Family history is about more than dates and places; it’s about the stories we remember or discover. And sharing these stories is a wonderful way to remember our ancestors. Amy Johnson Crow has started another year of challenges for each of us to tell the stories of “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.” Each week also has an optional theme, with the theme for this first week of 2020 being “fresh start.” A Fresh Start for the Peters Family Map of immigration route created by JRS Sr In 1859, my 3x great grandparents, Joachim and Henriette (Bünger) Peters, and their six...
I have written a lot about one of my immigrant ancestors, Joachim Peters. He and his wife, Henriette, left “Germany” in 1859 with their six children and emigrated to America. My dad recently noticed that Joachim, shown in the photo below, had a patch on his lapel. As he studied the photo of his great, great grandfather, Joachim became a “real person” in his eyes. Look into his eyes. Do you see the man who left behind everyone but his wife and children to find a better life in America? Photo of Joachim Peters (1815-1894) Here’s what my dad wrote:...
One of the best parts of doing genealogy is meeting “new” cousins! I recently had the opportunity to spend a day with my newfound cousin, Terry, who is my 3rd cousin once removed. My 3rd great grandparents, Joachim and Henriette (Bünger) Peters, who I recently traced back to Germany, are our common ancestors. My cousin, Terry, and me at Clayton Library (Houston – March 2017) We met at Clayton Library in Houston and she brought a pile of photos and documents to share. We had a wonderful time discussing our family and getting to know each other. And, now I...
Last week, I posted on the “Pike County, Ohio Genealogy” Facebook group asking what church my German immigrant ancestors, the Peters family, might have attended. I knew that, in 1860, they had been enumerated in the township of Pee Pee in that county. And, from other church records I knew they were Evangelical Lutherans. By the next morning, I had information as to which church they probably attended and the name of a published booklet which contained the church records. I was also given the name of a library which had a copy of that booklet. I emailed the library...
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, “When was Uncle Teddy Born?,” Theodore Peters was listed as 6 years old in the 1860 census. However, it might not be clear to everyone that he was listed as 6. As you can see from the image above, the number next to Theodore looks like a long line followed by a short line. Why do I think this is a 6? After looking at many pages written by this enumerator, his “6” often looks the same: a long line followed by a short line. In the family above, it makes sense that...
Four sources have been found which give evidence for when Theodore “Teddy” Peters was born: When was Theodore Peters born? Source Listed Age Estimated Birth Year 1860 U.S. Federal Census1 6 1853 or 1854 1870 U.S. Federal Census2 10 1859 or 1860 1875 Kansas State Census3 16 1858 or 1859 Headstone4 – 1859 (stated) Although records created closest to an event are often the most accurate, in this case I do not believe that to be true. The first census which records Theodore Peters was in 1860. However, this census seems unreliable due to other known errors. [See my previous...
Building a Solid Case I am currently reading Christine Rose’s booklet, Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case, 4th Edition Revised. Chapter 2 discusses that, whether or not conflicting information is found, a conclusion must be written. But, we must weigh all of the evidence we’ve gathered. Two important questions to ask are “who created the record?” and “why was the record created?” Answering those questions can help us determine the reliability of each piece of evidence. My Research Question Who were the parents of Carl Peters? My Case Study: Resolving Conflicting Information 1860 U.S. Census, Pike County, Ohio, Pee Pee Twp,...
I recently met a “new” Peters cousin through Ancestry.com and we have been sharing photos and other information. She sent me two paintings that her family believed were of William Peters (1850-1927) and his wife, Mahala McFarland (1859-1906). William was a son of Joachim Peters (1815-1894), the immigrant patriarch I’ve been sharing about recently. Cousin’s Painting Labeled William Peters, son of Joachim Peters. Used with permission. Cousin’s Painting Labeled Mahala (McFarland) Peters, William Peters’ wife. (Used with permission.) When I saw the paintings, I thought they looked really familiar. My family has a photo of our Peters’ immigrant couple, Jochim...
In October, I started telling the story of one of my immigrant families: the Peters. My purpose was to find additional details about this family and their immigration, but I ended up tracing them back to Germany! I also broke through a “brick wall” and found their parents, too! This post is a summary of that discovery with links to the posts I shared as I traced this immigrant family. Custom Map Created by My Dad At some point, I heard a lecture or podcast about finding your ancestor’s ship arrival in a New York newspaper. And, that is where...
Last week, my dad sent me this photo which was labeled “Cassie McCluskey and Linda Peters.” He said the original was “so light you could hardly make out the figures of the two ladies. [He] had to push the contrast and darkness really hard to get an image, hence the jet black areas in some places (around Linda’s eyes for instance).” Photo Labeled “Cassie McCluskey and Linda Peters” but likely Cassie (McCluskey) Long and Luda (Tibbetts) Peters Although we are related to Peters, we do not have a Linda Peters – as either a maiden or married name – in...
