A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter K is for Koblenz, Germany (Schmitz)!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter K is for Koblenz, Germany (Schmitz)!

When if first chose Koblenz it was due to my paternal grandfather, Mathias, being born here. While this is correct, and my great grandparents, Johannes and Anna, were married here, they weren't from here. Each of Mathias' parents were actually born in other towns. 

Where IS Koblenz?

Before I get too far ahead I guess I should let you know where Koblenz, Germany is.

From Google Earth

Germany, and my grandfather, was not really talked about when I was growing up. All I really knew was I had a grandfather, and he wasn't a very nice person. Also, he was German. That was about the extent of my knowledge until I went researching. 

First clues

My first clue to Koblenz was in my grandfather's naturalization record. 

Taken from Ellis Island website. Look at entry 16 and you can see Germany. 

The next clue was in the ship manifests I found. This backed up the nationalization record information. It also gave me clues to who my father remembers as his aunt and uncle were who he had pictures of.  My father could remember the people and faces but couldn't remember the last names. The uncle's name he could remember because my father's name was American for the person's first name - Gerhert or Gerald. 

My grandmother's manifest with his father's address shown. Taken from Ellis Island manifest.

Family Picture with Dad and his "uncle" and "aunt" going to Germany

Family Picture with Dad and his "aunt" Gertrude in NJ USA

   

What really made an impact was when I was able to get my grandmother, Genevieve's naturalization record. This had a copy of their wedding certificate. Shortly after, I was able to find a second wedding certificate on FamilySearch, for same people, address but different witnesses and place within a few months of each other. One was held in the NYC marriage office and the other was at St Monica Church in NYC. 

First marriage certificate in January 1934

First marriage certificate in March 1934

Marriage Certificate Jean put in with her naturalization papers.

Along with the place on the wedding certificates being different, but it gave me a place to start looking. However, its a small community and I couldn't get very far. Germany's privacy laws don't help either. 

My research stalled on this line for a few years. Then I started to research my great grandmother's line the Klepperich's. I got this information from the wedding certificates. This led me to a Facebook group on the line of Klepperich's and, in the meantime, I did my DNA as well. 

While the Facebook group was interesting, I wasn't getting any place with it, so that research area stalled. 

However, I did end up hearing from someone who was a DNA cousin and asked me about the Schmitz line. We compared notes, not that I had many at this point, but you have to be willing to share to get and learn things. We ended up friends on Facebook, and found she was in the Klepperich's Facebook group too. Again this link stalled because of lack of information. 

A few more years went by and in the interim I had put basic information on WikiTree. However, I was finding the entries and emails on this were annoying and not very informative. However, I was busy researching my maternal line and decided to get to it when I slowed on my mother's side. 

I've only just, in August 2018, with help of some researchers, fond this information out. One of the administrators for WikiTree contacted me asking me about the information I had on my grandfather's side. She was trying to figure out how we joined into the Klepperich side of things. 

I gave her a run down of what I did, which is above here. She got in contact with some researchers in Germany and they went to Neidgermendig, Germany and to where they keep the records. They hit the jackpot for me. They returned with my great grandparent's marriage certificate, my grandfather's birth certificate AND a family tree which goes back to the 1600 and 1700s! 

My grandfather's birth certificate with translations.

My ancestry.com tree with part of my paternal line.

It is and was jaw dropping stuff! 

In doing this, my one DNA cousin and I were able to track down which of our family's interconnect as well. 

This only goes to show, try something different and ask around. You might get surprised and find out some information! Remember sometimes you have to give a little to get back tenfold! 

Now I can track down where generations have come from...which is all around this area.