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Pinpointing what town in Europe an ancestor came from can be easy or hard, depending on several factors.
Pre circa 1900 passenger manifests are unlikely to yield such data. Around 1900 the U.S. began demanding that the shipping lines keep detailed manifests with much more data than previiously required.
Naturalizations done 1906 or later will give you lots of data. U.S. naturalization process was federalized in 1906. Prior to that it could be done in any local court & I've seen nats where they didn't even write out the person's first name, let alone anything else.
Searching out old tombstones may (if you're lucky) yield helpful data. I've seen old stones where it said where in Europe the person was born.
One step at a time & you'll start breaking through those genealogical brick walls !
If you have research questions than post them here & I'm sure people will try to help.
Here are some odds & ends. It looks like Ermie might have been short for Hermine. If she was named after her mother.
In 1920 & 1930 Louis & Ermie's occupations were owner & instructor for dancing academy. (Englewood Dancing Academy)
In 1910 Louis was a butcher. They were living in Chicago household of Ermie's mother & stepfather...Gotfried Scaar a machinist. Her brother Herbert Wetzel also a machinist lived there. Louise & Ermie had been married for 4 years and had 2 year old son Howard.
Ermie's mother- (she married twice)
Illinois death record Hermina Scaar/Hermina Hahn
died 7 Aug 1936 Chicago, buried Oakwood
born 12 October 1852 Lauenberg, Germany
death age 83, married
Father- Moritz Hahn born Germany
Mother- Hermine Stock born Germany
Husband- Gottfried Scaar
——-----—-----------
Cook County Marriages
Hermine Hahn 28 born Chicago
Ernst Wetzel 24 born Chicago
Married 21 June 1884 Chicago
----
Welhelmine Wetzel 35
Gottfred Scaar 30
Married 21 December 1896 Chicago
-----
Census
1900 Chicago
Gottfred Scaar 31 Germany
Hermine 42 born Germany both parents born Germany, mother of 4 with 2 alive.
Hubert Wetzel 15 stepson
Irma Wetzel 12 stepdaug
George Hahn 14 nephew
---
In 1910 as mentioned previously
In 1920 Chicago as couple
In 1930 Chicago, Hermine 70&"Godfrey" 59, she immigrated looks like 1900, (he 1893 or 1895.)
-----
Birth record for Ermie's brother
Cook County
Herbert Wetzel 15 Jan 1885
Father Ernst Wetzel
Mother Hermine Hahn
If Hermine was born in Lauenberg ,her original name would have been Schaar (IMO).
Think pronounciation of 'school'.
Lauenberg is a small village (about 1000 inhabitants) not far from me.
Today there are 4 phonebook entries within 15 miles of Lauenberg.
That was good find. It is under Ennie Wetzel & Lous C Schultz, August 29, 1906.
OP- you can order a copy of the marriage record from Lake County, Indiana for a small fee. It might have Louis C Schultz's parents' names. The image of the marriage certificate register page does not have a place for parent names or witnesses.
Also please note on same day - same County a William I Schultz married Julia O'Neil.
Last edited by historyfan; 03-11-2013 at 09:56 PM..
Reason: spelling
Ah, the marriage license...I actually have found somewhere a physical copy of it. No parent's names on it.
Heh...thanks all, for taking an interest. It is a bit funny seeing all these folk chiming in like this about my ancestors, but I am grateful, indeed.
I stick by that one found with Louis' parent's names of "Carl and Caroline" being accurate. I'd be more skeptical, if it wasn't for the death date. It's accurate to the month, day, and year (I found a good while back a book that was present at Louis' wake...the one with some basic info about the individual, and then pages where visitors sign. Unfortunately, it was skimpy on the details regarding his personal life, but nevertheless, the death date was there). "Eunice", listed as spouse, must just be one of those expected mispellings we find once and again.
That was good find. It is under Ennie Wetzel & Lous C Schultz, August 29, 1906.
OP- you can order a copy of the marriage record from Lake County, Indiana for a small fee. It might have Louis C Schultz's parents' names. The image of the marriage certificate register page does not have a place for parent names or witnesses.
Also please note on same day - same County a William I Schultz married Julia O'Neil.
My guess would be that her actual name was Anni Wetzel.
Ah, the marriage license...I actually have found somewhere a physical copy of it. No parent's names on it.
Heh...thanks all, for taking an interest. It is a bit funny seeing all these folk chiming in like this about my ancestors, but I am grateful, indeed.
I stick by that one found with Louis' parent's names of "Carl and Caroline" being accurate. I'd be more skeptical, if it wasn't for the death date. It's accurate to the month, day, and year (I found a good while back a book that was present at Louis' wake...the one with some basic info about the individual, and then pages where visitors sign. Unfortunately, it was skimpy on the details regarding his personal life, but nevertheless, the death date was there). "Eunice", listed as spouse, must just be one of those expected mispellings we find once and again.
I was and still am a bit puzzled, especially not being able to find them - however official names are often different than what is used - [Carl could be 'August Carl' for example]. Eunice - not sure, that's pretty far from Erma.
Louis' license is only that - I'm sure if you found an actual marriage certificate it would have more info. I note he got it in Indiana [not far from home, but why?].
Not being able to find him B4 1910 complicates things -- he should be in the 1880 census, but given "Carl & Caroline" it's not, so far.
There is a Carl[who as a blacksmith] & Caroline living in Michigan in 1873 - when they reg a son Oscar 4 Aug 1872- but this as Hadley-closer to Flint than Chicago! & Louis consistentaly is recorded as being born in IL.
I was and still am a bit puzzled, especially not being able to find them - however official names are often different than what is used - [Carl could be 'August Carl' for example]. Eunice - not sure, that's pretty far from Erma.
Louis' license is only that - I'm sure if you found an actual marriage certificate it would have more info. I note he got it in Indiana [not far from home, but why?].
Not being able to find him B4 1910 complicates things -- he should be in the 1880 census, but given "Carl & Caroline" it's not, so far.
There is a Carl[who as a blacksmith] & Caroline living in Michigan in 1873 - when they reg a son Oscar 4 Aug 1872- but this as Hadley-closer to Flint than Chicago! & Louis consistentaly is recorded as being born in IL.
All of what you have mentioned has puzzled me as well. It's as if the man popped out of the ground, fully grown one day!
I have never heard my old man mention Louis having any siblings. Given how old Louis had Howard, and how likewise, Howard had my dad later in life himself, the old man never met Louis himself. And I know for a fact Howard, his son (my grandfather) was an only child. I have inquired my dad recently more about this, and he couldn't recall anything else. Said my grandfather did not seem to reveal much about his heritage much. Matter of fact, he never told my dad he was married twice, before my grandmother! The first two were brief (the first ended due to promisciouty on her part, and the second ended with a so-called "Dear. John letter" he got from the second wife during WWII). Found that out through my grandmother, years later.
Ironic such a private man would bear a descendant so dag nab curious about his past.....ah well.
Last edited by Yochanan77; 03-12-2013 at 10:17 PM..
Reason: Spelling...
To further confuse matters in regards to the "Hahn" side, and it's origins in "Lauenburg", there seems to be two towns going by the name- one "...situated at the northern bank of the River Elbe..."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauenburg) in Sleshwig-Holstein, and there is a town Lebork (also reffered to as Lauenburg) in what is now Poland.
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