For many years, I believed a story passed down in my family: that Francis Stephan, my great-grandmother Julia Stephan Maier’s only brother, had disappeared and was believed to have drowned in the Ohio River. His body was never recovered. The tale was told with such conviction that I never questioned it—until DNA told me otherwise….
Tag: Stephan
Anton Stephan – Following Bunches of Hunches – 52 Ancestors 2015 #30
This week the optional theme for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is “Challenging.” I guess that is one of the things that I enjoy about genealogy – the challenges. Truly, it wouldn’t be any fun for me if the ancestor quest didn’t include endless mysteries to be solved. Sometimes family history is intuitive and, even,…
Peter Elsasser of Vicksburg, Mississippi – Are You the Same as My Great, Great Granduncle? 52 Ancestors 2015 #12
This week I am chronicling the search for my great-grandmother’s Bavarian family. This is a long read with a lot of detail on the resources that I drew upon to find the place of origin for my mother’s mother’s mother’s family. I am especially interested because this is the source of my mitochondrial DNA (deep…
Charles Solger – Did He Leave One Family to Start Another? – 52 Ancestors #19
Entry #19 I am a week behind with my post. I have just returned from vacation in Costa Rica. Pura vida! My great-grandmother, Julia Magdalena Stephan, was married before she wed my great-grandfather, Gottlob Maier. It is her first husband, Charles P. Solger, who is the subject of my week 19 post. Julia (sometimes Lena…
Francis Stephan – A Teen Presumed Drowned – 52 Ancestors #12
Entry #12 This week’s entry will be short – it is a brief and tragic tale without a lot of detail. The little bit that I know comes from the story that has been passed down through several generations. To date, I have found only two records for Francis Stephan, my great-grandmother’s brother; the 1850…