Jeffery-Bernhard Lensman sent the following report to Norma (Kirmse) Rauh in response to Norma’s request to search for information on the Kirmse family in the Rositz parish. This has been reviewed and edited to include corrections along with comments.

Report

Edited Version and Comments

March 11, 1990

Dear Norma,

I was able to get some good results for you on the Kirmse family in Rositz parish.

Source: Rositz parish records (1809-1875) [Films 1194434-35 & 1194454]

Marriages

Our Christoph KIRMSE was found to have married three times.

Marriage

This marriage was not found in the  Rositz parish records. Maria’s native village of Zippendorf belonged to another parish and the ceremony could be registered there:

Children baptized to Christoph KIRMSE and Maria FINDEISEN of Fichtenhainichen.

• Christine born 21 February 1820, 1st child and 1st daughter of mother.
• Hermann born 23 January 1822, 2nd child and 1st son of mother.
• Melchior born 9 August 1824. 3rd child, 2nd son of mother. (A sponsor was a Maria BEER of Zippendorf)
• Maria born 26 January 1826, 4th child and 2nd daughter of mother; died on 14 July 1826 and buried on the 17th.
• Jacob born 5 April 1827, 5th child and 3rd son of mother; died on 22 April 1827, age 17 days.
• Christoph born 13 October 1828, 6th child and 4th son of mother.

The mother, Maria FINDEISEN died after the birth of son Christoph on 24 November 1828, buried the same day, age 31 years and 11 months. [Born: calculated 24 December 1796].

Marriage

Christoph KIRMSE then remarried.

Marriage: 18 July 1829
Christoph KIRMSE, house owner and citizen of Fichtenhainichen, widower of his deceased wife, was married with Justine KRATSCH, daughter of the deceased Michael KRATSCH, gardner and citizen of Graasa[Großröda], the 1st daughter and 3rd child of his wife.

Children baptized to Christoph KIRMSE and Justine KRATSCH of Fichtenhainichen:

• Eva, born at 1 pm in the afternoon on 5 April 1830, baptized on the 18th.1st child and 1st daughter of mother.
  Sponsors:
  1. Eva, wife of Georg KOHLER of Menschuritz[Meuselwitz?]
  2. Michael JUNGHANNS of Fichtenhainichen
  3. Justine, wife of Christoph PENDORF of Schelditz
• Maria, born at 8 am in the morning on 8 March 1832, baptized on the 18th. 2nd child and 2nd daughter of mother.
  Sponsors:
  1. Michael DIETZE of Rositz
  2. Sophie SCHUMANN of Trahna
  3. Sophie KRATSCH of Zürchau
• Julius, legitimate son of Christoph KIRMSE, native farmer of Fichtenhainichen, and his wife Justine nee KRATSCH native of Graasa[Großröda], was born at 1 pm in the afternoon, on 6 February 1835, baptized on the 15th. 3rd child and 1st son of mother.
  Sponsors:
  1. Gottlieb DIETZE, house owner and carpenter of Rositz
  2. Marie MEUSCHKE, house wife of Michael MEUSCHKE of Kriebitsch
  3. Melchior KRATSCH, neighbor and gardner of Graasa[Großröda]

[The mother, Justine, died on 21 October 1842 and was buried on the 24th, age 40 years, 6 months and 3 days. (So born 1802) Rositz Church Book No 19 p127p]

Marriage

Christoph KIRMSE then remarried:

Marriage: 17 Nov 18??

Sophia WIEGNER

Children baptized to Christoph KIRMSE and Sophia WIEGNER of Fichtenhainichen:

• Bernard, born at x pm in the afternoon on 16 April 1845, baptized on the xth.1st child and 1st son of mother.

Julius’s step-mother, Sophie WIEGNER, died 4 August 1854 .

Julius’s father, Christoph KIRMSE, died of the flu at Fichtenhainichen, widower, at 3 am in the morning on 2 February 1863, buried on the 5th, age: 67 years. 5 months, and 6 days. (So was born c1796)

Death Records to Birth Dates:

With the above information I then set about to construct the lineage of Christoph and Justine. Without records prior to 1809 this task is difficult. However I extracted the following burials who I am certain are in some way connected to these families;

Burials

Christoph KIRMSE, of Fichtenhainichen, died at 12 midnight on 24 September 1832, buried the 27th, aged 70 years, 2 weeks and 6 days. (So born 1762 [Calculated 4 Sep 1762]. No doubt the father of Christoph KIRMSE who married Eva BEER in 1814),

Christine KIRMSE, nee POHNER, wife of deceased Christoph KIRMSE of Fichtenhainichen, died on 14 February 1837, buried on the 18th, aged 69 years, 4 weeks and 1 day. (So born 1768[Calculated 13 Jan 1768]. Wife of Christoph who died 1832)

Gottfried POHNER, widower of Fichtenhainichen, died 23 December 1849, buried the 26th, aged 80 years, 8 months and 3 days. (So born 1769.{Calculated  22 Apr 1769] Perhaps brother to Christine POHNER who married Christoph KIRMSE)

Michael KRATSCH, of Fichtenhainichen, died 2 January 1814, buried the 4th, aged 49 years, 7 months, 1 week and 1 day. (So born 1765 [Calculated 25 May 1764]. Perhaps son of Paul KRATSCH who died 1832, and father of Justine KRATSCH)

Paul KRATSCH, of Gorma, died 1 April 1832, aged 78 years, 2 months, 6 days. (So born 1744[Calculated 26 Jan 1754]. Perhaps father of Michael KRATSCH, and grandfather of Justine KRATSCH)

Christine KIRMSE, nee REICHENBACH, widow of Georg KIRMSE of Fichtenhainichen, died 13 May 1814, buried on the 15th, aged 75 years, 4 months and 1 day. (So born 1739[Calculated 12 Jan 1739]. As this is the earliest born KIRMSE connection, it would be possible for Georg and Christine to be the parents of Christoph KIRMSE who died 1832 and had son Christoph KIRMSE who married Eva BEER)

Other noted entries:

Sophie KIRMSE, nee WIEGNER, wife of Christoph KIRMSE of Fichtenhainichen, died 4 August 1854. buried on the 7th, aged 47 years, 3 months and 4 weeks. (So born 1807) [Third wife of our Christoph KIRMSE – see above]

Melchior KRATSCH, of Schelditz, widow, died of anemia at 3 am in the morning on 1 February 1863, buried on the 16th, aged 68 years, 7 months and 20 days. (So born 1789. Perhaps brother to Justine KRATSCH)

Maria FROEHLICH, nee KIRMSE, died 12 February 1831, aged 63 years, 5 months and 2 days.(So born 1768)

With no records for Rositz on film here prior to 1809 we have exhausted this source for continued research on the family at Rositz.

Possible Other Marriage

The following marriage has not been positively proven to involve the same Christoph KIRMSE who was the father of Julius KIRMSE, but is submitted since no other Christoph KIRMSE of that generation was found in the registers of Rositz:

Marriage: 4 September 1814
Christoph KIRMSE, house owner and citizen of Mamsdorf[Mumsdorf], son of Christoph KIRMSE of Mamsdorf[Mumsdorf], 2nd child and 1st son of his wife, was married with Eva BEER, daughter of Christoph BEER of Gorma, the 7th child and 4th daughter of his wife.

No children were baptized for Christoph and Eva at Rositz Parish. If in fact this is the same Christoph KIRMSE whose family is detailed above, it would become apparent that his wife, Eva, died within a few years of their marriage (her burial record was not found in Rositz parish) as “our” Christoph baptizes children by his wife, Maria FINDERSEN, native of Zippendorf, and at that time he was living at Fichtenhainichen: (See above)