Often, when I wrote to the church of my german ancestors, I would ask the researcher, if he knew who any descendents of that surname could maybe be in that area. Most all of the researchers I ever had, did not know. After I had studied the area a bit more, I resorted to this tool. I used the telephone directory of the area. There is more than one site for a phone directory. Here is one link.
www.telefonbuch.de
This is the one I started with and it is the easiest site for me to remember.
It does provide some of the address, just like it used to be here in the united states, before cell phone service.
I wrote and sent about five letters to people that I had found in the book. I addressed about twelve! Since I did not send them all, I should continue doing so. Not all letters were answered, either. I should say not all were answered right away. Just last year I received an answer to one letter I wrote in about 2001. I will cover it later, since it concerns the Luhmann family.
Are you keeping track, I am. So that is one Hit with Seil and Luhmann names.
2 points for me.
Letters Received.
So what kind of answer did I get?
I wrote to this E. Meyer in some area by Oldendorf and Nahrendorf. I did not know for sure where Friedrich Meyer would have lived in Oldendorf. I have not been able to check the Morman Lds holding of the census for that area. As far as I knew, both brothers had come to USA.
Who would be left with the Meyer name.
Children of Johann Juergen Meyer. I had not seen the whole Meyer book back then, so I did not know any of the sisters whom had come with Fred. Though I believe, I had heard that three had married and were possibly in united states. My cousin and Ms. Chance clued me into the information about the siblings. At any rate, I figured there were other relatives, who would know of them. So I wrote the letter to this E. Meyer. It took quite awhile for me to receive an answer back.
At the time of this letter arrival, but before it came, I had recently found My grandfathers brothers descendent. She had a tree on line. She also had one at Family tree maker. She was most helpful. So we were able to share this good news. She had added it to her tree online. Later she removed it. [Long story] She offered a translation, which differed from the translation service that I had used. So to this day, I still do not know what the letter exactly says.
In answer to the letter to E. Meyer the son-in-law wrote to me for his mother-in-law. I don't know if the Mother -in- law knew he wrote me? This son-in-law lived in the Uelzen area. I wrote back to answer him and say thanks, but he never wrote again. Maybe his wife found the letter and threw it away. Who knows why. I did have a question, which I will mention shortly, but it went unanswered. In the first letter I had sent full information that I knew at that time. Which was not much. Sisters with no full names or dates of birth.
A copy of my story.
To continue my story, I shall copy the letter I received. No umlauts here. I made everything with even the same bold emphasis as he did. Sorry, no umlauts.
I will give you the translations of it that I have had.
______________________________________
Page 1
Hans Otto K. 0505.2001
An den Zehn Wichen 147
Liebe Frau Jo Meyer,
Von meiner Schwiegermutter, E. Meyer aus Oldendorf a.d.Goehrde, erheit ich lhren Brief vom 19.03.2001.
Da ich mich fuer familiengeschichte interessiere, have ich mich bemueht, einge lhrer Fragen zu klaeren............
Juergen Heinrich Juergen Meyer, geboren 17.September 1819 in Neetzendorf bei Dahlenburg war von Beruf Schaefer, Seine Vater, ebenfalls Schaefer, Johann Juergen Meyer und seine Mutter Maria Elsiabeth geborene Behrens lebten in Neetzendorf.
Falls Sie Naeheres ueber die Familie Meyer in Neetzendorf erfahren wolen, koennte lhnen sicher das
Kirchenbuero der Ev -luth Kirche
Johannisstrasse 8
21368 Dahlenburg
weiterhelfen.
Juergen Heinrich Friedrich Meyer heiratete am 18 Mai 1838 in der St. Lamberti-kirche zu Nahrendorf Margaretha Catharina Luhmann aus Eichdorf. Ueber die Geschichte der familie Luhmann is mir Folgendes behannt:
Die Geschichtes des Hofes Nr. 2 in Eichdorf
Der aelteste nachgewiesene Hauswirt ist Henning Luhmann. Er bewirtschaftete den Hof bis 1663,wo sich sein Sohn Schwiebert mit Anna Brese aus Nahrendorf verheiratete und den Hof uebernahm.
Henning Luhmann starb am 30.juli.1673, seine Frau Helena am 24 April 1679.
______________________________________
[First born son later married at Sammatz*
Second born daughter was in Nahrendorf church book around the year 1712. Maybe because her mother was from there.]
______________________________________
Page two translated by Christi.
Wife Anna died on November 26, 1672. Schwiebert must have married again. When and with whom connot be determined. These are the children from the 2nd marriage:
1673 Son Jurgen
Feb. 8, 1676 Son Claus Jacob, who died May 29, 1755
Feb. 27, 1678 Son Hans Diedrich
Oct. 19, 1681 Son Valentin Johann, who died Feb. 15, 1731
Schwibert Luhmann died on February 16, 1688. His son Jurgen Luhmann inherited the property. He married Clara Margarethe Schultz, who was born in 1636.
Jurgen Luhmann had the following children:
May 3, 1712 Son Christian Friedrich
Jan. 26, 1714 Son Anthon Frantz, who married on Oct. 19, 1747 in Bostelwiebeck.
Jan. 24, 1716 Daughter Dorothea Maria
Sept. 20, 1717 Son Heinrich Jurgen, who married on Oct. 29, 1757 in Leestahl, and lived as a shepherd.
Jan. 2, 1721 Son Johann Peter, who married on June 19, 1751 in Breese, and died there on Nov. 3, 177?.
July 5, 1722 Son Hans Jurgen, who married in 1763 in Bostelwiebeck.
April 12, 1727 Daughter Catharina Margaretha, who died Oct. 6, 1729
Jurgen Luhmann died on January 13, 1740. His wife Clara Margaretha died on
September 5, 1754. His son Christian Friedrich took over the property. He was married
to Anna Margaretha Mueller from Koval. This marriage must have remained childless, because there are no church records of baptisms or burials from the above named marriage
On February 8, 1757, Christian Friedrich Luhmann died. His widow Anna Margaretha in the same year surrendered the property to her brother-in-law Valentin. She died on August 4, 1786 at the age of 70 years.
Valentin Luhmann married Catharina Sophia Mueller from Kovahl on October 2, 1752.
She was the daughter of a shepherd. At that time, according to church records, the
children of herdsmen and shepherds almost exclusively married amongst themselves, so it can be assumed that Valentin was also a herdsman or shepherd.
From this marriage are the following children:
April 29, 1753 Son Jurgen Heinrich
Jan. 11, 1755 Daughter Anna Dorothea Sophia
Jan 28, 1757 Daughter Anna Margaretha, who died July 18, 1765
July 30, 1759 Daughter Catharina Elisabeth , who married Friedrich Wilhelm Ries, a landlord from Oldendorf, on November 15, 1782
Nov. 23, 1761 Daughter Elisabeth Margarethe
Mar. 23, 1764 Daughter Maria Magdalena
Dec. 1, 1766 Daughter Anna Margarete, who died April 14, 1767
June 14, 1768 Son Johann Friedrich
Sept. 6, 1772 Son Ernst Ludewig
Page three translated by Christi's source.
Valentin Luhmann died on May 15, 1793. His wife Catharina Sophia Müller died before him on January 1, 1789 at the age of 56 years.
On November 19, 1784 oldest son Jürgen Heinrich Luhmann married Catharina Elizabeth Gehrke, the daughter of a landlord, Andreas Heinrich Gehrke from Dübbekold. The married couple had these children:
Sept. 26, 1785 son Johann Jürgen
June 21, 1788 daughter Catharina Elisabeth married a (?) Johann Jürgen Bartels from Eichdorf on Nov. 10, 1812
Mar. 13, 1791 daughter Margaretha Magdalena married Jürgen Christoph Heinrich Seil from Breese on Nov. 16, 1810
June 26, 1794 daughter Catharina Maria married Jürgen Friedrich Seil, a farmhand from Lüben, on April 30, 1822. She died on Oct. 7, 1848
Catharina Elisabeth Luhmann died on Dec. 8, 1822, at the age of 65 years.
On Nov. 11, 1809, Johann Jürgen Luhmann, who inherited the property, and Anna
Maria Reinecke from Nahrendorf married. At this time, Jürgen Heinrich Luhmann was
already desceased. The exact date is not known.
The married couple Johann Jürgen and Anna Maria Luhmann had these children:
Nov. 30, 1809 son Johann Jürgen Christian, who died on Dec. 4, 1809
Oct. 8, 1810 a stillborn child
Mar. 9, 1812 twins: daughter Anna Catharina, who died Oct. 10, 1816
son Jürgen Heinrich
Dec. 15, 1814 son Johann Christoph, who married the widow Anna Dorothea Elisabeth Meyer from Süschendorf on May 15, 1859. He was an estate manager in Ventschau, and died on July 27, 1873
Jan. 26, 1818 daughter Catharina Margaretha, who married the shepherd Jürgen Friedrich Meyer on May 18, 1838. He was later the game warden at the royal Prussian hunting ground in Röthen
Mar. 7, 1820 daughter Anna Maria, who married Jürgen Heinrich Wilhelm Schulz from Schutschur on Dec. 5, 1841
Dec. 19, 1821 son Johann Jürgen Ludewig, who died on May 14, 1822
Sept. 15, 1823 daughter Anna Dorothea Elisabeth, who married Johann Heinrich Christoph Schlaphof , a farm laborer from Eichdorf, on Oct. 18, 1843
Aug. 19, 1825 daughter Catharine Dorothee Elisabeth, who married Johann Jürgen Bartels, a landlord from Eichdorf
Sept. 27, 1827 triplets: son Jürgen Friederich, who died on Dec. 24, 1827
son Johann Jürgen who died on Dec. 22, 1827 a stillborn son.
Apr. 15, 1829 daughter Margaretha Magdalene Elisabeth, who married a ship hand, Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Pagel from Schutschur, on Dec. 26, 1850.
Last page translated by Christi.
Johann Jürgen Luhmann died on March 6, 1843, and his wife Anna Maria died on December 2, 1867 at the age of 76. Their son inherited the property, and sold it in 1876, thus ending the 220 year history of the Luhmann family in Eichdorf.
Your ancestors Jürgen Heinrich Friedrich Meyer and his wife Catharina Margaretha Luhmann lived in Eichdorf until about 1845. There the following children were born:
1 Katharina Maria Elisabeth Oct. 24, 1839
2 A stillborn daughter Dec. 21, 1840
3 Katharina Margarethe Elisabeth Feb. 2, 1842
4 Jürgen Heinrich Wilhelm Oct. 7, 1843
5 Katharina Dorothea Elisabeth Sept. 12, 1845
1845, the above named Jürgen Heinrich Friedrich Meyer (bought) property in Oldendorf, and at the same time was employed as a game warden at the Royal Prussian game preserve in Röthen. In Oldendorf, the couple had these children:
6 Maria Katharina Oct. 27, 1847
7 Dorothea Elisabeth Oct. 15, 1849
8 Jürgen Heinrich Friedrich Dec. 9, 1851
In 1869, Jürgen Heinrich Friedrich Meyer was still listed as owner of the property.
As for the fate of the children numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, nothing is known. Also, the death data of Jürgen Heinrich Friedrich Meyer and wife Margaretha Catharina Luhmann is unknown to me. The next time I go to the church office of the municipality of Nahrendorf, I will check to see if I can find something of further interest to you. I will then inform you.
Concerning the ancestors of Maria Schenk, I have no information. Perhaps you can contact this address for information:
Kirchenbüro der Ev.-luth. Kirchengemeinde
Zollstrasse 28
21354 Bleckede
I hope that I have helped you somewhat, and wish you much joy during your family search.
Heartfelt greetings from Germany,
Hans-xxxx Kregel
This has four pages. And concludes with his signiture.
Is that not another angel of god by the name Hans. I mean the random act of kindness is amazing. For him to go the the church archives and look all that up for a stranger. I never in my wildest dreams thought he would go and look it up. I never asked him to do this, either. And then send it in a medium envelope wanting nothing back in return. What goodness is in that man can be seen. I hope he did not have to pay a fee. I imagine E. Meyer did not know, if we were related. So he had to find out. She did live in the
Oldendorf Goehrde area. I would not be a bit surprised if she was in the Karl Heinz. Genze*l tree family
~~~~~~~ Personal speculation and comments ~~~~
17.Sept.1819 ?????
Now to go over the first page with a fine tooth comb.
In the posting about Johann Juergen Meyer and Maria Elsiabeth Behrens of
Neetzendorf we noted three sons, who had lived and one daughter, who had lived past infancy. The others were all buried younger than five or so. The last son of those records was born 1817. I remember that I had found him earlier this year on the
Himbergen, Uelzen records of
Weste village. Married to Raetzmann. Though it says born
Neetzendorf. I have wondered, if it could be an error. 3.10.1817 is the birth date of Hinrich Juergen Meyer. The last son on my records.
Juergen Friedrich Meyer child number six * 29.11.1814 through +18.09.1879 Perhaps Instead of 1819 it could read 1879???
Johann Juergen Meyer child number two 15.12.1806 1st son the eldest.
~ 17.12.1806 babtizing day.
Perhaps it is meant to be the death date of Jurgen Friedrich Meyer. Instead of 1819, it is 1879. It is so close to that in every way except the year. -[ I shall have to send a copy to Herr Bock.] I need to verify the Luhmann information that I received. I have not done so, after all this time.
But it can't be that because it says his parents are Johann Jurgen Meyer and Maria Elisabeth Behrens. So maybe something else is at another church.
It is nice to see that Juergen Friedrich Meyer [geb.1814] has also the name Heinrich
after Juergen. Just as I know the two sons of his with Margaretha Catharina Margaretha Luhmann had the same with the variation of Wilhelm and Friedrich between them.
Gosh, I have posted this and now I wish
my all knowing relative would show with the information solution to this puzzle.
Herr Hans Otto K. gave me another church address, so that I could continue research. He understood that one likes to research their families.
This family who helped me had a right to their privacy. But I have wondered who were their relation. I have wondered, if they could be related to the Karl Heinz [Heinrich] Genzel tree. Perhaps someday, I can write him or find him in phone book and then write him again. I do have a fax machine, but that would be a fortune in cost.
So Point keeper, I have another Luhmann hit.
2 points. It is such a large hit, I think I should get two instead of one!
One Heins person said no he was not family.
O Points
One must remember that this information came from Hans and not from the official researcher of the church. Also the data could belong to another Luhman family somehow and not be mine. What I am trying to say is that there are other Luhmann families in this area. However, I was told by a Luhmann that they are pretty sure they are related to all the Luhmanns in that area.
Again one can consult the german phone book to see who they are!
Pretty handy tool, is it not?
Translation translation translation of first page of the letter.
Translation of the letter from Hans Otto K. I subtracted a few names. E. was a full name in the original letter.
--From my mother-in-law, E. Meyer from
Oldendorf on the Göhrde (River), I received your letter dated 3/19/2001.
Since I am interested in family history, I endeavor to clarify some of your questions.......
Jürgen Heinrich Jürgen Meyer was born on 17 September, 1819 in Neetzendorf by Dahlenburg and was by occupation a shepherd. His father, likewise a shepherd, Johann Jürgen Meyer and his mother Maria Elisabeth Behrens lived in Neetzendorf.
If you want details of the Meyer family in Neetzendorf, this address will surely help:
Kirchenbüro der Ev.-Luth. Kirche
Johannisstrasse 8
21368 Dahlenburg
Jürgen Heinrich Friedrich Meyer married Margaretha Catharina Luhmann from Eichdorf on May 18, 1838 in the St. Lamberti Church of Nahrendorf.
Following is the history of the Luhmann family:
The history of house #2 in Eichdorf
The earliest known occupant is Henning Luhmann. He (oversaw or managed) the home until 1663, when his son Schwiebert married Anna Brese from Nahrendorf, and he (Schwiebert) took over. Henning Luhmann died on July 30, 1673, and his wife Helena died on April 24, 1679.
Also, the Nahrendorf Church records for this time are not complete concerning the children from this marriage, when the house (successor) Schwiebert was born, and how many siblings there were. Only one daughter, Engel, who was 17 years old in 1662, and a stillborn son, born on May 12, 1660 (are in the church records).
From the marriage of Schwiebert Luhmann and Anna Brese came the following children:
March 8, 1665 Son Heinrich Jürgen (?) married
August 28, 1667 Daughter Anna Dorothea, is mentioned in the Nahrendorf church book as being a godparent in 1712.
jo arootdigger
