The Ancestors: Joannes FRISCH (1713-1759) and Margaretha ZEIMES (1727-1792) of Huncherange

When I wrote about my 4th great-grandfather Jacob FRISCH in January 2018, I had only the names of his parents from his 1789 marriage record: the deceased Joannes FRISCH and his wife Margaretha ZEIMET of Huncherange in Luxembourg.

I had no idea when Jacob was born or if the village his parents lived in was also his birthplace. I searched the records of the parish of Noertzange to which Huncherange was attached for the years 1760 to 1770 without success.

I didn’t know at the time that Jacob was 33 years old when he married Regina HUBERTY in 1789. Once I had the right time frame, I was able to locate the baptismal records of seven children born in Huncherange to my 5th great-grandparents Joannes FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMES. In each of the baptismal records, the mother’s maiden name was spelled ZEIMES and not ZEIMET as seen in the 1789 marriage record of Jacob FRISCH.

Joannes and Margaretha were a married couple as early as 1746 according to the baptismal records of their children however no marriage record has been found. Who were Joannes FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMES? Did they leave any clues to their own parentage? Were they both from Huncherange or had one or both of them come from somewhere else?

The children of Joannes FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMES

On 14 August 1746, Maria FRISCH (1746-1746), a daughter born to Joannes and Margaretha, was baptized in Noertzange. Her godparents were Nicolas SCHÖPFGEN and Maria ZEIMES, a single woman, both of Huncherange. In the margin of the baptismal record, a notation was made. Little Maria died on 27 November 1746 at the age of a little more than three months.¹

A year later, on 3 November 1747 Petrus FRISCH (1747-1794) was baptized. His godparents were Petrus ZEIMES v. Zentgen and Barbara DONDLINGER, both from Huncherange and both single.²

A second son, Joannes FRISCH (1750-1816) was baptized on 27 August 1750. His godparents were Joannes STEICHEN and Maria Magdalena HANEN, a single woman, both of Huncherange. The baby Joannes was born the previous day.³

Elisabetha FRISCH (1752-1834) was baptized on 8 September 1752 with Dominicus LANTGEN and Elisabetha DONDLINGER uxor (wife of) Christophe WESTER, both of Huncherange, serving as her godparents.⁴

A third son, Nicolaus FRISCH (1754-1754) was born on 9 September 1754. The following day Nicolas KIRPACH, a single man from Finningen, and Elisabetha SCHOLTES, a single woman from Huncherange, were named as his godparents. Ten days later, on the 19th, Nicolaus died.⁵

1755 Baptismal Record of Jacob FRISCH, son of Joannes FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMES of Huncherange

Joannes and Margaretha’s sixth child, my 4th great-grandfather Jacob FRISCH (1755-1800) was baptized on 4 September 1755. His godparents were Jacobus LANTGES, single, and Barbara FRANCK (alias KRIPS) uxor (wife of) Dominique FRANCK of Huncherange.⁶

The last child was Joanna FRISCH (1757-1836) baptized on 3 October 1757. Her godparents were Michael SCHÖFGEN and Joanna BOURNON, both of Huncherange and single.⁷

Are the godparents of the children clues to the grandparents?

None of the children had godparents with their father’s surname FRISCH. Two of the children had godparents with their mother’s maiden name ZEIMES. Maria ZEIMES, a single woman, and Petrus ZEIMES vulgo (more commonly known as) ZENTGEN both of Huncherange.

All records for Huncherange and Noertzange on FamilySearch and Matricula were viewed. Two death records were found for persons with the ZEIMES name – Maria and Petrus. No children, parents, godparents, or other relatives with the surnames ZEIMES or FRISCH were found other than the baptismal records of the above-named children and the two death records.

1773 Death/Burial Record of Maria ZEIMES of Huncherange

In 1773 Maria ZEIMES age about 40, daughter of Nicolas ZEIMES and Maria HAUPERT died in Huncherange.⁸ In 1775 Petrus ZEIMES age about 40, son of Joannes ELM and Maria BRAUSCH of Abweiler, died in Huncherange.⁹ As their parents’ names were given and different, they were not siblings. But could they have been cousins? How were they related to Margaretha ZEIMES? Were they the same persons as Maria ZEIMES and Petrus ZEIMES who served as godparents for the FRISCH children? A godparent normally is at least 16 years old. Maria would have been about 13 in 1746 and Peter 12 in 1747 if the ages at death are close estimates. Too young to be godparents but, if their age at death was in their forties, they may have been old enough.

I took a closer look at the description on Matricula for the records classified under Hüncheringen or Huncherange. In the 18th century, there were two parishes in Fenningen or Fennange and Noertzingen or Noertzange (with a branch in Hüncheringen). From 1804 Fenningen and Hüncheringen belonged to the parish of Noertzingen as branches. It was also noted that some church registers for this parish for the 17th and 18th centuries are still in the possession of civil authorities and are not available to the Diocesan Archives of Luxembourg. No mention was made of which records these may be. I opened up each set of registers for the time period and compared them with those available on FamilySearch. The records missing on Matricula are on FamilySearch. On Matricula, substitutes for the missing records are available in the form of transcriptions of births, marriages, and deaths for Huncherange, Noertzange, and Fennange. These transcriptions are dated 1973.

I browsed the KB-08, a church book in the Huncherange collection that includes baptisms for Fennange for 1704-1796. This book is not available on FamilySearch. I discovered a baptismal record dated 14 April 1727 for Margaretha ZEUMES, daughter of Nicolai ZEUMES ex Schuveiler and Regina HUPERT ex Abweiler, with godparents Anthonio KAUFFMAN and Margaretha HUPERT of Abweiler.¹⁰

1727 Baptismal Record of Margaretha ZEUMES. Courtesy of Matricula.

ZEUMES is a variation of ZEIMES and HUPERT a variation of HAUPERT. Could this be my 5th great-grandmother Margaretha ZEIMES? Was she the sister of Maria ZEIMES? If this child was my ancestor, she would have been 19 years old at the time of her first child’s birth. [For those of you paying close attention to the records, yes, the mother’s first name is different from the first name of the mother of Maria ZEIMES mentioned earlier. Maria’s death record is a mess. Her father’s name is Nicolai ZEIMES in the death record but if you look closely it may have been Joannes Nicolai ZEIMES.]

Since this baptismal record was only found on Matricula, I wonder how many more records have been missed or are missing on FamilySearch? Matricula has gone to the top of my list right after FamilySearch for the place to search for Luxembourg records.

Margaretha, widowed with 5 children in 1759

Joannes FRISCH died on 12 October 1759 in Huncherange.¹¹ His age at death is hidden in the gutter of the church book filmed by FamilySearch. The transcription of this book found on Matricula includes his age at death. This is not surprising as the 1973 transcriptions must have been done from the original records before they were microfilmed by FamilySearch. Joannes was 46 years old and therefore born about 1713.¹²

1759 Death Entry for Joannes FRISCH. FamilySearch

1759 Death Entry Nr. 56 (transcription of original record). Matricula

Margaretha was now widowed with five children ages 12, 9, 7, 4, and 2. What did she do to support her family? Did she have relatives in the village? Her husband had been a linen weaver. Could he have been working for another weaver in the village? Did Margaretha continue to do the same kind of work? In whatever way, she was able to raise her five children to adulthood. They were well into their twenties before they married and left home.

The children begin to leave home, marry, and have children

At the age of 23, her second son Joannes FRISCH (1750-1816) married Marie Catherine NIEDERKORN (1753-1818) on 10 January 1774 in Noertzange.¹³ They made their home in Huncherange where their first child, a son named Dominique was born. The first grandchild of Joannes FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMES was baptized on 1 April 1776 in Noertzange.¹⁴

Two more marriages took place before more grandchildren were born. Elisabetha FRISCH (1752-1834) was 24 years old when she married Henri HOSTERT (1747-1793) on 5 November 1776 in Noertzange.¹⁵ The oldest FRISCH son, Petrus was 29 years old when he married Anna KREMMER (1749-1808) on 10 February 1777 in Dudelange.¹⁶

Eighteen grandchildren were born between 1776 and 1789. Three of the grandchildren did not survive leaving fifteen grandchildren living in 1789.

To Petrus and his wife were born Michael 1778, Martin 1781, Maria 1782, Jean 1785, and Michael 1788.

To Joannes and his wife were born Michael 1777, Johann 1778, Jacob 1780 (died 1781), Jacob 1782 (died 1784), Jacob 1784, Elisabetha 4 April 1787 (died age 5 days), and Michael 1788.

To Elisabeth and her husband were born Jeanne 1777, Elisabeth 1780, Maria 1782, Carolus 1785, and Margaretha 1787.

Petrus’ children were born in Dudelange and Joannes’ in Huncherange. Elisabeth’s first three daughters were born in Huncherange. Her HOSTERT family moved to Mamer before the birth of her son Carolus in 1785. This move may have influenced Margaretha’s youngest son Jacob FRISCH to marry in Mamer.

Jacob was 33 years old when he married Regina HUBERTY (1761-1840) on 3 March 1789 in Mamer.¹⁷ Jacob and Regina were my 4th great-grandparents. They made their home in the village of Capellen in the municipality of Mamer.

Jacob’s siblings continued to have children. Elisabeth had Magdalena in 1790. Joannes’s wife gave birth to Christophorus the same year in Huncherange. Petrus’ wife had Stephanus in 1791 in Dudelange. Joannes’ wife had Marguerite in 1792 in Huncherange. The children born to Petrus and Joannes’ wives were their last. Elisabeth’s daughter Margaretha died at the age of 3 years in December 1790.

Margaretha ZEIMES’ youngest daughter was 34 years old when she finally decided to marry. Joanna married Joannes PIRSCH (1750-1821) on 23 April 1792 in Weimerskirch.¹⁸ He was a widowed shoemaker.

Following this marriage, Margaretha would see two more grandchildren born. Susanna, the first child of Jacob and Regina, was born on 26 June 1792 in Capellen.¹⁹ Elisabeth’s last HOSTERT child, Jean was born three months later in Mamer.

Margaretha ZEIMES dies in Mamer in 1792

Margaretha ZEIMES, the widow of the linen weaver Joannes FRISCH, died on 1 December 1792 in Mamer at the age of 64.²⁰ She had seen all of her five children marry. She had 20 living grandchildren; four had not survived infancy. Her youngest child Joanna was pregnant with her first child.

Elisabeth’s husband Henri HOSTERT died on 2 April 1793.²¹ Their youngest son Jean died the same month. These deaths were followed by the birth of Joanna’s first child Bernard PIRSCH born in May 1793 in Dommeldange (Luxembourg City). Sadly, he died a month later. Elisabeth who had already lost her husband and youngest son two months earlier had to bury another child when her daughter Maria died at the age of 11.

Elisabeth, widowed with four children, was 41 years old when she married 31 years old Peter GOERGEN (1762-1833). Peter was a linen weaver like Elisabeth’s father, late husband, and her brother Jacob FRISCH who was a witness to the marriage on 6 March 1794 in Mamer.²²

The following month, my ancestor Jacob became a father for the second time. Anna Margaretha was born on 24 April 1794 in Capellen.²³

The first of Joannes and Margaretha’s children dies in Dudelange

Petrus, the oldest son of Margaretha ZEIMES and Joannes FRISCH, died on 17 May 1794 in Dudelange at the age of 46, the same age as his father.²⁴ He left a wife and at least three living children of six known to have been born to his wife. Death records for the three oldest have not been searched for. It is possible that they may not have survived their father. The three youngest married and had children.

Six more grandchildren were born: Catharina PIRSCH in 1794 in Dommeldange, Mathias GOERGEN in 1795 in Hostert, Franciscus FRISCH in 1796 in Capellen, Theodor GOERGEN in 1797 in Oberanven, Nicolaus FRISCH in 1798 in Capellen, and finally Elisabeta FRISCH, my 3rd great-grandmother, in 1800.

The turn of the century brings confusing and conflicting records

There is some conflicting evidence concerning Elisabeta’s birth and her father’s death. The civil records show 44 years old Jacob FRISCH died on 11 March 1800²⁵ in Capellen three months before his daughter Elisabeta was born on 2 June 1800 in Capellen. Her mother was the informant for her birth and her father Jacob FRISCH was named as deceased.²⁶ Church records, on the other hand, tell a different story. Elisabeta was born on 5 April 1800 and baptized the following day.²⁷ Her father died on 7 April 1800, the day after her baptism.²⁸ Official civil registration was introduced in the Grand Duchy by a French decree in 1797. From this time forward church records were no longer considered legal documents. When Elisabeta married in 1827 the date of her civil birth record was noted on her marriage record and not the date on the church record.

Margaretha and Joannes’ son Jacob, therefore per civil records, died three months before their last grandchild was born. Three of their children were still living after the turn of the century. Their son Joannes died 30 July 1816 in Bettembourg at the age of 65,²⁹ daughter Elisabetha died 13 January 1834 in Hostert at the age of 81,³⁰ and daughter Joanna died 13 February 1836 in Dommeldange at the age of 78.³¹

The legacy left by Joannes FRISCH

My fifth great-grandfather Joannes FRISCH left a legacy for his descendants. What he passed on to them was not a gift of money or property. He passed on the trade of weaving linen. His son Petrus was a weaver, his son Jacob was a linen weaver, and his daughter Elisabeth’s husbands were both linen weavers. Not all of his children took up the weaving trade. His son Joannes was a cobbler and his daughter Joanna married a shoemaker.

The trade of linen weaving was passed on for several generations. My 4th great-grandfather Jacob‘s daughters married linen weavers and one of his sons was a linen weaver before emigrating to America in 1856 with his brother to both become farmers. My 3rd great-grandmother Elisabeta‘s youngest son Jean FRANTZ was a linen weaver when he married in 1870. On the 1900 census, my 2nd great-grandfather was listed as a master weaver. His daughter, my great-grandmother Catharina FRANTZ finally broke the streak by marrying a Rosenzüchter or rose grower in 1900. 

Joannes FRISCH left a legacy but no records that helped to determine his parentage. His wife Margaretha ZEIMES may have been the daughter of Nicolas ZEIMES and Regina HAUPERT. No further records have been found for them. Maybe one day…

© 2021, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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1. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 9 of 75. 1746 Baptismal Record (right, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-MXVR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
2. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 10 of 75. 1747 Baptismal Record (left, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6GJ?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
3. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 11 of 75. 1750 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6PG?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
4. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 12 of 75. 1752 Baptismal Record (right, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MXZK?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
5. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 14 of 75. 1754 Baptismal Record (left, 2nd entry); includes death annotation in margin. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-MX45?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : acccessed 15 January 2018). ↩
6. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 14 of 75. 1755 Baptismal Record (right, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-MX45?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 8 January 2018). ↩
7. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 6 of 75. 1757 Baptismal Record (left, 1st entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6TR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
8. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 66 of 75. 1773 Death Record (right page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MXQR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
9. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 67 of 75. 1775 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MX9W?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 23 April 2021), ↩
10. Diözesanarchiv Luxemburg / Archives diocésaines Luxembourg (images), Matricula Online, http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/, Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (citing original records in the Luxembourg Diocesan Archives, Luxembourg City), Hüncheringen, KB-08 Einband defekt, Foliierung übernommen, (Fenningen) Taufen [1704-1796] S.2-31, Sterbefälle [1748-1765] S.81-83a, [1767-1775] S.79-80a, Heiraten [1748-1776] S.85-92a, Visitation [1755] S.84, image 6 of 47, p. 5. 1727 Baptismal Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/huencheringen/KB-08/?pg=6 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
11. Luxembourg parish records (FamilySearch), Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 64 of 75. 1759 Death Record (left, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M61J?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
12. Luxembourg parish records (Matricula), GV.MF 172-285, Hüncheringen, KB-06 amtliche Abschrift, Formbuch, Sterbefälle (Hüncheringen) [1741-1796] S.2-56, image 12 of 30. 1759 Death Entry No. 56 (age 46). (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/huencheringen/KB-06/?pg=12 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
13. Luxembourg parish records (FamilySearch), Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 46 of 75. 1774 Marriage Record (right, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M62R?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
14. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 19 of 75. 1776 Baptismal Record (right, 5th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M65Z?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
15. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 47 of 75. 1776 Marriage Record (right, 1st full entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6TV?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
16. Ibid., Dudelange > Mariages 1775-1796 > image 7 of 38. 1777 Marriage Record (right, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-9NC1?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-MNR%3A1500943101%2C1501098244 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
17. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 106 of 168. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-680-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
18. Ibid., Weimerskirch > Mariages 1778-1796, sépultures 1778-1797 > image 213 of 238. 1792 Marriage Record (left page, middle).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-9QFV?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-WQ9%3A1500941701%2C1501018356 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
19. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 138 of 168. 1792 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-636-77?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
20. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 148 of 168. 1792 Death Record (right, 3rd entry from bottom).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-SVW?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-C6G%3A1500941501%2C1500913302 : accessed 5 January 2018). ↩
21. Luxembourg parish records (Matricula), Mamer, KB-18 neuer Einband, Paginierung übernommen, Taufen, Heiraten, Sterbefälle [1779-1793] S. 1-349, image 168 of 172. 1793 Death Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-18/?pg=168 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
22. Ibid., GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, image 79 of 128. 1794 Marriage Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=79 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
23. Luxembourg parish records (FamilySearch), Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 7 of 30. 1794 Baptismal entry 14 (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-330-60?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
24. Ibid., Dudelange > Baptêmes, sépultures 1774-1796 > image 125 of 132. 1794 Death Record (entry 21). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-9N6V?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-MJQ%3A1500943101%2C1501085980 : accessed 24 January 2018). ↩
25. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 541 of 1497. 1800 Death Record (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121167-96?cc=1709358 : accessed 29 November 2015). Conflicting dates in the civil record (11 Mar 1800) and the burial record (7 April 1800). ↩
26. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 53 of 549. 1800 Birth Record, right, top (13 prairial an VIII). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XS4P-9J?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-L29%3A130065401%2C130303901 : accessed 8 January 2018). Conflicting dates. 13 prairial an VIII converts to 2 June 1800. The church records show she was born 5 April 1800 and baptized the following day. ↩
27. Luxembourg parish records (Matricula), Microfilm GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, Heiraten – Sterbefälle – Taufen – 1790 – 1804, image 50 of 128, page 93, entry 5. 1800 Baptismal Record No. 5. (http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=50 : accessed 2 April 2021). ↩
28. Ibid., Microfilm GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, Heiraten – Sterbefälle – Taufen – 1790 – 1804, image 122 of 128, page 235 (stamped), 6th entry. 1800 Burial Record. (http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=122 : accessed 2 October 2018). Conflicting dates in the civil record (11 Mar 1800) and the burial record (7 April 1800). ↩
29. Luxembourg civil records, Bettembourg > Mariages 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1885 > image 760 of 1479. 1816 Death Record (left, top). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XP7-BV9?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-K68%3A129623601%2C129637201 : accesed 26 January 2018). ↩
30. Ibid., Niederanven > Mariages 1814-1890 Décès 1796-1849 > image 1270 of 1503. 1834 Death Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DT3Q-2P4?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-PTL%3A130132201%2C130239901 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩
31. Ibid., Eich > Décès 1816-1856 > image 685 of 1490. 1836 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-X989-1LH?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-VZ9%3A129629601%2C129629602 : accessed 19 April 2021). ↩

The Ancestors: Peter HUBERTY (1718-1794) of Mamer and Anna BERNARD (1742-ca1763) of Nospelt

The story of my 5th great-grandparents Peter HUBERTY (1718-1794) of Mamer and Anna BERNARD (1742-ca.1763) begins with the birth of my 4th great-grandmother Regina HUBERTY on 3 March 1761.¹ Born in Nospelt as the illegitimate daughter of Anna and Peter, Regina was legitimized when her parents married three and a half months later on 16 June 1761 in the parish of Schoenberg.² Peter was from Mamer and Anna was from Nospelt.

Nospelt is a village in the commune of Kehlen, in south-western Luxembourg. It is known above all for its potters who were particularly successful during the 19th century. The origins of Nospelt’s pottery production go back to 1458.³ Nospelt celebrates its former potteries on Easter Monday with a traditional folk festival. The Emaischen festival, held in Nospelt and Luxembourg City, features little bird-shaped whistles made out of clay. The whistles are called Péckvillercher.⁴

Anna BERNARD (1742-ca. 1763)

Anna BERNARD, born in Nospelt, was baptized Joanna BERENS on 24 May 1742 in Schoenberg. She was the daughter of Mathias BERENS aka Mathias BERNARD and Marguerite BIREN. Her godparents were Joanna SCHOUMERS and Theodorus WEBERS, both of Nospelt.⁵

1742 Baptismal Record of Joanna Berens, daughter of Mathias and Margarita Berens.

Anna had five documented siblings. From 1728 to 1745 five children were born to Mathias BERENS and his wife Marguerite in Nospelt and baptized in Schoenberg.

Maria on 24 March 1728[^6]
Barbara on 31 March 1737[^7]
Nicolas on 21 November 1739[^8]
Joanna (Anna) on 24 May 1742
Margaretha on 11 March 1745[^9]

Large gaps between the births suggest that there may have been several miscarriages, baptisms that were not recorded, or the couple could have lived in a different place during the early years of their marriage. They are assumed to have married about the time their first child was born.

No baptismal record was found for their oldest known daughter Elisabeth who was born about 1720. When she married Jean BETTENDORFF on 18 December 1841 her parents’ names were recorded as Mathias BERNARD and Marguerite BIREN.⁶

Of the BERENS children, only Elisabeth and Anna were found to have married and had children. Elisabeth’s children were born between 1743 and 1769 The records are a timeline of the surname changes. As with Mathias and Marguerite’s children from 1728 to 1745, Elisabeth’s children baptized between 1743 and 1749 all had their mother’s maiden name recorded as BERENS.⁷, ⁸, ⁹ From 1759 to 1769 the name was spelled BERNARD.¹⁰, ¹¹, ¹², ¹³ In 1766 a set of twins was born and survived only five days.¹⁴ On both of their baptismal records, the mother’s maiden name was spelled BERNARDI. When Elisabeth died in 1797 her maiden name was still spelled BERNARD.¹⁵

Catherine and Anna’s father Mathias was born 10 October 1700 in Nospelt to Leonard BERENTZ and his wife Catharina.¹⁶ He had one known sibling, a brother Theodor born in 1697.¹⁷ No marriage or death records were found for Leonard and Catharina. Mathias’ surname evolved from BERENTZ to BERENS to BERNARD from 1700 to 1759.

1741 Bettendorff-Bernard Marriage Record with the bride’s mother’s maiden name BIREN

Mathias’ wife Margaretha BIREN’s parentage is unknown. Her maiden name was discovered in her daughter Elisabeth’s 1741 marriage record. A death record for Margaretha has not been found. She died between 1745 and 1759. Her husband Mathias died on 25 May 1759. His death/burial record confirms he was the widower of Margaretha BIREN.¹⁸

When Anna BERNARD and Peter HUBERTY’s daughter Regina was baptized in 1761, they chose Anna’s brother-in-law Jean BETTENDORFF to be her godfather. This close family connection further proves that Elisabeth and Anna were sisters.

Anna gave birth to another daughter who was baptized on 20 May 1762. Anna and Peter chose Joannes HUBERTY of Mamer to be the godfather and Catharina DECKER, also of Mamer, to be the godmother of their daughter Catherine.¹⁹

Anna likely died between 1762 and 1765 as her husband Peter HUBERTY was having children with a new wife as early as February 1766.

Péckvillercher, a tree representing a family, and a quilted square of a home.

Peter HUBERTY (1718-1794)

The lack of church records for Mamer before 1779 makes it hard to take the paternal line of my fourth great-grandmother Regina HUBERTY further back. Last week’s research helped to discover her maternal line as well as find the HUBERTY family group that Peter HUBERTY likely descends from.

Following Anna’s death, Peter returned to the parish of Mamer to live in Capellen with his daughters Regina and Catherine. Peter married Johanna MALESS after Anna’s death and before 1766. The place and time of marriage are unknown. There is no record of a marriage in Luxembourg per the index for marriages before 1797.

Around April 1766, a general census of the entire country of Luxembourg was made. The census is very detailed, giving: the number of houses in each locality; the number of inhabitants, divided into four categories by sex and age (men over and under 16, women over and under 14); the number of households, the classification of inhabitants according to their marital state and profession. The census was carried out by deanships and parishes. Some of it is, unfortunately, missing, including the deanship of Luxembourg (city area).²⁰

The parish of Mamer is one of the missing parishes. Peter and Johanna would have been listed with Peter’s two daughters, Regina and Catherine, from his first marriage, as well as Catherine, the first daughter born to his second marriage if she survived.

Peter’s sister-in-law Elisabeth BERNARD and her husband Jean BETTENDORFF were living in Nospelt and enumerated on the 1766 census with two sons.²¹ Their three oldest sons, all over 16 years old, were missing in their father’s household and likely working and living outside of the family home. One of the sons, Jean born in 1746 has not been traced after his baptism and may not have survived. The other two sons married several years after the 1766 census.

1766 Census, Village of Nospelt in the parish of Kehlen, Jean Bettendorff family #10

Per the family register of Mamer, Peter and his second wife had three children whose baptisms were recorded in the (missing) parish records.  Catherine was baptized on 22 February 1766, Susanne on 12 June 1767, and Pierre on 12 June 1771.²² Catherine and Pierre may not have survived infancy. [Research to-do: search the parish death/burial records of Mamer when available.]

From the Mamer family register book, the family group of Petrus Huberty and Johann Maless with three children and their godparents

Following the births of these three children, things were quiet on the document front until 1789 when my 4th great-grandparents married. Peter and Anna’s oldest daughter, Regina HUBERTY married Jacob FRISCH (1755-1800) on 3 March 1789 in Mamer.²³

Less than a year later Peter’s second daughter Catherine married Nicolas OLINGER (1755-1809) in Schoenberg on 7 January 1790. ²⁴

In 1791 and 1792 the first two granddaughters of Peter HUBERTY and his deceased wife Anna BERNARD were born. Regina OLINGER born in 1791 to Catherine and Jean BETTENDORFF was named after her aunt Regina HUBERTY.²⁵ Susanna FRISCH born in 1792 to Regina and Jacob FRISCH was named after her aunt Susanna HUBERTY.²⁶

Peter’s second wife Johanna MALESS died on 23 May 1793 in Capellen at the age of about 66 years. Her husband was listed as a day laborer. She was buried the next day.²⁷

Peter died a little over a year later on 4 June 1794 in Capellen at the age of about 75 years and was buried the following day.²⁸

Peter and Johanna’s daughter Susanne married Henri BREISTROFF (1767-1844) in Luxembourg-St Jean on 16 November 1795.²⁹ They made their home in Stadtgrund.

Faubourg de Grund, Luxembourg City

On 31 August 1796, Catherine HUBERTY served as the godmother of Franciscus FRISCH, son of her sister Regina.³⁰ Regina had asked both her full sister Catherine and her half-sister Susanne to be godmothers of two of her children.

Regina was widowed in 1800³¹ and remarried on 21 December 1801 in Mamer to Peter KALMES (1760-1833).³²

Susanne died in 1829, her husband would outlive her by 14 years.³³,³⁴ Catherine who had been widowed in 1809³⁵ died a week after Susanne.³⁶ Regina, the oldest child of Peter, outlived her second husband who died in 1833.³⁷ She died in 1840 in Capellen.³⁸

Speculation on the parentage of Peter HUBERTY (1718-1794)

No records are available at this time to prove the parentage of Peter HUBERTY, husband of Anna BERNARD and Johanna MALESS. Peter was born. Peter died at the age of about 75 in 1794, therefore was born about 1718-1719. In the family register of Mamer, there are two couples named HUBERTY who were having children in Mamer when Peter was born.

The family register of Mamer with two HUBERTY families with sons named Peter.

The first family was that of Adamus HUBERTY and his wife Magdalena ex LOENERTZ (in domo LOENERTZ). They had a son named Peter who married Anna HANNEN in 1744. This lady died on 17 January 1793 in Holzem and was described as the widow of Petrus HUBERTY of Holzem. My Peter was still living, resided in Capellen, was not the husband of Anna HANNEN, and consequently cannot have been the son of Adamus HUBERTY and his wife Magdalena.

This leaves the family of Peter HUBERTY and Johanna ex MELLERJANS. They had a son named Peter baptized on 14 March 1718, a son named Joannes baptized on 22 September 1720, and a daughter Catherine baptized on 13 June 1726. When Peter’s second daughter Catherine was baptized on 20 May 1762, he chose a man named Joannes HUBERTY of Mamer. The godfather was likely an uncle, brother of Peter. Hence it is possible that Peter HUBERTY (1718-1794) was the son of Peter HUBERTY and Johanna ex MELLERJANS and the brother of Joannes HUBERTY born in 1720.

When I began the research for this family less than two weeks ago, I had only their names. Having worked through and analyzed the records as discussed in Reviewing Research and Records Opens the Door in Regina Huberty’s Brick Wall, I feel so much satisfaction. It has renewed my interest in continuing my research and writing about the 5th great-grandparents in my family tree.

© 2021, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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1. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Kehlen > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 4 of 169. 1761 Baptismal Record No. 10. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-SJ7Z?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZW%3A1501111291%2C1501298738 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
2. Ibid., Schoenberg > Tables des mariages, mariages 1756-1793 > image 8 of 88 > page 9, entry 1761 No. 2. 1761 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-SVNL?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZD%3A1501137301%2C1501274886 : accessed 4 April 2021),. ↩
3. “Nospelt” from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nospelt : accessed 12 April 2021) ↩
4. “Emaischen Nospelt” from Visit Luxembourg, © Luxembourg for Tourism (https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/specialevents/emaischen-nospelt : accessed 12 April 2021) ↩
5. Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1708-1760 > image 99 of 154. 1742 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9N9Q?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4W%3A1501137301%2C1501361258 : accessed 6 April 2021). ↩
6. Ibid., Schoenberg > Mariages 1724-1755, fondations et anniversaries 1723-1794, registre aux dîmes 1770-1794 > image 40 of 261. 1741 Marriage Record (left page, last entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-3FC?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-HZH%3A1501137301%2C1501398002 : accessed 7 April 2021). ↩
7. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1708-1760 > image 102 of 154. 1743 Baptismal Record (right page, 6th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9FXG?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4W%3A1501137301%2C1501361258 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
8. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1708-1760 > image 111 of 1544. 1746 Baptismal Record (right page, 6th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9KJJ?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4W%3A1501137301%2C1501361258 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
9. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1708-1760 > image 118 of 154. 1749 Baptismal Record (left page 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9K3M?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4W%3A1501137301%2C1501361258 : accessed 5 APril 2021). ↩
10. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1708-1760 > image 150 of 154. 1759 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-9KFR?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4W%3A1501137301%2C1501361258 : accessed 5 APril 2021). ↩
11. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 10 of 169. 1764 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-SVF9?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZ7%3A1501137301%2C1501298738 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
12. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 15 of 169. 1766 Baptismal Records No. 34 and No. 35 for the twins. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-SJ3T?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZ7%3A1501137301%2C1501298738 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
13. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 20 of 169. 1769 Baptismal Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-SV8J?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZ7%3A1501137301%2C1501298738 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
14. Ibid., Schoenberg > Sépultures 1760-1797 > image 14 of 129. 1766 Death Records of the twins, Martin and Anne Marie Bettendorff (left page, 6th and 7th entries). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-SV91?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZK%3A1501137301%2C1501328014 : accessed 11 April 2021). ↩
15. Ibid., Schoenberg > Sépultures 1760-1797 > image 129 of 129. 1797 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-SV3W?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZK%3A1501137301%2C1501328014 : accessed 9 April 2021). ↩
16. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1639-1708 > image 78 of 95. 1700 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9NQ7?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4T%3A1501137301%2C1501353068 : accessed 7 April 2021). ↩
17. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1639-1708 > image 72 of 95. 1697 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-9JWH?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-J4T%3A1501137301%2C1501353068 : accessed 11 April 2021). ↩
18. Ibid., Schoenberg > Sépultures 1721-1760 > image 22 of 27. 1759 Death Record (right page, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-7D2Y?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-N3L%3A1501137301%2C1501398766 : accessed 5 April 2021). ↩
19. Ibid., Kehlen > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 7 of 169, page 8. 1762 Baptismal Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-SVN2?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZW%3A1501111291%2C1501298738 : accessed 8 April 2021). ↩
20. Vannerus Jules. Les anciens dénombrements du Luxembourg. In: Compte-rendu des séances de la commission royale d’histoire. Deuxième Série, Tome 11, 1901. pp. 434-435. (https://doi.org/10.3406/bcrh.1901.2322 : accessed 12 April 2021) ↩
21. Luxembourg, 1766 Dénombrement (census), (images), FamilySearch (Digitial copy of the microfilm of originals in the Archives Générales du Royaume, Bruxelles, includes localities now in Luxembourg and Liège, Belgium), Film 1781980, DGS 8198978 > Decanat de Mersch: v. 1 A-E: > Nospelt (paroisse de Kehlen) > image 605 of 618 > household number 10. 1766 Census for Jean Bettendorff and family. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLL-99Q9-H?i=604&cat=1184675 : accessed 13 April 2021). ↩
22. Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 89 of 375. Mamer family register entry for Peter Huberty family group.(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-SS2?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-3TY%3A1500941501%2C1500941502 : accessed ). ↩
23. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 106 of 168. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-680-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
24. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1754-1759, 1778-1793 > image 288 of 329. “.” 1790 Marriage Record (right page, first entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9N2Y?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-K6J%3A1501137301%2C1501248302 : accessed 8 April 2021). ↩
25. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 120 of 169 > page 232. 1791 Baptismal Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-SN13?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZ7%3A1501137301%2C1501298738 : 9 January 2015). ↩
26. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 138 of 168. 1792 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-636-77?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
27. Diözesanarchiv Luxemburg / Archives diocésaines Luxembourg (images), Matricula Online, http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/, Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (citing original records in the Luxembourg Diocesan Archives, Luxembourg City), Mamer, KB-18, Taufen – Heiraten – Sterbefälle – 1779 – 1793, image 170 of 172, page 347, 4th entry. 1793 Death/Burial Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-18/?pg=170 : accessed 6 April 2021). ↩
28. Ibid., Microfilm GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, Heiraten – Sterbefälle – Taufen – 1790 – 1804, image 114 of 128, page 219 (stamped), left page, 2nd entry. 1794 Death Record (about 75 years old). (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=114 : accessed 2 April 2021). ↩
29. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, Luxembourg, Saint-Jean à Grund > Mariages 1785-1796 > image 49 of 53. 1795 Marriage Record (left page). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8971-1ZQ8?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-92D%3A1500891703%2C1500961760 : accessed 11 April 2021). ↩
30. Matricula Online, Microfilm GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, Heiraten – Sterbefälle – Taufen – 1790 – 1804, image 39, left, 2nd entry, 1796 baptism of Franciscus Frisch. 1796 Baptismal record. (http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=39 : accessed 2 October 2018). ↩
31. Ibid., Microfilm GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, Heiraten – Sterbefälle – Taufen – 1790 – 1804, image 122 of 128, page 235 (stamped), 6th entry. 1800 Burial Record. (http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=122 : accessed 2 October 2018). Conflicting dates in the civil record (11 Mar 1800) and the burial record (7 April 1800). ↩
32. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1176 of 1504. 1801 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-47668-87?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010). ↩
33. Ibid., Luxembourg > Décès 1829-1841 > image 98 of 1505. 1829 Death Record 370. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DT4S-661?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-FM9%3A130045801%2C130387101 : accessed 2 April 2021). ↩
34. Ibid., Luxembourg > Décès 1842-1856 > image 253 of 1504. 1844 Death Record No. 47. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6MCG-YP?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-C68%3A130045801%2C130546102 : accessed 13 APril 2021). ↩
35. Ibid., Kehlen > Naissances 1887-1890 Mariages 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1828 > image 1262 of 1490. 1809 Death Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRYS-YZK?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-K68%3A129987101%2C130453502 : accessed 8 April 2021). ↩
36. Ibid., Kehlen > Décès 1829-1890 > image 17 of 1089. 1829 Death Record No. 39. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYD3-T12?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-HZ9%3A129987101%2C129987102 : accessed 8 April 2021). ↩
37. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 848 of 1497. 1833 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121293-57?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015). ↩
38. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 920 of 1497. 1840 Death Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-119662-3?cc=1709358 : accessed 27 March 2010). ↩

Reviewing Research and Records Opens the Door in Regina Huberty’s Brick Wall

When I wrote about my 4th great-grandmother Regina HUBERTY (1761-1840) in my January 2018 post 52 Ancestors: #45 Missing Parish Records in Mamer Leave Unanswered Questions, I was skating on very thin ice.

I’d found a family register for the parish of Mamer in Luxembourg on FamilySearch in 2016 when I worked on Regina’s daughter Elisabeta FRISCH’s family. A handwritten compilation of information from church records, it includes all Mamer family groups and links parents and children through several generations.

The following are examples of Regina’s family groups:¹, ²

Family Register of Mamer with the entry for the Frisch-Huberty family group.

Family Register of Mamer with the entry for the Kalmes-Huberty family group.

The church records for the years 1790-1804 are missing at FamilySearch for the parish of Mamer and affiliated villages. The collection Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 is only a handwritten index to church records for the given years. The Luxembourg diocese has since added church records to Matricula Online including this missing register for Mamer. With the records available for the time Regina lived, I set out to open the door in her brick wall.

Reviewing Records and Research

I still have many 5th great-grandparents who have not been written about on my blog. The parents of my 4th great-grandmother Regina HUBERTY are one of these couples. Only their names were known. In the case of her mother, there were conflicting names.

Regina was married twice. Both marriages and all of her children are noted in the Mamer register entries above. Few records were found in 2018 to confirm the information and I could only reference the register for the children. Regina’s children from both of her marriages were born between 1792 and 1808. Church records are available for 1779 to 1793 and civil records from 1796 to 1923 on FamilySearch. Therefore, baptismal records were not available for seven of her eight children.

Regina’s marriage records had been found and as much information as possible was gleaned from them.

On 3 March 1789, there being no impediment to the marriage, the priest of Mamer and two witnesses were present when Jacob FRISCH, son of the deceased Joannis FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMET of Huncherange, was united with Regina HUBERTY, daughter of Petri HUBERTY and the deceased Anna BENNERT.³

1789 Marriage Record for Jacobus FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY

The names of the parents matched those in the family register except for Regina’s mother’s name. Her maiden name was recorded as LENNERT in the family register but after a closer perusal of the marriage record, I found the name was written BENNERT. The capital L and B are often confused in the old script as they are similar to the lower case l and b when written in cursive.

Regina HUBERTY married Peter KALMES on 21 December 1801 in Mamer.⁴

1801 Marriage Record of Peter KALMES and Regina HUBERTY.

Her parents were listed as Peter HUBERTY and Johannata BEREND. Which of the two marriage records for Regina give the correct name for her mother? Were Anna BENNERT and Johannata BEREND the same person? What other sources could I check to solve this question?

Family Relationships and Godparents

As I reviewed the information I had for Regina’s parents, husbands, and children, I made a list of the records to check on Matricula that might help to answer the question of her parentage. I began with the names Peter HUBERTY and Johannata BEREND aka Anna BENNERT. I had no information on them. No known siblings for Regina who might lead to the shared parents.

Normally when children are baptized the godparents are chosen from both sides of the family. Regina’s children’s godparents could lead to siblings of both parents. Although I knew the names of the godparents from the family register, there was no information on where they were from or if they were married. Both of these could be indicators of the relationship between the godparent and the child and his/her parents.

For Regina’s children, in the family register, it was noted that her daughter Susanna FRISCH’s godmother was Susanna HUBERTY and her son Franciscus FRISCH’s godmother was Catharina HUBERTY.

I hadn’t seen Franciscus’ baptismal record until I searched for it last week on Matricula. His godmother was listed as Catharina HUBERTY uxor Nicolai OLINGER figols Nospelt = Catharina wife of Nicolas, a potter from Nospelt.

A search for Catherine’s marriage in an index of the Luxembourg marriages before 1797 turned up this information:⁵

Nicolas OLINGER and Catherine HUBERTI
Married: 07 Jan 1790 in Schoenberg
Parents: Jean OLINGER (+) – Anne KREMER (+)
Parents: Pierre HUBERTI – Anne BERNARD (+)

Susanna’s baptismal record from 1792 had originally been found on FamilySearch as the years 1779-1793 are available. However, I had missed an important detail in the record. The godmother was listed as Susanna HUBERTI amita. She was an aunt (Latin: amita) of the child and therefore Regina’s sister. No husband is mentioned suggesting she may not have been married at the time. A search for a possible marriage for Susanna turned up this information:⁶

Nicolas  BREISDORF and Susanne HUBERTI
Married: 16 Nov 1795 in Luxembourg-St Jean
Parents: Nicolas BREISDORF (+) – Susanne VELTER (+)
Parents: Pierre HUBERTI (+) – Jeannette MALLES (+)

The (+) indicates the person was deceased at the time of the noted marriage. Regina’s father was living in 1789 when she married and her mother was deceased. This matches up with Pierre HUBERTI living in 1790 when Catherine married. Regina’s father died on 4 June 1794⁷ and therefore deceased by 1795 when Susanna married. The date of death for Pierre HUBERTI was proven by elimination and will be discussed in another post.

It is possible that Regina, Catherine, and Susanna had the same father. The mother of Regina and Catherine appear to be the same person.

In the family register of Mamer, there are 10 pages of information on HUBERTY families beginning with the earliest two families recorded in the missing church records. In the second generation, there is a Peter (Joannes) HUBERTY and Johanna MALESS who had three children: Catharina in 1766, Susanna in 1767, and Petrus in 1771.⁸ Church records for these births/baptisms are not available on Matricula or FamilySearch.

A marriage record for the HUBERTY-MALESS couple was not found. MALESS and MALLES could be different spellings for the same name. As the baptismal records for the children are not available, I put this aside for later reference, keeping in mind that the daughters Catharina and Susanna might be the godmothers of Regina’s children.

More pieces to the puzzle

If Catherine HUBERTY, wife of Nicolas OLINGER, and Regina were sisters then the baptismal records of the children of the OLINGER-HUBERTY couple might include godparents proving the siblingship.

Records for the first two children of the couple were quickly accessed as an index was found for baptisms in Schoenberg up to 1797 that included the year, entry number, and page number of the register. Their first child was a daughter named Regina and her godmother was Regina HUBERTY of Capellen.⁹

As Regina was the godmother of Catherine’s first child, can it be assumed that Pierre HUBERTI and Anne BERNARD listed Catherine’s parents on her marriage record are the parents of both Catharine and Regina?

I search for and located a marriage for Pierre HUBERTI and Anne BERNARD in the Luxembourg marriage index:¹⁰

Pierre HUBERTI and Anne BERNARD
Married: 16 Jun 1761 in Schoenberg
Parents: N. HUBERTI – N. N.
Parents: N. BERNARD – N. N.
Note: N. indicates unknown

The marriage record is a short two lines without information on the parents of either the bride or groom. Petrus HUBERTI was from Mamer and Anne BERNARD was from Nospelt.¹¹

1761 Marriage Record for Petrus HUBERTI and Anna BERNARD

As the marriage took place in 1761, I searched the Schoenberg register for children of this marriage baptized between 1760 and 1770.

To my surprise, the first record I found confirmed my theory that Peter HUBERTI and Anne BERNARD were Regina’s parents and my 5th great-grandparents.

1761 Baptismal Record No. 10 for Regina HUBERTI

Regina was baptized on 3 March 1761, the daughter of Joanna BERENT of Nospelt and Petri HUBERTI of Mamer. The word illegitimate is crossed out. She was legitimized with the subsequent marriage of her parents three months later. Her godparents were Joannes BETTENDORFF and Regina KRANTZ both of Nospelt.¹² At least one of these godparents would lead to the grandparents.

A sister Catherine was born/baptized on 20 May 1762 in Nospelt. Her parents’ names on the record were Petri HUBERTI and Anna BERNARD, the names seen on the marriage record.¹³ Born a year after Regina, she might be the same Catherine who married Nicolas OLINGER a year after Regina married.

No further baptisms were found in Nospelt suggesting the family moved to Mamer after May of 1762.

In the Family Register of Mamer, Regina is listed as the wife of Jacob FRISCH and of Peter KALMES in the respectively family group listings as they were married in Mamer and children were born in Capellen, a part of Mamer. Regina’s parents were from Capellen per both of her marriage records but Regina isn’t listed in any of the HUBERTY family groups. This is an indication that her parents did not marry in the Mamer parish and Regina was not born in Capellen or Mamer as was confirmed by the records found in Nospelt. Regina was not born in Capellen as indicated in her 1801 marriage record.

Admitting to a mistake

While reviewing and doing new research, I failed to read over Regina’s marriage records until I began to write this post. I found I’d misread Regina’s year of birth given on her second marriage record. This was my only source for her birth/baptism in 2018. I’d transcribed tausend sieben hundert sechzig vier (1764) instead of tausend sieben hundert sechzig eins (1761).

I should have realized the error as the marriage took place in 1801 and Regina was forty years old, i.e. born in 1761. However, I had allowed myself to be influenced by a date (13 March 1764) seen in a family tree. I’d noticed the date was the 3rd and not the 13th but I failed to see the word for the last digit in the year of birth was eins and not vier. Corrections have been made to the FamilySearch Family Tree and my online GEDCOM files on Luxracines, Ancestry (private/searchable), and Geneanet (ancestors-only for DNA).

Connecting the loose ends

While browsing the death records in the parish register of Mamer on Matricula, I found Joannetha MALES, wife of Peter HUBERTY, who died on 23 May 1793 in Capellen.¹⁴ Peter died the following year on 4 June 1794. Both were deceased in 1795 and the names match the names of the parents found on Susanna HUBERTY’s marriage record. Susanna was listed as the aunt of Susanna FRISCH, the oldest daughter of Regina HUBERTY, indicating Susanna and Regina were siblings. Regina’s mother was deceased in 1789 therefore they shared only a father, Peter HUBERTY, and were half-sisters.

The names found for Regina’s mother were: Joanna BERENT on the 1761 baptismal record, Anna BENNERT on the 1789 marriage record, and Johannata BEREND on the 1801 marriage records. In records for Regina’s sister Catherine, her mother was Anna BERNARD. Regina and Catherine were full sisters.

Regina’s godfather Joannes BETTENDORFF was the husband of Elisabeth BERNARD, daughter of Mathias BERNARD and Margaretha BIREN of Nospelt. It is my belief that Regina’s mother Anna/Joanna was a younger sister of Elisabeth.

Going through all baptismal records of the Kehlen parish to which Nospelt belonged, I found only one couple named BERENS with the first names Mathias and Margaretha. They had children from 1728 to 1745 including a daughter baptized on 24 May 1742 named Joanna BERENS.¹⁵ A baptismal record for Elisabeth who was born about 1720-1723 (married in December 1741) has not been found. The family name evolved from BERENS to BERENT to BERNARD.

It’s often hard to see the big picture. Hopefully, I have not confused my readers and you will agree with me that Regina HUBERTY’s mother was a lady named Anna (Joanna) BERNARD of Nospelt. Regina’s mother is no longer just a name but a person who has records that lead to her parents, siblings, and perhaps even grandparents.

© 2021, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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1. “Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 59 of 375. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-261-80?cc=2037955 : accessed 25 November 2015) ↩
2. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 155 of 375. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-19114-34?cc=2037955 : accessed 28 November 2015) ↩
3. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 106 of 168. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-680-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
4. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1176 of 1504. 1801 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-47668-87?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010). ↩
5.   “Marriages before 1797”, searchable database, Luxracines (https://www.luxracines.lu/gen/famsearchform.php?tree=m1610-1797). ↩
6. Ibid. ↩
7. Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 27 of 30. 1794 Death Entry (75 years old). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-S63?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-C6V%3A1500941501%2C1501074474 : accessed 5 January 2018). ↩
8. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > images 89-93 of 375. Entries for Huberty families. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-SS2?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-3TY%3A1500941501%2C1500941502 : 9 January 2015). ↩
9. Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes 1760-1797 > image 120 of 169 > page 232. 1791 Baptismal Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-SN13?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZ7%3A1501137301%2C1501298738 : 9 January 2015). ↩
10. “Marriages before 1797.” ↩
11. Luxembourg Church Records, Schoenberg > Tables des mariages, mariages 1756-1793 > image 8 of 88 > page 9, entry 1761 No. 2. 1761 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-SVNL?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-VZD%3A1501137301%2C1501274886 : accessed 4 April 2021),. ↩
12. Matricula Online, Luxembourg, Microfilm GV.MF 172-285, Kehlen, KB-06, Taufen – 1760 – 1796, image 3 of 167, page 3, baptismal record 10. 1761 Baptismal Record No. 10. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/kehlen/KB-06/?pg=3 : accessed 3 April 2021). ↩
13. Ibid., image 6 of 167, page 8, entry number 16. 1762 Baptismal Record No. 16. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/kehlen/KB-06/?pg=6 : accessed 3 April 2021). ↩
14. Ibid., Mamer, KB-18, Taufen – Heiraten – Sterbefälle – 1779 – 1793, image 170 of 172, page 347, 4th entry. “.” 1793 Death/Burial Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-18/?pg=170 : accessed 6 April 2021). ↩
15. Ibid., Microfilm GV.MF 172-285, Kehlen, KB-02, TTaufen – 1708 – 1760, image 98 of 158, page 193. 1742 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry). (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/kehlen/KB-02/?pg=98 : accessed 6 April 2021). ↩

How DNA Results Helped Discover Luxembourg Emigrants

Earlier this year I wrote about my 4th great-grandparents Jacob FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY in 52 Ancestors: #45 Missing Parish Records in Mamer Leave Unanswered Questions. As the title suggests there were things which were left unresolved in the article. No trace was found of their son Franciscus “Franz” FRISCH  born in 1796 after the 1849 census nor of their son Nicolaus FRISCH born in 1798 after his birth. Franz married and had a family as seen in the census but Nicolaus was completely off the radar.

One of Franz’s sons, Peter John FRISCH was known to have come to America in 1854 as seen in Sandra L. Hammes’ From Luxembourg to La Crosse And Beyond 1851-1910, however, I did not find a birth record to connect him to his parents Franz and Magdalena.

Last month I found a DNA match with a FRISCH ancestor in her family tree. This post is about how I discovered the match, which new website I used to confirm relationships, and how both helped me to prove the missing brothers of my 3rd great-grandmother Elisabeta FRISCH emigrated from Luxembourg to America on the ship Pauline which departed from Le Havre, France and arrived in the port of New York in May 1854.

“New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891,” (database with images), FamilySearch (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), NARA microfilm publication M237, 140 – 23 May 1854-11 Jun 1854 > images 131 thru 134 of 651. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-55J8-K?cc=1849782&wc=MX62-X3X%3A165779201 : accessed 12 October 2018).

DNA Match Labeling

It all began in mid-September when Blaine Bettinger announced his Chrome extension DNA Match Labeling was now available in the Chrome Web Store. This extension lets you use eight colored dots to label your AncestryDNA matches. Michael John Neill wrote an interesting post Label Your AncestryDNA Matches stressing the necessity of giving thought to how to use these on the thousands of matches we have. I decided to use them to label ONLY the paternal matches of the test results I manage.

Different tools used to sort and analyze matches on AncestryDNA

An example of several matches which have been labeled with the red dot:

Matches labeled with the red dot for the line back to William A. W. DEMPSEY

Why not the maternal matches? Our mother is Luxembourgish and all of her ancestors were from Luxembourg or the surrounding regions of Germany, France, and Belgium which were once part of Luxembourg. Compared to the number of paternal matches, the maternal ones are few and far between. The top maternal match is a 4C1R (4th cousin once removed) on page 3 (50 matches per page) with 44 cMs. Since there are so few at this time, I’m using Ancestry’s star feature for maternal matches because it lets me pull up all of these matches and sort them by date or relationship. The colored dots, which I am saving for paternal matches, are only visual aids and cannot be sorted.

Kate, a new match, starred to indicate possible Luxembourg ancestry and Shared DNA amount information open in black box.

While starring the matches, I checked the Shared Matches of the highest maternal cousin and found a new match with a great-grandmother named Anna Katrina FRISCH. Unfortunately, there were no dates and places of birth, marriage, and death in the tree and no parents for this FRISCH young lady.

Kate’s privatized Ancestry tree with the in common with surname: FRISCH.

The new match, Kate in honor of her great-grandmother, is a Shared Match of Mary, a 4C1R who descends through my 4th great-grandparents Jacob FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY. Mary had first gotten in touch with me in 2009. We have been in touch about the DNA match but she has not uploaded to GEDMATCH. This is important to note as shared matches do not necessarily share the DNA on the same segment of a chromosome. The only way to determine this is to do a comparison using a chromosome browser which at this time is not available on Ancestry.

Building Kate’s Family Tree

Building out a DNA match’s family tree is like playing connect the dots. The first run through is all about piecing together hints and bits of information for a temporary tree which can later, if it turns out to be the correct family, be filled out with care and sourced.

I found Joe and Anna DAVIS in Sanborn County, Dakota Territory, in 1885 with a daughter named Lena. I continued to find them in the same county in the state of South Dakota from 1900 to 1930. These helped me to determine I was on the right track and these were Kate‘s great-grandparents. Anna K. as she was seen in the census was born in Iowa with parents born in Germany. This is in conflict with my FRISCH family being from Luxembourg.

Working backwards I searched for Anna K. FRISCH born about 1861 in Iowa and found a promising family group. John and Lena FRISCH in Johnson County, Iowa. They had a Catherine born about 1858 and a Kate born about 1859. In 1860 and in 1880 the father John was seen as born in Luxembourg while in 1870 Holland was listed. The most interesting census listing was the 1860 where the young family was in the household of Francis FRISH (sic), a 60 years old farmer born in Luxembourg. Was this Franz who I had not been able to locate after the 1849 Luxembourg census? When did Franz and his son Jean come to America? Perhaps at the same time as Peter John FRISCH mentioned in the La Crosse book?

A search for a passenger list with FRISCH individuals who arrived in America in the 1850s turned up the list featured at the beginning of this post. Two family groups with the surname FRISCH were on the Pauline in May 1854: François, Pierre, Jean, and Angelique as well as Nicolaus, Catherine, Paul, Canada (sic), Marie, and Catherine. Had I found both of my 3rd great-grandmother Elisabetha FRISCH’s brothers?

Members of my genealogy society Luxracines have been working on a project to index the marriages from the 10-year tables of the civil records of the Luxembourg municipalities and former municipalities for the years 1797 to 1923. Using this new online database (available to members only)  I found Nicolaus FRISCH married Catherine WESTER in Reckange-sur-Mess in 1825. I searched the birth and death records in Reckange and found nine children, five of whom died by 1853 leaving four living: Paul, Jeanette, Maria, and Katharina. All names with the exception of Jeanette (Canada on the list) matched the passenger list.

What about Franz FRISCH? Where was his wife? I found she’d died in 1850 in Capellen. Their oldest son Franz was found marrying in 1851 in Steinsel to Margaretha REUTER. [This is a recent find and I have not spent much time searching for more information on this couple and their children, if they had any.] 

This left two unmarried sons, Pierre and Jean, whose names matched those on the passenger list. But who was Angelique? Pierre married Angelique TRINKES on 4 September 1856 in Dubuque, Iowa, according to the La Crosse book. No marriage record has been found to confirm this date and place. Is it possible she came over with the FRISCH families or did Pierre marry her before their arrival in America?

Matricula Online

Not all of the dots have been connected. The church records are missing on FamilySearch for the parish of Mamer and the affiliated villages. A family register for the parish of Mamer was found on FamilySearch over two years ago when I worked on Elisabeta FRISCH’s family. Would I ever be able to find records to confirm the information in the handwritten register?

This past July the Catholic church records for Luxembourg went online on Matricula Online. Included in this new database are Mamer’s missing church records. The baptismal record of Petrus FRISCH, son of Franz FRISCH and Magdalena MORRET was found on Matricula Online. He was born 25 May 1830 in Capellen.  This is not the date found in the La Crosse book (29 Oct 1832), in the Mamer register (25 March 1830), or on the 1849 census (30 May 1830). I can only hope Peter married his first wife Angelique in Luxembourg as the record would include his correct date of birth. But I feel confident the Pierre seen on the passenger list with François is Petrus found in the baptismal record and Peter who lived in La Crosse County.

The Incomplete Story

Franz and his brother Nicolaus came with their families to America in May 1854. By 1860, everyone was in Jackson County, Iowa. Franz’s son John had married Lena WEBER and was the father of two young girls. Peter had married Angeline TRINKES and did not have children. Nicolaus was with his wife Catherine, son Paul, and daughter Maria. Their daughter Jeanette had married Jean FORRET. They had two children as well as Jean’s mother and two siblings in their household. Nicolaus’ daughter Catherine is the only person from the passenger list who has not been located.

Nicolaus died in 1862 leaving everything to his son Paul. His widow Catherine died in 1872. Franz died in 1867. John was widowed in 1877 and followed his brother to La Crosse County, Wisconsin, after the 1880 census.

Now that I know there are descendants of my 3rd great-grandmother Elisabeta’s brothers living in America, I will continue to fill in the family tree and check for new DNA matches. I looked for Jeanette’s married name and found two matches! Messages have been sent. I can’t wait to see these on my chromosome map.

© 2018, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

Brick Wall Update: With a Little Help From My Friends

When I wrote 52 Ancestors: #45 Missing Parish Records in Mamer Leave Unanswered Questions I ended the post with a plea “Do any of my readers know where I may find the answers to the many unanswered questions?”

Linda in Luxembourg and Fabrice in Belgium helped me break down this brick wall with answers to some of the questions I raised in my post. With this update I would like to thank them for paying close attention to my questions and giving me a push in the right direction to get more answers.

Regina HUBERTY and Jacob FRISCH

My fourth great-grandparents Regina HUBERTY (1764-1840) and Jacob FRISCH (d. March 1800) were married in Mamer, Luxembourg, in 1789.¹

The record I found for the marriage was a parish record and did not include the ages of the bride and groom or their dates or places of birth. Were they both the same age or was the groom much older than the bride?

1789 Marriage Record [1]

The record showed Jacob FRISCH was the son of the deceased Joannis FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMET of Huncherange. As Fabrice explained, the Latin word defuncti related only to the father. If both parents had been deceased, it would have been defuntorum.

I found a death record for Margaretha SIMON, widow of Joannis FRISCH.² She died in Mamer in 1792, three years after the marriage of Jacob and Regina. Was she the mother of Jacob? I will come back to this question.

Elisabeta FRISCH’s civil birth record

Linda was more successful than I was in finding a civil birth record for my 3rd great-grandmother Elisabeta FRISCH. The youngest child of Jacob and Regina, she was born after the death of her father. Linda found the birth record as she searched for the date listed in Elisabeta’s 1827 marriage record – 13 Prairial year XIII.³ I had disregarded this date as it converted to 2 June 1800 and I had found a list with the FRISCH baby being born 2 April 1800 and baptized 3 April 1800.⁴ While church records continued to be dated with the Gregorian calendar, the civil records of the time used the Republican calendar. I suspected a conversion error.

The civil record Linda found included the age of the deceased father, 50 years old, and of the mother, 31 years old.

2 June 1800 civil birth record of Elisabetha FRISCH [3]

This answered my question concerning the possibility of Jacob being much older than Regina.

Jacob FRISCH’s baptismal record

I had searched for a baptismal record for him in the records of the parish of Noertzange to which Huncherange belonged for the years 1760 to 1770 without success. Both Linda and Fabrice were able to give me the baptismal date of Jacob FRISCH – 4 September 1755 in Noertzange.⁵

1755 Baptismal Record of Jacob FRISCH [5]

I had stopped searching too soon. Fabrice also gave me a few clues concerning siblings of Jacob FRISCH.

• A brother Pierre married on 10 February 1777 in Dudelange (the marriage record mentioned the same parents).
• There may have been another brother named Jean who married Catherine NIDERKORN. A son of this couple participated in the Napoleonic campaigns. She did not mention where she got this information. However, I checked the Matricules Napoléoniens 1802-1815 where I found Jaques FRISCH born 11 September 1784 in Huncherange to Jean FRISCH and Catherine NIDERKORN.

The second couple’s names were familiar as a son Michel was seen marrying in Mamer in 1812. His information was included directly below the entry for Jacob FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY in the family register for the parish of Mamer. I had not yet looked into how the two FRISCH men, both listed as being from Huncherange, may have been related.

Did Jacob FRISCH have siblings?

I checked for baptismal records of FRISCH siblings before and after the 1755 birth of Jacob and found six more children born between 1746 and 1757.

• Maria FRISCH born 14 August 1746 and died 27 November 1746⁶
• Petrus FRISCH born 3 November 1747⁷
• Joannes FRISCH born 27 August 1750⁸
• Elisabetha FRISCH born 8 September 1752⁹
• Nicolas FRISCH born 10 September 1754 died 19 September 1754¹⁰
• Jacob FRISCH born 4 September 1755⁵
• Joanna FRISCH born 3 October 1757¹¹

Note: Maria and Nicolas’ deaths were annotated in the margin of the baptismal record.

After finding the information on the seven children of Joannis FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMET, I checked for marriages for the children who lived to maturity. Four marriages were found which confirmed the parents’ names and that the father was deceased. The marriages took place in 1774¹², 1776¹³, 1777¹⁴, and 1789. Two children had died young. For the youngest daughter  no death or marriage record was found.

Joannis FRISCH’s death record

A death record for a Joannes FRISCH who died on 12 October 1759 in Huncherange was found.¹⁵ I believe it to be the record for Joannis FRISCH, husband of Margaretha ZEIMET. The age of the deceased person is in the gutter of the register and begins with 4. This is not the entry for a child as it would include the names of the parents.

1759 Death Record of Joannes FRISCH [15]

Margaretha ZEIMET (also seen as ZEIMES) raised her children in Huncherange after the death of her husband and did not remarry. I checked all of the marriage cards for Noertzange. Jacob was 33 years old in 1789 and the last of the FRISCH children to marry. His three siblings had married between 12 and 15 years earlier. Being the youngest (other than Joanna who has not been traced), Jacob likely lived at home with his mother in Huncherange. Following his marriage, Margaretha may have moved to Mamer.

Margaretha ZEIMET aka Margaretha SIMON?

1792 Death Record of Margaretha SIMON widow of Joannis FRISCH, linenweaver of Mamer [2]

In the book on Luxembourg family names¹⁶, the names ZEIMES and ZEIMET are seen with the SIMON as a variation of the name.

I believe it is possible that Margaretha SIMON who died in Mamer² three years after Jacob FRISCH married could likely be the mother of this family. The name of her deceased husband is a match. I reviewed all baptismal and marriage records of their children and none give the occupation of their deceased father. The priest who made the entry wrote ex Mameren for the residence of Joannis FRISCH. This cannot be correct as the family register for Mamer does not include any FRISCH families before Jacob FRISCH (1789) and his nephew Michel FRISCH (1812) married and came to live in Mamer and raise families.

It is interesting to note that the answers to the questions in the post 52 Ancestors: #45 Missing Parish Records in Mamer Leave Unanswered Questions were not found in Mamer but in Huncherange (Noertzange) were the FRISCH family originated.

Although more is now known about my 5th great-grandparents Joannis FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMET and their seven children, it is unlikely their parentage will be found in the parish records of Noertzange.

Fernand G. EMMEL compiled a small book of the families of Noertzange using research of parish records left by Eugène NEY (deceased). The compilation includes families groups with the surnames ZYMETS (baptism in 1700) and SYMONS (baptisms in 1669-1688) as well as FRECHEN (baptisms in 1667 and 1689), a name similar to FRISCH. However due to a gap in the records the connection between Joannis and Margaretha’s generation and these early families cannot be made without certainty.

© 2018, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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1. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 106 of 168. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-680-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
2. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 148 of 168. 1792 Death Record (right, 3rd entry from bottom).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-SVW?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-C6G%3A1500941501%2C1500913302 : accessed 5 January 2018). ↩
3. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 53 of 549. 1800 Birth Record, right, top (13 prairial an VIII). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XS4P-9J?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-L29%3A130065401%2C130303901 : accessed 8 January 2018). ↩
4. Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 12 of 30. 1800 Baptismal entry, left page, line 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-337-61?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015). Note: The date of birth and baptism are prior to the date listed on her civil birth record. ↩
5. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 14 of 75. 1755 Baptismal Record (right, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-MX45?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 8 January 2018). ↩
6.  Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 9 of 75. 1746 Baptismal Record (right, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-MXVR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
7. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 10 of 75. 1747 Baptismal Record (left, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6GJ?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
8. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 11 of 75. 1750 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6PG?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
9. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 12 of 75. 1752 Baptismal Record (right, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MXZK?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
10. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 14 of 75. 1754 Baptismal Record (left, 2nd entry); includes death annotation in margin. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-MX45?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : acccessed 15 January 2018). ↩
11. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 6 of 75. 1757 Baptismal Record (left, 1st entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M6TR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
12.  Ibid., Noertzange > Tables des mariages 1662-1698, 1733-1796 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 41 of 115. 1774 Mariage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-97JN?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-92G%3A1501099673%2C1501198662 : accessed 15 January 2018),. ↩
13. Ibid., Noertzange > Tables des mariages 1662-1698, 1733-1796 (index organisée par l’épouse) > image 31 of 114. 1776 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-97MN?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-927%3A1501099673%2C1501216392 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
14. Ibid., Luxembourg > Tables des mariages avant 1802 (Folscheid, Thomas-Gett, Pierre) > image 653 of 1598. 1777 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-SH8T?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-ZNB%3A1501329501%2C1501343702 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
15. Ibid., Noertzange > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1741-1796 > image 64 of 75. 1759 Death Record (left, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M61J?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4H%3A1501099673%2C1501108020 : accessed 15 January 2018). ↩
16. Kollmann, Cristian, Peter Gilles and Claire Muller. 2016. Luxemburger Familiennamenbuch. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. Retrieved 26 Apr. 2016, from http://www.degruyter.com.proxy.bnl.lu/view/product/449765 ↩

52 Ancestors: #45 Missing Parish Records in Mamer Leave Unanswered Questions

Many genealogists are joining Amy Johnson Crow’s new 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge this week. While they are beginning, I am coming to the end of my own version which I began in 2017 (as seen in my feature image).

This set of fourth great-grandparents from Capellen in the parish of Mamer left me with more questions than answers.

Regina HUBERTY, my fourth great-grandmother, was born on 2 March 1764 in Capellen, Luxembourg.

The first event for my fourth great-grandmother and already I am treading in deep water trying to document this. The church records are missing on FamilySearch for the parish of Mamer and the affiliated villages. A family register for the parish of Mamer was found on FamilySearch two years ago when I worked on her daughter Elisabeta’s family.

The register (mentioned in the box above) includes two family groups for Regina HUBERTY. The first family group is from her first marriage and includes the names of her parents – Petri HUBERTY and Anna LENNERT.

Family Register of Mamer with the entry for the Frisch-Huberty family group. Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 59 of 375. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-261-80?cc=2037955 : accessed 25 November 2015)

On the 3rd of March 1789, there being no impediment to the marriage, the priest of Mamer and two witnesses were present when Jacob FRISCH, son of the deceased Joannis FRISCH and Margaretha ZEIMET of Huncherange, was united with Regina HUBERTY, daughter of Petri HUBERTY and the deceased Anna LENNERT. The bride and groom were both of age to marry. The names of the parents match those in the register above as the information was collected from parish records at the time.

1789 Marriage Record. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 106 of 168. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-680-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).

Jacob’s parents were from Huncherange and I am not quite sure of the wording in the marriage record (above) concerning his parents. Defuncti Joannis Frisch et Margaretha Zeimet olim Conjugum ex Hunichringen parochia Noertzingen. Am I reading/translating this correctly – both of his parents were deceased?

I have no idea of Jacob’s age or if he actually was born in the village his parents were from. I searched in the records of the parish of Noertzange to which Huncherange belonged for the years 1760 to 1770 without success. Could he have been much older than Regina?

Usually, when I have this kind of predicament I search for baptismal, marriage, or death records of the siblings as well as records created when they were mentioned as godparents. The godparents of the children of Jacob and Regina are listed in the family register, however, none have the FRISCH or ZEIMET surnames. At this time I have no idea if Jacob had siblings.

Regina and Jacob had the following children.

1. Susanna FRISCH was born on 26 June 1792 in Capellen. She married Petrus KOLBACH, son of Michel KOLBACH and Susanne KIEFFER, on 14 January 1818 in Mamer. Petrus was born on 9 January 1789 in Mamer. He died on 23 April 1837 in Mamer. Susanna died on 20 October 1885 in Capellen. They were the parents of three sons.

2. Margaretha FRISCH was born on 24 April 1794 in Capellen. She died on 2 August 1828 in Capellen. She never married.

3. Franciscus “Franz” FRISCH was born on 30 August 1796 in Capellen. He married Magdalena MORRET on 22 January 1823 in Mamer. Magdalena was born about 1796. Franz was enumerated in Mamer the 1843 and 1849 census with his wife and three sons. The years 1846, 1847, and those after 1849 have not been checked. Death records have not been located for either Franz or his wife Magdalena. Their son Peter John FRISCH immigrated to America in 1854. He was married twice and lived in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. He is well documented in Sandra L. Hammes’ From Luxembourg to La Crosse And Beyond 1851-1910, however, I am still searching for his birth record to connect him to Franz and Magdalena. All of his siblings’ birth records were found. A date of birth (30 May 1830) was found on the 1849 census but does not match the date given (29 October 1832)  in From Luxembourg to La Crosse. And neither of these dates match that (25 March 1830) found in the family register of Mamer.

4. Nicolaus FRISCH was born on 13 July 1798 in Capellen. He has not been found later.

5. Elisabeta FRISCH was born on 5 April 1800 in Capellen. She was baptized the following day. She married Johannes FRANTZ, son of Paulus FRANTZ and Susanne KIEFFER, on 18 January 1827 in Holzem. Johannes was born on 21 November 1794 in Mamer. He died on 24 January 1880 in Mamer and his widow Elisabeta died ten months later on 15 November 1880 in Mamer. Elisabeta and Johannes were my 3rd great-grandparents.

Regina’s husband Jacob FRISCH, the father of the above children, died on 11 March 1800 in Capellen. Regina was the informant and pregnant with her fifth child, my 3rd great-grandmother Elisabeta.

1800 Death Record of Jacob FRISCH. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 541 of 1497. 1800 Death Record (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121167-96?cc=1709358 : accessed 29 November 2015).

A second family group was found for Regina in the family register. It included the name of her deceased husband and their five children as well as her second husband and their children.

Family Register of Mamer with the entry for the Kalmes-Huberty family group. Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 155 of 375. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-19114-34?cc=2037955 : accessed 28 November 2015)

Nearly two years after the death of Jacob FRISCH, Regina HUBERTY married Peter KALMES on 21 December 1801 in Mamer. Peter was born on 22 November 1760 in Nospelt, Luxembourg, to Peter KALMES and Catharina SCHANTZ.

Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1176 of 1504. 1801 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-47668-87?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010).

The marriage record of Regina and Peter is the source for Regina’s date of birth. In this record, her parents are listed as Peter HUBERTY and Johannata BEREND. Which of the two marriage records for Regina give the correct name for her mother? Were Anna LENNERT and Johannata BEREND the same person? Is the L in the early marriage record a B as I thought when I first saw it? Did the person who compiled the information in the family register mistake the B for an L? But still, BENNERT and BEREND may be close but are they the same? What other sources can I check to solve these questions?

Regina and Peter had the following children.

1. Petrus KALMES was born on 24 March 1803 in Capellen. He died a few weeks later on 12 April 1803 in Capellen.

2. Peter KALMES was born on 3 October 1804 in Capellen. He married Maria BOSSELER on 8 February 1844 in Mamer. He died on 18 December 1863 in Capellen. Note: The date of birth for Peter KALMES on his marriage record is that of his brother who was born and died before his birth.

3. Jean KALMES was born on 2 February 1808 in Capellen. He died a little over a month later on 12 March 1808 in Capellen.

Peter KALMES died on 12 November 1833 in Capellen leaving a wife, a son, and at least three step-children. His widow Regina HUBERTY died on 19 January 1840 in Capellen. She left four living children: Susanne, Franz, Elisabeta, and Peter. She may have left another child, the son Nicolas who has not been found after his birth in 1798.

Do any of my readers know where I may find the answers to the many unanswered questions?

© 2018, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

52 Ancestors: #44 Legendary Two-Time Tour de France Winner’s Second Great-Grandparents

Susanne KIEFFER was born on 25 March 1754 in Mamer to Nicolaus KÜFFER (1734-1796) and Susanna SCHILTZ (1737-1807). Earlier variations of the surname were KIEFER and KÜFFER. Susanne was the oldest of eight known children. The only reference available online is an alphabetical family group register of births/baptisms and marriages for the town of Mamer. Actual parish records for baptisms, marriages, and burials in Mamer are only available on FamilySearch for the years 1779-1793.

Küffer-Schiltz family group from the Mamer parish book. “Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-77-6?cc=2037955 : accessed 28 November 2015), Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 135 of 375; paroisses, Luxembourg (parishes, Luxembourg).

Susanne was my fourth great-grandmother. She married Michel KOLBACH on 17 February 1783.¹ Michel was born about 1748 in Kehlen to Francisci KOLBACH and Maria KAYSER. His parents were deceased at the time of his marriage. Michel and his parents were not my ancestors.

Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 46 of 168. 1783 Marriage Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-17711-69?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).

Susanne and Michel were the parents of five children.

Margaretha born on 4 January 1784²
Michel born on 31 March 1785³
Catherine born on 29 November 1786⁴
Peter born on 9 January 1789⁵
Anna Maria born on 14 May 1791⁶

These children are documented as they were born during the period in which actual parish records are available on FamilySearch for baptisms, marriages, and burials during the years 1779-1793.

Following the birth of Susanne and Michel’s fourth child, her sister Elisabeth married Nicolas CHRISTOPHORY (1743-1803) on 11 May 1789.⁷ Elisabeth was the only known sibling of Susanne to also marry. [As of this writing. A brother’s marriage was found in April 2021. Read the post here: The Ancestors: Nicolaus Küffer and Susanna Schiltz of Mamer, Luxembourg]

When their youngest child had just turned two years old, Susanne was widowed when Michel KOLBACH died on 30 May 1793. He had been a linen weaver or linitextor and was about 45 years old.⁸

1793 Death Entry for Michel KOLBACH.

A little over seven months later Susanne remarried. On 7 January 1794, she married Paul FRANTZ. Paul was the son of Nicolaus FRANTZ and Angela BARTEL of Senningen.⁹

1794 Marriage Index Card. 2.

No marriage record has been found for Susanne and Paul. Their marriage is recorded on a marriage index card. The information on the card points to Paul being from Bergem in the parish of Schifflingen. Per the 1843 census, Paul was born on 10 August 1763 in Senningen.¹⁰ On the 1846 census, the day and month were the same but the year was 1764.¹¹ The place of birth on the 1846 census was blank. Although their names are known, his parents and siblings are at this time a brick wall.

Paul was my fourth great-grandfather. When he married Susanne he took on a family of five children between the ages of 3 and 10 years. Like Susanne’s first husband Michel, Paul was a linen weaver.

Susanne was soon expecting twins. Nicolas and Johannes were born on 21 November 1794. As no birth records are available for the twins it is not known who was the oldest. Nicolas or my third great-grandfather Johannes.

When the twins were seventeen months old their grandfather, Susanne’s father, Nicolaus KEIFFER died on 1 May 1796.¹²

Susanne gave birth to another son on 10 January 1797. He was named Henri.¹³ Less than two months later Susanne’s youngest daughter from her first marriage, Anna Maria, died at the age of five years on 6 March 1797.¹⁴ The family may have been battling some kind of disease or the baby was not strong enough to survive as little Henri died on 6 June 1797 at the age of five months.¹⁵

The children grew and by 1802 Susanne’s oldest daughter was courting and the results were soon to be seen. Margaretha was 17 years old when she married Leonardus RÖELINGER on 18 November 1802.¹⁶ Three and a half months later, on 9 March 1803, she gave birth to a boy she named after her father Michel.¹⁷

Susanne’s brother-in-law Nicolas CHRISTOPHORY died on 16 December 1803.¹⁸ His widow Elisabeth was 46 years old when she married Theodore HELLESCH on 7 May 1806.¹⁹ It was on this marriage record that the 1796 date of death for Nicolaus KIEFFER, the bride’s father, was found.

Susanne’s mother Susanna SCHILTZ died on 4 August 1807. Her son-in-law Paul FRANTZ was the informant on her death record.²⁰ A little over a year later, on 9 October 1808, he was once again at the city hall reporting a death. This time it was his wife Susanne KIEFFER who died at the age of 54 years.²¹ She left 4 KOLBACH children and the FRANTZ twins.

My 4th great-grandfather was now alone and caring for his 13-year-old twin boys and three unmarried step-children who were in their twenties. Only his step-daughter Marguerite was married with two little boys but likely also living in the household as was her right as the oldest.

Five years after the death of Susanne, her daughter Catherine KOLBACH married Jacques HENTGES in Mondercange on 29 December 1813.²² This marriage was only found in the last few days.

Her brothers Michel and Peter KOLBACH would add some very interesting branches to my family tree.

Michel KOLBACH married Susanne HAMES (1786-1855) on 11 January 1815 in Mamer.²³ Susanne was the sister of my 4th great-grandmother Catherine HAMES (1789-1864), my direct matrilineal line.

Petrus KOLBACH married Susanna FRISCH, daughter of Jacob FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY, on 14 January 1818 in Mamer.²⁴ Jacob and Regina are also my fourth great-grandparents.

Confused? I hope this will help.

Less than three weeks later Nicolas FRANTZ, one of the twins, married Anna KÜNSCH (1795-1875) on 3 February 1818 in Mamer.²⁵

It would be another nine years before the other twin, my fourth great-grandfather, would marry Elisabeta FRISCH (1800-1880), daughter of the above-mentioned Jacob FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY. They were married on 18 January 1827 in Holzem.²⁶

All of Paul FRANTZ’s children, biological and step, were now married. I believe Paul was living in the home he had shared with his wife Susanne with her oldest daughter Margaretha and her family. This is supported by the census taken in 1843 and 1846. But before the census was enumerated there were several deaths in the family.

Petrus KOLBACH, a father of three sons, died on 23 April 1837 in Mamer at the age of 48.²⁷ His widow Susan FRISCH would live to the age of 93 dying on 20 October 1885.²⁸

The oldest of the bunch, Margaretha KOLBACH had given birth to ten children. She died on 16 December 1838 in Mamer.²⁹ She left a widower and six children. During the years the family had changed the spelling of RÖELINGER to RELINGER and finally REDLINGER, the version seen when Margaretha’s widower Leonardus die on 20 March 1843.³⁰

1843 Paul Frantz household.

In 1843 when the census was taken, Paul FRANTZ was the head of a household in Mamer. Living with him was his step-grandson Peter REDLINGER, his wife Susana WAGNER, and their four children. Both of Peter’s parents were deceased and he was likely the oldest of the REDLINGER children. The family home may have been passed on to him. In 1846 Peter REDLINGER was the head of household and Paul FRANTZ, as well as three of Peter’s single brothers, was living with the family.

Paul died at 8 in the morning on 27 July 1847 in Mamer at the age of 83. His death was reported by his step-grandson Peter REDLINGER.³¹

Michel KOLBACH died on 18 April 1855 in Mamer at the age of 70.³² He had fathered six children, two of whom died at a young age. His widow Susanna HAMES died exactly a month later on 18 May 1855 at the age of 68.³³

The only living KOLBACH child, Catherine died on 30 October 1869 in Bergem.³⁴ Until a few days ago I thought she may have died as a child. However, after finding her marriage record, I learned she was the mother of at least six children. Her husband Jacques died on the oldest son’s 15th birthday in 1830 leaving her widowed with children between the ages of 2 and 15.³⁵

Susanne KIEFFER’s KOLBACH children were now all deceased. Her twins, the sons she bore Paul FRANTZ, lived into their eighties. Nicolas FRANTZ, father of seven children (at least two died young), died on 8 August 1879³⁶ at the age of 84 and my fourth great-grandfather Johannes FRANTZ, father of five children (one died young) died on 24 January 1880³⁷ at the age of 85.

One final note of interest and the reason for the peculiar title for this article. My 4th great-grandparents Paul FRANTZ and Susanne KIEFFER were the 2nd great-grandparents of the famous Nicolas “Nic” FRANTZ, winner of the 1927 and 1928 Tour de France. He was not the first Luxembourger to win the Tour but he was the only one to win it twice and twice in a row.

 

P.S. Things are always busy this time of the year and I have not had the time to include the sources at the end of my last few articles. I relied on being able to point my readers to my online GEDCOM file, however, Rootsweb is currently unavailable and it is not known how long the downtime will last. Three more sets of 4th great-grandparents to go and then I will come back and add the sources later in January 2018. [Sources on this post were finally added 4 May 2021.]

© 2017-2021, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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1. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 46 of 168. 1783 Marriage Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-17711-69?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
2. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 51 of 168. 1784 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32401-18408-0?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
3. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 62 of 168. 1785 Baptismal Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-18173-83?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
4. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 73 of 168. 1786 Baptismal Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32401-17555-71?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
5. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 100 of 168. 1789 Baptismal Record (top of right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-806-79?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
6. Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 122 of 168. 1791 Baptismal Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-540-56?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
7. Diözesanarchiv Luxemburg / Archives diocésaines Luxembourg (images), Matricula Online, http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/, Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (citing original records in the Luxembourg Diocesan Archives, Luxembourg City), Mamer, KB 18: neuer Einband, Paginierung übernommen, Taufen, Heiraten, Sterbefälle [1779-1793], image 108 of 172, page 217, entry at top of page. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-18/?pg=108 : accessed 1 May 2021). ↩
8. Luxembourg registres paroissiaux 1601-1948, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 167 of 168. 1793 Death and Burial Record (right page, 7th entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-335-60?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
9. Ibid., Mamer > Tables des mariages 1779-1804 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 41 of 238. 1794 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-431Q?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-2NY%3A1500941501%2C1501133556 : accessed 20 December 2017). ↩
10. Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > 1843 > image 73 of 291. Households of Paul Frantz and his step-grandson Pierre Redlinger. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997B-2YDZ?cc=2037957&wc=M9MV-928 : accessed 3 May 2021). ↩
11. Ibid., Mamer > 1846 > image 195 of 297. Households of Pierre Redlinger and his step-grandfather Paul Frantz. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97B-2TK5?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-RMW%3A345860401%2C345858602 : accessed 3 May 2021). ↩
12. Archives diocésaines Luxembourg, GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, image 118 of 128, page 227 (stamped). 1796 Death Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=118 : accessed 25 April 2021). ↩
13. Ibid., GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, image 40 of 128, page 52, bottom. 1797 Baptismal Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=40 : accessed 28 April 2021). ↩
14. Luxembourg registres paroissiaux 1601-1948, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 28 of 30. 1797 Death Entry (index). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-SDQ?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-C6V%3A1500941501%2C1501074474 : accessed 23 December 2017). ↩
15. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 521 of 1497. 1797 Death Record (18 Prairial V) (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121172-9?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010). ↩
16. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1185 of 1504. 1802 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-49719-87?cc=1709358 : accessed 29 November 2015). ↩
17. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 99 of 549. 1803 Birth Record (18 Ventôse year XI). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XS45-8K?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-L29%3A130065401%2C130303901 : accessed 23 December 2017). ↩
18. Archives diocésaines Luxembourg, GV.MF 356-443, Mamer, KB-01, image 127 of 128, page 244 (stamped), 4th entry. 1803 Death Record. (https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/LU/luxemburg/mamer/KB-01/?pg=127 : accessed 26 April 2021). ↩
19.   Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil 1662-1941, Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1195+1196 of 1504. 1806 Marriage Record (part 1). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-61F9-RCL?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-FM9%3A130065401%2C130365601 : accessed ‎21. ‎August ‎2011) and 1806 Marriage Record (part 2). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-61F9-G1N?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-FM9%3A130065401%2C130365601 : accessed ‎21. ‎August ‎2011). ↩
20.   Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 585 of 1497. 1807 Death Record No. 17 (age 70). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-65D?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9%3A130065401%2C130130201 : accessed 20 December 2017). ↩
21. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 595 of 1497. 1808 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-119238-21?cc=1709358 : accessed 23 March 2010). ↩
22. Ibid., Mondercange > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1870 > image 217 of 1385. 1813 Marriage Record No. 14. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-698S-6J1?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-N38%3A130108901%2C130286801 : accessed 28 December 2017). ↩
23. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1259 of 1504. 1815 Marriage Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-61F9-R26?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-FM9%3A130065401%2C130365601 : accessed 8 October 2015). ↩
24. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1289 of 1504. 1818 Marriage Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-52496-64?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015). ↩
25. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1290 of 1504. 1818 Marriage Records No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-48736-80?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010). ↩
26. Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1370 of 1504. 1827 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-48893-0?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010). ↩
27. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 887 of 1497. 1837 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-X3D?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9%3A130065401%2C130130201 : accessed 22 December 2017). ↩
28. Ibid., Mamer > Décès 1881-1890 > image 66 of 144;. 1885 Death Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12699-122496-5?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015). ↩
29. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 904 of 1497. 1838 Death Record (right, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-XM6?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9%3A130065401%2C130130201 : accessed 22 December 2017). ↩
30. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 957 of 1497. 1843 Death Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-XKN?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9%3A130065401%2C130130201 : accessed 23 December 2017). ↩
31. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1002 of 1497. 1847 Death Record No. 28. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120450-0?cc=1709358 : accessed 24 March 2010). ↩
32. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1118 of 1497. 1855 Death Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-XXV?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9%3A130065401%2C130130201 : accessed 22 December 2017). ↩
33. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1119 of 1497. 1855 Death Record No. 15. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6XPQ-X88?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9%3A130065401%2C130130201 : accessed 22 December 2017). ↩
34. Ibid., Mondercange > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1870 > image 1371 of 1385. 1869 Death Record No. 28. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-698S-ZLS?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-N38%3A130108901%2C130286801 : accessed 28 December 2017). ↩
35. Ibid., Mondercange > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1870 > image 983 of 1385. 1830 Death Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-698S-S22?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-N38%3A130108901%2C130286801 : accessed 28 December 2017). ↩
36. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1472 of 1497. 1879 Death Record No. 29. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120679-13?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010). ↩
37. Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1478 of 1497. 1880 Death Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120588-9?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed 23 March 2010). ↩

52 Ancestors: #25 A Family on Two Continents

Michael GRASSER (1772-1821)

Michael GRASSER was born on 8 July 1772 in Moestroff, Canton Diekirch, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.¹ He was the son of Nicolas GRASSER vulgo REUTERS and Elisabetha WINANDY. Michael was the oldest of eight children born as follows: Michael 8 July 1772, Maria Margaretha 3 April 1774², Michael 24 February 1776³, Susanna 26 September 1777⁴, Wilhelm 11 February 1780⁵, Joannes 26 October 1782⁶, Mathias 12 November 1784⁷ (d. 5 March 1785⁸), and Philippe 24 July 1786⁹. Baptismal records were found for all of these children. Their father was often referred to as Nicolas GRASSER vulgo REUTERS.

1772 Baptismal Record for Michäel GRASSER [1]

Michael’s baptismal record was more revealing. The priest wrote:

Nicolai et Elisabetha Grasser conjugum in aedibus Reuters x Moestroff

This indicated the parents were a married couple who lived in a house known as Reuters in Moestroff. Reuters was their house name but the family would keep the GRASSER surname.

Elisabetha HOSCHEID (1772-1831)

Michael married Elisabetha HOSCHEID, daughter of Léonard HOSCHEID and Marie REULAND, on 20 January 1796 in Bettendorf, Diekirch, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.¹⁰ Elisabetha was born about 1772 in Brandenbourg.

Elisabetha’s family lived in Brandenbourg. This parish’s records are lacking and those which are included are out of order. I have not gone through them to find her parents’ family group. However, it is interesting that both her parents’ surnames are also names of town in Luxembourg. HOSCHEID variations are Hoscheit, Hoschet, Hoschette, Houschette; REULAND variations are Reiland, Reyland. Both names may have originated from town names. Did their families originally come from Hoscheid and Reuland? This thought went through my mind as I was climbing the hill up to Reuland, a village in the commune of Heffingen in central Luxembourg, yesterday on my bike. This was the view we were rewarded with after riding through the village to the top of the hill.

A field outside of Reuland on the way to Heffingen

Elisabeth and Michael marry in 1796

1796 M;arriage Record of Michael GRASSER and Elisabetha “HOSCHET” or HOSCHEID

Michael married Elisabetha on 20 January 1796 in Bettendorf. The marriage index card¹¹ gives 2 January 1796 but the record clearly is for the 20th. More interesting is the name of one of the witnesses for this religious marriage. Nicolas MERCKES of Bettendorf signed the entry making it easier for me to prove who he was. The signature matches those found on the baptismal records of his children. Nicolas was the great-great-grandfather of Fritz KREMER (1905-1972) who would marry Suzanne PEFFER (1910-1987), the great-great-granddaughter of Michael and Elisabetha, one hundred and thirty-five years later, on 7 January 1931. They were the parents of my mother-in-law Maisy KREMER (1931-1986).

Pedigree chart of Suzanne PEFFER (1910-1987 )

The children of Michael and Elisabetha

Michael and Elisabetha had the following children:

1. Nicolas GRASSER was born on 11 November 1796¹² in Moestroff and died on 18 February 1801¹³ in Moestroff at the age of 4 years.
   2. Margaretha GRASSER was born on 31 December 1797¹⁴ in Moestroff and died on 24 April 1848¹⁵ in Moestroff. She married Pierre RAUSCH, son of Mathieu RAUSCH and Marie SCHMIT, on 25 January 1820¹⁶ in Bettendorf. Pierre was born on 27 July 1796 in Consdorf (Canton Echternach). He died on 17 December 1875 in St. Nicholas, Stearns County, Minnesota. [8 children]
2. Jean GRASSER was born on 13 February 1799¹⁷ in Moestroff and died on 19 November 1803¹⁸ in Moestroff at the age of 4 years.
3. Anna Catharina GRASSER was born on 15 December 1801¹⁹ in Moestroff and died on 6 December 1821²⁰ in Moestroff, a week before her 20th birthday.
   5. Maria GRASSER was born about 1801 in Moestroff. Her birth record has not been found and when she married her sister Anna Catharina’s date of birth was listed. Maria died on 4 January 1882²¹ in Moestroff. She married Antoin “Anton” PEFFER, son of Adam PEFFER and Marguerite PIERRET, on 17 February 1830²² in Bettendorf. Anton was born on 20 May 1803²³ in Obermertzig (Feulen) and died on 26 December 1858²⁴ in Moestroff. Maria and Anton were my children’s 4th great-grandparents. [7 children]
4. Phillippe GRASSER was born on 26 July 1804²⁵ in Moestroff and died on 12 March 1805²⁶ in Moestroff at the age of nearly 8 months.
5. Cathérine GRASSER was born on 12 November 1805²⁷ in Moestroff and died on 1 March 1862 in Luxemburg, Stearns County, Minnesota. She married Michel LESCH, son of Jean LESCH and Elisabeth MAJERUS, on 28 March 1832²⁸ in Bettendorf. Michel was born on 15 April 1807 in Biesdorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany, and died on 27 June 1878 in Rockville, Stearns County, Minnesota. [8 children]
6. Nicolas GRASSER was born on 4 July 1807²⁹ in Moestroff and died on 1 June 1852³⁰ in Moestroff. He married Anne Cathérine STAUDT, daughter of Jean STAUDT and Madeleine SCHILTZ, on 2 March 1835³¹ in Bastendorf (Diekirch). Anne Cathérine was born on 16 January 1808³² in Brandenbourg and died on 24 November 1859³³ in Moestroff. [4 children]
7. Nicolas GRASSER was born on 23 April 1809³⁴ in Moestroff and died on 8 May 1867³⁵ in Lultzhausen (Neunhausen). He married Madeleine LENTZ, daughter of Jean LENTZ and Anne Marie MARTEN, on 9 June 1832³⁶ in Bettendorf. Madeleine was born on 17 February 1814 in Moestroff and died on 7 August 1844 in Moestroff. Following her death, Nicolas married Marguerite FRISCH, daughter of Michel FRISCH and Susanne WEBER, on 11 December 1844³⁷ in Bettendorf. Marguerite was born on 2 March 1820 in Beaufort (Echternach) and died on 22 May 1891³⁸ in Lultzhausen (Neunhausen). [10 children]

This is a long list of children but, sadly, not all survived childhood. Daughters Margaretha, Maria, and Cathérine, and the two sons named Nicolas were the ones who would marry and continue the line.

Michael dies at the age of 48

Michael and Elisabetha would only be present at the marriage of their oldest daughter Margaretha who married in 1820. A little over a year later, on 26 February 1821, Michael GRASSER died at 11 o’clock in the morning.³⁹ His wife Elisabetha went to the records office in Bettendorf the following afternoon at 2 o’clock to have his death recorded. She was not able to write and left only a mark on the death record. Mathias HESSE, the secretary, was the second witness and Nicolas RECHT, the mayor, was the civil official.

1821 Death Record of Michael GRASSER

How close was the family after Michael’s death?

Elisabetha HOSCHEID lived another ten years. Did all of her unmarried children live with her and support her?

On 17 February 1830 Elisabetha made her last appearance in a legal document when she was present and consenting to the marriage of her oldest single daughter Maria, my children’s 4th great-grandmother.

1830 Marriage Record of Anton PEFFER and Maria GRASSER

Reviewing the marriage record (once again) I found things I had questioned earlier. Maria’s age was left off and her date of birth was incorrect as mentioned above under #5. Her father was deceased and his date of death on the marriage record was the date for a child of the same name who died in 1809 and not for Michael who died in 1821.

Looking at the record now, in relation with the GRASSER family, it seems strange that neither of the bride’s brothers named Nicolas GRASSER nor her brother-in-law Pierre RAUSCH were present at the marriage. In the section for the witnesses, there is room for four persons and only three are listed, two PEFFER men – an uncle and a brother of the groom – and an unrelated man. I believe this is the only marriage record I have come across which does not have all four witnesses listed. Further, the marriage record appears to have been prepared in advance or at least by two persons. Notice the light handwriting at the top and bottom, while the middle section is darker and a different handwriting.

Were Maria’s family not happy with her choice? Or, was she in a family way and the rush to get her married caused errors to be made on the marriage record? Maria gave birth to her first child less than eight months after the marriage. Cutting it close or a premature birth, did it really matter as Maria was nearly 30 years old when she married?

Elisabetha dies at the age of 59

Elisabetha HOSCHEID’s son-in-law Pierre RAUSCH was the informant of her death on 17 September 1831 in Moestroff.⁴⁰ She died at 7 in the morning and Pierre was at the civil records office by 11. The record shows she died at the home of the RAUSCH family which makes me wonder if all of the family was living together at the time – Elisabetha’s unmarried children as well as her married daughter and grandchildren.

1831 Death Record of Elisabetha HOSCHEID

The years after Michael and Elisabetha

Following the death of their mother, Cathérine was the first to marry in March 1832 followed by the younger Nicolas in June 1832. The elder Nicolas married in March 1835.

Two families go to America

In 1848 [many family trees incorrectly list 1840] the oldest child Margaretha died. Her death was followed by the elder Nicolas GRASSER’s death in 1852. This appears to be a turning point in the family history.

Margaretha’s husband Pierre RAUSCH and five of their children emigrated from Luxembourg to Stearns County, Minnesota. Only the oldest daughter remained in Moestroff. A county history places the immigration at the latter part of the 1850s. They may have been the first to go to America but others would follow.

Cathérine and her husband Michael LOESCH (as the name was seen from 1852) also went to Stearns County. The move can be placed at after December 1855 when they were last seen in the Luxembourg census. The LOESCH family also had two sons named Nicolas. The elder was not with his parents in 1855 and likely accompanied Pierre RAUSCH and his children to America. From the History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II by William Bell Mitchell:

Nicholas [Loesch] set out for America in 1854. In 1855 he started for the West with a party of eight young men. They were among the first to pass through the canal at Sault Ste. Marie. Through swamps and woods they pursued their course and finally reached St. Paul. From there Nicholas came to St. Cloud. He first took a homestead in Rockville township, but allowed his right to lapse. His parents obtained a homestead in Rockville township, where they ended their days. Nicholas finally secured a location in section 3, near Pearl lake in Maine Prairie township. Here he erected a log cabin, and with a yoke of oxen and a cow started farming operations.

Two families remain in Luxembourg

While the families of Margaretha and Cathérine went to America, Elisabetha and Michael’s last living son Nicolas remained in Luxembourg but moved away from Moestroff to Lultzhausen. Only Maria, my children’s ancestress, remained in Moestroff as did several generations of her descendants until Suzanne PEFFER died there in 1987.

Genealogical Jackpot!

While checking the National Library of Luxembourg site for newspapers and periodicals for further information on the grandchildren of this couple I made a fantastic discovery concerning Elisabetha HOSCHEID. She and her husband were mentioned in a book written in 1858. I am overwhelmed and will share as soon as I get my thoughts together in a few days.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Michael GRASSER
Parents: Nicolas GRASSER vulgo REUTERS and Elisabetha WINANDY
Spouse: Elisabetha HOSCHEID
Parents of Spouse: Léonard HOSCHEID and Marie Catharina REULAND
Whereabouts: Moestroff, Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: my children’s 5th great-grandparents

1. Michael GRASSER and Elisabetha HOSCHEID
2. Maria GRASSER and Antoin PEFFER
3. Nicolas PEFFER and Marie ZWANK
4. Nicolas PEFFER and Maria MERTES
5. Suzanne PEFFER and Franz KREMER
6. Marie Françoise KREMER and Marcel MEDER
7. Living MEDER, husband of Cathy
8. Living MEDER, children of Cathy

© 2017, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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1. Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 11 of 94. 1772 Baptismal Record (right page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MSM8?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
2.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 13 of 94. 1774 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M9YM?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
3. Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 16 of 94. 1776 Baptismal Record (left page, 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-MSM7?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
4. Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 17 of 94. 1777 Baptismal Record (right page, 7th entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M91K?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
5.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 22 of 94. 1780 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M9LV?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
6.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 30 of 94. 1782 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M9B7?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
7.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 34 of 94. 1784 Baptismal Record (right page, 1st entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M9Y9?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
8.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 89 of 94. 1785 Death Record (laft page, 2nd to last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-MS25?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
9.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 37 of 94. 1786 Baptismal Record (left page, 5th entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-M9LR?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
10. Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 78 of 94. 1796 Marriage Record (right page, first entry under 1796). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-M341?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 22 July 2017). ↩
11.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Tables des mariages 1764-1797 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 49 of 163. 1796 Marriage Card. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32462-1492-17?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-N3L:1500974653,1501141688 : accessed 17 February 2015). ↩
12.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 59 of 94. 1796 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32400-2718-95?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ:1500974653,1500923326 : accessed 24 September 2015). ↩
13.  Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 855 of 1494. 1801 Death Record No. 20 (29 Pluviose an 9). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-8X6?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 19 July 2017). ↩
14. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), <i>FamilySearch</i> (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 159 of 238. 1797 Birth Record (bottom left and top right). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLP-JP?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
15. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1343 of 1494;. 1848 Death Record No. 29. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-40676-88?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 19 September 2015). ↩
16. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 47 of 1494. 1820 Marriage Record (right). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-DQM?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
17. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 192 of 238. 1799 Birth Record 25 Pluviose an 7 (bottom left and top right). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRL9-9QH?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
18. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1302 of 1507. 1803 Death Record No. 6 (27 Brumaire An XII). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-3823-98?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 September 2015). ↩
19. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1800-1827 > image 6 of 306. 1801 Birth Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11571-26449-5?cc=1709358 : accessed 17 May 2015). ↩
20. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1003 of 1494. 1821 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-6ZV?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 22 March 2010). ↩
21.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 348 of 465. 1882 Death Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-66484-26?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZR:n1595569028 : accessed 09 Apr 2013). ↩
22. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 221 of 1494. 1830 Marriage Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36020-39?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 09 Apr 2013). ↩
23. Ibid., Feulen > Naissances 1797-1816 > image 160 of 423. 1803 Birth Record No. 31 (1 Prairial XI). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12155-31454-48?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2PW:n1261300829 : accessed 09 Apr 2013). ↩
24. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1471+1472 of 1494. 1858 Death Record Nr. 45 (part 1). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-38836-65?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 09 Apr 2013). ↩
25. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1331 of 1507. 1804 Birth Record No. 60. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-X2M7-1F?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9%3A129626601%2C129945501 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
26. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1356 of 1507. 1805 Death Record No. 24. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-X2M4-YK?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9%3A129626601%2C129945501 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
27. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1800-1827 > image 40 of 306. 1805 Birth Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLB-R6?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DPD%3A129626601%2C129760501 : 17 July 2014). ↩
28. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 239 of 1494. 1832 Marriage Record No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-6LL?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
29. Luxembourg Parish Records, Bettendorf > Baptêmes 1800-1801, 1803-1807, mariages 1803-1807 > image 22 of 36. 1807 Baptismal Record (left page, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32400-1789-36?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SP2:1500974653,1501070786 : accessed 20 September 2015). ↩
30. Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1389 of 1494. 1852 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-ZMT?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
31. Ibid., Bastendorf > Mariages 1828-1850 > image 65 of 194. 1835 Marriage Record No. 8. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6PQC-WQ9?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-829%3A129624201%2C129782701 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
32.  Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 60 of 1476. 1808 Birth Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6277-ZMM?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL%3A129624201%2C129879301 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
33. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1486 of 1494. 1859 Death Record No. 44. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-89J?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
34. Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1800-1827 > image 76 of 306. 1809 Birth Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLR-SN?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DPD%3A129626601%2C129760501 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
35. Ibid., Neunhausen > Décès 1807-1890 > image 228 of 367. 1867 Death Record No. 10. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XCRH-FS8?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-829%3A130127901%2C130132701 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
36. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 239 of 1494. 1832 Marriage Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-6LL?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
37. Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 364 of 1494. 1844 Mrriage Record No. 15. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-61R?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 18 July 2017). ↩
38. Ibid., Neunhausen > Naissances, mariages, décès 1891-1894 > image 48 of 66. 1891 Death Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6FFH-FQF?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-92D%3A130127901%2C129717601 : accessed 23 July 2017). ↩
39.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1000 of 1494. 1821 Death Record (lower left). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36863-68?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 23 September 2015). ↩
40.  Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1111 of 1494. 1831 Death Record No. 31. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-DCB?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 25 July 2017). ↩

52 Ancestors: #48 Thankful for a Register Found in Mamer

Week 48 (November 26-December 2) – Thankful. November 26 is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Interpret the “thankful” theme however you’d like.

The FRANTZ-FRISCH Family of Mamer

I found a neat family register book dated 1718-1940 and notebooks with lists of all baptisms, marriages, and deaths for 1790-1804 in Mamer which I can use as a guide. Church records are available for baptisms, marriages, and death for 1779-1793 but not from 1794-1804 – the time period I need for my Jean and Elise.

I’m thankful to the person who compiled the alphabetical family group register of births/baptisms and marriages and linked them to the next generation of family groups for the town of Mamer in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

I discovered these the day before Thanksgiving while plowing FamilySearch in search of baptismal records of the mother and father of my FRANTZ-FRISCH family. I have the civil records for most of my Mamer family groups however things get complicated for the era before civil records were recorded. For FRANTZ-FRISCH both the mother and father of this family came from parents who had two marriages and children from all four marriages. Sound complicated? The register puts it all in perspective.

How to Start?

My third great-grandparents were Johannes “Jean” FRANTZ (1794-1880) and Elisabeta “Elise” FRISCH (1800-1880). Jean’s mother Susanne was previously married and widowed before marrying Jean’s father Paulus. Elise’s father Jacob died before her birth and her mother remarried.

17 Feb 1783 ~ Susanne KIEFER md. Peter KOLBACH

The Kolbach-Kiefer family group on bottom of page (part 1) [1]

The Kolbach-Kiefer family group on top of page (part 2) [1]

My fourth great-grandmother Susanne KIEFER was first married to Peter KOLBACH.[2] They were the parents of five children.[3], [4], [5], [6], [7] Peter died 30 May 1793.[8]

3 March 1789 ~ Jacob FRISCH md. Regina HUBERTY

The Frisch-Huberty family with the names of Regina Huberty’s children from her second marriage [9]

My fourth great-grandfather Jacobus “Jacob” FRISCH (1764-1800) married my fourth great-grandmother Regina HUBERTY  (1764-1840) on 3 March 1789 in Mamer.[10] Jacob was from Huncherange and Regina was from Capellen. Jacob died on 11 March 1800 in Capellen.[11] His wife Regina was eight months pregnant with my third great-grandmother, the fifth of five children:

• Susanna born 6 Jun 1792 in Capellen.[12] She married Petrus KOLBACH (1789-1837) on 14 January 1818 in Mamer.[13] Susanna died 20 October 1885 in Capellen.[14] Note: Her husband Peter KOLBACH was the half-brother of her sister Elise’s husband Jean FRANTZ.
• Margaretha born 24 Apr 1794 in Capellen.[15] She never married and died 2 Aug 1828 at the age of 34 years.[16]
• Franciscus “Franz” born 30 Aug 1796 in Capellen.[17] He married Magdalena MORRETTE (also seen as MORRET) (1796- ) on 22 January 1823 in Mamer.[18]
• Nicolaus born 13 Jul 1798 in Capellen.[19]
• Elisabeta “Elise” born 5 April 1800 in Capellen and baptized on 6 April 1800 in Mamer.[20] On her marriage record[21] her date of birth was given as 13 prairial year VIII which calculates to 2 June 1800. Which should I trust? The date of birth on the marriage record had to have come from the church or civil records in Mamer or the dates of birth and baptism found in the list in the notebook of events which took place in 1779-1804?

7 January 1794 ~ Paulus FRANTZ md. Susanne KIEFER

The Frantz-Kiefer family followed by the Frantz-Künsch family [22]

My fourth great-grandfather Paulus FRANTZ (1763-1847) married my fourth great-grandmother Susanne KIEFER (1754-1808) on 7 January 1794 in Mamer.[23] Susanne was 40 years old and widowed the previous year. She was the mother of five KOLBACH children between the ages of 3 and 10. Paulus was 30 years old, 10 years her junior.

Susanne gave Paulus twin sons, Nicolas and Jean, who continued the FRANTZ line in Mamer. The twins were born on 21 November 1794 in Mamer.[24] The next and last child, a son named Henri, born to her three days after her third wedding anniversary survived only five months.[25], [26]

Susanne KIEFER died on 9 October 1808 in Mamer when her FRANTZ twins were 13 years old.[27] At the time of her death her maiden name was spelled KEIFFER. The maiden name was seen as KÜFFER, KIEFER, and KEIFFER over the years.

21 December 1801 ~ Regina HUBERTY md. Peter KALMES

The Kalmes-Huberty family with information on Regina Huberty’s children from her first marriage. [28]

The year after Jacob FRISCH died his widow Regina HUBERTY married Peter KALMES on 21 December 1801 in Mamer.[29] Regina and Peter had three sons, two died soon after birth, leaving only son Peter KALMES (1805-1863). Note: I found the birth and death records for the three sons. The dates of birth on the image above for the first two sons do not match the conversion of the French Republican dates found on the records. This should be considered when searching for records with dates seen in this register. The marriage record of son Peter KALMES has the date of birth of his brother of the same name who was born and died before Peter was born.

Jean FRANTZ marries Elise FRISCH

Nicolas FRANTZ was the first of the FRANTZ twins to marry at the age of 23 years. He married Anna “Jeanne” “Johanna” KÜNSCH (1795-1875) on 3 February 1818 in Mamer.[30] Their children are listed above in the FRANTZ image.

His twin brother Jean waited until he was 32 years old to marry. Johannes “Jean” FRANTZ married Elisabeta “Elise” FRISCH on 18 January 1827 in Holzem.[21]

The Frantz-Frisch family [31]

Jean and Elise FRANTZ-FRISCH were my third great-grandparents. They had five children in Mamer in a ten year period. Jean was a farmer (cultivateur) and a weaver (tisserand).

They named their first child Regina born on 9 June 1827[32] after Elise’s mother and their second child Susanna born on 8 September 1829[33] after Jean’s mother. Susanna’s godparents were Michel Kolbach, her father’s half-brother) and A. Frisch (I suspect the initial may be incorrect and this could have been Elise’s sister Susanna). Their third child François lived less than three months, born on 25 August 1832[34] and died 15 November 1832.[35] His godparents were François Frisch, Elise’s brother, and Susanne Keunsch (This may have been Jean’s brother Nicolas’ wife).

Elise’s step-father Peter KALMES died 12 Nov 1833 in Capellen.[36] This was a little over a month before the birth of her fourth child Peter born on 24 December 1833.[37] Was he named after her step-father? His godparents were Peter Kalmes, Elise’s half-brother, and Margaretha Reif.

Elise and Jean’s fifth and youngest child was my second great-grandfather Jean born on 3 December 1837.[38] His godparents were his cousins, Johann Redlinger and Catharina Kolbach.

Little Jean was only two years old when his maternal grandmother Regina HUBERTY died 19 January 1840 in Capellen.[39] I wonder what stories his paternal grandfather Paulus FRANTZ told him before he died on 27 July 1847 in Mamer[40] when little Jean was 9 1/2 years old.

Jean and Elise’s children marry

The oldest of Jean and Elise’s children, Regina FRANTZ married Peter MÜLLER (1830-1863) on 13 December 1855 in Mamer.[41]

The Müller-Frantz family [42]

Their youngest child Jean “Johann” FRANTZ married Marie “Maria” MAJERUS (1850-1931) 16 Feb 1870 (75) Mamer.[43] Johann and Maria were my 2nd great-grandparents.

The Frantz-Majerus family [44]

Their son Pierre married a young lady from Hagen in the commune of Steinfort and his family groups are not included in the Mamer register. Pierre FRANTZ married Maria BIREN (1835-1873) on 20 February 1860 in Steinfort.[45] She died in 1873[46] after giving him eight children and he married her sister Marianna BIREN (1835-1900) on 22 April 1874 in Steinfort.[47] He raised the family he had with his first wife in Hagen. His second wife did not give him any children. His wives must have been twins, Maria born on 28 August 1835 and Marianna on 29 August 1835. The records of Hagen and Steinfort for the time period were kept in Autelbas in the Province of Luxembourg in Belgium. Although the Autelbas records for 1835 are online at FamilySearch they do not include the births in Hagen which would help me prove the BIREN sisters were twins.

The end of a generation

Jean’s twin brother Nicolas FRANTZ died on 8 Aug 1879 at the age of 84 years in Mamer.[48] Five months later Johannes “Jean” FRANTZ died on 24 Jan 1880 in Mamer.[49] He was 85 years old. His wife Elisabeta “Elise” FRISCH followed him ten months later on 15 November 1880 in Mamer.[50] She was 80 years old. They left three known living children: Pierre, Regina and Jean.

Pierre FRANTZ died 22 December 1907[51] in Hagen in the commune of Steinfort, Regina FRANTZ died 9 January 1909[52] in Mamer, and Jean “Johann” FRANTZ died 23 February 1929[53] in Mamer.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 152 of 375. Kolbach-Kiefer family register pg. 296-297. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32401-18637-76?cc=2037955 : accessed 28 November 2015).
[2] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 46 of 168. 1783 Marriage Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-17711-69?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[3] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 51 of 168. 1784 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32401-18408-0?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[4] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 51 of 168. 1784 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32401-18408-0?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[5] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 73 of 168. 1786 Baptismal Record (top of left page).  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32401-17555-71?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[6] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 100 of 168. 1789 Baptismal Record (top of right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-806-79?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[7] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 122 of 168. 1791 Baptismal Record (top of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-540-56?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[8] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 167 of 168. 1793 Death and Burial Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-335-60?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[9] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 59 of 375. Frisch-Huberty famly register pg. 109-110. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-261-80?cc=2037955 : accessed 25 November 2015).
[10] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 106 of 168. 1789 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32402-680-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[11] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 541 of 1497. 1800 Death Record (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121167-96?cc=1709358 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[12] Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 138 of 168. 1792 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-636-77?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[13] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1289 of 1504. 1818 Marriage Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-52496-64?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015).
[14] Ibid., Mamer > Décès 1881-1890 > image 66 of 144;. 1885 Death Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12699-122496-5?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015).
[15] Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 7 of 30. 1794 Baptismal entry 14 (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-330-60?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[16] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 790 of 1497. 1828 Death Record No. 20. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121141-26?cc=1709358 : accessed 28 November 2015).
[17] Luxembourg Church Rcords, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 9 of 30. 1796 Baptismal entry 21 (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-365-63?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[18] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1322 of 1504. 1823 Marriage Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-51879-75?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015).
[19] Luxembourg Church Rcords, Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 10 of 30. 1798 Baptismal entry 24 (rigth page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-360-74?cc=2037955 : accessed 29 November 2015).
[20] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 12 of 30. 1800 Baptismal entry, left page, line 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-337-61?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[21] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1370 of 1504. 1827 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-48893-0?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010).
[22] Luxembourg,Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 68 of 375. Frantz-Kiefer family register pg. 126-127. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-112-84?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[23] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 18 of 30. 1794 Marriage entry 1 (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32402-251-82?cc=2037955 : accessed 30 November 2015).
[24] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 8 of 30. 1794 Baptismal entries on lines 38 and 39. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-333-67?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[25] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1790-1804 > image 9 of 30. 1797 Baptismal entry on right page, line 1 under 1797. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32402-365-63?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[26] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 521 of 1497. 1797 Death Record (right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121172-9?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010).
[27] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 595 of 1497. 1808 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-119238-21?cc=1709358 : accessed 23 March 2010).
[28] Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 155 of 375. Kalmes-Huberty family register pg. 302-303. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-19114-34?cc=2037955 : accessed 28 November 2015).
[29] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1176 of 1504. 1801 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-47668-87?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010).
[30] Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1290 of 1504. 1818 Marriage Records No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-48736-80?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010).
[31] Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 68 of 375. Frantz-Frisch family register pg. 126-127. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-112-84?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[32] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 446 of 549. 1827 Birth Record No. 25. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12667-26507-59?cc=1709358 : accessed 9 February 2013).
[33] Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 476 of 549. 1829 Birth Record No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12667-26811-60?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 August 2011).
[34] Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 522 of 549. 1832 Birth Record No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12667-22399-59?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 August 2011).
[35] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 837 of 1497. 1832 Death Records No. 34. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120131-12?cc=1709358 : accessed 25 March 2010).
[36] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 848 of 1497. 1833 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121293-57?cc=1709358 : accessed 30 November 2015).
[37] Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1796-1833 > image 547 of 549. 1833 Birth Record No. 64. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12667-24244-71?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 August 2011).
[38] Ibid., Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > images 76  of 1504. 1837 Birth Record No. 58. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-49242-69?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L31:496689502 : accessed 09 Feb 2013).
[39] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 920 of 1497. 1840 Death Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-119662-3?cc=1709358 : accessed 27 March 2010).
[40] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1002 of 1497. 1847 Death Record No. 28. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120450-0?cc=1709358 : accessed 24 March 2010).
[41] Ibid.rch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121271-11?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed 26 March 2010).
[42] Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 173 of 375. Müller-Frantz family register pg. 337-338. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-19145-83?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[43] Luxembourg Civil Records, Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 310 of 1497. 1870 Marriage Record No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120441-3?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed 6 September 2014).
[44] Luxembourg Church Records, Mamer > Baptêmes 1718-1940, familles alphabétique > image 69 of 375. Frantz-Majerus family register pg. 128-129. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32402-122-58?cc=2037955 : accessed 27 November 2015).
[45] Luxembourg Civil Records, Steinfort > Mariages 1839-1890 > image 126 of 354. 1860 Marriage Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11553-44915-15?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-6TL:130395201,130467001 : accessed 20 June 2015).
[46] Ibid., Steinfort > Décès 1869-1890 > image 48 of 207. 1873 Death Record No. 26. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12570-58009-97?cc=1709358 : accessed 25 November 2015).
[47] Ibid., Steinfort > Mariages 1839-1890 > image 217 of 354. 1874 Marriage Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11553-44593-25?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-6TL:130395201,130467001 : accessed 20 June 2015).
[48] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1472 of 1497. 1879 Death Record No. 29. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120679-13?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 March 2010).
[49] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1478 of 1497. 1880 Death Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120588-9?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed  23 March 2010).
[50] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 1487 of 1497. 1880 Death Record No. 40. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-121110-79?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed 23 March 2010).
[51] Ibid., Steinfort > Décès 1895-1923 > image 108 of 267. 1907 Death Record No. 25. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32042-3351-95?cc=1709358&wc=9RTB-DPF:130395201,129623802 : accessed 20 June 2015).
[52] Ibid., Mamer > Décès 1895-1923 > image 193 of 379. 1909 Death Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32050-3165-56?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-3TB:130065401,129623802 : accessed 19 June 2015).
[53] Luxemburger Wort, digitized by the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg, http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu (Verlage der St-Paulus-Druckerei, Luxembourg), No. 56, February 25, 1929, p. 4 column 5. Avis mortuaire for Jean Frantz. (http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=1360603&search_terms=Frantz#panel:pp|issue:1360603|article:DTL341|query:Frantz : accessed 20 June 2015).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Johannes “Jean” FRANTZ
Parents: Paulus FRANTZ and Susanne KIEFER
Spouse: Elisabeta “Elise” FRISCH
Parents of spouse: Jacobus “Jacob” FRISCH and Regina HUBERTY
Whereabouts: Capellen and Mamer, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 3rd great-grandfather

1. Johannes “Jean” FRANTZ
2. Jean “Johann” FRANTZ
3. Catharina FRANTZ
4. Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE
5. Living WILDINGER
6. Cathy Meder-Dempsey

© 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.

52 Ancestors: #38 Favorite Place: Moestroff, Home of the PEFFER-GRASSER Family

Week 38 (September 17-23) – Favorite Place: What has been  your favorite place to research? Which ancestor came from there?

Can you guess my favorite place to research? Without a doubt, in 2015,  it’s been the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as this year’s research and writing has been dedicated to families from this county! If I had to narrow it down to a specific canton it would be a toss up between Diekirch, where most of my husband’s families came from, and Echternach. Narrowing it down even further I’d say the commune of Bettendorf and the village of Méischtref (Moestroff) would win out.

When I met my husband in 1975 he had only one living grandparent, his grandmother Suzanne PEFFER. She lived most of her life in Méischtref where we often visited her on Sundays until her death in 1987. Her father Nicolas PEFFER (1866-1941) was born and raised there as was his father Nicolas PEFFER Sr. (1833-1887). The senior did not come from his having a son of the same name. It came from his being the elder of two boys named Nicolas in the family of Antoine “Anton” PEFFER and Maria GRASSER.

Antoin PEFFER

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Feulen.PNG

Antoin PEFFER was born on 20 May 1803[1] in Obermertzig which at that time was in the commune of Feulen, canton of Diekirch. His parents were Adam PEFFER (1777-1848) and Marguerite PIERRET (1777-1843). They had married the previous year on 28 June 1802[2] in Feulen. He had six known siblings: Nicolas (1805-1896), Eve (1808-1808), Christian (1809-1883), Christine (1811-1866), Susanne (1814-1826), and Angélique (1817-1891).

Antoin lived with his parents and siblings in Obermertzig until about 1811-1814 when the family moved to Gilsdorf in the commune of Bettendorf.

Maria GRASSER

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Bettendorf.PNG

Maria GRASSER (1802-1882) was born about 1802-1803 in Moestroff to Michel GRASSER (1772-1821) and Elisabetha HOSCHEID (1772-1831).[3] Her parents were married on 2 January 1796[4] in Bettendorf. She had eight known siblings: Nicolas (1796-1801), Margaretha (1797-1848), Jean (1799-1803), Anna Catharina (1801-1821), Phillippe (1804-1805), Cathérine (1805-aft 1855), Nicolas (1807-1852), and Nicolas (1809-1867). It is interesting to note both of Maria’s brothers who were named Nicolas lived to marry and have children. Did her growning up with two brothers named Nicolas influence her and her husband to name two of their sons Nicolas?

Marriage of Antoine and Maria

Antoin PEFFER married Maria GRASSER on 17 February 1830[5] in Bettendorf. When they married the date of birth of Maria’s deceased sister Anna Catharina[6] was given on the marriage record instead of her own. I have not been able to locate a birth record for Maria. Not only did the civil servant get the wrong date of birth for Maria, he forgot to include her age AND he gave her deceased father Michel GRASSER’s date of death as 7 June 1809 instead of 26 February 1821.[7] The death record for Michel GRASSER who died on 7 June 1809[8] was for a child who died at the age of 3 years. Was the civil officer who checked for the supporting documentation for this marriage having a bad day or did rushing cause the errors?

Although records were very well kept in Luxembourg
mistakes in documents were not unknown as seen in
“You’d think they’d get that part right!”

Working Out the Estimated Birth of Maria

Since the marriage record had the incorrect date of birth and no age for Maria I wanted to find a document which would have the missing information. She is not listed in the Tables Décennales for the years 1803-1812 leaving a small window in 1802. There is one other record with a date of birth for Maria – the 1846 census[9] has 2 May 1802. This record is not very reliable. First it is too close to the date of birth of her sister Anna Catharina who was born on 15 December 1801. Second the dates of birth of all other persons in the household were compared with the dates found in their birth records. Not one of them is correct! Her husband was born in May but has July listed. Maria has May listed – could she have been born in July?

1846 Luxembourg Census [9]

Where else could I find her date of birth? Church records! Yes. Wouldn’t you know it? It’s Sunday and FamilySearch is DOWN!! Three hours without access to the Luxembourg records – I had to take some more drastic measures! I made a list of every record with an age for Maria:I compared the dates of birth of her siblings and Maria most likely fits in as child #5 in the list of children for Michel GRASSER and Elisabetha HOSCHEID:

Screenshot of Family View in AncestralQuest 14

When the FamilySearch site was working again I checked the church records and the civil records for Bettendorf and found there are records missing for the 1802-1803 period Maria was born in. Unless there are other, yet to be discovered, records for Maria GRASSER which state her birth date this may remain an unknown. For now I am using abt. 1802-1803 as her year of birth.

Antoin and Maria Move to Méischtref (Moestroff)

While his two brothers and two sisters who also married chose to remain in Gilsdorf, Antoin moved to Moestroff, Maria’s hometown, sometime after the birth of their first child and before the birth of their second child, between 1830 and 1833. Bettendorf lies between Gilsdorf and Moestroff and both villages are part of the commune of Bettendorf.

The children of Antoin and Maria were: (§ = end of line)

Ch 1: Marguerithe (1830-1892) born 6 October 1830[10] in Gilsdorf
Ch 2: Nicolas, the elder, (1833-1887) born 10 August 1833[11] in Moestroff
Ch 3: Nicolas, the younger, (1836-1911) born 28 July 1836[12] in Moestroff
Ch 4: Marie (1836-1843) born 28 July 1836[13] and died 20 April 1843[14] in Moestroff §
Ch 5: Catherine (1839-1839) born 24 July 1839[15] and died 19 September 1839[16] in Moestroff §
Ch 6: Catherine (1840-1840) born[17] and died 4 December 1840[18] in Moestroff §
Ch 7: Michel (1842-1910) born 23 June 1842[19] in Moestroff

Antoin PEFFER and his wife Maria GRASSER and their living children Marguerithe, Nicolas the elder, Nicolas the younger, and Michel were not found in the 1843 census. It was enumerated on 23 December 1843 in Moestroff. Antoin’s mother died on 22 December 1843[20] in Gilsdorf. His father’s household was enumerated on the day his wife, Antoin’s mother, died. Adam was listed as married. This was then crossed out and changed to widowed.[21] It is strange Antoin and his family were missed. I wonder if they had gone to Gilsdorf for the funeral and the person visiting the families for the census information forgot to go back when they got home.

Antoin, Maria and their four children were found in Moestroff when the census was taken on 15 December 1846[22], 31 December 1847[23], 5 December 1849[24], and 31 December 1851.[25]

Before the next census the oldest child and only daughter Marguerithe married Jean REITER (1827-1878) on 29 September 1852[26] in Bettendorf. The couple lived with the bride’s parents at the time of the census taken on 3 December 1852.[27] The first grandchild was Nicolas REITER (1855- ) born on 2 July 1855[28] in Moestroff. Following his birth Marguerite and her husband continued the tradition of naming two son Nicolas when their 2nd son was born in 1857. The REITER-PEFFER family continued to live with Antoin and Maria when the census was taken on 3 December 1855[29] and 3 December 1858.[30] The two son named Nicolas and son Michel were also still living at home.

1858 Luxembourg Census [30]

Antoin PEFFER died three weeks after the 1858 census on 26 December 1858[31] in Moestroff. He may have been weak and ill when the census was taken as his daughter Marguerithe signed the census.

Less than a year later the first of the sons married. The elder of the two sons named Nicolas married Marie ZWANK (1832-1892) on 30 November 1859[32] in Bettendorf.

Maria GRASSER had in her household her two unmarried sons, Nicolas the younger and Michel, as well as her daughter Marguerite and her family when the census was taken on 3 December 1861[33] in Moestroff.

Nicolas PEFFER, the younger, married(1) Margaretha SCHMIT (1836-1865) on 21 January 1862[34] in Wallendorf, Germany.

After the younger Nicolas married, his mother Maria GRASSER was seen for the last time on the census of 3 December 1864[35] in Moestroff as the head of household which included her youngest son Michel and her daughter’s REITER-PEFFER family.

Nicolas PEFFER, the younger, was widowed on 29 June 1865[36] and married(2), only three months later, Margaretha MORETTE (1840-1911) on 9 October 1865[37] in Bettendorf.

From 1867 on Maria, the widowed mother of this family, was seen as a member of her son-in-law and daughter’s REITER-PEFFER household on 3 December 1867[38], 1 December 1871[39], 1 December 1875[40], and 1 December 1880.[41]

Michel PEFFER was still living at home at the time of the 1867 census and several weeks later on 23 December 1867[42] he married(1) Anna MÜLLER (1840-1876) in Bettendorf. Following Anna’s death on 17 November 1876[43] Michel married(2) Elizabeth FRISCH (1849- ) two months later on 24 January 1877[44] in Bettendorf. His mother Maria was present at both marriages.

Maria GRASSER died on 4 January 1882[45] in Moestroff. Her 48 years old son Nicolas was the informant and gave her age as 81 years. The age of the son matches that of Nicolas the elder. To be sure I compared the signature on the death record with the signatures on the marriage records of Nicolas the elder and Nicolas the younger. Signature comparison proves Nicolas the elder was the informant.

Maria left four living children. They all died in Moestroff in the following order: Nicolas, the elder, on 4 March 1887[46]; Marguerithe REITER-PEFFER on 5 September 1892[47]; Michel on 27 September 1910[48]; and Nicolas, the younger, on 30 November 1911[49]. They gave her at least 30 grandchildren, 1/3 of whom died young. This ratio may go up as further research is done on the grandchildren of Antoin PEFFER and Maria GRASSER.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Feulen > Naissances 1797-1816 > image 160 of 423. 1803 Birth Record No. 31 (1 Prairial XI). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12155-31454-48?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2PW:n1261300829 : accessed 09 Apr 2013).
[2] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Tables des mariages 1764-1797 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 49 of 163. 1796 Marriage Card. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32462-1492-17?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-N3L:1500974653,1501141688 : accessed 17 February 2015).
[3] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 221 of 1494. 1830 Marriage Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36020-39?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 09 Apr 2013).
[4] Luxembourg Church Records, Bettendorf > Tables des mariages 1764-1797 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 49 of 163. 1796 Marriage Card. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32462-1492-17?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-N3L:1500974653,1501141688 : accessed 17 February 2015).
[5] 1. Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 221 of 1494. 1830 Marriage Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36020-39?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 09 Apr 2013).
[6] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1800-1827 > image 6 of 306. 1801 Birth Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11571-26449-5?cc=1709358 : accessed 17 May 2015).
[7] Luxembourg Parish Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1000 of 1494. 1821 Death Record (lower left). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36863-68?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 23 September 2015).
[8] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 903 of 1494. 1809 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-38721-89?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 21 September 2015).
[9] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > 1846 > image 287 of 334. Peffer-Grasser household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32356-28753-26?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-BZ9:346114101,345858602 : accessed 14 September 2015).
[10] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 62 of 1507. 1830 Birth Record No. 67. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-2596-82?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 19 March 2010).
[11] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 116 of 1507. 1833 Birth Record No. 44. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-6643-72?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-28S:1346120346 : accessed 03 Apr 2013). Note: birth was registered in Bettendorf but the record does not give the place of residence or birth.
[12] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 179 of 1507. 1836 Birth Record No. 54. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5927-71?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[13] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 179 of 1507. 1836 Birth Record No. 55. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5927-71?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[14] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1274 of 1494. 1843 Death Record No. 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36805-82?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 22 March 2010).
[15] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 237 of 1507. 1839 Birth Record No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-4093-88?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 6 September 2014).
[16] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1222 of 1494. 1839 Death Record No. 43. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-35707-93?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 22 March 2010).
[17] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 264 of 150. 1840 Birth Record No. 54. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-6907-69?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[18] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1238 of 1494. 1840 Death Record No. 26. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-38281-84?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 22 March 2010).
[19] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 304 of 1507. 1842 Birth Record No. 39. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-791-50?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[20] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1280 of 1494. 1843 Death Record No. 34. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-39436-79?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 2 September 2011).
[21] Luxembourg Census, Bettendorf > 1843 > image 139 of 288. Adam Peffer household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32360-28545-74?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-T3L:346114101,345863501 : accessed 23 September 2015).
[22] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1846 > image 287 of 334. Peffer-Grasser household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32356-28753-26?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-BZ9:346114101,345858602 : accessed 14 September 2015).
[23] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1847 > image 283 of 340. Peffer-Grasser household No. 272. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32355-22572-78?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-VZJ:346114101,345864101 : accessed 14 September 2015).
[24] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1849 > image 327 of 343. Peffer-Grasser household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32355-6692-53?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-TQW:346114101,345864801 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[25] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1851 > image 332 of 386. Peffer-Grasser household No. 24. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32351-22404-83?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-446:346114101,345865601 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[26] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 447 of 1494. 1852 Marriage Record No. 8. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-37645-72?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[27] Luxembourg Census, Bettendorf > 1852 > image 346 of 365. Peffer-Grasser household No. 51. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32350-732-75?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-S58:346114101,345865501 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[28] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 569 of 1507. 1855 Birth Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-6853-64?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 23 September 2015).
[29] Luxembourg Census, Bettendorf > 1855 > image 307 of 358. 1855 Peffer-Grasser household no.10.  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32379-21661-46?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-C6R:346114101,345866501 : accessed 18 February 2015).
[30] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1858 > image 319 of 365. 1858 Peffer-Grasser household no. 28. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32359-8860-48?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-2JF:346114101,345867601 : accessed 18 February 2015).
[31] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1471 of 1494. 1858 Death Record Nr. 45 (part 1). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-38836-65?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 09 Apr 2013). Note part 2 on image 1472.
[32] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 521 of 1494. 1859 Marriage Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-35911-81?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 03 Apr 2013).
[33] Luxembourg Census, Bettendorf > 1861 > image 117 of 367. Veuve Peffer-Grasser household No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32377-5585-58?cc=2037957&wc=M5GM-MNL:346114101,345867101 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[34] Mathias Emil Hubsch, Die Pfarrei St. Peter und Paul in der Grenzortschaft Wallendorf (Kreis Bitburg-Prüm) mit den Filialen Ammeldingen und Biesdorf 1744 – 1899 sowie den heutigen luxemburger Filialen Dillingen, Pfarrei Befort 1744 – 1807 und Hösdorf, Pfarrei Reisdorf 1744 – 1822, families number 1575 and 1576.
[35] Luxembourg Census, Bettendorf > 1864 > image 375 of 395. Veuve Peffer-Grasser household No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32381-22784-58?cc=2037957&wc=M5GS-2J7:346114101,345868401 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[36] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 77 of 465. 1865 Death Record No. 27. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-66134-61?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 27 August 2011).
[37] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 583 of 1494. 1865 Marriage Record No. 17. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-37701-87?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[38] Luxembourg Census, Bettendorf > 1867 > image 287 of 364. Reiter-Peffer household No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32373-9845-64?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-3TR:346114101,345869101 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[39] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1871 > image 793 of 823. Reiter-Peffer household No. 38. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32377-18879-32?cc=2037957&wc=M5L1-J46:346114101,345869501 : accessed 15 September 2015). Note: front and back matter on images 792 and 794.
[40] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1875 > image 287 of 789 . Reiter-Peffer household No. 27. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32380-13880-67?cc=2037957&wc=M5G9-VZK:346114101,345870501 : accessed 15 September 2015). Note: front and back matter on images 286 and 288.
[41] Ibid., Bettendorf > 1880 > image 715 of 793. Veuve Reiter-Peffer household No. 20.(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32390-6801-1?cc=2037957&wc=M5L1-JWR:346114101,345872201 : accessed 15 September 2015). Note: front and back matter on images 714 and 716
[42] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 599 of 1494. 1867 Marriage Record No. 6.  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-40558-99?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[43] Ibid., Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 265 of 465. 1876 Death Record No. 35. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-60694-30?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 23 September 2015).
[44] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 708 of 1494. 1877 Marriage Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36493-74?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[45] Ibid., Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 348 of 465. 1882 Death Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-66484-26?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZR:n1595569028 : accessed 09 Apr 2013).
[46] Ibid., Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 422 of 465. “.” 1887 Death Record No. 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-60202-94?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZR:n1595569028 : accessed 03 Apr 2013).
[47] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1882-1894 > image 125 of 155. 1892 Death Record No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11578-26576-80?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-2NT:129626601,130263301 : accessed 15 September 2015).
[48] Ibid., Bettendorf > Décès 1895-1923 > image 224 of 389. 1910 Death Record No. 35. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32048-24473-72?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-926:129626601,129623802 : accessed 14 September 2015).
[49] Ibid., Bettendorf > Décès 1895-1923 > image 242 of 389. 1911 Death Record No. 47. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32048-24118-56?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-926:129626601,129623802 : accessed 14 September 2015).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Antoin “Anton” PEFFER
Parents: Adam PEFFER and Marguerite PIERRET
Spouse: Maria GRASSER
Parents of spouse: Michel GRASSER and Elisabetha HOSCHEID
Whereabouts: Obermertzig, Gilsdorf, Moestroff
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 3rd great-grandfather

1. Antoin “Anton” PEFFER
2. Nicolas PEFFER
3. Nicolas PEFFER
4. Suzanne PEFFER
5. Marie Françoise “Maisy” KREMER
6. Cathy Meder-Dempsey’s husband

© 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.