Tombstone Tuesday-Jacob Hamman

Jacob Hamman

Years ago I began telling the story of my maternal great great grandfather Jacob Hamman.  The following posts help tell the story of Jacob's life: Jacob Hamman's Land Deed, Sunday Obituary-Jacob Hamman, My First Naturalization Papers-Jacob Hamman, Searching for the Will and the Land of Jacob Hamman, Finding Jacob Hamman's Land-First Understanding Iowa Land.  This post was started over four years ago and never finished.  Now, I can finally finish it.

The tombstone inscription reads (in German):

Jakob Hamman

Geb.  8. Mai 1830.

Gest. den 18. Nov. 1900.

 

"Hier wo der Geist sein Staub-

kleid fallen läßt.

Beweint das Kind des Vaters

Aschenreste"

The tombstone inscription reads (in English):

Jakob Hamman

Born 8 May 1830

Died 18 Nov 1900

"Here where the spirit/soul drops his dust gown

The child mourns the father's remaining ashes"

It took over four years to complete this post because I wanted to understand the quote at the end of the inscription.  I was able to guess at the name, birth and death information but I wanted to understand the rest.  If the quote was important enough to inscribe on the tombstone then I wanted to understand what the inscription said.  Sometimes our research takes a long time. Finally, now I do know what the quote says!

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

The Wedding of Johann Bintz and Margaretha Rovin

 The Wedding of Johann Bintz and Margaretha Rovin

 

My maternal 2^nd great grandparents were married in Luxembourg, the land of their births, before immigrating to the United States of America in the 1850s.  Locating and transcribing a marriage record could provide new valuable information. 

After years of searching, a civil marriage record was located on FamilySearch…yea! 

There are parents listed (Wilhelm Bintz, Maria Petesch and Anne Marie Rovin) so that will take me back yet another generation…Yea!! 

(click on images to enlarge)

But what additional information is in the record and oh, yea, it’s in German. 

This record was also sent off to the Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) where I requested a translation to determine what additional information there was.  (See post Birth of Jacob Hamman for translation information for Luxembourg records)

Translation:

In the year 1855, on November 20th, at 11 a.m., before us Johann (John) Berens, mayor, registrar of the civil status records of the municipality of Weiler-la-Tour, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, appeared before us Johann (John) Bintz, linen weaver, aged 27 years, born in said Weiler-la-Tour, February 14, 1828, residing in Weiler-la-Tour, municipality of this name, major son of Wilhelm (William) Bintz, here present and consenting to this marriage, linen weaver, aged 57 years, and of Maria Petesch, aged 58 years, married couple residing here in Weiler-la-Tour, afore mentioned birth is recorded in the civil status registers of this municipality, one side, And the spinster Margaretha Rovin, without profession, aged 19 years, born in Remich, in this Grand Duchy, on August 8, 1836, residing in Weiler-la-Tour, illegitimate (1) and minor daughter of Anne Marie Rovin, here present and consenting to the marriage, aged 48 years, midwife, residing in Weiler-la-Tour; said birth documented by attached certificate, on the other side. Who requested us to proceed to the wedding agreed amongst them, and the publications of which were done in this municipality on the Sundays 4th and 11th of this month, as this comes forth from the register of marriage announcements of this municipality. 

As we have not been notified any opposition to the intended marriage, we do right to their request; and after having read out all the above mentioned records and chapter 6 of the Civil Code, bearing the title “Of Marriage”, we have asked the groom and the bride, whether they take each other as husband and wife, as both have answered, each one separately and affirmatively, we declare in the name of the law that Johann Bintz and Margaretha Rovin are united by the bonds of marriage. Of all this we have set up this present record , and this in the presence of Nicolas Diedier, farmer, aged 42 years, residing in Dippach, municipality of this name Of Johann Kayl, farmer, aged 70 years, residing in Abweiler, municipality of Bettembourg, Of Johann Kayl, farmer, aged 74 years, residing in Weiler-la-Tour, And of Nicolas Goerges, farmer, aged 70 years, residing in Filsdorf, none of the witnesses related to the bride and groom. Who, after been given lecture thereof, signed it with us, except mentioned Maria Petesch, mother of the groom, who, when requested, declared to be ignorant of writing. [signatures].

• Translator’s note-(1) The original text speaks about » natural daughter ». In Luxembourg, and French law (and some other European , as well), this legal term designates a child born out of wedlock. In order, to avoid any ambiguity in regard to American legislation, where « natural born citizen » (Constitution art. II, section 1) means born in the country, in America, the translator opted for « illegitimate ».

 What a wealth of information this is:

• Johann’s profession was that of a ‘linen weaver’.
• Johann’s mother, Maria Petesch, was unable to write/sign her name.  Margaretha and Johann were able to write their names.
• Margaretha was considered a ‘minor child’ at the age of 19.
• Previously, I have been unable to locate a birth record for Margaretha Rovin.  Now I have her birthdate, the town she was born in as well as her mother’s name.  If the translator is correct then the possible reason there is not a father listed for her is because she was illegitimate.  I wonder if I will be able to locate a birth record for Margaretha?
• The Banns of Marriage for Johann and Margaretha were published on February 4^th and 11^th
• Anne Marie Rovin’s profession was that of a ‘midwife’
• The witnesses for the marriage of Johann and Margaretha were Nicolas Diedier, Johann Kayl, Johann Kayl, and Nicolas Goerges and that none of them were related to the bride or groom

This is a very valuable piece of information to add to the life stories of my ancestors.  Having the translation added so much additional information.

Johann and Margaretha would immigrate and live in Iowa.  The surname would change in the United States to Bentz.  Johann would be referred to as John and Margaretha would be referred to as Marie, Mary or Margaret in records over her lifetime.  Margaretha’s Surname would also at times be listed as Robin.

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

Other posts you may be interested in: An Unusual Find for Sunday Obituary-Mary Robin Bentz, Who Was Mary (Margaret) Robin Bentz, The Luxembourger Statue, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Remsen, Iowa 

The Birth of Jacob Hamman

When doing genealogy on our immigrant ancestors we are always advised to gather all the information possible before we start looking for information in the country that ancestor came from.

Over the years I have gathered information on my maternal 2^nd great grandfather Jacob Hamman in the United States.  I possibly have Jacob on a passenger list, I know when he filed his immigration paperwork, when he obtained his US Citizenship, when he purchased land and when he died.

There are still questions to be answered but I always wondered about his life in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg prior to his immigration to the United States in the late 1850s.  Who were Jacob’s parents and siblings?  Where exactly was he born in Luxembourg and when?

The information have I been able to gather about Jacob’s birth, parents and siblings:

• According to the 1880 US Census for Jacob in Iowa he was 40 years old and born about 1840 in Luxembourg.
• According to the 1900 US Census for Jacob in Iowa he was 60 years old and his birth date was July 1839 in Luxembourg.
• According to Jacob’s obituary in 1900 he “was 64 years old and born at Hesper, Grandduchy, Luxembourg on the 25^th day of August 1836”.
• According to Jacob’s Iowa death record he was born in Luxembourg about 1835.
• According to Jacob’s tombstone his birth is listed as 1830 and at his death in 1900 he was 70 years old.

Based on this information I can narrow down Jacob’s birth from 1835 to 1840.  That is definitely a discrepancy.  Is the birth date and location reported in his obituary, correct?  Can I locate a birth certificate in Luxembourg?  Will this tell me his parents’ names?  Is it possible to determine his siblings?  Did any of them also immigrate to the United States?

Reminder:  just because a record isn’t in an online database you are searching today it doesn’t mean it won’t be there tomorrow or ...years from now.  Keep searching!!

Fast forward many years of searching and I happened to find the following record on FamilySearch:

 

Wow!  Major Happy Dance!!  I think that is my ancestor and WOW there are his parents’ names.  I begin to search under their names and believe I have found Jacob’s siblings.  Major excitement!

After justifiably being excited about finally finding what I think is my ancestor’s birth record and other family records including Jakob’s parents’ names I realize that the index has only basic information and I don’t know about you but…this is never enough for me.  I can see the actual ledger in the photo but I want to know more of the information that is there but …I don’t read or write German.  UGH!  What do I do next? 

I need someone to translate these for me and I’m up to about 25 records now.  Where to go?  I could post this on a genealogy site or try to find someone who speaks German.  An idea starts to develop.  These are records from Luxembourg.  Several years ago I joined and visited the Luxembourg American Cultural Society and Center in Belgium, Wisconsin.  I wonder if they’d have any suggestions? 

How exciting it was to learn that yes, they could definitely help me.  They actually contract with someone in Luxembourg and they informed me of the fee for services.  All the records were emailed to LAC and then all I had to do was, not so patiently, wait for a reply.  At last, this was the reply for Jacob’s birth record:

Translation:

In the year 1840, on July 28, at 7 a.m. before us Mayor, registrar of the civil status records of the municipality of Hesperange, canton of Luxembourg, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has appeared Jakob Hamman, aged 37 years, road maintenance supervisor, residing in this municipality, who presented us a child of male sex, born on the 27^th of this [month], at 11 a.m. of him deponent and his wife Barbara Clement, both residing in Hesperange, and whom he declared to give the first name of Jakob.

Which declaration and presentation took place in the presence of Nikolas Zahlen, aged 45 years, farmer, and of Johann (=John) Didesch, aged 64 years, day laborer, who are residing in this municipality, and they have all signed this present birth record, after having previously been given lecture thereof.

[signatures]

Wow! WOW!! 

From the translation I now know that:

• Jakob was born on 27 July 1840 at 11 am.
• His parents were Jakob Hamman (37 years old and a road main supervisor) and Barbara Clement.
• They lived in Hesperange.
• Witnesses were Nikolas Zahlen (45 year old farmer) and Johann Didesch (64 year old day laborer) who lived in the Hesperange.

Interesting that the 1880 US Census was the only record with his correct year of birth.  The obituary showed his birth date but was several days, a month and four years off.  I’m sure birthdays were not remembered and celebrated the way we do today. There were language and cultural differences and so many adjustments when traveling and becoming established in the United States that I’m sure your actual date of birth was just not that important.  Reminder: know that dates may be off by months, days or years as you are researching.

The amazing translator I had even provided the following additional information:

The spelling of the name is nowadays Hammang. On the Hammang family and descendance, see: Prosper Kayser & Paul Vanolst: Familienchronik der Gemeinde Hesperingen. Um 1650-1923. Publ. 2018 pp. 169-170.

Someone who spoke German could have translated the document but this additional information is extremely valuable for further research.

Being connected to Historical Societies from locations your ancestors lived or to Cultural Societies whose goals are to help preserve the cultures of the countries your ancestors immigrated from are very valuable sources of information.  I would definitely recommend LAC if you have ancestors from Luxembourg to provide another level of support as you research your ancestors.

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

The following posts help tell the story of Jacob's life: Jacob Hamman's Land Deed, Sunday Obituary-Jacob Hamman, My First Naturalization Papers-Jacob Hamman, Searching for the Will and the Land of Jacob Hamman, Finding Jacob Hamman's Land-First Understanding Iowa Land.