Help finding brick wall German Great Great Grandparents

Question

Searching for my great grandfather Friedrick Bartholomew Bohling (born Dec 31,1866 in Wehldorf, Germany and died Dec 31 1935 in Davenport, Nebraska ) parents. I have his marriage certificate that states Bohling for father, and Gesle Bohling as mother. Do you think its two Bohling lines that married? or do you think he could be illegitimate? Fred's death certificate did not have any parents listed. I have information for Fred's Uncle Bohling if that is helpful.  Thank you for any help!!

Comments

I assume he married in the US, I suspect his mother’s name on the marriage certificate is simply her married name.

There is a 1900 Census record that gives his father’s name as Henry, which I suspect is an Americanization of Heinrich.

There numerous other census records show a large family with 10 children.

There is a profile for him at FamilySearch.

Since you have an exact date and precise location for his birth, have you tried to find the church records for this place?

Since the 1900 census lists the fathers name, have you searched immigration records? It could be that the family immigrated together.

Based on what you provided, and what is on his profile I have no reason to suspect he is illegitimate.

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Fred did get married in the USA 1897 to Martha Glawatz, they had 10 children. I have not found any census that has his father. 1885 census has him marked as nephew to Henry Bohling in Sedan, Nebraska. Which 1900 census did you see? I will look it up.

I have tried just searching Gesle in Wehldorf at the time of Fred's birth but it always comes up empty(on ancestry). It could be she used a different name, or I am not reading the marriage record right, or there just isn't a record anymore.

Is there a resource that can help me determine more church(or other ) records? I would be grateful.

I have trees on almost every site so the tree could be mine. I am only currently paying for Ancestry records.

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When looking at the 1900 census, the person who was identified as Frederick’s father, is probably actually his father-in-law, and misidentified in the census.

Sorry.

Answer 1

There are two places in Lower Saxony called Wehldorf.
- Wehldorf, municipality of Beverstedt, rural district of Cuxhaven
- Wehldorf, municipality of Gyhum, rural district of Rotenburg/Wümme

The profile says Wehldorf/Gyhum, but are you sure it's really this place? Gyhum would also be the relevant Protestant parish. However, there are no church records online available for Gyhum for the year 1866 either on archion, ancestry or FamilySearch.
This means that the date or the parents cannot be checked online at present.

Comments

The correct German name would be Friedrich Bartholomeus Böhling

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I have had trouble with the location before. I went with the Gyhum because I was able to find Fred's Uncle Henry there.

We only have the middle name spelling from my grandmother who wrote the name on the back of one of Fred's pictures. She was retelling what her husband said of his father. I have searched using the Bartholomeus, but didn't get anything.

Thank you for your help

Answer 2

Could be a case of husband taking the wife’s last name of her farm, if they  were farmers?! Nice photo on the profile!

Comments

I did wonder that. I don't know her age, I can just estimate based on Fred's birth, I also don't know if he has any siblings his obituary doesn't mention any family besides his wife and kids and where he was born.  

Thanks , I am lucky to have it :)

Answer 3

Hi, I took a look on Familysearch and have to agree with George Fulton's theory. This because I took a look at other people with the same surname and what I found out was that on almost all German Lutheran records the spouses are both listed with the same surname, usually the husband's one. What I think is that Fred's parents got married in Germany and being Lutheran his mother took the husband's surname and used it in all the papers involving her also in the US after migrating there.

Comments

I did most of my searching using Bohling as Gesle's married name, it made sense to search it like that. I think I won't find much becuase I can only guess her age. I have been sorting my DNA matches(my dad's too) to try to find her surname but endogamy is not helping my search. If I could find a sibling of Fred I would have more luck I think.

thank you