I would begin at point 1 (you) and work backwards very carefully. Trying to begin with Westpreußen (West Prussia) is an exercise in going to the loony bin. Also... research ONE person at a time! The US will be easier as you will be able to get into the early church records and that may be a vital clue as to exact spellings and places of residence. This should also include immigration and NARA information stored at the National Archives. Check your state historical society for any and all information. You may (most likely will) collect various conflicting information on who you are researching. All may lead to "correct" information down the road. Do no discard anything. Once you have run the gauntlet with US information, then West Prussia! The hardest part of this procedure is finding the city/village they came from. Keep in mind the time frame factors as they are important as to where the city/village was located during the immigration. Territory changed often! Once a city/village is located.... gets harder especially hard since this area no longer exists. There are online sites, most notably O-W Preußen (East and West Prussia). There are people on this site that lived there or their parents lived there. At times, a bit cranky but then, who isn't at times! You should have some knowledge of the German language but the site maintains that it is open to speakers of German and English. There is a Saxon site that you can put ancestor information into. It is affiliated with a similar German web site. The advantage is both German's and English speakers can research the surnames. >From reading messages some years ago, many files were sent to I believe the University of Berlin. These include church and civil records that were suppose to be digitalized... no idea just how far along that project is or how to access it. As for US sources, Ancestry and the LDS would be your best bet. Bottom line, go slowly, gather your information (with sources!!!!) and work your way towards Westpreußen! If anyone has anything else from their own research, I sure Wendy would be appreciative. Regards, Robert Lipprandt ===================== Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Family names > Your information is great...thank you so much. What do > you suggest when researching my 3xg grandmother? Being > from West Prussia, I was hoping to look at naming > patterns...especially since she elected to give each > daughter the same 'middle' name in the US. > > > --- "R. Lipprandt" <rloss@bellsouth.net> wrote: > >> By given name... I assume you mean the baptismal >> name(s) if the family >> practiced a religion that baptized infants. >> >> If the family was Roman Catholic, Orthodox Russian, >> Polish or Greek, it >> would have been proper to use the names of saints as >> the first and sometimes >> second and third "given" names with one of the >> sponsors/witnesses and the >> fourth... maybe a fifth. >> >> If the family was Evangelical or Lutheran (child >> baptisms), then it could be >> saints, or all witnesses, or all favorite uncles, >> aunts... maybe mothers, >> fathers etc. etc. No real patterns unless it was >> just a family tradition to >> continue the name. >> >> Or... could be for another deceased child that had >> died earlier. >> >> Unfortunately, there are no hard rules for such an >> event. >> >> Organizing data I would assume you mean the name?? >> If I have a birth or >> baptismal document, they I will enter the name same >> as it would be on the >> document. The distinction I would make in my files >> is to underscore the >> name the individual used during his/her lifetime. >> >> With Germanic naming, you can rest assured that >> there is way more than one >> name and that the name they used is somewhere in the >> middle of the pack of >> what is on the baptismal certificate. >> >> It is apparently and English thing to put the user >> name in the beginning of >> the given name. >> >> This can get really confusing. Bottom line is that >> it all depends upon how >> the family did their naming practices! >> >> Regards, Robert Lipprandt >> ===================

Hello Robert, Thank you...thank you...and thank you. Your suggestions are so very helpful and much appreciated. My grandma remembers her grandparents (the ones who are the focus of this research) read a German paper. Perhaps she has a copy as she has saved so much. I will ask about that as well as searching naturalization information and sacramental records from their church. Michael Wagner was a charter member so there must be something more there. Thanks for your advice. Regards, Wendy Fischbach --- "R. Lipprandt" <rloss@bellsouth.net> wrote: > I would begin at point 1 (you) and work backwards > very carefully. > > Trying to begin with Westpreußen (West Prussia) is > an exercise in going to > the loony bin. > > Also... research ONE person at a time! > > The US will be easier as you will be able to get > into the early church > records and that may be a vital clue as to exact > spellings and places of > residence. This should also include immigration and > NARA information stored > at the National Archives. Check your state > historical society for any and > all information. > > You may (most likely will) collect various > conflicting information on who > you are researching. All may lead to "correct" > information down the road. Do > no discard anything. > > Once you have run the gauntlet with US information, > then West Prussia! > > The hardest part of this procedure is finding the > city/village they came > from. Keep in mind the time frame factors as they > are important as to where > the city/village was located during the immigration. > Territory changed > often! > > Once a city/village is located.... gets harder > especially hard since this > area no longer exists. > > There are online sites, most notably O-W Preußen > (East and West Prussia). > There are people on this site that lived there or > their parents lived there. > At times, a bit cranky but then, who isn't at times! > You should have some > knowledge of the German language but the site > maintains that it is open to > speakers of German and English. > > There is a Saxon site that you can put ancestor > information into. It is > affiliated with a similar German web site. The > advantage is both German's > and English speakers can research the surnames. > > >From reading messages some years ago, many files > were sent to I believe the > University of Berlin. These include church and civil > records that were > suppose to be digitalized... no idea just how far > along that project is or > how to access it. > > As for US sources, Ancestry and the LDS would be > your best bet. > > Bottom line, go slowly, gather your information > (with sources!!!!) and work > your way towards Westpreußen! > > If anyone has anything else from their own research, > I sure Wendy would be > appreciative. > > Regards, Robert Lipprandt > ===================== > > Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Family names > > > > Your information is great...thank you so much. > What do > > you suggest when researching my 3xg grandmother? > Being > > from West Prussia, I was hoping to look at naming > > patterns...especially since she elected to give > each > > daughter the same 'middle' name in the US. > > > > > > --- "R. Lipprandt" <rloss@bellsouth.net> wrote: > > > >> By given name... I assume you mean the baptismal > >> name(s) if the family > >> practiced a religion that baptized infants. > >> > >> If the family was Roman Catholic, Orthodox > Russian, > >> Polish or Greek, it > >> would have been proper to use the names of saints > as > >> the first and sometimes > >> second and third "given" names with one of the > >> sponsors/witnesses and the > >> fourth... maybe a fifth. > >> > >> If the family was Evangelical or Lutheran (child > >> baptisms), then it could be > >> saints, or all witnesses, or all favorite uncles, > >> aunts... maybe mothers, > >> fathers etc. etc. No real patterns unless it was > >> just a family tradition to > >> continue the name. > >> > >> Or... could be for another deceased child that > had > >> died earlier. > >> > >> Unfortunately, there are no hard rules for such > an > >> event. > >> > >> Organizing data I would assume you mean the > name?? > >> If I have a birth or > >> baptismal document, they I will enter the name > same > >> as it would be on the > >> document. The distinction I would make in my > files > >> is to underscore the > >> name the individual used during his/her lifetime. > >> > >> With Germanic naming, you can rest assured that > >> there is way more than one > >> name and that the name they used is somewhere in > the > >> middle of the pack of > >> what is on the baptismal certificate. > >> > >> It is apparently and English thing to put the > user > >> name in the beginning of > >> the given name. > >> > >> This can get really confusing. Bottom line is > that > >> it all depends upon how > >> the family did their naming practices! > >> > >> Regards, Robert Lipprandt > >> =================== > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message > To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. -Anatole France ____________________________________________________________________________________ Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather

Wendy... you have a golden key in your hand with a still living grandmother with the assets you have mentioned. Mine her stored information carefully and thank your good fortune to have a living link to the past! Have her reflect her memories into a tape recorder of some type.... take her out to Taco Bell to loosen up the memories (or her favorite restaurant). I really envy your position! When you get into Westpreußen, remember that the "W" sound is the same as the English "V." Regards, Robert Lipprandt =================== Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Family names Hello Robert, Thank you...thank you...and thank you. Your suggestions are so very helpful and much appreciated. My grandma remembers her grandparents (the ones who are the focus of this research) read a German paper. Perhaps she has a copy as she has saved so much. I will ask about that as well as searching naturalization information and sacramental records from their church. Michael Wagner was a charter member so there must be something more there. Thanks for your advice. Regards, Wendy Fischbach