Entry #10 This is one of those serendipitous stories where truth is stranger than fiction. Allen Weirick and I met in the 10th grade through our mutual friend, Steve Tsou. We became part of a small group of friends that spent a lot of time together. This translates to having known one another for about…
Author: Cheryl Biermann Hartley
Fred Schatz – Is He John’s Half-Brother? – 52 Ancestors #9
I am now caught up to Week 9 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks! Entry #9 Two days ago I posted about my great, great-grandfather John Schatz. I made, what I considered to be, a huge discovery last night! I have been speculating for a long time that my Johann “John” Schatz (b. abt 1818)…
John Schatz – From Mecklenburg Serf to Dairyman – 52 Ancestors #8
Entry #8 Johann “John” Schatz and Friedrika Schwern emigrated from Bützow in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin to Cincinnati, Ohio, leaving their homeland on May 16, 1854, and arriving in New York on July 3, 1854. Johann traveled on the ship Sir Robert Peel with Friedrika, their infant child, Carl, and Wilhelmine Schatz, who is…
Martha Sutcliffe Hartley – Was She a Bigamist? – 52 Ancestors #7
February 26, 2014 Entry #7 Yesterday, I mentioned Martha Sutcliffe Hartley, wife of transported convicted, William Hartley. Martha, it seems, is colorful enough to deserve a few paragraphs of her own. As we now know, her first husband was convicted of feloniously possessing forged bank notes. He may also have had a criminal history that…
William Hartley – A Convict in the Family – 52 Ancestors #6
Entry #6 When my husband, Gary, and I married over 30 years ago, it was only natural that I would take an interest in his family history, especially since I was adopting the surname “Hartley” as my own. Someone in the family had already made a nice start on the family tree, which was a…
William Anthony Maier – Why is My Uncle Wearing a Dress? 52 Ancestors #5
Entry #5 This is my fifth post for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. I hope it will be a catch-up post. So, here is an interesting picture of “Uncle Will,” my grandmother’s youngest brother (my grand-uncle). So, why is uncle Will wearing a dress, and a wig and makeup? The short answer is that I…
Mary Jackson Campbell – It Took an Act of Congress – 52 Ancestors #4
Entry #4 If you think that government red tape is something invented in our generation, think again. In fact, it certainly predates the last century. Consider my husband’s fifth great-grandmother, Mary Jackson Campbell. Her husband, John Campbell, fought for with the Colonials in the American Revolution, yet proving his service became an ordeal that lasted…
Marie Kessler Lindner – A Terrible Way to Die – 52 Ancestors #3
February 10, 2014 Entry #3 There was no question in my mind who I should select as my subject ancestor for the second week of February. Anna Marie Kessler Lindner was my great grandmother and she died in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, on February 13, 1945 – 69 years ago on Thursday. If that date rings…
Tante Frieda (Frieda Pueschel) – 52 Ancestors #2
February 4, 2014 Entry #2 Tante Frieda may seem like an odd choice for the second of my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. With Frieda, I am already choosing someone who is technically not an ancestor. Tante is German for “aunt.” Until last week, I did not even know Tante Frieda’s last name. My immediate…
Charles Wippel – Missing – 52 Ancestors #1
January 28, 2014 Entry #1 My “most wanted” ancestor is my 3x great-grandfather Charles (Carl) Whipple (Wippel). For years, I have been searching for his whereabouts after 1857. He is one of those ancestors that seem to have vanished without a trace. Carolus Wippel was born in Roxheim, Germany on April 27, 1830, the son…