Dear Group,
I am a member of this group and have no affiliation with Family Tree DNA. I'm a customer.
I had 56 matches with my Family Finder (5th cousin to distant) test but few who had ancestry from East Prussia, that's why I wrote.
Sincerely,
Carol Szabo
Dear Carol,
I am a member of this group and have no affiliation with Family Tree DNA. I'm a customer.
I had 56 matches with my Family Finder (5th cousin to distant) test but few who had ancestry from East Prussia, that's why I wrote. <
Please, don't worry - it's people's nature to judge before they think...
Concerning FN DAVID please consider similar names like DAVIDEIT, DAVIDIS,
DAVIDOWITZ and DAVIDSOHN ((von) DAVISSON), also DAWID, DAWIDEIT,
v. DAWIDOWSKI and DAWIED; maybe also DAWILS and DAWISON.
A Jewish ancestry has to be looked at.
Concerning your last name please consider that it might be a "short name" for SZABGINSKY,
SZABRIES, SZABUNIEWITZ - and other names starting with "SZAB (SCAB) ...".
Names have been changed everywhere for better "understanding" and reading - not just in the States.
Kind regards from Germany --- Gisela
Hello
From Tania Drebenstedt /
sahry@candw.ky
ich moechte Auskunft ueber Familien
Gottlieb Pupka ( geboren circa 1870 )
seine Frau war Sophie Geb. Kowalewski
mutter der Frau eine geborene Dembski
Gottlieb Pukpa und Familie wohnten bis circa 1923 in Reifenrode nun
Prawdzisken
Masuren-Ostpreussen / Kreis-stadt Lyck-Gumbinnen/
History des dorfes Reifenrode / History gegend Gumbinnen>
Ich moechte gerne feststellen wie viele Jahre Familie Pupka's / Vorfahren
in Ostpreussen verbrachten? und wer war Gottlieb und dessen Familie?
Gottlieb Pupka und Ehefrau Sophie hatten zwei Soehne und 3 Toechter:
Wilhem Geb in 1896
Johanna Geb ?
Helene Geb.?
Reinhold Geb. ?
Gertrud Geb. ?
Verwandte der familie Pupka - Kowalewski war eine Familie namens Omilian
gute Freunde war eine Familie August Dudeck ( Dudek )
diese Familie August Dudeck wohnte spaeter ab 1947 in Richrath Rheinland/
Vielen Dank fuer informationen
Tania Drebenstedt
Gisela,
Greetings from North Carolina
I noticed you are familiar with unusual names including "SZAB." My
grandfather is from Paprotken, Landkreis Lötzen, East Prussia. This is a
tiny village, now Paprotki, Poland, on a small lake south of Gizycko,
Poland.
His name was Leopold CZANERA before he changed it to Sanera when he came to
America. He was born May 6, 1880. I have had no luck locating his family in
East Prussia, although there are several families now in Germany (near
Munich and Dortmund) with the name CZANERA. We have communicated, but they
also have no records of their families from East Prussia. I would
appreciate any assistance with this most unusual name.
I am originally from Arizona. You might be interested that there is a very
small village in Arizona named "Gisela," south of the town of Payson.
Because of the Spanish influence in Arizona, the "G" is pronounced as an
"H."
Regards, Michael Sanera
Dear Michael,
Paprodtken belonged to the civil registry office of Rydzewen and also to the evangelic church Rydzewen.
To get the birth record from 1880 you�ll have to write to Poland:
http://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/index.php?l=en&mode=search&word=Rydzewen+&operator=and&word2=
Archiwum Panstwowe w Suwalkach Oddzial w Elku
ul. Armii Krajowej 17A
19-300 Elk
tel: (87) 621-38-02
fax: 621-43-45
email: elk@suwalki.ap.gov.pl
There you may ask for other relatives or the land records of the parents, e.g. in the marriage or death records.
Mit den besten Gr��en,
Marc Plessa
Marc,
Thank you very much. Someone on this listserv already informed me of that
archive. I wrote a hardcopy and email letter to that address on 24 Feb
2010. I used a translation program to write the letter in both English and
Polish. I have not heard from them.
Did I make a mistake or do it incorrectly? Do they need payment up front? I
am relatively new at this so I may have made a beginners mistake?
Has anyone on the list had success writing to this archive?
Vielen Dank,
Michael Sanera
Hello Michael,
Greetings from Germany to Arizona !
I am not necessarily familiar with unusual names, however always interested
and curious. 
Marc already was so kind to answer you.
I looked up your FN CZANERA in the so called "Quassowski-Kartei".
Your CZANERA is not listed, however, there are similar names:
CZARNECKI
CZARNETTA
CZARNETZKI
CZARNICKI
CZARNIECK
CZARNIETZKI
v. CZARNIEWSKI
CZARNIK
CZARNIKOW
CZARNINSKI
CZARNOJAN
etc...
There are only six addresses listed in the German telephone book with the name of CZANERA.
It seems to be an unsual name, but please consider its alternation / change, especially when people moved to other states or countries. "CZ" is pronounced "TSH" - like the sound a train makes. 
Since nobody in the States was able to pronounce your forefather's name, he or she changed to Sanera. Now it sound like spanish-mexican, however the origin lies in Prussia and Poland - probably the whole Baltic area.
I am originally from Arizona. You might be interested that there is a very
small village in Arizona named "Gisela," south of the town of Payson.
Because of the Spanish influence in Arizona, the "G" is pronounced as an
"H."
Thank you for this information. Maybe I will visit my "name town" one day ?
Take care. Kind regards from Germany --- Gisela
Gisela,
Vielen Dank to you and Marc. Yes, CZANERA is a very unusual name and that is
why I am having so much trouble finding his family records
Sometime ago I contacted some of the Czanera's in Germany. We could not
prove our relationship because the records were lost after WWII?? I will
try again.
I have written to the Polish Archive that Marc mentions, but no reply. Do
you think a phone call would work? Do you think they would have English
speaking staff?
Do you think the archives in Berlin or Leipzig would have records of my
grandfather? I seem to recall reading that some of the records where moved
west prior to the Soviet occupation of East Prussia??
My grandfather also served in the German army before coming to America in
1907. Do you know where his army records might be obtained. I have
searched some online sites without success.
Danke für auf English schreiben. Ich verstehe nur ein bisschen Deutsch.
Michael
Hello Michael,
Sometime ago I contacted some of the Czanera's in Germany. We could not
prove our relationship because the records were lost after WWII?? I will
try again.
there were a lot of records lost, and deliberately destroyed - even long before WW II.
I have written to the Polish Archive that Marc mentions, but no reply. Do
you think a phone call would work? Do you think they would have English
speaking staff?
I, personally have never been in contact with Polish archives, however, as far
as I know, a written request is "standard procedure". You can write a letter
to Poland in English !
Do you think the archives in Berlin or Leipzig would have records of my
grandfather? I seem to recall reading that some of the records where moved
west prior to the Soviet occupation of East Prussia??
I don't know, if they might have records of your grandfather, however, if
you write them (in English), please give the archives all possible information
you have - especially town / city and the community area (called 'Kreis').
You can send me a "sample letter" which I gladly translate for you.
My grandfather also served in the German army before coming to America in
1907. Do you know where his army records might be obtained. I have
searched some online sites without success.
There is a so-called "Wehrmachtsstelle". Maybe Marc or someone else
has its current address ? If this office has records of the war in the late 19th
century, I really don't know. It has records of the I. and II.WW.
Danke für auf English schreiben. Ich verstehe nur ein bisschen Deutsch.
Macht nix, no problem - and you are welcomed.
Kind regards to Arizona --- Gisela
Hello Michael,
[...] , please give the archives all possible information
you have - especially town / city and the community area (called 'Kreis').
A 'Kreis' or 'Landkreis' is a county.
There is a so-called "Wehrmachtsstelle".
"Wehrmachtsauskunftstelle": Most personell records of the Imperial German Army of WW I were destroyed in WW II.
Regards,
Rolf-Peter
Rolf-Peter,
Vielen Dank,
Thanks for the information and encouragement. I will keep trying.
Michael
Gisela,
Vielen dank. Thank you for your help and encouragement. With your
information, I will keep trying.
Michael