Hello,
I have been researching my Cohrs ancestors (Henrich born about 1804, wife Sophia Miller, sons Ludwig & Henrich, daughters Maria & Elizabeth) who came from Hannover in 1860 on the vessel Dr. Barth. Lutheran church records in Michigan show son Henrich born 7 Apr 1843 in Bindsmirowitz, which I have been unable to find.
In 1903 a Michigan grandson of Heinrich 1804 wrote the following: The ancestry of the Cohrs family for many generations had been Hanoverian. They were of the peasantry, but the family had always been in comfortable circumstances. About the middle of the last century Henry Cohrs, who was a man of strong intellectual powers and fair education, became imbued with an ambition to better the condition of his family. He traced back the family record and found that his family, while honored and respected among their neighbors, had never been able to accomplish more than the securing of a fairly comfortable livelihood. The present he knew was fruitful of no better things and as for the future, the promise of better conditions was at best but vague and shadowy.
The following German phrase (as best I can make out) is on Heinrich's gravestone.
Zur Ruh Gist Nu geg r,ngpi
Unsterblich Leben hotangefungen
Jenseits von dem stillenlr,fer
Die seele horldes Vaters Ruf,ste schuingtauf zum Himmelszelf
Um,einzugelin zuk bessian well
Ueber wum deb ist Dein Schmerz
San ft rube nun o suszes Herz
A picture of an anchor is etched above this phrase. A German relative roughly translated this passage as "To rest you have gone, eternal life has started, rest in peace. The soul heard the father calling, looking up to heavens home. You moved to a better world. Gone is your pain. Rest now my sweetest heart."
Does anyone have any suggestions for further research on my Cohrs ancestors?
Have a great day!
Dawn