At a time like this I wish that I was able to converse in German.
Unfortunately, since my German is very limited, I will send this message in
English so that I do not embarass myself or insult anyone who reads the
message.
I would like to learn how I might research my Bruedigam and Westphal
ancestors in Mecklenburg - Schwerin prior to 1857. I am not very familiar
with that area of Germany but, to the best of my knowledge, they might have
been from the area around Volkshagen, Benkenhagen, Willershagen or
Gresenhorst.
My g-g grandparents Johann Joachim Heinrich Christian Bruedigam
(4/15/1822 - 8/12/1908) and Dorothea (Westphal) Bruedigam (9/12/1826 -
6/20/1918) immigrated to Texas in 1857.
Dorothea (Westphal) Bruedigams mother, two sisters and two brothers
also immigrated to Texas in the early to mid 1850's. The two sisters were
Helena (Westphal) Voss and Sophia Westphal and the two brothers were Heinrich
and Friedrich Westphal. I know that another sister Friedericka (Westphal)
Bruedigam died in Germany before these families emigrated.
I plan to publish a Bruedigam / Westphal Family History and would like
to included information about my ancestors in Germany. I have collected most
of the information on the Bruedigam and Westphal descendants in Texas but
would like to trace their lineage back as far as possible.
Anyone who has any knowledge of this family or who can direct me
regarding where to seek additional information please contact me.
Thank you.
Carroll Warschak
Hi,
I have had good luck finding my ancestors in M-S by locating microfilm at
the Family History Library web site and ordering copies to review at a
Morman church lib. I found birth/baptism, confirmation, marriage and death
records. You don't have to read German, but it does help to know the key
words. Also, the handwriting can sometimes be hard to decipher, but as you
do it you will begin to see what the right letters are. You might also
locate the 1867 census for the town you need.
I wish you success.
Grace in MN
Dear Carroll,
could perhaps my
Sophie Friederike Hanna Bruedigam * 07.02.1837 in Neu-Guthendorf (Kuhlrade)
a sister of your
Johann Joachim Heinrich Christian Bruedigam?
She married my GGGrandfather Theodor Friedrich Helmuth Brockmann.
Her parents were
Johann Jochim Heinrich BRUEDIGAM * 31.03.1805 in Gresenhorst and
Jochima Hanna Liesch SPOERCKE * 02.02.1813 in Kuhlrade.
His father was Jochim Bruedigam, his mother Sophia WESTPHAL !
Right, althoughWestphal was a very common name in Mecklenburg, because many
settlers from Westphalia once came to Mecklenburg and Br�digam is not as
common but not seldom - it really seems that we are related...
What do you think about it?
Yours,
Heike from Hamburg in Germany.