This Is The Face of Genealogy

For the inspiration for this post, read “The Face of Genealogy” by Thomas MacEntee.

The above photo is my great-grandmother Emma Pauline Vogelsang Schlegel of Kolmar-im-Posen, Prussia, with her 2 youngest children, mailed to my grandfather who'd earlier immigrated to Manhattan. 

And two years ago when my genealogy researching turned up a living USA descendent of another sibling who'd immigrated to Manhattan a few years apart, this descendent had the same photo!

The above photo is my great-grandfather John Decker, who passed away when my father was 8 years old, so Dad was able to tell us a few things about him, such as he was very proud of his job on a street-car, and indeed, all the photos we have of him are in uniform. 

My father knew nothing about John's parents; I was able to discover through genealogy research, that they immigrated from Bavaria to Manhattan sometime before 1843, where US Census shows 3 sons born, youngest being my great-grandfather.

10 - Decker / Meyer or Baker ? - 2GP3

2012 Feb: While in Salt Lake City at RootsTech, at the Family History Library I located the death records for Margaret Decker & her 3 sons (who died in 1893, 1896, 1910, 1930), which provided the following info:
- no parents for Margaret or George; mother of Henry = Martha Meyer, of John = Margaret Baker
- reconfirms Margaret & her parents all born in Germany
- Margaret arrived at age 25 (difference between listed age of 80 & years USA & NY 55)
Listed age of 80 consistent with birth year of 1814 from censuses of 1850, 1870, 1880.
Using 1814 as birth year, then Margaret's arrival at age 25 would be approx. 1839, preceding birth of sons in New York beginning in 1843.

Death record for George lists as widowed, hence no mention of his wife as a Greenwood heir.

2011 ??: From Greenwood cemetery records, which provided the following new info:
- Children Emma & John listed as Greenwood heirs, at death of George; no mention of wife
George age 22, single, living with mother & brothers in 1870 census; not found in 1880 census, & died before 1900 census ... so could have married any time after 1870, and children could have been as old as 25 at his death.

11 - Koester / Bicker ? - 2GP4

2012 Feb: While in Salt Lake City at RootsTech, at the Family History Library I located the 1911 death record for Mary Koester, which provided the following new info:
- father listed as Herman Bicker; mother not included; reconfirms all born in Germany
- Mary arrived at age 17 (difference between listed age of 83 & years USA & NY 66)
Listed age of 83 would mean Mary born in 1827 which only fits with 1910 census, but not earlier censuses of 1880 & 1900 which both indicate that Mary was born in 1841, and husband in 1830.
Using 1841 as birth year, then Mary's arrival at age 17 would be approx. 1858, just preceding birth of daughter Louisa in New York in approx. 1858 also.

7 - Schwartz / Reich – GGP4

	Details	Supporting Documents
Birth    – Abram    – Beile	<1865 abt – Austria ?    <1865 – Austria ?	Calculated from Sarah’s birth
Marriage – 1st	<1885 – Austria	Calculated from Sarah’s birth
Children    – Sarah	1885 abt – Austria	Census
Marriage – 2nd	<1900 – Austria	Before Sarah emigrated
Children ??
Work
Death    – Abram    – Beile	<1900 – Austria ?  >1900 – Austria ?	Before Sarah emigrated After Sarah emigrated

2012 Feb: While in Salt Lake City at RootsTech, at the Family History Library I located the 1940 death record for Sarah Storck, which provided the following new info:
- father listed as Martin Schwartz vs. Abraham M Schwartz on 1905 NY marriage certificate
- mother listed as Bella Schwartz Kukel, so Kukel perhaps from 2nd marriage?
- Sarah arrived at age 17 (difference between listed age of 57 & years USA & NY 40)
Consistent with 1884 birth & 1900 arrival dates in censuses of 1910, 1920, 1930.

6 - Storch / Solomon – GGP3

	Details	Supporting Documents
Birth    – Samuel    – Sime	1842 abt– Austria     1848 – Austria	Ship record
Marriage	<1879 – Austria	From 1st child’s birth
Children    – Ruben – Chaim / Herman    – Enoch    – Zipora / Lipora	1879 abt – Austria   1881 Oct 17 – Austria   1885 abt – Austria 1890 abt – Austria	Ship record
Arrival    – Sime & children	1891 Nov 23 – NY, NY	Ship record
Work
Death    – Sime	>1891 – Manhattan, NY ?

5 - Decker / Koester – GGP2

	Details	Supporting Documents
Birth    – John    – Louisa	1850 May– Manhattan, NY     1858 – Manhattan, NY	Census
Marriage	1877 Oct 18 – Manhattan, NY	Census, family papers
Children    – Margaret M – Louisa    – Mary A    – Daniel – John Jr	1879 Jul 27 – Manhattan, NY   1882 Jan 22 – Manhattan, NY   1883 Oct 17 – Manhattan, NY   1886 Jul 5 – Manhattan, NY   1889 Apr 12 – Manhattan, NY	Census, Manhattan birth records
Work	Street car driver	Photos
Death    – Louisa    – John	1891 Jul 19 – Manhattan, NY   1930 Aug 30 – Manhattan, NY	Cemetery records, Greenwood

4 - Schlegel / Vogelsang – GGP1

	Details	Supporting Documents
Births    – Georg Burchard    – Emma Pauline	1842 Apr – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia 1851 Apr – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia	Church records
Marriage – 1st	1870 Dec 8 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia	Church records
Children    – Anna Louise    – William Paul    – Emil Heinrich    – Emma Louise	1871 Nov 9 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia 1874 Sep 7 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia 1876 Aug 1 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia    (twins)	Church records
Marriage – 2nd    to Ewald Schulz	<1888 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia	Church records
Children    – Otto Julius    – Emma Matilde	1888 Oct 21 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia 1890 Jan 28 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia	Civil records
Work    – Georg Burchard    – Ewald    – Emma Pauline	Butcher Government Butcher shop	Church records Civil records Postcards
Death    – Georg Burchard    – Ewald    – Emma Pauline	<1887 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia >1890 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia 1941 ? – Emma	Church records ?? ??

3 - Storck / Schwartz - GP2

	Details	Supporting Documents
Birth    – Herman    – Sarah	1881 Oct 17 – Austria 1885 abt – Austria	WW1 draft, naturalization, ship Census
Arrival USA    – Herman    – Sarah	1891 Nov 23 – NY, NY 1900 abt – NY, NY	WW1 draft, naturalization, ship Census
Naturalization	1903 Jan 26	WW1 draft, naturalization
Marriage	1905 Jan 1 - Manhattan, NY	Manhattan marriage license
Children    – Charles    – Gertrude    – Esther    – Martha    – Selma/Sallie	1908 Apr 9 - Manhattan, NY 1910 Jan 31 - Manhattan, NY 1912 abt - Manhattan, NY 1914 Oct 8 - Manhattan, NY 1923 Feb 3 - Manhattan, NY	Census, Manhattan birth records
Work	Store, newspapers & candy	Census
Death    – Sarah    – Herman	1940 Feb 15 – Manhattan, NY 1949 Jan 1 – Manhattan, NY	Cemetery records, Mt Hebron Cemetery records, Beth David

2012 Feb: Using Steve Morse One-Step, located ship arrival record on Ellis Island & Ancestry for Sara Schwarz, Austrian, age 17, arriving New York on 1900 Jul 2 on ship Potsdam, from Rotterdam, Holland, which provided the following new info:
- last place of residence: Wolhein
- going to: cousin L. Reich, address 292 E 2nd St., NY (Louis Rick in 1900 census)

2012 Feb: While in Salt Lake City at RootsTech, at the Family History Library I located the 1940 NY death record for Sarah Storck, which provided the following new info:
- father listed as Martin Schwartz vs. Abraham M Schwartz on 1905 NY marriage certificate
- mother listed as Bella Schwartz Kukel, so Kukel perhaps from 2nd marriage?
- Sarah arrived at age 17 (difference between listed age of 57 & years USA & NY 40)
Consistent with 1884 birth & 1900 arrival dates in censuses of 1910, 1920, 1930.

???: Using Ancestry, located ship records for Sime Storch, Austrian, arriving New York on 1891 Nov ? on ship ?, from Hamburg, which provided the following new info:
- Sime age ?, with children: Reuben age ?, Enoch age ?, Chaim age ?, Zipporah age 1
- last place of residence = Gorlice
Consistent with 1891 Nov arrival date in ? for Herman / Chaim

???: On FamilySearch, found 1905 Manhattan marriage record for Herman & Sarah, which provided the following new info:
- Herman listed as "Hyman Storch" with parents Sam Storch & Sime Solomon
- Sarah listed with parents Abraham M. Schwartz & "Bella Rich" = Beile Reich

2 - Schlegel / Decker - GP1

	Details	Supporting Documents
Birth    – William    – Mary	1874 Sep 7 – Kolmar, Posen, Prussia 1883 Oct 17 – Manhattan, NY	Church records, emigration visa Manhattan birth certificate
Arrival USA    – William	1891 May 23 – NY, NY	WW1 draft, naturalization, ship
Marriage	1902 Oct 22 – Manhattan, NY	Manhattan marriage license
Children    – William    – William – Louise – John	1905 Nov 28 – Manhattan, NY 1907 Aug 15 – Manhattan, NY 1909 – Manhattan, NY 1925 Jan 25 – Manhattan, NY	Census, Manhattan birth records
Work	Butcher
Death    – William    – Mary	1929 Jan 23 – Manhattan, NY 1953 Aug 13 – Manhattan, NY	Cemetery records, Greenwood

2012 Feb: While in Salt Lake City at RootsTech, at the Family History Library I located the 1929 NY death record for William Schlegel, which provided the following new info:
-
-
-

???: Using Ancestry, located ship records for Wilhelm Schlegel, German, arriving New York on 1891 May ? on ship ?, from Hamburg, which provided the following new info:
-
-
Consistent with 1891 May arrival date in ? for William.
Confirmed last place of residence = Kolmar.

???: On FamilySearch, found 1902 Manhattan marriage record for William & Mary, which provided the following new info:
- William listed with parents Burkhard Schlegel & Emma Vogelsang
- Mary listed with parents John Decker & Louisa Koester