Joseph Peter Heimbach: Background

Joseph Peter Heimbach was born in Losheim, Prussia. in 1838,  He lived in Prussia during a time of political unrest and 3 rulers, Fredrick William III, Fredrick William IV, and William I.  In his youth, the country was embroiled in The First Schleswig War and The Second Schleswig War then the Austro-Prussian War was ended when he left for the United States. Looking at the pictures drawn to depict the wars, one is left wondering, did he fight in any of the wars?  Did he take his family and leave in the hopes of peace and prosperity in another land? I may be able to find out about the military, but his motives will remain unanswered.

The land he grew up in is beautiful.  Some places that were in his time are still there.  We were not blessed with pictures of Joseph from any time period.  This website has some great pictures of Germany including some historical pictures. German Picture of the Day   Losheim is a picturesque area.  We are blessed to have access to old newspapers that describe the time period from men and women who traveled there.  I was amazed to find that it was an extremely ordered society.  Coaches if early could not enter a city except at a specific time as shown in an article I found on GenealogyBank.com.  When I started using this site, it was to find specific information on ancestors and I was not disappointed.  Now I am finding a way to make the life experience of an ancestor real.

Date: Saturday, July 28, 1849   Paper: Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)   Page: 4                                                                                         This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.

About 1863 (I am still looking through records to find a marriage record) he married Anna Maria Oswald.  This information was derived from the Familienbuch der Pfarrei Kisgeun 1729-1899 and  Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s  on Ancestry.  The story of obtaining the Familienbuch der Pfarrei Kisgen is a story in itself.   They had at least one child, Nicholas, in Prussia before leaving for America.
Once again, the imagination kicks in.  Did they live in town or in the countryside?  What did Joseph do for a living?  What type of home did they have?  These are all hopefully future finds as I leave the United States to explore more.

The first clue was family stores of the Ellsworth family that Frances Ellsworth shared with the Hero saying that Helena was from Germany (she was not)  and that she had been lost on the streets of Chicago during the Chicago Fire (maybe).

Helena Heimbach Ellsworth picture owned by Fran Ellworth 

The second Clue that Joseph and Anna were immigrants was the 1870 census that gave their place of birth as Prussia.

The third clue was the transcribed records of St. Michael's Catholic Church, Chicago (Cleveland Avenue) German-speaking parish in Chicago, Illinois, USA.  This Church survived the Chicago Fire.

I have only found transcribed records so far, but am making my plans for finding the ship records if possible.  The hope here is to find if there was a family member already in the United States or if they originally planned on staying in the East.

There you have it.  The beginning.

Joseph Peter Heimbach and Anna Oswald... The beginning

My first encounter with Joseph Peter Heimbach was a letter from a distant cousin saying Helena Heimbach Ellsworth's death certificate identified her father as Peter Heimbach.  Armed with that information, I found him on the 1870 census.  This was before digital records were online in the late 1980s.  I loved scrolling though the films.
No one in the family had any inkling about the family other than they lived in Chicago during the Chicago Fire of 1871 and that Helena married Edward Ellworth in Chicago about 1890.  No clue as to how they met.

From the 1870 census, I learned they were from Prussia. Their oldest child Nicholas, was born in Prussia too.
Then I found an index done by someone on Rootsweb of St Michael's Catholic Church in Chicago.  There was Joseph and Anna and the third daughter Margarurite.  The blessing was, the priest had them write their birth place also.  I spent some time searching but to no avail.  It would be 8 years later, I met a man in the Family History Center I worked in that had the family genealogy book from Losheim, Germany where they were from.  He loaded me the book and it had both families back to 1800.

I will begin the journey of this story with Joseph Peter, his birth and the events around his birth.
I love this family; they are so interesting.
My internet is so incredibly slow tonight I can not upload anything.  More later.

Sentimental Sunday 'A Moment in Time'... A Hero memory

As we began the drive into town, my son popped a cd in to the cd player.  Little did he know that with first strain of music, I was transported back to 2002.



The road faded away, and I saw the Hero's office. There was the deep green carpet, the sun streaming through the open room with the Hero sitting at his desk. He turned around when he heard the door opening and a smile spread from his eyes to his lips when he saw it was me.
"Hi, honey.  I'll be done in a minute and we can go to lunch."
I grinned for I knew that meant another 30 minutes.
Not to be deterred from what I had been planning, I walked over behind him an said "I heard a song today that reminded me of  us.  Give me a second and ..." With that I reached past him, and popped my CD into his CD drive on his laptop.
As the music pulsed into the room, I couldn't help myself (I love to dance); I began to tap my foot and then to sway back and forth. He laughed, got up, took me in his arms and we danced around the room.
The music stopped on my car player, but the intense feelings of love and happiness continued, letting me know I needed to write this story.
How nice to have lovely moments in time be triggered in our minds.
The music was a song by Celine Dion.  "I'm Alive"

Writing Family History

I have been slacking as of late and have been trying to get myself motivated again.  In answer to my need, enters Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist returning with the Family History Writing Challenge .
This is a great!  Just the push I needed.  Well, that along with the fact I am helping my cousins family motivate their mother to write her stories.  I know, that is a bit selfish on my part too, as she is the last person old enough to remember my gr grandmother, who heard her stories.
If you have been in a slump, or over technicalized or thinking about writing your family history, this is a great motivation blog to assist you.  Lynn has many writing helps on her blog.
Thanks Lynn for caring to share and motivate others!
The Hummer is motivated, now I have to start writing again.  Hmmmm...  which line of genealogy shall I start on.  Watch for a new Hero post on Sunday, already have that scheduled.  Get Ready... Go!

Missouri family collage and resources for research

Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

About this time of year in the past, the Hero and I would be doing last minute shopping.  There wasn't a lot of money and so we would take the time to stop by the card aisle and choose a card we thought was just what we wanted to say to the other... We would then offer it to the other to read, then put back.  Then sentiments were held in our hearts.  I think of that as I walk down the aisles at the stores during holidays.
Christmas is not what you spend, rather what memories you make.
The late hours of sewing, assembling a toy, sitting and hold a little one and singing carols.  Hugs.
Making the most of each moment is so very important for a life time of memories.

Wishing you a Blessed Christmas from the Hero and me.

Blog Caroling -- I Love Christmas Carols All Year

Over the last few years I shared the Hero's favorite carol "O' Holy Night', and mine "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day"

I love following Footnote Maven on the blog and on Facebook.  In spite of overwhelming challenges, she is always uplifting and showing how to overcome.  She has a regular 'Blog Caroling' theme every year.  This my support of her effort.  Not to mention, I really love Christmas music every day of the year. :)  This is a link to Footnote Maven's Blog Event. (Click on Blog Event)

 "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a favorite Hymn/Carol.  Our family knows the words to without a sheet of music. The text was written by Phillips Brooks. The words to this song paint such beautiful word pictures for me.  

Elements from LetmeScrapbook.blogspot.com  Finding Nativity elements is difficult. 

Merry Christmas Caroling to all. 

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories No. 2: Holiday Foods

I have been avoiding posting, so much going on with family loss and challenges.  But I saw AnceStories post and decided I need to get a grip and enjoy the Holidays sharing memories.

Holiday Foods

In our family, there are many memories around Holiday Foods.

Two years ago, I shared GreatGrandmother Sackley Ellsworth's Rum Balls. Last year it was my mother's Date Roll.

This year it will be Great Aunt Mary Gadleman Ellsworth's Cheese Cake. 

When Holidays rolled around We would all gather at either the Hero's mom's house or his uncles. They are all gone now, but the memories live on.  

Mary's recipe from the Ellsworth Domestic Goddess Cookbook by
Aine Ellsworth Schulmire