Germany and German Ancestry

Comment

Comment by Katie Heitert Wilkinson on December 27, 2010 at 6:06pm

Thanks for the suggestion, Christine ......but I would have no idea, after placing an expensive overseas call, if the individuals speak English or not.

Comment by Christine Kay Olsen-Needham on December 27, 2010 at 5:34pm

Hi Katie! If I were you, I would call all the Heiterts in the phone book, and see if you can match any ancstors!

Comment by Katie Heitert Wilkinson on December 27, 2010 at 5:28pm

Am hoping that someone with substantial experience is German genealogy might help me.  I've searched unitl I'm blue in the face for the origin and the meaning of the surname HEITERT. Have Googled with as many search parameters of which I can think, have gone to numerous library sites, and visited countless surname sites (some even German) which promise to have an exhaustive database of names.  I do know that currently the name is no longer common in Germany ... a search of a national German telephone directory site identifies fewer than a dozen people of this name. I am aware that HEITERT is frequently misspelled, but I don't believe any of my Heitert ancestors actually changed the spelling of the name.  Frustrated!

Comment by Valerie Schweers on November 7, 2010 at 9:26pm

Hi All
My name is Valerie and I am looking to link with anyone researching the Schweers family name from Essan Germany 1800 to present.

Comment by linda on November 2, 2010 at 12:15pm

hello to all i am looking for infor on a adam reincker and wifr elizabeth from germany...adam was born in opfingen,germany...and cuz out there.....

Comment by Kathleen Squires on October 15, 2010 at 9:05am

Hello,
My grandmother was Ruth Afton Harr b. 1898 in Dalton, Nebraska
Her father was John Frederick Harr b. 1862 in Big Creek, Wisconsin
Her grandfather was John George Harr b. 1836 in Bayern, Germany
They sailed to America around 1850

My ancestors include:
Caroline Ann Slaver (or Schlaver) b. 1839
Frederick Slaver b. 1813 in Posen, Prussia
Carrie Tucholke b. 1804 in Germany
Johann Fredrich Herr (father of John George Harr) b. 1796 in Bayern, Germany
Rosine Elfein b. 1796 in Germany
Peter Herr b. 1745 in Germany
Katherina Schmeringer b. ?
Johann Peter Elfein b. 1760 in Germany
Susanne Krausslich b. 1765 in Germany

Comment by Catherine Davis on September 23, 2010 at 6:58pm

Marguerite, you've just pointed out why we can't just take someone else's work for gospel and need source documentation. Even then, we have to make interpretations that my be different than the interpretation another would make. I truly believe that most of us interested in researching our family are doing our best to be accurate, but we can make mistakes. And then, there are those who don't really do research, but pass on undocumented work, or even go so far as to make up the history they want. So we have to be vigilant. It's wonderful that we have this genealogy wise mechanism for helping each other find information and sharing sources and ideas, so that, in the end, each of us can be true to our own family and to ourselves.

Comment by marguerite Sykes on September 23, 2010 at 3:46pm

thanks, Marianne for the naming info. Almost everyone (female) in my German family was a Louise--and there were 4 Karkutt sons who all had daughters and grand daughteers. Yes, Balimore was the port---but one data base had them listed as Ellis Island--which obviously wasn't open in 1880. I believe that was the point I was trying to make.

Comment by Marianne Szabo on September 23, 2010 at 8:46am

To Marguerite Sykes [sorry the previous post got away from me] re not finding Louise Karkutt listed by her first name in German records. In Germany, particularly if Roman Catholic, a child's first name was a "church" name such as John, Joseph, Ann, Maria, etc. So she might be Maria Louise, or something like that. The same applied to men. A child might have 3 names depending on custom. Families used the same names over and over, often following a naming pattern [1st son named after paternal grandfather, 2nd son named after father, as just one example] - a nightmare for genealogists! My great-grandfather was John Gerhardt, called Gerhardt until late in his life when he reverted to John for simplicity. Even in mid-20th Century America, when I was baptized I was given a first name [after my two grandmothers but combined into one name], and a middle name [a feminized version of my father's middle name], and at confirmation a third name [a variation of my mother's first name].

Comment by Marianne Szabo on September 23, 2010 at 8:41am

To Marguerite Sykes

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