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