Genea Santa Arrived - Ackermann Cemetery Plot

House cleaning can be good. Especially when you find genealogy records. Here is a transcription of a find from yesterday. Thanks Genea Santa for your wonderful gift!!

The cemetery card from Bellevue Cemetery in Adams, Berkshire, Massachusetts:

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ACKERMANN, FERDINAND & GUSTAVE         $38.88
Section D Lot # 73 - Deed recorded in 1892

Interred:

1E - John Vogler                  1836-1892
2E - Katherine Vogler           1837-1908
3E - Arthur H. Ackermann    1899-1922
4E - Gustave Ackermann      1861-1929
5E - Johanna Ackermann       1867-1947

8W - Ferdinand N. Ackermann       1856-1943
7W - Lisette Ackermann                  1864-1925
6W - Clara M. Ackermann              1890-1892
5W - Anna Katherine Ackermann    1892-1976

PERPETUAL CARE (1943)

Remarks: Arthur - Am. Legion, 105
                            Reg. Inf. NYNG

 [ plot map drawn]

Anna Ackermann to go next to Clara
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Ferdinand and Gustave Ackermann were brothers born in Gersfeld, Germany. They ran a butcher shop in Adams, Massachusetts. They married two sisters, Lisette and Johanna Gulden in Massachusetts. The sisters were born in Hof, Germany. Lisette and Johanna's mother is Katherine (Wunchel) Gulden Vogler. John Vogler is Katherine's second husband. Arthur was Gustave and Johanna's son. Clara and Anna were Ferdinand and Lisette's daughters.

Please email at aga2428 "at" gmail dot com if you are related to these families. I need more than a little help putting names to faces from a mystery photo album.

Thank you Genea Santa and please come next year!!!

Celebrating Women's History Month

Unknown Woman

Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany

The photo was orginially in a collection of photos owned by Theodore Eberle and his wife, Julia Ditt. The woman appears to be wearing a tiara. The photographer is Mans Grotme.

Please leave a comment if you have clues to help solve this mystery.

Blacksmith/Spring Maker Found in New Haven Connecticut

Anton Ditt is found again in another town!!! Thanks to the U. S. City Directories on Ancestry.com. City directories, in particular, have been very helpful in tracking this man who moved frequently across the United States. He was listed in the New Haven, Connecticut Directory in 1849, 1853-54, 1854-55, and 1856-57 editions. This is the earliest documentation for Anton Ditt in the United States. In 1849, Anton would have been approximately 21-23 years old.

No other Ditts are listed in the New Haven directories.  It makes one wonder if he came alone to the United States from Baden, Germany or did he come with a relative from his maternal side. He sometimes is listed as "Anton" and sometimes as "Anthony" in the directories. Anton may have been living near his wife's relatives. He married Catharine Margaret Fischer on November 4, 1851 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. There are several Fishers listed in the New Haven directories. It is interesting to note that the Anglican spelling of "Fisher" is used and not the German spelling of "Fischer". Of those Fishers listed, Charles, John and Joseph are of particular interest. These three men all had professions that involved metalwork. Although Anton's had various professions, they ALL were skilled labor involved with metal.

Another social factor to keep in mind, is that most of Anton's associates were German born or of German descent. Anton lived German speaking neighborhoods and attended German speaking churches.

The New Haven Directories are another clue; but Anton's parentage, hometown and immigration date still have not been found. It is time to obtain the church records from Connecticut and to track down any Fischers/Fishers that may have traveled or moved with Anton and Catherina.

Birth Place of Martin Christoph Taute

Ahhh..... when one dives into German research, step one is finding the ancestral town or village of your ancestor. From the book, Freidstadt and the Lutheran Immigration published by the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Freistadt, Mequon, Wisconsin about many Old Lutherans who settled near Milwaukee, Martin Taute's place where he was from is listed as Magdeburg, Langensalza. I do not believe that Magdeburg and Langensalza are part of the same place but rather two separate places. In 1956, Langensalza became Bad Langensalza. In 1815, Langensalza was part of Saxony. Today, Bad Langensalza is located in the state of Thuringia and the district of Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis. Today it has a population of approximately 18,000.

Magdeburg on the other hand is, east of Berlin, Germany and north of Bad Langensalza. It is in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and in the Urban district. In 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars, Magdeburg surrendered to French forces. Today it has a population of approximately 230,000.

My best guess from the information that I have seen, Martin was born in Langensalza and later moved to Magdeburg before immigrating to the United States in 1839. The above mentioned book states that his parents were Philipp Taute and Balatte Exold. I believe that I have found a birth or baptism record for Martin Christoph Daute 5 March 1799 in the church books for St. Bonifacii in Langensalza. Joh. Philipp Daute is listed as his father. The "t" and "d" in German can be interchanged. Also, spellings circa 1800 were not set in stone as they are today. There are several other listings that indicate that Martin had brothers. Unfortunately, the books from this time frame do not name the girls nor are the mothers listed. In the duplicate books, the date is listed as 7 March 1799. I did not find either the name "Daute" nor "Exold" in the family book film. However, I did find the name "Ewald". There are more films to research and hopefully, there will be answers.

The search continues as well as the struggle reading Old German Script!