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Attic Treasures Old Baptismal Records involving Mensinger, Rothenberger, Mumme and Klingeman

By Janet E. Rupert I got into family history as a kid, so when my husband and I met some thirty years ago, I was astonished at how little his parents knew about their Pennsylvania Dutch/German ancestors. Despite their limited interest and because of my innate curiosity about family origins, I persisted. Eventually my mother-in-law, while unable to comprehend my fascination with all these dead people, mentioned that she had some old papers in a trunk in the attic. I immediately sent my husband up the ladder, and he returned with a gold mine of information--Fraktur baptismal certificates and other documents that took his mother's line back to the early 1800s. These early Palatines settlers may have descendants or collateral lines living today who would appreciate knowing the information contained in these old documents, which are now in my possession. These ancestors were part of a Pennsylvania German community that migrated north of the Blue Mountains in the early 1800s from settlements in the Lehigh Valley, and in Berks and Lebanon counties. They established settlements in the valley where the modern day townships of Black Creek and Sugarloaf in Luzerne County adjoin Beaver and neighboring Main and Mifflin townships in Columbia County, and touch on Union, North Union and East Union townships in Schuylkill County. These families affiliated with several early German union churches, and intermarried amongst their ethnic community. Samuel Mensinger, son of Ludwig and Gertrude Rothenberger Mensinger The oldest document in the collection is in rather poor condition. At some time in the past, someone affixed the fragile original to a wax-paper-like material, apparently hoping to prevent further deterioration. The document has tears, holes and discoloration in several places, making it difficult to decipher. My best interpretation of the information follows (translated from the original German script): Note: I used italics to identify the information that was written into the preprinted form.

Birth and Baptism Certificate To this married couple, Ludwig Mensinger and his legal wife, Gertraud, born Rothenberger Is born into the world a son on the 29 day October in the year of our Lord 18[ ] at [damage obscures the year; 1820 is written in margin] The time of -- o'clock [not completed] In Mifflin Township, Columbia County in the state of Pennsylvania In North America; and received at Holy Baptism The name of Samuel On the -- day -- in the year 18-- [not completed] By the Pastor Adam [difficult to read; this is my best guess] Baptism witnesses were Jacob Mensinger And his wife Mariah [difficult to read; this is my best guess]

VOLUME 37 NUMBER 7 PAGE 11 ISSN 8756 811X AUGUST 2017

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The 1820 federal census for Mifflin Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, which was recorded on 7

August 1820, lists Ludwig Mensinger as head of a household containing six persons: one male 26 through

44; one female 16 through 25 (probably Gertrude, although the tick mark may appear in the wrong column

as she was about 32 at this time); two males and two females under 10, possibly older siblings of Samuel

not yet identified.1.

Jacob Mensinger, baptismal sponsor, appears in the same township in 1820, heading a household of five

persons, including a male and a female 26 through 44 (presumably Jacob and his wife), along with three

other females, two 10-15 and one 16-25.2. Jacob and Ludwig may be related, possibly brothers.

The handwriting for the name of Jacob Mensinger's wife is difficult to decipher. In the 1850 census, Jacob

Mentzinger (a variant spelling used by the family), age 73, appears in Mifflin township with his presumed

wife, 70-year-old Mary. She could be the woman whose name I interpreted as Mariah on the baptismal

certificate.3.

Unfortunately the certificate does not identify the church nor specify the date of baptism, and the pastor's

name is difficult to decipher. My best guess is Adam. A history of Lutheran churches in the vicinity

mentions an Anthony Adam who was elected elder in the Briar Creek Congregation, the first congregation

in this vicinity, as early as 1804, and that a Rev. Adams was an early Reformed pastor in that area,4. so

perhaps one of these individuals baptized this child.

Maria Mumme, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Klingeman Mumme

Next earliest document, in similar condition, records the baptism of the child who grew up to marry Samuel

Mensinger.

Transcription and translation of this Birth and Baptism Certificate:

To this married couple, Samuel Mumme and his legal wife, Elizabeth, born Klingeman, is born into the world a daughter on the 2 December 1825 in year of our Lord 1825. This daughter was born in Mifflin Township in Columbia County, in the state of Pennsylvania in North America and was baptized and given the name Maria [specific date not recorded] in the year of our Lord 1825 by Pastor Beninger. The baptism witnesses were Johann Klingemann and his wife Elizabeth.

Samuel does not appear as a head of household in 1820; he is possibly the male age 16 to 25 in the

household of Jacob Mummy in Mifflin Township.5. Samuel Mummey appears in the 1830 federal census in

Catawissa Township (which adjoins Mifflin), Columbia County, Pennsylvania, heading a household of eight

persons: one male and one female ages 30 through 39 (presumably Samuel and Elizabeth); two males and

one female under 5; and two males and one female ages 5 through 9.6. The female under age five is

probably Maria; the other children are likely siblings whose names I have not yet identified.

The 1820 census for Mifflin Township includes a John Klingman whose household includes several females

in the right age ranges for Elizabeth. John Jr. heads a separate household of two people, a male and

female ages 16-25.7. Perhaps this young couple is the Johann and wife Elizabeth who served as the

baptismal sponsors for Maria five years later. Possibly John is the child's uncle, brother to Elizabeth

Klingeman Mumme. Likely candidates for the baptismal sponsors appear in the 1850 federal census as

John Klingman, age 50, laborer, and Elizabeth, age 44, living in Main Township, Columbia County.8. Main

Township was created in 1844 from Mifflin and Catawissa Townships.

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Pastor John Jacob Benninger resided in Mountain Grove, Black Creek Township, Luzerne County where he

served the Friedens Union Church, as well as multiple other Lutheran congregations in the vicinity, including

Emmanuel's in Main Township and Harger's (St. Peter's) in Beaver Township, both of which were organized

in 1822.9. Perhaps the family affiliated with one of those congregations.

Henry Mensinger, son of Samuel and Mary Mumme Mensinger

According to the transcribed records of Rev. Shellhammer, Reformed Minister, Samuel Mensinger married

Mary Mumme on 19 October 1845.10. The baptism of their first child, Mary Ann, born 5 July 1846 and

baptized 5 September that year, appears in the records of St. Paul's Union Church, also known as The Old

White Church, near Ringtown, Union Township Schuylkill County.11. None of the couple's subsequent

children appear in those records.

This Fraktur documents the baptism of their

second child and oldest son, Henry:

Transcription: To these two parents, as

Samuel Mensinger, and his wife Mary, born Mumme,

was born a son the 10 day of December in the Year

of our Lord 1847. It was born in Beaver Township,

Columbia County, State of Pennsylvania, was baptized

by the Revd. I.Bahl, and received the Name Henry on

the -- day of -- 1848. Witness present at the Act of

Baptism: Jacob Klingeman and his wife Mary.

The 1850 federal census for Beaver Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, taken on 24 October,

records Samuel Mentsinger, age 30, laborer who doesn't report owning any real estate, and Mary, age 22.

Also in the household are Mary A, age 4, Henry, age 3, and William F., age 10 months.12, Two Klingman

households appear next to this family and another one is listed on the following page, two households after.

That one is headed by Jacob Klingman, age 32, farmer with real estate worth $700, and includes Mary, age

31.13. They appear good candidates for the baptismal witnesses and may be related to Mary Mensinger

through her mother Elizabeth Klingamen Mumme.

Isaiah Bahl appears in the 1850 federal census as a Lutheran clergyman residing in the town of Berwick,

Columbia County.14. He served the Berwick Parish, which included St. John's Lutheran Church in Mifflin

Township and Harger's (St. Peter's) in Beaver Township.15. The Mensinger family, who had lived in both of

these townships, likely affiliated with one of these congregations.

To be continued…

The collection includes a number of certificates and related documents from the second half of the 1800s which I plan to share in future articles. jerupert1@verizon.net

REFERENCES 1 1820 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Mifflin Township, p. 39, Ludwig Mensinger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M33, roll 101, image 50. 2 1820 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Mifflin Township, p. 38, Jacob Mensinger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M33, roll 101, image 50. 31850 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Mifflin Township, p. 258B, Jacob and Mary Mentzinger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M432, roll 769, image 233. 4 Rev. S.E. Ochsenford, D.D. and Rev. O.E. Pflueger, A.M., Jubilee Memorial Volume of the Danville Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania and Adjacent States(Danville,Pennsylvania: Danville Conference,1898), p.41. 5 1820 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Mifflin Township, p. 39, Jacob Mummy; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M33, roll 101, image 50. 6 1830 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Catawissa Township, p. 151, Saml Mummey; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M19, roll 165.

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7 1820 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Mifflin Township, p. 38, John and John Jr. Klingman; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M33, roll 101, image 49. 8 1850 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Main Township, p. 270A, John and Elizabeth Klingman; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M432, roll 769, image 256. 9 Ochsenford, Jubilee Memorial of Danville Conference, pp. 118-120, 124, and 209. 10Dalice Fadden, transcriber. "Marriages and Burials, 1832-1872, Rev. Shellhammer, Reformed Church of Luzerne, Schuylkill & Columbia Counties," Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USGenWeb Archives Project (http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/luzerne/church/shellham01.txt: accessed 5 July 2017), Marriages Oct 19, 1845 Samuel Mensinger of Mifflin to Maria Mumy of Mifflin, citing Records of Rev. Isaac Shellhammer. 11 Glenn P. Schwalm, St.Paul or "White" Church at Ringtown, Union Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania (Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1990), p. 31. 121850 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Beaver Township, p. 265A, Samuel and Mary Mentsinger; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M432, roll 769, image 246. 13 1850 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Beaver Township, p. 265B, Jacob and Mary Klingman; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M432, roll 769, image 247. 141850 U S Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Berwick, p. 161B, Isaiah Bahl; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 July 2017); citing NARA microfilm M432, roll 769, image 38. 15 Ochsenford, Jubilee Memorial of Danville Conference, pp. 122, 124, 207.

DO YOU HAVE AN ATTIC TREASURE - a story about your journey into Genealogy that you would like to share with us? Do you like to do research? Do you like to write short articles? Would you like to see them in print? We welcome members to submit items for consideration to be included in Penn Pal. Do you want a bigger challenge? We are looking for a full time editor for the newsletter which is published twice a year. Remember you will not be alone - board members are here to support you. Contact PA Chapter at PennPalam@gmail.com We would like to thank the members who submitted articles for this issue.

As I See It - (a report from the PA Chapter President)

Summer greetings to members and friends of the Pennsylvania Chapter. I hope you are enjoying a good balance of work and relaxation – and that you are curious to learn more – and share more – about your German speaking ancestors. Last year I was elected Secretary of this chapter and – with a lot of help from the board – I was asked to temporarily assume the vacant office of President. This year you have elected me President and I appreciate your confidence and kindness. I hope that I am able to help the chapter make progress on some of its goals. I am optimistic about our chapter. Most of the critical board offices have been filled and our conversations have been positive and realistic. The majority of board members are handling new responsibilities so there may be a few transition issues however, there is a spirit of respect and appreciation so I expect the results will be fine. In the past I have invited and encouraged members to tell me what activities they would like to see our chapter do – and the response was very quiet. The invitation still stands and I would love to hear from you. It could be that everyone is delighted with the status quo and having the Spring Conference and PennPal and a responsible handling of chapter expenses is all that we need. But you might also have some rudimentary ideas which have not yet found a voice – and you are patiently waiting for me to guess what is on your mind. Unfortunately, I am not very good at guessing. My next best plan is to share a couple thoughts which have come to me (from others) and let you tell me if they have potential or are lame. I do think we should be doing a little more – not so much that we lose track of what we are doing very well – but an occasional change of pace to keep things interesting and try to reach people who have a different perspective. The goal is not necessarily to change anything or to increase membership or finances -- but to stay relevant and provide opportunities for all ages to be involved.

1. Several members have asked me if meetings or events or workshops could be held in other PA locations. We have been in Kutztown for several years and it has been and will continue to be a great venue for many reasons. However, we are open to using other locations for specific events.

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We could have a series of “getting to know you” luncheons or tours of genealogical/historical sites, or workshops in resource centers. The main problem seems to be finding volunteers in each location who are willing to be the “contact” person and make the arrangements and determine the cost. I would also encourage realistic expectations in any new activity. After all, the goal is innovation and flexibility – not perfection. Why not try it?

2. Does it seem that genealogy in general is increasing in popularity? There are TV shows about “finding roots” and DNA testing ads (some are a bit vague about scientific results). Seminars on these topics and online user groups are very popular. Our chapter has not yet done much to inform our members of the advantages and limitations of the new technologies. However, I suspect that some of our members (and many more who should be members) are already going forward with sophisticated genealogy software (linked to resource websites) and cloud storage, and Facebook and twitter for discussion groups, and DNA testing and potential matching with previously unknown relatives. I don’t think these miraculous and confusing options are going away. If these areas are of interest to you – even if you are truly a novice – you can help show the way for the chapter to utilize these powerful tools to discover (again) our German speaking ancestors.

Finally, thank you for supporting the PA Chapter of Palatines to America. I hope we have an exciting year. It will be limited only by our willingness to learn and to share.

Dennis J Carroll, President

The Potato and the Pennsylvania 'Dutch' by Marcia Dreisbach Falconer, PhD

Pennsylvania Germans and potatoes. In the minds of many, Pennsylvania Dutch cooking is synonymous with the potato - but this was not always the case. An expert on Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, William Woys Weaver, says that potatoes were not commonly eaten in Pennsylvania until the early 1800s.1. Before then, rye bread, noodles, parsnips and turnips were the main starches that were consumed. Such a late date for accepting potatoes as food is not too surprising given the history of this vegetable.

A little bit about the history of potatoes.2.,3. Researchers used potato genetics to determine that there were at least 4000 varieties of potatoes known to the ancient peoples of South America. Today some 200 varieties of potatoes are still grown in the high Andes Mountains. Most of these contain toxic amounts of alkaloids. The most edible strains of wild potatoes were domesticated by women about 5000 to 8000 years ago and knowledge of how to make them edible was transmitted orally. One toxic variety is still commonly grown and the process that renders it edible gives an idea of how potatoes were prepared in prehistoric times. The toxic alkaloids in the potato are removed by repeated freezing, thawing and then soaking in many changes of water before cooking. The resulting edible potato is called chuño and is used in many recipes in Peru and Bolivia.4.

Fig. 1. A small selection of the more than 200 varieties of potatoes available today in South America. Photo: Internet free access.

GENEALOGY: An Old English word for it was folctalu, literally "folk tale." Meaning "study of family

trees" is from 1768. ... A record or table of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or

ancestors; a family tree. The study or investigation of ancestry and family histories.

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It was not until about 1570 that Spanish conquistadors brought the plant from South America to Spain. Here the plant was grown as a botanical curiosity in flower gardens. These were gnarled and knobby potatoes not at all like the potatoes of today. The earliest known consumption of potatoes in Europe is documented in a 1573 record that shows potatoes were fed to patients in a Seville hospital.5. During the 1600’s, Spanish, English and French aristocracy began to recognize the nutritional value of the potato – and that it could provide food for the masses. The potato is rich in vitamin C and it was known that sailors who ate potatoes had less scurvy and that people who ate potatoes in combination with dairy products, were particularly healthy. European rulers tried to introduce the potato to their subjects knowing it could become a plentiful source of food. However the peasants stubbornly refused to eat the ugly tubers which sprouted ‘ears’ and turned green in sunlight due to the presence of solanine. We now know that solanine is highly toxic and even in very small amounts can cause significant stomach pain. That is why you are strongly advised to cut off any green portions of potatoes before cooking and eating.

The introduction of potatoes to Europe remained problematic for years. In France the potato was accused of causing leprosy, syphilis, sterility and early death. The town of Besancon, France issued an edict: "In view of the fact that the potato is a pernicious substance whose use can cause leprosy, it is hereby forbidden, under pain of fine, to cultivate it”. 6.

Potatoes were introduced to the district of Wittgenstein, Germany in 1709!7. Wittgenstein was one of the first places in Europe to record potatoes planted as a crop. Indeed, the introduction of potato planting was important enough to merit an entry in the Berleburg Archives. In the records for the year 1726 there is a statement: “Cartofeln zum erstenmahl im Feld angebauet und Zehenden davon erhoben”. (For the first time potatoes were planted in the field and a tithe was levied on them.) The ‘tithe’ was the fee that was collected by the Count on everything that the peasants raised or grew. The amount varied with time and the ruler, but was one of the many taxes that became ever more onerous as the years went on, becoming a major reason for emigration. By 1744 there were enough potato fields in Wittgenstein so that the tithe on them was listed along with the tithe on the major crop of flax8.. Another entry in the Wittgenstein Archives, this one from 1730, says that Joseph Stieglitz, a poor Jew from the town of Laasphe, reported that he, his wife and his children did not starve during the previous bitter winter because they ate boiled potatoes! This entry indicates that in 1729 – 1730, potatoes were grown in Germany but that eating potatoes was still not a common practice. In fact it happened so seldom that the simple act of potato consumption, by itself, merited inclusion in the archival records!

Growing and eating of potatoes in what is now Germany did not occur everywhere at once. In 1730 eating potatoes was rare in Wittgenstein but farmers in the Westerwald, located not too far away, ate potatoes as part of their Sunday dinner9.. As late as 1739 court records from Erndtebrϋck, which lays just a bit north of Westerwald, show that potatoes were not being grown there10.. However consuming potatoes was encouraged and the word was spreading that potatoes were good to eat and easy to grow. But it was not spreading fast enough.

In 1774, Frederick the Great of Prussia wanted his peasants to eat the nutritious plant. He stationed a heavy guard around the garden that produced potatoes for the use of the court. Local people assumed that anything worth guarding was worth stealing, snuck into the field and snatched the plants for their home gardens. This, of course, was Frederick’s objective all along11..

It appears, then, that many German immigrants were familiar with potatoes even before they arrived in Pennsylvania. However this acceptance of the tuber was tentative. Not everybody liked or ate potatoes; much of the crop was still fed to pigs. Elsewhere in the new United States, things were no better. The potato was not widely accepted as food. The turning point seems to have come when President Thomas Jefferson served potatoes at the White House during his term from 1801 to 1809. These years correlate well with years when potatoes finally became generally acceptable on the dinner table.

Fig. 2. Boiled potatoes. Photo: Internet free access.

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Potatoes and the Pennsylvania Dutch: With some exceptions, during the mid to late 1700's Pennsylvania's German immigrants held views similar to their neighbors, the English settlers. Potatoes were looked upon as food for animals. Two or three bushels of potatoes were enough for the very occasional use by a family during one year.12. The Pennsylvania Dutch preferred their dumplings and noodles to this ugly tuber. Then, between 1780 and 1800, a plague of Hessian fly decimated their wheat crop. What little wheat survived was sold as a cash crop and none was left for domestic use. A filling substitute was needed for the many dishes that used wheat flour and potatoes were right there, ready to fill the void.13. Necessity seems to have been the "mother of invention" when it came to the incorporation of potatoes into the everyday diet of the Pennsylvania Dutch. With wheat and wheat products in short supply due to damage caused by the Hessian fly, potatoes soon found a favored spot in local cuisine. By the 1850s potatoes were served three times a day and went into almost every dish ... they were made into soups, put into stews, made into salads, used in breads, turned into pie fillings, mashed, fried, baked in the coals, and stuffed into turkeys. They were fed to pigs, cattle and chickens. They were even used to make vodka! Today when people look at Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, it always includes one or more potato dishes. Once the potato became accepted, it reigned supreme. Many potato dishes were made in the Pennsylvania Dutch family - one favorite and a very old recipe is for a stuffed pig’s stomach: Take 1 pig stomach and wash it well. Stuff it with a mixture of cubed raw potatoes, chopped onion, chopped celery and carrots,

chopped smoked sausage, salt, pepper, fresh parsley, sage, and thyme. Sew the opening shut and brown on all sides in butter. Put in a roasting pan with about 1” of water in the bottom. Put on a lid and roast at 350F for 3 hours. Slice the pig's stomach, make gravy and serve with mashed potatoes. Schmeck Gut! (Literally, "it tastes good", but is used as a toast to say "good eating"). More recently, the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) researchers examined potatoes for health-giving properties. They found not only high levels of vitamins C and B6 but also significant levels of anti-oxidants, particularly in the potato skin. Additionally, USDA scientists also established the presence of a potato compound that reduces blood pressure – kukoamine – that may be of

value for people with high blood pressure.14. --- So, just as the rulers in the 1600 and 1700's told their subjects "Potatoes are good for you." Enjoy them! REFERENCES

1. Weaver, William Woys, Sauerkraut Yankees, Pennsylvania German Foods & Foodways. Un. of Pennsylvania Press, 1983, p. 111. 2. International Year of the Potato 2008, http://www.potato2008.org/en/potato/origins.html 3. Wright,Clifford. http://www.cliffordwright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/6/id/102/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu%C3%B1o 5. Wright, Clifford. Op. Cit. 6. Observations on such nutritive vegetables as may be substituted in the place of ordinary food, in times of scarcity. Parmentier, Antoine Augustin,

University of Glasgow, 1783. 7. Hartnack, Wilhem, Einfϋhrung der Kartoffeln in Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein – Blätter des Wittgensteiner Heimatvereins e.V., Vol. 23, 1959, Heft 1, pp 62,

63. 8. Wied, W., Ibid. 9. Harnack, W., Ibid. 10. Wied, Werner, Weitere Nachrichten ϋber den Kartoffelanbau im alten Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein – Blätter des Wittgensteiner Heimatvereins e.V., Vol.

24, 1960, Heft 1, pp21-24. 11. Chapman, Jeff, The Impact of the Potato, History Magazine, Vol. 2. http://www.history-magazine.com/potato.html 12. Cope, Thomas, Philadelphia Merchant, the Diary of Thomas P. Cope, 1800-1851. p. 231. 13. Weaver, William Woys, Op. Cit. p. 111 14. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep07/potato0907.htm

Fig. 3. Filled pigs stomach. Photo:https://eatsmarter.com/

recipies/ stuffed-pigs-stomach

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PA CHAPTER PALATINES TO AMERICA SPRING CONFERENCE – MAY 5, 2018 ACADEMIC FORUM, KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY, KUTZTOWN, PA

Registration starts at 8:00am $45.00 members, $50.00 for nonmembers of the Pennsylvania Chapter Palatines to America

Buffet lunch included

SPEAKERS:

Mr. Albert Dallao, who is with ARCPoint Labs will show us what DNA testing can tell us about our ancestry and what it cannot tell us.

Mr. Gerald Smith who is a full-time professional Certified Genealogist specializing in Pennsylvania research will show us how we can use the USGS Maps to determine our ancestor’s property and what was on it at the time they lived there. We can determine if the old roads are same as the present day roads.

Mr. James C. Landis who is a genealogist and historian with over 35 years of experience in researching family history will address researching our grandfather’s records from WWI. It will be the 100th Anniversary in 2018. It will be interesting to learn how to go about this research.

Mrs. Marcia Falconer who is familiar to us in her writing about early trades in Penn Pal will tell us about her adventures in researching and writing a book about her ancestor, Martin Dreisbach. She experienced a great deal of synchronicity in her searches for his history.

Please plan to attend our Spring Conference; we look forward to seeing you. Mrs. Doris Glick, Conference Chairman

A link to the registration form will be available on the Pa Chapter page of Palam.org

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS September 9, 2017 – PA German Cultural Heritage Center Genealogy Conference, 8:30 A.M. – 4:00P.M.,

in the Academic Forum, Kutztown University. Program: Meetinghouse Architecture in Pennsylvania by

Jerry Clouse, Architectural Historian, McCormic Taylor. Pennsylvania German Gravestones by Michael

Emery, Educator, Landis Valley Museum. Ephrata Cloister: Celibacy, Genealogy and Legacy by Michael

Showalter, Museum Educator, Ephrata Cloister. The German Bible in America by Patrick J. Donmoyer,

Director, Heritage Center, KU. Buffet lunch included. Heritage Center Members $55.00 Non Members

$60.00.

On Fri September 8, 2017 there will be a bus tour of the Sacred Landscapes in Lancaster County. Tour

includes Decorated Gravestones and Historic Churches in the Cocalico & Brubaker Valleys. A visit to the

Muddy Creek Library & Museum. Includes bag lunch. Heritage Members $55.00 Non Members $60.00 to

take the bus tour you must also be registered for the Saturday Genealogy Conference.

September 30, 2017 – The North Carolina Chapter Fall Conference will be at the Catawbe County Library

Auditorium, 115 West C Street, Newton, North Carolina. The conference will feature Robert Carpenter.

October 21, 2017 – Ohio Chapter Fall Seminar, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Branch, 96 S Grant

Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. RESEARCHING IN OHIO: GERMAN GENEALOGY METHODS AND

SOURCES. 9:00 A.M. to 3:15 P.M. - Details at https://oh-palam.org/

November 4, 2017 - The Indiana Chapter will hold its Fall Meeting and special 40th Anniversary

Celebration at Lutherwood, 1525 N. Ritter Ave., Indianapolis. The featured presenters will be Stephanie

Asberry, supervisor of the Genealogy Division at the Indiana State Library. She will talk about "Genealogy-

Related Sources at the Indiana State Library. Kent Robinson will talk about "A Survey of German Resources

at the Indiana State Library. There will be a buffet lunch followed by a special program to celebrate the

chapter's 40th Anniversary. Deadline for reservations is October 30.

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The Penn Pal newsletter will be sent to your e-mail address and will also be available on the Pa Chapter page on the PALAM.org website. There is a $4.00 per year fee for those requesting a first-class mailing of a paper copy of the newsletter. Please mail this fee directly to the

PA Chapter.Palatines to America, P.O. Box 35 Temple, PA 19560 Penn Pal is a publication of the Pennsylvania Chapter, Palatines to America. All rights reserved.

Articles in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Pennsylvania Chapter, Palatines to America. Include a SASE when writing to request permission.

Pennsylvania Chapter, Palatines to America, PO Box 35, Temple, PA 19560

Contributions to this newsletter are encouraged. Members may submit articles concerning family history and other genealogical or historical material and stories about your genealogical pursuits, problems or unusual happenings in your search for information on your families. If you submit material for publication, be sure there are no copyright laws restricting its use. If materials submitted are copyrighted, proof of authorization to publish must be provided; sources from other magazines must be cited so appropriate credit can be given. The editors reserve the right to edit all contributions submitted. We will edit (with the exception of original historical documents) for spelling, form, grammar, and obvious error. We may also shorten lengthy articles to fit available space. Contributors are responsible for the accuracy of their information and for their opinions. There is no compensation for unsolicited articles. The editors reserve the right to publish or not publish articles.

PennPalam@gmail.com

Pennsylvania Chapter

Palatines to America

PO Box 35

Temple, PA 19560

Current PA Chapter Board Officers President……………..…….Dennis J. Carroll Recording Secretary…......Charlene Loiseau Treasurer………………..….…..Janet Rupert Membership Registrar………..…Billie Gailey Mem at Large………..Logan Garth Swanger Mem at Large……………………..Doris Glick Mem at Large………………..…….Lucy Kern Penn Pal Editor…………….……..…..…Open Mem at Large………..……………….... Open Pennsylvania Chapter

Palatines to America

PO box 35

Temple, PA 19560

Pennsylvania Chapter

Palatines to America

PO box 35

Temple, PA 19560

Pennsylvania Chapter

Palatines to America

PO box 35

Temple, PA 19560

GENEALOGY RESEARCH TIPS:

Digital Public Library of America - https://dp.la/ What’s better than a website that gives access to more than 16 million digitized items? A website that does it for free. That’s just what the Digital Public Library of America does. DPLA is constantly growing and fast becoming a "must visit" website for free genealogy resources. DPLA is a project involving more than 1,600 libraries, archives, and museums across the U.S. They range from the big national ones, all the way to the little local ones. Together, these libraries have contributed more than 16 million digitized items, such as photographs, newspapers, posters, and diaries.

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