As a Schmidt myself, I have often become confused by the different Schmidt clans that have populated East Perry County over the years. There were several Schmidt clans who were part of the Gesellschaft in 1839. My Schmidt clan is one of those. There were also other Schmidt’s who arrived on the scene rather early … More Schmidt Married Twice in Six Months
Today’s story is packed full of names that had origins in Scheeβel, an area in Hanover in northern Germany. Many immigrants from Scheeβel arrived in Perry County, Missouri and Jackson County, Illinois in the mid-to-late 1800’s. The couple we will focus on today, for example, was made up of a Brunkhorst and a Mahnke. Other … More Several Scheeβel Surnames
A Christmas song asks the question, Mary, Did You Know? I have to ask the following similar questions of Mary Bretscher. Mary, did you know whether you were born on December 31st or January 1st? Mary, did you know whether you were born in 1844 or 1845? I have to ask these questions because we … More Mary, Did You Know….Your Birthday?
Schoen is a word that means “beautiful” in German. On several previous occasions, I have written stories about people with the surname, Schoen. Today, I am going to attempt to relate what I have found about how that name arrived in this area. The story of the Schoen beginnings takes place in the Apple Creek … More Some Beautiful Beginnings
A boy was born on this day in 1829 in Germany. His name was John Militzer. His birthday was December 19, 1829, the son of Johann Christoph and Maria Justine (Lambern) Militzer. Before I go on, let me say that in this case, our German Family Tree does not indicate who John’s mother was. Also, … More Militzer the Millwright
Theodore Fischer was born on this day back in 1897. However, which Theodore Fischer was he? One Theodore Fischer was born in 1902, and he became the doctor in Altenburg for most of his life. He is not the Theodore Fischer who is today’s birthday boy. Theodore Elmo Leo Fischer was born on December 3, … More Bud and Edna
The story today begins in Lamstedt, Hanover, Germany, where a boy was born to Barthold and Katharina (Blanck) Burfeind. The boy’s name was Herman Heinrich Wilhelm Burfeind, and he was born on December 2, 1834. Herman’s baptism record is shown below. As near as I can tell, this Burfeind family came to America sometime around … More Burfeind – Another Name Vanishes
I think it’s safe to say that German names are sometimes famous for being rather long. I know that some of the ones that have been found around here over the years required plenty of letters to write. Examples might include Lichtenegger, Bodenschatz, Bingenheimer, and my personal favorite…..Schimmelpfennig. During the years when I was a … More Man of Few Letters
Today would have been the 121st birthday of Frieda Stueve. She was born on October 28, 1898 and baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois. Frieda was the daughter of Peter and Mary (Engert) Stueve. Here is her baptism record. Frieda was the 9th of 11 children in this Stueve family. We find her … More Ben and Frieda
Paul Joseph Ehregott Theiss (pronouced Tice) was born on October 27, 1882. Paul was the son of Henry and Ernestine (Mueller) Theiss. This Theiss family lived near Wittenberg right along the Mississippi River. They owned property both on the hill near the river as well as some land in the bottoms. Here is a present-day … More It’s Pronounced Tice – Rhymes with Mice
