A few days ago I finally broke down my long standing brick wall! I found my
Brokmeyer family in the parish records of Bippen. I have a few questions
that I am hoping someone might be able to answer.
I had originally found 4 members of this family but only knew for sure that 2
were siblings. I had made contact with a descendant of one of the others and
her family story was that he had come to America at the age of 3 with a
different family because his parents were deceased. He was raised by this
other family but always retained his Brokmeyer surname. Well, I found my
great great grandfather's christening record along with the other 3 I had
originally known about. They are all siblings. In addition, I found 7 other
siblings! A very large family...but, I didn't find any record AT ALL of the
death of either parent! This child was born in 1839 and supposedly came to
America in 1842. (I heard on another list something about a Prussians to
America CD or book that covers this time period?? If so, could someone
please give me details on the book or cd so that I can try to locate a copy.
I've never found any ship records for any of these family members though I
have looked and looked.)
Anyway, trying to be brief and not succeeding...I searched all the way
through 1855 without finding a trace of the death of the parents. I found
MANY entries for Brokmeyer family members. I ended up with about 10
different families that I cannot connect to each other because the records do
not go back far enough. I used the microfilms at the LDS library in Salt
Lake City. Does that mean that there are no records back any farther or just
that the LDS have not filmed them? If they do go back farther, how do I
determine the correct person to write to research the records? What is the
current rate to pay someone to research for you? I will POSSIBLY have an
opportunity to go to Germany in the spring of 2002...will I be able to
research the records myself?
The families came from different little villages surrounding Bippen.
33 came from Ohrtermersch. Sometimes it was listed as Ohrtermersch/Bokel and
once or twice just as Bokel. What is the relationship between Ohrtermersch
and Bokel?
15 came from Vechtel
15 from Bippen
2 from Hartlage
2 from Schmone
1 from Lonnerbeck
1 from Bokern
Could there possibly be another parish that would have the burial records of
the parents...or some other explanation as to why the parents deaths were not
recorded at this parish? I have noticed that this particular part of my
family were very long-lived. I plan on continuing the rest of the microfilm
just to make sure that they aren't listed later...but it just seems strange.
Why would you give up your 3 year old child if you were still alive? Maybe
she intended to come later but just never did?
Thank you!
Janet