Church Record Sunday - Elise's Confirmation

This is a picture of my grandmother Elise Gegenheimer after her Confirmation in 1933. She is outside of the Evangelische Kirche in Stein, Germany (currently Königsbach-Stein, Baden-Württemburg). Her Confirmation Verse was Lamentations 3:25 ...

"The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."

I can remember my grandmother telling me about this verse, and she kept it marked in her Bible.

Elise is in the front row on the left in this picture. It was customary for all of the children to wear black for confirmation, but I am not sure of the reason. They look so somber on this happy occasion! Even after they moved to the United States, my mother had to wear a dark navy dress for her Confirmation. 

My grandmother is holding what looks like a small branch or sprig of some plant and it appears that those in the front row are holding one as well. I do not know what this is ... another thing that I wished I had asked my Oma!

Wednesday's Child - Alma Mary Speck

Alma Mary Speck was the daughter of Frank Speck and Elisabeth Linneman Speck and would have been the younger sister of my grandmother, Agnes Speck. Alma was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania and died just one day later. The cause of death was "premature infant" and she was buried that same day at Grandview Cemetery in Monessen.

I never knew of Alma until the Pennsylvania death certificates from 1906-1963 were made available on Ancestry.com. As most of us did when these records were released, I searched for my surnames that had lived in Pennsylvania to see if I could find death certificates for collateral relatives or ancestors whose date of death was unknown. Through these searches I have found several children that died young between census years, and had no other records of their short lives.

I asked my father about Alma and he was not aware that Frank and Elizabeth had another child. We visited Grandview Cemetery in 2007 and found the tombstone for Alma's father, Frank Speck, but did not see anything for Alma. She many have been buried in another location or did not have a headstone.

Besides finding another ancestor, I was able to learn a few more things about the Speck family from this record. They were living at 223 Alliquipa Street at the time of her death. In addition, the name Alma Mary may provide some clues for family names. Their other children seem to have been named after family members ... Agnes (Frank's mother) Elizabeth (Elizabeth and her mother Elizabeth Barbara) and Frank (Frank) Rudolph (Elizabeth's two brothers who died as children). I know the names of Elizabeth's siblings and parents, so Mary may be from her side (Maria was Elizabeth's middle name and her grandmother's name). Alma could possibly be from Frank's side of the family, as I do not know much about his family or where they were from in Germany. Maybe Alma was Frank's sister or grandmother??  Another possible clue to add to the mysterious Speck family.

___________________________________________________________________________ 

SOURCE:

Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1963, No. 73103, Alma Mary Speck, 1 July 1916; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 March 2015); citing Pennsylvania (state). Death certificates, 1906-1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Church Record Sunday - German Baptismal Record

Elise, Adolf and my mother in Germany, 1952

My grandparents, Adolf Haberkern and Elise Gegenheimer, along with their daughter, left Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1952. In the many papers and memorabilia that belonged to them, are several church records from Germany. Many of the documents are dated from the fall of 1957, but for events that happened much earlier. I do not know if my grandparents had gone back to Germany at that time or if they asked a family member to obtain the records. The certificates are all typed, presumably copied from the church record books.

My grandparents' citizenship papers are dated November 1957 and I wonder if they had requested these records from Germany as a part of the naturalization process. Below is a record that they obtained for my grandfather's grandfather.

Extract from the Birth and Baptismal Register

The Evangelical Parish: Stein near Pforzheim

Year 1869  Book --  Reg. No. 82  Page 512

Last and First Name: Haberkern, Jacob Friedrich

born: 13 Oktober 1869 in Stein

baptized: 21 October 1869 in Stein

Father

Last and First Name: Haberkern, Christian

Profession: Weaver in Stein

[religion or church]: Protestant

Mother

Maiden and First Name: Jäger, Christine

[religion or church]: Protestant

Other Information

(about about the producer, grandparents, godparents): Godparents: Friedrich Haberkern, goldworker and his wife Christine, nee Sauter - Ernst Kaucher, farmer and his wife Elisabetha, nee Sauter - Christ. Huf, farmer and his wife Luise, nee Jäger

This record is for the birth and baptism of my second great grandfather. It records Jacob's parents' names, as well as the names of his Godparents. While the record does not list relationships, the Godparents include both of the parents' surnames. I'm happy that I found these with the other records. I don't know how long the Haberkern family was in Stein, so this adds another generation. I'll post more of these records soon!

___________________________________________________________________________ 

SOURCE:

Evangelische Kirche Stein (Königsbach-Stein, Baden Württemburg, Germany), "Auszug aus dem Geburts und Taufregister" [Extract from the Birth and Baptismal Register], (privately held, [address for private use] NJ, 2014), Jacob Friedrich Haberkern baptismal certificate (1869), issued 1957, citing Reg. no. 82, p.512.

Mappy Monday - A Fun German Website

I've always loved maps. All maps ... vacation planning maps, Google Earth, city street maps, even subway maps! So I was thrilled to find this fun surname map on the German genealogy website verwandt.de.

There is a "Karten zum namen" or "map for names" page that appears to use phone book records and then map the frequency of a surname by district or city. While this may not be the most accurate source of information for researching my ancestors, I was able to find some interesting current geographical areas for surnames.

I started with my paternal great-grandfather's surname of SPECK, which was not very helpful as it is a more common surname (as well as SPECHT, which I also searched). Below is the map that was generated for SPECK:

When I searched for my maternal grandmother's GEGENHEIMER surname, I found a more interesting picture:

The website has the following (translated) information below the map:

"Statistics: Figures on the surname 'Gegenheimer'

In Germany there are 163 phone book entries with the surname Gegenheimer and approximately 434 persons with this name.

They live in 32 cities and counties. Most occurrences are in Karlsruhe, namely the 73rd

Other counties / cities with lots of occurrences are Enz (22), Karlsruhe (10), Pforzheim (8), Alzey-Worms (7) Berlin (4), Böblingen (3), Stuttgart (3), Lahn-Dill circle (2) and Mannheim with 2 entries.

Stefan Gegenheimer occurs in Germany most often. Ruth and Anke are the next often found first name, followed by Luis, Rainer, Adolf and Werner."

I have located church records that go back almost 300 years for my Gegenheimer ancestors in the small village of Ittersbach. Ittersbach is in Karlsruhe, which is one of the red areas above, indicating that there are still many Gegenheimers in that area.

I found other similar maps for other surnames, but the most fascinating was the following map for the surname of my paternal second great-grandmother NILKOWSKI:

"Statistics: Figures on the surname 'Nilkowski'

In Germany, there are 11 phone book entries with the surname Nilkowski and approximately 29 persons with this name.

They live in 3 cities and counties. Most occurrences are in Dortmund, namely. 8

Other counties / cities with lots of occurrences are Unna (2) and Solingen with 1 entries.

Corina Nilkowski occurs in Germany most often. Alexandra and Klaus Dieter are the next often found first name, followed by Peter, Uwe, Christa, Angelika and Michael."

There are very few NILKOWSKI hits, which is not surprising as it does not sounds like a German surname. Through her German marriage record, I have learned that in 1865 Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski was born in Muensterberg, in the district of Marienburg, which is in current-day Poland. 

Elisabeth was living in Gelsenkirchen at the time of her marriage in 1886, but her parents were still in the region of Braunswalde (also now Poland). I have wondered why a young unmarried woman would be living so far from home and wonder if possibly she lived with another family member. Dortmund, the region in red, is only about 20 miles from Gelsenkirchen. Could these few Nilkowskis in Germany be related to her? 

This website also has options to search for surnames in a few other countries including Poland, Great Britain, France, Argentina, Spain and others. I did have some problems getting results with several of these countries, but had success searching in Poland. 

Again, while this is nothing more than information pulled from a phone book, it was interesting to look at the distribution of current day surnames as compared to where I have any records for those ancestors.

______________________________________________________________

SOURCE:

Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, Marriage Record no. 195, Christian Fasel-Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski, 1886; Institut für Stadtgeschichte [Institute for Urban History], Gelsenkirchen.

Sentimental Sunday - Happy Birthday Mom!

My mother was born today, October 6th, in Bauschlott, Germany. This is a picture of  her around 1950 in Stein, Germany. The picture was taken while she was in school in kindergarten. When her mother (my grandmother, Elise Gegenheimer) saw the picture, she was mad that my mother wasn't wearing shoes! I always loved this picture and the story that went with it. Happy Birthday Mom!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday Opa!

Adolf Emil Haberkern

I don't have many posts about my maternal side of the family, but today is a special day. My grandfather, who we called Opa, was born on 19 September 1919 in Stein, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was the son of Karl Haberkern and Sidonie Lindenmann.

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!!

Tombstone Tuesday - Gerhard Linneman

Gerhard Linneman was my great grand uncle. He was born in Germany and died in Pittsburgh, PA, although he lived most of his life in Monessen, PA. He was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Sheraden, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh.

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.

 

 

 

 

Matrilineal Monday - Elisabeth Maria Linnemann

Elisabeth Maria Linnemann is my great-grandmother on my paternal side. She was the only grandparent that my father knew - his other grandparents died in 1938, 1939 and 1940, shortly before he was born.

Elisabeth was born on 12 June 1897 in Schalke, Germany which is a part of Gelsenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia. Elisabeth was the fifth of six children, and the only daughter born to Elisabeth Barbara Nilkowski and Gerhard Linnemann. Two of those children, both named Rudolph, died in Germany. Elisabeth Barbara also had another son with her first husband who died before the baby was born.

In 1904, when Elisabeth was seven years old, her mother and five children boarded the SS Cassel in Bremen and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on August 31st. This photo was probably taken in the year before they left Germany.

Elisabeth's father Gerhard arrived in Baltimore in December 1903. The family was meeting him in Windber, Pennsylvania. At some point over the next ten years, the family lived in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and settled in Monessen, PA around 1915.

Elisabeth (who was now Elizabeth Linneman) married Frank Friedrich Speck on 18 January 1915 in Pittsburgh. Her marriage license application states that "Lizzie" was 22 (she was 18) and that she was living in Sprigg, WV. I do not know how she and Frank met. This picture was probably taken around the time of their wedding.

Elizabeth and Frank had a daughter just nine months later. Agnes Elizabeth Speck was born on 26 September 1915 in Monessen. A son, Frank Rudolph was born on 2 May 1918. This is a picture of Elizabeth with one of her newborn children. Just six weeks after Frank's birth, Elizabeth's father Gerhard committed suicide.

The Speck family raised their children in Monessen and lived on Donner Avenue for about 20 years. Elizabeth's mother and three of her brothers lived in Monessen as well. Frank owned a moving and storage company and they were active in the community. Their travels, parties and life events were often listed in the "Locals" section of The Monessen Daily Independent.

On 7 April 1940, Elizabeth's husband Frank died suddenly of a heart attack. She continued to run Franks' moving business for a few years until she remarried. On 18 July 1942 she married Charles August Merz, also widowed, in Winchester, Virginia. She moved from Monessen to the North Side of Pittsburgh to Charles' home on Thelma Street.

 

Elizabeth's daughter Agnes married William Arthur (Art) Cubbage, moved to Ohio and had two children (Corky and Jeff). In 1944, not long after Jeff was born, Agnes and her boys moved to Pittsburgh to live with Elizabeth and Charles while Art was in the Navy. Agnes and her children would move back in with Elizabeth again around 1950 while Art was working in New York and living in New Jersey.

 

 

During this time, Elizabeth's son Frank married Elizabeth (Libby) O'Brien. They lived in the the same neighborhood on the North Side and eventually bought the home next to Elizabeth and Charles. In 1953, Agnes, Art, Corky and Jeff moved to New Jersey permanently.

 

 

Over the next ten years, Elizabeth and Charles would live for long periods of time in New Providence with Agnes and her family, and then return to Pittsburgh. They had a room upstairs in the Cubbage home and enjoyed being close with their grandsons. This is a picture of Elizabeth and her grandson Corky working on a tree in the yard!

 

 

On 30 June 1964, Charles Merz died in New Jersey and was buried at the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in New Providence. Less than two years later on 20 April 1966, Elizabeth died in Pittsburgh. She was buried next to her husband in New Providence. This is a picture of her (far left) at her grandson Corky's wedding in March of 1965 - one of the last pictures taken of her.

Happy Birthday Oma!

Elise Gegenheimer was born on February 28, 1919 in Ittersbach, Germany. This picture was taken at a place for children with malnutrition, where she went for about four weeks (click on the picture for a larger image). She was about 10 years old and third from the left on the very top row.

Wedding Wednesday - Frank Speck & Elizabeth Linneman

Frank Speck and Elizabeth Linneman, my great grandparents, were married on January 18, 1915 in Pittsburgh, PA. I found this marriage certificate in with a bunch of old family pictures and memorabilia.

During our trip to Pittsburgh in the fall, we went to the Allegheny County Courthouse and were able to get a copy of their application for a marriage license at the Orphan's Court (click for a larger view). We were very excited to find some great NEW info to help in our research.

The application lists Frank's parents as Peter and Agnes. Frank has been (and still is) my biggest brick wall - I know nothing about him before he shows up in Monessen, PA in 1915 (except that he was born in Germany). His parent's names put a little chip into that brick wall! The application also states that his parents were born in Germany, that his father is deceased and his mother still lives in Germany.

We also found some other new pieces of information from this document: Frank is working as a hotel clerk in Monessen in January of 1915, and Elizabeth (known here as Lizzie) is living in Sprigg, West Virgina. This is helpful because I don't know where the Linneman family went after their arrival from Germany (they also show up in Monessen around 1915).

While the application did confirm some things that I know (Elizabeth's father was a miner and both she and her parents were born in Germany), there were a few contradicting details. Elizabeth's age is listed as 22, but she was born in 1897 which would make her not yet 18 years old (I have her birth certificate). Also, her father is listed as Albert, but my records (including her birth record) show him as Gerhard.

This was with the application and states that they were married at St. Peter's Church in Pittsburgh and it is signed by the Rector. This is also new information about their marriage!


I looked up the church, which was St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Sadly, this beautiful church was torn down in 1986. The next step is to see if the Episcopal Diocese still has the records from this parish.


This newspaper clipping was also found in the family memorabilia and was probably in a Pittsburgh newspaper.


This is a picture of Frank and Elizabeth, probably taken around the time of their marriage or shortly after. My grandmother, Agnes (which we just learned was named after her grandmother) was born later that year, in September of 1915 in Monessen.

Happy Mother's Day!

Better late than never. Here are a few pictures of the mothers of my family with their children. Happy Mother's Day!

My mother, Brigitte, with her mother, Elise Gegenheimer Haberkern, in Stein Germany, 1945.

My father, Corky, with his brother Jeff and his mother, Agnes Speck Cubbage, in Pittsburgh, 1945.

This is my great-grandmother Elisabeth Linnemann Speck, with either her daughter Agnes (1915) or son Frank (1918), probably in Monessen, PA.

This is my great-grandmother, Maine Swank Cubbage, with her daughters Marian, Marge and Babe, with another woman.

My great-grandmother Elisabeth Nilkowski Linnemann, with her children Christian, Gerhard, George, William and Elisabeth, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 1904.

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.

German Birth Records - What I have learned

So now that I have had a chance to look at the German birth records from Gelsenkirchen, as well as the translation of two of them, I found out some things about the Linneman family:

First, on every birth record, all family names are listed as Linnemann (not one "n" but two at the end of the name). The passenger list from their arrival in Baltimore in 1904 also lists them as Linnemann. Most US records for the family are spelled Linneman (with a few misspelled versions like Lannemann, Lineman and Lennaman).

The letter from the Rathaus that came with the birth records listed two other children that had died before they left Germany. Rudolf Linnemann was born on 12 February 1893 and died in 1896 and another Rudolf was born in 1899 and died in 1901.

Most of the birth dates on the children's records are the same with their US records with a couple of exceptions. Wilhelm (William) was born on 20 September 1890, but all us records list his birth date as 20 September 1892. Georg (George) has US records that are just two days off from his actual birth date (May 24 instead of May 22). Elisabeth (Mem) was born on 12 June 1897, but used 11 June 1896 as her birth date in the US.

The birth records also listed their middle names, which were never used on any US records and many family members also used American versions and spellings of their names. Elisabeth Maria became Elizabeth, Wilhelm Julius became William, and Georg Adolf became George. Christian Fasel became Christian Linneman and Gerhard Bernard only used Gerhard.

Most helpful was what I have learned about my great-great grandmother Elisabeth, who was know as Barbara Elizabeth in the US. Before Elisabeth married Gerhard Linnemann, she was married to Christan Fasel. Christan was a coal miner who died on 8 June 1887, less than three months before their son Christan was born. The birth records also list Elisabeth's maiden name - Nilkowski. This name sounds like her family was from eastern Germany, closer to Poland.

Lastly, I learned their religions and occupations. Gerhard was a coal miner, which we knew from when they lived in Monessen. Elisabeth was listed as Catholic on Christian's birth records and Evangelical Lutheran on Elisabeth Maria's record. These religions (as well as addresses that are listed on the records) will be very helpful as I search for more information on the Nilkowski and Linnemann families!

Happy Birthday Oma!

Elise Gegenheimer was born on February 28, 1919 in Ittersbach, Germany.

German Birth Records - Translated

After struggling to read the German birth records that I received this week (I was trying to decipher them with Sutterlin chart to help with the lettering), I posted a request for help in German translation on GenForum. A wonderful man emailed me and said he would translate them for me! He lived in Germany for 15 years and studied Germany history. So here are the translations of Elizabeth Linneman's birth record (Mem, my great-grandmother) and her brother Christian. Thank you Robert!!


No. 644
Schalke, 12 June 1897
There appeared today before the undersigned Registrar the miner Gerhard Linnemann, personally known, residing in Schalke at Essener Strasse 7II, of the Evangelical Lutheran faith, and reported that Elisabeth Linnemann, née Nilkowski, his wife, of the Evangelical Lutheran faith, residing with him, gave birth to a child of the female sex at 3 o'clock in the morning at their home, and that this child has been given the names Elisabeth Maria.
Read, approved and signed: Gerhard Linnemann
The Registrar [signature of his representative].

No. 784
Gelsenkirchen, 29 August 1887
There appeared today before the undersigned Registrar the midwife Josepha Grönwäller, née Hibbeln, widow, personally known, residing in Gelsenkirchen at Bochumer Strasse 22, of the Catholic faith, and reported that Elisabeth Fasel, née Nilkowski, widow of miner Christian Fasel, who died on 8 June 1887 in Gelsenkirchen, of the Catholic faith, residing in Gelsenkirchen at Bochumer Strasse 80a, gave birth to a child of the male sex on 24 August 1887 at 9 o'clock in the evening at that address and that this child has been given the name Christian. The informant declared that she was present when the Widow Fasel gave birth.
Read, approved and signed: Josepha Grönwäller
The Registrar [signature of his representative].


Here is the image of Christian's birth record (click on it for a larger view):

A Wonderful Surprise in the Mail!

After being out of town for a few days, I came home to a pile of mail and a wonderful surprise! In the mail was a large envelope from Gelsenkirchen, Germany with the birth records of my great-grandmother and five of her siblings. Wow!

Less than 3 weeks ago, I was on a the genforum message boards searching for info on Gelsenkirchen. Someone had posted that they were looking for records from Gelsenkirchen and wonderful man named Bill posted the address and email for the Rathaus. I sent a quick email with the Linneman names and birth dates and that I thought they had been born in Schalke or Gelsenkirchen.

I never heard back from them via email, so I was thrilled to open the envelope! The next step is to try to read these records. My mother is taking a look at them first and we will go from there. Besides my minimal understanding of German, the handwriting is very difficult to read on a couple of the papers. I am hoping that she can decipher them!

I will post more about what we learn about the Linneman family through these records later, but in the meantime, here is the birth record for my great-grandmother, Elizabeth. Click on the image for a larger view, and let me know if you can read any of the handwriting!