Hastert – Opening Doors in Brick Walls

The Ancestors: Sébastian Lanser (1732-1804) of Echternach and Maria Catharina Hastert (1743-1808) of Steinheim

My fifth great-grandparents, Sébastian LANSER of Echternach and Maria Catharina HASTERT of Steinheim were married on 10 September 1760 in Steinheim. Sébastian’s father Jean LANSER was deceased. Maria Catharina’s father Jean Adam HASTERT was still living. The information was found on the card index in a collection that includes all church marriages in Luxembourg before 1767.¹

Not noted on the index card are the names of the mothers of the bride and groom. Both were still living. Maria Catharina’s mother was Odilia FUNCK (1718-1778); Sébastian’s mother was Johanna FASS (1692-1774).

Card Index of the Marriage Record

At the bottom of the card index, the name of the parish, the volume number of the church register, and the page number are found. These help find the original entry.

Marriage Record

On FamilySearch in the church records for Echternach, I searched for the collection that would include marriages in 1760 and found Mariages, décès 1706-1778, that is to say, marriages and deaths for the years 1706-1778. The first image of the collection gives the volume number as well as a short table of content with page numbers.

The marriage record was found on page 248 of register 4. Two marriages took place on 10 September 1760 with the LANSER-HASTERT marriage being noted second.

The marriage entry in the register is in Latin.

On the same day (referring to the previous entry for the 10th) in the presence of Jean FUNCK of Bech and Jean Adam HASTERT of Steinheim, Father Constantine in Steinheim solemnized the marriage between the respectable young Sébastian, the legitimate son of the deceased Jean LANSER of Echternach, and Maria Catharina, the legitimate daughter of Jean Adam HASTERT of Steinheim.

The second man present at the marriage was Maria Catharina’s maternal grandfather Jean FUNCK (1688-1773) of Bech.²

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Steinheim, Luxembourg.

The couple, in all likelihood, said their vows in Steinheim in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in front of the 17th-century Baroque sandstone altar.

The LANSER children

Sébastian, a draper, and his wife Maria Catharina lived in Echternach where they raised their family of ten children.

Johann Adam was baptized on 25 March 1762³ and died before 1766. This child was not enumerated on the census of 1766 with his parents, brother Heinrich, and his paternal grandmother Johanna FASS (1692-1774).⁴

Heinrich was baptized on 13 March 1764⁵ and died on 19 November 1827 at the age of 63.⁶ He married Anne-Marie HERR on 20 September 1791.⁷

Anna Maria was baptized on 20 May 1767⁸ and died on 7 July 1803 at the age of 36.⁹ She was never married.

Odilia was baptized on 10 January 1770¹⁰ and died on 24 December 1828 at the age of 58.¹¹ She was never married.

Catharina was baptized on 11 November 1772¹² and died on 15 January 1833 at the age of 60.¹³ She married Johann HERR on 20 September 1791.¹⁴

Catharina was baptized was 2 February 1774.¹⁵ No record of marriage or death has been found. [See Research Manager at the end of this post.]

Eva was baptized on 13 May 1777¹⁶ and died on 19 March 1862 at the age of 84.¹⁷ She married Henri CONSBRÜCK, son of Johann CONSBRÜCK and Barbara SCHMIDT, on 10 February 1805.¹⁸ Eva and Henri were my 4th great-grandparents.

Margaretha was baptized on 24 March 1780¹⁹ and died on 9 March 1852 at the age of 71.²⁰ She married Johann SELM on 9 June 1811.²¹

Nicolas was baptized on 18 November 1782²² and died on 23 October 1828 at the age of 45.²³ He married Catharina Magdalena JOERG between 7 and 20 September 1813. The date was omitted from the marriage record. The record was found between a marriage on the 7th and on the 20th.²⁴

Peter was baptized on 5 June 1785²⁵ and died on 3 February 1815 at the age of 29.²⁶ He was never married. Per military records found for Peter, he was presumed to be a prisoner of war in Russia on 11 October 1812. He was in the same military unit as his 1C1R Sébastian LANSER and other men from the Echternach area.²⁷ He came home to Echternach where he died a little over two years later.

Forty-four years of marriage

Sébastian died at the age of 72 on 13 June 1804²⁸, a few months before his 44th marriage anniversary. His widow Maria Catharina died on 10 March 1808 at the age of 65.²⁹

DNA Matches

Two very low DNA matches for my mother lead me on a virtual trip to Danzig, England, and Australia. Nicolas, the middle child of Sébastian and Maria Catharina’s son Heinrich, went to Danzig, then a part of Prussia, where he married and raised a family of at least eleven children. One of these children, a son, went to Kent, England, where he raised a family of five sons with an English lady. Four of these sons eventually went to Australia. The matches, a 5th cousin (7 cMs > unweighted 10 cMs) and a 5th cousin once removed (10 cMs > unweighted 16 cMs), are descendants of two of the four Australian immigrants.

Research Manager

I see nothing wrong with sharing the things you are still uncertain about.
~ Amy Cohen of Brotmanblog: A Family Journey

Update: A comment/question left by Amy yesterday on this post brought about a small change in the way I’ll be doing these posts. I’ve added one more section heading to the post: Research Manager, a place to add the things I’m not certain about and will be looking into in the future.

The LANSER-HASTERT couple had two daughters named Catharina. It is not unusual in Luxembourg families for children to have the same names. Others who’ve researched this line (including the compilers of both family books for Echternach) show the first daughter to be the one who married. I suspect this to be incorrect. I think it is possible that Catharina b. 1772 died before the birth of Catharina b. 1774. I searched for a death/burial entry in the church records from 1772-1778 without results. Records that would show the age of Catharina who married in 1791 need to be checked to prove/disprove when she was born, in 1772 or 1774.

Thanks to Amy’s question about the two daughters with the same name, this new section will include things I am planning to research. Hopefully, this will lead to answers from readers who may have already looked into the points in question.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Sébastian LANSER
Occupation: Draper, a person who sells cloth, clothing, etc.
Parents: Johann Peter LANSER and Johanna FASS
Spouse: Maria Catharina HASTERT
Parents of spouse: Jean Adam HASTERT and Odilia FUNCK
Whereabouts: Echternach and Steinheim
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 5th great-grandparents

1. Sébastian LANSER and Maria Catharina HASTERT
2. Eva LANSER and Henri CONSBRÜCK
3. Anna Maria “Maria” CONSBRÜCK and Jean Joseph SCHLOESSER
4. Odile Lucie SCHLOESSER and André FOURNELLE
5. Jean Joseph FOURNELLE and Catharina FRANTZ
6. Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE and Nicolas WILDINGER
7. Living WILDINGER and Fred Roosevelt DEMPSEY
8. Catherine Ann “Cathy” DEMPSEY and Living MEDER
9. Our children

Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Echternach > Tables des mariages 1706-1797 Lahr-Westmon (index organisée par l’époux) > image 29 of 1627. 1760 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-HHFD?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-T36%3A1500937901%2C1501202802 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Mariages, décès 1706-1778 > image 131 of 293. 1760 Marriage Record (left, 7th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8971-16N3?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PYM%3A1500937901%2C1501028848 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 10 of 131. 1762 Baptismal Record (left, 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8971-1X8Y?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
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/DGS 1781975 > Film # 008198977 > Decanat de Bittbourg v. 1 A-K: > Echternach > Image 222 of 753. Lanser and Metzdorf families. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLL-M7DK-L?i=221&cat=1184675 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 19 of 131. 1764 Baptismal Record (right, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8971-1XDP?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 733 of 1463. 1827 Death Record No. 74. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-H6C?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Tables décennales 1823-1892 Registres paroissiaux 1779-1797 Naissances 1796-1808 > image 825 of 1446. 1791 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRPS-DW2?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-3TL%3A129623201%2C130776701 : accessed 28 Jan 2013). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 33 of 131. 1767 Baptismal Record (right, 5th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G971-1X83?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Naissances, mariages, décès 1796-1803 > image 510 of 517. 1803 Death Record No. 64 (18 messidor an XI). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997J-T4WV?cc=1709358&wc=9RTY-RMC%3A129623201%2C130672801 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 46 of 131. 1770 Baptismal Record (right, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9971-1X6K?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 754 of 1463. 1828 Death Record No. 61. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-HS7?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 60 of 131. 1772 Baptismal Record (right, 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L971-1X6J?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 865 of 1463. 1833 Death Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-4Z7?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Tables décennales 1823-1892 Registres paroissiaux 1779-1797 Naissances 1796-1808 > image 825 of 1446. 1791 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRPS-DW2?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-3TL%3A129623201%2C130776701 : accessed 28 Jan 2013). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 67 of 131. 1774 Baptismal Record (right, 5th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L971-1XX8?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Baptêmes 1761-1797 > image 83 of 131. 1777 Baptismal Record (left, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8971-1X4C?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-PY3%3A1500937901%2C1501065634 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Décès 1856-1862 > image 181 of 205. 1862 Death Record No. 17. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11022-10289-61?cc=1709358 : accessed 18 November 2015). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Tables décennales 1823-1892 Registres paroissiaux 1779-1797 Naissances 1796-1808 > image 1343+1344 of 1446. 1805 (21 pluviose an 13) Marriage Record No. 100 (part 1). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11573-62479-92?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 November 2015) and Marriage Record No. 100 (part 2). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11573-72489-87?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 November 2015). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes, mariages, décès 1779-1783 > image 47 of 177. 1780 Baptismal Record (right, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M6QZ?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-YWT%3A1500937901%2C1500939202 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 1402 of 1463. 1852 Death Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-HY9?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Mariages 1809 > image 111 of 1462. 1811 Marriage Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1MW-76P?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-C68%3A129623201%2C129776101 : accessed 9 August 2021). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes, mariages, décès 1779-1783 > image 125 of 177. 1782 Baptismal Record (right, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MDR4?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-YWT%3A1500937901%2C1500939202 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 751 of 1463. 1828 Death Record No. 48. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-7FG?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Mariages 1809 > image 178 of 1462. 1813 Marriage No. 19. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1MW-QS4?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-C68%3A129623201%2C129776101 : accessed 11 May 2021). ↩
Luxembourg Church Records, Echternach > Baptêmes, mariages, décès 1784-1788 > image 49 of 172. 1785 Baptismal Record (left, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MDJG?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-Y4W%3A1500937901%2C1500960252 : accessed 17 December 2017). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 411 of 1463. 1815 Death Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-Q12?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 19 December 2017). ↩
Matricules Napoléoniens 1802-1815 (index and images), Mémoire des hommes, Registres de matricules de l’armée Napoléonienne (garde impériale et de l’infanterie de ligne) pour la période 1802-1815. (Entry point for database https://fr.geneawiki.com/index.php/Matricules_Napol%C3%A9oniens_1802-1815/Mode_op%C3%A9ratoire), Number/Source: SHD/GR 21 YC 783, 108e régiment d’infanterie de ligne, 3 frimaire an XIV [24 novembre 1805]-25 novembre 1808 (matricules 3 001 à 6 000), Matricule: 3279, image 48 of 557. Matricule: 3279; Nom: LANSER; Prénoms: Pierre; Prénoms père: Sébastien; Prénoms mère: Marie Catherine; Nom mère: HASTERT; Lieu de naissance: Echternach; Département de naissance: Les Forêts, Luxembourg; Date de naissance: 05 juin 1785. (https://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/fr/ark:/40699/e0052a8c4b390c4b/52a8c4b45cad3 : accessed 11 May 2021). ↩
Luxembourg Civil Records, Echternach > Tables décennales 1823-1892 Registres paroissiaux 1779-1797 Naissances 1796-1808 > image 1245 of 1446. Death Record No. 152 (24 Prairial an 12). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRPS-DBH?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-3TL%3A129623201%2C130776701 : accessed 25 Jan 2013). ↩
Ibid., Echternach > Mariages 1887-1890 Décès 1796-1853 > image 220 of 1463. 1808 Death Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XSSS-QBS?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-L29%3A129623201%2C129958201 : accessed 8 October 2015). ↩

52 Ancestors: #43 A Draper and Four Seamstresses

As I’m coming closer to the end of this project of writing about my children’s 5th great-grandparents, I’ve started missing the days when I spent weeks and months working on the all descendants of a brick wall ancestor. The focus on one family a week is taking its toll.

As I write these posts I find myself wanting to go back one generation and then another searching for a common thread which ran through the families. The thrill of adding a new most distant ancestor is still great but I find myself having to set aside the research before I am ready to quit.

With Eva LANSER and Henri CONSBRÜCK, my fourth great-grandparents, I tried to keep from working further however relationships mentioned in records made me seek the answers to questions I had. This led to new ancestor discoveries and several new names in the family tree.

Pedigree of a daughter of Henri CONSBRÜCK and Eva LANSER with the new ancestors found while updating information (my 3rd to 7th great-grandparents).

Eva LANSER (1777-1862)

My fourth great-grandmother Eva LANSER was born and baptized on 13 May 1777 in Echternach. She was the daughter of Sébastian LANSER (1732-1804) and Maria Catharina HASTERT (1743-1808).

1766 Census for the town of Echternach in Luxembourg with the LANSER family.

Eva’s parents were married in 1760 and were found on the 1766 census in Echternach with their second son Henri. Their first son named after the paternal grandfather Johann Adam HASTERT had likely died between the time of his birth in 1762 and the 1766 census. After the census six daughters were born, Eva being the 5th, and then finally two more sons. All of these children grew to adulthood except for one daughter who has not been traced. As with the oldest son Johann Adam, her death may not have been recorded in the church register. I have found this to be the case in some parishes where mostly only adult deaths were recorded. Eva’s father worked as a cloth maker (draper) or drapier. None of his sons followed in his steps.

On 20 September 1791, a double marriage took place in the LANSER family. The oldest son Henri and his sister Catherine married the HERR siblings, Anne-Marie and Johann. Their children would later be close to Eva’s small family.

Eva’s father Sébastian LANSER died on 13 June 1804. His oldest son Henri was the informant on his death. Henri was working as a messenger or messager. I suspect this may have been military-related as the Napoleonic Wars were going on at this time. With the death of the father Sébastian the family’s livelihood may have been in jeopardy.

Eight months later Eva married Henri CONSBRÜCK, son of Johann CONSBRÜCK and Barbara SCHMIDT, on 10 February 1805 in Echternach.

Henri CONSBRÜCK (1775-1850)

Henri was a cloth maker and I suspect the trade he was proficient in was one of the reasons he and Eva married. Had he been working in Sébastian’s atelier before his death or did he take over the looms only when he married Eva?

Henri CONSBRÜCK was born and baptized on 5 April 1775 in Echternach. He was the oldest of three children born to Johann and Barbara after their marriage in 1773. His sister Anna Maria was born in 1779 and lived only 8 years. He also had a brother Matthias who was born in 1782 and moved away from Echternach to the Trier, Germany, area when he married sometime before 1816.

Eva and Henri’s Marriage Record

Present at the marriage of Eva and Henri were both of their mothers as well as four witnesses who were relatives. Eva’s brother Henri LANSER, her brother-in-law Johann HERR, as well as Bernard and Mathias WAMPACH, both “uncles” of the groom.

The relationship of the last two witnesses is still under investigation. Bernard was married to Maria CONSBRÜCK (daughter of Johann Wilhelm CONSBRÜCK and Anna Maria PROMMENSCHENKEL) however her relationship to Henri has not been established. I suspect the relationship given in the marriage record was not that of an uncle as we define it today. This might be a blessing in disguise as so far no connection has been made between my CONSBRÜCK line and the parents of Maria. Further confusion has been caused by my Henri’s grandfather also being a Johann Wilhelm. His grandfather was about the same age, married about the same time, and lived about as long as the other man with the same name and in the same location.

The years after their marriage

Henri and Eva’s first child Barbara was born on 21 February 1806. Two years later Eva’s mother Maria Catharina HASTERT died on 10 March 1808. Her death was reported by her oldest son Henri LANSER who was still working as a messenger.

Eva was pregnant with twins when her mother died. Bernard and Marguerite were born on 2 September 1808. They survived only seven months. Marguerite died on 5 April 1809 and Bernard less than a week later on 11 April 1809.

Little Barbara was nearly four years old when Anna Maria, my third great-grandmother, was born on 4 February 1810 to Eva and Henri. Anna Maria went by Maria to distinguish her from a sister with the same name who would be born later.

Eva’s younger sister Margaretha LANSER was 31 years old when she married the 25 years old Johann SELM (1786-1846) on 9 June 1811. None of the witnesses to the marriage were relatives.

Henri and Eva’s next child was born on 3 July 1812. She lived five months, dying on 8 December 1812. They named her Odile.

Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)

War had overshadowed the CONSBRÜCK and LANSER families since before Eva and Henri’s marriage. The wars may not have been raging in Echternach but the people were still affected. Eva’s youngest brother Peter LANSER joined the corps on 27 frimaire in the year XIV or 18 December 1805.

Peter was presumed to be a prisoner of war in Russia as of 11 October 1812. He was in 108e régiment d’infanterie de ligne with his 1C1R Sébastian LANSER (whose godfather in 1784 had been Peter’s father) and several other young men from the Echternach area. The presumption of his being a prisoner of war probably came about when Napoleon’s army was evacuating Moscow in October following the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812, the deadliest day of the Napoleonic Wars. The information on Peter’s being in the military and a possible POW came from the Matricules Napoléoniens 1802-1815 database.

Eva’s second youngest brother Nicolas LANSER was 30 years old when he married Catharina Magdalena JOERG (1790-1847) in September 1813. A date is missing on the marriage record however it must have taken place between the 7th and the 20th as these are the dates on the previous and next records.

Two years later another daughter was named Anna Maria and would be known as Anna. She was born on 8 January 1814.

Eva’s brother Peter had returned from Russia and was living in Echternach on 3 February 1815 when he, a former soldier for the French army, died at the age of 29 years (31 years on the death record). The Napoleonic Wars ended later in the year on 13 September 1815.

Years after the wars

Henri was still working as a cloth maker and was likely hoping to have a son to teach the cloth-making trade to. On 31 March 1816, Eva gave him a son they named Jean. He lived only a few days and died on 3 April 1816.

Henri and Eva named their last child, a daughter born on 4 July 1817, Odile. I suspect the name was important to Eva and the LANSER family members as Eva’s maternal grandmother was named Odilia FUNCK (abt. 1715-1778) and the name continued to be used in the family for several more generations.

Eva and Henri’s family was now made up of four daughters. Not having any sons to pass the trade on to, did his daughters help him with the wool weaving as they grew older? What I do know is that all of the daughters worked as seamstresses, maybe even sewing the cloth made by their father.

Ten years after the birth of the last daughter, Eva would be attending several funerals as she lost two brothers and a sister: Henri (63) died on 19 November 1827, Nicolas (45) died on 23 October 1828, and Odile (58) died on 24 December 1828.

Henri’s mother Barbara SCHMIDT, the only living grandparent of the four CONSBRÜCK girls, died on 10 May 1829 at the age of 81. She died in house number 360 in the rue de Luxembourg in Echternach. Henri and Eva also lived in the rue de Luxembourg, however, their house number at that time is not known. Had Barbara been living with her daughter Eva and her family?

Eva’s sister Catherine LANSER died on 15 January 1833 at the age of 60. Her death was reported by her husband Johann HERR.

Sometime before 1835 my third great-grandmother, the daughter known as Maria, went to the city of Metz in France to work. While there she may have met Jean Joseph SCHLOESSER (1807-1841) of Vianden. He was the son of Jean-Népomucène SCHLOESSER and Margaretha TRAUDT. The young couple married in Metz on 17 November 1835. During the next six years, Maria gave birth to four daughters, the only grandchildren of Eva and Henri. Maria’s husband Jean Joseph died in Metz on 25 November 1841. Their oldest daughter likely died before 1843 as she was not found in the census with her three sisters. A death record for Madelaine was not found in Metz or in Echternach. This makes me wonder if she may have died while the family was traveling from Metz back to Echternach.

The extended family in the census

In 1843 Henri was the head of a household with his wife, his daughter Barbara and his three SCHLOESSER granddaughters. His daughters Maria, Odile, and Anna are missing and were likely working someplace other than Echternach. Henri’s occupation on the 1843 census was wool weaver (fileur de laine).

In 1846 he was again seen as a cloth maker (drapier). As in 1843 his daughter Barbara and the grandchildren were with Henri and Eva in 1846. Maria, the mother of the grandchildren, may be in the household but listed as single. It is also possible that the entry is her sister Anna Maria who usually went by Anna. Using their full names on official documents caused problems like this.

In 1847 the entire family group is listed: Henri and Eva with their four daughters and three granddaughters. The two younger daughters Anna Maria (Anna) and Odile are listed as absent and working as servants in France. Henri was now seen as a laborer and his daughters Barbara and Maria did not appear to be working.

In 1849 Henri may have not been well or had given up his cloth making. He was listed as having no occupation. However, his three single daughters are listed as seamstresses. Along with his wife Eva, there were two more young ladies in the household. They were Eva’s nieces Eve and Catherine HERR who were also working as seamstresses. His widowed daughter Maria and her three daughters were living in their own household.

More deaths in the family

Henri CONSBRÜCK died on 22 May 1850 in Echternach at the age of 75. His death was reported by his nephew Johann HERR, the youngest son of Eva’s sister Catherine.

Eva’s only living sibling Margaretha LANSER died on 9 March 1852 at the age of 71. Eva LANSER was now the only person left from her generation. She lived a decade longer.

Shortly before her death all of her daughters and granddaughters were living with her when the census was taken on 3 December 1861. Eva LANSER died three months later on 19 March 1862 at the age of 84 years. Her death was reported by her nephews Peter LANSER and Johann HERR.

The four seamstresses

Eva’s three single daughters Barbara, Anne, and Odile continued to work as seamstresses as did her widowed daughter Maria. The four sisters continued to live and most likely work together in their home in the rue de Luxembourg.

Eight years after the death of their mother Eva, the sisters lost their oldest sibling Barbara. She died on 2 November 1870 at the age of 64. Johann HERR, her cousin, and Heinrich DIESCHBOURG, a neighbor and tailor, were the informants for her death.

The remaining three sisters lived two more decades. Odile, the youngest, died on 17 July 1890 at the age of 73. Two years later Anna died on 2 March 1892 at the age of 78. Both of their deaths were reported by their sister Maria’s son-in-law Dyonisius Johann Peter MAAS.

My third great-grandmother Anna Maria “Maria” CONSBRÜCK was the last of the seamstress sisters. She died on 29 September 1897 at the age of 87 years. Her death was also reported by her son-in-law. Maria born in 1810 left a mystery which took me two decades to solve.

Chiseled in stone: “Veuve Schloesser 1800-1889”

Henri CONSBRÜCK and Eva LANSER came from large families but only one of their daughters married and had children. Of the four grandchildren, three grew to adulthood but only two married. The name Odile was passed on to this generation to my 2nd great-grandmother Odile Lucie SCHLOESSER and to her granddaughter, my grand-aunt, Odile Lucie FOURNELLE.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Henri CONSBRÜCK
Parents: Johann CONSBRÜCK and Barbara SCHMIDT
Spouse: Eva LANSER
Parents of spouse: Sébastian LANSER and Maria Catharina HASTERT
Whereabouts: Echternach, Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 4th great-grandfather

1. Henri CONSBRÜCK
2. Anna Maria “Maria” CONSBRÜCK
3. Odile Lucie SCHLOESSER
4. Jean Joseph FOURNELLE
5. Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE
6. Living WILDINGER
7. Cathy Meder-Dempsey

52 Ancestors: #26 A Visit of Moestroff, Ancestral Home of the Zwanck-Welter Family

I love it when I’m speculating about a relationship, searching for records to back it up, and end up finding the one document that brings it all together!

Remember doing jigsaw puzzles as a child? Did you try to connect the pieces even when they didn’t fit? The pieces of my puzzle were all spread out and I was sure they would come together into one picture.

Castle of Moestroff hidden behind walls and overgrown hedges and trees

Clara WELTER and Franz ZWANCK are another set of my children’s 5th great-grandparents in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Clara and Franz lived in the town my husband often visited while growing up. Being the oldest grandchild of Suzanne PEFFER and Fritz KREMER he would spend his summer vacation with his grandparents, running around the little village, and playing with the children there. Little did he know, his friends were most likely distantly related to him as many families have deep roots in the little hamlet.

The mill of Moestroff across the Sauer River from the castle and church.

Moestroff is a village which is on one of our main bike routes when riding north of Echternach and we stopped there to take a few photos this week.

The church of Moestroff (side view from back) with the priest’s entry door.

Franz ZWANCK (1750-1820)

Franciscus “Franz” ZWANCK was born about 1750 in Moestroff, commune of Bettendorf, district of Diekirch, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. His estimated date of birth was calculated from the age at death seen in his death record. I believe he may have been born several years after 1750. He was the son of Pierre ZWANG (d. aft. 1789) and Anne Marie HUSCHET (d. bef. 1789) per Franz’s 1789 marriage record. He died on 3 June 1820 in Moestroff.[1]

Clara WELTER (1766-1826)

Franciscus married Maria Clara WELTER, daughter of Johann WELTER and Anna Maria FELTES, on 26 October 1789 in Bettendorf.[2] Clara, as she was known, was born on 4 July 1766 in Reisdorf[3], the fifth of seven children. She died on 25 January 1826 in Moestroff.[4]

Franz and Clara’s children

Catherine ZWANK was born on 2 August 1790[5] and died on 29 March 1852.[6] (more below)
Peter ZWANK § was born on 19 August 1793 in Moestroff and was baptized the same day in Bettendorf.[7] He died at the age of 3 years on 8 September 1796 in Moestroff.[8]
Jacques “Jacob” ZWANK was born on 17 May 1795[9] and died on 15 February 1858.[10] (more below)
Johann ZWANCK was born on 26 April 1797.[11] He died on 28 February 1832.[12] (more below)
Margreta ZWANG § was born on 22 April 1799 in Moestroff.[13] She lived only eight days dying on 29 April 1799.[14]
Maria ZWANG § was born 26 May 1800[15] and died on 26 January 1815 at the age of 14 years in Moestroff.[16]
Franciscus ZWANCK § was born on 28 April 1804
[17] and died on 18 July 1804 at the age of nearly three months.[18] Both events took place in Moestroff.

§ is the symbol I use for children who are the end of the line. The additions of Margreta and Maria were only made today. I had found the death record of Maria who died in 1815 and was searching for her birth record when I found Margreta’s birth record. So close in age, I thought they may have been the same person. I continued to search and found the birth record of Maria and the death record of Margaretha proving they were two.

The children who survived to adulthood

Catherine ZWANK

Catherine ZWANK was born and baptized on 2 August 1790 in Moestroff. Catherine married Matthias ABENS, son of Théodore ABENS and Susanne HASTERT, on 29 May 1811 in Bettendorf.[19] Matthias was born on 2 January 1785 in Ralingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.[19] He died on 3 August 1819 in Moestroff.[20] Catherine and Matthias had two children: Christophe (1816-1880) who remained in Moestroff and Anna Maria (1819-aft. 1889) who moved to the Province of Luxembourg in Belgium.

Catherine also married Nicolas WEYLAND, son of Hubert WEYLAND and Marguerite ÖRNTZEN (I believe this name may have later been ERNZEN), on 22 January 1828 in Bettendorf.[21] Nicolas was born on 29 January 1779 in Örntzheim (Nommern).[22] He died on 25 June 1859 in Moestroff.[23] Catherine and Nicolas also had two children: Catharina (1830-1900) who went to live in Paris, France, with her husband and family and Jacques Hubert (1833-aft. 1909) who went to live in the Province of Luxembourg in Belgium with his family.

Catherine died on 29 March 1852 in Moestroff.

UPDATE: My friend Linda, a researcher in Luxembourg, confirmed: Örntzheim (Nommern) is in fact Ernzen, part of Larochette (also called Feels or in Latin Rupe, all meaning -Little-Rock). Larochette was in the parish of Nommern before the French Revolution.

Jacques ZWANK

Jacques “Jacob” ZWANK was born on 17 May 1795 in Moestroff and baptized the same day in Bettendorf. Jacques married Maria DAHM, daughter of Pierre “Peter” DAHM and Anne Cathérine KIMMES, on 22 October 1823 in Bettendorf.[24] Maria was born on 10 July 1797 in Moestroff and christened the same day in Bettendorf.[25] Jacob died on 15 February 1858 in Moestroff and Maria died on 28 November 1859 in Moestroff.[26] Their story was told in 52 Ancestors: #39 The ZWANK-DAHM Family of Moestroff. Jacob and Maria’s children remained in Moestroff.

Johann ZWANCK

Johann ZWANCK was born on 26 April 1797 in Moestroff. He died on 28 February 1832 in Vianden. Johann married Cathérine HIERTZ, daughter of Jean HIERTZ and Barbe WEYRICH, on 17 January 1826 in Vianden.[27] Cathérine was born on 2 October 1804 in Vianden[28] Her death record has not been located. Johann and Cathérine had four children: Johann (1826-aft. 1886), Jacob (1828-1898), Wilhelm (1828-1832), Agathe (1831-?).

Getting back to the jigsaw puzzle

What I do when I have a genealogy puzzle is to add assumed children with TEMPORARILY ATTACHED typed in at the top of their notes to a set of parents in my database. These parents may already have proven children whose timelines are helpful in determining if I am on the right track. I work through each “child” adding information as it is found. If they end up not being connected I can easily detach the child leaving all of the information in my database. I don’t delete the information because, even if it is not useful to me, it may help someone else with their research.

The puzzle the ZWANG family presented was partly solved in this way. As you can see in the genealogical information above, the family name was seen with several different spellings: ZWANG, ZWANK, and ZWANCK. I had to be careful that all of these spellings were variations of the same name and not another family name.

Before I found the one document that brings it all together! this was what I knew. Pierre ZWANG and Anne Marie HUSCHET may have had at least 4 children. This was speculation on my part. Records were found for a possible son Ludovicus (1748-1776), a possible daughter Irmina Catharina (b. 1750), and sons Franz (b. abt. 1750) and Nicolas (b. 1764). The baptismal records of the first two children DID NOT have the maiden name of the mother – HUSCHET. For Franz, the subject of this post, no baptismal record was found however his marriage record gave the maiden name of his mother as HUSCHET. Nicolas’ baptismal record only had Anne Marie as his mother’s name.

One avenue I have not considered is that the ZWANG-HUSCHET couple may have had children in another town. In records found for the HOSCHEID family (which I worked through when I wrote A Priest Born in the 16th Century Leaves a Key to Open the Door in a Brick Wall) the surname HOSCHEID was also spelled HUSCHETE. I may have to re-visit the Brandenbourg records to see if there is a connection.

It must be mentioned here that early parish records for Moestroff were found in Reisdorf and later parish records were found in Bettendorf. Unfortunately, there is a period between the two where records are missing. Notably for Bettendorf before 1763.

Further speculation on my part was that Irmina Catharina went by Catharina and married Johann KELSCH on 9 March 1777 in Bettendorf. The marriage record does not list parents. Johann KELSCH was the godfather of Franz’s son Johann in 1797. As no age was listed, this Johann KELSCH could have been either the husband of Catharina ZWANG or her son. I found two researchers who list a date of death for Catharina’s husband. The date was 6 March 1798.

1798 Death Record of Pierre ZWANG found on pages 345 and 346 of the civil register of Bettendorf.[29]

While searching for the death record of Johann KELSCH (I still have not found it!) I found a death record I had not expected to find.

The early civil records for Luxembourg begin in 1796. This is the period in which the Republican Calendar was being used. The date I was searching for, 6 March 1798, would have been 16 Ventôse in the year VI. I found records dated the 3rd and the 20th of the month of Ventôse in the year VI but none in between.

One of the death records for the 3rd included the name KELSCH but it was the name of one of the informants and not the person who had died. The civil servant who was likely not very well educated in French made many spellings errors. They were errors he repeated in other entries and therefore likely how he thought they were written.

The handwriting and the spelling made it difficult to decipher the document, a death record for Pierre ZWANG, the father of Franz ZWANG. The record clearly states Franz was the son of Pierre but the relationship of Johann KELSCH who was the second informant is not given. However, his age was given as 21 which could only mean he was the son of Catharian ZWANG and Johann KELSCH.

From this record, I now know Pierre ZWANG was born about 1728 as his age was 70 years at the time of death on 21 February 1798.[29]

The family name ZWANG is a German word which means force. In the end, I did not need to use force to piece the puzzle together. The pieces fell into place although it did take hours of looking through the Luxembourg records, adding the records to my database, and citing the sources.

Do you have a similar way of solving the problems you run into in your genealogy research? I hope you’ve enjoyed this visit to Moestroff with the ZWANCK-WELTER family.

Sources:
[1] 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 993 of 1494. 1820 Death Record (age at death 70). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-37494-69?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 September 2015).
[2] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 112 of 238. 1789 Marriage Record (left page, top). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLB-BM?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[3] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Reisdorf > Baptêmes 1725-1805, mariages 1763-1805 > image 20 of 59. 1766 Baptismal Record (left page, 5th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-H9M2-Z?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-RM8%3A1501010555%2C1501010556 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[4] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1045 of 1494. 1826 Death Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-35658-79?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 September 2015).
[5] Luxembourg Parish Records, Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 47 of 94. 1790 Baptismal Record (right page, 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32400-1478-56?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ:1500974653,1500923326 : accessed 24 September 2015).
[6] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1388 of 1494. “.” 1852 Death Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-37526-82?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 7 Sep 2011).
[7] Luxembourg Parish Records, Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 53 of 94. 1793 Baptismal Record (last entry on right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32400-2766-52?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ:1500974653,1500923326 : accessed 24 September 2015).
[8] Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 94 of 94. 1796 Death Record (left page, 6th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MS17?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ%3A1500974653%2C1500923326 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[9] Ibid., Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 57 of 94. 1795 Baptismal Record (left, top). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32400-2824-51?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ:1500974653,1500923326 : accessed 24 September 2015).
[10] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1462 of 1494. 1858 Death Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36487-72?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 10 Apr 2013).
[11] Luxembourg Parish Records, Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 60 of 94. 1797 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32400-2625-75?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ:1500974653,1500923326 : accessed 24 September 2015).
[12] Luxembourg Civil Records, Vianden > Mariages 1834-1890 Décès 1797-1866 > image 918 of 1406. 1832 Death Record No. 10. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTQS-LJ6?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-DP8%3A130504801%2C130555401 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[13] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 198 of 238. 1799 (3 Floreal year VII) Birth Record part 1 (right, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLT-2L?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 29 July 2017) See also image 199 for part 2.
[14] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 216 of 238. 1799 Death Record ( 9 Floreal year VII). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLL-B8?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 29 July 2017).
[15] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 227 of 238. 1800 Birth Record No. 19 (6 Prairial year VIII). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRLB-RV?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 29 July 2017).
[16] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 950 of 1494. 1815 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-35621-4?cc=1709358 : accessed 25 September 2015).
[17] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1328 of 1507. 1804 Birth Record No. 46 (8 Floreal an XII). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-175-20?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 September 2015).
[18] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1328 of 1507. 1804 Birth Record No. 46 (8 Floreal an XII). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-175-20?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 September 2015).
[19] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1439 of 1507. 1811 Marriage Record (left page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-X2MW-CV?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9%3A129626601%2C129945501 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[20] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 985 of 1494. 1819 Death Recod (left, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-DJV?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 29 July 2017).
[21] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 166 of 1494. 1828 Marriage Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-6C4?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[22] Luxembourg Parish Records, Nommern > Baptêmes 1744-1787, confirmations 1750-1789, mariages 1751-1765, 1769-1787, sépultures 1752-1787 > image 68 of 170. 1779 Baptismal Record (part 1, right page, bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-9SWR?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-L2V%3A1500981117%2C1501018978 : accessed 29 July 2017). See also image 59 for second part.
[23] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1481 of 1494. 1859 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6RW9-FQH?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8%3A129626601%2C129729901 : accessed 27 July 2017).
[24] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 82 of 1494. 1823 Marriage Record No. 10. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-38177-77?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 10 Apr 2013).
[25] Luxembourg Parish Records, Bettendorf > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1763-1797 > image 60 of 94. 1797 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32400-2625-75?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-SPJ:1500974653,1500923326 : accessed 24 September 2015).
[26] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1487 of 1494. 1859 Death Record No. 48. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-39674-59?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 10 Apr 2013).
[27] Ibid., Vianden > Naissances 1793-1828 > image 113 of 484. 1804 Birth Record (10 vendémiaire an XIII). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCWW-SC?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-SPD%3A130504801%2C130707001 : accessed 29 July 2017).
[28] Ibid., Vianden > Naissances 1829-1890 Mariages 1797-1833 > image 1437 of 1493. 1826 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DTCS-W58?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-929%3A130504801%2C130760501 : accessed 24 July 2017).
[29] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances, mariages, décès 1779-1812 > image 179 of 238. 1798 Death Record part 1 (3 ventôse an VI) (right, bottom).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRL1-Y1?cc=1709358&wc=9RYW-DP8%3A129626601%2C130236801 : accessed 29 July 2017). See also image 180 for second part.

52 Ancestors: #19 The HASTERT-SCHMIT Family of the Nommern Area

Christophe HASTERT and Barbara SCHMIT did not make it easy to research this set of 5th great-grandparents for my children. To begin with Christophe’s date of birth was not listed on their 1810 marriage record.[1] He was thirty-two years old, born in Grevenmacher, and his parents Mathias HASTERT and Anne NIEDERKORN were day laborers living Hollenfels.

1810 Marriage Record (part 1) for Christophe HASTERT and Barbe SCHMIT [1]

The Groom’s Family

Mathias HASTERT (1750-aft. 1810) and Anne NIEDERKORN (1755- aft. 1810) were the parents of two known children. No births of children were found in Grevenmacher in 1773 to 1777. On 1 April 1777 a daughter Catharina was born.[2] Twenty months later, a son Christianus was born on 13 December 1778.[3] This fits the age and place of birth for Christophe as seen in his marriage record. Were they the same person?

1778 Baptismal Record for *Christianus* HASTERT [3]

Both of the HASTERT-NIEDERKORN children were born in Grevenmacher, the town the father Mathias was born in on 25 January 1750.[4] Although I have been able to find more information on the next generation back, I did not find a marriage record for Mathias and Anne. I suspected the family may have done some moving around after Christophe’s birth. How could I prove my suspicions and would any records found help to learn more about Christian/Christophe’s parents?

Let’s Analyze the Marriage Record

Christophe HASTERT married Barbara SCHMIT on 28 November 1810 in Nommern in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The groom’s father Mathias was present and consenting to the marriage. Down at the bottom of the marriage record were four witnesses. The fourth was a young man named Philippe HASTERT age 25 and from Mühlenbach.[1]

1810 Marriage Record (part 3) for Christophe HASTERT and Barbe SCHMIT [1]

Who was Philippe HASTERT?

Mühlenbach is part of the commune of Eich. This is on the outskirts of Luxembourg City and quite large compared to the towns and villages I have been researching. I took the chance that if he was living there in November 1810 he may, in time, also marry there. Surprisingly, I found Philippe married earlier in 1810. His parents were listed as Mathias HASTERT and Anne NIEDERKORN of Hollenfels, both present and consenting to the marriage which took place on 3 March 1810.[5] Christophe was not present or a witness to the marriage. The parents’ names and place of residence confirmed Philippe and Christophe were brothers. Did this help in locating other siblings?

Philippe was born 29 September 1784 in Dudelange.[6] His baptismal record was enlightening. Mathias HASTERT was listed as militis incliti Regimis Kaunitz. Did this mean Mathias was in Franz Wenzel von Kaunitz-Rietberg’s infantry regiment? Being in the militia would explain his not remaining in Grevenmacher were his parents were from. Christian, as Christophe was seen in his baptismal record, was born in 1778 and Philippe in 1784. Six years in which one or two children could be missing. And for the years following Philippe’s birth until his marriage, where did the family live? This question will remain to be answered.

Getting Back to the Marriage Record

Christophe’s bride Barbara SCHMIT was the daughter of Jean SCHMIT (1752-1810) and Maria LENTZ (1759-1824) of Nommern. Barbara was born on 4 December 1783 in Schrondweiler, a part of the commune of Nommern.[7] Her father was not present at the marriage on the 28 November 1810 as he had died only four days earlier.[8]

1810 Marriage Record (part 2) for Christophe HASTERT and Barbe SCHMIT [1]

In the last paragraph seen in this part of the marriage record above, the banns were read on November 11 and November 18 which shows the wedding was planned before the bride’s father passed away.

Barbara’s parents had been married only a little more than three months when she was born.[9] She was the first of nine children born to them. Four of these died very young and only two of Barbara’s sisters are known to have married.

Only Daughters Born to the Couple

Christophe and Barbara were the parents of five daughters. Their not having sons makes it all the more difficult to follow possible descendants who may have already researched the family.

Ch 1: Anna Catharina was born on 15 December in Schrondweiler[10]
Ch 2: Catharina was born 16 July 1815 in Niederglabach[11]
Ch 3: Susanna was born 17 May 1818 in Niederglabach[12]
Ch 4: Apollonia was born 31 March 1821 in Niederglabach[13]
Ch 5: Margaretha was born 30 October 1823 in Niederglabach[14]

The girls’ maternal grandmother Maria LENTZ lived long enough to witness their births. She died on 4 April 1824 in Oberglabach.[15] Niederglabach, Oberglabach, and Schrondweiler were parts of the commune of Nommern.

Christophe and Barbara lost their youngest daughter Margaretha on 22 March 1827 at the age of nearly three and a half years.[16] Five years later their oldest daughters began to marry.

Within ten years of each other three of the daughters of Barbara and Christophe married. Their oldest daughter Anna Catharina HASTERT married Peter MERKES (1805-1867) on 28 February 1832 in Nommern.[17] Anna Catharina and Peter were my children’s fourth great-grandparents. Their story: 52 Ancestors: #35 MERKES-HASTERT Family – Back to School or Back to Work?.

Barbara and Christophe’s second daughter Catharina married Johann Nicolas STROESSER on 19 January 1836 in Nommern.[18] Their third daughter Susanna married Johann RITGEN on 10 August 1841 in Nommern.[19]

The Family Moves to Oberglabach

In 1832 and in 1836 when the first two daughters married Christophe and Barbara were living in Niederglabach. At some time before the 1841 marriage of their daughter Susanna their residence changed to Oberglabach.

On 16 December 1843 when the census[20] was taken in Oberglabach as expected we see Christophe and Barbara with their only single daughter, Apollonia, living at home. However, their married daughter Susanna was listed as well as a young boy named Nicolas RITGEN who was born in 1842 in Useldange. The birth record confirms he was Susanna’s son. The whereabouts of her husband are unknown.

On the 6 December 1846 census[21] Apollonia age 24 was still living with her parents Christophe and Barbara in Oberglabach. Susanna was no longer in the household.

Apollonia HASTERT married Joseph GALLION (1823-1854) on 26 September 1847 in Nommern.[22] She and her husband remained in her parents home and were seen with them on the 31 December 1847 census.[23] The enumerator omitted the location on this census record. The grandson Nicolas RITGEN who had been with his mother in Christophe’s household in 1843 was listed but then marked out.

On the December 1849 census[24] no distinction was made between Niederglabach and Oberglabach and we see only that Christophe and Barbara were living in Gladbach. Apollonia, her husband Joseph, and their nine months old son Nicolas were living in the home as a second family.

Apollonia had another son six months before the 31 December 1851 census.[25] He was listed with the same name as his three years old brother Nicolas. They were living with their parents in their maternal grandparents’ home in Oberglabach. This would be the last time Christophe would be seen on the census. He died on 1 October 1852. His death was reported by Peter LENTZ, a relative of his wife Barbara.[26]

Lenzen House in Oberglabach

In December 1852 the widowed Barbara SCHMIT was living in the household of her son-in-law Joseph GALLION and daughter Apollonia. The two sons were both identified as Nicolas.[27]

Barbara and Christophe’s daughter Susanna at some time went to Paris as she died there on 22 May 1854.[28] Not only Susanna but also Apollonia’s husband Joseph GALLION died while in Paris. Joseph was a mason living in the 9th arrondisement in impasse Putigneux No. 2 and died at 7 in the evening of 1 July 1854 at Parvis Nôtre Dame No. 4.[29]

The address Joseph died at is likely that of Paris’ Hôtel Dieu hospital which is on the square of the Nôtre Dame. Joseph’s death record was acquired in 1860 and recorded in the Nommern death register at the time of his widow’s remarriage. The records for Paris for the years prior to 1860 are missing however some have substitutes in the form of cards with the name, date, and arrondisement. Susanna’s card indicates she also died in the 9th arrondisement. Could she have also been a patient in the hospital? During 1854 there was a cholera epidemic within the walls of the city of Paris.

On 1 December 1858 the widowed Apollonia was the head of household with her three sons and her mother Barbara SCHMIT.[30] Since the 1852 census the house they were living in was named Lenzen. This was very likely the home of Barbara’s mother’s LENTZ family.

1858 Luxembourg Census sheet for the Lenzen house and its occupants.[30]

The name GALLION is seen (above) as GALGON. Last week while working on the marriages in the 52 Ancestors: #18 The Merckes-Wagener Family of Bettendorf, one of the Merckes sons married a GALION lady. Her name was also seen in some records as GALGON. There may even be a connection between these two individuals who married into the Merckes and Hastert families.

Apollonia married Johann SCHAUS (1830-1869) on 29 December 1860 in Nommern.[31] It was at the time of this marriage that the death record of her first husband was sent for in Paris and recorded in the death register of Nommern.

Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), *FamilySearch* (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Nommern > Décès 1849-1890 > image 84 of 341. An extract of the French civil record found in the 1860 Nommern death register. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6PXS-453?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-GPD%3A130145901%2C130066702 : accessed 8 May 2017).

Barbara SCHMIT continued to live with her daughter Apollonia in the Lenzen house until death. She died at 3 in the afternoon on 29 August 1861 in the home. The death was reported by her new son-in-law Johann SCHAUS. Johann, or the official who recorded the death, incorrectly gave the place of residence of Johann as Niederglabach but correctly noted Lenzen house being in Oberglabach.[32]

Apollonia remained in the Lenzen house after her mother’s death. She gave her second husband two sons, a third was stillborn. Johann SCHAUS died in 1869[33] leaving her to raise her sons on her own. She died on 30 October 1878. Her death was reported by her son Jean GALLION.[34]

Ten years later the oldest daughter of Christophe and Barbara, Anna Catharina HASTERT, died on 9 May 1888 in Rumelange.[35]

None of the daughters had children who carried on the HASTERT name. Their children were born with the surnames MERKES, RITGEN, GALLION, and SCHAUS. Catharina, the second oldest daughter, married a STROESSER but nothing has been found for her after her marriage. Were there also grandchildren with the STROESSER surname? If you know of any, please get in touch.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 610 of 1477. 1810 Marriage Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12870-22206-23?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LCR : accessed 31 August 2015).
[2] Ibid., Grevenmacher > Baptêmes 1738-1781, confirmations 1747-1770, tables des baptêmes 1738-1763 > image 144 of 226. 1777 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-SG9H?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-L23%3A1500939801%2C1501022236 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[3] Ibid., Grevenmacher > Baptêmes 1738-1781, confirmations 1747-1770, tables des baptêmes 1738-1763 > image 153 of 226. 1778 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32462-19661-73?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-L23:1500939801,1501022236 : accessed 31 August 2015). Note: Baptismal name seen as Christian.
[4] Ibid., Grevenmacher > Baptêmes 1738-1756, 1797-1804 > image 34 of 95. 1750 Baptismal Record (right page, top). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-SLKK?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-L26%3A1500939801%2C1501075988 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[5] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Eich > Mariages 1794-1841 > image 742 of 1498. 1810 Marriage Record (right page). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DBRW-WBX?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-829%3A129629601%2C129984601 : accessed 12 May 2017).
[6] Luxembourg Church Records, Dudelange > Baptêmes, sépultures 1774-1796 > image 38 of 132. 1784 Baptismal Record (bottom left, top right).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-9J39?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-MJQ%3A1500943101%2C1501085980 : 9 January 2015).
[7] Ibid., Nommern > Baptêmes 1744-1787, confirmations 1750-1789, mariages 1751-1765, 1769-1787, sépultures 1752-1787 > image 85 of 170. 1783 Baptismal Record No. 846. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-93C5?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-L2V%3A1500981117%2C1501018978 : accessed 9 May 2017).
[8] Luxembourg Civil Records, Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 1224 of 1477. 1810 Death Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCM9-9LM?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[9] Luxembourg Church Records, Nommern > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 35 of 153. 1783 Marriage Record (left page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9SRJ?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-TQQ%3A1500981117%2C1500913302 : 9 January 2015).
[10] Luxembourg Civil Records, Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 120 of 502. 1810 Birth Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XS35-2G?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-GP6%3A130145901%2C130237801 : accessed 08 Apr 2013).
[11] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 153 of 502. 1815 Birth Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XS32-LQ?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-GP6%3A130145901%2C130237801 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[12] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 175 of 502. 1818 Birth Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XS3T-MR?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-GP6%3A130145901%2C130237801 : accessed 8 May 2017.
[13] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 198 of 502. 1821 Birth Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XS35-PG?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-GP6%3A130145901%2C130237801 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[14] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 218 of 502. 1823 Birth Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XS3R-6Q?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-GP6%3A130145901%2C130237801 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[15] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 1296 of 1477. 1824 Death Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCM1-CH?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[16] Ibid., Nommern > 1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 1311 of 1477. 1827 Death Record No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCMB-XH?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[17] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 729 of 1477. 1832 Marriage Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12870-29072-7?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LCR:n1552617334 : accessed 07 Apr 2013).
[18] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 757 of 1477. 1836 Marriage Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCMB-GN?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[19] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 788 of 1477. 1841 Marriage Record N. 5. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCM5-TK?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[20] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Nommern > 1843 > image 101 of 136. Hastert-Schmit household. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997B-V8YR?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-ZJQ%3A345970101%2C345863501 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[21] Ibid., Nommern > 1846 > image 107 of 147. Hastert-Schmit household. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-7HZM?cc=2037957&wc=M5L5-GRQ%3A345970101%2C345858602 : accessed 8 may 2017).
[22] Luxembourg Civil Records, Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 821 of 1477. 1847 Marriage Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCMY-BD?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[23] Luxembourg Census Records, Nommern > 1847 > image 106 of 144. Hastert-Schmit household. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997B-LF2K?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-821%3A345970101%2C345864101 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[24] Ibid., Nommern > 1849 > image 48 of 138. Hastert-Schmit household. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-N272?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-T32%3A345970101%2C345864801 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[25] Ibid., Nommern > 1851 > image 75 of 168. Hastert-Schmit household. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G971-41C?cc=2037957&wc=M5L1-CXZ%3A345970101%2C345865601 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[26] Luxembourg Civil Records, Nommern > Décès 1849-1890 > image 21 of 341. 1852 Death Record No. 27. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12404-63381-45?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LCG : accessed 31 August 2015).
[27] Luxembourg Census Recors, Nommern > 1852 > image 66 of 164. Gallgen-Hastert houshold. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9971-3H5R?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-VZD%3A345970101%2C345865501 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[28] Archives de Paris (75), browsable images of microfilm collection of parish and civil records, Fichiers de l’état civil reconstitué > V3E/D 722 > image 43. Images from this site are not allowed to be shared with others, used on the internet, or for commercial purposes without permission. 1854 Death Record. (http://archives.paris.fr: accessed 8 May 2017).
[29] Luxembourg Civil Records, Nommern > Décès 1849-1890 > image 83 of 341. His 1854 death was recorded in Nommern in the death register in December 1860.
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6PXS-H2H?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-GPD%3A130145901%2C130066702 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[30] Luxembourg Census Records, Nommern > 1858 > image 166 of 186. Gallion-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L971-Z99V-S?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-ZNR%3A345970101%2C345867601 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[31] Luxembourg Civil Records, Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 905 of 1477. 1860 Marriage Record No. 8. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XCMB-R6?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-T38%3A130145901%2C130293701 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[32] Ibid., Nommern > Décès 1849-1890 > image 90 of 341. 1861 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12404-61065-98?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LCG : accessed 31 August 2015).
[33] Ibid., Nommern > Décès 1849-1890 > image 152 of 341. 1869 Death Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6PXS-DQX?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-GPD%3A130145901%2C130066702 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[34] Ibid., Nommern > Décès 1849-1890 > image 240 of 341. 1878 Death Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6PXS-JCX?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-GPD%3A130145901%2C130066702 : accessed 8 May 2017).
[35] Ibid., Kayl > Décès 1879-1890 > image 290 of 393. 1888 Death Record No. 49. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11017-120661-19?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-T3D:129946501,129623502 : accessed 25 August 2015).

52 Ancestors: #35 MERKES-HASTERT Family – Back to School or Back to Work?

Week 35 (August 27 – September 2) – School Days: Many kids have returned to school by this time. What do you know about your ancestors’ school days? Do you have any yearbooks? Have you found him or her in a local school census? (Certainly nobody knows about any senior pranks they pulled )

A School Teacher for the MERKES Children

On 1 September 1863 Jean THOMES, the mayor of Bastendorf, placed an advertisement in the Der Wächter an der Sauer for a teaching job in Bastendorf, Luxembourg. Adam (14) and Mathias (12), the youngest sons of Peter and Anna Catharina MERKES-HASTERT, may still have been going to school at this time.

Concurs
am 2. September nächsthin, Vormittags halb neun Uhr im Schulgebäude zu Diekirch, für die Lehrerstelle der Knabenschule zu Bastendorf, mit welcher:
a) Ein jährlicher fixer Gehalt von Fr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
b) Die Schulgebühren der nicht schulpflichtigen Kinder von circa Fr. . .50
c) Eine freie geräumige Wohnung und
d) Das Holzrecht
verbunden sind.
Bastendorf, am 21 August 1863.
Der Bürgermeister: Jean Thomes.

Competition
On September 2 next, in the morning half past eight clock in the school building in Diekirch, for the teaching job of the boys’ school to Bastendorf which includes:
a) An annual fixed salary of Fr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .600
b) The school fees of (non-compulsory) children of approximately Fr. . . . 50
c) A free and spacious dwelling
d) The right to collect firewood
Bastendorf, on 21 August 1863rd
The Mayor: Jean Thomes.

In the three-quarters of a century before World War II only three teachers taught school in the village due to the good conditions offered them. The teacher hired in 1863 very likely was the first of the three. Mr. Hermes, who was the school teacher in 1949, had been teaching in Bastendorf since 1916. During the time he held school in Bastendorf the town was hard-hit by the Germans – twice, during both world wars.

The Rundstedt or Ardennes Offensive ended on 19 January 1945 for the people of Bastendorf leaving their town in ruins. The Bastendorfers’ once beautiful “village Cathedral” as they thought of their church was disfigured, leaving only the church tower standing. The school building which hardly differed from a stable was in ruins. It took nearly five years to rebuild the damaged buildings. A new church and school building were inaugurated on Sunday, 28 August 1949. The new school building was a modern promise to the children of the town.

Inauguration of the New School in Bastendorf Next Sunday
Zur Einweihung der neuen Schule in Bastendorf am nächsten Sonntag

School Inauguration in Bastendorf
Schuleinweihung in Bastendorf

Pierre “Peter” MERKES 1805-1867

Pierre “Peter” MERKES was born at one o’clock in the afternoon of Tuesday, 10 September 1805 in Bettendorf to Nicolas MERKES (b. 1763) and Magdalena WAGENER (b. abt. 1773). His father was 40 years old at the time, a farmer, and was able to sign his name on the birth record.[2] Peter was the 6th of a dozen children.

Anna Catharina HASTERT 1810-1888

Anna Catharina HASTERT was born at three o’clock in the morning of Saturday, 15 December 1810 in Niederglabach, commune of Nommern, to Christophe HASTER(T) (1778-1852) and Barbara “Barbe” SCHMIT (1784-1861). Her father was 35 years old, a day laborer, and was able to sign his name on the birth record.[3] I have not researched Anna Catharina’s siblings.

Peter and Anna Catharina Marry in Nommern

On Tuesday 28 February 1832 in Nommern a marriage took place between Peter MERKES and Anna Catharina HASTERT. Peter was 27 years old, a tailor (Schneider) and lived in Bettendorf. Anna Catharina was 22 years old, a day laborer (Taglöhnerin) and lived in Niederglabach. The parents of the bride and groom were present and consenting to the marriage. Banns had been proclaimed on Sunday the 12th and 19th of February in Bettendorf and Nommern. Four witnesses from Schrondweiler and Nommern were present. Their relationship to the bridal couple was not given. The groom and his father signed their names to the marriage record. The bride, mother of the bride and the mother of the groom declared not being able to write and did not sign.[4]

The inability of the ladies present to sign their names to the marriage record in 1832 makes me wonder when girls were allowed and/or required to attend school. The 1863 advertisement seen above was for a boys’ school and children who were not required to attend school had to pay for their attendance.

The Children of Peter and Anna Catharina

Peter and Anna Catharina’ s first child was born 10 months after their marriage. Barbara, also called Barbe, was born on 21 December 1832 in Niederglabach in the commune of Nommern.[5] Sometime after her birth the family moved to Obereissenbach in the commune of Hosingen where their second child, Anna Maria (1835-1920) was born on 14 August 1835.[6] The family of four then moved to Bastendorf were the rest of the children were born. The move must have taken place when Anna Catharina was expecting her third child as the 1851 census indicates the family had lived in Bastendorf for 12 years. Their third child, Nicolas MERKES was born on 17 November 1838 in Bastendorf[7] and died there on 30 December 1838.[8] Two more children were born before the 1843 census: Pierre on 27 October 1839[9] and Marie, also known as Margaretha, on 26 April 1842.[10]

On 16 December 1843 Pierre, his wife “Catharine” and their children Barbe, Pierre, and Marie were enumerated on the census taken in Bastendorf.[11] Their daughter Anna Maria who was 8 years old at the time was not listed with the family. Was this an omission or was Anna Maria visiting with her grandparents? I have not done census work on the parents of Pierre or Anna Catharina.

Mathias MERKES was born 18 July 1846[12] and was listed with his parents Pierre and “Catherine” on the 24 December 1846 census along with his siblings Pierre, “Anne Marie” and “Marguerite”.[13] His sister Barbe was 12 years old and working as a servant for farmer Pierre Steichen and living with his family.[14] It is not unusual to see the given names written in French on one census and in German the next time.

Little Mathias died at the age of 2 years on 11 November 1848 in Bastendorf.[15] By the time the next census was taken on 3 December 1849[16] another son Adam had been born to Pierre and Anna Catharina on 5 July 1849.[17] The MERKES-HASTERT household included father Pierre, mother “Cath.” and children Pierre, Adam, Barbe, and Marie. Their 14 years old daughter Anna Maria was not with the family and has not been located in another household.

On 7 October 1851 Pierre and Anna Catharina’s 8th and youngest child, a son, was born.[18] They named him Mathias after their 6th child who died in 1848.

On 31 December 1851 the MERKES-HASTERT household included father Pierre, mother Anne Cathérine, and children Pierre, Adam, Mathias, Barbe, Anna Marie, and Marie.[19] A peculiarity of the census, also seen in other years, was the listing of the sons in order of birth followed by the daughters in order of birth. A remark was added concerning Anna Marie – she was absent from home and working as a servant in Tandel, a neighboring village.

On 2 December 1852 when the census was taken Pierre and Anna Catherine had 5 of their 6 living children living at home: Pierre, Adam, Mathias, Barbe, and Marie.[20] Anna Maria was not living at home and her location at the time is unknown.

In 1855 the MERKES-HASTERT family appears to have been missed when the census was taken on 3 December. Their oldest son Pierre was found in the Schroeder-Schütz household. He was 16 years old and working as a shepherd (berger).[21]

The first grandchild was born on the last day of 1856 in Bastendorf. The oldest daughter Barbe who was 23 years old gave birth to an illegitimate son she named Johann. The grandfather Pierre did not wait for the New Year to have the birth registered. The child was born at 6 o’clock in the evening and Pierre met with the Johann Thomes, the mayor, an hour later.[22]

By 3 December 1858 the oldest son Pierre had “disappeared” from the MERKES-HASTERT household and from Bastendorf. His brothers Adam and Mathias were still at home with their parents who were also keeping Barbe’s young son “Jean”[23] while his mother was in the Fonck-Bourg household in a house called Mühlen and working as a servant.[24]

Pierre and Anna Catharina’s second daughter was also missing from the 1858 census but she did not disappear like her brother Pierre. On 1 September 1859 Anna Maria MERKES married Anton KREMER (1836-1918) in Bettendorf.[25] Anna Maria could not sign her name on her marriage record. Could this mean she did not attend school?

Barbe and her son “Jean” were living with her parents on 3 December 1861 in the MERKES-HASTERT household along with her brothers Adam and Mathias.[26] The household remained the same on 3 December 1864[27] with the exception of Adam who was living with the Kremer-Zenner widow and working as a house servant (domestique).[28]

Peter and Anna Catharina’s third daughter Marie “Margaretha” MERKES had also been missing from MERKES-HASTERT household since being enumerated with them in 1852. She was once again found when she married Dominique “Dominik” HEUARDT (1836- ) on 3 May 1865 in Bastendorf.[29] As was the case for her sister Anna Maria, Marie could not sign her name on her marriage record.

The next marriage in the family was on 7 January 1867 in Bastendorf. The oldest daughter Barbe MERKES married Nicolas KELLER (1837-1878).[30] Her son Jean MERKES was not mentioned on their marriage record and his surname remained MERKES. As was the case for her sisters Anna Maria and Marie, Barbe could not sign her name on her marriage record. Did the girls in this family not attend school because their parents could not afford to pay the school fees?

Not long after Barbe married, her father Pierre “Peter” MERKES died on 22 February 1867 in Bastendorf.[31] He left his wife, three married daughters, two unmarried sons, and a son whose whereabouts are unknown.

Whereabouts of the Family After the Father’s Death

On the 3 December 1867 census the mother of this family was seen as Anna Maria HASTERT and had in her household son Adam and oldest daughter Barbe, son-in-law Nicolas KELLER, grandchildren Johann MERKES and Margaretha KELLER.[32] Her son Mathias was living in Tandel in the Nicolas KELLEN household and working as a servant (Knecht).[33]

On 1 December 1871 Anna Catharina HASTERT was alone on the census in Bastendorf.[34] Her son Adam and Mathias were listed on the back page as working in Rumelange. This remark came in very handy during further research as Anna Catharina was seen by herself on 1 December 1875.[35]

Very early in my research I called the civil records office in Bastendorf for more information on the MERKES-HASTERT couple. The person on the phone was very helpful but was not able to find the death record in Bastendorf for Anna Catharina HASTERT. At the time all I knew was her daughter Anna Maria was living with her husband Anton KREMER and their children in Bettendorf. I did not know about her other children and had no idea where to search futher.

Nearly twenty years later while preparing to write this post I searched for the all of the birth, marriage, death, and census records. The information on the location of the two youngest sons in 1871 was the breakthrough I needed.

From Rob Deltgen’s site I knew Adam MERKES married Anne Marie KUNNERT on 22 December 1873 in Consthum in the canton of Clervaux.[36] I found their marriage record as well as that of his brother Mathias MERKES who married Susanne KAUFMAN on 11 August 1875 in Bastendorf.[37] Adam and Mathias were both able to sign their names on their marriage records.

Mathias was living in Bastendorf in 1880[38] however his mother, his sister Barbe, and his brother Adam were missing.

The notation on the 1871 census about Adam and Mathias MERKES working in Rumelange brought all the pieces together. It’s a good thing that I checked the Tables Décennales for Rumelange before jumping into the birth and death records. At the very front of the book was this remark:

remark — Remarque: Rumelange records begin in 1891, avant 1891 s’était la commune de Kayl!

It pays to be able to read more than one language. Before 1891 Rumelange was part of the commune of Kayl. In the Kayl records I found Adam MERKES living in Rumelange in 1880[39], 1885,[40] and 1887[41] per the census. His mother Anna Catharina HASTERT was in his household. His sister Barbe was living in Rumelange at the same time and has, so far, only been found in the 1885 census.[42] His brother Mathias also moved to Rumelange by 1885. His sister Marie “Margaretha” MERKES died on 30 December 1884 in Rumelange in the commune of Kayl.[43]

The birth records of the children of Adam MERKES show his re-location from Bastendorf to Rumelange very likely took place following his marriage in 1873. Children were born in Rumelange between 1874-1891.

Adam’s sister Barbe went to Rumelange before 1871. She had three children born between 1871 and 1876 in Rumelange and her husband Nicolas KELLER died there on 27 October 1878.[44]

Anna Catharina HASTERT died in Rumelange on 9 May 1888.[45] She had been living with her son Adam; her daughter Barbe and son Mathias were living in the same town. Only my husband’s 2nd great-grandmother Anna Maria MERKES, who was the first to marry in 1859, remained in Bettendorf, her husband Anton KREMER’s hometown. But this didn’t mean her ties to her family were broken. Three of her sons went to Rumelange to work in the mines, most likely along side their uncles Adam and Mathias.

And the Search Continues….

The census records for the children of Anna Catharina HASTERT and Peter “Pierre” MERKES who lived in Rumelange still need to be found for the period 1890-1900. Adam died in 1924[46]; the deaths of Barbe and Mathias are unknown. Another question which remains to be answered is: what happened to son Peter after 1855?

Sources:
[1] Der Wächter an der Sauer, Tuesday 1 September 1863, No. 104, p. 4, col. 1. (http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=1621505&search_terms=#panel:pa|issue:1621505|article:DTL45 : accessed 29 August 2015).
[2] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1371 of 1507. 1805 Birth Record No. 46. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5228-3?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-28S:1346120346 : accessed 08 Apr 2013).
[3] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 120 of 502. 1810 Birth Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12663-22222-64?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LC5:n75022555 : accessed 08 Apr 2013).
[4] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1851-1890 Mariages 1797-1823, 1796-1890 Décès 1796-1823, 1796-1849 > image 729 of 1477. 1832 Marriage Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12870-29072-7?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LCR:n1552617334 : accessed 07 Apr 2013).
[5] Ibid., Nommern > Naissances 1796-1850 > image 319 of 502. 1832 Birth Record No. 27. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12663-24211-27?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-GP6:130145901,130237801 : accessed 1 September 2015).
[6] Ibid., Hosingen > Naissances 1823-1890 > image 271 of 1477. 1835 Birth Record No. 36. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11690-153577-57?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2BG:675906683 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[7] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 467 of 1476. 1838 Birth Record No. 33. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-140257-53?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[8] Ibid., Bastendorf > Décès 1828-1862 > image 92 of 305. 1838 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12394-252035-69?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-82Q:129624201,129667901 : accessed 24 August 2015).
[9] Ibid., Bastendorf > Décès 1828-1862 > image 92 of 305. 1838 Death Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12394-252035-69?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-82Q:129624201,129667901 : accessed 24 August 2015).
[10] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 513 of 1476. 1842 Birth Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-135070-57?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[11] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bastendorf > 1843 > image 18 of 186. Merkes-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32360-13201-64?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-L2D:346178801,345863501 : accessed 2 May 2015).
[12] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 565 of 1476. 1846 Birth Record No. 15. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-134278-21?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 24 August 2015).
[13] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1846 > image 161 of 195. Merkes-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32345-5752-80?cc=2037957&wc=M5L5-G5L:346178801,345858602 : accessed 2 May 2015).
[14] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1846 > image 11 of 195. Steichen household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32345-5881-90?cc=2037957&wc=M5L5-G5L:346178801,345858602 : accessed 2 May 2015).
[15] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bastendorf > Décès 1828-1862 > image 181 of 305. 1848 Death Record No. 30. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12394-248477-38?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-82Q:129624201,129667901 : accessed 24 August 2015).
[16] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1849 > image 38 of 2054. Merkes-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32348-13720-30?cc=2037957&wc=M5L5-RMT:346178801,345864801 : accessed 2 May 2015).
[17] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 603 of 1476. 1849 Birth Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-138821-0?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[18] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 631 of 1476. 1851 Birth Record No. 38. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-135267-20?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[19] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1851 > image 41 of 210. Merkes-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32356-11818-60?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-PYF:346178801,345865601 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[20] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1852 > image 32 of 218. Merkes-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32379-29324-2?cc=2037957&wc=M5G9-C6B:346178801,345865501 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[21] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1855 > image 49 of 216. Schroeder-Schütz household No. 47. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32377-13474-32?cc=2037957&wc=M5L1-DPJ:346178801,345866501 : accessed 24 August 2015).
[22] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 695 of 1476. 1856 Birth Record No. 51. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-135699-20?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 24 August 2015).
[23] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1858 > image 66 of 229. Merkes-Hastert household no. 60. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32371-9032-83?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-6YP:346178801,345867601 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[24] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1858 > image 42 of 229. Fonck-Bourg household No. 36. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32371-8904-89?cc=2037957&wc=M5LT-6YP:346178801,345867601 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[25] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 516 of 1494. 1859 Marriage Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-37146-86?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[26] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1861 > image 10 of 234. Merkes-Hastert household no. 73. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32399-11548-23?cc=2037957&wc=M5GS-FM6:346178801,345867101 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[27] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1864 > image 20 of 242. Merkes-Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32373-29321-65?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-DPV:346178801,345868401 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[28] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1864 > image 5 of 242. Household of Widow Kremer-Zenner. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32373-28924-30?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-DPV:346178801,345868401 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[29] Luxembourg Civil Records, Bastendorf > Mariages 1851-1871 > image 109 of 162. 1865 Marrige Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11553-132767-61?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2C1 : accessed 27 Sep 2014).
[30] Ibid., Bastendorf > Mariages 1851-1871 > image 124 of 162. 1867 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11553-132660-15?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2C1 : accessed 30 August 2015).
[31] Ibid., Bastendorf > Décès 1863-1871 > image 62 of 109. 1867 Death Record No. 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11553-133034-91?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2CC:27255400 : accessed 07 Apr 2013).
[32] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1867 > image 43 of 238. Anna Maria Hastert household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32383-12002-92?cc=2037957&wc=M5G3-VZN:346178801,345869101 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[33] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1867 > image 96 of 238. Nicolas Kellen household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32383-11982-85?cc=2037957&wc=M5G3-VZN:346178801,345869101 : accessed 1 May 2015).
[34] Ibid., , Bastendorf > 1871 > image 279 of 517. Merkes-Hastert household no. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32383-2576-71?cc=2037957&wc=M5G3-T3N:346178801,345869501 : accessed 1 May 2015). See also images 278 and 280 for front and back matter.
[35] Ibid., Bastendorf > 1875 > image 58 of 496. Merkes-Hastert household no. 19. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32380-27253-85?cc=2037957&wc=M5GM-C6B:346178801,345870501 : accessed 1 May 2015). See also images 57 and 59 for front and back matter.
[36] Luxembourg Civil Records, Consthum > Mariages 1872-1890 > image 4 of 88. 1873 Marriage Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11553-132194-14?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-DPN:129626301,129707601 : accessed 30 August 2015).
[37] Ibid., Bastendorf > Mariages 1872-1890 > image 33 of 148. 1875 Marriage Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12394-249348-34?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2Z3:1619369468 : accessed 27 Sep 2014).
[38] Luxembourg Census, Bastendorf > 1880 > image 69 of 488. Merkes-Kaufman household no. 31. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32390-2963-79?cc=2037957&wc=M5GW-6T1:346178801,345872201 : accessed 1 May 2015). See also images 68 and 70 for front and back matter.
[39] Ibid., Kayl > 1880 > image 714 of 1108. Merkes-Kunnert household No. 20. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32380-21590-67?cc=2037957&wc=M5G9-T38:345861401,345872201 : accessed 30 August 2015). See also images 713 and 715 for front and back matter.
[40] Ibid.,, Kayl > 1885 > image 714 of 1775. Merkes-Kunnert household No. 48. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32391-1100-17?cc=2037957&wc=M5G7-GP6:345861401,345873701 : accessed 29 August 2015). See also images 713 and 715 for front and back matter.
[41] Ibid., Kayl > 1887 > image 202 of 1089. Merkes-Kunnert household No. 97. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32393-16810-84?cc=2037957&wc=M5G4-FM9:345861401,345875201 : accessed 29 August 2015). See also images 201 and 203 for front and back matter.
[42] Ibid., Kayl > 1885 > image 642 of 1775. Keller-Merkes household No. 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32391-1631-93?cc=2037957&wc=M5G7-GP6:345861401,345873701 : accessed 29 August 2015). See also images 641 and 643 for front and back matter,
[43] Luxembourg Civil Records, Kayl > Décès 1879-1890 > image 173 of 393. 1884 Death Record No. 128. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11017-120898-4?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-T3D:129946501,129623502 : accessed 25 August 2015).
[44] Ibid., Kayl > Mariages 1866-1890 Décès 1797-1878 > image 1476 of 1489. 1878 Death Record No. 55. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12324-17170-96?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-7M9:129946501,130034601 : accessed 30 August 2015).
[45] Ibid., Kayl > Décès 1879-1890 > image 290 of 393. 1888 Death Record No. 49. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11017-120661-19?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-T3D:129946501,129623502 : accessed 25 August 2015).
[46] Escher Tageblatt, digitized by the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg, http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu (Verlag Editpress S.A., Esch-sur-Alzette), No. 118 20 May 1924 p. 7 col. 4. Death notice: Adam Merkes, 74 J. alt, Taglöhner, Rümelingen. (http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=428797&search_terms=adam%20merkes#panel:pa|issue:428797|article:DTL109|query:adam merkes.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Pierre “Peter” MERKES
Parents: Nicolas MERKES and Margaretha WAGENER
Spouse: Anna Catharina HASTERT
Parents of spouse: Christophe HASTERT and Barbara SCHMIT
Whereabouts: Bettendorf, Niederglabach, Bastendorf, Rumelange
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 3rd great-grandfather

1. Pierre “Peter” MERKES
2. Anna Maria MERKES
3. Nicolas KREMER
4. Franz “Fritz” KREMER
5. Marie Françoise “Maisy” KREMER
6. husband of 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: #30 Challenging-To-Research But So Rewarding, The SCHWARTZ-TRIERWEILER Family

Week 30 (July 23-29) – Challenging: It’s a good time to take a look at another challenging-to-research ancestor.

Challenging-To-Research But So Rewarding

My children’s 4th great-grandfather Mathias SCHWARTZ 1791-1860 has always been a challenge to research. I still remember the day I obtained his marriage record. It was in 1996 and sadly followed by the death of my father-in-law which put an end to my interest in genealogy research for several years. But the challenge of researching Mathias has also been rewarding.

In 1996 I took at short trip, less than 9 km from where I live, to visit the records office at the town hall of Rosport. The plan was to ask if they would look up several marriage records and make copies for me to take home. They opened the vault and gave me permission to look through the old ledgers and find the documents on my own. At the time I was very new to genealogy but I already knew one of the secrets to researching in Luxembourg. Get the marriage records! If you have followed my posts on the Luxembourgish families this year you will by now know these records include information on two to three generations. Today, if I had known they would open the vault for me, I would have had a better plan. But in the end I came away with marriage records of several generations of SCHWARTZ couples.

Mathias’ marriage record was in a very tightly bound ledger and the name of his mother was not complete on the photocopy they made. For years I thought the Ha… I saw could only be HASTERT. As in Dennis HASTERT, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, whose ancestors came from Osweiler, the village the SCHWARTZ family lived in.

As the years passed I neglected researching in Luxembourg while concentrating on my families in America. When FamilySearch uploaded the Luxembourg Civil Registration collection, I learned to use the browse only collection and found the digital copies of the marriage records I had laid aside so many years ago. Mathias’ mother was a HALER and not a HASTERT and the challenge continued.

In order to write about Mathias, his wife and children, I had to get my records for the family cited and all missing records needed to be found. From the beginning I knew Mathias was born on 22 November 1791 in Osweiler per his 1820 marriage record. But I didn’t have the birth or baptismal record. Civil records have been kept since 1796 which meant a civil record would not be found for Mathias. When the Luxembourg Church Records went online 9 January 2015 I made a resolution to not jump in and search haphazardly. I would only use them when I was working on a specific family from the time period.

As Mathias was born in Osweiler, a village belonging to the commune of Rosport, I checked this parish first and then Echternach, the next closest town, but did not find his baptismal record. What if the year of birth was wrong on the marriage record? To answer this question I checked for the marriage of his parents. I was rewarded with the 1790 marriage record of his parents Lorentz SCHWARTZ and Magdalena HALER, as well as the 1757 and 1759 marriage records of both of their parents, Mathias’ grandparents. These records gave the names of Mathias’ four great-grandfathers, two deceased before 1757 and two living in 1759. [Note: the links are to the index cards which include the volume and page numbers of the parish record. Links to the records will be shared upon request.]

I had gotten carried away with my searches but before doing anything else I shared this information with my husband’s 5C1R Julie Cahill Tarr of Julie’s Genealogy & History Hub. Julie descends from Mathias’ brother Heinrich b. 1796 – she was also rewarded by my challenging research.

I had already found Mathias’ census records and along with the missing baptismal record they had me questioning the date of birth listed on the marriage record. Three of the eight census records found included dates of birth – all conflicting. In 1843 he was seen as born 15 July 1789, in 1846 on 2 November 1794, and in 1849 on 1 May 1795. I went back to the church records of Rosport to check from 1789 to 1795 even though I was sure he had to have been born after his parents’ 1790 marriage. As the parish was quite small at the time the search was quick but in vain.

Once again I went through the church records of Echternach for the time period 1789-1795. Working my way backwards I discovered a quirk in the records I had missed the first time I searched only for 1791 baptismal records. I had not looked at pages 197-203 in the parish book because I found the 1791 baptismal records on pages 205-220. I had erroneously assumed the pages before 205 would be for 1790 but they were another group of records for 1791. Finally I found Mathias’ baptismal record on page 202 but it did not confirm the date of birth given on his marriage record, 22 November 1791. He was actually born and baptized a day earlier on 21 November 1791.

The SCHWARTZ-TRIERWEILER Family

The baptismal record of Mathias SCHWARTZ is in latin and begins with, “Die vigesima prima…” – On the twenty-first… I haven’t studied Latin which makes it difficult to transcribe the handwriting even when I use a translator. But the most important information can be deciphered.

1891schwartz — 1791 Baptismal Record [1]

Mathias SCHWARTZ was born on 21 November 1891 in Osweiler to Laurentius (Lorentz) SCHWARTZ and Magdalena HALER, both of Osweiler. His godparents were Mathias HALER of Osweiler and Magdalena WILLEMS of Frombourg, a farm near Osweiler.[1] Although the obvious conclusion would be the child was named after his maternal grandfather, I haven’t researched the HALER family and I don’t know if Mathias HALER the grandfather was still living or if Magdalena had a brother named Mathias.

1820proclamation — 1819 Marriage Proclamation [2]

Mathias SCHWARTZ and Anna TRIERWEILER’s proclamation of marriage was published on 13 December 1819. The banns had been read and hung out on the 5th and 12th at the city hall in Rosport.[2]

They were married at 9 in the morning of 17 January 1820 in Rosport by the mayor Peter MICHELS. The military commander had signed the required certificate concerning Mathias’ military service on 15 January. The bride, Anna TRIERWEILER, was born on 22 July 1794 in Olk (Germany) to Nicolas TRIERWEILER and Catharina HOFFMANN, both deceased at the time of the marriage. The bride and groom declared not being able to write and the marriage record was signed by four witnesses and the mayor. The witnesses do not appear to have been related to the bridal couple. The parents of the groom were both living but may not have been present for the marriage – they did not sign and there is no note of their not being able to write.[3]

Mathias’ father Lorentz SCHWARTZ died 10 days after the marriage.[4] Lorentz’s wife Magdalena HALER may have been caring for him at home while their son married.

Mathias and Anna were the parents of seven sons. Two of their sons died young, two others have not been located after the December 1852/1855 census. The three oldest sons married and continued the SCHWARTZ line in Osweiler and in Echternach.

Heinrich “Hari” SCHWARTZ b. 31 July 1821[5] d. 12 April 1892[6]
Johann SCHWARTZ b. 10 March 1823[7] d. 13 February 1898[8]
Peter SCHWARTZ b. 23 November 1824[9] d. 21 November 1893[10]
Christophe SCHWARTZ b. 19 May 1827[11] d. after December 1852[12] (no marriage or death found)
Guillaume SCHWARTZ b. 14 August 1830[13] d. 9 May 1833[14]
Mathias SCHWARTZ b. 3 March 1833[15] d. after December 1855[16] (no mariage or death found)
Nicolas SCHWARTZ b. 1 February 1836[17] d. 18 December 1836[18]

Anna TRIERWEILER and Mathias SCHWARTZ were present for the marriage of their son Hari to Christina HANSEN on 6 January 1847 in Rosport[19] and of their son Peter to Maria ERNZEN on 22 January 1851 in Rosport.[20]

Anna TRIERWEILER did not live long enough to see her son Johann marry in 1855. She died on 21 March 1853 in Osweiler, her son Peter was the informant. Although she was only 58 her age was reported as 63. Her husband Mathias who was 61 at the time was mentioned as being 65. Peter who was 28 at the time may not have gotten his parents’ ages correct but he did know his own age.[21]

A year later Mathias’ mother Magdalena HALER died at the hospital in Echternach on 20 April 1854.[22] The hospital was also a home for the elderly run by the Catholic nuns. Madgalena may have been living there from as early as 1846 when she was seen on the census with other older ladies.[23] The census records for 1843, 1847, 1849, 1851, and 1852 may confirm this. [To-do list]

The last of Mathias’ sons to marry was my husband’s 2nd great-grandfather Johann SCHWARTZ. He married Catharina SCHMITT on 27 January 1855 in Rosport.[24]

Mathias SCHWARTZ lived with his son Johann from 1855 until his death on 20 February 1860 in Osweiler. His death took placed at the home of his son Johann and was reported by his oldest son Heinrich who signed “Hari Schwartz” – the name seen on his birth record.[25]

One more marriage was to take place after Mathias’ death. In 1865 Peter SCHWARTZ’s lost his wife[26] and married his sister-in-law Anna Maria ERNZEN on 16 May 1866.[27]

The research for this family has been challenging and there are still loose ends which need to be taken care of. What happened to the sons Christophe and Mathias? They do not appear to have remained in the Rosport or Echternach area. Did they remain in Luxembourg or did they go to work in France or Germany or even emigrate to America?

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Echternach > Baptêmes, mariages, décès 1788-1797 > image 97 of 331. 1791 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-8510-60?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-4W5:1500937901,1500937902 : accessed 27 July 2015).
[2] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1800-1815 > image 277 of 385. 1820 Marriage Banns. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11676-85875-96?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-JWL:130314401,130827901 : accessed 11 April 2013 and 22 July 2015).
[3] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1800-1815 > image 280 of 385. 1820 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11676-83258-61?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-JWL:130314401,130827901 : accessed 11 April 2013 and 22 July 2015).
[4] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 29 of 1499. 1820 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-24932-24?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6K:n1548117469 : accessed 11 Apr 2013).
[5] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1800-1815 > image 168 of 385. 1821 Birth Record No. 14. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11676-88657-8?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-JWL:130314401,130827901 : accessed 22 May 2011 and 22 July 2015).
[6] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1891-1894 > image 130 of 176. 1892 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12165-230236-73?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-92Q:130314401,129717601 : accessed 21 May 2011).
[7] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 643 of 1410. 1855 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-10947-44?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6L:n1038283664 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[8] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages 1895-1923 Décès 1895-1902 > image 764 of 823. 1898 Death Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32046-4125-42?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6G:2025664037 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[9] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 304 of 1499. 1824 Birth Record No. 43. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-15476-12?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 Apr 2010).
[10] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1891-1894 > image 149 of 176. 1893 Death Record No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12165-230319-15?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-92Q:130314401,129717601 : accessed 21 May 2011).
[11] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 339 of 1499. 1827 Birth Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-24326-32?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 20 July 2015).
[12] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Rosport > 1852 > image 178 of 325. Schwartz-Trierweiler household. “Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32379-16445-47?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-44H:346331501,345865501 : accessed 26 March 2015).
[13] Luxembourg Civil Records, Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 386 of 1499. 1830 Birth Record No. 34. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-23095-32?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[14] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 1170 of 1410. 1833 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-13906-73?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[15] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 434 of 1499. 1833 Birth Record No. 12. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-25836-5?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[16] Luxembourg Census, Rosport > 1855 > image 162 of 290. Mathias Schwartz household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32381-20546-60?cc=2037957&wc=M5GS-J47:346331501,345866501 : accessed 1 April 2015).
[17] Luxembourg Civil Records, Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 492 of 1499. 1836 Birth Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-20593-39?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[18] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 1200 of 1410. 1836 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-12716-49?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 20 July 2015).
[19] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 576 of 1410. 1847 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-10348-99?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[20] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 612 of 1410. 1851 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-7639-89?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 Apr 2010).
[21] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1853-1891 > image 4 of 510. 1853 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11627-96341-81?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L62:1818144340 : accessed 19 May 2011).
[22] Ibid., Echternach > Décès 1854-1855 > image 9 of 59. 1854 Death Record No. 28. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11022-10578-17?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2V8:n1816692577 : accessed 13 May 2012).
[23] Luxembourg Census, Echternach > 1846 > image 317 of 722. Schwartz, Madelaine 1769 Osweiler veuve. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32357-26948-34?cc=2037957&wc=M9MV-MMQ:716415365 : accessed 27 July 2015).
[24] Luxembourg Civil Records, Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 643 of 1410. 1855 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-10947-44?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6L:n1038283664 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[25] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1853-1891 > image 90 of 510. 1860 Death Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11627-94599-71?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L62:1818144340 : accessed 05 Apr 2013).
[26] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1853-1891 > image 161 of 510. 1865 Death Record No. 30. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11627-95600-7?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-16X:130314401,130472201 : accessed 28 July 2015).
[27] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 734 of 1410. 1866 Marriage Record No. 8. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-11631-95?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 April 2010).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Mathias SCHWARTZ
Parents: Lorentz SCHWARTZ and Magdalena HALER
Spouse: Anna TRIERWEILER
Parents of spouse: Nicolas TRIERWEILER and Catharina HOFFMANN
Whereabouts: Osweiler, Rosport, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 3rd great-grandfather

1. Mathias SCHWARTZ
2. Johann SCHWARTZ
3. Johann SCHWARTZ
4. Catharina “Catherine” “Ketty” “Ged” SCHWARTZ
5. Marcel Mathias MEDER
6. husband of Cathy Meder-Dempsey

52 Ancestors: #18 The KREMER-MERKES Family of Bettendorf

Week 18 (April 30 – May 6) – Where There’s a Will: Do you have an ancestor who left an interesting will? Have you used a will to solve a problem? Or, what ancestor showed a lot of will in his or her actions?

The KREMER-MERKES Family of Bettendorf – Timeline

1835 August 14: Anna Maria MERKES (1835-1920) was born in Obereissenbach, Hosingen, Luxembourg. She was the daughter of Michel MERKES and Anna Catherina HASTERT.[1]
1836 June 5: Anton KREMER was born in Bettendorf, Diekirch, Luxembourg. He was the son of Nicolas KREMER and Elisabeth FRIEDERICH.[2]
1859 September 1: Anton KREMER married Anna Maria MERKES in Bettendorf.[3]
1860 July 14: Child #1 Nicolas KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[4]
1861 December 3: Anton, Anna Maria, and Nicolas were living in the house called “Schneidisch” in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[5]
1862 April 27: Child #2 Maria “Marie” KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[6]
1864 May 18: Child #3 Adam KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[7]
1864 December 3: Anton, Anna Maria, Nicolas, Marie, and Adam were living in the “Fenton” house in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[8]
1865 December 3: Child #4 Mathias KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[9]
1867 December 3: Anton, Anna Maria, Nicolas, Marie, Adam, and Mathias were living in the house called “Schneidisch” in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[10]
1867 December 24: Child #5 Eva KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[11]
1869 January 9: Child #6 Peter “Pierre” KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[12]
1869 May 23: Child #5 Eva died in Bettendorf.[13]
1870 July 5: UPDATE (as of 26 Sep 2015): a female child was stillborn in Bettendorf.
1871 June 25: Child #7 Maria KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[14]
1871 July 31: Child #7 Maria died in Bettendorf.[15]
1871 October 29: Anton KREMER was the informant for the death of his mother Elisabetha FRIEDERICH.[16]
1871 December 1: Anton, Anna Maria, Nicolas, Marie, Adam, Mathias and Peter were living in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[17]
1872 August 12: Child #8 Michel KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[18]
1872 October 14: Child #8 Michel died in Bettendorf.[19]
1874 August 5: Child #9 Maria KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[20]
1874 September 28: Child #9 Maria died in Bettendorf.[21]
1875 November 18: Child #10 Nicolas KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[22]
1875 December 1: Anton, Anna Maria, Nicolas, Marie, Adam, Mathias, Peter and young Nicolas were living in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[23]
1878 April 1: Child #11 Anna KREMER was born in Bettendorf.[24]
1878 July 22: Child #11 Anna died in Bettendorf.[25]
1880 December 1: Anton, Anna Maria, Mathias, Peter, and young Nicolas were living in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[26]
1885 December 1: Anton, Anna Maria, Marie and young Nicolas were living in Bettendorf at the time of the census. Nicolas, the elder, and Adam (seen as Emil) were working in Rumelange.[27]
1886 April 13: Child #3 Adam died in Bettendorf.[28]
1887 February 1: Anton, Anna Maria, Peter and young Nicolas were living in Bettendorf at the time of the census.[29]
1887 December 28: Child #2 Marie married Michel ERNZEN in Bettendorf.[30]
1890 December 1: Anton, Anna Maria, Mathias, young Nicolas, and a nephew Johann Müller were living in Bettendorf at the time of the census. Peter had been working in Esch-sur-Alzette for the past 18 months.[31]
1895 December 2: Per the census, Anton and Anna Maria were living alone in Bettendorf. Their sons were listed as follows: 1. Nicolas (the elder) working in Rumelange for 21 years. 2. Mathias working in Rumelange for 3 years. 3. Peter working in France for 7 years. 4. Nicolas (the younger) working in France for 1 1/2 years. [32]
1895 December 7: Child #1 Nicolas, the elder, died in Rumelange. His brother Mathias and his uncle Mathias MERKES were informants on his death. Nicolas was the widower of Margaretha NAU.[33]
1900 February 26: Child #4 Mathias married Louise “Elise” SCHOCKMEL in Rumelange.[34]
1900 November 28: Child #10 Nicolas married Cathérine GRISIUS in Bettendorf.[35]
1900 December 1: Anton, Anna Maria, and their daughter-in-law Cathérine GRISIUS were seen in a household in Bettendorf when the census was enumerated. Nicolas, Cathérine’s husband, was in Oberanven for the past two days on business.[36]
1914 June 28: Beginning of World War I
1918 April 19: Cathérine GRISIUS, wife of Nicolas, died in Moestroff.[37]
1918 April 28: Anton KREMER died in Bettendorf.[38]
1918 November 11: End of World War I
1920 June 3: Anna Maria MERKES died in Bettendorf.[39]
1936 November 29: Louise “Elise” SCHOCKMEL, wife of Mathias, died in Esch-sur-Alzette.[40]
1939 September 1: Beginning of World War II.
1945 March 4: Child #4 Mathias died in Rumelange.[41]
1945 August 14: End of World War II.
1951: Child #10 Nicolas KREMER, the younger, died in Moestroff.[42]

hand — Through the records they left, our ancestors are reaching out to open doors in brick walls.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Anton KREMER and Anna Maria MERKES had a family of eleven children. Five died before the age of two. The causes of death of these children who died between 1869-1878 are not revealed on the civil death records. Was the age of the mother at the time of the pregnancy of importance? Were they preterm births? Did they die of malnutrition or other diseases?

Anton KREMER was a tailor (Schneider) and very likely did not have a large clientele in the small town he lived and worked in. Anton and Anna Maria’s older children were Nicolas (the elder), Marie, Adam, Mathias, and Peter. By the end of the 1860s, they had five growing children who needed to be fed.

My husband’s great-grandfather, also named Nicolas, was the baby of the family. He was the only child of five born in the 1870s to live. His older siblings began leaving home to work when he was still quite young.

Nicolas (the elder), Adam, and Mathias went to Rumelange located in southern Luxembourg on the French border. As the area was rich in iron ores they worked in the mines. Peter worked as a servant or farmhand (Knecht), first in his hometown and later in France. Nicolas, the younger, also went to France to work for a while when he was old enough. Anton and Anna Maria’s sons most likely sent part of their pay home to help with the family expenses.

Mine workers faced high health and safety risks. In December 1885 Adam had been working for 8 months in the mines in Rumelange. Four months later he died at home in Bettendorf. It is not known if his death was related to his working in the mines. His oldest brother Nicolas, also a mine worker, died at the age of 35 years in Rumelange. At the time of his death, he was widowed; it is not known if he had children.

I wonder if Adam and Nicolas’ death gave Mathias a kind of wake up call. Did he think of the danger of working in the mines? He married at 35 and had two sons. Of the three miners, he was the one to live the longest, dying in his 80th year.

The fate of Peter who went to France is unknown.

Anton and Anna Maria’s daughter Marie took the path of most girls at the time, marrying at age 25. She gave birth to 8 children, only 3 lived to adulthood. Her first child died at 5 years of age and, as with her mother, four of her youngest children did not survive. In 1920 at age 58 she was present at the marriage of her oldest daughter. It is not known how long she lived.

Nicolas, the baby of the family, remained near his parents after his marriage and likely cared for them in their old age. While preparing this post I found Nicolas and his wife Cathérine GRISIUS had a son Théodore (1916-1917) who was missed during earlier research bringing the total number of children in his family to 10. Once again, as with his parents and sister, the three youngest children in his family did not survive. Nicolas who died at 75 had a long life but not quite as long as his parents.

Anton died about 6 weeks short of his 82nd birthday and Anna Maria two months short of her 85th birthday.

Anton and Anna Maria KREMER-MERKES may not have been very well off but they raised children who worked hard and learned where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Hosingen > Naissances 1823-1890 > image 271 of 1477. 1835 Birth Record No. 36. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11690-153577-57?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2BG:675906683 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[2] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 176 of 1507. 1836 Birth Record No. 45. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5516-98?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-28S:1346120346 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[3] Ibid, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 516 of 1494. 1859 Marriage Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-37146-86?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[4] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 669 of 1507. 1860 Birth Record No. 40. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-4672-87?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[5] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > 1861 > image 48 of 367. 1861 Kremer-Merkes household no. 36. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32381-11444-68?cc=2037957&wc=M5GM-MNL:346114101,345867101 : accessed 18 February 2015).
[6] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 705 of 1507. 1862 Birth Record No. 17. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-2262-15?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[7] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 747 of 1507. 1864 Birth Record No. 25. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-6800-99?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[8] Census, Bettendorf > 1864 > image 26 of 395. Kremer-Merkes household No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32381-24158-86?cc=2037957&wc=M5GS-2J7:346114101,345868401 : accessed 13 February 2015).
[9] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 776 of 1507. 1865 Birth Record No. 57. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-3630-91?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[10] Census, Bettendorf > 1867 > image 362 of 364. Kremer-Merkes household No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32373-12273-77?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-3TR:346114101,345869101 : accessed 13 February 2015).
[11] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 817 of 1507. 1867 Birth Record No. 58. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-7185-73?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[12] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 840 of 1507. 1869 Birth Record No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-972-57?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[13] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 143 of 465. 1869 Death Record No. 22. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-61036-58?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 27 August 2011).
[14] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 881 of 1507. 1871 Birth Record No. 26. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-6470-75?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010),.
[15] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 187 of 465. 1871 Death Record No. 76. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-59652-23?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 21 August 2011).
[16] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 189 of 465. 1871 Death Record No. 84. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-60058-48?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 2 May 2015).
[17] Census, Bettendorf > 1871 > image 269 of 823. Kremer-Merkes household No. 20. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32382-11432-63?cc=2037957&wc=M5L1-J46:346114101,345869501 : accessed 12 February 2015). Note: images 268 and 270 are the cover and back of the census.
[18] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 900 of 1507. 1872 Birth Record No. 41. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5974-60?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[19] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 900 of 1507. 1872 Birth Record No. 41. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5974-60?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[20] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 938 of 1507. 1874 Birth Record No. 31. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-5404-89?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[21] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 226 of 465. 1874 Death Record No. 36. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-60066-48?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 27 August 2011).
[22] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 969 of 1507. 1875 Birth Record No. 68. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-1624-19?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-28S:1346120346 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[23] Census, Bettendorf > 1875 > image 456 of 789. Kremer-Merkes household 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32381-23431-9?cc=2037957&wc=M5G9-VZK:346114101,345870501 : accessed 12 February 2015). Note: images 455 and 457 are the cover and back of the census.
[24] Civil records, Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 1019 of 1507. 1878 Birth Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-2448-3?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 21 March 2010).
[25] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 291 of 465. 1878 Death Record No. 22. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-65421-61?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 27 August 2011).
[26] Census, Bettendorf > 1880 > image 192 of 793. Kremer-Merkes household No. 93. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32377-17916-43?cc=2037957&wc=M5L1-JWR:346114101,345872201 : accessed 12 February 2015). Note: images 191 and 193 are the cover and back of the census.
[27] Ibid, Bettendorf > 1885 > image 300 of 773. Kremer-Merkes household No. 60. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32379-28140-51?cc=2037957&wc=M5G9-C65:346114101,345873701 : accessed 12 February 2015). Note: images 299 and 301 are the cover and back of the census.
[28] Civil records, Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 408 of 465. 1886 Death Record No. 14. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-63719-42?cc=1709358&wc=9RYH-82S:129626601,129626602 : accessed 27 August 2011).
[29] Census, Bettendorf > 1887 > image 437 of 781. Kremer-Merkes household Nr. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32390-1374-15?cc=2037957&wc=M5G7-GPR:346114101,345875201 : accessed 11 February 015). Note: images 436 and 438 are the cover and back of the census.
[30] Civil records, Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 816 of 1494. 1887 Marriage Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-36421-6?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-SP8:129626601,129729901 : accessed 29 April 2015).
[31] Census, Bettendorf > 1890 > image 564 of 778. Kremer-Merkes household No. 1. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32393-3622-67?cc=2037957&wc=M5GC-YWB:346114101,345876401 : accessed 11 February 2015).Note: images 563 and 565 are the cover and back of the census.
[32] Ibid, Bettendorf > 1895 > image 304 of 810. Kremer-Merkes household No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32467-11113-98?cc=2037957&wc=M5GD-FM4:346114101,345878001 : accessed 11 February 2015).Note: images 305 and 306 are the cover and back of the census.
[33] Civil records, Rumelange > Décès 1891-1923 > image 83 of 923. 1895 Death Record No. 80. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32036-3166-12?cc=1709358&wc=9RTY-L23:130319501,130319502 : accessed 29 April 2015).
[34] Ibid, Rumelange > Naissances 1913-1923 Mariages 1891-1902 > image 598 of 670. 1900 Marriage No. 8. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32063-906-3?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-4WR:130319501,130583901 : accessed 29 April 2015).
[35] Ibid, Bettendorf > Naissances 1896-1923 Mariages 1895-1923 > image 530 of 777. 1900 Marriage Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32044-7034-74?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-28W:n1332603780 : accessed 01 Apr 2013).
[36] Census, Bettendorf > 1900 > image 85 of 793. Kremer-Merkes household with Kremer-Grisius. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32396-11048-31?cc=2037957&wc=M9MJ-1NN : accessed 13 January 2015). Note: images 84 and 86 are the cover and back of the census.
[37] Civil records, Bettendorf > Décès 1895-1923 > image 328 of 389. 1918 Death Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32048-23912-78?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-926:129626601,129623802 : accessed 26 Sep 2014).
[38] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1895-1923 > image 329 of 389. 1918 Death Record No. 11. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32048-24192-81?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-926:129626601,129623802 : accessed 27 Sep 2014).
[39] Ibid, Bettendorf > Décès 1895-1923 > image 353 of 389. 1920 Death Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32048-24158-80?cc=1709358&wc=9RT1-926:129626601,129623802 : accessed 27 Sep 2014).
[40] Tageblatt, digitized by the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg, http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu (Zeitung fir Lëtzebuerg, Esch-sur-Alzette : Editpress Luxembourg S.A), 1 December 1936, No. 283, p. 4, col. 4. (http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=645053&search_terms=louise%20schockmel#panel:pp|issue:645053|article:DTL356|query:louise schockmel : accessed 2 May 2015)
[41] Ibid, 6 March 1945, No. 53, p. 2, col. 4. (http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=109573&search_terms=mathias%20kremer#panel:pp|issue:109573|article:DTL154|query:mathias kremer : accessed 2 May 2015)
[42] Moestroff Kierfecht, Moestroff, Luxembourg. KREMER-GRISIUS family gravemarker (photo © 1995 Egon Meder)

Source for UPDATE: Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Décès 1860-1890 > image 159 of 465. 1870 Death Record No. 34. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11711-66852-22?cc=1709358 : accessed 26 September 2015).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Anton KREMER
Parents: Nicolas KREMER and Elisabeth FRIEDERICH
Spouse: Anna Maria MERKES
Parents of spouse: Pierre MERKES and Anna Katharina HASTERT
Whereabouts: Bettendorf, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 2nd great-grandparents

1. Anton KREMER and Anna Maria MERKES
2. Nicolas KREMER
3. Franz KREMER
4. Marie Françoise “Maisy” KREMER
5. Cathy Meder-Dempsey’s husband

Fearless Females: 27 Female Ancestors Share My First Name!

This is my entry for Day 3: Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

My first name is Catherine and I share it with the following 27 ancestors (mostly maternal, only 5 are paternal and marked with an *):

mother, Catherine Josette WILDINGER
great-grandmother, Catherine PÖPPELREITER
great-grandmother, Catherine FRANTZ
3rd great-grandmothers, Maria Katharina GROELINGER
3rd great-grandmothers, Catherine SCHRAMEN
3rd great-grandmothers, Marie Catherine PHILIPPART
4th great-grandmother, Maria Catharina SCHUMACHER
4th great-grandmother, Catharina HAMES
4th great-grandmother, Catharina CORNELY
4th great-grandmother, Anne Catherine HENNES
4th great-grandmother, Catherine MEUNIER
5th great-grandmother, Katharina KLEIN
5th great-grandmother, Maria Katharina HUSS
5th great-grandmother, Catherine Barbara NOLL *
5th great-grandmother, Catherine SINGER
5th great-grandmother, Catherine ARENT
5th great-grandmother, Marie-Cathérine HASTERT
6th great-grandmother, Catharina RONES
6th great-grandmother, Catherine PLICKENSTALVER *
7th great-grandmother, Marie Catherine [–?–] HUSS (descended from her twice)
7th great-grandmother, Catherine SETON
7th great-grandmother, Anne-Catherine ECKART
8th great-grandmother, Catharina KUENZ *
8th great-grandmother, Katharina B. [–?–] BLICKENSDOERFER *
8th great-grandmother, Catherine LEPINE
9th great-grandmother, Catherine RATZEN
12th great-grandmother, Katherine (Honeywood) FLEETE *

Chiseled in stone: “Veuve Schloesser 1800-1889”

Door 6 When I began doing genealogy in the early 1990s my families in Luxembourg were the first I researched. With the information found on grave markers, I went about collecting marriage records as these include dates and places of birth for bride and groom, ages and places of residence of parents, and dates and places of death for deceased parents. From these, I learned that Veuve SCHLOESSER was Anna Maria CONSBRÜCK, the widow of Jean Joseph SCHLOESSER who died in Metz, France, in 1841. The registrar searched the 1889 death records in Echternach and our local priest checked his records but nothing was found.

With the 1843-1900 census records for Luxembourg now available at FamilySearch.org, I finally found the answer. She wasn’t born in 1800 but in 1810 and didn’t die in 1889 but in 1897 (age 87). I located her death record and found other records to prove her parents and both sets of grandparents. I’m working on finding records for them which may get me back even another generation.

1963-12-04 Cemetery All this time I thought that my families in Echternach all came from other places in Luxembourg before the 1880s. Now I can trace CONSBRÜCK, SCHMITT, LANSER, and HASTERT back to at least the mid-1700’s in Echternach.

1963-12-03 Cemetery So another lesson learned: even if it is written in stone, it pays to check all records available for the full story.

Note: For nearly 20 years I thought that my Schloesser-Consbrück family came from France because their children were born there and the father died there. I am now really happy that these families (still looking for Schloesser) came from the town I live in!! So now you know why this is included in the header for my GEDCOM file: This is a work in process and corrections are being made all the time. WHAT YOU COPY TODAY MAY NOT BE CORRECT TOMORROW.

Update 23 January 2013: After talking to Rob Deltgen last week I pushed to find more on the SCHLOESSER side of the family. I have often searched for Jean Joseph SCHLOESSER and his wife Anna Maria “Marie” CONSBRÜCK on the internet and never came up with any hits (except my own GEDCOM file). I can’t remember what search criteria I used this time but I got a new hit on a database that I’ve never been able to access before. I found the name of Jean Joseph’s father: Jean-Népomucène SCHLOESSER. With a name like this, you can imagine that hits would be very rare but I found a GEDCOM file that gives me 4-5 generations of family to work with. I am so lucky that these families are from Luxembourg, that the records were kept so well, and that FamilySearch gives free access to them.