Need help with Vonderheid from Germany to Louisiana, 1830-1911

Question

I need some help finding more about my Vonderheid origins. I have records for Louisa Vonderheid in Louisiana. There must have been a language barrier when they gave their information to record keepers. I have seen her name spelled Vonderheidte, Fundereide, Vonderheid prior to being married. She married George Well in New Orleans, LA, USA September 3, 1860. In the record, it was spelled Fundereide. In census records, she and George estimated their birth years differently every decade. Her birth place was listed as Germany, with dates ranging from 1837-1849. When one of their children died at five years old, the obituary was published in a German newspaper. Listed as Deutsche Zeitlung, 1866-08-25, Pg 4, Col 5, Death date 1866-08-24, Georg Well, 5 years old. She had another son Frederick Benedict Well (1864-1901, Louisiana). She had a daughter Johanna Louisa Well (1874-1960, Louisiana). She married George Reynolds December 9, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

I don't have any information on other Vonderheid relatives. I would love to know where in Germany they lived. I would also like to see if there are more that I can connect to my wikitree. I have not been able to find records for her immigration to the US. I don't know her parents' names or if she had siblings. Thank you for any help you can give.

Cass

 

Comments

I am still chipping away at this brick wall. New clue... birth place is Oldenburg, Germany. My brother found family notes. They wrote Louisa Vonder Heid aka Elizabeth Vonder Heid, born 9/?/1849? at Oldenberg, Germany. Above Vonder Heid is a note Well-Madsen. This makes sense because she married George Well in New Orleans, LA. After his passing, she married Christian Madsen. I need help finding her birth record in Germany... I'd like to clarify her birth date and find the names of her parents. Through searching Vonderheid and Oldenberg, I stumbled on a record on findagrave... wish I could tell if they are relatives. The interesting thing is that the memorial for that Vonderheid notes that the family came from Oldenburg via Bremen to New Orleans. I'd like to find the passenger list for USS Hermann... but, don't know the possible dates it traveled from Bremen to New Orleans. Can anyone help me find Vonderheid records in Oldenburg, Bremen, or upon arrival in New Orleans? Name variations: Von der Heide, Vonderheidte, Fundereide 

Answer 1

The name "von der Heide" is not uncommon in German, there is no real concentration anywhere in Germany and it also exists in Austria and Switzerland, which means that without any more information about the origin of the family it would be very hard to find out more.