Week 42 (October 15-21) – Proud: Which ancestor did something that made you proud? Which ancestor are you proud of finding?
I’m proud to be able to share photos taken last week of the road into Ferschweiler, the town sign, the catholic church, and the Luzienturm (tower) from the year 1538. It was wonderful to walk the church grounds where my ancestors are buried and see the church they were baptized and married in. The graves are no longer there but their spirits remain.
The WILDINGER-SCHRAMEN Family of Ferschweiler
My third great-grandfather Nicolas WILDINGER was born on 29 September 1798 in Ernzen, Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.[1] He was the son of Wilhelmus WILTINGER (1770-1849) born about 1770 in Ettelbrück, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg[2], and Margaretha WELTER (1777-1833) born 18 Apr 1777 in Ernzen.[2] It is not known at this time when his parents married.
Note: The compiler of the Ernzen Family Book wrote Ehe nachprüfen (check marriage) followed by oo vor 1798 (married before 1798).[2]
Nicolas was most likely the oldest of 4 children. His three younger siblings were born during the Napoleonic Wars (18 May 1803-13 Sep 1815):
- Elizabeth WILDINGER (1805- ) born 21 August 1805 in Ernzen.[2] She married Dominik WEBER on 13 December 1831. As a widow with 4 children she immigrated to America in 1857.[3]
- Franciscus “Franz” WILDINGER (1810-1812) born 6 August 1810 in Ernzen and died 8 December 1812 in Ernzen.[2]
- Bernardus WILDINGER (1813- ) born 12 May 1813 in Ernzen.[2] Immigrated to America in 1857.[3]
Nicolas’ mother Margaretha WELTER died 8 January 1833 in Ernzen[2] too early to see her oldest son Nicolas marry.
The Road to Ferschweiler
Nicolas WILDINGER married Catherine SCHRAMEN on 18 Jan 1834 in Ferschweiler. Their religious marriage took place on 21 January 1834 in the Sankt Lucia Catholic Church in Ferschweiler.[1]
Catherine SCHRAMEN was born 23 Oct 1812 in Ferschweiler and was baptized the next day on 24 October 1812 in the Sankt Lucia Catholic Church in Ferschweiler.[4] She was the daughter of Michael SCHRAMEN (1786-1833) born 5 October 1786 in Ferschweiler[4] and Elisabetha SCHMITT (1790-1869) born 4 March 1790 in Ferschweiler.[4] They were married on 27 Nov 1811 in Ferschweiler. They had six known children, Catherine the eldest and:
- Johann “Joannes” SCHRAMEN (1817-1894) born 14 January 1817 in Ferschweiler.[4] He married Katharina ADAM (1823- ) on 15 November 1852 in Ernzen. Joannes died on 20 January 1894 in Ferschweiler.[5]
- Catherine “Katharina” SCHRAMEN (1820- ) born 21 February 1820 in Ferschweiler and was baptized the next day on 22 February 1820 in the Sankt Lucia Catholic Church in Ferschweiler.[4] She married Johann MARX ( – ) in 1842.
- Margaret SCHRAMEN (1821-1822) born and baptized on 7 November 1821 in Ferschweiler.[4] She died on 22 October 1822 in Ferschweiler.[4]
- Nicolaus SCHRAMEN (1824-1852) born and baptized on 31 October 1824 in Ferschweiler.[4] Nicolaus Schramen went to America about 1852 and may have lived in Illinois from 1855-1880.
Catherine’s father Michael SCHRAMEN died 20 September 1833 in Ferschweiler[4] four months before she married Nicolas WILDINGER.
Ferschweiler, The Birthplace of the WILDINGER Children
Catherine and Nicolas had the following children:
Ch 1: [–?–] WILDINGER (1835-1835) born and died on 25 March 1835 in Ferschweiler.[1]
Ch 2: Elisabetha WILDINGER (1836-1882) born 10 July 1836 in Ferschweiler.[1]
Ch 3: Bernard “Bernhard” “Bernardus” WILDINGER (1838-1893) born 7 November 1838 in Ferschweiler, baptized two days later on 9 November 1838 in the Sankt Lucia Catholic Church in Ferschweiler.[1]
Ch 4: Elisabeth WILDINGER (1844-1867) born 11 August 1844 in Ferschweiler.[1]
Ch 5: Peter WILDINGER (1852- ) born 5 August 1852 in Ferschweiler and baptized three days later on 8 August 1852 in the Sankt Lucia Catholic Church in Ferschweiler. Per the Ferschweiler Family Book he was fled from military service – “militärflüchtig laut Anzeiger z. Amtsbl. Trier 1873, Seite 243.“[1]
Nicolas’ father Wilhelmus WILTINGER died 28 September 1849 in Ernzen and was buried two days later on 30 September 1849 in Ernzen.[2] He did not live to see his youngest grandson Peter WILDINGER’s birth or baptism.
St. Luzia Catholic Church in Ferschweiler, first built in the years 1826-28 and rebuilt in 1947-49.
Two of Nicolas and Catherine’s children married:
- Elisabetha WILDINGER married Nikolaus ROOS (1831-1879) on 8 January 1861 in Ferschweiler.[6]
- Bernard WILDINGER married Maria WEIMANN (1839-1915) on 25 January 1866 in Ernzen. They were married in a religious ceremony on 3 February 1866 in the Sankt Markus Catholic Church in Ernzen.[7], [8]
Following these marriages at least 14 grandchildren were born, two of the six ROOS grandchildren[6] and four of the eight WILDINGER grandchildren[7] died very young.
And There Were More Funerals
Nicolas and Catherine’s second daughter Elisabeth, not to be confused with her older sister Elisabetha, died at the age of 23 on 28 December 1867 in Ferschweiler and was buried two days later on 30 December 1867 in Ferschweiler.[1] Hardly a year and a half later Catherine’s mother Elisabetha SCHMITT died 20 May 1869 in Ferschweiler at the age of 79. She was buried two days later on 22 May 1869 in Ferschweiler.[3] Less than six months later at the age of 57 years, Catherine SCHRAMEN died 2 November 1869 in Ferschweiler and was buried two days later on 4 Nov 1869 in Ferschweiler.[1]
Nicolas WILDINGER lived a little over four years as a widower before dying on 3 June 1874 in Ferschweiler at the age of 75.[1]
He left two children, the elder Elisabetha and my 2nd great-grandfather Bernard. It is not known if his youngest son Peter was still living. Elisabetha died 29 September 1882 in Ferschweiler[6] and Bernard died 14 October 1893 in Ernzen.[7]
View of Luzienturm in Ferschweiler from the Church
Sources:
[1] Richard Schaffner, compiler, Familienbuch der Pfarrei Sancta Lucia Ferschweiler mit: Diesburgerhof (ab 1803) und L(a)eisenhof (ab1830) 1680-1899, PDF (Kordel, 1999), p. 349, Family #1625. Wildinger-Schramen.
[2] Richard Schaffner, compiler, Familienbuch 2 der Pfarrei St. Marcus Ernzen bei Irrel, Daten bis 1798 aus den Kirchenbüchern der Pfarrei Echternach (damals fur Ernzen zuständig); mit: Ernzen-Hof, Fölkenbach und teilweise auch Prümzurlay (Häuser der rechten Flußseite) 1680-1899 (compiled in 2000), p. 246, Family #869. Wiltinger-Welter.
[3] Familienbuch Ernzen, p. 225, Family #800. Weber-Wildinger.
[4] Familienbuch Fershcweiler, p. 295, Family #1378. Schramen-Schmitt.
[5] Familienbuch Ferschweiler, p. 294, Family #1374. Schramen-Adam.
[6] Ibid., p. 250, Family #1167. Roos-Wildinger.
[7] Familienbuch Ernzen, p. 245-246, family #867. Wildinger-Weimann.
[8] Familienbuch Fershcweiler, p. 349, family #1624. Wildinger-Weimann.
© 2015 Cathy Meder-Dempsey
This is my weekly entry for Amy Johnson Crow’s challenge:
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2015 Edition. It was so successful in 2014 that genealogists wanted to continue or join in on the fun in 2015. Be sure to check out the other great posts by visiting Amy’s blog No Story Too Small where she’ll be posting the weekly recap on Thurdays and allowing all participants to leave a link to their post(s) in the comments.
Share this:
Opening Doors in Brick Walls 
One thought on “52 Ancestors: #42 The WILDINGER-SCHRAMEN Family of Ferschweiler”