Cheryl Biermann Hartley
about me
To borrow a phrase from the movie The Sixth Sense, I see dead people. No, not literally, but my imagination is populated with people who are long gone. Pharaohs and slaves, peons and princesses, serfs and soldiers all vie for my attention. Ancestors seem to be particularly demanding. Below is my grandmother, Katherine Schatz Biermann. I dreamed of her the night she died, and she looked just like she looks in this photo. I was fifteen at the time.
I have been interested in the past since I was a child. When I was about seven years old, I watched a television documentary on dredging the sacred Mayan well at Chichen Itza. From that moment on, I was hooked on the past. I would be an archaeologist and uncover fabulous lost civilizations.
In practical terms, that is not where life took me, although I did meet my husband as a grad student at Penn State while working for the National Park Service on an archaeology project.
Additionally, I have also always known that I am a direct (and documented) descendant of Martin Luther, the Reformer. My maternal grandfather, Otto Lindner, left me as the caretaker for our family history, a role that I have extended to all branches of our family.
This blog is intended to share some of my genealogical findings and to appease my noisy ancestors. I am thrilled to be participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks blogging challenge.
I have regularly commented that I can feel my life streaming back to the primordial ooze…Now it may turn out that our DNA has memory. This is an amazing time for genealogy!
Cheryl Biermann Hartley
Fantastic! I am on a similar journey, and I am so far back to 1609 in Göcklingen, now part of Germany. I am a lifelong and ardent Lutheran. Your story is fabulous. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your story! I can totally relate to the sixth sense comment. My ancestors call out to be blogged about. I checked out your Wix site and it is very cool. I do like WordPress though, so kudos for joining us. I will be checking out your site to see if there are any similarities in our families. Keep up the great work!
Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. It is nice to hear from kindred spirits who feel the same way about their ancestors as I feel about mine.
Hi! Looks like we are related!
I have all kinds of records on our family
Bryan Sigmund
oops forgot the link..
I just read your post on Luther and I can assure you that you come from a noble lineage! I would encourage you to read two chapters in the book the Great Controversy that summarize the life of Luther (linked below). Enjoy!
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25833/25833-pdf.pdf
Thanks for your comment. I took the opportunity to read the content in the link you posted. I recently read, “Here I Stand” by Roland H. Bainton and have just started “Luther’s Fortress” by James Reston, Jr. I am hoping to travel to Germany sometime in 2017 to be some small part of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
Which one of the Luther children do you come from? Is there a family tree that you have posted somewhere?
Ruth
Ruth,
I’m not sure if you read my blog entry, “Martin Luther, Yes, That Martin Luther,” which can be found here: http://wp.me/p4ioO6-3h
I am a descendant of Paul Luther. I will post my direct lineage under a new post shortly. I have been meaning to do this for a while!
I’m trying to communicate with descendants of the survivors of the Love and Unity, the 1731 ill-fated ship. I’ve reached the following to date: Westheber, Sandritter, Liebenstein, Sweichheimer, Jungman, and Schirch. I’ve also communicated with Nancy Schanes. Valentin Westheber and Anna Christina Sandritter were my 5th great-grandparents. Please write me. Our story as descendants of these survivors is screaming to be written. Thanks!
Sharon Beach
duke7547@gmail.com
I’m VERY late to this party but I’m a descendant of Liebenstein! I’ve emailed you ☺️
Hi there!
You and I are very similar!! I too had the dream of being an archaeologist. However, I only made it as fair as a BA in Anthropology. I’m obsessed with people and the past. I have been working on my family history. I came acrossed your site due to William A. Maier. Do you have any more information on him?
Hi, Ashley. William A. Maier was the son of Johann George Gottlob Maier from Plieningen in Baden-Wurttemburg and Julia Magdalena Stephan, born in Ripley, Ohio. He never married. Where is your Maier family from?
I am not sure. My grandfather (Gilbert W. Maier) was born in 1921 and we believe his father’s name was William Maier. He would have been born around 1900s. My grandfather was raised by his mother’s wife. I am picking up my grandfather’s birth certificate today in hopes that his biological father’s name is listed on there. I hope that can help crack something open for me.
I have done extensive research for my father’s maternal line and my mother’s lineage. The Maier side has been a dead-end for me. I appreciate you writing back. Thank you!
I meant to say mother’s husband**. They were married in 1921 also so I am not sure Frances (grandfather’s mother) and Unknown Maier were married.
Maier is a very common surname. You don’t say where your Maiers were from. Let’s move our conversation to cherylhartley (at) gmail.com.
Hello Cheryl,
I have been researching Martin Luther (have been Lutheran all my life) to give a talk at a Christian church next week and ran across this blog! How wonderful for you to have Martin Luther as a great (ll times) grandfather! I wanted to know if I could use your name in my talk? That would be a great ending to the story! Martin Luther’s family lives on today!
Thanks so much!
Margie in Kansas (yes, I too am a writer that loves children and family as much as your Great (11 times) grandfather!
Margie, l am so glad you enjoyed my story. I don’t mind at all if you mention my name. One of the very interesting outcomes of having digitally published this story is that it was read by a third cousin from Dresden. His family was known to my grandfather, but we lost touch after my grandfather died. As a Luther descendent, he ran across my blog, once again connecting the generations. I am honored that you would think to mention me by name.
Cheryl, I’ve just come across your blog as I’ve been doing some family research. William Walton and Alice Martin are my 9x greats and I’m finding lots of info on them. Not so thrilled about the Palin connection either but it’s fun to find out about family. Thanks for your research and postings!
What a wonderful wealth of history. Thank you. I am the granddaughter of Louis James Romano and Alpha Roddy. I have always searched for relatives of my grandmother. I would love to see the tree.
Hi, my husband is a decendant of martin luther. Not direct but his father’s half sister
Was a direct decendant. I’m not entirely sure how it goes but I could find out the names of his sister and brother.
We are from Australia I would love to know the extended tree and where my children fit in.
Hello,
My name is Stewart Peters. My earliest ancestor is Adam Peter.
Born some time between 166 and 1777. He died kin Armstrong County Pa in 1826. The family spoke German. Based on dna test thru familytreedna, i beleive im related to this Peter family. Please contact me. I have many questions.
Speters101@yahoo.com.
Thanks
Hi, while researching ( to fill in the blanks) I came across your info on Annie Lapp Walton. I have been researching for years trying to find more about her. I was curious as to how you are related to either her or Abel. They are my great-great grandparents. Minard and Rebecca my great grandparents and Harry Walton my grandfather