2/25/2024 Lutheran Germans to America: The 1831 Odenwald Emigration Group's Perilous JourneyRead NowThe 1831 Odenwald Emigration Group In 1830, Johann Adam Tracht organized an emigrant group from Odenwald, Germany of about 150 family, friends, and neighbors that got together to flee high taxes, military conscription of their sons, and expensive land, among other reasons, who were bound for Hancock County, Ohio in America. Most of them were farmers, including my ancestors. They originally wanted to set sail in 1830 but couldn’t make the voyage until 1831. My German Immigrant Ancestors in this Emigration GroupMy German immigrant ancestors in this group were my 4th great grandparents, Johann Adam Steinman(n) and Eva Elisabetha (Marquardt) Steinman(n), and my 3rd great grandfather, Peter Steinman. Johann Adam Steinman(n) and Eva Elisabetha (Marquardt) Steinman(n) left Erlenbach on July 6th for the U.S. with their 7 children, Peter (my 3rd great grandfather), George, Adam, Jacob, Maria Barbara, Christopher, and baby Johannes, along with 2 of their nephews, Johan Peter, and Adam. They followed the Rhine River northward to the Port of Bremerhaven, where everyone loaded the ships and waited for all parties in the group, before setting sail. The Perilous Voyage of the Odenwald Emigration GroupThe Odenwald Emigration group boarded their vessels in July of 1831 and emigrated on July 31, 1831. Bound for the Port of Baltimore for their destination of Hancock County, OH, they would be forever leaving family, possessions, and life as they knew it behind. Just off the coast of the U.S., they met with a violent storm, in which the ships had blown off course and become separated. One ship, the larger one, the James Beacham “Famous Dove” dashed against the rocks off the coast of Virginia and waited for the storm to subside. The smaller of the two made it through the Port of Baltimore sometime between September 16-20. The larger ship had come through Virginia on September 17, then went on to the Port of New York. My 3rd great grandfather’s baby brother, Johannes didn’t make it and was “buried at sea”. Most of the group took several years to get to their final destination, as they had no money and lost most of their belongings during the trip. My ancestors first settled in Pennsylvania for the first 6 years or so, to make enough money to continue their trip. Before reaching their original destination of Ohio, it was here that they had 2 more children, William, and Elizabeth. “In the middle of May, 1831, a group of emigrants from the Odenwald region of Germany started on the 400 mile trip through Darmstadt and Kassel to Bremen, where they finally sailed for America in late July. They severed all the ties that bound them to their homeland and relatives left behind. Those sailing on the British vessel "Famous Dove" were bound for Baltimore, Maryland. Families on board were named Arras, Beach (Bietsch in the original German) Bosse, Essinger, Gossman (Gassmann), Heldman, Luniak, Price (Preisz), Traucht (Tracht with 22 individuals so named), Wilch (Willisch), and others. Despite inferior food and the usual hardships of ocean travel in those days, everyone was in good health. Two children, one an infant, had been buried at sea; otherwise the trip was uneventful. The emigrants were on the water several weeks when a nothwest storm caught them when they were close to the shore of America. They were cast about and blown off their course, losing first the mast and then the rudder. The wind changed to the northeast with heavy seas washing the desks. On September 16th, the ship started to fill with water faster then the sailors could pump it out. At about midnight, all had to move to the upper deck, and waves were running high. In the darkness on the ocean, no one knew just where, the ship was sinking. Some were praying, but the captain, having been under the influence of liquor from the time the ship left Bremen, became sober in the face of disaster and ordered the mates to launch a lifeboat in which he intended to escape the sinking vessel. However, the leader of the expedition, Johann Adam Tracht, was inured to danger; he had not campaigned with the mighty Napoleon for naught! He was the owner of seven guns which he was bringing to America - not for the purpose of shooting Indians, but in anticipation of hunting gam, a pleasure which was "verboten" to the common people of Germany, Perceiving that the captain intended to abandon the ship and leave the passengers to their fate, he armed six man of his party, keeping a gun for himself. His orders were to shoot anyone who tried to go over the side of the boat. None tried. In the mist of all the confusion, fourteen year old Margaret Arras said that Christ stilled the waves and saved the disciples from drowning... "Maybe he will save us also". A sailor standing nearby said to 'slap that dumb girl in the mouth for talking so foolishly, that anyone could see that the ship was sinking and all will be drowned'. The girl started singing a hymn. Her faith was contagious, and the emigrants were soon all singing, with even most of the sailors joining in. The ship sank no further, and the waves began to be smaller. When daylight came, they found that they were close to land. The ship had blown off course to a sand bar off the cost of Virginia, east of Norfolk, close to Cape Henry. The unmarried men remained aboard the wrecked "Famous Dove" until the children and parents were landed, and it is interesting to note that Johann Adam Tracht, the organizer of the group, was the last one to leave the vessel. Black people, ready to give assistance, gathered on the shore; these were the first such people the immigrant had ever seen. Many, on reaching shore, knelt down and poured out their hearts in gratitude to the Saviour for deliverance. They solemnly vowed that annually on that day a "Schiffbruchsgottesdienst" (shipwreck thanksgiving festival) should take place in remembrance of that abject terror and the wonderful rescue. This occasion is still observed. In 1832 passengers of the shipwreck settled in this area and were instrumental in establishing Trinity, Jenera, and St. Paul's, Jenera. St. Paul Lutheran then developed Good Hope, Arlington, and St. John's, Dola. Shipwreck Sunday is observed in honor of the conviction of these early settlers as they worked to establish life and witness in this "new world.” - St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jenera, Hancock County OH Establishing St. Paul’s Congregation in Hancock County, Ohio The Odenwald Emigration Group was instrumental in establishing Trinity, Jenera, and St. Paul's, Jenera. My 4th great grandparents were devout Lutherans and were members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hancock County, Ohio. Johann Adam was very well respected in his community and contributed greatly to it and the church. St. Paul Lutheran then developed Good Hope, Arlington, and St. John's, Dola. You can find the majority buried in St. Paul’s Cemetery in Van Buren Township, Hancock, Ohio, including my 4th great grandparents. Notes: This information came from various records and sources
#odenwaldemigrants,#st.paullutheranchurch,#hancockcounty,#ohio,#germanemigrants,#famousdoveshipwreck,#germanimmigrants,#germanancestry
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2/18/2024 Celebrating My African American Genealogy Connections with the BYU Relative FinderRead NowIn honor of Black History Month, I thought I’d check out my African American genealogy connections in the BYU Relative Finder. I have a list of 47 connections, which you can see below. Take in mind that BYU uses your FamilySearch World/Collaborative Tree to generate the connections, in which most of us know that the results would then be only as accurate as what others have connected to the World Tree. 😉 I quickly reviewed a lot of the connections, in which the majority connect us by distant ancestors that I have yet to confirm. There were many, where dates just didn’t add up, like women having children in their 50s back in the 16th and 17th centuries. 😉 I have included a closer look at 2 of my connections, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. My Genealogical Connection to Martin Luther King Jr.According to the BYU Relative Finder and the FamilySearch World Tree, I am connected to Martin Luther King Jr. I have not confirmed anything past James West, born 1745. My Genealogical Connection to Rosa ParksAccording to the BYU Relative Finder and the FamilySearch World Tree, I am connected to Rosa Parks. I have not confirmed anything past John Robinson, born 1790 on the chart, in which I have 1788. These are still quite fun to look at, and when I have time, one day, in the far future, I may work on these connections to see how valid they really are, but with the collaborative tree, I won't hold my breath. If I find that I am connected to them in my family tree, then I am quite honored, indeed! 😊 You can check out your own African American connections, along with others, at the BYU Relative Finder on the BYU Family History Technology Lab Website. More African American Genealogy and Genealogy Resources Learn about more African American genealogy tips and resources, along with other family history and genealogy resources under the African American Genealogy and Genealogy Resources categories and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
Ancestry has been slowly rolling over everyone, for quite a while now, who does not have a paid subscription to Ancestry or AncestryDNA to new, basic AncestryDNA features, now included with their DNA kits. Since it was little by little at the beginning, not all had noticed. They have now, officially, moved the majority of FREE DNA tools and features behind a paywall, making many quite unhappy. Just what can you get with the purchase of an AncestryDNA kit, now? What has moved over to their new, AncestryDNA Plus paywall, for those that had purchased their kits in the past? See the breakdown of just what’s behind this new paywall, below. Now ONLY Included with AncestryDNA Test Kit
Now Included ONLY with AncestryDNA Plus Membership
Now Included ONLY with Ancestry Family History Membership
And according to Ancestry, any that are associated with family trees or traits are subject to change and may require an Ancestry membership in the future. Food for thought (concerning both sides)
More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page
Nostalgic Memories #3: Memorable 1970s TV Commercials Remember when commercials had catchy tunes that you just couldn’t get out of your head, memorable plots that reeled you in, or well-known stars that hooked you, along with being memorable no matter the age? This is the third in a series of nostalgic memories that include TV shows, commercials, toys, and more, as I remember them, while writing my memoirs as part of my family history. The second was Nostalgic Memories #2: Early 1970s Kid’s Animated TV Shows. I have been in the process of trying to write my memoirs, and in doing so, I have come up with tons of memories from every decade, which I thought would be fun to share. These brought back tons of nostalgic memories, and maybe they will bring back some for you as well. My Most Memorable Commercials of the 70s I remember tons of commercials from the 70s, but these are the most memorable ones that I still remember quite well to this day. They include links that will take you to some of the ones I watched during that time. See how many you remember!
Nostalgic Memories #2: Early 1970s Kid’s Animated TV Shows This is the second in a series of nostalgic memories that include TV shows, commercials, toys, and more, as I remember them, while writing my memoirs as part of my family history. The first was Nostalgic Memories #1: Early 1970s Kid’s TV Shows. I have been in the process of trying to write my memoirs, and in doing so, I have come up with tons of memories from every decade, which I thought would be fun to share. I spent a couple of years living with my grandma when I was between the ages of 3-5, and while jotting down my memories of my time with her, I also remembered some of the TV shows I watched during that time. This brought back tons of nostalgic memories, and maybe it will bring back some for you as well. My Early 1970s (Pre-Elementary School) Children's Cartoon Line UpBelieve it or not, with this long list, at this age, I wasn’t into cartoons as much as I was educational shows, but these are all the ones I remember watching before I started kindergarten. They include links that will take you to either episodes or opening songs of the ones I would have watched during that time, along with their air dates and some rerun dates.
And The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (ABC)/The New Saturday Superstar Movie (1972-1973) (included pilots for new shows) *Many of these can be found on Amazon Prime, as well as YouTube. Remember any of these? I'd love to know! Nostalgic Memories #1: Early 1970s Kid’s TV ShowsThis is the first in a series of nostalgic memories that include TV shows, commercials, toys, and more, as I remember them, while writing my memoir as part of my family history. I have been in the process of trying to write my memoir, and in doing so, I have come up with tons of memories from every decade, which I thought would be fun to share. I spent a couple of years living with my grandma when I was between the ages of 3-5, and while jotting down my memories of my time with her, I also remembered some of the TV shows I watched during that time. This brought back tons of nostalgic memories, and maybe it will bring back some for you as well. My Early 1970s Children’s TV Show Line Up (Pre-Elementary School)Below are the shows I watched (pre-elementary school) with links that will take you to either episodes or opening songs of the ones I would have watched during that time, along with their air dates and some rerun dates.
*Many of these can be found on Amazon Prime, as well as YouTube. Remember any of these? I'd love to know!
While working on my own genealogy for a bit, I came across an exciting find! While adding photos to my family tree, I realized that my 3rd great grandfather looked different than in his other photos, which I guess I never paid much attention to before. This particular photo came to me from my father, who had received it, along with many others, from my great grandmother and her 2nd husband, who also was her cousin. He had told me who everyone was in all the images he had sent me, and he had said this particular photo was that of my 3rd great grandparents, George W. Taylor and Rachel Ann Robinson. I was not so certain this was them, and my father had been wrong on a few others, so I had decided to take a deep dive into dating old photos so that I could learn more. In doing so, I had deduced that this photo was actually of my 4th great grandfather, Samuel Taylor and his 2nd wife, Frankie Gholson, in which we thought there was no known picture of, but we had one all along! A Short Description of the Ancestral Couples My 3rd great grandfather, George W. Taylor was born 7 Jun 1834 and died 13 Feb 1917. My 3rd great grandmother, Rachel Ann Robinson was born 23 Mar 1843 and died 15 Apr 1919. As you can see, according to the dates, he was 8 years older than she. My 4th great grandfather, Samuel Taylor (George’s father) was born 21 Aug 1804 and died 4 Oct 1893. His wife, Frankie Gholson was born 9 Mar 1819 and died 9 Aug 1894. On the other hand, there was a significant age gap of almost 15 years between the two. As you can see in the photo, the man appears to be much older than the woman. Also, the photo seems to be older than other photos taken during the time period of my 3rd great grandfather being the age of the man in the photo. Dating CDV Photos (Carte de Visite Photos) After deep diving into research on dating old photos, I was able to compile all the info together, and had deduced that this photo was that of my 4th great grandfather, Samuel Taylor and his wife, Frankie, taken most likely between 1864-1869.
CDV: 1854 (1859 Europe-1860 U.S.) -~beginning 1900s, but most popular during Civil War)
The Combined Power of AI and Timelines in Ancestor WritingJust a few days before MyHeritage announced their newest feature, AI Biographer, which you can read about in my post, “New MyHeritage Feature: AI Biographer, Creates Instant Biographies for Your Ancestors!”, I was literally working on a couple of projects that was doing just that, using AI for my biography, as well as for my ancestors’ biographies! I was taking all my own historical facts from my timeline and copying and pasting them in an AI paraphraser tool to create something just like this! At the same time, I was telling myself that it would be cool if either Ancestry or MyHeritage came out with a feature that did exactly what I was doing manually, take everything from your timeline/ancestor’s timeline and create a story or biographical sketch using AI. Who knew that MyHeritage was working on just that behind the curtains, right at the time I was envisioning it! I quickly found that if I create one myself from ancestors in my family tree, using their timeline events, I can create a fairly descent ancestor story/biography. Of course, it wasn’t that quick, and I had to manually tweak the paragraphs then run them through a paraphraser again. Then today, I decided to add some historical context throughout to make it a bit more interesting, taking cues from Ancestry’s new AncestryAI and My Heritage’s new AI Biographer, by using some of the events in my timelines and running them through an AI chat program. I also tweaked those as well. Altogether, I used quite a few different programs to accomplish my final test product. Check out the result below! 😊 My Ancestor Biography, with the Help of AI*This example is all based on my OWN research and taken from my own ancestor timeline, which is filled with facts and events based on my research. I then used AI to help me paraphrase my facts and events.
12/30/2023 New MyHeritage Feature, AI Biographer, Creates Instant Biographies for Your Ancestors!Read NowMyHeritage, the leader in innovative family history tools, has just surprised us with 2 new, groundbreaking features! The first day after Christmas MyHeritage gave to me…AI Record Finder and AI Biographer to enhance my genealogy! MyHeritage AI BiographerMyHeritage is constantly churning out the best state-of-the-art tools and features to enhance, preserve, and share your family history! The all new MyHeritage AI Biographer, a genealogists and/or family historian dream come true, automatically creates a “Wikipedia-style” biography of your ancestor’s life, utilizing details from matching historical records and family tree profiles, using AI technology! Enhance your family history and genealogy experience by Instantly creating beautiful biographies with historical context to pass down through the generations! This came at the perfect time for me! What had I literally been doing the few days before this was announced to me? I was taking all my own historical facts from my timeline and copying and pasting them in an AI rephraser tool to create something just like this! At the same time, I was telling myself that it would be cool if either Ancestry or MyHeritage came out with a feature that did exactly what I was doing manually, take everything from your timeline/ancestor’s timeline and create a story or biographical sketch using AI. Who knew that MyHeritage was working on just that behind the curtains, right at the time I was envisioning it! What’s Included in the AI Biography
AI Biographer Uses
How to Get to AI Biographer
Current Limitations
As you can see from the images below, it also pulled info from another family tree (the FamilySearch Collaborative World Tree of all things 😉), showing some incorrect info. My 2nd great grandfather did not have a child named Everett Waldo; my great grandfather, Edmond Cole (already listed) had changed his name, in his later years, to this. Right after I saw this, I went in and removed the Everett Waldo from the FamilySearch Collaboative World Tree, but who knows when someone else will add it again.😉 I HOPE MyHeritage creates an option to just pull from your own tree, while also pulling info from the web for historical context, then it would be a true dream come true. 😉 Try It for FREEThere is currently an unspecified number of free biographies for anyone who wants to try out this new groundbreaking feature! So, give it a try at: MyHeritage (currently they do not have a try button as with other new features in the past, so not sure how you try for free). More MyHeritage and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
2023 Genealogy Wish Grants Winner!The 2023 Genealogy Wish Grants Winner has just been announced! Congratulations to Linda Pollard of Virginia, who won this year for her double adoptee story/Brick Wall! About This Year's Winner Linda Pollard has been researching her family history and genealogy for the past 20 years. She has been following Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family for close to 2 years, while being an active participant. Like many who have been working on their genealogy for decades, she has reached a brick wall that she just can’t seem to break through! A Tough Choice, Once Again There were many entries for this year's second Genealogy Wish Grants! It was down to two compelling stories that made it a tough choice. Not only did Linda meet all the criteria to apply, but her mystery was intriguing as well. This Year's Story Entry “I am the daughter of a deceased male adoptee (J) who was born in 1929 and we now know was the son of a female adoptee (F). I am trying to find a living descendant of the man named my paternal grandfather (R) to see if the family has any photos or can provide documentation of this man’s life. Or maybe they want to be in my life, one can hope. I am also trying to learn more about my paternal great grandmother (L), who disappears after 1910. I can’t find a birth certificate for my paternal grandmother nor her sister (E) and brother (D). I’d like to be able to say all three children were the offspring of my paternal great grandmother and great grandfather (G). He was married to someone else (O) but had no children with her. The three children disappear from records and the two girls separately appear with 1) an aunt and 2) another family and then one of the girls, my grandmother, is adopted out of the family. The births were 1901-1907. She is listed as divorced with three children, none of whom are living with her. I have taken a DNA test at both Ancestry and 23andMe and uploaded to the others, but I am not familiar with how to process matches at the other sites. My sister (N) and my father’s newfound maternal half-sister (M) have tested as well as the half-sister’s niece. I found a match on 23and me that didn’t make sense and after speaking with her I had her father (CJ) tested. I need to know what relation he is to my dad. My mother is deceased as never tested but her half nephew (WE) did so that has helped me sort matches. Because she was an only child and her father had other children, I have a match that helps me identify my mother’s paternal line. I have a lot of mystery matches. One female match (JB) is also adopted and knows who her father is but not her mother. We are related by her maternal and my paternal lineage. I have access to her DNA results. I have access to my dad’s half-sister’s (M) results, my sister’s results (N), and this new male match (Cj)on my dad’s paternal side. I’m a good researcher but I don’t know a lot about cMs and how to title how I’m related to people by the numbers. Dad’s half-sister (M) has turned over her mother’s (F, who we now know was also my dad’s mother) personal letters from her birth father (G), her sister (E), and her paternal grandmother(S). I’m cataloging those now to fill in some blanks. None of the letters mention my father’s father (R), my father’s maternal grandmother (L), nor my father (J). I would love to be considered for your grant. My parents are gone, and I have only my little family of three. It’s up to me to build this tree, verify all the sources, and pass it down to my child and her four cousins. Thank you for considering my request.”- Linda Pollard Thank You Thank you to all of this year's first Genealogy Wish Grants applicants! I hope you all continue to follow and participate! Don't forget to apply to Genealogy Wish Grants 2024, details coming soon! The entry start date will be posted on my Facebook Page, my Facebook Group, my blog, and on the Genealogy Wish Grants page, so stay tuned!
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BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! Come visit me at Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family if you're interested in starting your family history journey, booking me for your next speaking event, or family history and genealogy heirloom products!
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