January Anniversaries

January is a bit of a "small world" in my family tree.

For example, my paternal 4th great-grandparents François SCHMITT and Elizabeth GROSSE were married 16 Jan 1804 in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France - François' sister was married the same day:

On the other side of the ocean, three weeks after acting as witnesses at Peter's brother's wedding, my maternal 2nd great-grandparents Peter August TOLF and Augusta Sophia LANDSTROM were married 21 Jan 1882 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois:

My other set of 2nd great-grandparents Peter THOMPSON and Maria Fredrika PETERSON were married 20 Jan 1883 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois:

The longer I work on my family tree, the greater number of interesting connections I find among the members. From what I read in the 1880 and 1885 city directories, it appears that both the Tolf/Landstrom and Thompson/Peterson couples were married at the same church. It's possible that the four immigrants met there and built a friendship.

Years later Harry (Peter and Augusta's son) would marry Julia (Peter and Maria Fredrika's daughter). Unfortunately it wasn't happily-ever-after marriage, but their story may have begun earlier than I previously thought.

I wonder what other surprises my ancestors have in store for me this year?

Are any of my ancestors in your family tree too?

Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com

Let's compare notes!

2012 New Year's Resolutions

Another year comes to a close. The past 12 months were sprinkled with equal parts levity and laughter, wonder and worry, pitfalls and proud moments. I'm glad I was on the planet to see all the ups and downs firsthand and I very much appreciated your company along the way.

With family group sheet in hand, I nervously reviewed my 2011 resolutions. Not as bad as I thought - whew! 

2012 offers new opportunities to make check marks on my genealogy to-do list. Look out family tree, I'm getting serious about climbing you this year! With weekly encouragement from my Success Team partner Jenny, I plan to will:

1.) Attend at least one out-of-state genealogical conference or convention.

2.) Focus my research on 12 direct-line surnames; Clarin, Clarke, Gury, Landstrom, Littrell, Mangels, Mueller, Peterson, Schmitt, Thompson, Tolf, and Walton. Start by organizing the surname-related computer files, manila folders, family group sheets, and pages on my web site.

3.) Answer the following burning questions:

• Did Esther give birth to the Clarin/Mangels child I recently located? Was her divorce from Gustave really as public as family stories suggest?
• From what country did the Maryland Clarkes originate?
• Who is the child that accompanied Marie-Anne Gury and her children from France to Cincinnati?
• When (and at which port) did Augusta Landstrom arrive in America?
• From what country did the Virginia Littrells originate?
• What did the inquests into Herman Friedrich Carl Mangels and Frank Mangels' deaths reveal?
• In which Swiss town was Jacob Mueller born? Were Otto Mueller and his wife Alvina Schmitt really cousins?
• Where did Maria Fredericka Peterson's sisters settle after leaving Sweden?
• What were the circumstances around Elizabeth Schmitt's divorce from Anton Bidenharn and marriage three days later to Jacob Mueller?
• Where did Peter Thompson die and where is he buried? Was his daughter really institutionalized so her husband could obtain a divorce?
• At which American port did James Walton and his parents end their voyage from the Isle of Man?

4.) Keep other living descendants up to date on our family history research progress through emails, letters, Twitter, this blog and my web site. Search for as-yet-unknown cousins in the same way.

5.) Honor the relationship between genealogy and scrapbooking: Scan and digitize old photos. Preserve hard copies of pictures. Archive online photos off-site. Organize, label and safely store slides and negatives. Share pictures with relatives. Assemble heirloom photo albums.

6.) Share (and create more) family history with my glorious grandchildren.

Every one of my goals interests and excites me. 2012 could be a great year for my family and me. I hope yours is even better. Happy New Year!

Surname Saturday ~ November Birthdays

Happy November birthday to my sister and my nephew Ben, and to my cousins Russell, Mitchell, and Barbie.

November birthdays in my family tree include:

My 4th great-grandmother Maja Lisa LIDSTROM (16 Nov 1797) and her daughter Gustafva Jubilina TOLF (28 Nov 1830) were born in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden.

My 3rd great-grandfather Peter Johan JOHANISSON was born 14 Nov 1836 in Norra Sandsjö, Jonkopings, Sweden. His children, my 2nd great-grandmother Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER (22 Nov 1864) and her brother Johan Gustaf PETERSON (15 Nov 1874) were born in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden.

First cousins thrice-removed, Lillian Christine KIRCHHEIMER (19 Nov 1873) and Emil Francis SCHMITT (21 Nov 1875) were born in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio. Lillian's mother and Emil's father were my 2nd great-grandmother's sister and brother respectively.

Birthdays in my Clark/Clarke line include Susan E BERG (13 Nov 1871) and Miriam Edith BLAKE (21 Nov 1920) both of Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Great-granduncles George James WALTON (28 Nov 1884) and Frederick WALTON (20 Nov 1888) were born in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.

First generation American Julia Christine THOMPSON born 10 Nov 1888 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois was my great-grandmother. Her father Peter Thompson immigrated from Norway and her mother (Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER listed above) immigrated from Sweden.

Frank Raymond TOLF born 23 Nov 1888 in Batavia, Kane, Illinois and
Howard W TOLF born 10 Nov 1898 in Dixon, Lee, Illinois were cousins; nephews of my 2nd great-grandfather Per August Tolf. Frank's wife Ruth MCFARLAND was born in Indiana 28 Nov 1892. 2nd cousin twice-removed Norman Joseph FRIEND born in Illinois 30 Nov 1914 was a Tolf descendant; his mother's mother was Frida Katrina TOLF.

My great-grandaunt Agnes Magnheld CLARIN (21 Nov 1891) and her half-brother Carl James CLARIN (22 Nov 1898) were both born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Their father, Carl Larsson Clarin was a Swedish immigrant.

Do any of my ancestors reside in your family tree too? Please contact me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com. Let's compare notes!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Peter Thompson

Peter Thompson born Norway 1857

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Randy Seaver chose another fun activity for geneabloggers. Finally my timing is right on (!) and I can play along. Here are Randy's questions/my answers:

1.) How old is your great-grandfather now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

The great-grandfather I chose is Gustave Robert Mangels who would be (had he lived) 122 years old next month. 122 divided by 4 = 30.5. Rounding up, my roulette number is 31 which corresponds with my second great-grandmother Maria Fredrika Peterssdotter:

Randy writes "Tell us three facts about that person with the "roulette number." Here goes:

1.) Maria Fredrika Peterssdotter was born in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden on the 22nd of November 1864. She was Peter Johan Johanisson's and Johanna Kristina Andreassdotter's first child. (Click here for information about patronymic names.) 

2.) Maria left Sweden for North America in 1880. This is a copy of the Tånnö parish record showing her date of departure. Maria is on line 4. Her name is crossed out because she no longer resides in the parish. The date she left is on the far right. Two other family members' names are also crossed out. Their dates of death appear in the furthest right column on the left page:

2.) Mary Fredrika settled in the midwest, and in 1883 she married a Norwegian immigrant named Peter Thompson. Their four children were born in Chicago.

3.) In her later years, Mary lived with her daughter Julia (Thompson) Chinell and Julia's son. She died in Chicago on the 23rd of July 1941.
 

Looking at Maria's Swedish records reminded me that her sisters Emma Justina and Elise also immigrated to the US in 1883 and 1887 respectively. It's been awhile since I looked for them. Thanks for the reminder Randy - this will be fun for more than just a Saturday night!

#1 Source: Genline, http://www.genline.com/ GID 100006.33.5600 Jönköping _scb Jönköping  :143 Births 1864-1864 0/0.
#2 Source: ArkivDigital, Tånnö-AI-2-1874-1880-Bild-144-sid-136.

Surname Saturday ~ September Birthdays

Happy September birthday to one of my favorite grandsons, my nephew Zac, my uncle Ernie, my cousin Michael (pictured below), my great-grandniece, my brother-in-law, my cousin-in-law Stephen, my grand-uncle Fran, my great-grandfather Alfred Jacob MUELLER, my second great-grandfather William Penrod CLARKE, my third great-grandmothers Johanna Kristina ANDREASON (pictured far below) and Anna SVENSDOTTER.

More September birthdays include my grandaunt Alma Erika MANGELS, my granduncles Harry Vincent FLOOD and Roy WALTON, my great-grandaunts Alma E MUELLER and Esther Maria THOMPSON, my great-granduncles Herman Joseph MANGELS, Otto V MUELLER, John H and Thomas Arthur WALTON, my second great-grandaunts Kersti PERSSON and Christina SCHMITT, my second great-granduncles Harry Orville CLARKE, Gustaf Adolf LANDSTROM, Henry Charles and John Henry LITTRELL; my first cousins twice-removed Branden and Tyler ALLEN, and Edward H CARLSON; first cousins thrice-removed Albert Joseph, Clara, and Emil Julius BIEDINGER, Franklin Whitfield BLAKE, Clifford Morgan and Edna Jeanetta CLARKE, Fredrick DOMKOWSKY, Jules Arthur DROLL, Julius Jacob PLUM, Ernest Carl SWANSON, Clarence Ferdinand, Eva Matilda and Wesley Lambert TOLF; my second cousins twice-removed Julius J PLUM and Ruth SWANSON, and my fourth cousin once-removed Joseph FRIEND.



Do we share any ancestors? Click here to visit my web site or

send me an email at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Surname Saturday ~ August Birthdays

Happy August birthday to my wonderful husband, my little sister, my beautiful granddaughter, my uncle Bob, my cousin Bill, my cousin in-law Michael, my grand uncle Bud, my first cousin once-removed Faith, my first cousin twice-removed Courtney, my third cousin once-removed in-law Cindy, and my fourth cousins once-removed Spencer and Taylor.

My August-born ancestors are also in my thoughts:

Helen Irene ADAMS born 04 Aug 1919 married William Howard TOLF in Chicago Illinois. Their daughter is one of my favorite genealogists.

Lyman John CLARKE was born 01 Aug 1893 in Chicago Illinois and his aunt Zora E CLARKE was born in Washington County Maryland 19 Aug 1857. Their unique names help in the search for Clark/e ancestors and descendants.

My 4th great-grandmother Elizabeth GROSSE was born in Virming, Moselle, Lorraine, France 07 Aug 1781. She married François SCHMITT in 1804.

Although not yet documented other than the photo below, Christina GURY born 15 Aug 1821 in Altroff, Moselle, Lorraine, France became a nun. Her brother Jean Louis GURY was born 26 Aug 1819 also in Altroff.

Axel Fabian LANDSTROM was born in Norra Unnaryd, Jonkopings, Sweden 10 Aug 1874, the youngest of seven children who immigrated to Chicago Illinois with their parents Johan Peter LANDSTROM and Lisa Katarina PETERSDOTTER. Axel's older brother Carl Werner LANDSTROM was born 17 Aug 1863.

John Alfred LUND was born 13 Aug 1879 in Sweden. His wife Hannah Christina TOLF and her sister Ella Jubelina TOLF 21 Aug 1886 were born in the Swedish community of Batavia Illinois.

My grandfather Harold Clarke MUELLER was born 07 Aug 1908 in Chicago Illinois. He married Frances Lois MANGELS 22 Aug 1930.

Following the Swedish naming tradition, Jöns PERSSON born 23 Aug 1829 in Bjäresjö, Malmöhus, Sweden had a daughter named Bengta JÖNSDÖTTER. In America she would be known as Betty Johnson. Jöns' daughter created this priceless family treasure:

After my 3rd great-grandmother Margaret Jane SHARTZER died in 1867, Julia PETERS born 25 Aug 1827 married the widowed Charles W LITTRELL. She helped raise his children John Henry LITTRELL and Mary Ella LITTRELL.

Oscar F THOMPSON born in Chicago Illinois 12 Aug 1883 was the first American born child of Norwegian immigrant Peter THOMPSON and his Swedish immigrant wife Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER.

My 4th great-grandfather blacksmith Carl Jonas TOLF was born in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden 25 Aug 1795. He died at 38 leaving wife Maja Lisa LIDSTROM with seven small children, among them my 3rd great-grandfather Carl TOLF. Carl immigrated to Batavia Illinois in 1878. His August-born grandsons include Frank M TOLF 29 Aug 1884 and Leroy Harrison TOLF 10 Aug 1888. Owen Henry TOLF, a great-grandson, was born 03 Aug 1914.

On 21 Aug 1891 Swedish immigrants Carl Johan YOUNGBERG and Frida Katrina TOLF had their second child Myrtle Alvira YOUNGBERG. Myrtle's brother Lawrence Charles YOUNGBERG is one of the family mysteries I enjoy solving.