Théodore MEDER (1807-1898) and the Papal Zouave

Today would have been my father-in-law Marcel MEDER‘s 95th birthday. When I began researching our family history in 1995 my father-in-law was the one who helped me read the old handwriting in the documents I obtained from the records offices I visited in different towns in Luxembourg. He died too soon in 1996, less than two months before his 70th birthday.

In March 2015, I wrote about his great-grandparents Théodore MEDER (1807-1898) and Susanna REIFFER (1808-1877), a couple with a dozen children.

In previous posts for the family groups in Luxembourg, I concentrated on the birth and marriage records of the children. For the MEDER-REIFFER family, I tried something different. I used pink and blue boxes for the children, adding footnote links for their birth, marriage, and death records to the very long source list at the end of the post. Instead of discussing the birth and/or marriage records, I chose to focus on the census records of the family.

The Luxembourg Census

The census in Luxembourg was taken every three or so years. At FamilySearch there are 1,115,931 census images available for these years: 1843, 1846, 1847, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1855, 1858, 1861, 1864, 1867, 1871, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1887, 1890, 1895 and 1900.

Théodore MEDER should have been found in every single year the census was taken except for 1900 as he lived from 1807 to 1898.

I went through the entire 1871 census collection for Diekirch and did not find Théodore, Susanna, and their youngest daughter Catherine. Their married sons were found. Their married daughters, however, still need to be looked into.

The missing 1871 census listing is not the focus of this post.

After the death of his wife in 1877¹ and the first census following her death in 1880², Théodore went missing in 1885, 1887. 1890, and 1895.

Théodore was a widower for 22 years and may have spent some time in the local hospital before his death. This was known as when he died at three o’clock in the morning on 29 July 1898 his death was reported by Dominik ZENNER, the 64 years old overseer in the hospital (Aufseher im Spital) in Diekirch. The overseer stated that the death occurred in the hospital.³

Notes to myself and how my sister uses them

I share my GEDCOM file on GeneaLux.Net, a sub-site reserved for members of my genealogy society Luxracines. Earlier this month my sister, who also does genealogy and is a member of Luxracines, ran across Théodore’s 1885 census listing by accident.

Recognizing the surname, she checked my tree as she knows I keep notes to myself about the records I’m searching for. With the information on where he was found in 1885, she went on to successfully find him in the same place in 1887, 1890, and 1895.

Where did she find Théodore? In Diekirch, in the hospital where he was known to have died, in all four census years.

The Hospital of Diekirch

Rob Deltgen, the compiler of the family book for Diekirch, wrote about the hospital of Diekirch: “Offiziel wurde 1882 mit dem Bau des Hospitals begonnen, vorher existierte jedoch auch ein Bürgerhospital.” The construction of the hospital officially began in 1882, but before that, there was also a community hospital.⁴

In the center of town, the area around the church and judicial building is called ob der Klouster by the older generations of Diekirch. Behind the church, in the rue de l’Hôpital, is the rest home run by the nuns of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Elisabeth.

Théodore MEDER in the census

In 1885 Théodore was in pflege or in care at the hospital run by Catholic nuns. He had no occupation and was living on support or von unterstützung lebend. He was listed a few lines below Dominique ZENNER, Krankenwärter (nurse) in the hospital.⁵

On 1 February 1887, in the Klosterstrasse, the Abbess Généviève BOVÉ, as in 1885, headed the list of nuns who cared for the patients. The patients’ names were listed on the census page and then crossed out. Dominique ZENNER was listed as a nurse, two lines above Théodore whose name was marked out.⁶

On 1 December 1890, the street name was hinter dem Kloster or behind the convent. Abbess BOVÉ was still head of the convent. Dominique ZENNER is listed on line 18 and Théodore on line 20. Dominique’s occupation was Krankenwärter (nurse) and Théodore was living from support.⁷

By 2 December 1895, the hospital had grown. Personnel and patients were enumerated on five pages. The information included the number of years each had been at the establishment. The persons living the longest at the hospital were Pauline SCHROELL (line 33), Théodore MEDER (line 62), and Dominique ZENNER (line 67). All three had been there for 12 years, likely since the hospital had been built. Dominique was still working as a nurse, likely overseeing the men’s ward.⁸

Dominik, a Papal Zouave

Dominique ZENNER, as noted earlier, was the informant on the civil death record of Théodore MEDER. His name was used to learn more about the hospital. Searches, however, brought up more interesting information about the life of Dominique or Dominik as he was known by those he worked with him in the hospital.

Thomon, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

The Zuavi Pontifici or Papal Zouaves were an infantry battalion and later a regiment dedicated to defending the Papal States. Young unmarried Roman Catholic men volunteered to assist Pope Pius IX in his struggle against the Italian unificationist.

Dominik ZENNER (1834-1924) worked as a nurse during the cholera epidemic of 1866 in Luxembourg. At the age of 34, he crossed the Alps to fight for the freedom of the Papal States in the ranks of the Papal Zouaves. Soon after his arrival, he contracted cholera but after several months was cured and able to leave the hospital. In 1869 he visited his homeland but returned to his military duties. In 1870 he was taken prisoner at Porta Pia by the Garbaldians. He received the papal blessing from Pope Pius IX from the loggia of the Saint Peter’s Church along with 1200 of his fellow prisoners. In October 1870 he was released to his homeland where he devoted himself to nursing the sick in the Diekirch hospital until his death.⁹

On 4 May 1920, Zenner celebrated his military jubilee with his brothers-in-arms Wilhelm LEYDER from Eppeldorf and Peter KIEFFER from Wiltz in the monastery of Diekirch. Her Royal Highness, CHARLOTTE, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg presented the jubilarians with the Silver Medal of the Grand Ducal Order of the Crown of Oak. At the same time, they received from the Archbishop of Luxembourg, Mgr. Pierre NOMMESCH the Pontifical Order Pro Ecclesia and Pontifice awarded by Pope Benedikt XV. It was pinned on their chests beside the Pontifical Medal Bene Merenti they had already received from  Pope Leo XIII.¹⁰, ¹¹, ¹²

Thank you to my sister

I’d like to thank my sister for keeping an eye out for records I’ve been unable to find and for letting me know when she finds them. Also, for unknowingly helping me to learn more about the history of the people of Luxembourg. I knew little of the Zuavi Pontifici and found interesting articles in the Luxembourg newspapers about the men who served.

As for Théodore and his nurse Dominik, did a friendship develop between the two as one was cared for by the other? Did Théodore know of Dominik’s military service? Did Dominik share stories of his adventures fighting for the freedom of the Papal States? What was it like for Théodore, who had spent most of his life working as a day laborer and shepherd, to live in an establishment for the last 15 years of his life run by women?

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

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1. Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 1066 of 1358. 1877 Death Record No. 58. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-166176-67?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NH:n538876208 : accessed 01 Apr 2013). ↩
2. Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Diekirch > 1880 > image 321 of 1562. Meder-Faber household No. 85 (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32389-5935-92?cc=2037957&wc=M5GS-GPL:345999901,345872201 : accessed 7 January 2015). See images 320 and 322 for the front and back of the census sheet. ↩
3. Luxembourg Civil Records, Diekirch > Mariages 1895-1923 Décès 1895-1902 > image 550 of 661. 1898 Death Record No. 53. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32038-1425-70?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NF:21518491 : accessed 17 Feb 2013). ↩
4. Rob Deltgen, Familienbuch Der Gemeinde Diekirch, published as part of the 750th anniversary of the city of Diekirch in 2010, page 6. ↩
5. Luxembourg Census 1843-1900, Diekirch > 1885 > image 1523 of 1613. line 20. 1885 Zählungsliste No. 165a. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L971-K3XG?cc=2037957&wc=M5G7-W38%3A345999901%2C345873701 : accessed 26 September 2021). ↩
6. Ibid., Diekirch > 1887 > image 82 of 1594, line 4. 1887 Zählungsliste No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8971-PS1Q?cc=2037957&wc=M5G4-3YM%3A345999901%2C345875201 : accessed 26 September 2021). Note: The nuns, servants, and patients being cared for were listed on Zählungsliste 36 and 37. All entries for patients were marked out. ↩
7. Ibid., Diekirch > 1890 > image 357 of 1663, line 20. 1890 Zählungslist No. 36a. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L971-PW7C?cc=2037957&wc=M5GZ-N36%3A345999901%2C345876401 : accessed 26 September 2021). ↩
8. Ibid., Diekirch > 1895 (n 1432) > image 34 of 590, line 62. 1895 Zählungsliste No. 87d. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G971-RKJ4?cc=2037957&wc=M5GX-923%3A345999901%2C346457001 : accessed 26 September 2021). ↩
9. Luxemburger Wort, 1924. Jg., nº 17 (17.01.1924), p. 3. Digitized by the National Library of Luxembourg, (https://persist.lu/ark:70795/9zv6n0/pages/3/articles/DTL42 : accessed 25 September 2021) ↩
10. Escher Tageblatt, 1920. Jg., nº 106 (07.05.1920), p. 3. Digitized by the National Library of Luxembourg, (https://persist.lu/ark:70795/s79jff/pages/3/articles/DTL40 : accessed 25 September 2021) ↩
11. Avis Mort. 6 Page 3. In: Luxemburger Wort, 1924. Jg., nº 17 (17.01.1924), p. 3. Digitized by the National Library of Luxembourg, (https://persist.lu/ark:70795/9zv6n0/pages/3/articles/DTL219 : accessed 25 September 2021) ↩
12. Obermosel-Zeitung, 44. Jg., nº 282 (05.12.1924), p. 3. Digitized by the National Library of Luxembourg, (https://persist.lu/ark:70795/wtjk7b/pages/3/articles/DTL45 : accessed 25 September 2021) ↩

The Extinction of the PREISEN Family Name †

We’ gruss stinn haut ons Fraen, Mäner, de’ vill em d’Hemecht mat gemacht — de’ grad we’ an de grusse Länner, hirt Léwen vir si agesât.

As the story of the Thomas PREISER and Anna Maria SCHRANTZ family of Diekirch was coming together, I attended a conference in Walferdange on the subject of Luxembourgish Family Names.

The lecture was organized by my local genealogy association luxracines.lu. Prof. Dr. Peter GILLES explained in his lecture the procedure and results of several years of research. The project was supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) from 2009-2012 at the University of Luxembourg. The 2600 most frequent family names were published in Luxemburger Familiennamenbuch by Cristian Kollmann, Peter Gilles and Claire Muller in 2016. I have a copy of the book and mentioned it in my post How a Surname Had Me Spiraling Down a Rabbit Hole.

The PREISEN surname is unusual and, with the evolution of surnames on my mind, I wanted to add an unexpected end to this family’s story.

When Thomas, the father of this family, was baptized in 1753 his surname was spelled PREISER. When he married in 1779, the record showed the spelling PREUSEN. When his children were born between 1779 and 1799, PREISEN and PREUSEN were seen on the baptismal records. When Thomas died in 1801, PREUSEN was the spelling used by all of his children. By 1880, the descendants had gone back to using the PREISEN spelling.

The three sons of Thomas and Anna Maria who married, each had 8 to 9 children but only one son each. Peter and Joseph’s sons both lived to the age of 80 but never married.

Anton’s son had a son who had a son who had a son…

Anton was the only son of Thomas and Anna Maria who continued the male line, the line which kept the surname alive. Anton had a son:

• Philippe (1822-1883) who had a son
• Michel (1852-1945) who had a son
• Michel Philippe (1889-1975) who had a son
• Jean Pierre Christophe (1915-1944), known as Jempy to the family and friends.

There were no other male descendants other than Anton’s son, grandson, great-grandson, and great-great-grandson. Jempy was the last male PREISEN in the line.

Luxemburger Wort. 16 September 1944. page 4, colum 2. online http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=789672&search_terms=preisen%20thillen#panel:pp|issue:789672|article:DTL304|query:preisen thillen

Jempy died at the age of 28 years as the result of an accident. What terrible “accident” took his life?

Tageblatt. 18 September 1944. page 4, column 1. online http://www.eluxemburgensia.lu/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIRECTLINK&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=725642&search_terms=preisen%20jempy#panel:pp|issue:725642|article:DTL52|query:preisen jempy

Diekirch – Jempy  Preisen † . The city of Diekirch has endured four years the Nazi tyranny and oppression with a strong heart and unflinching will. No wonder the day of our deliverance, September 11th, was a day of joy, enthusiasm, and rejoicing. Unfortunately, the victorious goddess demanded a sacrificial prize in the person of the 28-year-old Jempy PREISEN from Diekirch. This member of the Luxemburgish Freedom Organization was shot by a cowardly national traitor during the cleansing of our city. Jempy was always a noble friend to us all, animated by an ardent patriotism; it was rightly said of him: How tall stand today the women and men who did so much for our homeland — who like those from other large countries, put their lives on the line. The general interest of the town and the surrounding region of Diekirch may be a quiet consolation for the respectable PREISEN-THILLEN family, who have now sacrificed their only son and heir for the homeland. Jempy Preisen has entered into the long series of heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the liberty of Luxembourg; his memory will always be honored.

The underlined part is the translation of the quote used at the beginning of this post.

In 1880 the Luxembourg census had 9 persons enumerated with the surname PREISEN, a name no longer found in the telephone book in 2009. The last living male person to carry the surname PREISEN, Jempy’s father, died in 1975, nearly 200 hundred years after Thomas and Anna Maria started their family.

The Story is Not All Sadness

For those of you who have read the first part of this story, Thomas and Anna Maria’s story is not all sadness. Marie’s children lived short lives and Elizabeth had two stillborn daughters, but the other five children each had between seven and a dozen children. There were some who did not live to adulthood and others who chose to not marry, but the rest married and continued their lines although not with the PREISEN name.

One of these was my children’s 4th great-grandmother Margaretha PREISEN.

Her line went full circle when her granddaughter Elise FABER married François MEDER (half 3rd cousins) and had eleven children. In yesterday’s post I mentioned this unusual discovery which may have been a bit hard to follow. Amy Cohen of Brotman: A Family Journey suggested doing a chart (above, click to enlarge) to help “decipher your sentence about the sixth great-grandparents…” Does this make it easier?

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

52 Ancestors: #5 Michael KOSTERS aka Michel SCHENTEN (1733-1813)

1733 Baptismal Record of Michael Kosters [1]

26 Martius 1733 baptizatus est Michael filius legitimus Joannis Kosters et Catharina conjugum ex 7born Suscipientes fuerunt Michael Bourjans et Maria Franscisca Kosters ambo ex 7fontibus.

On 26 March 1733 was baptized Michael legitimate son of Joannis Kosters and Catharina, married, of Siebenborn. Godparents were Michael Bourjans and Maria Franscisca Kosters both of Siebenborn.[1]

Septfontaines is the name coined by the French for the town of Siebenborn, meaning “seven springs.” In early Latin records, the name of the town was often abbreviated to 7born. Today the town is known as Simmer in Luxembourgish and Simmern in German.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Michael KOSTERS aka Michel SCHENTEN
Parents: Joannis SCHENTEN and Catharina KOSTERS
Spouses: Anna Maria WEBER, Susanna GENTINGER, and Cathérine OVERECKEN(*)
Parents of Spouse(*): Unknown
Whereabouts: Septfontaines, Kehlen, and Gilsdorf, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 4th great-grandparents

1. Michel SCHENTEN and Cathérine OVERECK
2. Maria Catharina SCHENTEN
3. Johann “Jean” FABER
4. Elisabetha “Elisabeth” “Elise” FABER
5. Johann Peter “Jean-Pierre” MEDER
6. Marcel Mathias MEDER
7. husband of Cathy Meder-Dempsey

SCHENTEN x KOSTERS

The baby Michael KOSTERS, son of Joannes SCHENTEN and Catharina KOSTERS, would later be known as Michel SCHENTEN. At the time of his birth, his family went by his mother’s surname – KOSTERS – instead of his father’s surname – SCHENTEN. Six children, born between 1729 and 1745, were found for the couple. Their first child had the name Schenten x Kosters written on his baptismal record while the rests had only Kosters.

At the age of 17 Michel lost his mother. Catharina KOSTERS died on 29 November 1750.[2] A little more than two years later Michel’s widowed father Joannes SCHENTEN died on 6 February 1753.[3] What happened to the family of six orphaned children between the ages of 8 and 24 years? This still needs to be researched.

While searching through marriage index cards for SCHENTEN and KOSTERS marriages, I discovered the sad story of Michel’s first (unknown) marriage.

Michel’s First Marriage

1754 Marriage Index Card [4]

This index card for the marriage of Michael SCHENTEN and Anna Maria WEBERS shows he married on the 1st of January in 1754[4], less than a year before my children’s 5th great-grandfather’s first known marriage. Could he be the same man?

1753 Betrothal Record [5]

Betrothed on 27 December 1753 Michael Schenten, legitimate son of Joannis Schenten and Maria Kosters, married, p:m: of Siebenboren and the virtuous Anna Maria Webers, legitimate daughter of Nicolai Webers and Maria, married, of Dondeling.[5]

The abbreviation p: m:  is for piae memoriae. This expression signals that the person or persons were already deceased at the time the record was recorded.

1754 Marriage Entry in church book for the parish of Kehlen.[6]

1st January 1754 the marriage was contracted by the honest Michael SCHENTEN of Siebenborn and Anna Maria WEBER of Dondeling. Witnesses present were Dominico WEBER and Joanne Petro BERG both of Dondeling.[6]

Following the betrothal and marriage, Anna Maria became a godmother for her niece Anna Maria, daughter of Dominico WEBER and Catharina BIVER, on 10 May 1754 in Schoenberg.[7] Anna Maria died on 10 July 1754 in Dondelange.[8] Nine days later, her niece and godchild, Anna Maria WEBER also died. The baby’s entry follows Anna Maria’s death entry in the church register. Did the young bride and her niece die from the same cause?

1754 Death entries for Anna Maria Weber and a 2 months old Anna Maria Weber both of Dondeling (Dondelange) [8]

The place of birth of the groom and the parents both being deceased match for Michel. The father’s name was the same but not the mother’s. Before rejecting it, I searched for children born to the couple. If they had children at the same time Michel and his first known wife were having children, then this would mean they were two different persons. I found no births. I checked deaths for the year 1754 and found the deaths of the godmother and her godchild. Dominico, the child’s father, and Anna Maria were siblings, both children of Nicolas and Maria Weber(s).

A Second Marriage for Michel

Four months later, on 10 November 1754, Michel married Susanne GENTINGER in Diekirch.[9], [10] Susanne was born on 23 January 1731 in Gilsdorf.[11]

They had the following children.

•  Joannes Jacobus was born and baptized on 14 August 1755 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Anna GENTINGER of Gilsdorf and Joes Jacobus GENTINGER of Diekirch.[12]
• Petrus was born and baptized on 28 October 1757 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Petrus GLAIS and Maria THILL, both of Gilsdorf.[13]
• Joannes Stephanus was born and baptized on 13 July 1763 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Joes Stephanus CHENTEN from Simer and Elisabetha MYERS of Gilsdorf.[14]
• Jones was born and baptized on 22 November 1766 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Jones JUMKEM and  Anna DIEDERS, both of Gilsdorf. Note: Mother is seen with maiden name THIEL.[15]
• Joannes was born and baptized on 31 March 1770 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Joannes DEYL and Susanna GLEIS, both of Gilsdorf.[16]
• Susanne was born and baptized on 14 December 1773 in Gilsdorf. Her godparents were Reinerich WELTER and Susanna FOURNER, both of Gilsdorf.[17]

Note: I have not researched these children other than finding their baptismal records. The daughter Susanne and at least one of the sons named Jean (or a variation) married and had children.

Michel was once again widowed on 15 March 1775 when his second wife Susanne GENTINGER died in Gilsdorf.[18]

A Third Marriage for Michel

Michel did not wait long to remarry. No marriage record has been found. However, church records show Michel SCHENTEN and Cathérine OBERECKEN were a legitimate married couple having children from 1777 to 1787. I estimate their marriage at abt. 1776 (between 15 March 1775 and 4 April 1777).

Michel and Cathérine had the following children.

• Joannes was born and baptized on 4 April 1777 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Joannes WEBER and Margaretha NEUBERG, both of Gilsdorf.[19] Joannes married first Susanne BRETZ (1767-1801), daughter of Dominique BRETZ and Susanne SPERES, on 9 April 1799 in Ettelbrück.[20] He married second Marguerite KAUFFMANN (1783-1843), daughter of Jean KAUFFMANN and Cathérine KLONS, on 30 November 1801 in Diekirch.[21] He died on 5 March 1844 in Bourscheid-Flébour.[22]
• Petrus was born and baptized on 25 February 1780 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Petrus RUPPERT and Maria DIEDERICHS, both of Gilsdorf.[23]
• Joes was born and baptized on 28 May 1782 in Gilsdorf. His godparents were Joannes SCHWIETZ and Anna Margaretha CLOOS, both of Gilsdorf.[24] UPDATE: He died on 8 March 1785 in Gilsdorf.[24a]
• Maria Catharina “Margaretha” was born and baptized on 21 October 1784 in Gilsdorf. Her godparents were Antonius SCHROEDER and Maria Catharina SCHLOESSER, both of Gilsdorf.[25] She married Jean “Johann” FABER (1787-1864), son of Jacques “Jacobus” FABER and Elisabeth WOLTER, on 26 January 1813 in Diekirch.[26] Maria Catharina died on 27 March 1855 in Diekirch.[27]
• Thomas UPDATE: was born about November 1787 and baptized on 30 October 1786 in Gilsdorf.[27a] He died on 22 May 1788 in Gilsdorf.[28]

Michel SCHENTEN died on 6 January 1813 in Gilsdorf.[29] His death record confirms his place of birth was Simmer, the Luxembourgish version of Septfontaines.

His widow Cathérine died six years later on 30 March 1819 in Gilsdorf. The death was reported by an acquaintance and a neighbor. They gave her age at time of death as 80.[30] This means Cathérine would have been born about 1738-1739. If this is correct, she was 48 at the time of the last child’s estimated birth.

Were the sons named Joes and Thomas the same person?

This question has been solved. They were two persons as seen in updates listed below.

Update: (12 February 2017) While working on the PREUSER children for my post on 17 February 2017, I found the birth record of the child named Thomas SCHENTEN. He was a year and a half when he died.

No birth record was found for the child named Thomas born about November 1787. The first name on the death record is in the gutter of the register making it difficult to decipher. The Latin text for his age is infans sesqui anni, which means half a year old infant. Could the person writing the Latin text have made an error and meant to write six years old? Or does the Latin text mean one and a half year old infant?

1788 Death Record of a Schenten child. [28]

UPDATE (4 February 2017): While searching through the church records for deaths (of another family) I found the death record of a son of Michel SCHENTEN and his wife Catharina OBERECK named Joannes, three and a half years old. Joes born 28 May 1782 would have been almost three on 8 March 1782 when the child died. Joes is an abbreviation for Joannes. The person who wrote the entry likely miscalculated the age of the child.

If he did make an error the child Thomas could be the same as Joes who was born in 1782. Joes would have been six days short of six years when the child named Thomas died in May 1788. If the child who died in 1788 was in fact Joes, then my children’s 4th great-grandmother was the youngest child of Michel and Cathérine. Unfortunately the church records don’t include the ages of the parents at the time a child was born and baptized. As Cathérine died in 1819 at the age of 80 years she would have been 45 years old at the time of Maria Catharina’s birth in 1784.

Who were the parents of Michel’s third wife Cathérine?

No marriage record has been found for Michel and Cathérine. Her maiden name was found on the baptismal records of four children and on her death record. It was spelled several different ways. On her first two children’s baptismal records in 1777 and 1780 her name was spelled OBERHECK. In 1782 it was seen as EVERECK and in 1784 as OVERECKEN. In 1787 when her son “Thomas” died her maiden name was OBERRECKEN. In 1813 when her daughter Maria Catharina married it was OVERECKEN, the same as in 1784. This is because the name on the marriage record was likely copied from the bride’s birth record. Finally it was written as UBERRECKEN on her death record in 1819. The last cannot be considered as reliable as the information was given by an acquaintance and neighbor.

Was Cathérine born in Medernach as stated on her 1819 death record? The church records of Medernach are only available from 1786, too late for her baptismal record ca. 1738 to have been registered. Are the pre-1786 church records for baptized persons from Medernach in another town?

For now Cathérine’s date of birth and the names of her parents remain a mystery. Will one of my readers, familiar with Luxembourg records, hold the key to open the door in this brick wall?

UPDATE: (10 February 2017) I heard from Rob DELTGEN via email. The records of the parish of Medernach are lost! Church records on FamilySearch for Medernach are only for 1786-1807.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Septfontaines > Baptêmes 1622-1640, 1651-1735, mariages 1732-1737, sépultures 1720-1738 > image 165 of 181. 1733 Baptismal Record (right page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32461-17204-85?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-K65:1501152901,1501333730 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[2] Ibid., Septfontaines > Baptêmes 1735-1797, confirmations 1774-1791, mariages 1738-1797, sépultures 1738-1796 > image 144 of 210. 1750 Death Record (right page, entry 23). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-9VG8?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-2NP%3A1501152901%2C1501361592 : 9 January 2015).
[3] Ibid., Septfontaines > Baptêmes 1735-1797, confirmations 1774-1791, mariages 1738-1797, sépultures 1738-1796 > image 145 of 210. 1753 Death Record (left page, 9th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-9KLB?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-2NP%3A1501152901%2C1501361592 : 9 January 2015).
[4] Ibid., Schoenberg > Tables des mariages 1724-1802 Burton-Z (index organisée par l’époux) > image 586 of 797. 1754 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-S33K?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-PTY%3A1501137301%2C1501137302 : 9 January 2015).
[5] Ibid., Schoenberg > Mariages 1724-1755 — fondations et anniversaires 1723-1794 — registre aux dîmes 1770-1794 > image 69 of 261. 1853 Bethrothal entry in church records (right page, bottom entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-3C3?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-HZH%3A1501137301%2C1501398002 : 9 January 2015).
[6] Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1754-1759, 1778-1793 > image 7 of 329. 1754 Marriage Record (right page, first entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9VRM?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-K6J%3A1501137301%2C1501248302 : 9 January 2015).
[7] Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1754-1759, 1778-1793 > image 4 of 329. 1754 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd to last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-9KJR?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-K6J%3A1501137301%2C1501248302 : 9 January 2015).
[8] Ibid., Schoenberg > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1754-1759, 1778-1793 > image 9 of 329. 1754 Death Record (right page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9V12?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-K6J%3A1501137301%2C1501248302 : 9 January 2015).
[9] Ibid., Diekirch > Tables des mariages 1700-1798 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 842 of 1195. 1754 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-9ZKY?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-DPV%3A1500890501%2C1501181502 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[10] Ibid., Diekirch >Mariages 1743-1794 > image 16 of 122. 1754 Marriage Record (left page, third entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-MQ1B?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B87%3A1500890501%2C1500891002 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[11] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1623-1743 Mariages 1698-1741, 1743-1794 Sépultures 1698-1729 > image 185 of 240. 1731 Baptismal Record (left page, 1st entry for 1731). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-M7QR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B8B%3A1500890501%2C1500890502 : 9 January 2015).
[12] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 66 of 373. 1755 Baptismal Record (right page 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-LHGV?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[13] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 78 of 373. 1757 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LHBL?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[14] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 110 of 373. 1763 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-LH6D?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : 9 January 2015).
[15] Ibid., Diekirch Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 134 of 373. 1766 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LHTW?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[16] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 158 of 373. 1770 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-LH9F?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[17] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 182 of 373. 1773 Baptismal Record (left page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LHZB?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : 9 January 2015).
[18] Ibid., Diekirch > Sépultures 1743-1793 > image 43 of 140. 1775 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-LHTV?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-6Y7%3A1500890501%2C1500929176 : 9 January 2015).
[19] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 204 of 373. 1777 Baptismal Record (left page, 5th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-LCV4?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[20] Ibid., Diekirch > Tables des mariages 1700-1798 (index organisée par l’époux) > image 844 of 1195. 20 germinal an VII Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WS-9Z9T?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-DPV%3A1500890501%2C1501181502 : accessed 28 January 2017).
[21] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1797-1805, mariages, décès 1797-1807 > image 59 of 133. 1801 Marriage Record (left page, 1st entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WM-984W?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-1XS%3A1500890501%2C1500998368 : acessed 3 February 2017).
[22] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bourscheid > Décès 1797-1890 > image 479 of 1157. 1844 Death Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-X929-9GH?cc=1709358&wc=9RY8-N38%3A129628601%2C129626302 : 17 July 2014).
[23] Luxembourg Church Records, Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 228 of 373
. 1780 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LZ3F?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : acessed 28 January 2017).
[24] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789  > image 258 of 373. 1782 Birth Record (left page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LCRR?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : 9 January 2015).
[24a] Ibid., Diekirch > Sépultures 1743-1793 > image 88 of 140. 1785 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-LHGM?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-6Y7%3A1500890501%2C1500929176 : accessed 4 February 2017).
[25] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 289 of 373. 1784 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32421-8480-21?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL:1500890501,1500918030 : accessed 8 July 2015).
[26] Luxembourg Civil Records, Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 832 of 1492. 1813 Marriage Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-99261-56?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2N2:1627336735 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[27] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 509 of 1358. 1855 Death Record No. 17. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-170383-71?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NH:n538876208 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[27a] LuxembourgChurch Records, Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 316 of 373. 1786 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd entry from bottom).  (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-LCNS?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 12 Feb 2017).
[28] Ibid., Diekirch > Sépultures 1743-1793 > image 105 of 140. 1788 Death Record (right page, first entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-LHNF?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-6Y7%3A1500890501%2C1500929176 : 9 January 2015).
[29] Luxembourg Civil Records, Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1202 of 1493. 1813 Death Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-49235-53?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ND:n1913802954 : accessed 11 April 2013).
[30] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1362 of 1493. 1819 Death Record No. (blank). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-50093-4?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ND:n1913802954 : accessed 11 Apr 2013).

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

 

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52 Ancestors: #1 The WILMES-SCHOOD Family of Diekirch 1739-1825

Welcome to a New Season of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. You’ve never heard of the challenge? Amy Johnson Crow came up with this brilliant way to get your ancestors’ stories written in her first post for 2014. I wrote about 52 of my American ancestors in 2014 and 104 (52 European ancestral couples) in 2015.  You can find my entire list of ancestors I’ve written about here.

Gangolphus WILMES & Anna Margaretha SCHOOD

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Gangolf “Gangolphe” WILMES
Parents: Michaelis WILMES and Barbara JACQUEMIN
Spouse: Anne Marguerite SCHOOD
Parents of spouse: Nicolai SCHEID (SCHOOD) and Anna Maria FETT
Whereabouts: Diekirch, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 4th great-grandfather of husband

1. Gangolphus WILMES
2. Apolonia “Apolline” WILMES
3. Theodore MEDER
4. Franz “François” MEDER
5. Johann Peter “Jean-Pierre” MEDER
6. Marcel Mathias MEDER
7. Cathy Meder-Dempsey’s husband Living MEDER

All records for this family were found in the church and civil records of the town of Diekirch. Births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths mentioned below occurred in Diekirch unless otherwise stated.

Gangolphus WILMES, the son of Michaelis WILMES (1700-1783) and Barbara JACQUEMIN (1705-1751), was born and baptized on 5 April 1739. His godparents were Gangolphus Walbrüll and Margaretha Juttels. The church record shows the surname spelled WILLEMS.[1] He was the middle child of the nine documented children found for his parents.

1739 Baptismal Record of Gangolphus WILMES [1]

His mother, Barbara, died on 25 October 1751.[2] On 5 March 1753, a little over sixteen months later, his father married his second wife, Marie THOBES (1727-1792).[3] They were the parents of four documented children.Further research (page by page viewing of the church records) needs to be performed to confirm the number of siblings and half-siblings Gangolf actually had.Anna Margaretha SCHOOD, daughter of Nicolai SCHEID (SCHOOD) and Anna Maria FETT, was born and baptized on 24 November 1741. Her godparents were Joannis Feth, Synodalis (a church counselor) and Anna Margaretha, frate olim (sibling of old) Feth.[4]

1741 Anna Margaretha SCHOODT baptismal record [4]

Anna Margaretha’s surname was seen as Schoodt, Schood, Schod, Schoed, and Schoedt in records found for her and her children. Different spellings of surnames was not unusual during this time period. To avoid confusion I have used the spelling found when her parents married: SCHOOD.When I started to look into the WILMES-SCHOOD couple I did not have Anna Margaretha’s parents, siblings, or her date of birth/baptism. I will share how I found the records in another post. For now, I would like to point out that FETT and FETH are very likely the same family name, only a different spelling. I will be able to confirm or refute this claim after I have done further research on Anna Margaretha’s mother’s FETT family.

Gangolphus and Anna Margaretha – The Marriage

My children’s 5th great-grandparents, Gangolphus WILMES and Anna Margaretha SCHOOD, were married on 29 October 1764.[5] No further information was included in the entry for the marriage in the church record. No parents of the bride and groom, no age for the bride and groom, and no witnesses. Other entries made on the same page, in a different handwriting, have a bit more information on the parents of the bride or groom. It looks like two persons were keeping the records. My children’s ancestors’ marriage was recorded by the one who wrote short entries with little more than the names and date.

1764 Marriage Record [5]

Gangolphus and Anna Margaretha – Become Parents

Gangolphus and Anna Margaretha’s first child was born less than two weeks before their first wedding anniversary. Susanna WILMES was born and baptized on 18 October 1765. Her godparents were Joannes Preusen and Susanna Schodt.[6] The godmother was likely her 21 years old aunt Susanna, her mother’s sister.

1765 Baptismal Record for the child Susanna [6]

Gangolphus and Anna Margaretha did not wait long for their second child who was born thirteen months later. Elisabetha was born and baptized on 23 November 1766. Her godparents were Christian Flick and Elisabetha Schoodt.[7] The godmother Elisabetha was likely a sister of the mother of the child, however I cannot say if she was Elisabetha age 27 or Maria Elisabetha age 20. Births of these two ladies have been found but marriages and/or deaths records have not been searched for.

1766 Baptismal Record of the child Elisabetha [7]

The third child of this couple was of my children’s 4th great-grandmother Apolonia WILMES. She was born and baptized on 27 February 1769. Her godparents were Nicolas Theys and Apolonia Scholtes.[8]

1769 Baptismal Record of the child Apolonia [8]

Gangolphus and Anna Margaretha finally had a son when their fourth child was born. Nicolaus WILMES was born and baptized on 19 February 1772. His godparents were Nicolaus Unden and Maria Barbara Clemang.[9]

1772 Baptismal Record of the child Nicolaus [9]

The fifth child was once again a girl. Anna Margaretha Wilmes was born and baptized on 5 July 1774. Her godparents were Michel Wilmes, a brother of the father, and Anna Margaretha Preuser.[10]

1774 Baptismal Record of the child Anna Margaretha [10]

On 16 February 1777, two and a half years later, the sixth child Margaretha WILMES was born and baptized. Her godparents were Nicolas Wilmes, a brother of the father, and Margaretha Frison.[11]

1777 Baptismal Record of the child Margaretha [11]

Four years later another daughter joined the family and was given the same name as the last child. Margaretha WILMES was born and baptized on 7 January 1781. Her godparents were Joes (Joannes) Schumacher of Hollenfels and Margaretha Preuser of Diekirch.[12]

1781 Baptismal Record of the child Margaretha [12]

The baptismal record of this child is the first record showing a signature for the father “Gangolff Wilmes” as he signed above, on the right side near the bottom. It is 1781 and Gangolphus would soon turn 42.

An Aside Concerning Godparents

As seen above, godparents included both the mother’s and the father’s siblings. What of the other godparents? Preusen and Preuser, names seen for three godparents of the children mentioned above, are likely the same surname. Were they also relatives?

Further research is planned as this is a name which is already in my children’s family tree. Thomas PREISEN (PREUSEN) and Anne Marie SCHRANTZ were the parents of their 4th great-grandmother Margaretha PREUSEN. It will be interesting to see if there is a connection.

The Children’s Mother Dies

1781 Death and burial record of Anna Margaretha SCHOOD [13]

Gangolphus’ wife Anna Margaretha died on 12 January 1781, five days after giving birth to Margaretha.[13] Her age was given as 34 although she had turned 39 the previous November. Gangolphus was left with seven children to care for. The youngest was only 5 days old when her mother died and the oldest was 15 years old.

1781 Marriage Record for Gangolphus Wilmes and his second wife [14]

The widower waited six weeks to remarry. He married Maria Catharina Colman, daughter of Andreas Colman and Catharina Wevers, on 24 February 1781.[14] The fact that he was the widower of Anna Margaretha SCHOOD is included in the entry. His brother Damian WILMES was one of the witnesses. Once again we see the signature “Gangolff Wilmes” which would suggest that in day to day life he went by Gangolff while the church authorities concerned his name to be Gangolphus.

Further Deaths in the Family

Sadly, the death of Gangolphus’ wife and mother of his children was not the last during the year. His youngest, baby Margaretha died at the age of seven months on 14 August 1781. The death entry includes the name of her deceased mother.[15]

1781 Death entry for the youngest daughter Margaretha [15]

She was followed two weeks later by her sister who was also baptized with the name Margaretha. The death record of the second child has the correct age at death but when she died on 31 August 1781 her name was given as Elisabetha. As with her baby sister, the name of her deceased mother was included in the entry.[16]

1781 Death entry for the daughter Elisabetha baptized Margaretha [16]

The five remaining WILMES children lost their paternal grandfather Michaelis WILMES on 21 November 1783 at the age of 80 years.[17]

1781 Death record of Michael Wilmes, Gangolphus’ father [17]

Three years later Gangolphus buried his only son Nicolaus Wilmes who died on 19 April 1786 at the age of fourteen.[18]

1786 Death entry for son Nicolaus [18]

Four Remaining Daughters

Of the four remaining daughters, two have not been traced. The oldest Susanna and the youngest Anna Margaretha. It is not known if they married or even died young. They were not found in the index of marriages for Diekirch which could mean they died young, married in another town, or never married.

The first of Gangolphus and Anna Margaretha’s daughters to marry was Apolonia “Apolline” WILMES. She married Johann Nicolas “Jean Nicolas” MEDER (1766-1844) on 13 January 1794.[19]

Apolonia’s older sister Elisabetha married André KOENIG (1769- ) on 20 June 1796.[20]

Apolonia and Elisabetha gave Gangolphus ten grandchildren, three of whom predeceased him.

Gangolphus is Again Widowed

1811 Death record of Marguerithe Tholmang, wife of Gangolffe Wilmes [21]

On 31 March 1811 “Gangolffe Wilmes,” a 77 years old day laborer was the informant for the death of his wife, Marguerithe THOLMANG who was 76 at the time of death.[21]This name does not match the name seen for the woman he married in 1781. The marriage record shows her name as Maria Catharina Colman, daughter of Andreas Colman and Catharina Wevers. Was this the same lady he married in 1781 or was he married three times? Hopefully further research will solve this question.Gangolphus WILMES outlived his last wife by fifteen years, long enough to see two of his grandsons marry in 1821[22] and 1822.[23]His daughter Apolonia, my children’s ancestor, died on 26 November 1824.[24]

Gangolf “Gangolphe” WILMES died on 22 January 1825 at the age of 85, outliving his father by five years.[25] His death was reported by his grandson, Jeangout KOENIG. Jeangout is the French version of the name Gangolf. Gangolphus’ name was given as Jeangout WILLMES and his age as 82 years. According to the death record, he was the widower of Marie TOLLMAN – similar to Marie Catherine Collman seen in 1781 but not a match. Could her maiden name on the marriage record have been transcribed incorrectly and did this influence my interpretation of the handwriting?

At the time of his death, the only known living child of the WILMES-SCHOOD couple was Elisabeth WILMES who died ten years later on 10 December 1835 at the age of 70.[26]

Next week, I will continue with another set of my children’s 5th great-grandparents, the parents of Elisabetha CLOS. The parents of her husband, Théodore REIFFER are at this time unknown and I am not expecting to find the key to a door in his brick wall in the near future.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Diekirch > Baptêmes 1647-1664, 1672-1743, mariages 1698-1741, sépultures 1698-1729 > image 70 of 240. 1739 Baptismal Record (left page, last entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-MQBR?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B8B%3A1500890501%2C1500890502 : accessed 23 Dec 2016).
[2] Ibid., Diekirch > Sépultures 1743-1793 > image 12 of 140. 1751 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-LC3F?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-6Y7%3A1500890501%2C1500929176 : accessed 26 December 2016).
[3] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1743-1794 > image 13 of 122. 1753 Marriage Record (left page, last entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-MQK6?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B87%3A1500890501%2C1500891002 : accessed 6 January 2017).
[4] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1647-1664, 1672-1743, mariages 1698-1741, sépultures 1698-1729 > image 72 of 240. 1741 Baptismal Record (right page, 4th entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M73M?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B8B%3A1500890501%2C1500890502 : accessed 5 January 2017).
[5] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1743-1794 > image 28 of 122. 1764 Marriage Record (left page, 5th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-M7XL?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B87%3A1500890501%2C1500891002 : accessed 22 December 2016).
[6] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 128 of 373. 1765 Baptismal Record (left page, 4th entry).  (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LHTM?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : acessed 22 December 2016).
[7] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 134 of 373. 1766 Baptismal Record (right page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32421-7986-99?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL:1500890501,1500918030 : accessed 22 December 2016).
[8] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 149 of 373. 1769 Baptismal record (left page, 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32421-7593-86?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL:1500890501,1500918030 : accessed 22 June 2015).
[9] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 169 of 373. 1772 Baptismal Record (right page, 3rd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WM-LHFF?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : 9 January 2015).
[10] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 185 of 373. 1774 Baptismal Record (right page, 2nd to last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WM-LH3Z?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 23 Dec 2016).
[11] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 203 of 373. 1777 Baptismal Record (left page, 2nd to last entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WM-LCG2?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL%3A1500890501%2C1500918030 : accessed 22 Dec 2016).
[12] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes, mariages 1779-1786, décès 1779-1785 > image 67 of 208. 1781 Baptismal Record (right page, 1st entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-4QGL?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPF%3A1500890501%2C1500945258 : accessed 22 December 2016).
[13] Ibid., Diekirch > image 79 of 208. 1781 Death Record, died at age 34 years (right page, 3rd entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-4Q6G?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPF%3A1500890501%2C1500945258 : accessed 22 December 2016).
[14] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes, mariages 1779-1786, décès 1779-1785 > image 88 of 208. 1781 Marriage Record (left page, last entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-4Q86?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPF%3A1500890501%2C1500945258 : accessed 22 December 2016),.
[15] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes, mariages 1779-1786, décès 1779-1785 > image 82 of 208. 1781 Death Record (left page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WS-4QFV?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPF%3A1500890501%2C1500945258 : acccessed 22 December 2016).
[16] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes, mariages 1779-1786, décès 1779-1785 > image 83 of 208. 1781 Death Record, age at death 4 years (left page, 4th entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9WS-4QN6?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPF%3A1500890501%2C1500945258 : accessed 22 December 2016).
[17] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes, mariages 1779-1786, décès 1779-1785 > image 136 of 208. 1783 Death Record (right page, 2nd entry).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-4Q4G?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPF%3A1500890501%2C1500945258 : accessed 3 January 2017).
[18] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1786-1793, 1795 > image 5 of 204. 1786 Death Record (left page, 2nd entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-4W5H?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-GPX%3A1500890501%2C1500981574 : accessed 6 January 2017).
[19] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1743-1794 > image 116 of 122. 1794 Marriage Record (lower right). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32400-5311-96?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B87:1500890501,1500891002 : accessed 28 June 2015).
[20] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1791-1795, mariages 1794-1798, 1800-1803, sépultures 1794-1795 > image 110 of 243. 1796 Marriage Record (right page, last entry). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WS-47DM?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-2JW%3A1500890501%2C1501017982 : accessed 23 December 2016).
[21] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1153 of 1493. 1811 Death Record No. 13, at the age of 76 years (middle of right page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-50867-46?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ND:n1913802954 : accessed 11 Apr 2013).
[22] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1077 of 1492. 1821 Marriage Record No. 22. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYH3-1TK?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-W38%3A129628901%2C130301801 : accessed 6 January 2017).
[23] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1093 of 1492. 1822 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-97291-62?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-W38:129628901,130301801 : accessed 21 April 2010).
[24] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1487 of 1493. 1824 Death Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-49769-12?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ND:n1913802954 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[25] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 2 of 1358. 1825 Death Record No. 3, lower left hand corner. Age 92 years at time of death. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-160630-60?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NH:n538876208 : accessed 11 April 2013).
[26] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 174 of 1358. 1835 Death Record No. 29. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6XYW-4W4?cc=1709358&wc=9RYC-2NL%3A129628901%2C129628902 : accessed 23 December 2016).

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

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How a Surname Had Me Spiraling Down a Rabbit Hole

For the most part, we research our family trees from ourselves back one generation at a time, moving on and continuing back to the oldest known ancestor as the line is proven. To write about my children’s 5th great-grandparents, Johann MEDER (ca. 1720-1784) and Susanna LAMBERT (1729-1803) of Ettelbruck, I had to research the changes in their surnames in order to locate their baptismal records. This took me back another 100 years to the 1600s and sent me spiraling down a rabbit hole.

When Did Mederhansen become Meder?

The surname MEDER evolved from MEDERHANSEN in the 1700s. During the 1600s, when the earliest church records were kept, the name was almost exclusively found as MEDERHANSEN. During the 1700s both versions of the name were found.

In the church records for Ettelbruck at FamilySearch.org, I found a register with extracted data from the baptismal records for the years 1640-1710, pages of families tree diagrams of the first families of Ettelbruck, and lists of marriages with numbers cross-referencing to the family trees. A treasure of information but a rabbit hole which had me looking up each baptismal record for children with surnames MEDERHANSEN.

lapsus calami
a slip of the pen

Extracted information of baptismal records from the 1600s was printed in 1896 or earlier and included in the register likely put together by the priest who was serving Ettelbruck before 1900. The person who transcribed the names for the printed version had difficulty with the handwriting in some documents and was not consistent with the second part of the name which resulted in MEDERHANSEN also being seen as MEDERHAUSEN.

*Mader, Meder – a person who mows grain or hay.
(see comment below)

I consulted Luxemburger Familiennamenbuch by Cristian Kollmann, Peter Gilles and Claire Muller (2016), a book on family names in Luxembourg. MEDER is a surname derived from an occupation.* The author(s) also believed Mederhausen to be a copyist’s error as the name was not a toponym (place name) or a family name which is still in use. In 1611 the name MEDERT was found in the Feuerstattenverzeichnisse, a census of fireplaces or households in Luxembourg. In genealogical databases (church records) MEDERHANSEN evolved into MEDER around 1670. In the 1880 Luxembourg census there were 67 households in the country with the name MEDER, a whopping 0.35%. In 2009 only 24  (0.15%) listings were found in the Luxembourg telephone book for MEDER.

Following the end of the Thirty-Years’ War in 1648, the population of Ettelbruck, Ettelbréck as it is known in Luxembourgish, was 281 per the table below. When Johannes MEDER and Susanna LAMBERT married in 1752 the population had likely surpassed the 763 seen in 1750.

“Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32461-2361-92?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015), Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1640-1710, tables généalogiques des premières familles > image 2 of 70; paroisses, Luxembourg (parishes, Luxembourg).

The wrong first name in the printed list for the father of Adam MEDERHANSEN (Johannes’ father) had me wondering if the others may contain errors as well. Adam’s father’s name was listed as Nic., short for Nicolas, in the printed list.

“Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32461-2196-7?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015), Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1640-1710, tables généalogiques des premières familles > image 59 of 70; paroisses, Luxembourg (parishes, Luxembourg).

The baptismal record showed a son of Jacobus MEDERHANSEN and his wife Susanna was baptized on 24 August 1696 with godparents Adam MEDERHANSEN of Ettelbruck and Eva JACOBS of Warken. The name of the son was omitted but as it was tradition to name the child after the godparent of the same gender the omitted name had to be Adam.

1696 Baptismal Record of the son of Jacobus MEDERHANSEN and his wife Susanna

After making a list of all MEDERHANSEN children born in Ettelbruck between 1645 and 1710 I gathered the baptismal records which included the names of the father, mother, and godparents. Once the list was complete an examination showed there were two families having children at the same time.

• Henricus MEDERHANSEN and his wife Elisabeth
• Nicolas MEDERHANSEN and his wife Margaretha

Both of the men and their wives had children from about 1645-1646 into the 1660s which leads me to believe they were about the same age and possibly brothers.

A large problem in analyzing the family connections this far back is the lack of death and marriage records for the period 1640 to 1725. Both MEDERHANSEN families had a son named Jacob. Nicolas’ son was born in 1646 and Henri’s son was born in 1655. To further complicate matters I found three women having children with men named Jacob.

• Jacob and Maria had children in 1671, 1672, and 1674 (Nicolas)
• Jacob and Eva had children in 1688 and 1690 (Nicolas or Henri)
• Jacob and Susanna had children in 1696, 1698, and 1703 (my husband’s line)

Are all three Jacobs the same person, two persons, or even three – the last perhaps a grandson and not a son of one of the two first MEDERHANSEN families in Ettelbruck?

“Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32461-2471-13?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015), Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1640-1710, tables généalogiques des premières familles > image 12 of 70; paroisses, Luxembourg (parishes, Luxembourg).

Also found in the register were these diagrams of MEDER family trees including the MEDERHANSEN version of the name. Heinrich MEDER seen at the top of the diagram above was one of the two MEDERHANSEN men whose families were in Ettelbruck in the 1600s. Nicolas MEDERHANSEN in the diagram below was a son of Heinrich seen above.

“Luxembourg registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32461-2316-29?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015), Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1640-1710, tables généalogiques des premières familles > image 13 of 70; paroisses, Luxembourg (parishes, Luxembourg).

The person who did these diagrams (mind-mapping on paper) would have greatly profited from today’s technology. Following all of the diagrams he included a list of marriages he used to create them. Many of the earliest marriages are “guesstimates” as a question mark was included before the year. How reliable are the early connection he made in the above diagrams? Further research may any this question.

As the births, marriages, and deaths for Ettelbruck appear to be complete from 1725 until 1815 in the church records, my next step will be to slowly go through all records beginning in 1725. It may be a while before I climb out of this rabbit hole or dig deeper into it.

Either way, I’m hopeful I will get additional help from my genealogy association in Luxembourg. Luxracines will soon be opening a library to the members and public. As treasurer and a member of the board, I’ve been helping set up the library and will be sharing some of the “behind the scenes” moments in next week’s post.

© 2016, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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The MEDER-LAMBERT Family of Ettelbrück (1753-1859)

Following the marriage of Johannes MEDER (1723-1784) and Susanna LAMBERT (1729-1803) on 27 December 1752[1] their first child was born eight months later. More children followed about every two years until the family included nine children in 1770. The baptisms of each child took place on the day of birth in Ettelbrück where the couple lived following their marriage in Mersch.

• Ch 1: Margaretha on 30 August 1753. Her godparents were Nicolaus Flamman and Margaretha Eichorn, both of Ettelbrück.[2]

1753 Baptismal Record of Margaretha MEDER

• Ch 2: Magdalena on 24 July 1755. Her godparents were Wilhelm Benderin and Magdalene Philips, both of Ettelbrück.[3]

1755 Baptismal Record for Magdelena MEDER [3]

• Ch 3: Pierre on 11 January 1757. His godparents were Petrus Kremer and Barbara Meder, both of Ettelbrück.[4]

1757 Baptismal Record for Petrus MEDER [4]

• Ch 4: Nicolas on 13 August 1758. His godparents were Nicolaus Polfer and Anna Maria Meder, both of Ettelbrück.[5]

1758 Baptismal Record for Nicolaus MEDER [5]

• Ch 5: Joannes on 18 January 1761. His godparents were Joannes Wagener and Elisabetha Hoffman, both of Ettelbrück.[6]

1761 Baptismal Record for Joannes MEDER [6]

• Ch 6: Agnès on 15 September 1762. Her godparents were Philippus Frisch of Ettelbrück and Agnes Schodeck of Mersch.[7]

1762 Baptismal Record for Agnes MEDER [7]

• Ch 7: Elisabetha 5 October 1764. Her godparents were Théodorus Welter of Ettelbrück and Elisabetha Bettendorf of Warken.[8]

1764 Baptismal Record for Elisabetha MEDER [8]

• Ch 8: Joannes Nicolaus on 26 October 1766. His godparents were Joannes Nicolaus Bequinet and Barbara Wagner of Ettelbrück.[9]

1766 Baptismal Record for Joannes Nicolaus MEDER [9]

• Ch 9: Margaretha on 21 September 1770. Her godparents were Joannes Cames and Margaretha Flamand, both of Ettelbrück.[10]

1770 Baptismal Record for Margaretha MEDER [10]

One of my readers last week wrote, “So great to have such a wealth of records, not to mention being able to read them!” I admit that being fluent in several languages I forget sometimes that my readers not only may have difficulties reading the handwriting but also knowing the language it is writing in. The text of each baptismal record above was in Latin and reads:

Natus et baptimus est [child’s name] filius/filia legitimus/legitima [father] et [mother] conjugum ex [town], Susceptores fuerunt [godfather] ex [town] et [godmother] ex [town]

Born and baptized [child] legitimate son/daughter of married [parents] of [town], godparents were [godfather] and [godmother] of [town]

The paternal grandfather of the children lived long enough see all of them born. Adami MEDER also known as “Juckes” died at the age of 77 years on 9 March 1774 in Ettelbrück.[11] To date, no record of death has been found for his wife Elisabetha ESCH. An exhaustive search, viewing every page of the church death register from December 1771 when she was last seen as living, has not been done.

The first of Johannes and Susanna’s children Pierre MEDER married Anne Marie FABER (1755-1812) on 11 January 1779 in Ettelbrück.[12] It was to be the only marriage of a child attended by Johannes as he died at the age of 61 years on 13 February 1784 in Ettelbrück.[13]

Johannes’ widow Susanna saw four of their children marry in three years:

• Ch 4: Nicolas MEDER married Marguerite BRACHTENBACH (1764-1823) on 27 December 1793 Ettelbrück[14]
• Ch 8: Johann Nicolas MEDER married Apolonia WILMES (1769-1824) on 13 January 1794 Diekirch[15]
• Ch 7: Elisabeth MEDER married Jacques BROCHMAN (1757-1831) on 23 May 1796 Diekirch[16]
• Ch 9: Margaretha MEDER married Martin SCHMIDT (1750- ) on 9 September 1796 Ettelbrück[17] Note: Only the index card with marriage information was found for this couple. The church records appear to be missing pages (or they may be out of order) for May to November 1796. Civil marriages were first registered in the Republican Year 5, a week after this marriage took place.

No marriages or death records have been found for the oldest daughters Margaretha and Magdalena or for the third son Joannes. Did they die young or marry and live in a town other than Ettelbrück? I suspect Margaretha (b. 1753) died before the younger Margaretha was born in 1770. A complete search of the church records is still in progress.

The mother of the family, Susanna LAMBERT, died at the age of 74 years on 8 September 1803 in Ettelbrück. Her death was reported by her second oldest son Nicolas.[18]

Two of Johannes and Susanna’s children moved to Diekirch to raise their families while four of their children remained in Ettelbrück. Their daughter Agnès never married. The MEDER name was carried on by Pierre and Nicolas in Ettelbrück and by Johann Nicolas in Diekirch.

Death records were found for the following children:

• Ch 3: Pierre MEDER , the oldest son, died 28 March 1812 Ettelbrück[19]
• Ch 4: Nicolas MEDER died 9 March 1823 Ettelbrück[20]
• Ch 7: Elisabeth MEDER died 29 November 1844 Diekirch[21]
• Ch 8: Johann Nicolas “Jean Nicolas” MEDER died 22 December 1844 Diekirch[22]
• Ch 6: Agnès MEDER who never married died 23 December 1844 Ettelbrück[23]
• Ch 9: Margaretha MEDER died 14 December 1859 Ettelbrück[24]

The winter of 1844 was not a good year for the family. Three siblings died within a month, two of them a day apart.

Finding all of the above records was child’s play compared to what I went through to find the baptismal records of their parents Johann MEDER and Susanna LAMBERT. While doing the research for this family group I found myself slipping down a rabbit hole. I was pulled back in time to an era where family names were not the surnames we know today. Join me next week to see how I fared while exploring the rabbit hole.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mersch > Mariages 1749-1772 > image 13 of 88. 1752 Marriage Record (2nd entry on left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32461-2935-92?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[2] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 19 of 147. 1753 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32462-1207-63?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[3] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 25 of 147;. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32462-1236-98?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[4] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 30 of 147. 1757 Baptismal Record for Petrus Meder son of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lampert.. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32462-1074-98?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[5] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 35 of 147. 1758 Baptismal Record for Nicolaus Meder son of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lampert.  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32462-1152-14?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[6] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 42 of 147. 1761 Baptismal Record for Joannis Meder son of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lambert. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32462-999-11?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[7] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 48 of 147. 1762 Baptismal Record for Agnes Meder daughter of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lambert. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32462-928-12?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[8] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 53 of 147. 1764 Baptismal Record for Elisabetha Meder daughter of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lampert. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32462-1107-60?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[9] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 59 of 147. 1766 Baptismal Record for Joannis Nicolaus Meder son of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lambert.  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32462-751-39?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-ZJ4:1500939401,1501045912 : accessed 23 March 2015).
[10] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 69 of 147. 1770 Baptismal Record for Margaretha Meder daughter of Joannis Meder and Susanna Lambert. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32462-831-96?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[11] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Mariages 1732-1778, sépultures 1732-1782 > image 83 of 95. 1774 Death Record (bottom of left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32462-1343-92?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[12] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 17 of 328. 1779 Marriage Record (left page, bottom entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32468-7375-53?cc=2037955 : accessed 7 August 2016).
[13] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Sépultures 1782-1793 > image 6 of 69. 1784 Death Record (bottom of right page).  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32461-1116-41?cc=2037955 : accessed 5 August 2016).
[14] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Mariages 1780-1796 > image 48 of 59. 1793 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32468-7595-91?cc=2037955 : accessed 19 August 2016).
[15] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1743-1794 > image 116 of 122. 1794 Marriage Record (lower right). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32400-5311-96?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B87:1500890501,1500891002 : accessed 28 June 2015).
[16] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1791-1795, mariages 1794-1798, 1800-1803, sépultures 1794-1795 > image 110 of 243. 1796 Marriage Record (5 Prairial IV). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32467-4860-69?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-2JW:1500890501,1501017982 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[17] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Tables des mariages 1725-1799 Gevell-Z (index organisée par l’épouse) > image 603 of 809. 1796 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32461-3829-99?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-2NB:1500939401,1501183702 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[18] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1662-1941 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Ettelbruck > Mariages 1845-1890 Décès 1796-1826 > image 1012 of 1436. 1803 Death Record No. 51 (21 Fructidor XI). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12869-158460-11?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2L6:n238132716 : accessed 11 Apr 2013).
[19] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Mariages 1845-1890 Décès 1796-1826 > image 1131 of 1436. 1812 Death Record No. 29. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12869-150587-25?cc=1709358 : accessed 7 August 2016).
[20] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Mariages 1845-1890 Décès 1796-1826 > image 1350 of 1436. 1823 Death Record No. 15. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12869-152866-5?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 May 2011).
[21] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 335 of 1358. 1844 Death Record No. 54. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-167581-60?cc=1709358 : accessed 7 August 2016).
[22] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 335 of 1358. 1844 Death Record No. 56. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-167581-60?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NH:n538876208 : accessed 17 February 2013).
[23] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Décès 1814-1881 > image 472 of 1379. 1844 Death Record No. 84. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11675-55724-76?cc=1709358 : accessed 19 August 2016).
[24] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Décès 1814-1881 > image 809 of 1379. 1859 Death Record No. 89. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11675-56883-78?cc=1709358 : accessed 8 August 2016).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Johannes MEDER
Parents: Adam MEDERHANSEN and Elisabetha ESCH
Spouse: Susanna LAMBERT
Parents of spouse: Joannis REINERS and Maria ERPELDING
Whereabouts: Ettelbrück and Angelsberg, Grand Duché of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 4th great-grandfather of husband

1. Johannes MEDER
2. Jean Nicolas MEDER
3. Theodore MEDER
4. Franz “François” MEDER
5. Johann Peter “Jean-Pierre” MEDER
6. Marcel Mathias MEDER
7. Cathy Meder-Dempsey’s husband Living MEDER

© 2016, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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Johannes MEDER and Susanna LAMBERT Married in 1752 in Mersch

Last year during the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge I blogged about my children’s ancestors starting with their paternal grandparents back to their 4th great-grandparents. Nearly a quarter of their 5th great-grandparents were featured in 2014 as part of the American branch of the family tree but three quarters have not been written about. As the remaining are all European and mostly Luxembourgish families the records are available and the ancestors are waiting for their stories to be told.

In 1723 a baptismal record[1] was recorded in the church records of Ettelbrück in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Joes, the abbreviated form of Joannes (Johannes or Jean), a son of Adam and Elisabetha MEDERHANSEN of Ettelbrück was baptized. His godparents were  Joannes Petrus (Jean Pierre) Barthels of Elscheid and Joanna (Jeanne) Mederhansen of Ettelbrück. The record was not dated and other records on the page are not in true chronological order.

His baptismal record had this comment in the margin: n. b. non e ni ordine. This translate to “Take special notice, not in order.” The record therefore was not recorded in chronological order. His next sibling was born on 19 June 1724 which would mean Joannes had to have been born before September 1723. He was the oldest known child and his younger siblings were born with an average of about 3 years between births. When Joannes died on 13 February 1784 he was in his 65th year which places his birth at around 1720.

Baptismal Record of Joannes MEDERHANSEN [1]

In the church records Latin forms of the names were used. To avoid confusion I will mention the form used in records but for narration will use the German form of the names.

Johannes MEDER’s (1720-1784) parents were Adam MEDERHANSEN (1696-1774) and Elisabetha ESCH. They likely married about 1719 and continued to have children until 1740. To date no record has been found to confirm the date of marriage of his parents who lived in Ettelbrück nor dates of birth and death of his mother Elisabetha. Why the change in the surname from MEDERHANSEN to MEDER? This will be discussed in a later post.

Marriage Index Card for Johannes MEDER and Susanna LAMBERT [2]

Johannes MEDER, whose surname was spelled MEDERT, and Susanna LAMBERT, whose surname was spelled LAMBER, were married on 27 December 1752 in Mersch. Susanna was from Angelsberg. A remark on the above index card[2] in Latin ambo olim famulantes apud MEYERS im EHSINGEN translates to “both were formerly serving for the MEYERS in ESSINGEN.” Since Johannes was from Ettelbrück and Susanna was from Angelsberg they likely met while working for the MEYERS family in Essingen. The spelling of the town name is recorded incorrectly on the index card but written Essingen (the double s appears as fs in cursive) in the marriage record[3] below.

1752 Marriage Record of Joannes MEDERT and Susanna LAMBER [3]

As Susanna (1729-1803) was from Angelsberg, a town whose records are found in Mersch, I searched through all the baptisms between 1720 and 1735 for a birth record for Susanna LAMBERT. I found a Susanna born in Angelsberg and baptized on 2 January 1729. The only problem was her parents names were Joannis and Maria REINERS. I made a note of the location of the record for further reference.

While checking for the birth, marriage and death records of the children of Johannes and Susanna, to be discussed in my next post, I ran across one record with a different surname for Susanna. In 1779 Johannes and Susanna had been married 27 years and the first of their children, their oldest son Pierre married a young lady named Marie FABER from Mamer.

Marriage Index Card for Pierre MEDER and Marie FABER [4]

The index card[4] for the marriage has the mother of the groom listed as Suzanne REINERS. Using the index card as a guide I located the marriage record[5] in the church records. The mother’s maiden name was REINERS in the text as well as at the bottom of the document where all persons present at the marriage signed or left their mark.

1779 Marriage Record for Pierre MEDER and Maria FABER [5]

This marriage record had me going back to the record I found for the REINERS child named Susanna born in 1729 in Angelsberg to Joannis and Maria.[6]

1729 Baptismal Record for Susanna REINERS aka LAMBERT [6]

The LAMBERT family was also known as REINERS in earlier records. The LAMBERT name appears to have come into use after the death of Joannis REINERS in 1750. Both names were likely “house” names.

The marriage of Johannes and Susanna lasted 31 years, 1 month, and 17 days ending with the death of Johannes in 1784. Next week we will take a look at the records found for their children.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1640-1724 > image 227 of 229. 1723 Baptismal Record for Joannes Meder son of Adam and Elisabetha  (right page 3rd entry).  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32462-2084-4?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015).
[2] Ibid., Grand Duché du Luxembourg > Tables des mariages avant 1802 (Marcky, Kaiser-Meyers, Karres) > image 652 of 1622. 1752 Marriage Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32464-15985-50?cc=2037955 : 6 August 2016).
[3] Ibid., Mersch > Mariages 1749-1772 > image 13 of 88. 1752 Marriage Record (2nd entry on left page). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32461-2935-92?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015).
[4] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Tables des mariages 1725-1799 Gevell-Z (index organisée par l’époux) > image 289 of 761. 1779 Marrie Index Card. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32461-3135-43?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015).
[5] Ibid., Ettelbruck > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 17 of 328. 1779 Marriage Record (left page, bottom entry). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32468-7375-53?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015).
[6] Ibid., Mersch > Baptêmes 1717-1772 > image 42 of 280. 1729 Baptismal Record (right page 3rd entry from bottom). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32461-2307-24?cc=2037955 : 9 January 2015).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Johannes MEDER
Parents:  Adam MEDERHANSEN and Elisabetha ESCH
Spouse: Susanna LAMBERT
Parents of spouse: Joannis REINERS and Maria ERPELDING
Whereabouts: Ettelbrück and Angelsberg, Grand Duché of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 4th great-grandfather of husband

1. Johannes MEDER
2. Jean Nicolas MEDER
3. Theodore MEDER
4. Franz “François” MEDER
5. Johann Peter “Jean-Pierre” MEDER
6. Marcel Mathias MEDER
7. Cathy Meder-Dempsey’s husband Living MEDER

© 2016, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.

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52 Ancestors: #27 The Sheep Herder’s Family

Week 27 (July 2-8) – Independent: This is the week for Independence Day! Which one fought for (or against) America’s independence? Or which of your ancestors was independent?

The REIFFER-CLOS Family

Théodore REIFFER, my husband’s 3rd great-grandfather, was born about 1771 in Gilsdorf in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.[1] His parents are at this time still unknown. His place of birth was listed on his death record. I suspect he was not born in Gilsdorf and it was an error made by his son-in-law who was the informant for this death. I will have to begin searching the towns around Gilsdorf (parish records were checked for this location and nothing found) and other places where he was known to have lived. This brick wall will have to wait for now as searching the browse only parish records is time consuming.

Théodore married Elisabeth CLOS. The religious marriage ceremony may have taken place around 1799, definitely before 1803, however I am still searching for a marriage record. As with Théodore’s birth/baptism I will have to come back to this at a later time.

Elisabeth CLOS, my husband’s 3rd great-grandmother, was born and baptized on 9 March 1774 in Körperich, Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Her parents were Michel CLOS (b. abt. 1747 d. 1775) and Elisabeth THEVES (b. abt. 1750). At her baptism, Elisabeth’s godparents were Elis. KLEIN from Körperich and Michael WINDANDY.[2] Elisabeth’s father Michel died on 20 December 1775.

While checking the information in the Körperich Family Book[2] on Elisabeth’s family I came upon entries for several REIFFERs which leads me to believe the “Théodore brick wall” may be solved using German records instead of those in Luxembourg. I have one ace up my sleeve. While on the field trip to Koblenz to visit the archives one of the other participants proudly showed his draft of the Family Book for Bastendorf, a town Théodore’s family lived in. He may have the information I need to open the door in this brick wall. Wish me luck!

The Children

1810 Birth Record No. 47 [6]

While searching for the birth record of Théodore and Elisabeth’s daughter Susanna, my husband’s 2nd great-grandmother, I found the birth of a son (above) who had not been included on Rob Deltgen’s site, the first place I look for clues in the greater Diekirch area.

These are the known children of Théodore and Elisabeth:

• Anne Marie born 4 February 1803 in Landscheid.[3]
• Johann or Jean born 17 May 1805 in Landscheid. His birth has been documented using his marriage record.[4]
• Susanna born on 6 April 1808 in Wahlhausen. Her birth has been documented using her marriage record.[5]
• Jean born 12 November 1810 in Wahlhausen.[6] No further trace of this child has been found.
• François born 19 June 1814[7] in Tandel and died 9 December 1819[8] in Tandel.

On all records found for Théodore he was seen as a sheep herder which may explains his moving around so much.

Whereabouts

Google map

The whereabouts of the family is a bit spotty. Elisabeth, the mother of the family, was born in Körperich. The entries in the Körperich Family Book for her family group do not continue into a new generation which suggests her widowed mother may have moved the family to another town and/or remarried. The place of marriage of Théodore and Elisabeth is unknown and not mentioned in the Körperich FB. They lived in Landscheid in 1803 and 1805. In 1808 and 1810 they were in Wahlhausen. In 1814 and 1819 they were in Tandel. By 1826 and 1828 they were in Fouhren when the first of their children married in 1826 and 1828. In 1829 Théodore and Elisabeth were in Bastendorf and in 1831 Théodore was in Gilsdorf.

Grandchildren

Their son Johann married Catharina EISEN on 30 October 1826.[9] The young couple’s first two daughters were born in Fouhren in 1827[10] and 1829.[11] Johann had the same occupation as his father which may be the reason for possible missing records for children during the time period from 1830-1834. The next child was born in Bastendorf in 1835[12] as were five more children between 1837-1847.[13][14][15][16][17] During this time the father’s occupation was day laborer. Johann may have given up on sheep herding when his father died in 1831.

Their daughter Anne Marie married Jean POTT on 16 December 1828.[18] This couple made their home in Gilsdorf where they had four children between 1830-1838.[19][20][21][22]

In 1829 Théodore and Elisabeth were living in Bastendorf. Théodore, a shepherd, reported the death of his wife Elisabeth in Bastendorf on 27 December 1829.[23] After her death Théodore may have gone to live with his eldest daughter in Gilsdorf or was visiting with her family when he died in 1831. His death on 7 May 1831 was reported by his son-in-law Jean POTT. Per the death record Théodore died in the town he was born in. As already noted, this is the only record found for his place of birth.[24]

Two years later in 1833 Susanna, the last of their living children, married Théodore MEDER on 31 January 1833 in Diekirch.[25] At the time of her marriage Susanna was living in Bastendorf. Susanna and her husband were the parents of a dozen children. From 1846 to 1855 Susanna’s husband, like her father, worked as a shepherd.

Was Théodore an Independent Man?

Did Théodore’s occupation make him independent man? As a sheep herder he did not live permanently in one place. His moving around from place to place did not make it easy to document his family. All records found show Théodore, his wife Elisabeth, and the three children who lived to marry could not write. I don’t believe this would be a hinderance as his occupation did not rely on his being literate.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1109 of 1494. 1831 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-41136-19?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[2] Richard Schaffner, comp., Familienbuch der Pfarrei St. Hubertus Körperich in der Südeifel mit Körperich, Niedersgegen, Obersgegen, Gentingen, Roth an der Our, Seimerich und Scheuerhof (später Neuscheuerhof) 1689-1899 (2002), p. 73 family #319 and 320, p. 247 family #1153.
[3] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 193 of 1476. 1803 Birth Record No. 7 (15 Pluviôse XI). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-141568-21?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 16 August 2011). Note: Mother’s maiden name seen as Claes.
[4] Ibid., Fouhren > Mariages 1820-1830 > image 84 of 167. 1826 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11564-91346-10?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-YWL:129626001,129715601 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[5] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1312 of 1492. 1833 Marriage Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-99298-93?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2N2:1627336735 : accessed 01 Apr 2013).
[6] Ibid., Hosingen > Naissances 1798-1822 > image 217 of 395. 1810 Birth Record No. 47. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12341-64341-70?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-4W5:129905301,130379001 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[7] Ibid., Diekirch > Tables décennales 1803-1892 Naissances, mariages, décès 1797-1800 Naissances 1800-1823 > image 1178 of 1493. 1814 Birth Record No. 53. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11030-124220-54?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-W38:129628901,130575701 : accessed 24 June 2015).
[8] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1388 of 1493. 1819 Birth Record, lower left. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-49804-34?cc=1709358&wc=9RYC-929:129628901,129848701 : accessed 24 June 2015).
[9] Ibid., Fouhren > Mariages 1820-1830 > image 84 of 167. 1826 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11564-91346-10?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-YWL:129626001,129715601 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[10] Ibid., Fouhren > Naissances 1798-1850 > image 182 of 325. 1827 Birth Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12160-34223-76?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-RM9:129626001,129804701 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[11] Ibid., Fouhren > Naissances 1798-1850 > image 194 of 325. 1929 Birth Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12160-30445-88?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-RM9:129626001,129804701 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[12] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 421 of 1476. 1835 Birth Record No. 19. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-143702-49?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[13] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 451 of 1476. 1837 Birth Record No. 36.(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-146834-2?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[14] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 477 of 1476. 1839 Birth Record No. 26. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-141935-22?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[15] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 498 of 1476. 1841 Death Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-144884-12?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[16] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 524 of 1476. 1843 Birth Record No. 17. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-139652-13?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[17] Ibid., Bastendorf > Naissances 1800-1823, 1798-1823, 1828-1890 Mariages 1778-1823 > image 562 of 1476. 1846 Birth Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12305-143208-54?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-MNL:129624201,129879301 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[18] Ibid., Fouhren > Mariages 1820-1830 > image 110 of 167. 1828 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11564-84810-84?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-YWL:129626001,129715601 : accessed 1 July 2015).
[19] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 46 of 1507. 1830 Birth Record No. 4. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-6341-1?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 5 July 2015).
[20] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 100 of 1507. 1832 Birth Record No. 40. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-4194-92?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 5 July 2015).
[21] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 150 of 1507. 1835 Birth Record No. 21. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-4288-81?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 5 July 2015).
[22] Ibid., Bettendorf > Naissances 1828-1890 Mariages 1800-1816 > image 220 of 1507. 1838 Birth Record No. 43. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13200-123-56?cc=1709358&wc=9RYD-FM9:129626601,129945501 : accessed 5 July 2015).
[23] Ibid., Bastendorf > Décès 1828-1862 > image 14 of 305. 1829 Death Record No. 19. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12394-256460-30?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2CM:n117549397 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[24] Ibid., Bettendorf > Mariages 1817-1890 Décès 1800-1859 > image 1109 of 1494. 1831 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12456-41136-19?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ZY:2071013250 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[25] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1312 of 1492. 1833 Marriage Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-99298-93?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2N2:1627336735 : accessed 01 Apr 2013).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Théodore REIFFER
Parents: unknown
Spouse: Elisabeth CLOS
Parents of Spouse: Michel CLOS and Elisabeth THEVES
Whereabouts: Landscheid, Wahlhausen, Tandel, Fouhren, Bastendorf, Gilsdorf
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 3rd great-grandfather

1. Théodore REIFFER
2. Susanna REIFFER
3. Franz “François” MEDER
4. Johann Peter “Jean Pierre” MEDER
5. Marcel Mathias MEDER
6. husband of Cathy Meder-Dempsey

© 2015 Cathy Meder-Dempsey

This is my weekly entry for Amy Johnson Crow’s challenge:
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2015 Edition. It was so successful in 2014 that genealogists wanted to continue or join in on the fun in 2015. Be sure to check out the other great posts by visiting Amy’s blog No Story Too Small where she’ll be posting the weekly recap on Thurdays and allowing all participants to leave a link to their post(s) in the comments.

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52 Ancestors: #26 Halfway: The MEDER-WILMES Family of Diekirch

Week 26 (June 25-July 1) – Halfway: This week marks the halfway point in the year — and the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge! What ancestor do you have that you feel like you’ve only researched halfway? What ancestor do you feel like takes up half of your research efforts?

Halfway finished with 2015 and this year’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. What better time to switch gears and begin on a new generation. The 3rd great-grandparents will take me through to the end of the year. Sixteen paternal and maternal sets for my husband and 8 maternal sets for myself.  My paternal sets were discussed during the first year of the challenge in 2014.

This generation of ancestors will be take me into a time period which has only been researched halfway. Civil record keeping in Luxembourg began ca. 1796 while the country was under Napoleonic rule (1795- 1812). During the first half of this year I featured many state-gathered records (births, marriages, deaths). The church records (baptisms, marriages, burials) for Luxembourg went online at Family Search at the beginning of this year. At the time I made a resolution to focus on the planned families each week and not check for church records for earlier generations and families until it was time to write about them.

I admit it was hard to keep this resolution, knowing the database was there for the pickings. I went in a few times to check on this or that ancestor and I told myself it was only a practice run. The family I’m doing this week gave me the first opportunity to really dig in and work with the church records. I was only halfway done when I began cleaning up source citations, etc. and adding records for this family.

The MEDER-WILMES Family of Diekirch

Jean Nicolas (Johann Nicolaus) MEDER and Apolonia (Apolline) WILMES were my husband’s 3rd great-grandparents. Due to the nature of the civil and church records in Luxembourg their names were spelled differently over time. It is hard to choose the correct spelling as records were in German, French and Latin. The different spellings, however, did not make it difficult to find the records as I have become familiar with  FamilySearch’s browse-only databases.

1766 Baptism of Johann Nicolaus MEDER

Baptismal record of Johann Nicolaus MEDER [1]

Johann Nicolaus MEDER was born and baptized on 26 October 1766 in Ettelbrück. His parents were Joannis MEDER and Susanna LAMBER. His godparents were Johann Nicolaus BEQUINET and Barbara WAGENER.[1] In later records the father’s name was seen as Johannes and Jean and the mother’s maiden name was spelled LAMBERT.

1769 Baptism of Apolonia WILMES

Baptismal record of Apolonia WILMES [2]

Apolonia WILMES was baptiszed on 27 February 1769 in Diekirch. Her parents were Gangolphe WILMES and Anna Marguerite SCHODT. Her godparents were Nicolas THEYS and Apolonia SCHOLTES, both of Diekirch.[2]

1794 Marriage of Jean Nicolas MEDER and Apolonia WILMES

Marriage record of Jean Nicolas MEDER and Apolonia WILMES [3]

Normally I don’t have much trouble reading the old handwriting in these documents however this marriage record for Jean Nicolas MEDER and Apolonia WILMES was an exception.[3] I knew the date of marriage as it was found in the Family Book of Diekirch compiled by Rob Deltgen, Komplettes Familienbuch der Gemeinde 1796-1923. The names of the bride and groom were underlined which helped me find the record. I can make out the names of the bride and groom’s parents and witnesses however a complete transcription would take more time.

Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths, Burials of Children

Baptismal record of Elizabeth MOEDERS, sic MEDER [4]

Burial record of Elizabeth MEDER [5]

Jean Nicolas and Apolinia’s first child was a daughter Elizabeth born and baptized on 16 November 1794 in Diekirch.[4] Her godparents were her grandfather “Gangolphus” WILMES and her aunt Elisabeth MEDER, wife of Jacques BROCHMAN, all of Diekirch. The record has the surname spelled MOEDERS instead of MEDER. Little Elizabeth lived only two months, dying at midnight from the 27th to the 28th of January 1795. She was buried on the 29th.[5]

Baptismal record of Christina MEDER [6]

Baptismal record (continued) of Christina MEDER [6]

The second daughter of Jean Nicolas and Apolonia was born on 3 December 1795 at 7 in the evening and was baptized the next day. Christina MEDER’s godparents were Pierre GOSSENS and Christine MOCHY, both of Diekirch.[6]

Birth record of Antonius (Anton) MOEDER [7]

The first son of Jean Nicolas and Apolonia was born on 30 Pluviose year VI.[7] Antonius MOEDER, as the name was written, was born during the Napoleonic rule when the Republican calendar was in effect. The date was 18 February 1798. No baptismal record was found however his name is on a list of baptisms performed in 1798. The church did not use the Republican calendar and his date of baptism was seen as 17 February 1798.[8] Was this an error on the list of baptisms or on the part of the civil servant using the Republican calendar? In any case he could not have been baptized the day before he was born.

Death record of Christina MEDER [9]

Three year old Christina MEDER died on 7 March 1799. Her death record filled an entire page of the register.[9]

Birth record of Mathias MOEDER [10]

Baptismal record of Mathias MEDER [11]

Mathias MEDER, the second son and fourth child of Jean Nicolas and Apolonia was born and baptized on 30 December 1800. In the civil record his surname was spelled MOEDER[10] while in his baptismal record it was spelled MEDER.[11]

Baptismal record of Elisabeth MEDERT [12]

Elisabeth MEDER was born on 10 Pluviose year 10 to Jean Nicolas and Apolonia. Her baptismal record shows she was baptized the same day and gives both dates: 30 January 1804 and 10 Pluviose year 10. Her godparents were Mathias WILMES and Elizabeth WILMES, both of Diekirch.[12]

Baptismal record of Theodore MEDERT[13]

The third son of Jean Nicolas and Apolonia was born and baptized on 14 July 1807 in Diekirch.[13] Theodore MEDER’s godparents were Theodore RITSCHDORFF and Eva KNEIP, both of Diekirch.

Birth Record of Anne Marie MEDER [14]

Jean Nicolas and Apolonia’s youngest child Anne Marie was born 12 September 1810.[14] No baptismal record was found for Anne Marie MEDER. Baptismal records for 1810 were not available at FamilySearch as of 23 June 2015.

Marriage publication for Antoine MEDER and Maria Catharina WAGENER [15]

At the end of 1821 the first of Nicolas and Apolonia’s children made plans to marry. The marriage of Antoine MEDER married Maria Catharina WAGENER was “published” on the 23rd and 30th day of December 1821.[15] The civil marriage took place on 8 January 1822 in Diekirch.[16]

Death record of Mathias MEDER [17]

The year 1824 was not a happy year for the MEDER-WILMES family. Son Mathias MEDER died at the age of 23 years on 29 July 1824 in Diekirch.[17]

Death record of Apollonia WILLMES [18]

Four months later Apolonia WILMES died at the age of 55 years on 26 November 1824. Her death record however gives her age as 62.[18] At the time of her death she left a husband, two sons, two daughters, and two grandchildren.

Marriage publication for Theodore MEDER and Susanna REIFFER [19]

On the 20th and the 27th of December 1832 the marriage of Theodore MEDER and Susanna REIFFER was published – read out loud and posted on the door of the city hall.[19] They married a month later on 31 January 1833 in Diekirch.[20]

Marriage record of Elisabeth MEDER and Mathias BOCK [21]

Nicolas and Apolonia’s oldest living daughter Elisabeth married 24 January 1838 to Mathias BOCK.[21] Elisabeth had been an unmarried mother since 22 June 1829 when her son Mathias MEDER was born.[22] Mathias BOCK had the permission of his reserve regimental commander to marry. The publication of the marriage was noted on the marriage record and not on a separate document as seen when Antoine and Theodore married.

1843 Census [23]

In December 1843 Jean Nicolas MEDER was seen on the Luxembourg census in the household of his married son Theodore. This census sheet included dates of births of the persons in the household. Jean Nicolas’ birthdate was incorrectly listed as 1 April 1763.[23]

Marriage record of Anne Marie MEDER and Heinrich KNOPS [24]

On 28 August 1844 the youngest child of this family married. Anne Marie MEDER married the widowed Heinrich KNOPS who was 21 years older.[24]

Death record of Jean Nicolas MEDER [25]

When Jean Nicolas MEDER died on 22 Dec 1844 he had seen all four of his children marry. His son Theodore was the informant on his death record. Nicolas’ age on the death record was 75 although he was actually 78 as calculated from his birth record.[25]

Death record of Elisabeth MEDER [26]

Elisabeth MEDER died on 7 December 1861 in Diekirch.[26] She was survived by her husband Mathias BOCK, son Mathias MEDER and possible a daughter Anne Marie BOCK (last seen with her parents in 1858 on census, no marriage record or further trace of her found).

Death record of Anton MEDER [27]

On 6 Sep 1866 the oldest child of this family, Anton MEDER, died in Diekirch.[27] He was survived by his wife, two sons, two (?) daughters, and four grandchildren. The daughters were last seen 10 years prior to his death and no further information on them has been found.

Death record of Anne-Marie MEDER [28]

The youngest child of this family, Anne Marie MEDER died on 15 April 1890 in Diekirch.[28] She remained childless and had been widowed for 30 years.

Death record of Theodore MEDER [29]

Theodore MEDER, the last of living child of Jean Nicolas MEDER and Apolonia WILMES, died on 29 July 1898 in Diekirch at the age of 91 years.[29] Theodore had been widowed for 20 years and left 5 known children. Two daughters have not been traced further and may have also still been living.

As can be seen by the records above and the sources cited below, nearly half of the records used came from the Luxembourg Church Records, 1601-1948 which have only been online since the beginning of the year. I can honestly say this family was only researched halfway before I got everything ready for this blogpost.

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Ettelbruck > Baptêmes 1748-1792 > image 59 of 147. Jean Nicolas Meder baptismal record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32462-751-39?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-ZJ4:1500939401,1501045912 : accessed 23 March 2015).
[2] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1743-1790, confirmations 1768-1789 > image 149 of 373. 1769 Baptismal record, entry 4 left page. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32421-7593-86?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-ZNL:1500890501,1500918030 : accessed 22 June 2015).
[3] ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1743-1794 > image 116 of 122. 1794 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32400-5311-96?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-B87:1500890501,1500891002 : accessed 28 June 2015).
[4] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1791-1795, mariages 1794-1798, 1800-1803, sépultures 1794-1795 > image 59 of 243. 1794 Baptismal record No. 84. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32467-5084-87?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-2JW:1500890501,1501017982 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[5] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1791-1795, mariages 1794-1798, 1800-1803, sépultures 1794-1795 > image 103 of 243. 1795 Death Record, left page 5th entry. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32467-4892-39?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-2JW:1500890501,1501017982 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[6] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1791-1795, mariages 1794-1798, 1800-1803, sépultures 1794-1795 > image 95 of 243. 1795 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32467-5031-88?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-2JW:1500890501,1501017982 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[7] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1796-1802 > image 82 of 311. 1798 Birth Record No. 36 (30 Pluviose an VI).  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-14704-80?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-MNP:1500890501,1500941302 : accessed 23 June 2015),.
[8] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1797-1805, mariages, décès 1797-1807 > image 10 of 133. 1798 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-10780-42?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-1XS:1500890501,1500998368 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[9] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1796-1803 > image 71 of 203. 1799 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32401-15764-70?cc=2037955&wc=STH6-4WY:1500890501,1500953084 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[10] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1796-1802 > image 261 of 311. 1800 Birth Record No. 30 (9 Nivose IX). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32401-16888-72?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-MNP:1500890501,1500941302 : accessed 23 April 2010).
[11] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1797-1805, mariages, décès 1797-1807 > image 19 of 133. 1800 Baptismal Record, right page last entry. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32401-10802-46?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-1XS:1500890501,1500998368 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[12] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1797-1805, mariages, décès 1797-1807 > image 34 of 133. 1804 Baptismal Record, left page 6th entry. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32401-10492-39?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-1XS:1500890501,1500998368 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[13] Ibid., Diekirch > Baptêmes 1805-1807 > image 25 of 29. 1807 Baptismal Record, right page, 3rd entry.(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32401-10382-45?cc=2037955&wc=STHC-16Y:1500890501,1501023134 : accessed 23 June 2015).
[14] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Diekirch > Tables décennales 1803-1892 Naissances, mariages, décès 1797-1800 Naissances 1800-1823 > image 1036 of 1493. 1810 Birth Record No. 102. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11030-124370-89?cc=1709358&wc=9RYM-W38:129628901,130575701 : accessed 24 April 2010).
[15] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1064 of 1492. 1821 Marriage Publication (lower left). (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-98975-97?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-W38:129628901,130301801 : accessed 21 April 2010).
[16] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1093 of 1492. 1822 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-97291-62?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-W38:129628901,130301801 : accessed 21 April 2010).
[17] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1483 of 1493. 1824 Death Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-48739-34?cc=1709358&wc=9RYC-929:129628901,129848701 : accessed 29 April 2010).
[18] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 1487 of 1493. 1824 Death Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-49769-12?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ND:n1913802954 : accessed 04 Apr 2013).
[19] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1300 of 1492. 1832 Marriage Publication, upper left. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-104226-22?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2N2:1627336735 : accessed 01 Apr 2013).
[20] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1312 of 1492. 1833 Marriage Record No. 9. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-99298-93?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2N2:1627336735 : accessed 01 Apr 2013).
[21] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1879-1890 Mariages 1796-1842 > image 1400 of 1492. 1838 Marriage Record No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11618-102794-77?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2N2:1627336735 : accessed 21 April 2010).
[22] Ibid., Diekirch > Naissances 1823 > image 152 of 1507. 1829 Birth Record No. 32. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11681-26885-70?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-BZ9:129628901,130131601 : accessed 17 April 2010).
[23] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Diekirch > 1843 > image 332 of 444. Meder-Reiffer household (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32349-22719-47?cc=2037957&wc=M5LR-MJ4:345999901,345863501 : accessed 25 January 2015).
[24] Luxembourg Civil Records, Diekirch > Mariages 1843-1890 Décès 1797-1824 > image 34 of 1493. 1844 Marriage Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12052-49245-53?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2ND:n1913802954 : accessed 17 Feb 2013).
[25] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 335 of 1358. 1844 Death Record No. 56. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-167581-60?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NH:n538876208 : accessed 17 Feb 2013).
[26] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 640 of 1358. 1861 Death Record No. 64. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-160895-71?cc=1709358&wc=9RYC-2NL:129628901,129628902 : accessed 23 May 2011).
[27] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 820 of 1358. 1866 Death Record No. 303. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-169081-69?cc=1709358&wc=9RYC-2NL:129628901,129628902 : accessed 22 May 2011).
[28] Ibid., Diekirch > Décès 1825-1890 > image 1342 of 1358. 1890 Death Record No. 30. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12147-163369-82?cc=1709358&wc=9RYC-2NL:129628901,129628902 : accessed 23 May 2011).
[29] Ibid., Diekirch > Mariages 1895-1923 Décès 1895-1902 > image 550 of 661. 1898 Death Record No. 53. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32038-1425-70?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2NF:21518491 : accessed 17 Feb 2013).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Jean Nicolas MEDER
Parents: Johannes “Jean” MEDER and Susanna LAMBERT
Spouse: Apolonia “Apolline” WILMES
Parents of spouse: Gangolf “Gangolphe” WILMES and Anne Marguerite SCHODT
Whereabouts: Diekirch, Grand Duché of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 3rd great-grandfather of husband

1. Jean Nicolas MEDER
2. Theodore MEDER
3. Franz “François” MEDER
4. Johann Peter “Jean-Pierre” MEDER
5. Marcel Mathias MEDER
6. Cathy Meder-Dempsey’s husband Living MEDER

© 2015 Cathy Meder-Dempsey

This is my weekly entry for Amy Johnson Crow’s challenge:
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2015 Edition. It was so successful in 2014 that genealogists wanted to continue or join in on the fun in 2015. Be sure to check out the other great posts by visiting Amy’s blog No Story Too Small where she’ll be posting the weekly recap on Thurdays and allowing all participants to leave a link to their post(s) in the comments.

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Happy Mother’s Day – My Mitochondrial DNA Line

Yes, where I live this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Luxembourg is the only country to celebrate Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday in June. What better day to honor my direct matrilineal line since it goes back 10 generations in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg?

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Anna Catharina RONAS alias BOUR
Parents: Unknown
Spouse: Dominique MAMER and Nicolai HERTZ(*) (also seen as HEITZ, HEURTZ)
Children: (*)twins: Agnes and Maria Catharina HERTZ
Whereabouts: Septfontaines, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: 6th great-grandmother

1. Anna Catharina RONAS ca.1710-aft. 1785
2. Agnes HERTZ 1755-1836
3. Catharina HAMES 1789-1864
4. Maria TRAUSCH 1820-1875
5. Maria MAJERUS 1850-1931
6. Catharina FRANTZ 1872-1934
7. Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE 1909-2005
8. Living WILDINGER
9. Catherine Ann DEMPSEY
10. Living MEDER

As you can see in the Genealogy Sketch box my given name is nearly the same as my 6th great-grandmother’s, only reversed. Catherine (and other spellings) is a name I share with at least 27 ancestors. Fearless Females: 27 Female Ancestors Share My First Name!

Happy Mother’s Day to all Mother’s in Luxembourg!

Generation 1:

My 6th great-grandmother Anna Catharina RONAS (Ronnas, Rones) is my oldest known direct matrilineal ancestor. She was born around 1710 to unknown parents. She gave birth to ten children between 1741-1755, all in Septfontaines or Siebenbüren. This village name translates to Seven Fountains or Seven Wells. Since all modern Europeans are classified into seven mitochondrial haplogroups it seems fitting that my mitochondrial line goes back to a place with SEVEN in the name.

My 6th great-grandmother Anna Catharina RONAS’ marriage record shows her with her deceased husband’s house name, BOUR. Her parents are not listed.[1]

When Anna Catharina married my 6th great-grandfather Nicolaus HEITZ in 1755 she was the widow of Dominique MAMER alias BOUR alias FRIDGES and mother of 8 children. With her second husband she had twin daughters, my 5th great-grandmother Agnes and her sister.

1755 baptismal records of Maria Catharina and Agnes. Even the person who record the baptisms was confused about which surname or house name was used for the daughters of Nicolai Bour alias Heitz and Anna Catharina Bour alias Ronas.[2]

She was living in Koerich in January 1785 when her daughter Agnes HERTZ married in Mamer.

Generation 2:

My 5th great-grandmother Agnes HERTZ’s marriage record show’s her mother’s name: Catharina RONAS

1785 Marriage Record of Agnes Hertz and Joannes Hames [3]

Generation 3:

My 4th great-grandmother Catharina HAMES’ marriage record show’s her mother’s name: Agnes HERTZ

1817 Marriage Reocrd of Michel Trausch and Catharina Hames [4]

Generation 4:

My 3rd great-grandmother Maria TRAUSCH’s marriage record shows her mother’s name: Catharina HAMES

1749 Marriage Record of Johann Majerus and Maria Trausch [5]

Generation 5:

My 2nd great-grandmother Maria MAJERUS’ marriage record shows her mother’s name: Maria TRAUSCH

1870 Marriage Record of Johann Frantz and Maria Majerus [6]

Generation 6:

My great-grandmother Catherine FRANTZ’s marriage record shows her mother’s name: Maria MAJERUS

1900 Marriage Record of Johann Joseph Fournelle and Catharina Frantz ¨[7]

My great-grandmother Catherine FRANTZ

Generation 7:

My grandmother Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE’s marriage record shows her mother’s name: Catherine FRANTZ

1935 Marriage of Nicolas WIldinger and Marie Marcelle Fournelle noted in the Wildinger-Fournelle Family Book, Commune d’Echternach Nr. 13/1935 [8]

Generation 8:

My mother’s marriage record to my father Fred Roosevelt DEMPSEY shows her mother’s name: Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE. I have a copy of the record but will not share as she is still living.

Mom with her mother Marie Marcelle FOURNELLE

Generation 9:

My marriage record lists my mother’s name.

Yours truly!

Generation 10: 

Through my daughter, the matrilineal line continues.

Our daughter

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Septfontaines > Baptêmes 1735-1797, confirmations 1774-1791, mariages 1738-1797, sépultures 1738-1788 > image 155 of 208. 1755 Marriage Record, 1st entry on left page. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32463-3700-90?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-4WR:1501152901,1501459884 : accessed 7 June 2015).
[2] Ibid., Septfontaines > Baptêmes 1735-1797, confirmations 1774-1791, mariages 1738-1797, sépultures 1738-1788 > image 34 of 208. 1755 baptismal records for twins Agnes and Maria Catharina, 3rd and 4th entries on left page. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32463-3785-56?cc=2037955&wc=STHD-4WR:1501152901,1501459884 : accessed 7 June 2015).
[3] Ibid., Mamer > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1779-1793 > image 65 of 168. 1785 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-17714-18?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-C6G:1500941501,1500913302 : accessed 6 June 2015).
[4] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Mamer > Naissances 1834-1890 Mariages 1796-1837 > image 1283 of 1504. 1817 Marriage Record No. 3. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12585-51831-91?cc=1709358&wc=9RY7-FM9:130065401,130365601 : accessed 22 August 2011).
[5] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 114 of 1497. 1849 Marriage Record No. 19. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120796-17?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed 6 September 2014).
[6] Ibid., Mamer > Mariages 1838-1890 Décès 1796-1880 > image 310 of 1497. 1870 Marriage Record No. 5. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12143-120441-3?cc=1709358&wc=9RY3-VZ9:130065401,130130201 : accessed 6 September 2014).
[7] Ibid., Mamer > Naissances, mariages 1895-1923 > image 547 of 819. 1900 Marriage Record No. 18. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32045-16170-78?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-LQS:415858536 : accessed 6 March 2015).
[8] Commune d’Echternach Nr. 13/1935, Wildinger-Fournelle Family Book. This is an official document given to the bride and groom at the time of their civil marriage. It is used to record births, christenings, and deaths of children as well as death of one or the other spouse. Scanned copy of the original, in possession of their daughter.

© 2015 Cathy Meder-Dempsey