Saturday, October 25, 2008
Frederick and Franziska Reiniger Family Group Sheet
If you have any additional information, please contact me. Thanks!
Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee Public Library Central Branch
814 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
phone: (414) 286-3000
Hours
Monday - Wednesday, 9am to 8:30pm
Thursday - Saturday, 9am to 5:30pm
Sunday - 1 to 5pm (They are closed Sundays from May through September)
Parking information can be found here.
What You Can Find at the Milwaukee Public Library Central Branch
- Books about Germans, Milwaukee history, Germans in Milwaukee, histories of neighborhoods and churches, etc. Search the library catalog to discover what they have.
- Milwaukee City Directories in book form. Available in the Zeidler Humanities room.
- Large, historical maps of Milwaukee that include where buildings were on the map. (Milwaukee street names changed in the later part of the 1920s--around 1929, I think--so seeing historical maps from before and after will help your search tremendously). Available in the Zeidler Humanities room.
- City of Milwaukee Archives--Tax rolls, aldermen’s records and correspondence, 1862-1911. Available in the Zeidler Humanities room.
- Great Lakes Marine Collection--Thousands of historical items, photographs and information on 85,000 ships that sailed the Great Lakes. Available in the Zeidler Humanities room.
- Milwaukee Road Archives--Engineering drawings of engines, bridges and railroad structures. Available in the Zeidler Humanities room.
- Microfilm of Milwaukee newspapers, including The Milwaukee Journal, The Milwaukee Sentinel, German-language newspapers for Milwaukee, and so on. These newspapers can be found on microfilm in the Periodicals Department.
- Indexes to Milwaukee newspapers. The Milwaukee Area Necrology compiled by Manning M. Bookstaff can be used in the Zeidler Humanities room, as can Milwaukee's German Newspapers: an Index of Death Notices and Related Items compiled by Gary Rebholz . The Milwaukee Sentinel Card Index, 1837-1879; 1880-1890 and Death Notices/Obits, 1930s (?) - June 30, 1992 (available on microfilm) can be accessed in the Periodicals room. There are other indexes available as well.
- Government Documents--More than 1.5 million state and federal documents. Available in the Periodicals room.
The resources I enumerated above are only a few of the many available at the Milwaukee Public Library Central Branch. I could spend days there searching all that they have--and still need more time to finish my research! The staff is very friendly and helpful. Don't be afraid to ask them questions.
Happy searching!
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Reiniger Women
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Gertrudes
- Gertrude (Bartels) Lewis, daughter of Frances (Reiniger) Bartels;
- Gertrude Reiniger, sister of Frances (Reiniger) Bartels; and
- Gertrude (Quade) Mollerus, aunt of Gertrude Reiniger and Frances (Reiniger) Bartels--and great aunt to Gertrude (Bartels) Lewis.
Note: Each of these Gertrudes is about 20 years apart in age.
Picture in my posession. Taken circa 1960s.
Vynen, Nordrhein, Westfalen (later part of Prussia and Germany)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Heinrich Bartels Holy Card
Biographies of Henry Bartels and Adele Bartels
Born in Milwaukee 6 December 1869, Henry was the first child of immigrants Ferdinand and Maria Bartels.[1] He spoke German as his primary language in the home and among fellow parishioners at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. German became his children’s primary language as well. Henry became a master plumber, and his plumbing business “Bartels and Sons” served many German-Americans although his Polish neighbors also frequently employed his services.[2] When his Polish clientele continued to increase, Henry studied the Polish language to better communicate with his customers. This knowledge, too, he shared with his children.[3]
Henry Bartels chose a German-American woman for his first wife, although his cultural background would have less of an influence on his later remarriage. His first wife, Frances “Fanny” Reiniger, was also from Milwaukee. They were married 9 Aug 1898.[4] Fanny developed thyroid problems, including a visible goiter around her neck. The goiter eventually grew too large and suffocated her. She died 1927.[5] A few years later, Henry remarried the widow Theresa “Tess” neè Vollmer, a Polish-American.
Henry was a very tolerant man. Henry’s daughter, Gertrude, remembered her father as “a good husband and family provider.” Granddaughter, Audrey Collette recalled the mischievous side of her grandfather: “Grandpa Henry had a clear mind and was always full of the dickens.”[6] His daily ritual consisted of consuming a pint of chocolate ice cream and a pint of beer, which Collette recalled would usually be in conjunction with watching a baseball game.
Adele Marie Bartels
On 11 February 1906, Henry and Fanny Bartels baptized their oldest daughter at St. Anthony’s Church in Milwaukee and gave her the name “Adele Maria Bartels,” perhaps in honor of Henry’s sister-in-law, Wanda Adele Bartels, who served as godmother. [7] (On other ecclesiastical and civil documents, her middle name changed to “Marie” instead of “Maria.”) Later on in life, Adele began spelling her name as “Adell,” an Americanized version of her German name. She used this new spelling throughout the remainder of her life, including on her marriage certificate in 1927.[8]
Adele worked at the Holproof Hosiery factory in Milwaukee until age 18, when her mother died unexpectedly; then she assumed matriarchal duties in the family, taking care of the children and running her father’s plumbing store.[9] Adele worked at many occupations; at the time of her marriage to John Erickson, she was employed as a bookkeeper.[10] While Adele, her sisters Gertrude and Alberta, and their sister-in-law Dorothy, also worked outside the home, the other wives in the family stayed at home.[11]
Adele married John Peter “Jack” Erickson, a Swedish immigrant she met at a dance at the Southside Armory on Mitchell Street that both regularly attended. They courted for three years before their marriage in 1927. Adele reportedly believed there was only one qualification for a good spouse: that he was a good person. Jack evidently was “a good person” and they spent almost 52 years together before his death in 1979.[12]
Growing up, her family spoke primarily German in the home. They associated with other Germans in their neighborhood, in various societies, and at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, a German parish. (Although mass was in Latin, all of the other services were performed in German.) With her brothers and sisters, Adele attended St. Anthony’s parochial school up to the eighth grade. The nuns instructed the children in German and taught the children the basics, including German history and culture; this German instruction continued during the war.[13] Years later when Adele and Jack raised her sister Alberta’s child, Audrey learned German before English. [14] However, Adele spoke English as a considerate gesture for her husband, and when family came to visit on Sundays, the in-laws who were not conversant in German. She respected her in-laws and wanted them to feel included in the family.[15]
Family relationships were important to Adele. As the oldest daughter, she organized frequent family gatherings and was the focal point of the family. On Sunday afternoons, her siblings and their families, father Henry, and sometimes Henry’s brother George and his wife, Wanda, would come to Adele and Jack’s home for Sunday dinner. Music also brought the Bartels family together. The entire Bartels family would roll up the carpet in the living room and dance the schottische to accordion music, usually provided by Adele’s brother, Norbert.[16] Though she belonged to the Bavarian Club and Steuben Society, Adele was not an active member because it would take time from her family. Her family always came first.[17]
SOURCES
[1] Frank Henry Bartels, birth, Milwaukee County Birth Records, microfilm no. 1011984 (Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah), vol. J, p. 106.
[2] Henry’s youngest daughter, Gertrude, remembered her father fondly. “A sound that reminds me of my childhood is running water. Opening and closing a faucet is a constant reminder of my father who was a plumber” (Gertrude [Bartels] Lewis, letter to author, 8 September 1998).
[3] Collette, telephone interview, 9. April 2001.
[4] Henry Bartels-Frances Reiniger marriage, Milwaukee County Marriage Records, microfilm no. 1014003 (Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah), vol. 120, p. 403.
[5] Frances Bartels death, Milwaukee County Courthouse, vol. 547, p. 238. Certificate in possession of author; Collette, telephone interview, 9. April 2001.
[6] Gertrude Lewis, letter to author; Audrey Collette, telephone interview, 9. April 2001.
[7] St. Anthony’s Catholic Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). Church records, 11 Feb 1906, “Adele Maria Bartels,” vol. 3, p. 164.
[8] John Erickson-Adell Bartels, Marriage Certificate, 16. Aug 1927, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, License No. 121262. Certificate in possession of the author.
[9] Collette, telephone interview, 9. April 2001.
[10] Erickson-Bartels marriage certificate (1927).
[11] Audrey Collette, telephone interview, 9. April 2001.
[12] John Erickson’s Death Certificate; Adele and Jack were unable to have children.
[13] Audrey (Bartels) Collette, telephone interview, 9 April 2001. St. Anthony’s parish was unique in the city of Milwaukee. Only the second congregation in the city established specifically for Germans, Father Anthon Decker organized it in 1872 on Milwaukee’s south side to meet the needs of the ever-expanding German population. Father Decker intended that the structure also be used as a parochial school to instruct the parish children in both gospel and the German tongue. In 1896, seven hundred and fifty families attended the parish and eight hundred of their children attended parochial school. See Harry H. Heming, The Catholic Church in Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI: Catholic Historical Publications), 1896, 323-24; and History of Milwaukee (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1881), 912, 915).
[14] Audrey Collette, telephone interview, 9. April 2001.
[15] Collette, letter dated July 2001.
[16] Collette, letter dated July 2001, part 2.
[17] Collette, letter dated July 2001; Ibid., part 2.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Henry Bartels Plumbing Store
Map of Vynen, Rees, and Niedermoermter, Rheinland
Franklin Joseph Reiniger Family
Mother: Ottilia Bertha Quade, born about 1856. Died 14 October 1895 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
1. Frances "Fanny" Reiniger, born 23 May 1875 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 20 September 1927 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Married to Frank Henry Bartels.
2. Katherine "Kate" Reiniger, born February 1880 in Milwaukee. Married to Henry "Harry" Wagner.
3. Arthur Adam Reiniger, born 7 December 1881 in Milwaukee. Died 1 May 1963 in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Married to Margaret Walther.
4. Adolf M. Reiniger, born 29 July 1886 in Milwaukee. Married to Hilda Hitmann.
5. Martha Mary Elizabeth Reiniger, born 5 November 1887 in Milwaukee.
6. William G. Reiniger, born 8 June 1880 in Milwaukee. Died 20 October 1961 in Milwaukee. Married to Lena Schroeder.
7. Paul Reiniger, born August 1891 in Milwaukee. Married to Viola Hitmann.
8. Gertrude H. Reiniger, born 7 November 1892 in Milwaukee. Died 6 July 1980 in Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Never married.
9. Klara Reiniger, born 11 October 1895 in Milwaukee. Married to Fred "Fritz" Barbaris.
10. Rose Reiniger, born 11 October 1895 in Milwaukee. Married to Wallace Garrow.
Ferdinand Bartels and Maria Voellings Family
Mother: Maria Voellings, born 1848. Died 4 May 1933 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
1. Frank Henry Bartels, born 6 December 1869 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 1 March 1955 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Married to Frances "Fanny" Reiniger.
2. George Heinrich Bartels, born 8 February 1872 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 8 January 1957 in Wisconsin. Married Wanda Richter.
3. Carrie M. Bartels, born 24 February 1875 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 2 January 1908 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Married Herman Kramer.
4. Julia D. Bartels, born October 1876 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 22 January 1940 in Wisconsin. Married and divorced from Kurt Von Sehlen.
5. Joseph Bartels, born April 1880 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
6. William E. Bartels, born 31 March 1882 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 17 October 1946 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
7. Baby Boy Bartels, born and died 15 October 1884 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
8. Ferdinand Carl Bartels Jr., born 24 February 1886 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Died 23 March 1915 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Married Anna Pufahl.
Gerhard and Hendrica Voellings Family
Mother: Hendrica, born about 1808 and died in 1894 in Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
1. Johanna Voellings, born 1835. Married Heinrich Foellings.
2. William (Wilhelm) Voellings, born about 1837. Married Mary Hendricks. ** See entry below.
3. Elisabetha Voellings, born 1841. Married Heinrich Derksen.
4. Gertrude Voellings, born about 1845. Married Johann Derksen.
5. Maria "Mary" Voellings, born 1848. Married Ferdinand Bartels. Died 1933 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
William and Mary Voellings Family
Mother: Mary Hendricks, born about 1842 and died in 1926 in Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
1. Joseph Gerhard Voellings
2. Friedrich Henry "Fred" Voellings
3. Helena Voellings
4. Maria "Mary" Voellings
Ferdinand and Gerhard Bartels Hamburg Passenger List
Source Information: Staatsarchiv Hamburg. Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data: Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Bestand: 373-7 I, VIII (Auswanderungsamt I). Mikrofilmrollen K 1701 - K 2008, S 17363 - S 17383, 13116 - 13183.
People included in this record:
Gerhard Bartels -- last residence: Luebeck -- farmer -- age 36
Ferdinand Bartels -- last residence: Luebeck -- farmer -- age 27
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Adele Bartels and Her Reiniger Cousins
Monday, August 18, 2008
Gerhard Bartels: Another Elusive Ancestor
Husband's father's name: John Henry Bartles
Husband's mother's name: Helena Borck
Husband's occupation: carpenter
Husband's residence: Milwaukee
Husband's birthplace: Germany
Full name of wife previously to marriage: Mrs. Anne DeLeslie
Wife's father's name: Bernard Henry
Wife's mother's name: Julia Flattery
Date of marriage: January 26, 1869
Place of marriage: Milwaukee
Color of couple: white
By what ceremony consummated: Catholic
By whom ceremony conducted: S.P. Lalumiere
Residence of person last named: Milwaukee
Names of subscribing witnesses: Ferdinand and Mary Bartles
Date of certificate: January 26, 1869
Date of registration: April 5, 1869
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GERHARD BARTELS:
- He was born in Vynen, Germany in 1832.
- He emigrated to the USA with his younger brother, Ferdinand, in 1867 aboard the ship Cimbria, travelling from Hamburg to New York City.
- Eventually both Ferdinand and Gerhard made their way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- In the above document (Gerhard's marriage to Anne DeLeslie in 1869), Ferdinand and his wife Mary are witnesses to Gerhard's wedding.
I cannot find any record of Gerhard or Anne DeLeslie Bartels after this marriage in 1869. Does anyone have additional information about his whereabouts after 1869? I've searched the 1870 census extensively but cannot locate him. And I do not know if he stayed in Milwaukee or moved elsewhere.
Birth of Frank Henry Bartels
Name: Frank Henry Bartels
Gender: Male
Race: White
Father's name: Chas. Ferdinand Bartels
Father's occupation: Box Maker
Mother's name: Mary Fuellings
Birth: Decbr 6, 1869
Place of Birth: Milwaukee Wis.
Name of Physician or other person signing the certificate: Ch. Ferdinand Bartels
Residence of such person: Milwaukee Wis.
Date of certificate: February 9, 1871
Date of registration: February 9, 1871
William Reiniger Family in 1930 Census
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.
William Reiniger -- Head -- age 40 -- born in Wisconsin
Lena " -- Wife -- age 40 -- born in Wisconsin
Maureen -- Daughter -- age 16 -- born in Wisconsin
Henry Wagner Family with Reiniger Sisters in 1930 Census
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.
Henry F. Wagner -- Head -- age 50 -- born in Wisconsin
Catherine " -- Wife-H -- age 50 -- born in Wisconsin
Robert " -- Son -- age 10 -- born in Wisconsin
Gertrude Reiniger -- Sister-in-law -- age 38 -- born in Wisconsin
Clarence Kassow -- Head -- age 30 -- born in Wisconsin
Marie " -- Wife-H -- age 26 -- born in Wisconsin
NOTE: Gertrude Reiniger, Catherine Wagner, and Marie
Kassow are all Reiniger sisters.
Paul Reiniger Family in 1930 Census
People listed on this census image:
Paul H. Reiniger -- Head -- age 38 -- born in Wisconsin
Viola E. " -- Wife-H -- age 38 -- born in Wisconsin
Clarence -- Son -- age 17 -- born in Wisconsin
Bernice -- Daughter -- age 16 -- born in Wisconsin
Muriel -- Daughter -- age 13 -- born in Wisconsin
Carrie Bartels Kramer -- A Mystery to Me
Does anyone have additional information about her?
Henry Bartels and Frances "Fanny" Reiniger
German Research "Secret Weapons"
Beginning German Research
Beginning German Research
by Adele Maurine Marcum
January/February 2004 Ancestry Magazine, vol. 22, no. 1
Long before you travel to Germany, consult the documents created in the United States. You'll find many clues to help you learn the identity of your immigrant ancestors.
Read more here...
Joseph Voellings Family in 1920 Census
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
People included on this census image:
Name | Age | Relationship to Head of Household | Place of Birth |
Joseph B. Voellings | 52 | Head | Wisconsin |
Catherine | 52 | Wife | Wisconsin |
Mary | 26 | Daughter | Wisconsin |
William | 22 | Son | Wisconsin |
Leonard | 18 | Son | Wisconsin |
Pearl | 16 | Daughter | Wisconsin |
Florence | 10 | Daughter | Wisconsin |
Ferdinand C. Bartels Family in 1900 Census
Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Milwaukee Ward 8, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Roll: T623 1802; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 55.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.
People found in this census image:
Name | Relationship to Head of Household | Birthdate | Place of Birth |
Ferdinand C Bartels | Head | Sept 1840 | Germany |
Mary " | Wife | Aug 1848 | Germany |
George H. " | Son | Feb 1872 | Wisconsin |
Carrie M. " | Daughter | Feb 1875 | Wisconsin |
Julia D. " | Daughter | Oct 1876 | Wisconsin |
Ferdinand C Jr. " | Son | Feb 1886 | Wisconsin |
Henry B. | Brother | Apr 1830 | Germany |
Anton Verhalen Family in 1900 Census (with Voellings)
Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Franklin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Roll: T623 1800; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 2.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.
People found in this census image:Name | Relationship to Head of Household | Birthdate | Place of Birth |
Anton Verhalen | Head | Nov 1868 | Wisconsin |
Annie " | Wife | Jan 1866 | Wisconsin |
Eddie " | Son | July 1892 | Wisconsin |
Alma " | Daughter | June 1893 | Wisconsin |
Leo " | Son | Oct 1895 | Wisconsin |
Lawrence " | Son | Oct 1897 | Wisconsin |
Henry Voellings | F in Law | Feb 1821 | Germany |
Johanna " | M in Law | Apr 1834 | Germany |
William Voellings Family in 1880 US Census
Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Franklin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Roll: T9_1435; Family History Film: 1255435; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 86;
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census database on-line. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Listed in the census image above:Name | Age | Relationship to Head of Household | Place of Birth |
William Völlings | 43 | (head) | Rihne [sic] |
Mary | 38 | wife | Rihne [sic] |
Joseph | 13 | son | Wisconsin |
Frederic | 12 | son | Wisconsin |
Helena | 9 | daughter | Wisconsin |
Mary | 6/12 | daughter | Wisconsin |
Gerard | 80 | father | Rihne [sic] |
Henriette | 72 | mother | Rihne [sic] |
Surnames I'm Searching for
Bartels -- variants = Bartells, Bartel, Bartell
Reiniger -- variants = Reininger
Voellings -- variants = Vollings, Follings, Foellings, Fuellings
Quade
Associated surnames
Verhalen -- variant = Ver Halen
Primary Places These Families Lived
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Looking for My Milwaukee German Ancestors
I've also been lucky in connecting with "distant cousins" who have supplied me with additional resources and data for these often elusive ancestors. With this blog, I hope to be able to make additional connections and discover what more about my Milwaukee Germans.