FAMILY HISTORY:LAST NAME
CHANGES
Marcia Sue Harris December 18,
1958
Ronald Vincent Graeber
Jan 22, 1937-May 1983
Lester Graeber1910-1995
Earnest J. Graeber1885
Emma Graeber1891
Avis Graeber1912-1980’s
Gwen Marie Greaber Nov 9, 1937-March 26,
1993
Delbert Lee Beauman March 24, 1911-Oct.
1985
Vern J. BeaumanJuly 12, 1883-Oct
13, 1953
Jacob BeuamanJan 3, 1833-July
1914
Anna Maria Beauman
Nov 24, 1849-July 8, 1937Grace Beauman
June 5, 1886-March 31, 1969
Maxine Marie Beauman 1912-1969
Lester Converse1884
Alma Converse1890
EMMET COUNTY, ESTHERVILLE, IOWA
The story of Jacob Beauman and his family
demonstrates how names were changed in
history. Their story connects to the
migration of individuals and families from other countries, whom once they came to America,
altered their last names.
Jacob Baumann was born on January 3, 1833 in Berne Canton, Switzerland. He died on the 6th of July in 1914 in Lake City, Iowa.
Jacob Baumann believed America had more to offer
than Switzerland so he migrated around 1874.
Switzerland
Civil war broke out in 1847. Known as the Sonderbund War. Similar to America it was
between states’ rights versus federal power.
1850: Second most industrialized country in Europe
In 1856 Prussia threatens war. The royal insurgency in Neuchatel fails.
1870-1871: Franco-Prussian War begins, Swedish troops on the frontier.
Family Name Change
When Vern Jacob Baumann was in school, a teacher changed the
family name spelling from Baumann to Beauman.
History of Name Changes
Most commonly, changes were made to the spelling, although in some cases an entirely new
name was “adopted.”
Some names were changed purposely to be Americanized.
While in other cases names were changed to avoid
discrimination.
Secondary Sources
GenealogyInTime Magazine, "Why Immigrants Change Their Name." Accessed April 13, 2012.
http://www.genealogyintime.com/NewsStories/2009/March/why_immigrants_change_their_name.ht
ml.
Huber, Leslie. UnderstandingYourAncestors.com , "Understanding Your Ancestors." Last modified
Nov/Dec 2005. Accessed April 13, 2012.
Remak, Joachim. 1993. A very civil war: the Swiss Sonderbund War of 1847. Boulder: Westview Press.
Schelbert, Leo. 2007. Historical dictionary of Switzerland. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.
2003. "Country Profile 2003: Switzerland." Country Profile. Ghana 1-49. Business Source
Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 13, 2012).
Primary Sources
Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives,
Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323
(Chicago City). Ancestry.com.
Harris, Marcia. April 09, 2012:6.
Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. Ancestry.com.
Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives,
Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. ancestry.com.
United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,
2,667 rolls. Ancestry.com.
United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,
2,667 rolls. Ancestry.com.
United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,
2,667 rolls. Ancestry.com.
United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,
2,667 rolls. Ancestry.com.
United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records
Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm. Ancestry.com.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/switzerland_pol_2000.jpg
http://www.mapsphotos.net/p%20photo/landscape/main/P1509.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs30/f/2008/134/9/b/Border_iii_by_struckdumb.jpg
PICTURES