Sacramento

I spent a couple of days in Sacramento.  I was asked to speak at the Sacramento German Genealogical Society.  They wanted to have me talk about websites.  And I did.

When I arrived at the airport, it was hard to find my luggage!  Ha ha!

Shirley and Ingeborg discuss Steinheim/am Main.  Big coincidence, her sister lives there as does my mom's sister.  They live 1 1/2 miles apart in a little town and have all lived there for ages but don't know each other.

We went to eat at a place called Ettore's.  It had salads, bakery, seafood and sandwiches.  We all had the salad samplers with bread.  It was very nummy.  And then I returned home on a bumpy, bumpy flight.  But I wasn't nervous.  Isn't it odd?  The big man across the aisle needed a "baggie", however.... Anyways, I am home and had a good time!

My Hanisch Family

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had a researcher, Ronny Suske do some on-site research on my Hanisch family.  Here are pictures of the Lorenzkirche where the records were housed in a part of the community of Zeithain.  My ancestors were actually in Krienitz, but due to the construction in the area, that church could not be photographed. The bottom picture is a view from the shepardry towards the location where the Hanisch windmill stood on a little hill. 

Grandma, I Am So Glad You Are A Genealogist

Tyson, my 9 year old grandson, has always shown an interest in his genealogy and often asks me to show him the family pedigree chart and asks about certain ancestors, how they are related, what they did, etc. Yesterday, was the same. He wanted to see again how he was related to Joseph Smith, George Albert Smith, etc. So we talked about it and where the line ties in, etc. And with a big smile he said, "Grandma, I am so glad you are a genealogist and I get my genealogy all done for free!" I had to laugh, he always knows how to get on my good side!

More on Francisca Kalus

Well, 2 nights ago I tried to find the man who submitted the names to New.familysearch.  It wasn't available at the website, so I went online and tried to figure it out.  I did.  And the funniest part was, his son lives about 5 minutes drive from me in Alpine.  I called him and he said his father does a lot of genealogy and submitted all the names I found.  He immigrated about  1 year after my family and lives in Idaho.  Because he is older, the son suggested that rather than phone his dad, I write.  So yesterday I sent him a letter.  I am waiting to see how we are related.  It is interesting.

Today the weather was cooler and actually quite nice.  At work we had our yearly "Outback" picnic.  They started this about 5 years ago, having a picnic in the fall in the back area behind the library.  The first couple of years they grilled burgers and hotdogs, but then they switched to sub sandwiches.  And everyone was happy with those, and salads, ice cream and drinks.  Last year they had us come out by name in alphabet groups.  That put Sylvie and I in the last group to go out.  They had run out of everything.  So this year we went out early right after they started serving.  We made it in time and got some lunch.  Our manager, Ruth, was helping in the food serving and said that they started running out of food abt noon or so.  So we were happy!  Well, nothing else new or worth writing about, so this is all for the moment.

She has a NAME! FRANCISCA KALUS

Well, after 20 years of knowing she existed, I finally found her...unbelievable.  If you didn't read yesterday's entry, read that first, or this might not make sense...Anyway, today was my research day at the library. We get to dress down so that we can't be called out to help patrons.  Love this day.  This was a good research day, a REALLY good one.  So I got to work at about 7:40 am and before 8:00 I had found this:

OK, I know not everyone can read this cute little item.  So I will translate it for you here. The year is 1821 and the parish is Kotulin.  It says: 15 November in Balzarzowitz.  The inhabitant Bernard Palus from his wife Francisca nee KALUS about 10 in the evening on the 14 of the same month bore a daughter baptized and given the name of Leopoldine Elisabeth.  The Witnesses were Margaretha Misch, freefarmer of Balzarzowitz, Eva Czaplin Gardener in Sieronowitz and Thomas Krupa free gardener in Balzarzowitz.

I couldn't believe it.  They had a child in Balzazowitz.  This is in Kotulin parish.  I looked for others, it is the only child I found in Kotulin, although I find the parents continually coming here to be godparents for three couples.  I also knew the Gregor Palus, father of Bernard also was living in Sieronowitz, part of the Jaryszow parish, where I am recontructing the lost parish registers. 

So I kept looking for a while but found little else in Kotulin.  I thought about where I should look next, which parish were they or Francisca hiding in.  I kind of figured that this might have been their first child.  Bernhard was born in 1792 in Dziewkowitz and somehow I figured she was born abt 1805, but that would make her only 16, a little unlikely.  So I decided to take a quick look at New.familysearch.org.  I must admit there really aren't many people looking for any of my families, which are very Catholic, so the chances were not in my favor.  I typed in her name and birth of abt 1800.  Up pop up 2 with that name, both submitted by the same person.  One had an "about" date from Warmuntowitz, Silesia, the other an exact date in 1803 in Blottnitz, the same parish as for Warmuntowitz.  Taking a quick look at the map, I see Warmuntowitz is one town north of Balzarzowitz.  Could I really be this lucky, yes I was.  Someone had submitted her with her parents Valentin Kalus and Elisabeth Haiduk.  Just as a quick explanation, the name Kalus is also written as Kalis/Kalisch and Kaluza and Haiduk is Heidek/Haydug and other crazy spellings.  I am using the most commonly used spellings.  So now I know someone in Logan Ut. is working on the same line.  I couldn't believe it.  I went on to find the marriage of Valentin and Elisabeth in Centawa parish.  Centawa is the place the residents of Warmuntowitz and Blottnitz went to church.    There indeed was her birth, but still I couldn't find a marriage for her.  I looked and looked.  I can only assume then that they married in the infamous Jaryszow, the bookless parish...  But I found her and Valentin is the son of Matheus Kalus of Sieronowitz, definitely in Jaryszow parish and Elisabeth Haiduk is the daughter of Andreas of Blottnitz in Centawa.  This is only a tiny bit of what I found today.  I can hardly guess how many names I found in Centawa and Kottulin for my family and it will be hours before I type them all into my genealogy program and add them to the reconstruction listing as well as go back through the parishes and keep adding more reconstruction names. 

Dominica had told me in Poland that if you now live in Nogowczyce, you are certain to come from one or two families.  She said those 2 families were Palus and Haiduk, guess what, I come from both of them.  That is so funny. 

So this is what seems to have happened to the Palus family.  They start out in Dziewkowitz and there are many Palus there.  My line leaves somewhere between 1805-1820, I think.  I will know better after I start recording everything.  They first seem to go to Balzarowitz, then Sieronowitz and lastly to Nogowczyce.  The line of Francisca goes back to Kotulin, then Centawa and one side goes back to Nogowczyce and the other stays in Centawa.  For how long, I don't know, but there are so many of the family there, unbelievable...

I had already checked both Centawa and Kotulin parishes in my past research for the Gralla name.  And I found many in Kotulin and some in Centawa.  I never thought I would find my mystery woman there.  But such is life...never what is expected!

Yes, we went to Centawa!  Yeah, so glad we did!

Funeral in Centawa

Parish at Centawa  where many of my ancestors lived, who knew???

Looking back at the funeral procession from the front of the parish.  It was a cold and nasty day or else I would have gotten out and taken pics of the inside of the church.  But at that time I didn't realize how important this place was in my family history.  OK! Now I know that this was NOT my last trip to Poland. There will have to be another, during a dry spell, I hope.  Now I will be looking for Haiduk/Kalus relatives.  Dominica says: Yes they all still live in Nogowcycze!

Lunch Break Discoveries

For years now, I have been trying to find some evidence or clue about Francisca, my 3rd great-grandmother, Palus.  Well, my biggest problem is that I have no maiden name for her.  Just Francisca.  The parish she is from is the one I have been writing about and working on the reconstruction project. Well, in all this "reconstructing"  I have not found one entry for my people, Bernhard and Francisca Palus, parents of Eva, born abt 1833, in Nogawczyce, in Jarischau/Jaryszow parish.  But today at lunch I felt stongly to check a parish in Kotulin.  Don't ask me why...don't really know.  But the first page on the film had my Bernhard as a witness to a birth in 1826.  I quickly copied that page and kept going and aside from all the names I found to add to my project of people in "other places" which were from Jaryszow parish, I found Francisca Palus.  She and Bernhard kept witnessing for the same three couples and I followed them as they moved through three different towns.  Sieronowitz, Balzarowitz and finally the year 1833 to Nogowczyce.  I found his brother Jacob, the man through whom Dominika descends and all the Palus' I met while in Poland.  Then I found 2 of his sisters marrying in Kotulin and having kids and all kinds of stuff.  Of course, Bernhard and Francisca do not seem to marry here, but they sure spent some quality time going to mass here, it appears...So, I didn't have much time as it was only lunch but tomorrow is my personal research day.  Yeah, good timing.  I find Bernhard and Francisca, so far from 1823-1845 in this parish coming and going.  So usually in German records the woman is listed with her maiden name and married name.  Here each entry said Francisca "Palus".  So I wasn't sure, was that her maiden or married name??  Could be, don't know.  But the families they witness for, could surely be hers, but which one of the three?  And the husband or the wife?  Who is she related to?  I know Bernhard's relatives and these names weren't them, so I hope that I can figure something else out.    This is my family mystery.  It might be forever, but I haven't given up yet. 

As I looked at the map, All the towns are right next to one another and he must have moved as he found or needed new work.  Apparently Gregor, his father also lived in Sieronowitz during this time.  So they didn't move directly from Dziewkowitz to Nogowczyce, they made a few stops along the way.  So its kind of fun for me to find. Here is a link to a beautiful pic of the church:  http://fotopolska.eu/128941,foto.html I can't wait to see what is still to be found...

More Polish Grallas From Luboschütz and Oppeln

In the Catholic parish in the city of Opole, Poland, a Gralla family first appeared about the year 1791 residents of the village of Luboschütz. This Gralla was Nicolaus Gralla, a soldier, age 30, who married Marianna Hannalonka of Opole, age 27 on the 3rd of Feb. Another early Gralla to this area was Valentin Gralla, who moved into Luboschütz from elsewhere and was also married on the 3rd of Feb. 1791 to Agnes Libor of Kempa. He was 28 and she was 26. As these are the only two Grallas in this parish, it is probable that they were brothers moving in from another town. Records are sketchy for this time period and few Gralla entries were noted. Later we find more Grallas in Opole.

Adalbert Gralla married Marianna Waletzko on 27 June 1824. He was then age 30 and she was 23. Four children were born to this couple, Joseph, on 14 Nov. 1834, who married Maria Klaus, Johann, 12 May 1827, who was married three times; to Agnes Malek, Josepha Hilla, and Agnes Kochanek, and a stillborn son on 24 Jun 1833, and a daughter Rosalia born in 1818, who died on 30 Aug. 1825.

Joseph Gralla and Maria Klaus, daughter of Mathias Klaus of Halbendorf married 14 Feb. 1865. Joseph was a brick mason at the time. Only one son, Joseph, born 26 Nov. 1865 was found in this parish.

Johann Gralla had several children born in Opole. From his first wife, Agnes Malek, whom he married on 8 Feb. 1846 when he was 19, and she was 18, were born five children. Anton was born on the 11th of Jan. 1848, and died on the 30th of the same month. Christina was born on the 2nd of May 1849 and died 28 Dec. 1851. Daughter Marianna was born on 14 Aug. 1851. She, too, must have died early, although no record was found, as the next daughter was also a Marianna born on 14 Aug. 1853 and died shortly after on the 9th of Oct. The last child of this union was Julianna, born 23 May 1855-died 24 May 1855. On this date, the mother of these children, Agnes, also passed away.

From Johann Gralla's 2nd wife, Josepha Hilla, he had two children; Francisca, 27 Sep 1856, and Maria, 8 Mar. 1858 and on the 31st of Mar., his 2nd wife passed away at age 22 with complications from childbirth.

Johann then married Agnes Kochanek, daughter of Joseph Kochanek on 22 Jun 1858, when he was 31, and she was 19.

Their children included: Julianna, born 20 May 1859, who died on 9 Jul. 1859, Peter, born 5 Oct. 1860 and Catharina, born 17 Nov. 1862, Thomas, born 18 Dec. 1864, who died on 1 Feb. 1865, Juliana, born 18 May 1865, Johannes, 13 May 1866, and Julianna, 18 May 1868.

The Grallas from the town of Luboschütz and the parish of Opole, are small in number. There are some indications that they originate from a larger group of Grallas from the town of Lugnian. Gralla immigrants to the United States include Grallas from Lugnian and Opole.

Short Lesson on Prussian Military History

A little military lesson from my friend Harald in Germany:

In a lithograph by Richard Knötel, whose former capacity was in regards to questions of European uniforms and equipment, from 1890 to 1905 when he published hundreds of these plates showing the European armies since the 30-year war, edited by Max Babenzien in Rathenow. It can be recognized that there are no significant differences, neither in the uniforms nor in the armament of the musketeers and fusiliers.

Usually women are more interested in the clothing of the ladies than in the solders` uniforms. Nevertheless it is sure, that at least two of my ancestors had to wear "des Königs bunten Rock" and there was also of the Swiez family as executioner and three of the Badura family who had joined the army.

When Friedrich der Große had conquered Silesia he started at once to institute a government, dividing the country in civil counties and military "Kantons". The general duty for serving in the army was also introduced at once. Early as 1742 Friedrich was recruiting Silesians and forced them to his troops. Fighting for the Austrians in 1741 some people found themselves in the Prussian army one year later in 1742. Beuthen, Tost and Tarnowitz had Prussian garrisons at several times.

Fighting in the Napoleonic Wars went back and forth. In the beginning the Prussians fought against the French. After the catastrophe of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806, Prussia was forced to support the French with their own troops at their Russian campaign. Which units had to follow Napoleon to the east was decided by lots. From our area it was: II. Battalion of the 1. Silesian Infantry Regt., II. Bat. and Fuesilier Battalion of the 2. Silesien. Inf. Regt. The disaster of Moscow is well known.

In the meantime Prussia had reorganised its army. A novum, founded by the French, now was used by the Prussians: nationalism. Up to that time farmers and labourers didn`t mind to which king they had to tax. But now they were going for their country. The Prussian king posted his declaration "An mein Volk" in Breslau 1813. With this declaration also the Order of the Iron Cross was founded (in Breslau!) - the first decoration the simple soldiers could receive as well, as the noble officers. (By the way: the first decorations were produced in the iron hut of Gleiwitz) And now one was going to fight against the French again and in the end some of the Silesian troops which had to support Napoleons army, served as a part of the allied occupation army in Paris.

And Knötel is showing us what the people of these times looked like.  And there are some people who told me, genealogy was boring!

One result of the Napoleonic Wars was the "Bauernbefreiung" in Prussia. It started 1810, initiated and developed by Stein und Hardenberg. Before this the Farmers and gardeners were not slaves, but they were not allowed to leave their lent land, had to work up to 4 - 5 days a week for the landlord who also decided which of their sons should inherit the lent cottages and who even had to give his allowance if one of his "erbuntertänigen" Bauern / Gärtner / Häusler wanted to marry. For the landlords needed the cheap workers, they fought against this "Bauernbefreiung" so the dependence lasted in Schlesien partly until 1830, while in the other Prussian provinces the farmers were freed in 1818. So it is always something special if the profession is given as Freibauer or Freigärtner.  If you click on the image, you will see a larger view.