As I did with our daughter when she was born, I like to see which other ancestors or related individuals our newly born son, Xander, shares his birthday with on December 8th.
According to the “Dates and Anniversaries” page on my family tree site, these things happened on December 8th.
Born
Johanna THOMPSON – 1852 – She is his paternal 5th great aunt, the daughter of William & Francis (QUINET) THOMPSON.
Leocadia SZULTA – 1886 – His paternal 4th great aunt, daughter of Ignatz & Nepomuncena (SYLDAKT) SZULTA.
Charles M LAST – 1894 – His paternal 3rd great uncle, son of Carl & Augusta (LUEDTKE) LAST.
Died
Elisabeth FLECK – 1769 – His maternal 7th great aunt, daughter of Johann & Elisabetha (UHL) FLECK.
Mehitable NEWBURY – 1787 – His maternal 8th great grandmother, married to James ROGERS, III.
I’d like to thank all of our ancestral military veterans in our family trees. Thanks for fighting for this country in any way you could, be it fighting in combat, fixing machinery, or defending our borders. Thanks for helping fight to allow me things like freedom of speech and the right to vote. Here is a (hopefully full) list of all of our veteran ancestors.
Carey TONEY – My wife’s 5th-great-grandfather – Stories say that he served with the Virginia Militia in Rev. War in 1781 and was an eyewitness to the surrender of Cornwallis
William J DAKINS – My wife’s 3rd-great-grandfather – His obituary states that he served in the Civil War with the 17th Wisconsin Infantry and was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea.
Johann LAST – My 3rd-great-grandfather – My research tells me that he served in the Civil War with the 50th Wisconsin Infantry. It seems he was stationed in what was the Dakota Territory at the time to protect the western front.
Jesse TONEY – My wife’s 3rd-great-grandfather and Carey’s grandson – Served in the Civil War as Corporal in Company G 33rd Wisconsin Infantry.
Joseph ZALEWSKI – My great-grandfather – Served in World War I with the 86th Division, Company B, 331st Machine Gun Battalion. That division was split apart into other divisions. I wrote a post about my findings. I have not found information on where he went after the split, but stories say he fought in combat in France near the end of the war.
Richard ZALEWSKI – My grandfather and Joseph’s son – Served in World War II, though didn’t see any combat. He was stationed with the US Navy in Hilo, Hawaii as an Aviation Machinist’s Mate.
Keith MORAN – My wife’s grandfather – Served in World War II. No documented information on his experience, but my father-in-law says he was involved in some combat in the colder areas of Europe, probably around the Belgium area.
LeRoy THIELKE – My grandfather – Served in World War II – I have recently posted a large amount of information from his experience in WWII. Though, he’s not the one who likes to talk about it. Hopefully, I can find more information to honor his service.
I may have possibly missed a few individuals. I think there were more Civil War veterans, but it’s tough to search my information for that. In any case, today is the day to honor them, though we should always honor their sacrifices for our freedom.
That seems to be how it always works, doesn’t it? You finally solve a family research mystery and it just creates more mysteries. But, what fun would it be if we ran out of mysteries to solve?
The story of how I solved one mystery late last night is somewhat interesting. I spent a few hours over the last month trying to track down the birth record of my 3rd-great-grandfather, Johann LAST. I happened to run across his marriage record in 1849 in, what was then called, Plathe in Pommern, Germany (today it’s P?oty in western Poland.) The record indicated that he was from Minten, which was near Naugard (now Nowogard) which is a bit south of the area. I spent hours looking through the available church records on FamilySearch’s website in the Naugard area for any trace. I did find a few LAST entries, but nothing for my family.
Last night, on a whim, I just decided to start looking through records just to the north of the Plathe area, since I didn’t get to those on my last search. I wasn’t expecting much since it’s not that close to Naugard or Minten. I started with the parish of Batzwitz (now called Baszewice) which also included a few other smaller parishes in the area. I jumped in a few pages to skip over the cover page, etc, and the first page I came to had a baptism entry for LAST. Though it wasn’t anything familiar, I did take it as a good sign. In all of my searching, I found that the surname isn’t very common. I was only in 1823 and Johann was listed to be born in 1825. I kept working through the pages, seeing more LAST entries. Then, on the first page of the 1825 baptism records for the parish of Barkow, I spotted what looked like “Johann Wilhelm Gottlieb,” his full name from his marriage record.
This is where one mystery was (more than likely) solved and another one (or more) created. It seems that Johann is listed as uneheliche sohn which basically translates to “illegitimate son.” It does list his mother as Dorothea Sophia LAST, but no father. I know that some church records sometimes have a “legitimacy” section that has listings for when they legitimize the children, so I’m hoping it’s there.
Now, that’s not the only mystery. I spent some time looking through more pages to see if I could see Dorothea in more places and possibly connect her to parents or even a husband at some point. I read one LAST entry that listed the father as Justmann Wilhelm Last and then a sponsor listed as Karl Gottlieb Last Justmann. After some basic searching, I can only figure that Justmann means a “well-to-do man.” Adding even more intrigue, Dorothea is listed as a sponsor in another baptism as schulzen tochter which translates to “mayor’s daughter.” In the next entry is a father listed as schulzen sohn Gottlieb Last which means “mayor’s son, Gottlieb Last.” My guess is Dorothea and Gottlieb are siblings, but I want to dig deeper to find out more since it was late last night when I found this.
Go into your brain and pick out a surname that would be awesome to try to research. Something that would return 8 million results every time you searched for it. If you guessed the surname LAST, you win.
Searching for anything on that surname was never fun. I would get every version of “last name” or other common phrases. In order to try to help myself get my information organized on my furthest LAST ancestor, Johann LAST, I decided to set up an Everything I Know site for him. Just like the other sites I set up, when I start going over all of the information I have, sometimes I find new avenues of research. I started with the first record I have of Johann and his family, the passenger arrival manifest from when they arrived in New York in 1857.
I looked it over to see if I missed any important info. I didn’t see anything new. Then, I just checked which port they left from in Europe and I noticed it was Hamburg, Germany. I remembered that Ancestry had the passenger emigration lists from Hamburg on their site. I think I browsed through them before, but didn’t find anything. I looked closer this time using their Hamburg Passenger Index database and found their entry. It was under “J W G Last” just like their arrival record. It’s basically the same info, except one very useful piece of info, his place of origin. The record says what looks like “Nagard” so after some searching and tweaking, it is probably talking about “Naugard” which today is called Nowogard in northwestern Poland. This is exactly where I tracked Doeringshagen, the listed birthplace of Johann’s son Charles, to be located today. That’s good news.
This only the second photo I have of my great-great-grandmother, Augusta (LUEDTKE) LAST. She lived to be 100-years-old, passing away after 1 century and 2 weeks. She looks tough, and she should, she also had at least 16 children.
Important dates in our family history for this week. As always, you can find this info on the Dates & Anniversaries page.
Frank J Zalewski, Sr - Unknown Year
August 8th
1941 – Died – Frank J ZALEWSKI, Sr – Frank is my great-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born somewhere in Germany or Poland on 4 Sep 1858. He married Anna LINDNER in January 1885. They had 3 children in Europe before emigrating to America via Baltimore and then settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in about 1892. They had 6 more children here. He passed away in Milwaukee and is buried with his family at Holy Cross Cemetery. Frank is the subject of my “Everything I Know About Frank Zalewski” website.
August 9th
1671 – Married – Nicolaes van CRAYBECK & Helena WAGEMANS – Nicolaes and Helena are my 9th-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were both born in Belgium in the mid-1600s. They were married at Kuringen, Belgium. Nicolaes passed away in 1671 and Helena in 1678, both in Kuringen.
1748 – Born – Sarah ROGERS – Sarah is my wife’s 6th-great-grandmother on her mother’s side. She was born in New London, New London Co., Connecticut. In 1776, she married William MOORE II and together they had 4 children. It is unknown when Sarah passed away.
August 10th
1782 – Married – Carey TONEY & Elizabeth DOREN – Carey & Elizabeth are my wife’s 5th-great-grandparents on her father’s side. They were married at Bedford Co., Virginia. Together, they had 10 children including her ancestor, William TONEY. They both lived to be over 100 years of age when they passed away in Preble Co., Ohio.
August 11th
1990 – Died – Norma (POWELL) MORAN – Norma is my wife’s great-grandmother on her father’s side. She was born 24 Dec 1892 in Crawford Co., Wisconsin. She married Frederick H MORAN in about 1915. Together, they had two children, Vivian and Keith. Norma passed away in Madison, Dane Co., Wisconsin and is buried at Boscobel Cemetery in Boscobel, Grant Co., Wisconsin.
August 14th
1872 – Died – Johann W G LAST – Johann is my 3rd-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born in Prussia in about 1820. He married Charlotte STRASSMAN in Prussia and they had three children before leaving for America. Their last child, Amelia, was born in Wisconsin. Johann fought in the Civil War for Co. K in the 50th Wisconsin Infantry. He survived the war, but passed away a bit later in 1872 in Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin. He is buried with a Civil War headstone at Union Cemetery in Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin.
The important dates for this week in our family history. As always, you can find this info on the Dates & Anniversaries page.
Thomas & Emma Corrigan Family
July 25th
1915 – Died – Thomas J CORRIGAN – Thomas is my great-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born on 3 Mar 1855 in Mara Township, Brechin, Ontario, Canada. He married Emma Jane FIRMENICH, his second marriage, in 1892 and together they had 9 children. Thomas passed away on the same day his youngest daughter, Sadie, was born. He is buried at St. Agnes Cemetery in Ashland, Ashland Co., Wisconsin.
1919 – Married – Arthur THIELKE & Madora LAST – Arthur and Madora are my great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married at Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin and together had 4 children. Arthur passed away in 1964. Madora later re-married and passed away in 1979. They are buried together at St. Paul’s Cemetery in Grafton, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin.
July 27th
1921 – Married – Leon DEBROUX & Mildred VAN PRICE – Leon and Mildred are my great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married at Mattoon, Shawano Co., Wisconsin and together had 6 children. They later moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin where they lived the rest of their lives. Leon passed away in 1982 and Mildren later in 1994. They are buried together at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Port Washington.
July 28th
1900 – Died – Georg Heinrich STIERNS – Georg is my 3rd-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born in 19 April 1935 in Württemberg, Germany. He married Katherine Margaretha SCHUMACHER in about 1862. After they had 4 children in Germany, they emigrated to Wisconsin in about 1881. The name was also listed as STEARNS.
July 29th
1684 – Died – Eleanor (ALDERSEY) CUTTS – Eleanor is my wife’s 10th-great-grandmother on her mother’s side. She was born about 1682 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire. In 1649, she married Richard CUTTS. She passed away in Portsmouth 9 years after her husband.
July 31st
1886 – Died – Jean-Baptiste LAURENT – Jean-Baptiste is my 3rd-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born on 18 Jan 1825 in Biez, Chaumont-Gistoux, Walloon Brabant, Belgium to Constant and Marie (BERO) LAURENT. He later emigrated to America and married Olivine ST. LOUIS in 1857 at Little Chute, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin. He is buried at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Norwood, Langlade Co., Wisconsin.
The history for this week in my family tree. As always, you can find this on the Dates & Anniversaries page.
Clara (Szulta) Troka and her daughters.
July 19th
1959 – Died – Clara (SZULTA) TROKA – Clara is my great-great-grandmother on my father’s side. She was born 6 Jan 1876 in SulÄ™czyno Parish, Kartuzy County, Pomorskie, Poland. She immigrated with her mother and siblings in 1881 and met up with her father in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He had come over earlier. She married Joseph TROKA in 1894 and had 4 children. She passed away in Milwaukee and is buried there with her husband at Holy Cross Cemetery.
July 20th
1817 – Born – Charlotte (STRASSMAN) LAST – Charlotte is my 3rd-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born somewhere in Germany and married her husband, Johann LAST, there before coming to Wisconsin in about 1857. Together, they had 4 children. She passed away on 20 Apr 1900 at Grafton, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin and is (supposedly) buried at Union Cemetery in Port Washington, Wisconsin. I recently found her husband’s headstone, but have yet to find her’s as I talked about in a post.
1848 – Died – Charles PIETTE – Charles is my wife’s 5th-great-grandfather on her mother’s side. He was born 4 Mar 1773 in Malèves, Wallon Brabant, Belgium. In 1797, he married Marie RENIER and together they had 6 children. He passed away at Thorembais-les-Beguines, Brabant Wallon, Belgium.
July 22nd
1845 – Died – Leonardus CRAYBECK – Leonardus is my 5th-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born on 25 Oct 1782 in Genk, Limburg, Belgium. He married Florentina Francisca KNUDDE in about 1812. They had 6 children including my ancestor, Jacobus KREBBEKX (not sure why the name changes.) He passed away at Hoofdplaat, Zeeland, Netherlands.
I seemed the have missed last week’s post, probably due to July 4th throwing everything off.
July 12th
1811 – Died – Philemon SUTHERLAND – Philemon is my wife’s 7th-great-grandfather on her father’s side. He was born about 1718 in Prince Edward Co., Virginia. He married Mildred ARCHER. He passed away in Franklin Co., Virginia.
1879 – Born – Minnie M MUHM – Minnie is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born in Norwood Township, Langlade Co., Wisconsin to Peter & Ida MUHM. She married Pieter Franciscus VAN PARIJS (Peter VAN PRICE) in 1895 and had 6 children. She passed away on 6 Jul 1959 in Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin and is buried there at Union Cemetery.
July 13th
1876 – Died – William CORRIGAN – William, known as Curly Bill, is my 3rd-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born in about 1823 on either the voyage to America or somewhere in New York State. He married Mary MCCANN in 1848 and had 12 children, including my ancestor Thomas J CORRIGAN. He passed away at Mara Township, Brechin, Ontario, Canada.
July 14th
1963 – Died – Augusta Johanna LUEDTKE – Augusta is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born 3 Jul 1863 in Storkow, Pommerania. She married Carl F H LAST in 1883 and had 16 children. She passed away 2 weeks after her 100th birthday in Grafton, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin and is buried in Port Washington at Union Cemetery.
July 16th
1810 – Born – Ephraim Gadious dit ST. LOUIS – Ephraim is my 4th-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born in Yamachiche, St. Maurice, Quebec, Canada. He married Marie DesAnges MANSEAU in 1831 and later settled in Wisconsin. He passed away on 27 Mar 1891 in Phlox, Langlade Co., Wisconsin.
I missed the Way Back Wednesday this week, oops. Anyway, here is the weekly history for this week. As always, you can find this on the Dates & Anniversaries page.
June 28th
2005 – Died – Edwin Bernard CORRIGAN – Edwin is my great-granduncle on my father’s side. He was the last surviving child of Thomas & Emma Jane CORRIGAN. I met him many times at a few of the family reunions. He was a very nice man and was very interested in genealogy, which was good for that side of the family. I transcribed a few of his letters in the past and put them on my site. He was born 4 Oct 1909 in Ashland, Ashland Co., Wisconsin. He married Esther Mae EIDE and has one child. He passed away in L’Anse, Baraga Co., Michigan at the age of 95.
1664 – Born – Ernest Ludwig FABER – Ernest is my wife’s 8th-great-grandfather on her father’s side. He was born at Neipperg, Baden, Germany. In 1691, he married Maria Catherina STOLTZENHABER and had 4 children. He passed away on 10 Mar 1739 at Neipperg, Baden, Germany.
1941 – Married – Keith R MORAN and Barbara COLLINS – Keith and Barbara are my wife’s grandparents. They were married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Together they had two boys. Keith passed away in 1985.
July 3rd
1863 – Born – Augusta Johanna LUEDTKE – Augusta is my 3rd-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born in Storkow, Pommerania which is now just east of Szczecin, Poland. She immigrated to the US at an early age and married Carl F H LAST in 1883. Together they had a whopping 16 children. Carl passed away in 1926 and Augusta lived to be 100, passing away 2 weeks after her 100th birthday on 14 Jul 1963.
The important dates in my family history for this week (a day late.) As always, you can find this info on the Dates & Anniversaries page.
June 2nd
Pauline FIRMENICH and her family - 1895
1789 – Married – Johannes VENNINGER & Elisabeth FLECK – Johannes and Elisabeth are my wife’s 5th-great-grandparents on her father’s side. They were both born in Baden, Germany. They had 8 children, including her ancestor Elisabetha VENNINGER. Johannes passed away in 1834 and Elisabeth in 1837.
June 3rd
1640 – Born – Major William VAUGHAN – William is my wife’s 9th-great-grandfather on her mother’s side. He was born in Glamorganshire, South Wales. In 1668, he married Margaret CUTTS. In the book “The Genealogical Registry of the Butters Family” it says William “came to New England from London about 1664. He was elected Constable in 1665, Lieutenant of Cavalry in 1672, Captain 1680, Major Commanding, 1681, one of the Council of New Hampshire 1682-1690, Treasurer of Province 1696-1698. He married Dec. 8, 1668, Margaret, daughter of Hon. Richard Cutt, son of Richard Cutt, Esq., of Grondale Abbey, Arkesden, Essex county, England.” He passed away in about 1690.
1910 – Died – Pauline (THOMPSON) FIRMENICH(right) – Paulina is my 3rd-great-grandmother on my father’s side. She was born 5 May 1849 in Granville, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin (now Brown Deer, Wisconsin.) She married Mathias FIRMENICH in 1867 in Brown County, Wisconsin and they had 13 children. Paulina outlived four of her children who died of Diphtheria in 1885. She passed away in Morrison, Brown Co., Wisconsin and is buried at St. Agnes Cemetery in Ashland, Ashland Co., Wisconsin.
June 4th
This is my father’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!
1891 – Married – Frank F BRAATZ, Sr & Margaret STEARNS – Frank and Margaret are my great-great-grandparents on my father’s side. They were married at Bear Creek, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin. Together they had 5 children, including my great-grandmother Agnes (BRAATZ) CORRIGAN. Margaret died in 1943 and Frank in 1948. They are buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Ashland, Wisconsin.
June 5th
1926 – Died – Carl F H LAST – Carl is my great-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born on 26 Sep 1851 in Doeringshagen, Pommerania (which is now located just northwest of Å»abowo, Goleniów County, Western Pomerania, Poland.) He married Augusta LUEDTKE in 1883 in Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin and together they had 16 children. Carl passed away in Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin and is buried there at Union Cemetery.
As I did with our daughter when she was born, I like to see which other ancestors or related individuals our newly born son, Xander, shares his birthday with on December 8th.
This only the second photo I have of my great-great-grandmother, 
