Genealogie is an art based on very imperfect information .Hence at time it is necessary to make reasonable assumptions in substitution for solid factual information . A kind correspondent had advised me how a Jhann Alerdt Ahlers after marrying Maria Gertrud Toennies in Visbek in 1751 named his son Johannes Alardus Toennies .So discontinuing the Ahlers name . Usually this means the focus on Ahlers deescendants is somewhat lost . So it weas with me until a very kind and knowledgeable MonikaThoelking sent me very complete information about her Ahlers forebears ,which in first instance appeared to end with Gerhardus Ahlers marrying Luzia Maria Kroeger in Visbek in 1763 . Now if you are given the name Johann Alerdt Ahlers at birth and you come from Visbek ,you virtually carry the trademark "made in Visbek "given the good number of generations who carried that name in that farming community ,and it seemed extremely likely that Johann Alerdt was a brother of Gerhardus Ahlers and descendant of the 1395 farmer Johann Alerdt .
I have learned on this website never to sqander any bit of information given about our forefathers . If we know the names of Godparents or witnesses ,record them however irrelevant they at first appear to be .They often turn out to be of immense value later on .
So when Monika advised that her forefather Bernhard Heinrich Ahlers born 1813 ,(grandson of Gerhardus and Luzia ) married Catharina Maria Toenjes , the great great grand daughter of Johann Alerdt and Maria Gertrud Toenies ,and the new generation Ahlers babies started to arrive ,I was struck how baby Johann Heinrich Ahlers , had Heinrich Toenjes as Godfather,baby girl Wilhelmina had Uncle Herman Hinrich Toenjes AND Aunt Maria Gertrud Toenjes as Godparents .....Baby girl Elizabeth had Uncle Johan Berndt Toenjes as Godfather ,and at baby Jozeph Ahlers baptism ,Uncle Joe Toenjes was Pate ...
Not only did this information disclose at least 3 Toenjes folk ,which my records had missed ,but to me it proved conclusively that these Toenjes folk are as much my extended relatives as are the Ahlers .They too ,thanks to Prof Dr Pagenstert ,can look way back to the days of Charlemaine and claim that their Varnhuesen forefathers were amongst the very first in all of Saxony to go to a Christian service around 800 in the first Christian church in Visbek- Damme .Now isn't that worth leaving to your grandchildren ?
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