Hi Bonnie,
if it is taken from an old church record, then it is very unlikely that it
means Neighbor, cause the neighbors were normally not registrated. If it is
fom civil registration, then the informant was noted at the top of the
document, at the very beginning. Then the text normally starts with
Today, the (day of week, date) Mr. xy (place of residing, or sometimes may
be neighbor) appeared in the civil registration office and announced......
I have never seen that neighborship is announced in a church record. I think
it might be "Nachkommen", which is "descendants" in English.
Regards
Bernd
Ah, Ralf, I think you've got it!!! It is from a churchbook, St. Martini's
Ev. Lutheran Church
Hi Bernd,
Thanks for replying!
The microfilm is listed as church records on the LDS site. The first five years (1810-1814) are written in long-hand form, faded and hard to read. The death records begin with a date, then list two people who I believe are informants, with a description of these informants, such as occupation, age, and sometimes relationship to the deceased. Next is the date of death and the deceased's name and age, given in years, months, weeks, and days. At the very bottom the "informants" signed their names. If the deceased was a child, the parents' names were given before the child's name. These records are mixed in with baptisms, marriage banns, and marriages.
From 1815 to 1847 the records are in table form on pre-printed sheets, all
marriages together, baptisms together, and deaths together. These are in church format with the pastor's name listed, (much easier to read), but don't give informant's names, only the deceased's name, age, occupation or relationship to the husband or father, dates of death and burial, and the pastor's name. Later records may also include surviving family's names in the notes.
Perhaps these first years were civil registrations added to the church books? In looking at the records, I do believe "Nachbar" is correct - it fits the number of letters and what I thought was a "ten", could easily be a "bar".
Again, thank you to all who have replied! Sometimes it is like opening a window in a dark corner!
Bonnie