Lost Heritage - Luxembourg Fest 2025

As genealogists we cherish our ancestral stories, photos, customs and food.  But what do you do when this was all lost over time?

My grandfather James Hammond (see post Celebrating the Life of James Jacob Hammond) was born in Remsen, Iowa.  All four of his grandparents were born in Luxembourg and emigrated here in the 1860s.  James’ mother died when he was five and he and his siblings spent time in an orphanage for part of their lives and at other times were back with their father.  As a young adult my grandfather wound up and raised his family miles away in upstate New York.  Were the stories, customs, and food of the old country gone because there were no siblings or family nearby?  Was my grandfather too young to remember and or were any memories he had too painful?  All I knew growing up was that his family was German.  After researching my grandfather’s family, I learned while they spoke German, they were all in fact from Luxembourg.  Over the years I have been fortunate to learn the names and ancestral villages of many of my ancestors back to the 1700s.  But even with the names, dates and locations that still doesn’t help me understand the food and culture of the area and country they were from.  Several years ago, I joined the Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LAC) in Belgium, Wisconsin.  In 2022 I was able to stop and visit the Museum and the Center on a trip across country.  I hoped this would help me learn more about my Luxembourg heritage.

For 39 years LAC has held a Luxembourg Festival.  I have tried to go for several years but was unable to.  This year I was asked to be one of the Presenters for Luxembourg Fest.  I was asked to do a presentation (see post Upcoming Presentation at Luxembourg Fest 2025) on basic genealogy, particularly in the United States, regarding researching our Luxembourg ancestors.  I gladly accepted because I was honored to be a presenter and I would also have an excellent reason to experience Luxembourg Fest and immerse myself in the food and some customs of Luxembourg. Best of all, I could meet others with the same heritage.  Who knows, perhaps even meet a distant cousin.

On Thursday, August 7^th I was able to attend the Annual Meeting of the Society for the first time. 

I presented at the Cultural Forum on Friday morning, August 8^th at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  

photo courtesy of LAC (click on images to enlarge)

Jean Ensch, a native of Luxembourg, presented after me and spoke about the types of records available in Luxembourg.  

Jean Ensch and I -photo courtesy of LAC

Friday night there was a fabulous fundraising dinner Luxembourg Under the Stars to support LAC at the Buechler Farm complete with Luxembourg wine, beer, hard cider, Hors D'oeuvre, dinner and dessert.  

On Saturday there was the Luxembourg Fest Main Street Parade in Belgium, Wisconsin.  

What a fun time followed by food and drinks that the local American Legion was selling.  

A great chance to meet with other descendants of Luxembourg ancestors, talk about our ancestors and show our support for that heritage!  

Later I attended the showing of a 40 minute documentary talking about Luxembourg heritage in the US and the 38th Luxembourg Fest entitled "Luxembourg in America" by director Geoff Thompson.  There was also time to do some research at the Center.

Sunday there was a Roman Catholic Mass at the festival grounds in Belgium, the installation of the 

2025 Duke and Duchess

and more chances to eat some food typical of Luxembourg.  Yes, I finally tried the Treipen. 

There was also a Sheepshead Tournament.  

Sheepshead is a card game competition which is an American version of the German game Schafkop.   I asked my mother if she ever remembered my grandfather playing this game?  She remembered him teaching her a card game when she was young but didn’t really remember the name or how to play it.  Could this be some part of the heritage that endured?  I’ll need to see if my uncles remember this at all.

"The Luxembourg American Cultural Society’s mission is to preserve the roots of our heritage and nurture the leaves of ongoing relationships between Luxembourg and America."  What an amazing job LACS is doing in preserving this heritage!

Join and support your heritage societies.  You never know what you may learn about your ancestors and just experiencing the heritage can be so much fun.  Now to go on an actual tour in Luxembourg and hopefully, visit some of my ancestral villages.

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

The Children of Willhelmus/Wilhelm and Maria Petesch Bentz

 

When looking for the birth record of my 2^nd great grandfather John Bentz in Luxembourg I also found records for his parents (Willhelmus Bintz and Maria Petesch) and siblings.  What did his family unit look like in Luxembourg and what new information can I find?

After searching and getting the records I found translated (see post The Birth of Jacob Hamman for translations in Luxembourg) I can now put together a fairly good idea of John’s parents and siblings, their family unit:

Parents:  Wilhelmus Bintz and Paria Petesch

Children:

1814 Peter Birth

No birth record found.  Birth year based on age at time of death.

     1816 Peter Death

1816/7 Maria Birth

Birth based on year of birth (1817) stated in 1871 census.  At her marriage in 1852 she was 36 years of age putting her birth year about 1816.  According to her death record Maria was 80 (information given by son-in-law) at time of death in 1906 which would have made her birth year 1826, the same year sister Ana was born?  My guess is 1817 for her birth.

     1906 Maria Death

1819 Catherine Birth

1820 Pierre Birth

      1821 Pierre Death

1822 Michel Birth

     1825 Michel Death

1824 Catherine Birth

1826 Anna Birth

1828 Johan Birth- my 2^nd great grandfather (see blog post The Birth of Johan Bintz)

Thoughts:

• I believe this is a fairly accurate record of the family unit based on the information I was able to locate  
• Eight children were born to Wilhelm and Maria
• Four of eight children died at a young age
• All were born in Weiler-la-Tour, Bettemboug, Luxembourg
• Only one son lived to adulthood
• My ancestor Johan was the only son to grow to adulthood and was the last child born
• Wilhelm’s occupation was listed as a day laborer from 1816 until 1826 when his occupation became that on a linen weaver
• Wilhelm's age listed on each record is not consistent with what I would expect them to be based on his birth year of 1782.  The records may have been difficult to read, there could have been a transcription error or Wilhelm might have given the incorrect age at the time of the record.
• I wonder if there were other children I was unable to find records for?

 

Now that I have a good idea of John’s family, I wonder if any of his sisters also came to America?  If they stayed behind in Luxembourg, will I be able to trace them to descendants still living there?  I hope to take a research trip to Luxembourg and would love to meet descendants of Wilhelm and Maria.

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

The Birth of John Bentz

       

Recently, I was able to find and have translated the civil birth record, in German, for my maternal 2^nd great grandfather John Bentz.

Index found on FamilySearch:

Original register:

Translation:

In the year 1828 of 14^th February, at 10 a.m., before us Peter Alesch, registrar of the civil status records of Weiler-la-Tour, canton of Bettembourg in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has appeared Willhelmus (William) Bintz, aged 42 years, linen weaver, residing in this municipality, who presented us a child of male sex, born of him and of his wife Maria Petesch, on this day at one a.m., and whom he declared to give the first name of Johan.

Which declaration and presentation were done in the presence of Nicolas Hengen, schoolteacher, aged 28 years, and of Nicolas Kries, aged 37 years, field warden, who are residing in this municipality. And have the father and the witnesses signed the present birth record, with us after having been given lecture thereof.

[signatures]

At times I have come across information in someone else's tree or on a data base.  I use this information as a 'lead' but still want to prove what I see elsewhere.  With the information in John's birth record I can now verify information previously seen and possibly learn something new:  

• a confirmation now on the birth dates (7 years off from what I previously believed) and time of Johan Bintz’s birth.  Interesting that only 9 hours after Johan's birth his father registered the birth.
• a confirmation on Johan’s parents (my 3^rd great grandparents) - Willhelmus [William] Bintz and Maria Petesch
• a confirmation that Johan’s parents lived in Weiler-la-Tour, Bettembourg, Luxembourg
• new information that Willhelmus was a linen weaver
• name change from ‘Bintz’ in Luxembourg to ‘Bentz’ in the United States

The translator I used in Luxembourg also informed me that “In some records Weiler-la-Tour is mentioned to be part of the canton of Bettembourg, in other records of the canton of Luxembourg. This goes back to the partition of Luxembourg in 1839 (London Treaty at the end of the Belgian Revolution). The partition went right through some of the cantons, with some municipalities becoming Belgian and others remaining Luxembourgish. There was an urgent need for administrative redistricting, which was done by the royal-granducal decree of October 12, 1842. Esch-sur-Alzette then became the seat of the canton of Esch, which was formed with some eastern parts of the cantons of Messancy (the remaining parts formed the canton of Messancy in Belgium) and  some parts of the canton of Bettembourg. Some other parts of the canton of Bettembourg  (including Weiler-la-Tour) were reattached to the canton of Luxembourg. The canton of Bettembourg ceased to exist as of 1841."

Important information to be aware of as I do further research.

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

See also post The Wedding of Johan Bintz and Margaretha Rovin.  

For information on translation of German records in Luxembourg see post The Birth of Jacob Hamman.

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 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

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

The Twists and Turns of Finding Baptismal Records for 1878

St. Matthias, Cascade, Iowa

When we are researching our ancestors back in the 1800s we will not find a birth record. At that point one of the ways to verify their birth is to find a baptismal record. I have been on the search for such a record for my maternal great grandmother Susan Bentz Hamman. The family came from Luxembourg to the Dubuque area in the eastern part of Iowa before moving to Remsen, Iowa in the western part of the state.

So, what do I know and where do I start looking for the baptismal record?

When I learned about Susan’s life (see post The Life of Susan Bentz Hamman) and look at census records I know that she was born about 1877 or 1878 in the Dubuque area of Eastern Iowa.

According to US Federal census records I know:

• On 22 June 1870 the family (father John Sr, mother Mary and children John Jr., Clara, Catherine, Nicholas, Nicholas, yes, 2 sons named Nicholas with different ages, and Jacob) living in Cascade Township, Dubuque, Iowa.
• Susan was supposedly born on 18-20 August 1878 (see post Sunday Obituary for Susan Bentz Hamman) in Worthington, Iowa.

                        Happy 142nd Birthday Great-Grandmother Suza

• On 14 June 1880 I find the family (father John, mother Mary, son Jacob 10 years old and daughter Suza 3 years old) living in Dodge Township, Worthington.
• I knew the family was Roman Catholic from Luxembourg and spoke German. What churches were in the area in 1878? St. Paul’s is the Roman Catholic church in Worthington, Iowa. In 1994 I called the church and received a written reply stating “I cannot find any information in our baptismal register in any part of the year 1878 for Susan Bentz (or Benz). If she was truly born on August 28, 1878 perhaps she was not baptized at St. Paul’s.” UGH!

Cascade and Worthington are only about 5-6 miles apart today but back in 1878 that was a long distance to travel by horse and cart.

• I left a message again at St. Paul’s. Nothing yet.
• I searched Roman Catholic church records at the Basilica of St. Francis in Dyersville (about 10 miles from Worthington). They have many ledgers for churches is the area, some of which no longer exist. No luck.
• I was able to get the name of an Archivist at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque. I was told they may have records from way back for churches in the area.  Thank-you to 
• Dan told me there was a German Church (St. Mary’s that was established in 1857) and an Irish Church (St. Martin’s). These two churches merged in 1991 and are now referred to as St. Matthias. He thought it that might be worth checking with St. Matthias. He gave me a contact and I called. Thank-you Dan!  Shellie was skeptical that they still had any records from that far back but I was welcome to come and look with her. She said people get their hopes up that they have the records and she hates disappointing them when they can’t find anything.

Shellie searched and searched the records for St. Mary’s. Susan’s parents were John and Mary Bentz. We tried a variety of spellings and years before and after 1878 and …nothing. Disappointing! She said they were trying to set up a data base for the records and thought she should double check that as well. Nothing for Susan but she did find a record for:

John Bentz (no middle name or initial listed), baptized at St. Mary’s on 22 August 1869. Birth 29 July 1869. 

Parents- John and Margaretha (Robin) Bentz. Priest- Michael Lynch. Sponsors- John Tnies and Maria Sadey.

WAIT…Susan’s mother’s name was at times listed as Margaretha and her maiden name was Robin…WAIT! When I reviewed my records I knew Susan had a brother named Jacob that was born in 1869. This must be the baptismal record for her brother Jacob. Perhaps he was baptized ‘John’ Jacob and only the John was listed in the records but the dates and parents’ names match. YES!

Well, it wasn’t Susan’s baptismal record but still this is valuable information! This confirms that they attended church in Cascade where they were reported to be in the 1870 census. Now I know they were there earlier in 1869 before moving to Dodge Township, Worthington in 1880. This also confirms the spelling of Mary’s maiden name which I have seen spelled a variety of ways.

Continue to search when you can’t find something at first. Don’t give up! A VERY special thank-you to Shellie for her patience and perseverance in wanting to help!! I would never have thought to look at an ‘Irish’ church for the records. Perhaps it was closer to where they lived?

• I know that the family showed up in Remsen about 1880. Perhaps in 1878 the family was already heading west when Susan was born? Now I will need to search other churches in the area to see where she might have been born. While it wasn’t Susan’s record it is still valuable information. I wondered if the Hamman and Bentz families knew each other before Remsen. After seeing the distance between Dyersville and Worthington I believe it was highly unlikely they knew each other before Remsen. I flew in and out of Luxembourg in the early 1990s just after finding out that one of my ancestors had come from Luxembourg. I remember how green it was and all the rolling hills. As I looked at the landscape in the area I saw rolling hills and lots of green here in Iowa as well. Did this land remind them of home?

Perhaps a descendant of Jacob Bentz has been looking for his baptismal record and hasn’t been able to find it because his name is listed as ‘John’ on the record and he was baptized in an ‘Irish’ Roman Catholic Church instead of the German one?