Hi Penny, I see you probably have my questions answered in this email. Do you think the natualization records would have anything on Charlotte Sowatzke? I know she was born in 1868 in East Prussia and if she came to America in 1886, she would have been 18. In the obituary for my grandfather, it stated that they were married April 14, 1886. My goal is to try and find out where in East Prussia she was born. Do you have any suggestions where or how to find that? Thank you, Lois Wade Penny Ziemer Ford wrote: >These families both lived in Wood County, Wisconsin in 1920. It appears as if >there was a family of Sowatzkes, including two >brothers, William and John, ages 22 and 25 in 1920, both born in Wisconsin (these >lived in Grand Rapids, Wood Co., >Wisconsin) and their sister Cary, age 42. Her parents were born in Prussia -- the >way censuses are noted, they could well >have been born in West Prussia. There also was a Charles Sowatzke at 606 Cherry >Street in Marshfield, Wood County, in his >30's, I think (did not take good notes) in the 1920 census. I found an additional >member, a young woman named Anna, >working as a servant somewhere in Wood County, but she was the first I found and I >forgot to take notes, then could not find >her again. I think her name must be spelled slightly differently by the census >taker. >Most of the Schallas in Wisconsin at this time, and most of the Sowatzkes, lived in >Wood County. I think that you might try >finding out who has a naturalization index (the county historical society, maybe?) >and emailing or calling them for the names of >all the folks of each of these names naturalized in the county. >The social security death index has a Walter Sowatzke, born 11 November 1916 in >Waukesha, showing that people of this >name had been there. Perhaps you will find naturalization records for them in >Waukesha County, as well. >Good luck, and please let us know what you find. >Penny Ziemer Ford >Granddaughter of Hank Ziemer of the Arcadia Garage, Calhoun, Wisconsin > >David Wade wrote: > > Hi, > > I send a message a week or so ago, but have not had any response, so > I'm trying again. I would like any information on the surnames Schalla > and/or Sowatzke. The information I have is that my grandparents, August > Schalla and Charlotte (Lottie) Sowatzke were married in Waukesha, April > 14, 1886. > > Any information coucerning either or both surnames would be helpful! > > Thank you, > Lois Wade > > ==== WIWAUKES Mailing List ==== > The Waukesha County Mailing List is maintained by Ellen Rohr, > Waukesha County, WIGenWeb Coordinator. If you have a problems or > concerns, please contact me at waukesha@linkstothepast.com > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > > > >==== WIWAUKES Mailing List ==== >The Waukesha County Mailing List is maintained by Ellen Rohr, >Waukesha County, WIGenWeb Coordinator. If you have a problems or >concerns, please contact me at waukesha@linkstothepast.com > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > >

What worked for me was to find the churches attended by my family members during their early years in the U.S. Frequently, on such occasions as marriage and funeral, the pastor would record the place of birth. Some pastors also recorded the place of birth in a list of the members of the churches as they joined. In the obituary, perhaps a church name is given for the place of the funeral of your grandfather and / or grandmother and you could start there and work backwards. The other source may be immigration records, including the Hamburg lists in Germany (on LDS microfilm) and the microfilm of ship passenger lists available at many historical society libraries. The book Germans to America may have listings for your family members though I am not sure what year those indexes to to -- maybe not this late. Naturalization records may have the month and year of arrival and the port, in which case you can (spending a few days) search through the microfilms for that month and one or two before and after to see if you can find them. Naturalization records for siblings will be as good as those of other child immigrants, usually, in cases where a direct ancestor did not get naturalized. Also, since your names are not common, you could join an online group for East Prussia and put up a message there to see if other displaced and immigrant family members answer. Sometimes one finds surprising results from such messages. Here is one resource, if you do not already belong: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/DEU/PRUSSIA-ROOTS.html Let us know how this comes along. Penny David Wade wrote: > Hi Penny, > > I see you probably have my questions answered in this email. Do you > think the natualization records would have anything on Charlotte > Sowatzke? I know she was born in 1868 in East Prussia and if she came > to America in 1886, she would have been 18. In the obituary for my > grandfather, it stated that they were married April 14, 1886. My goal > is to try and find out where in East Prussia she was born. Do you have > any suggestions where or how to find that? > > Thank you, > Lois Wade > > Penny Ziemer Ford wrote: > > >These families both lived in Wood County, Wisconsin in 1920. It appears as if > >there was a family of Sowatzkes, including two > >brothers, William and John, ages 22 and 25 in 1920, both born in Wisconsin (these > >lived in Grand Rapids, Wood Co., > >Wisconsin) and their sister Cary, age 42. Her parents were born in Prussia -- the > >way censuses are noted, they could well > >have been born in West Prussia. There also was a Charles Sowatzke at 606 Cherry > >Street in Marshfield, Wood County, in his > >30's, I think (did not take good notes) in the 1920 census. I found an additional > >member, a young woman named Anna, > >working as a servant somewhere in Wood County, but she was the first I found and I > >forgot to take notes, then could not find > >her again. I think her name must be spelled slightly differently by the census > >taker. > >Most of the Schallas in Wisconsin at this time, and most of the Sowatzkes, lived in > >Wood County. I think that you might try > >finding out who has a naturalization index (the county historical society, maybe?) > >and emailing or calling them for the names of > >all the folks of each of these names naturalized in the county. > >The social security death index has a Walter Sowatzke, born 11 November 1916 in > >Waukesha, showing that people of this > >name had been there. Perhaps you will find naturalization records for them in > >Waukesha County, as well. > >Good luck, and please let us know what you find. > >Penny Ziemer Ford > >Granddaughter of Hank Ziemer of the Arcadia Garage, Calhoun, Wisconsin > > > >David Wade wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > I send a message a week or so ago, but have not had any response, so > > I'm trying again. I would like any information on the surnames Schalla > > and/or Sowatzke. The information I have is that my grandparents, August > > Schalla and Charlotte (Lottie) Sowatzke were married in Waukesha, April > > 14, 1886. > > > > Any information coucerning either or both surnames would be helpful! > > > > Thank you, > > Lois Wade > > > > ==== WIWAUKES Mailing List ==== > > The Waukesha County Mailing List is maintained by Ellen Rohr, > > Waukesha County, WIGenWeb Coordinator. If you have a problems or > > concerns, please contact me at waukesha@linkstothepast.com > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > > > > > > > >==== WIWAUKES Mailing List ==== > >The Waukesha County Mailing List is maintained by Ellen Rohr, > >Waukesha County, WIGenWeb Coordinator. If you have a problems or > >concerns, please contact me at waukesha@linkstothepast.com > > > >============================== > >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > > > > ==== WIWAUKES Mailing List ==== > The Waukesha County Mailing List is maintained by Ellen Rohr, > Waukesha County, WIGenWeb Coordinator. If you have a problems or > concerns, please contact me at waukesha@linkstothepast.com > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237