In the beginning...Selma Kampe, 1939, who is she?

     Selma Kampe, 1939, who is she? Who am I? My mom, Mildred Schuler Kampe, told me, “I know nothing about my family. As a child I played with some children that were family, but I never knew how we were related.” Mom would continue by adding that when someone came to the front door, no matter the weather, the children went outside. Mom knew names such as Couch, Thayer, Armstrong, Woodin, Morey because the family would travel from Lockport, Illinois, to LaSalle County, Illinois, to visit “family.” As an adult, it was Wilma Woodin Morey that added connections. In the 1990s when I started genealogy, mom told me that there was no family information anywhere. She was surprised when I added connections to the family names from my research.

     As a child, I was curious, “Where did we come from?” I was told to sit in the corner and keep quiet, don’t ask questions, don’t pester the old people. Until, I met Joey Blackmon and he opened up a whole new world of research using public records such as census and newspapers. Now at 85 years old, I want to keep my research public and encourage others to share. I am in the process of donating all of my collection to a community college museum. My research will never be complete; I  am currently organizing the material as follows:

My six generations include me as generation1 are color coded and numbered. The plan works with both digital and paper folders. My paper folders are third cut, the center tab is for my direct line, the left tab is for my collateral line, the right tab is for surname research. The colors chosen are paternal blue and green, maternal red and yellow.

 Generation 1: Selma Kampe, 1939 - 01, blue, green, red, yellow

Generation 2: Henry Kampe, 1916-1983 / Mildred Schuler, 1919-2008 - 02 blue and red

Generation 3: William Kampe, 1883-1960 /  Selma Elsner, 1887-1928 -  03 blue

                       William Schuler, 1871-1964 / Nettie Couch, 1885-1965 - 03 red

Generation 4: John Kampe, 1847-1917 / Anna Dralle, 1859-1950 – 04 blue

                       Carl “Charles” Elsner, 1852-1941 / Karolina Koppelman, 1861-1933 – 04 green

                       John Schuler, 1841-1916 / Lena Baumgarten, 1842-1916 – 04 red

                       Eugene Couch, 1851-1925 / Laura Armstrong, 1857-1931 – 04 yellow

Generation 5: Fredrick Kampe, 1826-1908 / Charlotte Heumann, 1826-1895 – 05 blue

                       Frederick Dralle, 18131874 / Sophia Sieling, 1825-? – 05 blue

                       Hans “John” Elsner, 1814-1876 / Sophie Wrede, 1819-1910 – 05 green

                       Frederich Koppelman, 1825-1891 / Maria Prestin, 1835-1891, 05 green

                      John Schuler, 1815-1875 / Anna VonGunten, 1819-1887 – 05 red

                      Christian “Charles” Baumgarten, 1804-1868 / Henrietta Ronitz, 1812-1979 – 05 red

                      Elisha T Couch, 1820-18-96 / Jane Dunham, 1923-1906 ‘ 05 yellow

                      Nathan Armstrong, 1831-1895 / Jane Baker, 1939-1879 – 05 yellow

Generation 6: Kampe/Heumann unknown

                       Dralle unknown

                       Frederich Sieling, ?-? / Louise Hohler, ?-? – 06 blue

                       John Elsner,  1780-? / Augustine Adam, 1779-1841 – 06 green

                       Frederick Wrede, 1783-? / Maria Adam, 1789-? – 06 green

                       Ernst Koppelmann, 1791-1846 / Dorothea Strubing, 1798-1875 – 06 green

                       Fredrich Prestin, ?-? / Christine Schween, ?-?, 06 green

                       Johann Georg Schuler, 1792-1860 / Agnes Zimmermann, 1787-? – 06 red

                       Johannes VonGunten, 1798-? / Elisabetha Buhler, 1788-? 06 red

                       Johann Baumgarten, ?-? / ?, 06 red

                       Karl Ronitz, ?-? / ? – 06 red

                       Elisha Couch, abt 1776-1854 / Lucy Loveland, 1778- abt 1854 – 06 yellow

                       William F. Dunham, 1799- abt 1880 / Sarah Metcalf, 1803-1887 – 06 yellow

                       Mathew Armstrong, 1801-1870 / Elinor Nelson, 1808-? in CA – 06 yellow

                       Eldridge Reynolds Baker Sr., 1803-1878 / Lara Woodruff, 1800-1888 – 06 yellow

      Next question; how do I know that fact? Every fact needs a citation; where did it come from even if it is only someone’s tree. Daily I learn new things and/or ways. Now I have family and friends encourage me and hopefully I am encouraging others. My personal “in the beginning…”starts with Genesis 1 and genealogy in Genesis 5, 10, 11 and Matthew 1. My Aunt Eleanor Schuler Boldt taught me Matthew 6:33. She lived her life as a great example to me. As in the Bible, God is interested in genealogy/families; I am also to be interested in individuals.

Schuler, John : Migration, Immigration, Emigration

 

Migration, immigration or emigration, what do you want to know about your family? Though family wanderings may appear haphazard, a purpose or decision is hidden within every move. Together, the move and the purpose create a great story. First the family historian needs to learn a few basic terms. Migration means moving from place to place. Immigration reveals the new home or the move from the homeland to the new country. Emigration reveals the origin or the homeland. John Schuler (1815-1875) provides an appealing case study. My example, John Schuler emigrated from Endingen, Germany in June 1833. John immigrated to Baltimore, Maryland between July and September 1833. In 1838, John married Anna VonGunten in Wood County, Ohio. He migrated to Lockport, Illinois about 1840. About 1854, John left Lockport, continued west and ended in Sacramento, California in 1872. What caused him to leave his wife and six children? Was it financial? He provided a home for his family. His descendants live on the same land purchased from the Illinois and Michigan Canal Association. He and his wife attended Christmas church services in 1852. Did he send money home?

In order to follow the trails, the family historian must study history, migration routes, geography and the push and pull factors. The push and pull factors provide the motivation or incentives. The push circumstances encourage the people to leave an area; the pull attracts the people to a new location. David J. Sautter researched extensively the families that left Endingen for America. According to David's research, the population of the small agricultural village reached 699 inhabitants by December 1834. Had living conditions become so crowded that Johann George and Agnes Schuler felt their future and that of their children would be brighter in America? They were one of the first to leave..." Johann Georg Schuler and his wife, Agnes Zimmermann, left sometime in June of 1833 with their five children. Johannes Schuler, the eldest child, was 19. David J. Sautter's research is available on Family Search.org.

Sources for general knowledge include:

• Smith, Juliana Szucs. "Coming to America: Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors." September 1, 2010. Ancestry online classes (video). [http://www.ancestry.com/cs/us/videos]
• Family Search.org - research the Wiki by place or topic. [https://familysearch.org].
• Place Name Maps - ideal for cities that have changed names or are no longer in existence [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html]
• The National Map: Historical Topographic Map Collection - study the land for rivers and contours [https://www.usgs.gov/]
• Surname distribution maps show graphical locations where surnames occurred at different periods in time [https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Surname_Distribution_Maps]
• The Ships List offers fleet lists, passenger lists, ship arrivals, marriages at sea, famine emigrants, ship wrecks, events of 1862, diaries and journals and immigration reports [http://www.theshipslist.com/]

Hints for a specific family or person's migration pattern may be found in the census, draft or military records, pension records, family lore, vital records, newspaper clippings, intent for naturalization and naturalization. For John Schuler, David J. Sautter's research offers the place of birth and emigration date. The Baltimore, Maryland ship manifest provides the immigration date and port. A digital image of the Wood County, Ohio marriages provides John and Anna's marriage place and date in 1838. The U.S. census for 1850 places the family in Lockport, Will County, Illinois. A newspaper announcement places John in Sacramento, California in 1872. Cemetery records for the Lockport City Cemetery return John to Lockport, Illinois. He was buried on August 25, 1875. His personal records are on my Roots_Digger [Under Construction] Family Tree on Ancestry.com. John Schuler provides an interesting case study; more family stories will follow.

Questions or comments? Please contact Selma Blackmon, thank you