Treasure Chest Thursday - Christian Linnemann's Gesangbuch

 

I saw my parents last weekend and they gave me a little book ... my great grand uncle Christ's Gesangbuch! They know that I have been researching our Linnemann line for some time and wanted me to have it!

The first page ... "Ach bleib mit Deiner Gnade." According to Google Translate, this means "Oh stay with your grace."

Christ's name is written on the back of the first page. The first two pages appear to have been repaired with some white tape that covers the end of his name and part of the next  page. The next page is printed with "Widmung" which means "dedication", but nothing is written on that page.

Christian Linnemann, known as Christ, was my great-grandmother's oldest brother. He was born Christian Fasel, but his father died shortly before he was born and his mother later married Gerhard Linnemann. I also posted a picture of him when he was in the Army and his tombstone.

The title page ... "Evangelisches Gesangbuch für Rheinland und Westfalen" which translates to "Protestant hymnal for Rhineland and Westphalia." Christian was born in Gelsenkirchen, which is in the state of North Rhein-Westfalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). His mother's religion was Catholic on Christ's birth record, but by the time his sister Elisabeth was born, she and her husband were both Protestant (Evangelishes).

The bottom of the page has what I believe is the publisher (W.Crüwell) in Dortmund, dated 1897. The Linnemann family came to America in 1904. My father only met Christ a few times as a child, but remembers him as very quiet and was often seen sitting reading his Bible or this hymnal.

The hymnal doesn't open very far, but it is a beautiful little book filled with German hymns. Thank you Dad and Mom for this wonderful gift!!

Fearless Female - Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski

I have written and posted pictures about some of the Fearless Females on the branches of my family tree. Another of these strong women was Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski, my great- great-grandmother.

I don't know too much (yet) about Elisabeth's childhood. From her marriage record I have learned that she was born on 15 April 1865 in Alt Muensterberg which was at the time in West Prussia in Germany (that area is now in Poland). Her parents were Johan Nilkowski and Maria Schild.

On 4 November 1886, Elisabeth married Christian Fasel in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Her first son, also named Christian, was born on 24 August 1887 also in Gelsenkirchen. His birth record states that his father Christian had died on 8 June 1887 (I do not know how, but he was a miner). So Elisabeth was widowed at age 22, just a few months before her first child is born.

Sometime before January 1889, Elisabeth married Gerhard Linnemann. Between 1889 and 1899, Elisabeth and Gerhard had six children in Gelsenkirchen. Two of their children (both named Rudolph) died as young children.

Gerhard Bernard (1899)

Wilhelm Julius (1890)

Rudolph (1893-1896)

Georg Adolf (1895)

Elisabeth Maria (1897)

Rudolph (1899-1891)

In 1904, Elisabeth travel from Bremen to the America to meet her husband (who left in December 1903). The picture above was probably taken in the year before they left. I don't have many details about the Linnemann family during their early years in the America. They spent time in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and settled in Monessen, PA.

By 1915, her son William had moved to Chicago, and the remaining Linnemans had moved the Monseen. Children George and Elisabeth had married. In 1918, her husband Gerhard committed suicide while the family was out for a walk. This strong woman had to endure yet another tragic loss and was widowed again at age 53. The newspaper article stated that he had been injured in a coal mining accident years ago and had "seemed irrational as a result" and would "take to spells of anger and brooding".

Elisabeth Barbara with her daughter Elisabeth and grandchildren Agnes and Frank in Monessen

In 1920 she was working as a Stuart at Turner Hall in Monessen, as was her son Christian. Elisabeth (who also went by Barbara) lived with her sons Christian and Gerhard, both never married, for the next 17 years. She died in her sleep of a heart attack in 1935 at the age of 70 and was buried next to her husband in Grandview Cemetery in Monessen.

Elisabeth was known as "Mem" to her grandchildren (her daughter's children). Below are a few snapshots of Elisabeth from our family memorabilia. I have yet to find a picture of her smiling, but thinking of her life and losses, she may have become one tough woman.

 

 

 

 

Military Monday - Christian Linneman

Christian (Christ) Linneman was my great grand uncle and served in World War I from July 1918 to January 1919. According to his Record of Burial Place of Veteran from the PA Department of Military Affairs, he was a Private in the Army, 3rd Company 1st Battalion 155 DB.

This is a picture of Christ, probably taken in 1918. It was in a folio with the name B. Krasinski and Monessen, PA inscribed on it, which was probably the photographer. After the war, Christ was active with the VFW and the American Legion Posts in Monessen.

I learned recently from his birth record that Christ was born Christian Fasel and his father died a few months before he was born. His mother Elisabeth then married Gerhard Linnemann. All records I have found for Christian list him as Linneman. Christ never married or had any children and lived in Monessen with his brother Gerhard and mother Elisabeth and later his sister Elizabeth Linneman Speck.

Amanuensis Monday - German Marriage Record

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

A few weeks a go I posted the Marriage Record for Elisabeth Nilkowski that I received from Germany. Elisabeth is my great-grandmother and was marred to Christian Fasel. He died in 1887 and Elisabeth later married my great-grandfather Gerhard Linnemann.

Many thanks again to Robert for translating this record for me:

No. 195
Gelsenkirchen, 4 November 1886

1. The miner Christian Fasel, personally known, of the Roman Catholic faith, born on 31 December 1860 in Himburg, Disrict of Montabaur, residing in Gelsenkirchen, Kesselstr. 13, son of married couple oven maker Johann Fasel and Maria Margaretha, née Henrich, both deceased, last residing in Himburg, District of Montabaur, and

2. the housemaid Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski, personally known, of the Roman Catholic faith, born on 15 April 1865 in Alt Muensterberg, District of Marienburg, residing in Gelsenkirchen, Bochumer Str. 28, daughter of married couple laborer Johann Nilkowski and Maria, née Schild, residing in Braunswalde, District of Stuhm,

appeared today before the undersigned Registrar for the purpose of entering into matrimony.

Present as witnesses were:
3. Miner Hermann Strohm, personally known, 23 years of age, residing in Gelsenkirchen, Kesselstr. 13, and
4. Carter Wilhelm Henrich, personally known, 21 years of age, residing in Gelsenkirchen, Hochstr. 46.

In the presence of the witnesses, the Registrar asked the couple individually, one after the other, if they wished to enter into matrimony with each other.

The betrothed answered in the affirmative. The Registrar by the power vested in him by the Civil Code then pronounced the couple man and wife.

[signed -- the signatures of all four]

The Registrar [signature]

Wedding Wednesday - Elisabeth Nilkowski's first marriage

I made some great progress on my great-grandmother's (Elisabeth Linnemann) family in the past few months, thanks to some documents I received from Germany. It started with her birth records and those of her siblings, which gave me the names of her parents. I also learned that her mother (Elisabeth Nilkowski) was married to Christian Fasel before she married Gerhard Linnemann. Christian died shortly before their son, Christian, was born. I requested the marriage records for both of Elisabeth Nilkowski's marriages from the city of Gelsenkirchen (where all of the children were born).

No record was found for Elisabeth and Gerhard Linnemann, so I will need to still keep digging there. Below is the record for her marriage to Christian Fasel.

I have asked someone to translate it for me and I will post the full translation when I receive it. What I think I have deciphered is that Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski was born near Marienburg, which is currently in Poland in what was the former West Prussia Province. It looks as if her parents live in Braunwalde, near Marienburg. If this is correct (my German translation isn't great), then I can look further into her side of the family in Poland. Her husband, Christan Fasel, would not be one of my ancestors, but it does not look like he is from Poland, but from near Montabaur which is in the Rhineland-Palatinate state.

Here is a picture of Elisabeth Nilkowski Linnemann taken around 1903 or 1904 in Gelsenkirchen. Her husband Gerhard left for America in 1903 before she and the children followed in 1904. In the picture with her are her children Christian (Fasel), Gerhard, Wilhelm, Georg and Elisabeth.