The Luxembourger Statue

"Mary Mother of Jesus.  Consoler of the Afflicted." 

statue St. Mary's, Remsen, Iowa.

My adventure at St. Mary’s (A Church, Bells, a Statue and an Amazing Adventure)  church was not quite over.  There was definitely more to this adventure and more to learn.

Later, that day I went back and reread Father Petty’s sermon and realized the ‘Luxembourger window’ was in the Basilica St. Francis Xavier, in Dyersville, Iowa (oops) and that the ‘Luxembourger statue’ was what was at St. Mary’s in Remsen, Iowa.  Oh, dear, I should have done a better job preparing for this. 

The ‘Luxembourger statue’ is of Our Lady of Consolation, the Patroness of Luxembourg.  From Father Petty’s sermon I learned, “ The original [statue] is a 16^th Century dressed statue of Mary and the Child Jesus, kept in the Cathedral of Luxembourg.  There are statues of this Madonna in St. Donatus, Sacred Heart in Dubuque, and at St. Mary’s in Remsen: three Iowa parishes where many Luxembourgers settled.  Here is Dyersville we have a stained glass window of the statue attesting to the presence of a group of Luxembourgers here in the parish when this church was built.  The Latin: Maria Mater Jesu; Consolatrix Afflictorum “Mary Mother of Jesus.  Consoler of the Afflicted.”  

Searching through my pictures of the Basilica from 2020 showed no pictures of the individual windows.  I had planned on going east to Dyersville anyway to visit the Dyersville Historical Society, so, I guess a return trip to the Basilica was now also on the agenda.

The next day I went back to the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville and found the ‘Luxembourger window’ :

There it was, on the right side of the window..."Mary Mother of Jesus.  Consoler of the Afflicted."

On the left side of the Luxembourger window is the depiction of  the female saint Kunegunda.  On the bottom of the window in German are:

Stating that the window was donated by the Luxembourg members of the parish who had immigrated from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Later that day after visiting the Dyersville Historical Society I learned that one of the first settlements of Luxembourg immigrants in the area was at a town called St. Donatus and that there’s still an old church there by the same name.  As I headed south to my stop for the night I decided to try and find the church. Luckily, I found St. Donatus and it was open. 

 No one was around but this is what I found inside:

Mary, Consoler of the Afflicted

I fully believe it was the ‘Luxembourger statue’ I was meant to find and learn about.  Now I can see the pattern and the importance of the ‘Luxembourger statue’ in the lives of the early settlers and their strong connection to their homeland.  Perhaps, one day, I will make it back to Luxembourg and I can see the statue in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.  At the end of the 18th century Lady Comforter of the Afflicted was adopted as the patron saint of Luxembourg City and the country Luxembourg.  

What an amazing find in learning more about my ancestors!  Remember, the research is about more than just the vital records.  Always be open to those amazing, spur of the moment, adventures.

Moral of the story-I should do a better job next time of reviewing my information.  Hmm… but would I have had such an amazing adventure in the steeple of St. Mary’s and learning about the ‘Luxembourger statue’ if I’d done that?? 

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share, I look forward to hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

A Church, Bells, a Statue and an Amazing Adventure

 Sometimes when you make a mistake it can lead to a great adventure.  Such was the case when I returned to Remsen, Iowa in 2021.

In 2020 I traveled and visited St. Mary’s church in Remsen, Iowa and the Basilica of St.Francis Xavier in Dyersville, Iowa. (See previous posts).  I knew that my maternal great grandparents John & Marie Bentz and Jacob & Katie Hamman had immigrated from Luxembourg, settled first in eastern Iowa and then made their way to Remsen, Plymouth County in western Iowa.  I was so grateful that I was able to visit the churches they were involved with.

Due to Covid many research facilities were closed to the public.  I was not able to visit the DyersvilleHistorical Society while I was there but I did leave a message on the phone. Later we talked and a researcher from the Society sent me a copy of a sermon one of the priests had written that talked about the Luxembourg connection that she thought I’d enjoy reading.  From Father Petty’s sermon I learned a little more about St. Mary’s, the Basilica and the Luxembourg stained glass window.  How interesting.  I looked back through my 2020 pictures of St. Mary’s and did not find one.  Bummer!  Guess this means I MUST go back.  It sure would be interesting to know which window it was and have a picture of it to better understand the connection of the people of the parish to their motherland of Luxembourg.

When I made it this spring to LeMars, Iowa I called the church office to ask if the church would be open on Saturday when I would be in town.  Well, there was going to be a wedding that day …so, no, I couldn’t go in…but I’m only there for a few days and drove from California, etc. etc…but after some checking they said if I was there at 9 am on Saturday I would be able to go in.  (If they’d said 6 am you can believe I would have been there!)  I asked specifically about the Luxembourg window and was told there was information in the back of the church that talked about the windows.

click on images to enlarge

I was there at the appointed time and parked out in front of the church.  The information in the rear of the church had to do only with donations to restore the windows, so, I walked around the church and began taking pictures of all the stained glass windows.  I caught the attention of a gentleman walking through the rear of the church and asked if he was a member of the Parish, and asked "Gee, do you know which of the stained glass windows is the Luxembourg window?"  He hesitantly replied, “well no” and explained that he and another gentlemen where just there to service the bells and quickly asked if I wanted I could go up and see the bells?  I gladly accepted.  This may not have anything to do directly with my ancestors but shouldn’t we always be open to new experiences?  And what an exciting adventure it was!

Up we went.  First we climbed on several levels of regular stairs and then up straight wooden ladders and through trap doors.  I was able to see where the original ropes had gone through the levels of flooring to ring the bells that are all now automated.  Wow, we made it up to the bells. 

1884 stamped on the bells

While the church may have been rebuilt I am guessing these were the original bells that hung in the church when my ancestors, three generations of them, attended this church.  What an amazing piece of history this was!  The men did their servicing of the bells and I was ready to descend when they said, “ But don’t you want to go up a few more levels to the highest point and look out the clock faces?”  Well, sure, I’ve come this far why not go up and look out?  Wouldn’t you?

Looking out the four windows-

I know Jacob owned land out in one direction.  Last year I had gone and found his farm land.  Now I was looking out from the clock and seeing it from a different vantage point.  I knew where the wives (Katie and Mary) had lived, the next block over from the church, and looked in that direction also.  What amazing views!  What an amazing vantage point to see the area where my great great grandparents and great grandparents and my grandfather had lived!  Looking down at my camper showed how high I was.

Now it was time to descend.  Down the narrow stairway, 

down the horizontal ladder missing the rung, past a beautiful window,

down, down.  That process seemed a little slower but we all made it safely. How many people can say they have been up in the church tower and seen the bells that were there when their ancestors were there well over 100 years ago?  Pretty amazing and an adventure that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been there at that particular time and hadn’t reached out to ask for help.  I am so grateful for this opportunity!  Always be open to those new experiences, things that perhaps were not on your agenda but are just as wonderful to discover.

One of the men had called the Deacon of the church while we were climbing and asked him about the Luxembourg window for me.  Turns out there wasn’t a window at St. Mary’s but something else that came from Luxembourg- the ‘Luxembourg statue’:

Not what I was looking for but so very beautiful!  At least I found something that connected the immigrants from Luxembourg to their homeland.  What is this statue all about and why was I so wrong about the window being there?

Later, I went back and reread Father Petty’s sermon and realized ...

(to be continued)

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share, I look forward to hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

Basilica of St. Francis Xavier and Dyersville, Iowa

Almost 30 years ago, while trying to trace the immigration path of my maternal ‘Hamman/Hammond' ancestors from Luxembourg to Remsen, Iowa I learned that my maternal great grandfather, Henry Hamman, was probably born in Dyersville, Iowa. A snail mail request was sent to the Roman Catholic Church in the area, St. Francis Xavier, to determine if this was perhaps where Henry was baptized. In 1994 I received the following:

The parents and location were a match. Yes, I can confirm Henri’s date and location of birth and his baptism at St. Francis Xavier. Hmm…who are the sponsors Henri Heien and Elizabeth Faber?

In 2020 when I was taking my Genealogy Road Trip I wanted to stop and see the area where Henry and his parents lived and try to visit the church where he was baptized. So many places were closed to the public due to Covid such as the Dyersville Area Historical Society, I wondered if the church would be open?

Happily, the church was open when I stopped in Dyersville and I had the privilege of walking through this amazing structure with it's beautiful stained glass windows (in German), intricate carvings, and gorgeous murals.

click on photos to enlarge

Here is what I learned about St. Francis Xavier:

• The first church was completed in 1862. The size of the church was doubled in 1869. By 1880 the structure was no longer adequate for the population in the area. This second building was later used as a church school before being torn down. In 1870 the new church structure was started and the cornerstone was laid June 3, 1888. Henri was born in 1873.
• The church was named in honor of the missionary Saint Francis Xavier.
• St. Francis Xavier became a Minor Basilica on May 11, 1956. It was the twelfth church in the United States to have this honor.
• Gothic Revival style architecture
• Seats 1200 people
• Has 64 large cathedral glass windows
• The wood carved crucifix above the altar was created in 1873 for the original church.
• One of the roles of a Basilica is to serve as the Pope’s church when he visits the area.
• In 1999 the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Dyersville Area Historical Society linked to this interesting video about the history of the Basilica

Side note: Some of you may also recognize the name Dyersville, Iowa as the location where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed. Yes, along with my research I took a little side trip there as well:

While the Basilica is not the building Henri was actually baptized in, I now have a much better feeling for the religious community he and his family were part of. Driving through the town and countryside gave me a sense of the area where Jacob, Catherine and their family lived before moving west to Remsen, Iowa. Now, I understand a little more of the story of their lives.

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share, I look forward to hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church Remsen, Iowa

When I walk in my ancestors’ shoes, visiting the places they have been, I feel closer to them. Since I am unable to see or talk to them, this is a way for me to see the area they lived or worked or where they attended church. This was my experience in the summer of 2020 when I took a trip to Remsen, Plymouth County, Iowa to see where my maternal grandfather, James Jacob Hammond, was baptized and where his parents Henry Hamman and Susan “Suza” Bentz Hamman were married, lived and died. Both Henry and Suza’s parents (Jacob & Catherine Hein Hamman and John & Mary Robin Bentz) had immigrated to this area from Luxembourg. Both of these families, I had learned, were Roman Catholic and attended the same church, St. Mary’s, in Remsen.

• St. Mary’s first structure was completed in 1884. St. Mary’s was a parish of immigrants from Luxembourg, Germany and Alsace. The original structure was destroyed by a tornado 13 June 1885. A second wooden structure was completed in 1885. The third structure, a neo-Gothic design, was begun in 1902 and the cornerstone was laid on 21 April 1903. My maternal grandfather was born in 1904.

In August 2020, despite Covid, I was able to visit and walk through the church that my ancestors attended. I was in awe of this church. The beautiful blue paint on the ceiling contrasted so well with the wooden pews, altars and the off-white coloring throughout the church. As I looked at the vibrant stained glass windows I noticed all the writing on them was in German. There was so much amazing detailed work from the wooden confessional, to the stenciling on the ceiling, the Stations of the Cross to the carved altars. And what a comfortable feeling of belonging as I walked through this church.

click on images to enlarge

Unfortunately, a visit to the church office had little in the way of records. A few notes on index cards seemed to be all that was available. I had contacted the church several years ago and was told to contact a parishioner who held some of the records for the church. Unfortunately, she did not find anything pertaining to my ancestors either. Despite newspaper articles mentioning my ancestors’ connection to this church, my great great grandfather John Bentz Sr.’s, death date and location still elude me.

What a wonderful experience to walk in the footsteps of three generations of my ancestors here at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Remsen, Iowa!

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share, I look forward to hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

Looking Back at 2021

 

Here we are at the end of another year and what a year 2021 was!

 At the beginning of a New Year I like to take a look back and see what I have accomplished over the past year and develop goals for the new year. Looking back at first glimpse I always believe I haven’t done very much because I have had some big gaps in my blogging over the course of the year but let me see what I have actually accomplished from a genealogy standpoint:

• My biggest accomplishment ever has been to finally publish Carrie’s Letters: A Glimpse Into Rural Family Life Baiting Hollow NY (1880-1910).  This was over a 10 year project that involved scanning, transcribing over 100 of my paternal great grandmother’s letters and adding sidebars to help the reader better understand the people/topics discussed.  This is probably THE most important genealogical project I will ever accomplish.  I have proudly donated copies of the book to local libraries, etc. to help other genealogists know a little more about life in the area during this time period and maybe even find out a tidbit of information about an ancestor.  As I continue to make connections with descendants of local families and/or distant cousins I am enjoying looking up people in the Index to see if they are mentioned in Carrie’s Letters.  (If you would like to purchase a paper copy of Carrie’s Letters ($35) you can do this by emailing me at CarriesLettersBook@gmail.com.)  To date I have done a number of presentations in person and this past year on Zoom (for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society and the Oklahoma State Genealogical Society) related to Carrie’s Letters: the discovery of the letters, deciding what to do with them, researching people and events in the letters and about publishing family information in general.
• I traveled for five months this past year with my faithful, furry companion Harley.  We had fun discovering National Parks, visiting newly discovered cousins and reconnecting with old friends and family across the country.  Yes, and of course some additional research along the way.  Stay tuned for a variety of research finds that need to be written up this coming year.  So much to learn and do!

I use Legacy Family Tree software to maintain my family tree. I have trees in Ancestry and My Heritage but those are not the most up to date trees. (Sometimes in Ancestry and My Heritage I may collect information from hints and store them in my trees for future research and then discard them if the information is not correct. I use it as a ‘holding place’.)

From my Legacy tree:

A review of the statistics in my Legacy tree that I am most interested in:

 In 2021:

17 Blog Posts completed (oops…my goal was 50) with an all-time total of 130,779 page views

Top 5 blog posts last year were:

• A Time to Remember  
• PUBLISHED Carrie’s Letters: A Glimpse Into Rural Family Life Baiting Hollow NY (1880-1910) 
• Making Meaning out of a Pile of Family Photos 
• What are you Wearing to Your Next Family Reunion? 
• Celebrating the Life of Stephen Robinson

A tab was added on my blog specifically for Carrie’s Letters

Attended the Alden Kindred Reunion (for the first time) in August in Duxbury, Massachusetts

Article (What are You Wearing to Your Next Family Reunion?) published in the Fall Edition of the San Diego Mayflower Colony Newsletter, The Pilgrim News, page 27

Goals for 2022:

• Complete 50 blog posts
• Present on 12 November 2022 for the San Diego Genealogical Society about Carrie's Letters
• Blog posts about planning my trips to areas my ancestors lived and discoveries from those trips
• Take a Mayflower Tour in Great Britain
• Identify the parents of my maternal great great grandparents Jacob Hamman and wife Katherine Hein
• Complete and publish eBook versions of Carrie’s Letters on Amazon and iBook

In summary, I think it’s been another great year for research despite Covid.  Hopefully, more places will be able to reopen this year for researching.  I humbly thank all of you who take the time to read my stories!  I am grateful for the photos or stories that you remember and share with me.  The questions you ask spur me on to new investigations and discoveries.  I appreciate hearing and knowing what you remember.  It truly is the ‘journey’ that is the reward and you are all part of that.   Off to another exciting year of research!

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,
Debby