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The origin of this blog post is the result of the following correspondence and subsequent joint family research of Dale and Lori.

Dale wrote to Lori:

Just a note to let you know that the Heinrich Claus Cordes (1849-1899) and family in the Fritsche/Miesner Family Tree on Ancestry.com is a melding of two separate families, Heinrich Cordes (1849-1899) and Claus Heinrich Korte (1849-1932). Take a look at  the Kirmse Family Tree on Ancestry.com.

Lori responded with the following analysis:

Thanks, Dale! I knew something didn’t look right for the daughter Anna Christina in the 1900 Census because it shows that her father was still alive, even though Heinrich Cordes had died in 1899, so now this makes more sense! It certainly doesn’t help with every other person having the same names, same name for the spouse, and so on! It gets too confusing!

I do know that the German Family Tree (GFT) at the museum in Altenburg has the information incorrect also. [Note: The GFT is a compiled, alphabetical index of persons who are listed in church records and census records in the Perry County area. It is a great place to begin researching family history. The GTF leads researchers to other library resources such as family histories and digitized church records. Lori and Dale have both drawn material from this resource in the past.]

The GFT at the museum lists the Claus Heinrich KORTE family this way:

Claus Heinrich KORTE — 1849-1899 — m. Margaretha nee Meier — 1840-1902
1. Johann Peter August — 1873-74
2. Margaretha Sophia — 1874-1948
3. Anna Marie — 1876-1907
4. Heinrich — 1878-78
5. Martha Margaretha — 1879 – they show no death date/yr
6. Anna Christina — 1880-1969
7. Marie Christina — 1881 – they show no death date/yr
8. Johann Heinrich — 1884-84

It also looks like the GFT has the spouse connections different as well:

a) It shows the husband of Margaretha nee Meier (1840-1902) is Heinrich Klaus KORTE (1849-99).
b) It has Heinrich CORDES has the same birth date as Heinrich KORTE, and he is shown as married to the Margaretha nee Meier (1847-1929).

The GFT has the Heinrich Claus CORDE’s children as :

1. Johann Peter August— 1873-74
2. Anna Marie — 1876-1907
3. Heinrich — 1878-78
4. Martha Margaretha — 1879-1967 — this one DOES show a death date, unlike the one above.
5. Marie Christina — 1881-1915
6. Johann Heinrich — 1884 – no death date given

Margaretha Sophia and Anna Christina are not listed in the GFT’s tree with this second family.

The Heinrich KORTE who died in 1932 was younger than his wife, which matches the info in the 1900 Census — he’s shown to be 4 years younger than her in that record. And, that census also lists their daughters Margaret S H and Anna “O” — obviously it’s a C — which also match.

The Margaretha nee Meier who was a widow by the 1900 Census, correctly shows her as born in 1847; also her daughters Anna, Martha, and Mary, as well as a boarder “Richard”? Fritsche, born in 1873 — likely the Richard Bruno who was future husband of her daughter Anna.

So it looks like the GFT has some of the same mix-ups that I had, but then also mixed up spouses incorrectly. Good to see that I at least had the spouses matched correctly! I’ll email Lynn Degenhardt and bring this up with him.

You were absolutely right — I had some mistakes on here. I’m glad you pointed them out to me. Thanks!

If I have any more questions for you, I’ll be sure to ask! Same to you, if you have any questions for me. I’d be glad to help you if I have any answers!

Oops! My mistake I just noticed — I put Margaretha nee Meier as the wife of Heinrich Klause Korte, but it’s Margaretha nee CORDES, not Meier. And she is the sister of the Heinrich Cordes who died in 1899. Oh, the confusion!

Following this exchange, Lori and Dale did considerable joint family research to expand and correct both of their family trees.

Lynn Degenhardt was informed of the errors in the GFT and has made the suggested changes. Lynn wears many hats on the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum: Research Library team; the creator and maintainer of the ‘German Family Tree’ family research database, building committee chairman, and Executive Board VP.  Below are the current GFT entries for the Claus Heinrich KORTE and Heinrich CORDES families: