The Children of Jacob Hamman and Barbara Clement

 

As I begin to piece together the lives of my ancestors I am continually searching for additional records. Records of their lives and that of their children can help me better  understand the family.  Locating all the records possible of the children of Jacob and Barbara (maternal 3^rd great grandparents) helps me see their family structure.  This may also help me piece together some of the family dynamics and what may have led to my maternal 2^nd great grandfather Jacob (see posts The Birth of Jacob Hamman, My First Naturalization Papers-Jacob Hamman, Searching for the Will and the Land of Jacob Hamman, Tombstone Tuesday-Jacob Hamman, etc,) deciding to emigrate to the United States.

These records, from Luxembourg, found in German and now translated, help tell the story of my 3^rd great grandparents, Jakob Hamman and Barbara Clement, and their children. 

Children:

1825 Frederic Birth

(click on images to enlarge)

1828 Elisabeth Birth

1830 Peter Birth

 1831 Joseph Birth

     1832 Peter Death

1834 Mary Birth

1836 Catherine Birth

     1837 Mary Death

1838 John Birth

1840 Jacob Birth (my 2nd great grandfather)  

1844 Nicholas Birth

     1850 Nicholas Death

     1867 Joseph Death

     1868 Mother-Barbara Clement Hamman Death

     1876 Elisabeth Death   

The records were all created in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, then under evolving administrative structures following its independence in 1815.

 

Family Insights:

• Nine children were born to Jacob and Barbara (6 boys & 3 girls) between 1825 and 1844.  Three died in early childhood (Peter, Mary, Nicholas).
• Elisabeth (48) and Joseph (34) lived to adulthood but appear to have remained unmarried.
• Jacob (born 1840), my paternal 2^nd great grandfather, was the 8^th child.  When he was 10, after the death of the longest child Nicholas, he became the youngest again.  Jacob emigrated to the United States, continuing the family line. I am always interested in seeing names repeated over generations.  My 2nd great grandfather Jacob would have children named Jacob, Nicholas, John, Joseph and Peter.  I wonder if they were named after his siblings?
• Jakob Hamman, my maternal 3^rd great grandfather, may have emigrated as well, as suggested by Elisabeth’s death record noting her father’s emigration to America.  

The family lived primarily in Pfaffenthal and later Hesperange in Luxembourg.  (distance of about 35 miles apart). The father’s consistent occupation and locations suggest stable residence and modest working-class status.

Questions to research:

• How many of the four remaining children emigrated to America?
• I will need to check census records to see if Elisabeth and Joseph lived with their parents in adulthood?
• Did my 3^rd great grandfather Jacob actually emigrate to America also?  What can I learn about his life in America?   I have been unable to find any death record for him in Luxembourg.  Where did he live and die?

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

The Marriage of Jacob Hamman and Barbara Clement

After years of searching for records in Luxembourg I have found many of the family records I thought I’d never find and so many more. A mystery until 2024 when I learned Jacob Hamman and Barbara Clement were the parents listed on the birth record of my maternal 2^nd great grandfather, also named Jacob Hamman (b 1840). Next the search to find a marriage record.

The marriage record of my 3^rd great grandparents was finally located and translated from German:

                                                (click on image to enlarge)

Translation from German:

In the year 1824 on 8 September at six in the evening, before us Mayor, registrar of the civil status records of the municipality of Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, have appeared Jacob Hamann, day laborer, aged 22 years, born in Luxembourg on 16 pluviôse year 10 of the Republic (=5 February 1802), as noted in record delivered by us, residing in Luxembourg, major son of the late Sabastian Hamann, retired military, residing in this municipality where he died on 24 February 1814, as noted in record delivered by us, and of Barbara Raipmann, widow of the above-mentioned Sebastian Hamann, without profession, residing in this municipality, here present and consenting. Finally, the future husband states by certificate that he has complied with the militia law,

And Barbara Clement, without profession, aged 23 years, born in Bissen, in the month of May 1801, as evidenced by record of notoriety set up in front of the justice of peace of Luxembourg 10 Aug 1804, residing in Luxembourg, major daughter of Francis Clement, day laborer, and of Elizabeth May, married couple, both residing in this city, here present and consenting.

Who requested us to proceed to the celebration of the marriage agreed amongst them and the publications of which have been done, namely in Luxembourg on the Sundays 29^th of last August and 5^th present September, at the hour of noon.

Having not been notified of any opposition to said marriage, we do justice to their request, after having given lecture of all the above mentioned documents and of Chapter 6 of the Civil Code, bearing the title “Of Marriage”, we have asked the future spouses, whether they take each other as husband and wife, each one of them having answered separately and affirmatively, we declare in the name of the law that Jacob Hamann and Barbara Clement are united by marriage.

Of all this we have set up record in the presence of the witnesses enumerated below, namely:

Of Francis Reuter, aged 50 years, weaver, residing in Luxembourg

Of Martin Zangerlé, aged 38 years, low wage worker[1], residing in Luxembourg

Of Dominic Jusion(?), aged 67 years, messenger/delivery man, residing in Luxembourg

And of Frederic Wirtgen, aged 28 years, nail smith, residing in Luxembourg.

Who after also having been given lecture, have signed with us and the contracting parties, with the exception of the bride, her father and mother, and the mother of the groom, who have declared to be ignorant of writing.

Done at the Hotel de Régence [designation of City Hall at that time] on the day, month and year as above.

Translators note: As per article 70 of the Cicil Code, the bridal couple has to submit a birth record in order to get married. In some cases, those births were not documented, which happened frequently at the time of the introduction of the law on the civil records. For this eventuality article 70 provided that in order to replace such missing record an “acte de notoriété” had to be set up by the justice of peace. In accordance to article 71 of said Code a declaration of seven persons testified about the identity of the individual concerned and that is/was of public notoriety that such individual was born on the date of xxx in the locality yyy and was the child of the parents fff and mmm. That declaration was then signed by the deponents and the justice of peace]

Wow, I now have not only the marriage record of my 3^rd great grandparents but I also know the names of four of my 4^th great grandparents. This record tells me where they were all living and the occupations of all the men.  How fascinating to see the careers of my ancestors in 1824.  I also now know that I will probably not be able to find an actual record of Barbara’s birth.  Luxembourg has such wonderful records and how great that I was able to locate these on FamilySearch.

Now to learn more about the family of Jacob and Barbara.

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

Enjoy the journey,

Debby

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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

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 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.

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

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