This page has been created by the PGS as an example of how German Research can be done.  It began with an Early Door County Resident Stone in Town of Sevastopol-Bayside Cemetery which was contributed by Deb SIEVERT.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE THEM ENLARGED!

BELOW:  a photo of Margaretha LORCH's Stone at Town of Sevastopol-Bayside Cemetery that was shared to the PGS by Deb SIEVERT - Jun 2009  - This

The English translation for what could be deciphered from the in ground stone:

MARGARETHA LORCH

Geb (Geboren)=Born 1 Mai=May 1804

Selzen Grossherzobtum=Selzen Grand Duchy of Hesse

Hessen Darmstadt

Gest (Gestorben)=Died 22 Sept 1877

Sie nur Mutter von drie=She is Mother of three

Kinder namlich..?au-pur-lure?=Children namely ?the following?

Peter LORCH, Catharine frau=Peter LORCH, Catharine wife

von Chris Leonhardt und=of Chris LEONHARDT and

Christine frau von Jos=Christine wife of Jos

ZETTEL.=ZETTEL

 

After studying the stone and arriving at the place of birth and dates involved, a search was made on-line for the location: SELZEN Grossherzobtum (this word was not deciferable until after the search for SELZEN, HESSEN DARMSTADT. (Actually GROSSHERZOBTUM was found making a GOOGLE-SEARCH for HESSEN DARMSTADT and going to the entry form the GRAND DUCHY OF HESSE on Wikipedia.)  

The following link is to a great on-line website to find early (1800's and earlier) locations in Germany and where SELZEN was found listed under HESSEN DARMSTADT:

 

After finding the location SELZEN in Hessen Darmstadt, notes there regarding the location were:  "SELZEN- SELZEN (1808), see alo UNDENHEIM, Parish Reg. since 1650" -This gave great hope that CHURCH RECORDS would be possible to locate for SELZEN (part of UNDENHEIM PARISH, HESSEN DARMSTADT, GERMANY.  After finding this information, using the same website on the link above, SELZEN was searched for on the Gazetteer for RAVENSTEIN Maps (1883), but it was not found.  However, UNDENHEIM was found!  So the map was located: "UNDENHEIM  VII G1" - Map 8-location G1.  The following is the map for this location and you will see G and "1" is the upper right-hand corner of the map.  UNDENHEIM is found above the larger words: RHEIN-HESSEN.  (Click on the map to see it enlarged).

 

 

Another resource of a wonderful German Gazeteer (or place names dictionary) is the Meyers-Orts Von Lexicon.  It is available on Ancestry.com.  To be able to read this, you need to be able to decipher German Gothic Print.  Church records in Germany and even in the United States in early German churches, you will find this print - the writing that the pastors/priests' used was the Script form-known as German Gothic Script.

BELOW:  A great page showing German Gothic Script/Print of the Alphabet-source:  "Fibel." ("Primer")-1900.

 

Finally, FamilySearch.org was checked to see if there were Church Records available for UNDENHEIM, HESSE DARMSTADT, GERMANY.  Using the Locality Catalog, UNDENHEIM was entered under "Place" and UNDENHEIM, HESSE, GERMANY came up.  That had to be it.  There were church records available from 1650 to the 1900's.

Family Search also has how-tos for German Research as well as how to decipher the abbreviations found on the MEYERS-ORTS which is invaluable in finding places with the surrounding towns identified as well as where the parish records are located.

We hope this webpage has been of help to you in your quest for your family research in Germany!  If you have any questions or need help please contact the PGS at: [email protected] .