Greeting to all!
My German forbears came from the Rhineland and from Bavaria.
The STRAUFF family originated in the area around WALDORF in the
Vorgebirge...and some of them eventually moved to Koln,. My
Greatgrandfather, Michael was a 'STEINDRUCKER" ( I would like to know
exactly what profession a Steindrucker was in the 1800s) tAugust was
born in 1853 and emigrated to the USA in 187, when he was 18
.
August Strauff's' mother was Alwine MAFFRY from Bielefeld. She was born
in 1823, and was orphaned quite young. Her father was a barber ( can
anyone tell me what a barber did in the early 1800s???) I am
particularly interested in the name MAFFRY. I think it came from the
Alsace and was there MAFFRE. Might even earlier have come from portugal
MAFFRA. If anyone has any knowledge about this name, I would very much
appreciated learning it.
On the other side, my grandmother , Paulina HAMPER, was born in
Buchenbach ( with an umlaut- quite near Erlangen)
Her father was a carpenter- and died quite young. Paulina's
stepfather's last name was FEUCHT I have learned that Paulina's mother'
family name was POLSTER and that further back there was a family named
KOERNER All in the same area.
I am quite interested in learning anything about any of these families,
professions,persons. Oddly enough, my daughter travelled in Europe and
met and married a young medical student , Ludwig HERMANS. They live in a
little dorf, Zulpich-Ulpenich where he is the village doctor and she is
the psychoanalyist. They have two daughters who are interested in their
German forbears.
All of these families were Roman Catholics.
Thank you all,
Mary-LIna