Hutschdorf Church Records
26
Helen (Kirmse) Hacker noted in an email March 1, 2009 that “Norma never could get Grandma’s family traced in Germany.” and followed up with the following statement:
Aunt Martha [(Kassel) Kirmse] said her [Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse’s] brother Adam stayed in Germany and 2 sisters came to America. The sisters names she [Aunt Martha] told me were wrong – think she had their daughter’s names instead.
As will be shown below, Norma actually had obtained information about Barbara’s family in Hutschdorf but drew wrong conclusions because of incorrect leads. In this chapter, the data that is given in the following letter is reviewed and compared it to information from family lore, census, immigration and death records.
Letter
This letter dated April 4, 1991 was received in response to a request that Norma made for information about Barbara Krause.
Attachments:
Transcription of Letter
Evang.-Luth. Pfarramt Hutschdorf
Hutschdorf 26, den
8656 Thumou
Raifelsenbank Thurnouer Land eG 10863
BLZ 77069739
11.4.1991
Nr 86 Az.
Evang.-Luth. Pfarramt Hutschdorf – 8656 ThumouMrs Norma Rauh
422 Myers
Alva, Ok. 73717
USAThre Anfrage zur Ahnenforschung “Barbara Kraus”
Sehr geehrte Frau Rauh!
Zu Ihrer Anfrage zir Ahnenforgschung “Barbara Kraus” teilen wir Ihnen folgendes mit:
Barbara Kraus wurde am 7. Mai 1842 in Hutschdorf geboren, ihre Eltern sind Jobst Kraus, Hausbesitzer and Taglohren dahier, und Anna Margaretha. geb. Göppner, Von Wernstein. (Kopie I)
Hutschdorf Die Heirat von Jobst Kraus and Anna Margaretha Göppner war am 13. Juni 1837. Der Vater des Brautigams is Johann Kraus, Herberger von hier und die Mutter der Braut (ein lediges Kind) is Katharina Göppner von Wernstein. (Kopie II)
Als weitere Schwester von Barbara Kraus konnten wir Margaretha Kraus finden, geb am 25. Dez 1838 zu Hutschdorf.
Anna Margaretha Kraus stirbt am 11. Januar 1846 im Alter von 33 Jahren in Hutschdorf.
Jobst Kraus, ihr Ehemann und jetzt Witwer, heiratet ein zweites Mal am 18. Mai 1847, und zwar eine Anna, geb. Rosa, Tochter des Wofgang Rosa, Taglohner zu Gossmannsreuth. Von diesm Ehepaar konnten wir ein Kind finden; Johann Georg Kraus, geb. am 19. Juli 1849.
In diesm gesuchten Zeitraum konnten wir ein anderes Eheparr mit dem Namen Krauss in unserer Kirchengemeinde finden, un zwar in Windischenhaig, das sind Johann Wolfgang und Anna Margaretha Krauss,geb. Pensel aus Porbitsch. Auch von ihnen konnten wir zwei Kinder finden, Barbara, geb. 29. Okt. 1841, und Andreas, geb. 1. Febr. 1845. Hier scheint dann die Mutter eine zweite Ehe eingegangen zu sein (auch mith einem Herrn Krauss), denn auch hier sind weitere Kinder vorhanden.
Jobst Kraus and Johann Wolfgang Kraus scheinen aber keine Bruder zu sein, also deren Kinder uach keine Cousins!
Des weitern gibt es im fraglichen Zeitraum witere Familien mit dem Namen Kraus/Krauss in unserer Kirchengemeinde. Es is also sehr schwierig, eine Katharina oder Anna Kraus ohne jegilichen Anhaltspunkt einer Jahrezahl, z. B. Geburtsdatum, zu finden, denn auch diese Vornamen sind verbreite. Falls Sie zu diessen von Ihner gesuchten Personen ein Geburtdatum haven, konnen Sie sich gerne nochmals an uns wenden
Wir hoffen, Ihenen mit diesen Informationen ein Stuch weitergeholfen zu haben.
Mi freundlichen Grussen!
Translation
Norma, upon receiving the letter, requested and received the following handwritten translation and cover letter from Anita Perkins of Liberal, Kansas.
Translation of Letter
Applying several electronic translators to the above transcription of the letter, provided the following translation. While this translation is not exactly the same as the handwritten translation, there are no major differences.
Evang.-Luth. Pfarramt Hutschdorf
Hutschdorf 26, den
8656 Thumou
Raifelsenbank Thurnouer Land eG 10863
BLZ 77069739
11.4.1991
Nr 86 Az.
Evang.-Luth. Pfarramt Hutschdorf – 8656 Thumou
Mrs Norma Rauh
422 Myers
Alva, Ok. 73717
USAYour request for genealogical research “Barbara Kraus”
Dear Ms. Rauh!
To your request for genealogical research “Barbara Kraus” we inform you that:
Barbara Kraus was born on 7 May 1842 in Hutschdorf, her parents are Jobst Kraus, a homeowner and day laborer(paid by the day), and Anna Margaretha, born Goeppner, of Wernstien. (Copy I)
The Marriage of Jobst Kraus and Anna Margaretha Goeppner was 13 June 1837. The groom’s father is Johann Kraus, innkeeper from here, and the mother of the bride (an illegitimate child) is Katharina Goeppner of Wernstein. (Copy II)
As another sister of Barbara Kraus we could find Margaretha Kraus, born on 25 December 1838 of Hutschdorf.
Anna Margaretha Kraus died 11 January 1846 at the age of 33 years in Hutschdorf.
Jobst Kraus, her husband and now a widower, married a second time on 18 May 1847, one Anna, nee Rosa, daughter of the Wolfgang Rosa, day laborer in the town of Gössmannsreuth. From this couple we could find a child, Johann Georg Kraus, born on 19 July 1849.
In this time period we could find another couple named Krauss in our church, in Windischenhaig that are Johann Wolfgang and Anna Margaretha Krauss born, Pensel from Pörbitsch. Also, we could find two of their children, Barbara, born 29 October 1841, and Andreas, born 1 February 1845. Here, then, the mother seems to have entered into a second marriage (with a Mr. Krauss), because here are more children.
Jobst Kraus and Johann Wolfgang Kraus but seem to have no brothers or sisters, so no nieces or nephews and no cousins!
The larger time period in question, the more families named Kraus/Krauss are in our church community. It is very difficult to find Katherina or Anna Kraus, without any clue of a year, for example to find birth, because these are common names and are very wide spread. If you have a birth date for the people you are looking for, please feel free to contact us again
We hope to have helped you with this information a bit.
Best Regards!+
Norma’s Conclusion
The following envelope contained the response to a request Norma made for information about Barbara Krause.
Aunt Norma concluded according to her note on the envelope, “I do not think this the right Barbara Krause”,
Norma’s Continued Search
Norma wrote another request to publish an ad for more information on Barbara Krause and family.
From the above letter, Norma thinks Barbara lived in region around Hutschdorf, Bavaria and says that the family story is that Barbara had two sisters who came to the USA, Anna (Schuetz) and Katarina (Krauss). Norma also notes that she sent a letter to the State Archive at Kulmbach and the letter was forwarded to the parish at Hutschdorf. The letter she received from the Hutschdorf parish church does contain information about a Barbara Kraus. But Norma does not believe the information sent was about her Barbara Krause.
Note that Norma has Barbara’s birth date as being 17 May 1842 which is 10 days later than Barbara’s Death Certificate and the above church record. And, Norma has Barbara’s sisters given first names as Anna (Schuetz) and Katarina (Krauss).
No response was found in Aunt Norma’s files to the second request for genealogical information on Barbara Krause.
Conclusions
- Barbara’s birth date (May 7, 1842) given in the above church record is the same as is calculated from our Barbara’s Death Certificate: death date (February 20, 1920) – age at death (77 yr 9 mo 13 da) = birth date: May 7, 1842.
- According to the Bremen Barque Fortuna passenger manifest, Margaretha (Kraus) Schuetz was 23 years old when she immigrated to New York in October 1862. Hence, Margaretha was born about 1839. This closely matches the Hutschdorf birth record date (25 December 1838 ) of Margaretha, daughter of Anna Margaretha (Goeppner) and Jobst Kraus, (Note: The 1870 US Census has that Margaret was born about 1842 which is about 3 years later than her birth record – the census record appears to be wrong.)
- While there is no mention of a daughter named Renada in the letter, Renada’s death certificate lists her father as Jobst Krauss. The birth date, 6 April 1836, as given in Renada’s death certificate is over a year before the marriage of Jobst Kraus and Anna Margaretha Göppner, 13 June 1837. Possibly Jobst had previously been married and Renada is a half sister of Margaretha and Barbara.
- The letter does note that there was a half brother, Johann Georg Kraus, born on 19 July 1849. Barbara and Margaretha’s mother, Anna Margaretha Kraus, died 11 January 1846 in Hutschdorf and their father remarried on 18 May 1847. Hence the brother’s name, Adam, that Norma was given is incorrect.
- The 1870 US Census gives Margaret Schuetz’s daughter names as being Barbara and Anna. Also, in the same census, Renarde Krause’s daughter names are given as Hannah and Catherine. The names (Anna and Catherine) given to Norma for the two sisters were instead the names of their respective younger daughters.
- The wrong names for Barbara’s sisters apparently lead Norma to reject the information in the letter. However, it was due to Norma’s efforts that the connection of Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse to her family in Bavaria was found.