Tag Archives: Location: Germany/Prussia

Mary BRAUN is my second great-grandmother. She was born 19 November 1855 in or near Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany. I believe that she and her husband Carl STOFFEL were married in Germany and arrived in the US together in 1884. They settled in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, where they had seven children.

Minnie HÄNFLER (with variants including Henfler, Hamfler, and Hemfler) is my second great-grandmother. She was born in Germany and married Herman LEPPIN in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. I previously discovered a possible sister, Augusta HÄNFLER, who married Philipp Zimmermann, and just days ago confirmed my suspicion further with a baptism record for Augusta and Philipp’s daughter naming Minnie Leppin as a witness. Clues in other church records suggest that Minnie may have had a brother, Carl HÄNFLER, and that her parents might have been Carl HÄNFLER and August –?–. Further research […]

The earliest known Stoffel in my line is Carl STOFFEL, who was born in or near Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany, on 16 September 1855. I believe that he and his wife Mary Braun, were married in Germany and arrived in the US together in 1884. They settled in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, where they had seven children.

Continuing on from My Adventure With Meyers Gazetteer, I was trying to take the information that I learned and develop some sort of research plan.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get very far as I ran into a stumbling block.

Back in February, I spent quite a bit of time at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  I hadn’t planned on working on my Miller/Wach/Wietzke clan, but after discussing German research with some friends over dinner, I shifted gears.  Later that night, I headed over to the reference desk to talk to an expert and after about 15 minutes and a pile of books, he had figured out where my second great-grandmother, Hulda Wach, came from. Mind you, I had some clues.  I had a town name from […]

Turns out, my German handwriting is even worse! On Saturday, I attended the Tazewell County (IL) Genealogical Society fall workshop, where Carol Whitton presented four great lectures.  Truth be told, I was strictly in it for the two lectures on German research:  Using and Understanding the German Gazetteer and Reading German Church Records. Both of the German lectures were excellent and gave me some motivation to dive further into my German roots (more on that in another post).  In the church record presentation, Carol introduced us to the old German […]

While doing research in a local newspaper for my ancestors in Harvard, Illinois, I found this interesting tidbit published in a 1904. Transcription: German Betrothal Customs. When a maiden is betrothed in Germany she is called “bride” by her sweetheart, who addresses her thus until it becomes time to call her “wife.”  Immediately upon betrothal the lovers exchange rings, which, if the course of true love runs smooth, are to be worn ever afterward until death parts them.  The woman wears her betrothal ring on the third finger of her […]

Back in 2010, in honor of Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo created a list of writing prompts for each day during the month of March.  I didn’t participate in 2010, so I’m going to take the opportunity to participate this year, since Lisa was kind enough to resurrect her prompts for 2012. If you could have lunch with any female family member (living or dead) or any famous female who would it be and why? Where would you go? What would you eat?