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2/25/2024 Lutheran Germans to America: The 1831 Odenwald Emigration Group's Perilous JourneyRead Now Lutheran Germans to America: The 1831 Odenwald Emigration Group's Perilous Journey The 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.
 Erlenbach, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, courtesy Darl 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.  Bremerhaven, Post Card Print collection, Maggie Land Blanck, 2013 The Perilous Voyage of the Odenwald Emigration Group Depiction of the "Famous Dove" Shipwreck on the Shipwreck Memorial Marker in the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Van Buren Township, Hancock County, Ohio The 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  St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Jenera, 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 Now Celebrating My African American Genealogy Connections with the BYU Relative Finder In 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 Martin Luther King Jr. 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.  My Genealogical Connection to Rosa Parks 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 Updates February 2024: AncestryDNA’s New, DNA Tools & Features, Paywall 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: Memorable 1970s TV Commercials 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!  Band-Aid 1970s TV Commercials
 Oscar Mayer Bologna 1970s TV Commercials  9-Lives (Morris the Cat) 1970s TV Commercials
 Charmin (Mr. Whipple, "Don't squeeze the Charmin") 1970s TV Commercials  Tootsie Roll Pop 1970s TV Commercial
 Life Cereal ("Hey Mikey!") 1970s TV Commercial  Fritos 1970s TV Commercial
 Hershey’s Syrup (Messy Marvin Debut) 1970s TV Commercials  Meow Mix 1970s TV Commercials |
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