.D. 1884, before me, Wm. F. Ross, Dep. Clerk of Orleans County
Stanislaw Gotowy (his signature & mark)


Petitions for Naturalization, 1876-1887; Vol. 4; Page 498

State of New York
Orleans County
Michael Mooney & John Kuspa of the Village of Medina in the County of Orleans in the State aforesaid, having been duly sword, despose and say, each for himself, that they are citizens of the United States, that they are well acquainted with Stanislaw Gotowy; that he has resided in the United States for five years last past, and not elsewhere, and for the last year in the State of New York, and during all that time has behaved as a man of good moral character  attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same.
Sworn to in open Court, this 21st day of October 1887, before me, Wm. F. Ross, Clerk.
Michael Mooney (his mark)
John Kuspa (signature)

I, Stanislaw Gotowy do solemnly swear, that I will support the Constitution of the United State, and that I hereby entirely renounce and abjure allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, state and sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the Emperor of Germany of whom I am a subject. So help me God.
Sword to in open Court, this 21st day of October 1887, before me, Wm. F. Ross, Clerk.
Stanislaw Gotowy, his mark

State of New York
Orleans County
County Court, October 21, 1887
In the Matter of the Application of Stanislaw Gotowy to become a citizen of the United States:
The said applicant having made application to this Court to become a citizen of the United States, and it appearing that he, the said applicant, two years since made the declaration required by law: and it appearing to the full satisfaction of this Court that he has complied in all respects with the laws of the United States in relation to naturalization: and the Court being satisfied that the said applicant has resided in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding this application, and that during all that time he has behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same; and the said applicant having appeared in open Court, and taken and subscribed the oath that he will support the Constitution of the United States, and of abjuration required by law: ORDERED, that the said Stanislaw Gotowy be and he is hereby admitted a citizen of the United States, and of any of them.
Wm. F. Ross, Clerk.

Surname Saturday #24: Sprengling

I've always been a bit curious about this branch of my family, because of my distant Sprengling grandmother. My 3rd-great-grandmother, Katharina Sprengling, died at the extremely young age of 29 years old.. much too young for a mother of three infant boys.

I was fortunate enough to make a visit to Manitowoc and Newton, Wisconsin, a few weeks ago. The sole reason for this visit, was to visit the graves of Katharina Sprengling and her husband (who later remarried twice), Johann Peter Stümpges/Stuempges. Katharina is buried in an unmarked grave in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Newton, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. She is buried right under an absolutely beautiful tree, which I'm attaching a picture of to this blog post (to the right). I'm actually curious as to how old that tree is...

I also also fortunate enough to gain access to the church records, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (thank you again, Sara!). The very first record I looked for, was Katharina's death/burial record (to the left). I was a bit shocked when I found her entry, with how much detail it actually gave. It stated she was "Catharine Stümpges born Sprengling" wife of Johann Peter Stümpges. That she was born in "Weinoldshain" (actually Weinolsheim) in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. She died on 25 Oct 1863 at 7am and was buried three days later, on 28 Oct 1863 in the parish cemetery.

Here is what I know of Katharina Sprengling's paternal lineage:

1. Katharina Sprengling
b. 27 Jun 1834, Weinolsheim
d. 25 Oct 1863, Newton, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
m. Johann Peter Stümpges; 06 Oct 1859, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Newtonburg, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
*Johann Philipp Julius "John" Stuempges, b. 30 Nov 1860, Newton, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
*Philipp Bernard Stuempges, b. 15 May 1862, Newton, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
*William Heinrich Stuempges, b. 06 Oct 1863, Newton, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

2. Johann Philipp Sprengling, akermann
b. May 1796, Weinolsheim
d. 25 Jul 1849, Weinolsheim
m1. Elisabetha Krause; 1820, Weinolsheim
m2. Katharina Mai; 12 Apr 1829, Weinolsheim
*Elisabetha Sprengling, b. 27 Apr 1821, Weinolsheim
*Andreas Sprengling, b. 20 Jan 1823, Weinolsheim
*Johannes Philipp Sprengling, b. 1826, Weinolsheim (later a pastor at the above mentioned St. John's in Newton)
*Anna Maria Sprengling, b. 15 Jan 1830, Weinolsheim
*Johann Philipp Sprengling, b. 20 May 1832, Weinolsheim
*Katharina Sprengling, (above)
*Peter Sprengling, b. 10 Jun 1836, Weinolsheim
*Barbara Sprengling, b. 11 Apr 1839, Weinolsheim
*Christina Sprengling, b. 14 Mar 1843, Weinolsheim

3. Johann Peter Sprengling, ackermann
b. 1761, Weinolsheim
d. bef. 12 Apr 1829, Weinolsheim
m. Katharina Lohr
*Eva Sprengling, b. abt 06 Sep 1791, Weinolsheim
*Johann Philipp Sprengling, (above)
*Maria Agnes Sprengling, b. 11 Jan 1799, Weinolsheim
*Maria Christina Sprengling, b. 1801, Weinolsheim
*Johann Peter Sprengling, b. 18 Jul 1804, Weinolsheim
*Maria Gertrauda Sprengling, b. 1806, Weinolsheim

4. Paul Sprengling
b. abt 1719
d. 1780, Weinolsheim
m. Anna Maria
*Apolonia Sprengling, b. Dec 1748, Weinolsheim
*Christian Sprengling, b. 21 Oct 1750, Weinolsheim
*Johann Peter Sprengling, (above)
*Hartmann Sprengling, b. unknown